Get your magical tinkering on just in time for the holidays, and let us know what you think when the survey opens next week! EDIT 12/24: The survey is live!
Unearthed Arcana will not be available to use in the character creator.
Well, off the cuff I’m not sure getting at more core magic items is a good trade for losing unique infusions. Having access to items that can’t just be purchased was a definite selling point.
I wonder which book this is going to be in? Doesn't seem a natural fit for any of the announced ones so are we getting a new Eberron book in 2026?
I could see that; it’s been a while since the last one, they seem to be looking to put some additional material out for core settings using their new approach such as with the upcoming FR books, and Eberron is definitely a popular option.
Well, off the cuff I’m not sure getting at more core magic items is a good trade for losing unique infusions. Having access to items that can’t just be purchased was a definite selling point.
Many of the unique infusions are added as new magic items at the end of the document.
(Though you may explicitly mean you don't want those also available as loot / for sale)
Well, off the cuff I’m not sure getting at more core magic items is a good trade for losing unique infusions. Having access to items that can’t just be purchased was a definite selling point.
Many of the unique infusions are added as new magic items at the end of the document.
(Though you may explicitly mean you don't want those also available as loot / for sale)
Yeah, part of my point was it’s nice for Artificers as a whole to have a few unique tricks with that.
Spellcasting: You can no longer use infused items as a spellcasting focus. Some of the subclasses have their own abilities to compensate for this (e.g. Armorers can still use their armor), but the primary casualty of this change seems to be Battlesmiths, as they'll need a hand free or War Caster if they plan to dual-wield or sword-and-board. On the plus side, cantrips can now be swapped on a long rest like Wizards. The quantity is still meagre but this helps, especially given the next ability:
Magical Tinkering: This now lets you make one of a variety of mundane objects out of thin air that last for an hour. This takes a (Magic) Action, so you can do it in combat as well, helpful for when you quickly need rope to tie someone up for a bit, or oil to use as poor man's battlefield control (or start a fire) etc. This is usable at-will, so
Replicate Item: Two big changes here:
1) No longer requires you to have that type of item on hand to infuse, all you need are your tools - the item itself is created out of thin air. For example, you don't need a mundane bag on hand to infuse into a Bag of Holding, or a mundane wand to make a +1 wand. The downside to this though is that if you exceed your replication allotment, your oldest ones actually disappear if you replicate too many, which might leave you or your allies unarmed and naked if you're not careful.
2) You can now create categories of items rather than a specific list, allowing the class to grow in power as new material is printed. In addition, the items you can create increase in rarity as you level, letting Artificers have access to new items as they are created in subsequent books. For example, at 6th level they can replicate any Uncommon Weapon / Wand / Armor, at 10th they can replicate any Uncommon Ring or Wondrous Item, and at 14 they can replicate any Rare item from these categories.
Right Tool For The Job: Now lets them replicate tools as an Action (the same one for Magical Tinkering) instead of needing an hour.
Magic Item Tinker (new ability, replaces Tool Expertise): Lets them drain a magic item they've replicated to gain a spell slot 1/day - 1st-level if Common, and 2nd-level if Uncommon or Rare. Note that you can do this even if you haven't expended any yet. When you get this though you'll only have up to 3 replications active, so giving up one of them is a pretty big deal, even for a spell slot, particularly since it takes a Long Rest to replace.
Flash of Genius: Can now explicitly be used on a failure, so you can wait to see if it's needed (or whether it will even make a difference) before expending it. Pretty great upgrade!
Spell-Storing Item: Can now store up to 3rd-level spells. Pretty big upgrade here too.
Magic Item Savant:No longer lets you ignore race/class restrictions, though I suspect this didn't come up at most tables anyway.
Soul of Artifice: Now brings you back to 20 HP instead of 1. However, keep in mind that ending a replication vanishes the item, so if it was something like the armor you or an ally is wearing you could be left pretty bereft. The big one though is that Saving Throws per attuned item are now gone. I expect that to be clobbered in the surveys because +1d6 to ability checks as a capstone is very weak tea.
I'd also note that Homunculus is no longer a replicated magic item, it's a spell. That's a buff though not dramatic. Armorer artificer also has a new armor model (but given that artificers don't interact with the mastery system, they're even less impressive in combat than they were previously).
it is a surprise, and the hints in the video about revisiting old tasha stuff is interesting as well.
I would still like to see a witch closer to my ideas of them and an Animist class instead, but will take a look at the whole thing.
I have to say that the "create out of thin air" thing won't work for my games, but I will accept it as a challenge to determine how to "fix' that.
Since, for me, the classes have to change to fit my world, it shouldn't be too difficult.
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
I have to say that the "create out of thin air" thing won't work for my games, but I will accept it as a challenge to determine how to "fix' that.
This is UA, which means it isn’t finalized. When the survey is out next week, you and other can inform the designers about not liking the idea of the items being created out of thin air as a flavor and give them other suggestions.
I will be mentioning this issue as well. I’m not really against it, but I think the flavoring could be better.
I have to say that the "create out of thin air" thing won't work for my games, but I will accept it as a challenge to determine how to "fix' that.
It's a pretty easy tweak - for the replicated items, return the requirement that you need a matching mundane item first, and for the mundane gear, either raw materials of equivalent cost or just plain currency. Basically you can turn it into Lesser Fabricate.
Personally though I like conjuring them for simplicity's sake.
I have to say that the "create out of thin air" thing won't work for my games, but I will accept it as a challenge to determine how to "fix' that.
It's a pretty easy tweak - for the replicated items, return the requirement that you need a matching mundane item first, and for the mundane gear, either raw materials of equivalent cost or just plain currency. Basically you can turn it into Lesser Fabricate.
Personally though I like conjuring them for simplicity's sake.
I do get the simplicity sake part, no doubt. My players, though, will look at it and say "yeah, no, that's a spell." and then want other classes to have a spell like that at first level.
The video notes that the reason they did it that was was to get rid of the whole step by step have the things stuff, so I would want to avoid that in general, and we do track stuff like that (not material components, though, since this world doesn't use them -- just a focus).
That said, basic raw materials are something I can work out, and giving them a "scrounging" ability is handy to do (and keeps them doing things in downtime). The central premise is still "they make it out of what's around them", and the one limitation would be what's around them. Since I overwrite my descriptions, there's going to be plenty of use there.
I will have to adapt it slightly -- but it will be more useful in doing so: I designed the way my magic items are organized into a format that is way more precise for this purpose, and will give them a lot more flexibility. My big issue will be the potential conflicts with Witches (amulets, talismans, potions, powders, dusts, etc) and them -- but I think I can work that out as well.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
I don't like anything about the new magical tinkering. Pretty much everything in that short list is things that SOMEONE will have in their backpack. Possibly most of the party. The only time I really see it coming up is when you are separated from most of your gear.
Yeah, you can conjure it with a magic action instead of digging it out of your pack, but ... when has that been a serious problem? I feel like this is a big nothingburger of an ability.
I love Artificers, but I can't help but feel they are not getting the glow up that the other classes mostly got this edition and they REALLY needed it. Not as bad as Monks did, but still...
I don't like anything about the new magical tinkering. Pretty much everything in that short list is things that SOMEONE will have in their backpack. Possibly most of the party. The only time I really see it coming up is when you are separated from most of your gear.
Yeah, you can conjure it with a magic action instead of digging it out of your pack, but ... when has that been a serious problem? I feel like this is a big nothingburger of an ability.
I am going to pretty much agree here. I can see what they were trying to do, BUT, this is not how to get there. Definitely one of the more worthless abilities I have seen among the 2024 lot thus far. When I first read it, I actually chuckled, like “really guys?!”
That would be why we already have the term “ribbon feature”. The meat of level 1 is the spellcasting feature and 3 tool profs- including a wildcard- this is just some class flavor on the side.
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D&D StaffGet your magical tinkering on just in time for the holidays, and let us know what you think when the survey opens next week!
EDIT 12/24: The survey is live!
Unearthed Arcana will not be available to use in the character creator.
The Artificer (2024)
EDIT: video
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oh. Well, then.
I wonder which book this is going to be in? Doesn't seem a natural fit for any of the announced ones so are we getting a new Eberron book in 2026?
Well, off the cuff I’m not sure getting at more core magic items is a good trade for losing unique infusions. Having access to items that can’t just be purchased was a definite selling point.
I could see that; it’s been a while since the last one, they seem to be looking to put some additional material out for core settings using their new approach such as with the upcoming FR books, and Eberron is definitely a popular option.
Many of the unique infusions are added as new magic items at the end of the document.
(Though you may explicitly mean you don't want those also available as loot / for sale)
Yeah, part of my point was it’s nice for Artificers as a whole to have a few unique tricks with that.
Thanks for the thread LaTia!
Base Class Changes (buffs/nerfs):
Spellcasting: You can no longer use infused items as a spellcasting focus. Some of the subclasses have their own abilities to compensate for this (e.g. Armorers can still use their armor), but the primary casualty of this change seems to be Battlesmiths, as they'll need a hand free or War Caster if they plan to dual-wield or sword-and-board. On the plus side, cantrips can now be swapped on a long rest like Wizards. The quantity is still meagre but this helps, especially given the next ability:
Magical Tinkering: This now lets you make one of a variety of mundane objects out of thin air that last for an hour. This takes a (Magic) Action, so you can do it in combat as well, helpful for when you quickly need rope to tie someone up for a bit, or oil to use as poor man's battlefield control (or start a fire) etc. This is usable at-will, so
Replicate Item: Two big changes here:
1) No longer requires you to have that type of item on hand to infuse, all you need are your tools - the item itself is created out of thin air. For example, you don't need a mundane bag on hand to infuse into a Bag of Holding, or a mundane wand to make a +1 wand. The downside to this though is that if you exceed your replication allotment, your oldest ones actually disappear if you replicate too many, which might leave you or your allies unarmed and naked if you're not careful.
2) You can now create categories of items rather than a specific list, allowing the class to grow in power as new material is printed. In addition, the items you can create increase in rarity as you level, letting Artificers have access to new items as they are created in subsequent books. For example, at 6th level they can replicate any Uncommon Weapon / Wand / Armor, at 10th they can replicate any Uncommon Ring or Wondrous Item, and at 14 they can replicate any Rare item from these categories.
Right Tool For The Job: Now lets them replicate tools as an Action (the same one for Magical Tinkering) instead of needing an hour.
Magic Item Tinker (new ability, replaces Tool Expertise): Lets them drain a magic item they've replicated to gain a spell slot 1/day - 1st-level if Common, and 2nd-level if Uncommon or Rare. Note that you can do this even if you haven't expended any yet. When you get this though you'll only have up to 3 replications active, so giving up one of them is a pretty big deal, even for a spell slot, particularly since it takes a Long Rest to replace.
Flash of Genius: Can now explicitly be used on a failure, so you can wait to see if it's needed (or whether it will even make a difference) before expending it. Pretty great upgrade!
Spell-Storing Item: Can now store up to 3rd-level spells. Pretty big upgrade here too.
Magic Item Savant: No longer lets you ignore race/class restrictions, though I suspect this didn't come up at most tables anyway.
Soul of Artifice: Now brings you back to 20 HP instead of 1. However, keep in mind that ending a replication vanishes the item, so if it was something like the armor you or an ally is wearing you could be left pretty bereft. The big one though is that Saving Throws per attuned item are now gone. I expect that to be clobbered in the surveys because +1d6 to ability checks as a capstone is very weak tea.
I'd also note that Homunculus is no longer a replicated magic item, it's a spell. That's a buff though not dramatic. Armorer artificer also has a new armor model (but given that artificers don't interact with the mastery system, they're even less impressive in combat than they were previously).
It would seem that the class can no longer use
infusionsreplicated magic items as a spellcasting focuses. Which impacts Battlesmith a bit.Edit: also, the new Homunculus spell consumes its 100GP gem.
it is a surprise, and the hints in the video about revisiting old tasha stuff is interesting as well.
I would still like to see a witch closer to my ideas of them and an Animist class instead, but will take a look at the whole thing.
I have to say that the "create out of thin air" thing won't work for my games, but I will accept it as a challenge to determine how to "fix' that.
Since, for me, the classes have to change to fit my world, it shouldn't be too difficult.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
This is UA, which means it isn’t finalized. When the survey is out next week, you and other can inform the designers about not liking the idea of the items being created out of thin air as a flavor and give them other suggestions.
I will be mentioning this issue as well. I’m not really against it, but I think the flavoring could be better.
It's a pretty easy tweak - for the replicated items, return the requirement that you need a matching mundane item first, and for the mundane gear, either raw materials of equivalent cost or just plain currency. Basically you can turn it into Lesser Fabricate.
Personally though I like conjuring them for simplicity's sake.
I do get the simplicity sake part, no doubt. My players, though, will look at it and say "yeah, no, that's a spell." and then want other classes to have a spell like that at first level.
The video notes that the reason they did it that was was to get rid of the whole step by step have the things stuff, so I would want to avoid that in general, and we do track stuff like that (not material components, though, since this world doesn't use them -- just a focus).
That said, basic raw materials are something I can work out, and giving them a "scrounging" ability is handy to do (and keeps them doing things in downtime). The central premise is still "they make it out of what's around them", and the one limitation would be what's around them. Since I overwrite my descriptions, there's going to be plenty of use there.
I will have to adapt it slightly -- but it will be more useful in doing so: I designed the way my magic items are organized into a format that is way more precise for this purpose, and will give them a lot more flexibility. My big issue will be the potential conflicts with Witches (amulets, talismans, potions, powders, dusts, etc) and them -- but I think I can work that out as well.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
my gnomie in Thesk, I may have to redo Bhuemkabhuem "She who loves loud noises"
Because yes, OMG Yes!!!
She has needed a reason for an update.
yeah 1 hour for those items is a bit low, as a DM I would say they last for 24 hours.
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D&D Staffsomeone on ENWorld said that was perfect for napping/short rests and I thought that was cute
Your Friendly Neighborhood Community Manager (she/her)
You can call me LT. :)
CM Hat On | CM Hat Off
Generally active from 9am - 6pm CDT [GMT-5].
Thank you for your patience if you message me outside of those hours!
Useful Links: Site Rules & Guidelines | D&D Educator Resources | Change Your Nickname | Submit a Support Ticket
I don't like anything about the new magical tinkering. Pretty much everything in that short list is things that SOMEONE will have in their backpack. Possibly most of the party. The only time I really see it coming up is when you are separated from most of your gear.
Yeah, you can conjure it with a magic action instead of digging it out of your pack, but ... when has that been a serious problem? I feel like this is a big nothingburger of an ability.
I love Artificers, but I can't help but feel they are not getting the glow up that the other classes mostly got this edition and they REALLY needed it. Not as bad as Monks did, but still...
That would be why we already have the term “ribbon feature”. The meat of level 1 is the spellcasting feature and 3 tool profs- including a wildcard- this is just some class flavor on the side.