Contest - Best All Artificer Party

Ok, I don't have any prizes to offer and there is not likely to be a single best option or winner for this (sorry for clickbait)... Anyway -

Who wants to share ideas for and discuss all artificer parties...?

The Dungeon Dudes video on this is outdated (pre 2024 Artificer update) and does not include many of the currently available subclasses.

We could decide on the rules but I was thinking to allow multi-classing (but each character has to have at least 3 levels of Artificer with most characters in the party having 11+ levels of Artificer). I think Party size could be between 4 and 6 (although 6 is a bit large w/ controlled constructs). I think we can use any current 3rd party content as well as all the Artificer subclasses that are out there - Armorer, Artillerist, Battle Smith, Alchemist, Cartographer, Forge Adept, Maverick, Reanimator, etc...

I think armorers are absolute tanks. They can work up to heavy plate +1 shield +2 for an ac of 23. If they take the sage background they get the shield spell, and they can cast mirror image so the first attack that gets through has a big chance.of hitting a mirror. 

Artillerists do great ranged damage, get the fireball spell and can put fireball into the spell storing item to cast ten level 3 fireballs per long rest?!!?!

The cartographer gets their own version of the Marauders Map. And can use it to teleport party members out of danger. Everyone knows where the party is. If they can establish a comms link, they are perfect for when the party has to split.

All of them get the artificers mini pallidan aura so they can give themselves or someone else a boost to their saving throw. 

The only issue will be you wont have a lot of access to the big healing spells like Heal or big hail mary spells like Raise Dead. 

Youre a half caster so i think at the higjer levels you might wish you had some of those level 7+ spells.

But you could give a dm a run for their money for sure.

Thank you for commenting!

Yes, the all artificer party is really fun to build and think about.

I am worried about the two main issues that you mention:
1) Crappy Savings Throws on multiple ability scores given that almost all the party is Intelligence first (although many are multi-classed and have another decent score in the mix). I think Guidance and Flash of Genius will need to carry us through.
2) Lack of Healing - thankfully Artificers have access to Revivify, Lesser Restoration, Healing Word, and can craft/carry lots of Healing Potions. I think the Maveric is also critical since it can access some Cleric spells. And of course, the Steel Defender and Eldritch Cannon heal effects will also be critical.

I think an all Artificer party would be super fun and there's no need to multiclass. Give out some All-Purpose Tools and you have extra cantrips. Artificers usually have pretty good CON saves and mine usually have decent DEX too. They're so versatile that you can twist their roles quite a bit.

Of course, it's all in the specific challenge on offer too. 

I would go a classic armourer, alchemist, artillerist and battle smith. 

This gives two tanks a blaster and healer/buffer. All should be elves or war forged to optimize crafting time. Make sure at least one of them has artisan background with the crafter to further cut material costs. I would suggest manifold tools so more people can work on a project at once 

 As for multi classing artificer is a 14 level class. However which is largely flavor as you will have 20s in all stats after lvl 14 thanks to bag of beans. 

I do think they can suffice on their own but once you add in multiclassing it really makes a difference in power / potential.

Simplest example is 1 Level Fighter Dip for a Battle Smith to get Fighting Styles and Weapon Mastery. Makes a pretty big difference instead of dedicating a feat to getting a weapon mastery, for example.  

Another example, I wanted to include a Cartographer but really the Level 3 features are a big part of the value and after that it petered out. Add in multiclass in Warlock and suddenly you have a really interesting skirmisher and the party gets Hunger of Hadar which is amazing for a control-focused party. 

When you are building an all Artificer Party there are plenty of Spell Storing Items and plenty of RMI magic items but I feel like other classes can really up the DPR or provide access to spells or features that are difficult or impossible to get with the Artificer class.

Alchemist seemed really weak to me when I was making my party.

I did include a Cartographer but multi-classed away after 3rd level to make a complex Rogue Warlock Cartographer skirmisher build (actually wound up with pretty low Int stat but was planning to craft a Headband of Intellect).

I also found that Maverick seems like a really important addition to the part since he gives access to Wizard and Cleric spells - her can load Spirit Guardians or Conjure Animals in a Spell Storing Item which is AWESOME. 

My overall strategy is control -- Push/Pull, Prone, Retrained, etc... -- with persistent AoE effects: Fog Cloud, Eversmoking Bottle, Cloud of Daggers, Darkness, Hunger of Hadar, Wall of Fire, etc... Devil's Sight and Blindsight to see in Darkness, lots of Push masteries and feats, etc... 

Armorer(+ Echo Knight) and Battle Smith are my Tanks / Front Liners who do lots of the pushing. Forge Adept(+ Monster Hunter-Devourer) and Cartographer(+ Rogue-Thief + Warlock-GOO) are my skirmishers and potentially my best damage dealers (especially the Forge Adept - Monster Hunter which can do like 150dpr at Level 12 or so). Artillerist and Maverick are my ranged attackers - Maverick can dash around the battle zone on a Phantom Steed with Spirit Guardians SSI and Artillerist builds Battle Platforms that provide cover while controlling constructs.

I am working on complex backstories and unique combinations of classes/subclasses and features for each to give them all a totally unique flavor.

You would need to have 10 levels of artficer to make a headband of intellect as part of replicate magic items feature. I suppose a high level artificer could  make one for your alchemist.

Maveric artificer breaks the game. Use ssi to give everyone a familiar or acquire sidekicks so you have 10 creatures who cast spirit guadians before a big fight. Its 1 minute of prep to give each character the ssi and have them cast ssi on themselves, but spirit guardians  lasts 10 minutes, so it works.

You now have 10 charcters each doing 3d6 damage to every enemy they can walk by. Thats 100 points of damage, per enemy. I dont see any dm allowing this after the first encounter that uses it.

Quote from SunIsGettingRealLow96589 >>

You would need to have 10 levels of artficer to make a headband of intellect as part of replicate magic items feature. I suppose a high level artificer could  make one for your alchemist.

Maveric artificer breaks the game. Use ssi to give everyone a familiar or acquire sidekicks so you have 10 creatures who cast spirit guadians before a big fight. Its 1 minute of prep to give each character the ssi and have them cast ssi on themselves, but spirit guardians  lasts 10 minutes, so it works.

You now have 10 charcters each doing 3d6 damage to every enemy they can walk by. Thats 100 points of damage, per enemy. I dont see any dm allowing this after the first encounter that uses it.

Headband of Intellect is only an Uncommon Magic Item so I was planning to craft it normally - 10 days > 5 (Maveric) > 2.5 w/ Assistant. Honestly the downtime crafting potential of an all Artificer party is one of the biggest risks of breaking the game. 

The new Flock of Familiars spell allows the "everyone gets a familiar" for helping or magic item usage (although not for Telepathy / Perceiving through their senses). And, I agree, casting multiple Spirit Guardians on them or on the party is pretty broken. Actually, passing around the SSI is pretty broken with Fireball or Conjure Barrage also so I think that is the thing to restrict - DMs can give the SSI a 10 minute attunement that does not use a slot.

I agree that the Maveric is a bit OP but I think you can avoid abusing the SSI and still have access to Spirit Guardians (if anything that spell itself might be broken). I guess from my perspective, if you want to build a powerful party you want access to powerful spells (although which spells are most important depends on party strategy).

From my perspective, the 3 most powerful mid-level combat spells that I wanted but which Artificers (main classes) don't get access to are: Spirit Guardians, Conjure Minor Elementals, Spike Growth (not talking about Wish or anything here). Maveric gives me access to 2 of the 3 (but so would a Wizard in the party, and at a much lower level).

The alchemist is not the strongest however if you use the potion mixing rules they can guarantee your whole party a large number of permanent buffs like resistance to almost every damage type, advantage in saves vs posion and charm 30 bonus hit points, no longer requiring sleep, freedom of movement. 

They can also craft +3 weapons for only 5000 gp each. 

The behind the scenes work add alot to the utility and overall survival.