Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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One thing I like to do between sessions is daydream about what equipment loadouts my Artillerist could carry. By level 6 things get really interesting, with the ability to craft some uncommon magic items plus access to the epic Magic Item Tinker.
It seems to me that the best RMI options are mostly items with charges, which you can create with a full charge every day and then drain for an extra spell slot or transform into something else. Or, recharge them instantly and keep using them, something no other class can do!
The spell-refueling ring, with its ability to basically give an artificer two extra spell slots (or a spell slot and a different item, or two extra cannons, etc), sounds useful all the way from 6 to 20.
Repulsion Shield also seems pretty nice, with its four free charges of push each day. If your DM is nice, they'll let you create it as a +2 shield at level 14 based on AU's new evolving magic items rules.
Wand of Web's seven free castings of Web (which you can then drain for a spell slot), though the DC is a little low in late-game.
At level 10 you can make your own Ring of Protection and Luckstone, if your DM hasn't given you one yet.
Beyond that I haven't really researched it much, but AU's Blood Amulet combined with the artificer's ability to recharge the item is really powerful.
So what RMIs are must-haves for your artificer through most of their career?
I find myself surprised that so many people like wand of web as a replicated item given the preciousness of each slot. Web is a great spell, but the wand can only be attuned by a spellcaster, it still requires concentration, the DC is lower than my native DC, and I can't say that I've ever had an adventuring day where I've wanted to cast it more than say twice. What am I missing?
By contrast, my homunculus runs about with the Wand of Magic Missile and that gets quite a lot of use.
Some of this depends on the prevalence of magic items available at your table. Hopefully you can replace many of the lower level items with permanent items - your Bag of Holding, your +1 armor, Repeating Shot, etc. Repulsion Shield is great, Cloak of Elvenkind can be useful for a long time. You also may be finding attunement slots to be a limiter, again depending on what's available to you.
Ideally for the things you always use, you can set those up as permanent items, so that your replicate slots can be used for situational purposes - one day it's a Ring of Mind Shielding, the next day a Decanter of Endless Water.
Fortunately my DM is pretty good about giving us magic items. And he's set up a path towards making some RMIs (like bag of holding and my beloved repeating heavy crossbow) into permanent items. So for example at level 3 our bag of holding is currently occupying one of my slots but I've already collected nearly all the materials I need to make it permanent by the time we hit level 4.
Hmm, you're right about wand of web. Perhaps I'll demote that one from my must-have list and let one of the other spellcasters in the team handle that one!
I think Sentinel Shield is probably one of the most underrated items on the RMI list, adv. on perception and initiative on a +1 shield is great....
Magic armor is available a tier lower than it's equivalent rarity so I RMI armor instead of crafting it. Also crafting the base armor takes some time as well if you are crafting magical armor. For example, Armor +1 is Rare and available at Level 6 (almost the only rare item available at that level).
I used to love repeating shot but it requires an attunement slot. Returning weapon does not and even Vicious weapons do not require attunement (if crafting and not RMI). Pipes of Haunting are good to give to a minion as is Wand of Magic Missiles obviously. Weapon of Warning is key but actually you should try to get that before Level 6.
If you can use Valda's stuff Magitechnician really changes the utility of things like Wand of Web or anything with saving throws since it starts using your DC instead of the Magic Items.
Magitechnician VSS:PP2
You gain the following benefits.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma by 1, to a maximum of 20.
Magic Item Expert. If one of your magic items calls for a saving throw, it uses the following DC if it is higher: 8 plus the modifier of the ability increased by this feat and your Proficiency Bonus.
Magic Item Recharge. When you finish a Short Rest, you can cause a magic item that regains charges or properties to recharge as if it were the next dawn. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a Long Rest.
These are some excellent suggestions!
It’s true, picking the items that are one rarity level ahead are always a good call. And I’ll have to check out Magitechnician, too!
Spell Tattoos. Common gives you access to Cantrips and Lvl 1 Spells. Even if limited to Artificer Spell list, its great for storing a fringe spell you'd only use once per session anyway. Like Feather Fall, Expeditious Retreat, Sanctuary (as an extra layer of protection for non-combat NPC), Absorb Elements, Purify Food and Water, and maybe Snare or False Life. From Cantrips Mage hand, Magic stones, Message, Spare the Dying, are useful options. You do this so they don't take up your prepared slots.
But when you reach level 10, and unlock uncommon wonderous items, that expands the Tattoos into lvl 2 and lvl 3 spells... which is HUGE boon depending how big your DM allows the eligible spell list to be. Being able to take spells from outside your spell list, even if its only single use per day, enables all kinds of shenanigans. Shadow Blade as a back up weapons, Barkskin for more AC, Sleep, Silence, Create Food and Water, etc.
RAW isn't quite clear on the spellwrought tattoos, but I'd rule that (a) you'd have to specify the exact spell as part of the plan (ie, can only change on level up) and (b) that it would have to be a spell you can prepare. Still potentially very useful.
Yep, it'd need to be a spell you actually know. But you make a good point about Spellwrought Tattoo continuing to be useful even later in the game due to being able to hold spells up to level 3 (at level 10) and 5 (at level 14)!
The rules on crafting only stipulate you need "someone" with the ability to cast a spell if the item is going to have the ability to cast a spell. And that same section is equally clear as mud if the item has the ability to cast multiple spells.
Our DM handles the situation as creating a magic item requires a spell caster who keeps the spell prepared every day, or we find a spell scroll of it on top of the normal cost of making the item. The rules applied here are a little bit looser.... and it'll make sense in a second. He's allowing me use any spell as a tattoo plan, as long as we have a source for the spell on hand. Scroll's conditionally fill that requirement, as long as we have it at the start of the day when the RMI refreshes. But our DM has a "stuff happens when we're asleep" table, and items being stolen has happened several times already. So I could potentially lose access to spell, because no one in the party knows it, until we steal the scroll back or buy a new one. And getting scrolls in his setting are all dice based. So even if one is available, we might have to spend several sessions before we finally track it down. Its got that illogical mix of high speed communication and teleportation, while physical goods are handled like the only thing that exists are caravans and second hand stores.
I fully expect one day to come across a really nice scroll I could use, and the roll that very night results in random stuff being stolen..... "You raised my hopes and dashed them quiet expertly sir, bravo."
Just became aware of a totally OP magic item from Heliana's... Uncommon Wonderous Item so could RMI it at Level 10. There is also a rare version (can eat scrolls up to 5th level). This offers one of the easiest ways to let your minions / familiar or a martial in your party basically function like a 3rd level spellcaster...
Spelleater Tome (uncommon)
Learning and developing new spells can be a tedious and time-consuming process. Luckily, the spelleater tome is a shortcut to becoming a spell-slinging savant. Originally a creation of Jonjo Starr, the tome has become a favourite among lazy wizarding apprentices the world over.
This book has 8 charges and regains 1d4 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. It can be used as a spellbook and as a spellcasting focus by wizards.
Living Library. This tome is capable of copying and storing magical information. As an action, you can give it a spell scroll of 2nd level or lower, which it devours, destroying the scroll and adding the spell to its pages. While holding the book, you can cast one of the spells stored within it by expending a number of charges equal to the spell's level (save DC 13, +5 to hit; 1 charge for cantrips). The tome can store up to five spells in this way. If storing a new spell would take it above this maximum, you can choose one of its current spells to be replaced. When found, the book already contains one 1st-level spell and one 2nd-level spell, randomly determined.
That Spelleater Tome is bonkers powerful for an Uncommon item! I wonder if my DM would even let me have it!
DDB/5e has a long standing issue where theres basically no standard template for making and power balancing magic items, mixed with treating all magic items like a flat list with poor tagging. It mixes set piece magic items with every other magic item, so you will inevitably run into something like the Quick Step Clogs, which are uncommon and can cast Haste one per Long rest. Then theres the Road Warden Shield, which has mechanics very specific to Ebon Tides. The Website has no means to differentiate between things which are designed around their origin setting, and things which can be more widely applicable to other campaign settings. At best all you can do disable access to items in the related book as a whole.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/11258896-quickstep-clogs
https://www.dndbeyond.com/magic-items/8806916-road-warden-shield