I like to make various builds in DDB and had a concept of a rock gnome tinkerer transmutation wizard with a kind of clockwork aesthetic going on. The 2nd level ability doesn’t see too great (I’m sure I can find some uses for it maybe more RP than useful) but the 6th level seems very strong. I imagine flavoring the stone as a small clockwork sphere that whirls and glows or even give it legs so it can perch on your shoulder. 
Was thinking that once I get animate objects I could have on me small mechanical insects, dragons, whatever to use for the spell. My own little (literally) clockwork army. 

Anyway does anyone have advice for this school? Is it worth it? Or should I look at another path for this idea?

Quote from ThriKreenWarrior >>

I like to make various builds in DDB and had a concept of a rock gnome tinkerer transmutation wizard with a kind of clockwork aesthetic going on. The 2nd level ability doesn’t see too great (I’m sure I can find some uses for it maybe more RP than useful) but the 6th level seems very strong. I imagine flavoring the stone as a small clockwork sphere that whirls and glows or even give it legs so it can perch on your shoulder. 
Was thinking that once I get animate objects I could have on me small mechanical insects, dragons, whatever to use for the spell. My own little (literally) clockwork army. 

Anyway does anyone have advice for this school? Is it worth it? Or should I look at another path for this idea?

 
The 2nd level ability can be useful in certain situations.

Locked iron door? Turn the key/lock area to wood then smash/burn it. The door no longer has a door/lock, so open and walk through. You can do the same to prisons.

Had weapons confiscated? Find some sharp stick, turn it to iron - you now have an iron dagger.

Behind a door with an enemy trying to get through? Turn parts into iron or stone making it harder to break through - it'll buy you time so you can do other things to escape/resolve the situation.

Have some artisan skills like woodworking? Turn stone or metal into wood so you can easily carve/model it - great way to make sellable trinkets of silver or stone: these materials take a lot more work and time to make stuff out off, while wood is much easier and faster to work with.

Disguise Self, go buy Copper Ingots from 1 place. Turn them into Silver. Make new Disguise. Go somewhere else and sell the silver ingots for 10x the price you paid. Great way to make a few extra coins (hey, spell components get expensive >.>) if you don't mind being a little dishonest.

Spells like Tiny Servant, Animate Objects, Fabricate, and Creation will benefit you greatly. The more Artisan tool proficiencies you have to work with wood, stone or metal the better as you can apply that for using Fabricate to make better things. I recommend woodcarving so you can turn things into wood and carve/engrave really easy and completely avoid the huge fuss of melting/hammering/chiselling metal for fiddly pieces. A lump of the metal, turn into wood, and easily carve into what you need in a fraction of the time and with just a simple knife.

Transmutation wizards can be the best crafters in D&D.

Good ideas. As I was making a character I did take woodcarving and jewelers tool proficiencies 

The Transmuter Stone is a very powerful thing.  Stock up on transmutation spells at low levels so you can cycle through the Stone properties as needed.  It can also be given to others, don’t underestimate that!

Transmuter is one of my all-time faves for that reason. 🙂 

The Transmuter's features are depressing, it is the weakest subclass of the game.

Quote from Nerkios >>

The Transmuter's features are depressing, it is the weakest subclass of the game.

 Beast master rangers called.

When using the spell catapult can you drop an item you are carrying and cast the spell in the same turn? does dropping an item take an action/bonus action? or is it a free action?

Just curious as I thought this might be a good spell to use if I want to change the effect of the Transmuter's Stone, since it cannot be an item that is carried or worn and if there isn't anything handy nearby. Like, say, drop the dagger I'm holding since I really don't plan on using it.

Yes, dropping an item is considered a free action. You can drop the item and cast Catapult on it.

I personally love Transmuters, most of all the half-orc one I'm playing currently, and as people have said the Stone is very useful. Come up against a monster that unleashes an unexpected fire blast? Enlarge the fighter whilst also becoming resistant to fire. Concentrating on a high damage spell? Throw a quick Catapult and get proficiency in Concentration checks (Con saves). The only human in the party not comfortable with going into the cave? Just expend a measly 1st level and give them standard darkvision. I think the best things about the Stone are your ability to give it to other party members, as well as the fact you can tactically switch it in battle, coupled with a spell cast, so you're not wasting your turn on changing it. For your idea, Transmutation is definitely the best official School to take. If you can use old UA, consider the Artificer Wizard subclass or the School of Invention.  

Quote from PietyTheCharismatic >>

I personally love Transmuters, most of all the half-orc one I'm playing currently, and as people have said the Stone is very useful. Come up against a monster that unleashes an unexpected fire blast? Enlarge the fighter whilst also becoming resistant to fire. Concentrating on a high damage spell? Throw a quick Catapult and get proficiency in Concentration checks (Con saves). The only human in the party not comfortable with going into the cave? Just expend a measly 1st level and give them standard darkvision. I think the best things about the Stone are your ability to give it to other party members, as well as the fact you can tactically switch it in battle, coupled with a spell cast, so you're not wasting your turn on changing it. For your idea, Transmutation is definitely the best official School to take. If you can use old UA, consider the Artificer Wizard subclass or the School of Invention.  

 Love all of this. Changing the environment in which combat takes place, using that environment, is, I think, under rated.

If you look at things like polymorph. It essentially lets you turn into something with a challenge rating of your level. (granted a beast) Which you know what is top level beast? a CR 8 t-rex!  Sure level 10 it really doesn't feel too good. turn into a cr 1/2 for free once a day...whoop-dee-doo. But when you have a druid to pal around with, can be useful. Or make use of creature senses. Powerful wizard, but weak form.  Yet you can turn into something that can fly so would be useful for a trap or cliff side.

Transmuters stone is pretty cool in general. Advantage on con, or elemental resistances, and all that. Cannot go wrong with busting out that ice resistance when you are in the mountains. Or fire resistance when in the summer or a hot environment. (means the cold or heat doesn't really impact you and you auto succeed checks pertaining to environment effects)

At level 14. Assuming you don't have access to it, or the game never needed healer role. (Kinda nice when your wizard won't die by being looked at) Either a full heal/purge all of the things, a raise dead without any materiels. No more need for that silly 500gp diamond! Make your ship an ironclad so that cannonballs just bounce off. Can do a lot with that. 

I like transmutation. Although game I am in I am a wizard that is transmutation and bladesinger. So that works pretty well.

Minor Alchemy is very powerful outside of combat.

Transmuter Stone is better than the Divination ability 10th level.  The ability to switch merely by casting a Transmutation spell is powerful, particularly if your DM allows ritual casting.

My Transmutation wizard started with a level in Arcana Cleric. The ability to cast Purify Food and Drink as a ritual has really saved on spell slots to swap the Stone features.  It will be a while before I find a copy of Water-breathing, since our druid doesn't have the Arcana skill for making scrolls, and there are so many other worthy level 3 spells to take on level up.  Skywrite is such a worthless spell and way to flashy for a dungeon crawl I just can't see it worth the money to scribe it.

Quote from Cyb3rM1nd >>

Locked iron door? Turn the key/lock area to wood then smash/burn it. The door no longer has a door/lock, so open and walk through. You can do the same to prisons.

 

 

 I'm going to be trying this out as soon as possible. Our party lost our rogue so figuring out a work-around without someone having to train for Thieves' Tools or taking a level in rogue is important...

I am really surprised nobody has ever thought of this. Granted like anything its up to the Dm if it will work. With appropriate backgrounds and skill, aka poisoner or poisoner's kit you can get away with making untraceable poisons on the fly. Certain kinds of wood are highly poisonous.  They aren't even rare breeds of tree or plant.  So transformation wizard walked through a bit of high security, hoping to disrupt a meetings of a king.. Nope have nothing remotely poisonous.  Goes off for 10 minutes with a handful of sand turning into a handful of poisonous wood. promptly snuck into the kitchen dumped it into food that was about to be served.  It didn't kill anybody, many got very sick. The meeting was totally ruined. People accusing each other of the poisoning. Best part 1 hour passes and all traces of the poison disappear as it turns back into sand.