okay so now that the new artificer is out, i was considering playing an dwarf artificer, since dwarves fit the theme of creation that the class is going for really well, however i am running into this problem: none of the subclasses fully fit the concept of an dwarf. Like i guess you can reflavour the alchemist as dealing exclusively in ale and that it what his or her elixirs are, but eh, that doesint really fit, artillerists are byt their nature not that dwarfish and the only like smiting based subclass is the battle smith, and that might work, especially with the whole thing of you creating an steel defender mirroring how the god of the dwarves moradin quite literally forged the dwarves and breathed life into them, but i dont really think that works ether, like i donno what do in this situation
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
well that's the thing, its not elixirs, its magic alcohol with suitably magic powers whilst also making you magic drunk, and dwarves feel more defensive than they do offensive
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
The answer depends on your conception of what is, and is not, Dwarfy.
To me, the answer is that all three subclasses can be very dwarfy. Dwarves are not strictly melee combatants to me; hell, in the homebrew settings my group plays in, dwarven clans tend to be some of the most advanced and talented gunsmiths around. Nor are dwarves always brain-stunted barbarian-lites who think with their axes first, their ale mugs second, and their brains a distant third.
If you have a distinct idea of what is and is not Dwarfy, then nobody else will be able to tell you what the dwarfiest artificer is. That's something you will have to decide.
I read Dwarf Artificer and immediately got an image of a Dwarf Battle Smith riding a Steel Defender skinned as a Ram. (I don’t care if it’s RAW, it’s ROC [Rule Of Cool]!) Then I got an image of a Dwarven Artillerist running around like Ripley in Aliens carrying an oversized portable cannon as their Arcane Firearm with the Eldritch Cannon skinned as a second gun strapped to it. I was honestly stumped for the Alchemist until I read your “mad brewer” idea. That’s effing cool.
Honestly, Dwarves can be anything :D. Specifically as Artificer. They like to create things so anything goes. Personally I went for Battlesmith because I wanted a Dwarf that can get into the thick of combat whenever he wants to. Also, taking the right infusions allows me to switch between ranged DPS or Tank after any long rest, while still supporting my allies with other infusions.
The answer depends on your conception of what is, and is not, Dwarfy.
To me, the answer is that all three subclasses can be very dwarfy. Dwarves are not strictly melee combatants to me; hell, in the homebrew settings my group plays in, dwarven clans tend to be some of the most advanced and talented gunsmiths around. Nor are dwarves always brain-stunted barbarian-lites who think with their axes first, their ale mugs second, and their brains a distant third.
If you have a distinct idea of what is and is not Dwarfy, then nobody else will be able to tell you what the dwarfiest artificer is. That's something you will have to decide.
well that's the thing, its not elixirs, its magic alcohol with suitably magic powers whilst also making you magic drunk, and dwarves feel more defensive than they do offensive
Wait, the race that can get +2 to Strength feels defensive to you? :P
Jokes aside and looking past the most obvious stereotypes and clichés, all subclasses are suitably dwarfy. A dwarf artificer is basically a warhammer Rune Smith. Artillerists work because dwarves are often depicted as using firearms and/or explosives. Armorers work because heavy armor and dwarves always work (even though the lack of actual hand weapons is a bit unbeardy), alchemists work as master brewers (or just think Cheery Littlebottom). Battle Smiths work because you can use two handed axes with intelligence, and what dwarf wouldn't want to build a companion who can reach the high shelves? ;)
But to get back to which subclass is the most dwarfiest? I'd go with Artillerist (because you get an actual weapon unlike armorers) or Battle Smith (because you get weapons AND you can build your own friend!).
Artillerists actually don't get any weapons - they get an upgraded arcane focus and 1-2 non-weapon objects that shoot flaming or forceful death or emit shielding bubbles. One of the reasons it matters is an Artillerist has no mechanic for simply attacking with either of their fancy doodads.
It also means if you want to be really tanky, a mountain dorf artillerist/bladesinger has bonus action shielding, an AC out the wazoo, and a fireball made of the same stuff as dreams. Uh, I mean Wall of Force. Definitely not fireballing your enemies before they attack you and having an extra 1d8 just show up on every target in the ball.
Artillerists actually don't get any weapons - they get an upgraded arcane focus and 1-2 non-weapon objects that shoot flaming or forceful death or emit shielding bubbles. One of the reasons it matters is an Artillerist has no mechanic for simply attacking with either of their fancy doodads.
Yeah, those things you just mentioned? Those are weapons. ;)
Artillerists actually don't get any weapons - they get an upgraded arcane focus and 1-2 non-weapon objects that shoot flaming or forceful death or emit shielding bubbles. One of the reasons it matters is an Artillerist has no mechanic for simply attacking with either of their fancy doodads.
Yeah, those things you just mentioned? Those are weapons. ;)
if it is designed spefically to kill things on a mass scale, it is a weapon
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Artillerists actually don't get any weapons - they get an upgraded arcane focus and 1-2 non-weapon objects that shoot flaming or forceful death or emit shielding bubbles. One of the reasons it matters is an Artillerist has no mechanic for simply attacking with either of their fancy doodads.
Yeah, those things you just mentioned? Those are weapons. ;)
if it is designed spefically to kill things on a mass scale, it is a weapon
They are weapons sure, but not weapons, in so much as they cannot be used to make "weapon attacks" nor "attacks with a weapon" unless using one as an "improvised weapon."
Oh the "joys" of using "natural language" to write a gaming system.
Yes, quite right. I always forget they have no defined weight. You can legally club someone with them.
But the force ballista makes spell attacks, not weapon attacks, and the other two options aren't even attacks. You can fire the flamethrower without breaking invisibility, but if you multiclass into rogue, you can't sneak attack with the ballista.
Artillerists actually don't get any weapons - they get an upgraded arcane focus and 1-2 non-weapon objects that shoot flaming or forceful death or emit shielding bubbles. One of the reasons it matters is an Artillerist has no mechanic for simply attacking with either of their fancy doodads.
Yeah, those things you just mentioned? Those are weapons. ;)
if it is designed spefically to kill things on a mass scale, it is a weapon
They are weapons sure, but not weapons, in so much as they cannot be used to make "weapon attacks" nor "attacks with a weapon" unless using one as an "improvised weapon."
Oh the "joys" of using "natural language" to write a gaming system.
So you deliberately misinterpreted the point to make your own? OK.
But yeah, the natural language isn't always the best in this game. :P
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okay so now that the new artificer is out, i was considering playing an dwarf artificer, since dwarves fit the theme of creation that the class is going for really well, however i am running into this problem: none of the subclasses fully fit the concept of an dwarf. Like i guess you can reflavour the alchemist as dealing exclusively in ale and that it what his or her elixirs are, but eh, that doesint really fit, artillerists are byt their nature not that dwarfish and the only like smiting based subclass is the battle smith, and that might work, especially with the whole thing of you creating an steel defender mirroring how the god of the dwarves moradin quite literally forged the dwarves and breathed life into them, but i dont really think that works ether, like i donno what do in this situation
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Artillerists carving runes into arcane firearms and using hand cannons seems more Dwarf to me. Experimental elixirs reminds me of Gnomes after Krynn.
Just a general personal opinion.
well that's the thing, its not elixirs, its magic alcohol with suitably magic powers whilst also making you magic drunk, and dwarves feel more defensive than they do offensive
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
The answer depends on your conception of what is, and is not, Dwarfy.
To me, the answer is that all three subclasses can be very dwarfy. Dwarves are not strictly melee combatants to me; hell, in the homebrew settings my group plays in, dwarven clans tend to be some of the most advanced and talented gunsmiths around. Nor are dwarves always brain-stunted barbarian-lites who think with their axes first, their ale mugs second, and their brains a distant third.
If you have a distinct idea of what is and is not Dwarfy, then nobody else will be able to tell you what the dwarfiest artificer is. That's something you will have to decide.
Please do not contact or message me.
I read Dwarf Artificer and immediately got an image of a Dwarf Battle Smith riding a Steel Defender skinned as a Ram. (I don’t care if it’s RAW, it’s ROC [Rule Of Cool]!) Then I got an image of a Dwarven Artillerist running around like Ripley in Aliens carrying an oversized portable cannon as their Arcane Firearm with the Eldritch Cannon skinned as a second gun strapped to it. I was honestly stumped for the Alchemist until I read your “mad brewer” idea. That’s effing cool.
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Honestly, Dwarves can be anything :D.
Specifically as Artificer. They like to create things so anything goes. Personally I went for Battlesmith because I wanted a Dwarf that can get into the thick of combat whenever he wants to. Also, taking the right infusions allows me to switch between ranged DPS or Tank after any long rest, while still supporting my allies with other infusions.
yes but wich one is dwarfier
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Please do not contact or message me.
Dwarfiest? Probably Battle Smith.
Artillerist is pretty dwarfy too, but Battle Smith... It's in the name! And you get to still wield axes and stuff.
However, as others have said, depends on your definition, and all three classes can be pretty dwarfy.
Blood Frenzy. The quipper has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn't have all its hit points.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
I would be lying if i'll say it isn't the armorer (although i'm playing an artillerist (and a battle smith before (and both dwarve)))
For me the answer is: "The tankier the dwarvier!"
you could argue that the temp hp cannon of the artillerist is also decent for those purposes but eh, heavy armor is heavy armor
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Wait, the race that can get +2 to Strength feels defensive to you? :P
Jokes aside and looking past the most obvious stereotypes and clichés, all subclasses are suitably dwarfy. A dwarf artificer is basically a warhammer Rune Smith. Artillerists work because dwarves are often depicted as using firearms and/or explosives. Armorers work because heavy armor and dwarves always work (even though the lack of actual hand weapons is a bit unbeardy), alchemists work as master brewers (or just think Cheery Littlebottom). Battle Smiths work because you can use two handed axes with intelligence, and what dwarf wouldn't want to build a companion who can reach the high shelves? ;)
But to get back to which subclass is the most dwarfiest? I'd go with Artillerist (because you get an actual weapon unlike armorers) or Battle Smith (because you get weapons AND you can build your own friend!).
Artillerists actually don't get any weapons - they get an upgraded arcane focus and 1-2 non-weapon objects that shoot flaming or forceful death or emit shielding bubbles. One of the reasons it matters is an Artillerist has no mechanic for simply attacking with either of their fancy doodads.
It also means if you want to be really tanky, a mountain dorf artillerist/bladesinger has bonus action shielding, an AC out the wazoo, and a fireball made of the same stuff as dreams. Uh, I mean Wall of Force. Definitely not fireballing your enemies before they attack you and having an extra 1d8 just show up on every target in the ball.
Yeah, those things you just mentioned? Those are weapons. ;)
if it is designed spefically to kill things on a mass scale, it is a weapon
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Alchemist.
Oh, ho ho...wait a minute, you say? Why not the Armorer, for the famed blacksmithing of a dwarves, you say?
Or the Battlesmith...surely the weapons of the dwarves deserve some attention?
Nay, I say...it is the strength of the Dwarven spirit...or rather, "spirits".
Brew the legendary alcoholic beverages of the dwarves, I say!
The resistances...and eventually poison immunity...they get from their subclass feature serves to emphasize the sturdiness of dwarves.
Plus, if one of the "Experimental Elixers" produces the effects of "Alter Self", they can weaponize their beard.
Can't think of anything dwarfier than that.
They are weapons sure, but not weapons, in so much as they cannot be used to make "weapon attacks" nor "attacks with a weapon" unless using one as an "improvised weapon."
Oh the "joys" of using "natural language" to write a gaming system.
Yes, quite right. I always forget they have no defined weight. You can legally club someone with them.
But the force ballista makes spell attacks, not weapon attacks, and the other two options aren't even attacks. You can fire the flamethrower without breaking invisibility, but if you multiclass into rogue, you can't sneak attack with the ballista.
So you deliberately misinterpreted the point to make your own? OK.
But yeah, the natural language isn't always the best in this game. :P