So, I've created a lvl 2 gnome artificer for an upcoming campaign. My current plan is to go battle smith. How viable would it be to use a lance with my defender? This question is more focused on "How viable is a lance", but I'm posting it in this forum because I feel like being an artificer could give some more bonuses.
It's the only weapon above a d8 I could use, since most d10 weapons are heavy. It also gives me a high damage weapon to use with a shield. However, I feel like the disadvantage against close targets could be a big issue. Has anyone actually use a lance? How do you get around that issue?
I imagine that you could just keep moving away and taking the opportunity attacks. The defender would have the dodge action, and would use its reaction to give the attacker disadvantage if it attacks the rider instead.
So, I've created a lvl 2 gnome artificer for an upcoming campaign. My current plan is to go battle smith. How viable would it be to use a lance with my defender? This question is more focused on "How viable is a lance", but I'm posting it in this forum because I feel like being an artificer could give some more bonuses.
It's the only weapon above a d8 I could use, since most d10 weapons are heavy. It also gives me a high damage weapon to use with a shield. However, I feel like the disadvantage against close targets could be a big issue. Has anyone actually use a lance? How do you get around that issue?
I imagine that you could just keep moving away and taking the opportunity attacks. The defender would have the dodge action, and would use its reaction to give the attacker disadvantage if it attacks the rider instead.
How important is melee? I am looking at firearms for my Battlesmith. If you want melee than going for a thrown weapon gives you options as long as character size is not an issue.
So, I've created a lvl 2 gnome artificer for an upcoming campaign. My current plan is to go battle smith. How viable would it be to use a lance with my defender? This question is more focused on "How viable is a lance", but I'm posting it in this forum because I feel like being an artificer could give some more bonuses.
It's the only weapon above a d8 I could use, since most d10 weapons are heavy. It also gives me a high damage weapon to use with a shield. However, I feel like the disadvantage against close targets could be a big issue. Has anyone actually use a lance? How do you get around that issue?
I imagine that you could just keep moving away and taking the opportunity attacks. The defender would have the dodge action, and would use its reaction to give the attacker disadvantage if it attacks the rider instead.
How important is melee? I am looking at firearms for my Battlesmith. If you want melee than going for a thrown weapon gives you options as long as character size is not an issue.
I'm actually thinking I'll see how the first session goes. We were told we'd most likely be level 3 after session 1, so I'll take that session to see how the rest of the party fights. The rest of the party is a Monk, Rogue, Cleric, and Bard. In the first session I'm gonna be starting with a focus on my crossbow, since I only have 9 strength, and am planning on getting a flail after level 3, mainly for flavour. If they're all/mostly melee, I may stick to my crossbow. We're using the Wildmount setting, so I could potentially get a firearm at some point.
I'm also debating taking a level or two in wizard for some more casting potential.
I think i remember from somewhere that small races have disadvantage when carrying heavy weapons, such as the lance. I might be missremembering tho
You are not misremembering small races having disadvantage with heavy weapons, but you are misremembering lances being heavy weapons. I had look them up again to make sure, but they only have the reach and special property.
As to the gnome artificer, I really don't think a lance or flail is the best choice for you even if you are mounted on your iron defender. Actually, I would advise against going into melee mounted on your iron defender at all. If you are treating your iron defender as an independent mount (i.e. like usual, it has it own turn, etc.), then you have to move your iron defender into melee and then wait for your next turn to make your attack since it goes immediately after you. The only way to ensure you get an attack with this method is to make an attack as a reaction. On the other hand, if you are treating your iron defender as a controlled mount (i.e. shares your initiative), then the only actions it can take are dash, dodge, and disengage. This method completely removes your iron defender's ability to attack except with attacks of opportunity.
I would recommend you stick to your crossbow/possible-eventual firearm for ranged combat, use a versatile weapon for melee combat (warhammer seems like a fitting choice for a gnome), and only ride your iron defender in combat if engaging a ranged enemy or if you desperately need the increased movement. I recommend a versatile weapon because strapping on a shield takes an action, and if you find yourself in melee without a shield strapped to your arm, then you may as well use both hands to swing your weapon. I recommend against riding your iron defender in combat since no matter which way you run it you are potentially forgoing either your attacks or the iron defender's.
However, if my suggestions have you are worried about mounting and dismounting your iron defender, then you can just have it carry you. You can rig up a little harness that lets your iron defender carry you like a particularly well-armed purse, and when combat breaks out, you can shoot your crossbow, tell it to attack, and it can drop you (no action) and go attack. If you want to ham it up a little, you could have your iron defender carry you like a lantern while you carry a lantern-shaped homunculus like a lantern while it carries a miniature lantern you have used magical tinkering on to make it cast 5 feet of bright light... like a lantern.
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Bark side up, bark side down, it really, truly does not matter.
I'm doing the same thing, and what I've found works well is having my defender attack the enemy right in front of us, while I lance the enemy behind them. Or the defender fights the enemies in melee with me while I use spells or my lance to defend nearby allies. It's great when going against several enemies, but against a single boss it loses some effectiveness. The key thing is that while everyone says take mounted combatant, you only have advantage against small and tiny creatures, and your steel defender can take some hits, so you don't want to take them for it.
As far as small races with a lance ive played 2ish characters that use lances, first was a goblin cavalier fighter, on his axe beak he used a shield, but mostly was on foot using the lance with 2 hands along with goblins getting disengage as a bonus action could run around and charge everything without taking aoo.
My current character is a kobold artificer that originally used a lance, had disadvantage in sunlight and disadvantage being within 5 feet, but they are cancelled out by pack tactics riding your defender, i did switch up the lance for a returning spear thats been flavored as using int by firing it out of a potato cannon instead of throwing it slight reduction in damage in 5-10 range but increases range to 20/60 which again long range is straight roll if target is engaged due to pack tactics. Can also easily flavor many of my spells by using the potato canon(spear) as a focus
As far as small races with a lance ive played 2ish characters that use lances, first was a goblin cavalier fighter, on his axe beak he used a shield, but mostly was on foot using the lance with 2 hands along with goblins getting disengage as a bonus action could run around and charge everything without taking aoo.
My current character is a kobold artificer that originally used a lance, had disadvantage in sunlight and disadvantage being within 5 feet, but they are cancelled out by pack tactics riding your defender, i did switch up the lance for a returning spear thats been flavored as using int by firing it out of a potato cannon instead of throwing it slight reduction in damage in 5-10 range but increases range to 20/60 which again long range is straight roll if target is engaged due to pack tactics. Can also easily flavor many of my spells by using the potato canon(spear) as a focus
Both of those are brilliant!! Never even thought of them like that!
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So, I've created a lvl 2 gnome artificer for an upcoming campaign. My current plan is to go battle smith. How viable would it be to use a lance with my defender? This question is more focused on "How viable is a lance", but I'm posting it in this forum because I feel like being an artificer could give some more bonuses.
It's the only weapon above a d8 I could use, since most d10 weapons are heavy. It also gives me a high damage weapon to use with a shield. However, I feel like the disadvantage against close targets could be a big issue. Has anyone actually use a lance? How do you get around that issue?
I imagine that you could just keep moving away and taking the opportunity attacks. The defender would have the dodge action, and would use its reaction to give the attacker disadvantage if it attacks the rider instead.
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How important is melee? I am looking at firearms for my Battlesmith. If you want melee than going for a thrown weapon gives you options as long as character size is not an issue.
I'm actually thinking I'll see how the first session goes. We were told we'd most likely be level 3 after session 1, so I'll take that session to see how the rest of the party fights. The rest of the party is a Monk, Rogue, Cleric, and Bard. In the first session I'm gonna be starting with a focus on my crossbow, since I only have 9 strength, and am planning on getting a flail after level 3, mainly for flavour. If they're all/mostly melee, I may stick to my crossbow. We're using the Wildmount setting, so I could potentially get a firearm at some point.
I'm also debating taking a level or two in wizard for some more casting potential.
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Too many multiclassing it gonna turn your character in a Learner-of-all // Master-of-Nothing...... ( like the bards actually does, *blink *blink )
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
It would only be one or two levels in wizard if I do multiclass.
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I think i remember from somewhere that small races have disadvantage when carrying heavy weapons, such as the lance. I might be missremembering tho
You are not misremembering small races having disadvantage with heavy weapons, but you are misremembering lances being heavy weapons. I had look them up again to make sure, but they only have the reach and special property.
As to the gnome artificer, I really don't think a lance or flail is the best choice for you even if you are mounted on your iron defender. Actually, I would advise against going into melee mounted on your iron defender at all. If you are treating your iron defender as an independent mount (i.e. like usual, it has it own turn, etc.), then you have to move your iron defender into melee and then wait for your next turn to make your attack since it goes immediately after you. The only way to ensure you get an attack with this method is to make an attack as a reaction. On the other hand, if you are treating your iron defender as a controlled mount (i.e. shares your initiative), then the only actions it can take are dash, dodge, and disengage. This method completely removes your iron defender's ability to attack except with attacks of opportunity.
I would recommend you stick to your crossbow/possible-eventual firearm for ranged combat, use a versatile weapon for melee combat (warhammer seems like a fitting choice for a gnome), and only ride your iron defender in combat if engaging a ranged enemy or if you desperately need the increased movement. I recommend a versatile weapon because strapping on a shield takes an action, and if you find yourself in melee without a shield strapped to your arm, then you may as well use both hands to swing your weapon. I recommend against riding your iron defender in combat since no matter which way you run it you are potentially forgoing either your attacks or the iron defender's.
However, if my suggestions have you are worried about mounting and dismounting your iron defender, then you can just have it carry you. You can rig up a little harness that lets your iron defender carry you like a particularly well-armed purse, and when combat breaks out, you can shoot your crossbow, tell it to attack, and it can drop you (no action) and go attack. If you want to ham it up a little, you could have your iron defender carry you like a lantern while you carry a lantern-shaped homunculus like a lantern while it carries a miniature lantern you have used magical tinkering on to make it cast 5 feet of bright light... like a lantern.
Bark side up, bark side down, it really, truly does not matter.
I'm doing the same thing, and what I've found works well is having my defender attack the enemy right in front of us, while I lance the enemy behind them. Or the defender fights the enemies in melee with me while I use spells or my lance to defend nearby allies. It's great when going against several enemies, but against a single boss it loses some effectiveness. The key thing is that while everyone says take mounted combatant, you only have advantage against small and tiny creatures, and your steel defender can take some hits, so you don't want to take them for it.
gnome art/war wizard multi + lance + mounted with that saddle magic item+ enlarge spell on mount =profit.
As far as small races with a lance ive played 2ish characters that use lances, first was a goblin cavalier fighter, on his axe beak he used a shield, but mostly was on foot using the lance with 2 hands along with goblins getting disengage as a bonus action could run around and charge everything without taking aoo.
My current character is a kobold artificer that originally used a lance, had disadvantage in sunlight and disadvantage being within 5 feet, but they are cancelled out by pack tactics riding your defender, i did switch up the lance for a returning spear thats been flavored as using int by firing it out of a potato cannon instead of throwing it slight reduction in damage in 5-10 range but increases range to 20/60 which again long range is straight roll if target is engaged due to pack tactics. Can also easily flavor many of my spells by using the potato canon(spear) as a focus
Both of those are brilliant!! Never even thought of them like that!