Artificer/Barbarian is one of the lowest synergies of all multiclass combos.
Specify. This thread has already gone over a lot of synergies that other caster classes can’t do when combined with Barbarian. If anything this combination is way better than any other full or half caster + Barbarian.
Because as Transmorpher pointed out already, a very large portion of both the Artificer's and Barbarian's class features are mutually exclusive. Rage, and consequently all rage-dependent features, is mutually exclusive with both heavy armor and spellcasting. Making Gauntlets of Ogre Power explicitly requires the Artificer to be 10th level, a point by which many campaigns are already over. This build looks powerful only if you go by the end-game stuff and ignore all the levels in between. And don't compare it to a single-classed Barbarian or Artificer, since both of those classes get some serious late game abilities that this hypothetical build is locked out of..
The whole point of buildcrafting is to judge the build from it’s finished state, so there’s really no reason to judge it as if it was going to stop at level 10, even so at that point the character would be playing as a standard melee artificer. Plus both Barbarian and artificer are frontloaded classes, with the point being that we go to level 10 not just for gauntlets, but for magic item adept. Artificers are one of the only caster classes who get methods of laying down damage that isn’t shut down by rage. Barbarians also receive a primal path feature by this point, 10/10 is a fine spread but I can see 9/11 to get relentless rage in exchange for magic item adept. Battlesmith specifically doesn’t need to go to level ten because they can use their INT for weapon attacks/damage instead of strength. This build is good at giving versatility to a really simple class so they have something to do when they run out of rages. No other caster can do that.
Except if you are using Int for your weapon attack, you don't get any rage bonus to damage. That specifies melee attacks with Str. The only thing an Artificer can do to "lay down damage" is by using infusions, which basically just create magic items. So you could do the same thing, only better, by being a straight Barbarian with some magic items attuned. Or you can ask your Artificer friend to infuse an item for you.
Going Battle Smith / Barbarian gets you a lot of conflicting features: if you attack with Int, you get no bonus damage when you rage and you cannot Reckless Attack. They have the same armor and weapon proficiencies, same level 5 feature, and the only thing you get is something to do when you're not raging, but not well. Your Steel Defender will be much squishier, as HP is based on Artificer level.
If you focus Int, you can't rage well, if you focus Str, you can't cast spells well if you focus both, you'll be squishy because you won't have decent Con for HP or Dex for AC. You're taking a Barbarian who already wants high Str, Dex, and Con, and now adding the need for good Int to cast. The best thing you get out of this is the ability to use your Spell Storing Item while raging, but that is going to be based on your Int and you cannot use any concentration spells. Most Artificers are going to be handing their SSI out to a non-caster or loading it with Cure Wounds for a healing stick.
If I am missing something, please tell me how an Artificer can "lay down damage" while raging.
You can still reckless attack if you use INT, and it would be easy enough to get the bonus damage from rage by making gauntlets of ogre power or just leveling strength normally. The +4 to damage isn’t even that important when most of the barbarians damage comes from reckless attack. All but the alchemist get a method of dealing damage that isn’t restricted by rage. The armorer’s unique weapons both count as simple weapons which can be boosted by rage’s damage increase, the battlesmith’s arcane jolt combined with their steel defender can function the same when raging, even the artillerist which is the most direct blaster of the class can still use their eldritch canon(s) and get the benefits of rage. This build in general is intended to be very selfish with their infusions which isn’t even too much of an issue with all of the useful out-of-combat utility spells the artificer gets. The steel defender may be squishy but the healing from repair, mending and arcane jolt can make up for that.
Artificer/Barbarian is one of the lowest synergies of all multiclass combos.
Specify. This thread has already gone over a lot of synergies that other caster classes can’t do when combined with Barbarian. If anything this combination is way better than any other full or half caster + Barbarian.
Because as Transmorpher pointed out already, a very large portion of both the Artificer's and Barbarian's class features are mutually exclusive. Rage, and consequently all rage-dependent features, is mutually exclusive with both heavy armor and spellcasting. Making Gauntlets of Ogre Power explicitly requires the Artificer to be 10th level, a point by which many campaigns are already over. This build looks powerful only if you go by the end-game stuff and ignore all the levels in between. And don't compare it to a single-classed Barbarian or Artificer, since both of those classes get some serious late game abilities that this hypothetical build is locked out of..
The whole point of buildcrafting is to judge the build from it’s finished state, so there’s really no reason to judge it as if it was going to stop at level 10, even so at that point the character would be playing as a standard melee artificer. Plus both Barbarian and artificer are frontloaded classes, with the point being that we go to level 10 not just for gauntlets, but for magic item adept. Artificers are one of the only caster classes who get methods of laying down damage that isn’t shut down by rage. Barbarians also receive a primal path feature by this point, 10/10 is a fine spread but I can see 9/11 to get relentless rage in exchange for magic item adept. Battlesmith specifically doesn’t need to go to level ten because they can use their INT for weapon attacks/damage instead of strength. This build is good at giving versatility to a really simple class so they have something to do when they run out of rages. No other caster can do that.
Except if you are using Int for your weapon attack, you don't get any rage bonus to damage. That specifies melee attacks with Str. The only thing an Artificer can do to "lay down damage" is by using infusions, which basically just create magic items. So you could do the same thing, only better, by being a straight Barbarian with some magic items attuned. Or you can ask your Artificer friend to infuse an item for you.
Going Battle Smith / Barbarian gets you a lot of conflicting features: if you attack with Int, you get no bonus damage when you rage and you cannot Reckless Attack. They have the same armor and weapon proficiencies, same level 5 feature, and the only thing you get is something to do when you're not raging, but not well. Your Steel Defender will be much squishier, as HP is based on Artificer level.
If you focus Int, you can't rage well, if you focus Str, you can't cast spells well if you focus both, you'll be squishy because you won't have decent Con for HP or Dex for AC. You're taking a Barbarian who already wants high Str, Dex, and Con, and now adding the need for good Int to cast. The best thing you get out of this is the ability to use your Spell Storing Item while raging, but that is going to be based on your Int and you cannot use any concentration spells. Most Artificers are going to be handing their SSI out to a non-caster or loading it with Cure Wounds for a healing stick.
If I am missing something, please tell me how an Artificer can "lay down damage" while raging.
You can still reckless attack if you use INT, and it would be easy enough to get the bonus damage from rage by making gauntlets of ogre power or just leveling strength normally. The +4 to damage isn’t even that important when most of the barbarians damage comes from reckless attack. All but the alchemist get a method of dealing damage that isn’t restricted by rage. The armorer’s unique weapons both count as simple weapons which can be boosted by rage’s damage increase, the battlesmith’s arcane jolt combined with their steel defender can function the same when raging, even the artillerist which is the most direct blaster of the class can still use their eldritch canon(s) and get the benefits of rage. This build in general is intended to be very selfish with their infusions which isn’t even too much of an issue with all of the useful out-of-combat utility spells the artificer gets. The steel defender may be squishy but the healing from repair, mending and arcane jolt can make up for that.
How are you using intelligence with reckless attack in an effective manner? It’s true that you can choose to attack recklessly and use other stats, but you don’t get advantage unless you’re using the strength attribute in some way with that attack.
RECKLESS ATTACK Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.
Artificer/Barbarian is one of the lowest synergies of all multiclass combos.
Specify. This thread has already gone over a lot of synergies that other caster classes can’t do when combined with Barbarian. If anything this combination is way better than any other full or half caster + Barbarian.
Because as Transmorpher pointed out already, a very large portion of both the Artificer's and Barbarian's class features are mutually exclusive. Rage, and consequently all rage-dependent features, is mutually exclusive with both heavy armor and spellcasting. Making Gauntlets of Ogre Power explicitly requires the Artificer to be 10th level, a point by which many campaigns are already over. This build looks powerful only if you go by the end-game stuff and ignore all the levels in between. And don't compare it to a single-classed Barbarian or Artificer, since both of those classes get some serious late game abilities that this hypothetical build is locked out of..
The whole point of buildcrafting is to judge the build from it’s finished state, so there’s really no reason to judge it as if it was going to stop at level 10, even so at that point the character would be playing as a standard melee artificer. Plus both Barbarian and artificer are frontloaded classes, with the point being that we go to level 10 not just for gauntlets, but for magic item adept. Artificers are one of the only caster classes who get methods of laying down damage that isn’t shut down by rage. Barbarians also receive a primal path feature by this point, 10/10 is a fine spread but I can see 9/11 to get relentless rage in exchange for magic item adept. Battlesmith specifically doesn’t need to go to level ten because they can use their INT for weapon attacks/damage instead of strength. This build is good at giving versatility to a really simple class so they have something to do when they run out of rages. No other caster can do that.
Except if you are using Int for your weapon attack, you don't get any rage bonus to damage. That specifies melee attacks with Str. The only thing an Artificer can do to "lay down damage" is by using infusions, which basically just create magic items. So you could do the same thing, only better, by being a straight Barbarian with some magic items attuned. Or you can ask your Artificer friend to infuse an item for you.
Going Battle Smith / Barbarian gets you a lot of conflicting features: if you attack with Int, you get no bonus damage when you rage and you cannot Reckless Attack. They have the same armor and weapon proficiencies, same level 5 feature, and the only thing you get is something to do when you're not raging, but not well. Your Steel Defender will be much squishier, as HP is based on Artificer level.
If you focus Int, you can't rage well, if you focus Str, you can't cast spells well if you focus both, you'll be squishy because you won't have decent Con for HP or Dex for AC. You're taking a Barbarian who already wants high Str, Dex, and Con, and now adding the need for good Int to cast. The best thing you get out of this is the ability to use your Spell Storing Item while raging, but that is going to be based on your Int and you cannot use any concentration spells. Most Artificers are going to be handing their SSI out to a non-caster or loading it with Cure Wounds for a healing stick.
If I am missing something, please tell me how an Artificer can "lay down damage" while raging.
You can still reckless attack if you use INT, and it would be easy enough to get the bonus damage from rage by making gauntlets of ogre power or just leveling strength normally. The +4 to damage isn’t even that important when most of the barbarians damage comes from reckless attack. All but the alchemist get a method of dealing damage that isn’t restricted by rage. The armorer’s unique weapons both count as simple weapons which can be boosted by rage’s damage increase, the battlesmith’s arcane jolt combined with their steel defender can function the same when raging, even the artillerist which is the most direct blaster of the class can still use their eldritch canon(s) and get the benefits of rage. This build in general is intended to be very selfish with their infusions which isn’t even too much of an issue with all of the useful out-of-combat utility spells the artificer gets. The steel defender may be squishy but the healing from repair, mending and arcane jolt can make up for that.
How are you using intelligence with reckless attack I’m an effective manner? It’s true that you can choose to attack recklessly and use other stats, but you don’t get advantage unless you’re using the strength attribute in some way with that attack.
RECKLESS ATTACK Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.
So, yes, you can reckless attack, but all you will get is enemies with advantage to attack you. Doing that is only a detriment to you.
You can use Arcane Jolt a number of times equal to your Int modifier, so a max of 5 times per long rest once you get to level 9 (but if you want to Reckless and Rage well, you won't have a 20 Int). You would be better off dipping into Paladin because you can Smite; if you took Paladin to 9, you could Smite 9 times per LR, dealing 2d8 4 times, 3d8 3 times, and 4d8 2 times, which is miles better than 2d6 5 times.
The Armorer weapons are not really anything special to a Barb; they don't scale with level. They get you a different damage type and can impose disadvantage to attack others, but it certainly doesn't help you "lay down the damage". Additionally, using the Heavy Armor proficiency from the Armorer negates nearly all of your Barb features.
The best option would be the Artillerist, but you are leaving all of the spell casting off of the table while you rage. You can use your BA to command the Eldritch Cannon to attack.
And you cannot cast Mending in combat unless you want to take 10 rounds of doing nothing else, so this really doesn't do anything for the tankiness of your SD or EC (plus you couldn't cast it anyway while raging).
There just really aren't the synergies that you think are there.
I understand. I don’t think coming from the approach of dealing damage is the best view of this combo. I’m going to have to work on properly optimizing a few goals this combo can work towards instead of trying to insist on how good it is on its own. I’m combining a very versatile class with a very straightforward class and I’m not going about it the right way.
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You can still reckless attack if you use INT, and it would be easy enough to get the bonus damage from rage by making gauntlets of ogre power or just leveling strength normally. The +4 to damage isn’t even that important when most of the barbarians damage comes from reckless attack. All but the alchemist get a method of dealing damage that isn’t restricted by rage. The armorer’s unique weapons both count as simple weapons which can be boosted by rage’s damage increase, the battlesmith’s arcane jolt combined with their steel defender can function the same when raging, even the artillerist which is the most direct blaster of the class can still use their eldritch canon(s) and get the benefits of rage. This build in general is intended to be very selfish with their infusions which isn’t even too much of an issue with all of the useful out-of-combat utility spells the artificer gets. The steel defender may be squishy but the healing from repair, mending and arcane jolt can make up for that.
How are you using intelligence with reckless attack in an effective manner? It’s true that you can choose to attack recklessly and use other stats, but you don’t get advantage unless you’re using the strength attribute in some way with that attack.
RECKLESS ATTACK
Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn.
I understand. I don’t think coming from the approach of dealing damage is the best view of this combo. I’m going to have to work on properly optimizing a few goals this combo can work towards instead of trying to insist on how good it is on its own. I’m combining a very versatile class with a very straightforward class and I’m not going about it the right way.