Core still has access to Light crossbows d8 2h Simple Ranged weapons.
Battlesmith just gets Heavy Crossbows d10 2h Martial Ranged Weapon, and Hand crossbows d6 1h Martial Ranged Weapon. So a Battlesmith gets a choice of +1 average damage or +2AC-1 average damage.
Hand crossbows are also useful for Crossbow expert but that doesn’t matter to Artificers since their BA is utilized and can only have Reload Infusion on one Crossbow at a time.
It still feels like a super restriction especially since now begging for guns is actually a power move as it is your fastest access to martial damage buffs.
Alchemists get +INT to one die roll of healing or fire, acid, poison or necrotic damage but only for spells cast using alchemy supplies as a spellcasting focus.
So basically cantrips, cantrips, cantrips. But you'd need to spend a feat to get Toll the Dead which would probably be the best cantrip to use with this feature. (Or be a high Elf I suppose)
It'd be great if at level 5 they gave the Alchemist an extra cantrip...
Funny how Artillerists not only get a feature that gives them an extra 1d8 damage on any spell but it's something they can add to an existing rod/wand/or staff even magical ones that have other bonuses or features with them.
But if the Alchemist wants to use their +INT on their spells it has to be using an item which I don't think there are any magical versions of?
Whoops, I'm wrong there's apparently the Travel Alchemical Kit from the Acquisitions Inc book but that's it. Although I guess you could consider using the Alchemy jug to qualify as meeting the requirements? That'd be kinda dope... if potentially cumbersome. Start catapulting globs of mayonnaise or salt water.
Neither of those have any benefit to spellcasting so that's a solid call for homebrew if I ever heard one.
Infusion:
Enhanced Artisan Tools (requires attunement)
prerequisite: An artisan tool with which you are proficient
You gain a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs of spells that you cast using these tools as a spellcasting focus.
In addition crafting mundane items with these tools take you a quarter of the normal time and costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Basing it off of Rod of the Pact Keeper (since that works pretty well for warlocks) but themed more for tools.
A non-infusion version would probably be mostly the same but just specifically require attunement by an artificer, not that anyone but an Artificer can use tools as a spellcasting focus. So maybe that's not even needed.
It is still very obvious they wanted Alchemists and Artillerist to use exclusively Magic and discourage any use of weapons. While the Battle smith is the only one to use weapons. I just feel like they needed a 4th subclass for balance and don’t see why they avoided a pure Wandslinger.
If only there was a 4th subclass that was absolutely fine and viable (minus one tiny thing that would've been easily corrected) with a cool theme and interesting mechanics *cough* *cough* Truly, what a conundrum.
Lolno. The Archivist was boo sheet. It was wildly overtuned, the Manifest Mind ability was bizarre (if in a way that definitely had some potential and appeal), and the class in general just needed a hefty polishing pass.
Plus, think of it this way. Wizards did you a favor by pulling the Archivist; now you're free to homebrew it back in, and it dodged the fuzzy foam meteor strike that befell the poor Alchemist and in whose splash zone the Artillerist was caught.
So I kind of understand where they were going with the alchemist and politely disagree. They wanted the to focus on healing but also do a variety of damage types which is hinted at alchemy savant. With the published version nerfing them by a lot and no real damage options, I think that one way to help balance this is
1) give them arcane weapon as an ability at level 3 and add more 1d6 when you gain a subclass feature. I think that would fit pretty thematically and help with their damage.
2) Also make experimental potion as bonus action because having to do two action that would take a spell slot is just asinine.
I also made a damaging type for experimental potion with debuffs in homebrew section but it still needs tweaks and balancing.
Currently I'm homebrewing the following alternatives for one of my player's alchemist:
Their Elixirs expire after a short rest, instead of long rest and they regain all elixirs after a short rest instead of a long rest. They also produce one more elixir than what it says.
Additionally, as part of the action to use a spell slot to produce an elixir, they can also drink the elixir or administer that elixir to either a willing or incapacitated creature.
When I first heard, i didn't hear it was an hour so I thought it'd be a min or so. then when I heard an hour.. I assumed that it would be giving you pseudo profiency. like a rotating profiency in tools that you made. A way to roll through any and all tools with some preperation and practice and thought that was neat.
Now that I have a copy it just is 1hour to make mundane tools... tools you might not even have profiency in? because you can't really get a tooon of profiencies in the game but there are just b ucketloads of Tools you could get it in.. does it feel odd? or is it just be because I'm new to the system? or am I missing someway to load up on profiencies?
How about producing an elixir is a bonus action? Scaling the spell slots for the elixirs is going to be harder. I'm trying to make an experimental elixir for attacking but balancing it is hard.
I would probably try stay away from a damage elixir, as you say balance is hard. Should it be better than a cantrip? As it takes spell slots to make? And it is one time use. But then you kind of need it to stay balanced and it is a random roll. Just let Cantrips & Spells be their primary damage source and let Elixir remain buff support.
My main change I’d like to see is letting them have more Elixirs, like craft 10-15 over the period of a day, eg craft on short rest but disappear on long rest up to your level in pocket. And consuming can be done in stacks up to 3. Ie after 15th level you can have someone drink 3 elixir for plus 30ft speed, 30ft flying or 6d4+3*Int healing. Nothing seems broken and I think RAW actually supports multiple drinking? I would just make it 1 MA to drink up to 3 units of the Elixir. And for scaling, make it 1 Elixir per spell slot level, and probably BA make.
I will say, they hit this class really hard from the previous UA to official release and it really makes me wonder what the point of the UA even was to begin with fr.
I guess i had far too much faith in WotC that the Homonculus wouldnt be garbage and that they could come up with something more unique to give the alchemist but whatever, that just means more homebrew potential for me.
I also cant believe that they literally added no additional Infusions aside from the Homonculus. I just think in their minds they HAD to add the Artificer as a prerequisite for releasing Eberron ao they really didn’t put much heart into making the class actually good
The expanded Replicate Magic Item lists, and the addition of every single common magical item from Xanathar's Guide to those lists, was a heck of a booster shot for Infusions.
The reason there's no free class/subclass for the artificer is that the artificer is not part of the Basic Rules. The Basic Rules/SRD are freely available on DDB because they're freely available from Wizards. The artificer is part of a paid book, and thus it needs to be part of the same paid book from DDB. This is unlikely to change.
They buffed the hell out of infusions. You get more of them, and even more known, giving you some serious customizability, almost on par with the wizard for long rests (they also scale better). I know replicate magic item seems boring at face value, but there is a lot of stuff you can do with it, if you apply planning to it. (Use a bag of holding as a spellcasting focus and have a bag filled with all manner of useful items, give yourself stuff like goggles of night and cloak of manta ray for situations that might include water or darkness, just give everyone better stats with Amulet of health, gauntlets of ogre strength, and headband of intellect, go crazy, the sky is the limit).
Now that I have a copy it just is 1hour to make mundane tools... tools you might not even have profiency in? because you can't really get a tooon of profiencies in the game but there are just b ucketloads of Tools you could get it in..
My Warforged Artificer has Alchemy kit, Herbalism kit, Tinkers tools, Thieves tools. Later he will learn one other tool proficiency from the class. You also have the option to learn proficiency during down time. As is I could potentially save myself 22# of carry weight.
The tools created are not required to be used by you. At other times you may need a toolkit for an easy check. Maybe you need to write a note or paint a warning on the wall.
The tools created are not required to be used by you. At other times you may need a toolkit for an easy check. Maybe you need to write a note or paint a warning on the wall.
An easy check, note, or warning you can wait an hour for? Im not being sarcasitc. I just have never seen a situation where you could stop, and wait an hour for something small mundane like that. Compared to just leaving it be to move on the naritive or the timing of things is all. yeah, it absolutely nice for when your ally breaks or loses their tools. Or when you break or lose them (and still have tinkerer tools on you). But that doesn't feel like it comes up very often. I just think it takes too long for a completely mundane item and mundane check-since most of the time for those situation its probably for a tool that none of you use so you don't have one already. But those time periods don't often have the Short Rest to do that with. Some certainly do though of course. I'm just a proponent of "1action 1min length, 1 hour ffull or 1/2 proficiency" style I suppose. As that would be a completely valuable tool That would be Artificier's version of Bard's Jack of All Trades. Making them Jack of All Tools. Since there is an argument they both serve a similiar "group support" role (though not direct overlap)
--
the best use I've found, as you said, was saving yourself weight. You won't need Alch kits, or herbalism kits every day, not remotely. (well maybe herbalism in certain areas). So those are prime targets for this ability. Make one when you've got downtime! Great use that I quite appreciate.
2 levels of Forge domain cleric and you can create metal objects (or objects that contain at least some metal) with a value of no greater than 100 gp. Plus you can enchant 1 weapon or armor to +1. Best way to create tool kits. Far superior to doing it via the artificer and you can have more than 1 plus they are permanent.
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Core still has access to Light crossbows d8 2h Simple Ranged weapons.
Battlesmith just gets Heavy Crossbows d10 2h Martial Ranged Weapon, and Hand crossbows d6 1h Martial Ranged Weapon. So a Battlesmith gets a choice of +1 average damage or +2AC-1 average damage.
Hand crossbows are also useful for Crossbow expert but that doesn’t matter to Artificers since their BA is utilized and can only have Reload Infusion on one Crossbow at a time.
It still feels like a super restriction especially since now begging for guns is actually a power move as it is your fastest access to martial damage buffs.
Alchemists get +INT to one die roll of healing or fire, acid, poison or necrotic damage but only for spells cast using alchemy supplies as a spellcasting focus.
So basically cantrips, cantrips, cantrips. But you'd need to spend a feat to get Toll the Dead which would probably be the best cantrip to use with this feature. (Or be a high Elf I suppose)
It'd be great if at level 5 they gave the Alchemist an extra cantrip...
Funny how Artillerists not only get a feature that gives them an extra 1d8 damage on any spell but it's something they can add to an existing rod/wand/or staff even magical ones that have other bonuses or features with them.
But if the Alchemist wants to use their +INT on their spells it has to be using an item which I don't think there are any magical versions of?
Whoops, I'm wrong there's apparently the Travel Alchemical Kit from the Acquisitions Inc book but that's it. Although I guess you could consider using the Alchemy jug to qualify as meeting the requirements? That'd be kinda dope... if potentially cumbersome. Start catapulting globs of mayonnaise or salt water.
Neither of those have any benefit to spellcasting so that's a solid call for homebrew if I ever heard one.
Infusion:
Enhanced Artisan Tools (requires attunement)
prerequisite: An artisan tool with which you are proficient
You gain a +1 bonus to spell attack rolls and saving throw DCs of spells that you cast using these tools as a spellcasting focus.
In addition crafting mundane items with these tools take you a quarter of the normal time and costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Basing it off of Rod of the Pact Keeper (since that works pretty well for warlocks) but themed more for tools.
A non-infusion version would probably be mostly the same but just specifically require attunement by an artificer, not that anyone but an Artificer can use tools as a spellcasting focus. So maybe that's not even needed.
yes, sorry, I meant Light Crossbow
It is still very obvious they wanted Alchemists and Artillerist to use exclusively Magic and discourage any use of weapons. While the Battle smith is the only one to use weapons. I just feel like they needed a 4th subclass for balance and don’t see why they avoided a pure Wandslinger.
If only there was a 4th subclass that was absolutely fine and viable (minus one tiny thing that would've been easily corrected) with a cool theme and interesting mechanics *cough* *cough* Truly, what a conundrum.
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Lolno. The Archivist was boo sheet. It was wildly overtuned, the Manifest Mind ability was bizarre (if in a way that definitely had some potential and appeal), and the class in general just needed a hefty polishing pass.
Plus, think of it this way. Wizards did you a favor by pulling the Archivist; now you're free to homebrew it back in, and it dodged the fuzzy foam meteor strike that befell the poor Alchemist and in whose splash zone the Artillerist was caught.
Please do not contact or message me.
My only complaint with artillerist is the removal of storing a couple cantrips in the arcane firearm, formerly wand prototype.
So I kind of understand where they were going with the alchemist and politely disagree. They wanted the to focus on healing but also do a variety of damage types which is hinted at alchemy savant. With the published version nerfing them by a lot and no real damage options, I think that one way to help balance this is
1) give them arcane weapon as an ability at level 3 and add more 1d6 when you gain a subclass feature. I think that would fit pretty thematically and help with their damage.
2) Also make experimental potion as bonus action because having to do two action that would take a spell slot is just asinine.
I also made a damaging type for experimental potion with debuffs in homebrew section but it still needs tweaks and balancing.
I'd be happy with extra spell slots or just not elixirs per random short rest or chosenf long rest depending on balance
Currently I'm homebrewing the following alternatives for one of my player's alchemist:
Their Elixirs expire after a short rest, instead of long rest and they regain all elixirs after a short rest instead of a long rest. They also produce one more elixir than what it says.
Additionally, as part of the action to use a spell slot to produce an elixir, they can also drink the elixir or administer that elixir to either a willing or incapacitated creature.
As a random sidenote~
lv 3 ability to make tools, takes 1 hour.
When I first heard, i didn't hear it was an hour so I thought it'd be a min or so.
then when I heard an hour..
I assumed that it would be giving you pseudo profiency. like a rotating profiency in tools that you made. A way to roll through any and all tools with some preperation and practice and thought that was neat.
Now that I have a copy it just is 1hour to make mundane tools... tools you might not even have profiency in? because you can't really get a tooon of profiencies in the game but there are just b ucketloads of Tools you could get it in..
does it feel odd? or is it just be because I'm new to the system?
or am I missing someway to load up on profiencies?
How about producing an elixir is a bonus action? Scaling the spell slots for the elixirs is going to be harder. I'm trying to make an experimental elixir for attacking but balancing it is hard.
I would probably try stay away from a damage elixir, as you say balance is hard. Should it be better than a cantrip? As it takes spell slots to make? And it is one time use. But then you kind of need it to stay balanced and it is a random roll. Just let Cantrips & Spells be their primary damage source and let Elixir remain buff support.
My main change I’d like to see is letting them have more Elixirs, like craft 10-15 over the period of a day, eg craft on short rest but disappear on long rest up to your level in pocket. And consuming can be done in stacks up to 3. Ie after 15th level you can have someone drink 3 elixir for plus 30ft speed, 30ft flying or 6d4+3*Int healing. Nothing seems broken and I think RAW actually supports multiple drinking? I would just make it 1 MA to drink up to 3 units of the Elixir. And for scaling, make it 1 Elixir per spell slot level, and probably BA make.
why do we have to by E:RftLW to get artificer, why cant WoTC give DDB it and 1 subclass like all the classes in DDB
I am leader of the yep cult:https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/82135-yep-cult Pronouns are she/her
I will say, they hit this class really hard from the previous UA to official release and it really makes me wonder what the point of the UA even was to begin with fr.
I guess i had far too much faith in WotC that the Homonculus wouldnt be garbage and that they could come up with something more unique to give the alchemist but whatever, that just means more homebrew potential for me.
I also cant believe that they literally added no additional Infusions aside from the Homonculus. I just think in their minds they HAD to add the Artificer as a prerequisite for releasing Eberron ao they really didn’t put much heart into making the class actually good
The expanded Replicate Magic Item lists, and the addition of every single common magical item from Xanathar's Guide to those lists, was a heck of a booster shot for Infusions.
The reason there's no free class/subclass for the artificer is that the artificer is not part of the Basic Rules. The Basic Rules/SRD are freely available on DDB because they're freely available from Wizards. The artificer is part of a paid book, and thus it needs to be part of the same paid book from DDB. This is unlikely to change.
Please do not contact or message me.
They buffed the hell out of infusions. You get more of them, and even more known, giving you some serious customizability, almost on par with the wizard for long rests (they also scale better). I know replicate magic item seems boring at face value, but there is a lot of stuff you can do with it, if you apply planning to it. (Use a bag of holding as a spellcasting focus and have a bag filled with all manner of useful items, give yourself stuff like goggles of night and cloak of manta ray for situations that might include water or darkness, just give everyone better stats with Amulet of health, gauntlets of ogre strength, and headband of intellect, go crazy, the sky is the limit).
My Warforged Artificer has Alchemy kit, Herbalism kit, Tinkers tools, Thieves tools. Later he will learn one other tool proficiency from the class. You also have the option to learn proficiency during down time. As is I could potentially save myself 22# of carry weight.
The tools created are not required to be used by you. At other times you may need a toolkit for an easy check. Maybe you need to write a note or paint a warning on the wall.
An easy check, note, or warning you can wait an hour for?
Im not being sarcasitc. I just have never seen a situation where you could stop, and wait an hour for something small mundane like that. Compared to just leaving it be to move on the naritive or the timing of things is all.
yeah, it absolutely nice for when your ally breaks or loses their tools. Or when you break or lose them (and still have tinkerer tools on you). But that doesn't feel like it comes up very often.
I just think it takes too long for a completely mundane item and mundane check-since most of the time for those situation its probably for a tool that none of you use so you don't have one already. But those time periods don't often have the Short Rest to do that with. Some certainly do though of course.
I'm just a proponent of "1action 1min length, 1 hour ffull or 1/2 proficiency" style I suppose. As that would be a completely valuable tool That would be Artificier's version of Bard's Jack of All Trades. Making them Jack of All Tools. Since there is an argument they both serve a similiar "group support" role (though not direct overlap)
--
the best use I've found, as you said, was saving yourself weight. You won't need Alch kits, or herbalism kits every day, not remotely. (well maybe herbalism in certain areas). So those are prime targets for this ability. Make one when you've got downtime! Great use that I quite appreciate.
2 levels of Forge domain cleric and you can create metal objects (or objects that contain at least some metal) with a value of no greater than 100 gp. Plus you can enchant 1 weapon or armor to +1. Best way to create tool kits. Far superior to doing it via the artificer and you can have more than 1 plus they are permanent.
Watch your back, conserve your ammo,
and NEVER cut a deal with a dragon!