Now, I've seen this joke being thrown around that artificers hoard infused items like a dragon hoards gold, this is no where near as widespread and toxic as the "horny bard" joke but it is there. And I can see how this may frustrate players who never played artificer, but I can tell you that when an artificer gives up the ability to use their infusions, they become a lot weaker and not as big of a contribution to the party, especially if they're low level.
Infusions are a huge part of an artificers build, and they can only have so many infusions at once. At 2nd level, you can only have two infusions at once, and you can only infuse items or swap out your current infusions during a long rest which means that an artificer has to juggle what infusions they have a lot. This next point is better explained with example so I'll set the scene:
You are an level 10 rock gnome alchemist who uses a thrown spear to deal damage and has the infusions enhanced defense, returning weapon, bag of holding, alchemy jug, homunculus servant, cloak of the manta ray, gauntlets of ogre power, and winged boots. Your stats look like this: STR(8) DEX(14) CON(14) INT(17) WIS(12) CHA(10)
You can have four infusions out at the same time, and you primarily use a thrown spear to deal damage. You and your party long rest and you get to work to make your infusions, then the triton fighter tells you he wants you to apply the returning weapon infusion to his trident. That seems fair, you're confident that loosing one infusions isn't going to be that big of a hindrance. Then the paladin asks you for enhanced armor. It can be a little irritating to only have two infusions but you think you'll keep your build with just gauntlets of ogre power and a returning spear, but then the wizard asks you for winged boots. Now you only have one infusion and you can't do much with it, now your entire build is destroyed because your party wasn't aware of how valuable your toys were to you.
Don't get me wrong. I hate hoarding artificers and rouges as much as the next guy, and this is not an excuse to be one. Instead, artificers should let the other party members have more of the permanent magic items, whether you find it in your travels or made it yourself. If you're an artificer, chances are, you don't need most of the magic items your party comes across. If you want, you can take advantage of magic item adept to make your party members common or uncommon magic items at half the cost and a quarter of the time. It doesn't hurt your build, and you benefit everyone in the party.
Most importantly, have fun and don't ruin others people's fun for your own benefit. This goes for everyone, including the artificer.
Agreed! Especially with your closing statement. Conversely, I feel guilty if I DONT give out my infusions. I was originally the only party healer all the way back in level 1 days of the 2017 Artificer and themed my Alchemist as the team medic. So he's more worried with the welfare of his team than himself. Now at lvl12, I only keep hold of the Bag of Holding and feel SUPER guilty if I have anymore than that. The party made me have a Ring of Shooting Stars they found and gave me the Tome of Clear Though because INT class.
My point is, I guess it comes down to how you theme your Artificer.
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Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired) Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
As soon as the wizard starts giving away his spells - not casting them on the party, but actually factually handing pages torn out of his spellbook to party members so they can cast those spells instead - I will feel "guilty" about keeping my infusions for myself.
They're my freaking class feature. My key, core, central class feature. If the situation at hand is such that it would benefit the party for me to spread my infusions around, I'll do so. I've handed items off temporarily to other party members; typically things that don't require attunement like my returning javelin for the fighter that was scouting ahead without any magical weaponry. When I get higher level and have more infusions available, I may take options that assist the party more and do that. Until then? If another character wants me to give them my infusions, they can convince me to do so in-game.
Just because my class features can be transferred to another player does not mean I am obligated to do so. Nor is any other artificer. It simply means we have a degree of flexibility other classes do not and can choose when and how to make use of that flexibility. Especially when the existence of that class feature means we are at the absolute rock-bottom of the priority list for any other magical lewtz the party finds because "we already make our own". Which is fine. But don't tell us "you already make your own!" and then expect us to give you all of our shit AS WELL AS all of the regular shit. One way or another, artificers are entitled to an equal share.
Artificer infusions aren't "extra" or "Bonus." Giving them up is kind of like asking a fighter to loan out his extra attack feature or a wizard to hand over three spell slots. IMO Artificers need not feel guilty, and *also* deserve a full share of any loot.
Artificer infusions aren't "extra" or "Bonus." Giving them up is kind of like asking a fighter to loan out his extra attack feature or a wizard to hand over three spell slots.
(Side note, this is why the Purple Dragon Knight sucks.)
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I am about to play a campaign as an artillerist artificer but the dm is veeeeeery stingy about giving out magic items. should I leave them for other party members and just stick to my infusions? we also can't craft magic items so I don't know what to do. any advice would be helpful.
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“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
I would wonder why your DM is stingy. Is the world they're building specifically a lower magic one where permanent enchantments are very rare? Crafting magical items is sort of what artificers do, if magic item crafting is dispermitted and the DM doesn't award magic items, I'm honestly surprised they're letting an artificer into their game at all.
Perhaps ask if this is a worldbuilding thing the DM is using, or if it's simply a habit of theirs. If the latter, perhaps ask if they're willing to open the tap just a bit, or relax some of the crafting restrictions. Even if all you can craft is common and uncommon stuff, that's a lot of versatility you can give the team even before giving away all your infusions. That said? If I were in that situation I'd use my infusions to give myself what I need to function and perhaps let the rest of the party have first crack at other loot. That doesn't mean you end up with nothing, just generally means that you end up getting the capital-I "Interesting" items the party finds that nobody else is quite sure what to do with.
its not a big thing, the campaigns are actually high magic, but the dm just doesn't give items often. this is not a criticism at all just a statement. we tend to get a load of gold in treasure hordes but any magic items are either consumable/one use, or they don't appear often. we always end up with one or two good magic items, but never with a horde of common/uncommon utility items. craving items is not dispermitted, but we dont often have long periods of down time, and we dont delve into quests to get the materials a lot. basically I was wondering if I should probably leave the minor/most of the major magic items for are team first? especially as most of our party is some sort of caster.
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“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
as a rando sidenote. This is one reason I hope they put in a level 1 spell that creates an infusion for an hour. It would basically expand their support ability, and make the infusion choices that aren't part of their 'standard loadout' compellling and meaniingful
I am about to play a campaign as an artillerist artificer but the dm is veeeeeery stingy about giving out magic items. should I leave them for other party members and just stick to my infusions? we also can't craft magic items so I don't know what to do. any advice would be helpful.
In that situation, I could see how giving your party members infusions would be helpful until they get other magical items later on. Everyone in the party is entitled to a fair share of the loot, and if the artificer can spare to give his or her infusions to another party member for the time being, that might be the good thing to do. It mostly depends on your artificer level and how much your build relies on infusions. I'd say that in general, artilerist are the least reliant of their infusions other than enhanced arcane focus, but not all artificers are created equally.
as a rando sidenote. This is one reason I hope they put in a level 1 spell that creates an infusion for an hour. It would basically expand their support ability, and make the infusion choices that aren't part of their 'standard loadout' compellling and meaniingful
This would be a perfect spell! Artificers need unique spells. Arcane Weapon, Infuse Item, a ton of others could be given in Xanathar's 2.0
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
as a rando sidenote. This is one reason I hope they put in a level 1 spell that creates an infusion for an hour. It would basically expand their support ability, and make the infusion choices that aren't part of their 'standard loadout' compellling and meaniingful
This would be a perfect spell! Artificers need unique spells. Arcane Weapon, Infuse Item, a ton of others could be given in Xanathar's 2.0
this would be a little bit too good I think for consumables like the perfume of bewitching, as you could just cast a level one spell to get them. maybe make it so you can only get each infusion once per long rest?
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“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
as a rando sidenote. This is one reason I hope they put in a level 1 spell that creates an infusion for an hour. It would basically expand their support ability, and make the infusion choices that aren't part of their 'standard loadout' compellling and meaniingful
This would be a perfect spell! Artificers need unique spells. Arcane Weapon, Infuse Item, a ton of others could be given in Xanathar's 2.0
this would be a little bit too good I think for consumables like the perfume of bewitching, as you could just cast a level one spell to get them. maybe make it so you can only get each infusion once per long rest?
No, I'd have it be a concentration spell to make it balanced. Only one at a time, and you have to concentrate. Maybe make it a 3rd level spell.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
I agree with the opinion that Artificers should not have to give out there infused items. If a bladesinger wizard wants to caste haste on themself instead of the fighter, do you get mad at them for not doing their job? It's an essential part of the artificer class, and forcing someone to give you infused items is downright mean.
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A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
I agree with the opinion that Artificers should not have to give out there infused items. If a bladesinger wizard wants to caste haste on themself instead of the fighter, do you get mad at them for not doing their job? It's an essential part of the artificer class, and forcing someone to give you infused items is downright mean.
Exactly. It's like a cleric. Certain subclasses focus on support more than others, and the ones that focus more on damage shouldn't be required to give up abilities to buff another person.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Personally I would have the philosophy that a number of spellcasters have in a similar situation, do I invest my concentration to casting a spell to buff an ally? Do I use haste on the fighter or do I cast (insert self buff concentration spell here)? etc. An artificer doesn't always need all their infusions, and so if your party is somehow lacking in an important item such as a fighter lacking a magic weapon when fighting enemies with resistance, that would be a good time to loan them an item. When it gets to a point though when they are simply ASSUMING you will do so, is when you should have a discussion. Loaning out the items should normally just be a temporary measure to cover for weakness.
You take a minute to craft one of your known base level artificer infusions. It does not consume one of your infusion slots. The infusion lasts until the spell ends.
At all casting levels, the infusion must be one of your known infusions but not already infused into another item. If the infusion requires attunement the creature wearing or holding it automatically attunes to it, provided it has enough free attunement slots to do so, otherwise the spell fails. As usual, the infused item must be the kind of object that can receive the infusion, as depicted in the infusion's description.
At Higher Levels: When cast using a 3rd level spell slot, you may craft any known base or 6th level infusion and concentration lasts for 2 hours. When cast using a 4th level spell slot, you may craft any known base, 6th, or 10th level infusion and concentration lasts for 4 hours. When cast using a 5th level spell slot, you may craft any known infusion and concentration lasts for 8 hours.
The main reason... They don't get nearly enough as a chassis to justify only being a half caster. Let them keep all of their trinkets and don't give them a hard time about it.
This would be a perfect spell! Artificers need unique spells. Arcane Weapon, Infuse Item, a ton of others could be given in Xanathar's 2.0
I read this as a suggestion that there would be different infusion spells for different types of objects. Infused Weapon could be 1st level, Infused Armor 2nd level, Infused Item 3rd level (but not the Replicate Magic Item infusion). All 1 hour concentration spells. Upcasting allows the use of 2nd tier (1 or more levels) or 3rd tier infusions (3 or more levels) and eliminates concentration, but you still can only keep one up at a time. Replicate Magic Item doesn’t get included, so you don’t run into those shenanigans. You don’t need to know the infusion already and can repeat an infusion already in use. Attunement rules still apply, which would be an important limitation because the duration matches a short rest.
I think separating them by category of item is consistent with other spells, like Magic Weapon. But you could separate them by infusion tier and make them Lesser Infusion, Greater Infusion, and Superior Infusion or something like that.
Artificers already have access to Magic Weapon, which is essentially Infused Weapon. Flexibility is one of the fun aspects of the class, so I would prefer to have that option with a single spell choice. But reasonable limits make sense. Splitting them into Lesser/Greater/Superior would make the rules simpler, but would burn through the available known spells. Especially if you also split them by category.
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Now, I've seen this joke being thrown around that artificers hoard infused items like a dragon hoards gold, this is no where near as widespread and toxic as the "horny bard" joke but it is there. And I can see how this may frustrate players who never played artificer, but I can tell you that when an artificer gives up the ability to use their infusions, they become a lot weaker and not as big of a contribution to the party, especially if they're low level.
Infusions are a huge part of an artificers build, and they can only have so many infusions at once. At 2nd level, you can only have two infusions at once, and you can only infuse items or swap out your current infusions during a long rest which means that an artificer has to juggle what infusions they have a lot. This next point is better explained with example so I'll set the scene:
You are an level 10 rock gnome alchemist who uses a thrown spear to deal damage and has the infusions enhanced defense, returning weapon, bag of holding, alchemy jug, homunculus servant, cloak of the manta ray, gauntlets of ogre power, and winged boots. Your stats look like this: STR(8) DEX(14) CON(14) INT(17) WIS(12) CHA(10)
You can have four infusions out at the same time, and you primarily use a thrown spear to deal damage. You and your party long rest and you get to work to make your infusions, then the triton fighter tells you he wants you to apply the returning weapon infusion to his trident. That seems fair, you're confident that loosing one infusions isn't going to be that big of a hindrance. Then the paladin asks you for enhanced armor. It can be a little irritating to only have two infusions but you think you'll keep your build with just gauntlets of ogre power and a returning spear, but then the wizard asks you for winged boots. Now you only have one infusion and you can't do much with it, now your entire build is destroyed because your party wasn't aware of how valuable your toys were to you.
Don't get me wrong. I hate hoarding artificers and rouges as much as the next guy, and this is not an excuse to be one. Instead, artificers should let the other party members have more of the permanent magic items, whether you find it in your travels or made it yourself. If you're an artificer, chances are, you don't need most of the magic items your party comes across. If you want, you can take advantage of magic item adept to make your party members common or uncommon magic items at half the cost and a quarter of the time. It doesn't hurt your build, and you benefit everyone in the party.
Most importantly, have fun and don't ruin others people's fun for your own benefit. This goes for everyone, including the artificer.
Agreed! Especially with your closing statement. Conversely, I feel guilty if I DONT give out my infusions. I was originally the only party healer all the way back in level 1 days of the 2017 Artificer and themed my Alchemist as the team medic. So he's more worried with the welfare of his team than himself. Now at lvl12, I only keep hold of the Bag of Holding and feel SUPER guilty if I have anymore than that. The party made me have a Ring of Shooting Stars they found and gave me the Tome of Clear Though because INT class.
My point is, I guess it comes down to how you theme your Artificer.
Hjalmar Gunderson, Vuman Alchemist Plague Doctor in a HB Campaign, Post Netherese Invasion Cormyr (lvl20 retired)
Godfrey, Autognome Butler in Ghosts of Saltmarsh into Spelljammer
Grímr Skeggisson, Goliath Rune Knight in Rime of the Frostmaiden
DM of two HB campaigns set in the same world.
As soon as the wizard starts giving away his spells - not casting them on the party, but actually factually handing pages torn out of his spellbook to party members so they can cast those spells instead - I will feel "guilty" about keeping my infusions for myself.
They're my freaking class feature. My key, core, central class feature. If the situation at hand is such that it would benefit the party for me to spread my infusions around, I'll do so. I've handed items off temporarily to other party members; typically things that don't require attunement like my returning javelin for the fighter that was scouting ahead without any magical weaponry. When I get higher level and have more infusions available, I may take options that assist the party more and do that. Until then? If another character wants me to give them my infusions, they can convince me to do so in-game.
Just because my class features can be transferred to another player does not mean I am obligated to do so. Nor is any other artificer. It simply means we have a degree of flexibility other classes do not and can choose when and how to make use of that flexibility. Especially when the existence of that class feature means we are at the absolute rock-bottom of the priority list for any other magical lewtz the party finds because "we already make our own". Which is fine. But don't tell us "you already make your own!" and then expect us to give you all of our shit AS WELL AS all of the regular shit. One way or another, artificers are entitled to an equal share.
Please do not contact or message me.
Artificer infusions aren't "extra" or "Bonus." Giving them up is kind of like asking a fighter to loan out his extra attack feature or a wizard to hand over three spell slots. IMO Artificers need not feel guilty, and *also* deserve a full share of any loot.
(Side note, this is why the Purple Dragon Knight sucks.)
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I am about to play a campaign as an artillerist artificer but the dm is veeeeeery stingy about giving out magic items. should I leave them for other party members and just stick to my infusions? we also can't craft magic items so I don't know what to do. any advice would be helpful.
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
I would wonder why your DM is stingy. Is the world they're building specifically a lower magic one where permanent enchantments are very rare? Crafting magical items is sort of what artificers do, if magic item crafting is dispermitted and the DM doesn't award magic items, I'm honestly surprised they're letting an artificer into their game at all.
Perhaps ask if this is a worldbuilding thing the DM is using, or if it's simply a habit of theirs. If the latter, perhaps ask if they're willing to open the tap just a bit, or relax some of the crafting restrictions. Even if all you can craft is common and uncommon stuff, that's a lot of versatility you can give the team even before giving away all your infusions. That said? If I were in that situation I'd use my infusions to give myself what I need to function and perhaps let the rest of the party have first crack at other loot. That doesn't mean you end up with nothing, just generally means that you end up getting the capital-I "Interesting" items the party finds that nobody else is quite sure what to do with.
Please do not contact or message me.
its not a big thing, the campaigns are actually high magic, but the dm just doesn't give items often. this is not a criticism at all just a statement. we tend to get a load of gold in treasure hordes but any magic items are either consumable/one use, or they don't appear often. we always end up with one or two good magic items, but never with a horde of common/uncommon utility items. craving items is not dispermitted, but we dont often have long periods of down time, and we dont delve into quests to get the materials a lot. basically I was wondering if I should probably leave the minor/most of the major magic items for are team first? especially as most of our party is some sort of caster.
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
as a rando sidenote. This is one reason I hope they put in a level 1 spell that creates an infusion for an hour. It would basically expand their support ability, and make the infusion choices that aren't part of their 'standard loadout' compellling and meaniingful
In that situation, I could see how giving your party members infusions would be helpful until they get other magical items later on. Everyone in the party is entitled to a fair share of the loot, and if the artificer can spare to give his or her infusions to another party member for the time being, that might be the good thing to do. It mostly depends on your artificer level and how much your build relies on infusions. I'd say that in general, artilerist are the least reliant of their infusions other than enhanced arcane focus, but not all artificers are created equally.
This would be a perfect spell! Artificers need unique spells. Arcane Weapon, Infuse Item, a ton of others could be given in Xanathar's 2.0
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
this would be a little bit too good I think for consumables like the perfume of bewitching, as you could just cast a level one spell to get them. maybe make it so you can only get each infusion once per long rest?
“I will take responsibility for what I have done. [...] If must fall, I will rise each time a better man.” ― Brandon Sanderson, Oathbringer.
No, I'd have it be a concentration spell to make it balanced. Only one at a time, and you have to concentrate. Maybe make it a 3rd level spell.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I agree with the opinion that Artificers should not have to give out there infused items. If a bladesinger wizard wants to caste haste on themself instead of the fighter, do you get mad at them for not doing their job? It's an essential part of the artificer class, and forcing someone to give you infused items is downright mean.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
Exactly. It's like a cleric. Certain subclasses focus on support more than others, and the ones that focus more on damage shouldn't be required to give up abilities to buff another person.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
Personally I would have the philosophy that a number of spellcasters have in a similar situation, do I invest my concentration to casting a spell to buff an ally? Do I use haste on the fighter or do I cast (insert self buff concentration spell here)? etc.
An artificer doesn't always need all their infusions, and so if your party is somehow lacking in an important item such as a fighter lacking a magic weapon when fighting enemies with resistance, that would be a good time to loan them an item. When it gets to a point though when they are simply ASSUMING you will do so, is when you should have a discussion. Loaning out the items should normally just be a temporary measure to cover for weakness.
This conversation inspired me and my DM to cook up the following spell, which we'll playtest in our current campaign:
Ephemeral Infusion
Level: 2nd; Casting time: 1 minute; Range: touch; V,S, duration: Concentration, 1 Hour
You take a minute to craft one of your known base level artificer infusions. It does not consume one of your infusion slots. The infusion lasts until the spell ends.
At all casting levels, the infusion must be one of your known infusions but not already infused into another item. If the infusion requires attunement the creature wearing or holding it automatically attunes to it, provided it has enough free attunement slots to do so, otherwise the spell fails. As usual, the infused item must be the kind of object that can receive the infusion, as depicted in the infusion's description.
At Higher Levels: When cast using a 3rd level spell slot, you may craft any known base or 6th level infusion and concentration lasts for 2 hours. When cast using a 4th level spell slot, you may craft any known base, 6th, or 10th level infusion and concentration lasts for 4 hours. When cast using a 5th level spell slot, you may craft any known infusion and concentration lasts for 8 hours.
The main reason... They don't get nearly enough as a chassis to justify only being a half caster. Let them keep all of their trinkets and don't give them a hard time about it.
I read this as a suggestion that there would be different infusion spells for different types of objects. Infused Weapon could be 1st level, Infused Armor 2nd level, Infused Item 3rd level (but not the Replicate Magic Item infusion). All 1 hour concentration spells. Upcasting allows the use of 2nd tier (1 or more levels) or 3rd tier infusions (3 or more levels) and eliminates concentration, but you still can only keep one up at a time. Replicate Magic Item doesn’t get included, so you don’t run into those shenanigans. You don’t need to know the infusion already and can repeat an infusion already in use. Attunement rules still apply, which would be an important limitation because the duration matches a short rest.
I think separating them by category of item is consistent with other spells, like Magic Weapon. But you could separate them by infusion tier and make them Lesser Infusion, Greater Infusion, and Superior Infusion or something like that.
Artificers already have access to Magic Weapon, which is essentially Infused Weapon. Flexibility is one of the fun aspects of the class, so I would prefer to have that option with a single spell choice. But reasonable limits make sense. Splitting them into Lesser/Greater/Superior would make the rules simpler, but would burn through the available known spells. Especially if you also split them by category.