I have only my current Dwarf lvl7 armorer artificer to talk of as experience goes but here are some of my thoughts on the UA/current.
As I have only ever played my current one I can only think that for alchemist remove the randomness entirely from the elixirs. Cant speak for the other 2 subclasses.
General Artificer:
Magical tinkering still seems meh. You can get the useful mundane items anyway from a town.
Bring back: Can use any magic item as spell casting focus (thematic with the new Drain Magic Item as a master of magic gear you can manipulate the magic inside any way you like)
Replicate magic items : should have options not available at DM discretion
Add(or bring back) tool interactions? If so explicit bonuses for when a tool can be used and with what skills.
Homonculus: Not consuming the gem, maybe level 1 spell instead of 2?
Level 20: capstone imo make it back to +1 save throw per magic item created. If the save dc is like 30 at lvl20. (so without the +6 you may need 18 or higher to succeed)
General Armorer:
Make explicit if special weapons count as magical for the purpose of magic weapon and elemental weapon spells. Especially if armor is already magic (does the magic tag carry over to the special weapons?)
Make RAW that you can use true strike, booming blade etc with the guardian/dreadnaught weapons (i recall they need a weapon with a cost so it is debatable if they a have cost because the armor has cost)
Make it so a player can use all 3 modes effectively. In the current version at least before 2024 feats you could specialize in one of the 2 modes but would almost lock out the unspecialized one (eg sentinel is great for guardian but useless for infiltrator, sharpshooter great for infiltrator useless for guardian).
Some more martial class nudges ? at least in combat we got meh DPR, ok tankiness with shield and the current infusions for +1 shield and +1 armor (we are lvl 7 in our campaign and mobs can have like +8/9 so even my plate +1 and shield +1 can be lacklustre vs advantage (eg pack tactics) or multi-attacks. outside combat the class itself feels decent/good in non-interaction situations thanks to int based skills and tools
Level 9: meh, the only thing I can think of is it may be easier to code for dndbeyond (current version doesnt work anyway), infusing multiple effects on our armor is nice (you customize as you please) getting just another armor/shield plan seems redundant when you already have a suit of plate and shield. if you replicate magic items like wands for variety of effects (dont see how you would use other stuff if the dm already gives nice loot - ours has us roll for the loot table, i was unlucky to roll 6 basic health pots in a row) and have a guaranteed plate/shield plan maybe but still you get wands at 6 and 14 so the good stuff is late)
Level 15: bump the damage numbers a bit more imo. or better yet two-stage dmg/effect bump, one at lvl9 and one at 15.
Dreadnaught:
I was thinking (as im not a fan of the ball/chain) how about the weapon could be any one handed or versatile (but not able to use it with two hands) weapon simple or martial? You choose the weapon on model change or whenever you can change models (so on short/long rest you can swap the weapon only)
Perhaps if on level 3 the weapon options are limited instead of any simple/martial weapon and on 9 you get to use more options?
Alternative: choose one weapon that can be wielded with one hand and lock into that on getting the subclass. At lvl 9 you can replace it by "fusing" a magic item you own (not created by the Replicate magic item feature) into the armor.
Reasoning: coolness factor something like a power rangers megazord sword or from pacific rim where the longsword comes out of the suit's arm ?
More realistic reasoning: at my table I sometimes feel stuck using the thunder gauntlets while our fighter and rogue got magic weapons with a ton of extra damage/utility at level1 (i got a defensive/utility option as the main tank)
Forgo the push/pull parts, maybe instead of that you gain the weapon proficiency and mastery while wielding the special weapon.
level 9 for dreadnaught the weapon is now magical to bypass resistances.
Maybe when you become bigger your damage increases, similar to enlarge/reduce, + something per size increase ? just make the buff limited use/duration
Guardian:
make thunder gauntlets light so we can punch twice without the use of extra attack (not saying we should lose the extra attack) more like a 1-2-1 punch combo. now it feels like the
MCU scene where iron man punches the hulk saying "go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep" but more clunky?
Also would make carrying a shield less mandatory as we would have another playstyle option.
Maybe turn the thunder part more as flavor (keep the disadvantage spreading effect) but is now bludgeoning and bypasses magic immunities at level 9? or we can choose bludgeoning or thunder damage on attack declaration? so we dont get in trouble when we are in guardian mode and the opponents have resistance/immunity to thunder?
Defensive field being usable while bloodied but no limits on use: meh the plus of the previous version was you can 'preload' the THP before combat. New needs clarification what happens to THP if you get healed to no longer bloodied status?
Infiltrator:
The description says the gem can be on one hand or the chest, if it is on the chest then why can't the armorer also wield a weapon in both hands?
Otherwise maybe there are two gems, one on each hand, and you can do something more if you use both hands to shoot? (like a ranged-versatile thing?)
Maybe force damage instead of lightning (I dont know whats more commonly resisted, i'd guess lightning)
Level 9 or 15: get fly speed, go full Ironman/mecha
What does having the thrown property even mean for the launchers? they arent thrown, you are not throwing the glove at someone like you would a dagger.
Have a question about the Armorer ability to Don and Doff thier armor from what distance from thier armor can they Don the arcane armor That has never been said???
Have a question about the Armorer ability to Don and Doff thier armor from what distance from thier armor can they Don the arcane armor That has never been said???
It's never been said because the answer is just kind of common sense; you have to be touching armor to put it on, and there's nothing in the Armorer subclass that says otherwise to override that general principle.
I assume Venom-like or like in the second iron man movie (from the suitcase) or in civil war where ironman presses a button and gets wrapped in it? or go full infinity war if allowed to have it "spawn" from your bag? It would be cool if you could Ironman 3 it and have it fly piece by piece onto you
I was thinking (as im not a fan of the ball/chain) how about the weapon could be any one handed or versatile (but not able to use it with two hands) weapon simple or martial? You choose the weapon on model change or whenever you can change models (so on short/long rest you can swap the weapon only)
Perhaps if on level 3 the weapon options are limited instead of any simple/martial weapon and on 9 you get to use more options?
Alternative: choose one weapon that can be wielded with one hand and lock into that on getting the subclass. At lvl 9 you can replace it by "fusing" a magic item you own (not created by the Replicate magic item feature) into the armor.
Reasoning: coolness factor something like a power rangers megazord sword or from pacific rim where the longsword comes out of the suit's arm ?
More realistic reasoning: at my table I sometimes feel stuck using the thunder gauntlets while our fighter and rogue got magic weapons with a ton of extra damage/utility at level1 (i got a defensive/utility option as the main tank)
Forgo the push/pull parts, maybe instead of that you gain the weapon proficiency and mastery while wielding the special weapon.
level 9 for dreadnaught the weapon is now magical to bypass resistances.
Maybe when you become bigger your damage increases, similar to enlarge/reduce, + something per size increase ? just make the buff limited use/duration
I agree with this, there should be the ability to select from a variety of weapons with their weapon masteries, even if it's a permanent choice at level 3.
I was thinking (as im not a fan of the ball/chain) how about the weapon could be any one handed or versatile (but not able to use it with two hands) weapon simple or martial? You choose the weapon on model change or whenever you can change models (so on short/long rest you can swap the weapon only)
Perhaps if on level 3 the weapon options are limited instead of any simple/martial weapon and on 9 you get to use more options?
Alternative: choose one weapon that can be wielded with one hand and lock into that on getting the subclass. At lvl 9 you can replace it by "fusing" a magic item you own (not created by the Replicate magic item feature) into the armor.
Reasoning: coolness factor something like a power rangers megazord sword or from pacific rim where the longsword comes out of the suit's arm ?
More realistic reasoning: at my table I sometimes feel stuck using the thunder gauntlets while our fighter and rogue got magic weapons with a ton of extra damage/utility at level1 (i got a defensive/utility option as the main tank)
Forgo the push/pull parts, maybe instead of that you gain the weapon proficiency and mastery while wielding the special weapon.
level 9 for dreadnaught the weapon is now magical to bypass resistances.
Maybe when you become bigger your damage increases, similar to enlarge/reduce, + something per size increase ? just make the buff limited use/duration
I agree with this, there should be the ability to select from a variety of weapons with their weapon masteries, even if it's a permanent choice at level 3.
but then you would neglect Battlesmith, which is literally the Weapon-Subclass. Armorer is the Armor-Subclass and they already have a special variant of Masteries. Wrecking Ball: Push or Pull 10ft Thunder Gauntlet: Sap with Taunting Lightning Launcher: Extra Damage
Anyway, here is my Feedback:
Magical Tinkering Terrible change. It feels like the Designer forgot that this is an RPG where creativity is a thing.
You can now create the following as a Magic Action:Ball Bearings, Basket, Bedroll, Bell, Blanket, Block and Tackle, Bucket, Caltrops, Candle, Crowbar, Flask, Jug, Lamp, Net, Oil, Paper, Parchment, Pole, Pouch, Rope, Sack, Shovel, String, Tinderbox, Torch, Vial The ones marked in Bold are also in the Fast Crafting list of the Crafter Feat. First of all...what good is a Bedroll that disappears after 1h? If i create a Jug, i usually want to store something inside, which means the 1h limit is pretty bad. Same with all the other Containers on that list. Also slightly off topic...Fast Crafting allows to create a Tent, but not a Bedroll or Blanket? A Rope, but not a String? A Ladder, but not a Pole? A Jug, but not a Flask or Vial? Really?
Another change made is the "usage count". It is no longer a permanent count based on your INT (Magical Sparks), it is now a per-long-rest count. Basically...this feature has been turned into a Looney-Tunes Bag of Stupidity. The creative uses of the old version have been removed completely. What do i mean by that?
You could use the Light-Feature to shoot a glowing bolt so that you can see how far or deep a tunnel goes. Its not a lot of light, but it is magical light. You can use the Recorded Message to leave a Note in case something goes wrong on your Solo-Mission. You can use the Nonverbal Sound to create a Device that plays the sound of Waves, which reminds the old Sailor of a Story. The crying child stops crying because the wooden bird now chirps. This is a roleplaying Game, not a crafting simulator.
Suggestion: Stick with the old System and Buff it. Magical Tinkering now grants the Prestidigitation and Mending Cantrip and you are allowed to enhance each part of it (you know, like Rock Gnome can do for whatever reason?) Create a harmless sensory effect -> The Object plays a nonverbal sound, odor or recorded message Light or snuff out a flame -> The Object sheds 5ft Bright and 5ft Dim Light Clean or Soil -> Create a Cleansing Stone (Eberron) Chill, Warm, Flavor -> Allows to tolerate warm or cold weather (but not damage) Make a Color, Mark, Symbol -> Show a static visual effect or up to 25 words of text, or a mixture. You create a nonmagical trinket or illusion -> You create a mundate item from the Fast-Crafting List (and add the missing ones to Fast Crafting)
All of them use a "Magic Spark" and last until you relese them.
QoL Change: If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldestchoose one of the older objects where the property immediately ends, and then the new property applies. This is just to fix the "juggle sparks" issue the old version had, where you had to reapply every single effect when you lost an older object, like a glowing stone you threw into a Well.
Spellcasting The amount of prepared Spells has been reduced. This is fine, but Artificer could really need the "Ritual Casting" then. If im only allowed 2 Prepared Spells, im not using them for the Rituals, which i only need at the end of the Day (Alarm, Identify, Purify Food and Drink...)
Homunculus Servant I like that it is now more in line with Find Familiar, but the Price should be fixed. 100gp is too much for a consumable. Either reduce the cost, or stick with the "Gem drops on death". It should also be a Level 1 Spell, to provide better Backwards Compatibility. It was previously a Level 2 Infusion, now it would be a Spell you get access to at Level 5. Since this Spell Scales with its Level, a Level 1 Slot should not break anything.
Replicate Magic Item Another terrible change. Artificer now requires the use of the DMG to choose Items from, which is just not good. There are too many exploits and Loopholes. Create a bunch of Enspelled Items to gain a ton of Spell Slots. There are Rarity Issues with for example Weapon of Warning and Helm of Awareness. WoW is just simply better, yet you get it sooner. Wand of Fireballs or Wand of Secrets and all the other Wands are all technically Enspelled Items, yet they are separate. At Level 14 you can create a Bag of Holding and Portable Hole, and i believe i dont have to say what happens if one is put into the other?
The old system wasnt perfect, granted, but the new system is just simply bad. Magic Items are often too powerful, which is why they are DM Items. Players should not be able to freely pick whatever they want.
Suggestion: On my Table i "fixed" Infusions by allowing them to be added to Non-Attunable Items. That way they stayed relevant for much longer. Artificer was able to turn a +1 Crossbow into a +2 Repeating Crossbow by adding the "Repeating Shot" Infusion. A Dagger of Venom could be turned into a throwable, by adding the "Returning Weapon". It again plays with creativity, without breaking the System.
Some of the "underused magic items" like "Goggles of Night", "Cap of Water Breathing", "Rope of Climbing" etc could be fixed in other ways by for example allowing Artificer to switch the "Magic Item" once per Long Rest. That way a "Cap of Water Breathing" can be switched for "Goggles of Night" when the Underwater-Arc ends. Goggles of Night can then be switched for a Wand of Secrets when you really need one, which you then switch for "Sending Stones" because you need to split the party.
Right Tool for the Job I like that one. Saves me Inventory Space, but i would like it more with the old "Magic Spark" feature where i have a maximum number instead of a per-long-rest.
Magic Item Tinker I dont like that one, because it is useless for the Martials. A Battlesmith would never drain a Weapon (which means the Weapon disappears with the new System), just to cast a Level 2 Spell. I would never want to become Unarmed and Unarmored for such a weak spell selection. The removal of Tool Expertise is also not nice. Bard, Ranger and Wizard all get Expertise now, why not Artificer? Give them Expertise at 2 and Tool Expertise at 6.
Magic Item Adept A lot of the Features are made around Crafting. So why was the Crafting modifier removed? It could be added as an improvement to what the Subclasses get. General Crafting: Crafting Time and Cost is now 1/2 Subclass Crafting: Crafting Time is further reduced to 1/4
Spell Storing Item Overall i like it, but Alchemist could really need something good here. There are just no good level 3 Spells on that list. Armorer has Lightning Bolt, Artillerist has Fireball, Battlesmith has Barrage...and Alchemist has...Mass Healing Word and Gaseous Form? Yeah no.
Soul of Artifice Cheat Death is just as useless as it was before. At level 20, it doesnt matter if you have 1 or 20 Hit Points. You loose both in a single hit anyway. And a fixed 1d6 on Checks isnt really that useful either. What do others get? Barbarian: +4 STR and CON up to 25. Bard: Improved Power Word Heal and Power Word Kill Cleric: Wish, pretty much once per Week Druid: Free Wildshape once per Fight, Convert Wildshapes to Spellslots, and 10x Lifespan Fighter: Four Attacks per Turn Monk: +4 DEX and WIS up to 25 Paladin: Subclass specific. Advantage on Saving Throws, damaging Aura, permanent Bright Light, never missing hits, per-turn healing, swift-spellcasting, wings...yeah they get a bunch of cool stuff. Ranger: Improved Hunters Mark Rogue: Natural 20 on demand Sorcerer: Free Metamagic Warlock: Regain all Pact Slots on Short Rest Wizard: Free Spells
So...compared to that...Artificers Level 20 feels like a level 10 Feature. A +4 INT would fit here, and maybe something that fits the Magic Item Theme.
Subclasses
Alchemist Sadly, still as bad as it was before. No one likes RNG on essential Abilities. Overall i can see why Alchemist is the least played one.
Armorer I like the new Armor, but there is one huge problem. The old Infusions allowed to Infuse Armor at Level 9 by treating it as Armor, Boots, Helmet, and Weapon. The new Version only grants an additional Plan and an additional created Item, which is a huge difference.
Artillerist Only one wish: Level 15 provides double Firepower, this means that Flamethrower and Force Ballista profit from this. Protector does not. Suggestion: If both Cannons use Protector, the Temp-HP stack when the same target is affected twice.
Battlesmith - The new Replicated Magic Items are no longer considered a Focus. This means that a Sword-and-Shield Smith can no longer cast Spells. - Being a Martial Class and THE Weapon Subclass, Weapon Mastery should be added, maybe in a limited Form for "only Infused / Replicated Weapons".
A better clarification for "what can your Servant or Defender do" would be neat. Can they use Magic Items? Can they use Weapons and Armor?
I was thinking (as im not a fan of the ball/chain) how about the weapon could be any one handed or versatile (but not able to use it with two hands) weapon simple or martial? You choose the weapon on model change or whenever you can change models (so on short/long rest you can swap the weapon only)
Perhaps if on level 3 the weapon options are limited instead of any simple/martial weapon and on 9 you get to use more options?
Alternative: choose one weapon that can be wielded with one hand and lock into that on getting the subclass. At lvl 9 you can replace it by "fusing" a magic item you own (not created by the Replicate magic item feature) into the armor.
Reasoning: coolness factor something like a power rangers megazord sword or from pacific rim where the longsword comes out of the suit's arm ?
More realistic reasoning: at my table I sometimes feel stuck using the thunder gauntlets while our fighter and rogue got magic weapons with a ton of extra damage/utility at level1 (i got a defensive/utility option as the main tank)
Forgo the push/pull parts, maybe instead of that you gain the weapon proficiency and mastery while wielding the special weapon.
level 9 for dreadnaught the weapon is now magical to bypass resistances.
Maybe when you become bigger your damage increases, similar to enlarge/reduce, + something per size increase ? just make the buff limited use/duration
I agree with this, there should be the ability to select from a variety of weapons with their weapon masteries, even if it's a permanent choice at level 3.
but then you would neglect Battlesmith, which is literally the Weapon-Subclass. Armorer is the Armor-Subclass and they already have a special variant of Masteries. Wrecking Ball: Push or Pull 10ft Thunder Gauntlet: Sap with Taunting Lightning Launcher: Extra Damage
I didnt think of Battlesmith as I havent played one, I understand the weapon-subclass part but still hate the ball and chain. and armorer will still need a better dmg upgrade to keep up at lvl15
I was thinking (as im not a fan of the ball/chain) how about the weapon could be any one handed or versatile (but not able to use it with two hands) weapon simple or martial? You choose the weapon on model change or whenever you can change models (so on short/long rest you can swap the weapon only)
Perhaps if on level 3 the weapon options are limited instead of any simple/martial weapon and on 9 you get to use more options?
Alternative: choose one weapon that can be wielded with one hand and lock into that on getting the subclass. At lvl 9 you can replace it by "fusing" a magic item you own (not created by the Replicate magic item feature) into the armor.
Reasoning: coolness factor something like a power rangers megazord sword or from pacific rim where the longsword comes out of the suit's arm ?
More realistic reasoning: at my table I sometimes feel stuck using the thunder gauntlets while our fighter and rogue got magic weapons with a ton of extra damage/utility at level1 (i got a defensive/utility option as the main tank)
Forgo the push/pull parts, maybe instead of that you gain the weapon proficiency and mastery while wielding the special weapon.
level 9 for dreadnaught the weapon is now magical to bypass resistances.
Maybe when you become bigger your damage increases, similar to enlarge/reduce, + something per size increase ? just make the buff limited use/duration
I agree with this, there should be the ability to select from a variety of weapons with their weapon masteries, even if it's a permanent choice at level 3.
but then you would neglect Battlesmith, which is literally the Weapon-Subclass. Armorer is the Armor-Subclass and they already have a special variant of Masteries. Wrecking Ball: Push or Pull 10ft Thunder Gauntlet: Sap with Taunting Lightning Launcher: Extra Damage
I didnt think of Battlesmith as I havent played one, I understand the weapon-subclass part but still hate the ball and chain. and armorer will still need a better dmg upgrade to keep up at lvl15
yep, thats what i meant with my feedback there too. Old Armorer had the ability to infuse individual parts, which made it scale. you had the ability to make your weapon a +2, make it radiant and whatnot. Since this is gone, scaling is also pretty much gone.
I think that the Replicate Magic Item feature should still allow for two known Plans at the 6th, 10th, 14th, & 17th levels, even if you can still only employ one of them. It would really boost utility without changing current power levels.
I think the Battlesmith should gain access to Weapon Masteries.
I think Magic Item Tinker should still include Tool Expertise. Tool use is already ridiculously prohibitive, even with this UA version of Artificer's ability to craft actual (if temporary) items quickly. Permanent items still take untenable amounts of time ("I'll see you in 6- 10 months, once I've made this armor here!"), even with 20% price discounts and narrowly specific halving of time-costs.
Soul of Sacrifice's "Magical Guidance" feature needs to include Saving Throws, too. As a capstone ability, I think that would be far more enticing a draw to single-class to level 20.
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Hatred, violence, Fall to earth like so much snow. Who will be the sun?
I'm an OG player. I remember when "Basic" came out in boxed sets.
While reviewing the Armorer, I noted the pattern of damage "upgrades" go from 1d12 to 2d6. Why?
I imagine some will argue that since the 1d12 median damage is 6.5, with a minimum of 1, and the median damage of 2d6 is 7, with a minimum of 2, that this is in fact an improvement.
I would note the probability of rolling a 12 on a d12 is 1-in-12; while rolling a 12 on 2d6 is 1-in-36.
Would it be so game-changing to instead just give a flat +2 damage bonus (1d12+2) instead of going to 2d6?
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hatred, violence, Fall to earth like so much snow. Who will be the sun?
I'm an OG player. I remember when "Basic" came out in boxed sets.
As I have only ever played my current one I can only think that for alchemist remove the randomness entirely from the elixirs.
The Alchemist was the class I loved the most after years of playing D&D but it also felt like the weakest class I've ever played. I just like the theme of it! I couldn't agree more with removing the randomness to Experimental Elixir since Alchemy is sort of like Chemistry which is based on the laws of science. Alchemist should know what they are making. What I would like is the ability to convert my spells I have into potions that other players could use to cast them. Maybe like a number of spells equal to my Prof or something? The way I see it this would make them the true utility subclass of the bunch. Armorer is the tank, gunner is the dps, battle smith is the crowd control, alchemist is sort of the healer but really this ability should fulfil their other utility aspects since again they already get healing elsewhere.
While reviewing the Armorer, I noted the pattern of damage "upgrades" go from 1d12 to 2d6. Why?
I imagine some will argue that since the 1d12 median damage is 6.5, with a minimum of 1, and the median damage of 2d6 is 7, with a minimum of 2, that this is in fact an improvement.
I would note the probability of rolling a 12 on a d12 is 1-in-12; while rolling a 12 on 2d6 is 1-in-36.
Would it be so game-changing to instead just give a flat +2 damage bonus (1d12+2) instead of going to 2d6?
my party is still at level 7 and they got weapons with extra damage not +1/2. I got a shielding item to tank for everyone more. so 0.5 average damage increase at lvl15? seems low, instead i'd much prefer to see the 1d10 and 1d8 become 2d10, 2d8. it's lvl15
Amorer can already do everything old armor can, as far as split pieces.
the only one that is questionable is the weapon, and I think the intention for all the magic items like weapon +1+2+3, returning weapon, etc, is that you can make any weapon that is simple or martialwith them. That would include armor weapons. They also have blurb that says if you
now, I think they should clear this up, because people seem to be confused either way, but I don’t think mechanically there is supposed to be any real difference with armorer, except they don’t have to wait until level 9 to improve the weapons.
the other parts had some unique items, but this is no longer the case. It basically added helm of awareness only.
Amorer can already do everything old armor can, as far as split pieces.
the only one that is questionable is the weapon, and I think the intention for all the magic items like weapon +1+2+3, returning weapon, etc, is that you can make any weapon that is simple or martialwith them. That would include armor weapons. They also have blurb that says if you
now, I think they should clear this up, because people seem to be confused either way, but I don’t think mechanically there is supposed to be any real difference with armorer, except they don’t have to wait until level 9 to improve the weapons.
There is no confusion really. The new version creates separate items so you can not +1/+2 your armor weapons anymore. The only way would be if they inherit from the armor itself. Eg if armor is +1 or magic in general then the ball and chain of new dreadnought is +1 or at least bypasses immunity to non magic bludgeoning respectively.
While reviewing the Armorer, I noted the pattern of damage "upgrades" go from 1d12 to 2d6. Why?
I imagine some will argue that since the 1d12 median damage is 6.5, with a minimum of 1, and the median damage of 2d6 is 7, with a minimum of 2, that this is in fact an improvement.
I would note the probability of rolling a 12 on a d12 is 1-in-12; while rolling a 12 on 2d6 is 1-in-36.
Would it be so game-changing to instead just give a flat +2 damage bonus (1d12+2) instead of going to 2d6?
my party is still at level 7 and they got weapons with extra damage not +1/2. I got a shielding item to tank for everyone more. so 0.5 average damage increase at lvl15? seems low, instead i'd much prefer to see the 1d10 and 1d8 become 2d10, 2d8. it's lvl15
It could go from 1d12 to 2d8. That'd make sense for base damage at upper tier levels. 😊
I have only my current Dwarf lvl7 armorer artificer to talk of as experience goes but here are some of my thoughts on the UA/current.
As I have only ever played my current one I can only think that for alchemist remove the randomness entirely from the elixirs. Cant speak for the other 2 subclasses.
General Artificer:
Magical tinkering still seems meh. You can get the useful mundane items anyway from a town.
Bring back: Can use any magic item as spell casting focus (thematic with the new Drain Magic Item as a master of magic gear you can manipulate the magic inside any way you like)
Replicate magic items : should have options not available at DM discretion
Add(or bring back) tool interactions? If so explicit bonuses for when a tool can be used and with what skills.
Homonculus: Not consuming the gem, maybe level 1 spell instead of 2?
Level 20: capstone imo make it back to +1 save throw per magic item created. If the save dc is like 30 at lvl20. (so without the +6 you may need 18 or higher to succeed)
General Armorer:
Make explicit if special weapons count as magical for the purpose of magic weapon and elemental weapon spells. Especially if armor is already magic (does the magic tag carry over to the special weapons?)
Make RAW that you can use true strike, booming blade etc with the guardian/dreadnaught weapons (i recall they need a weapon with a cost so it is debatable if they a have cost because the armor has cost)
Make it so a player can use all 3 modes effectively. In the current version at least before 2024 feats you could specialize in one of the 2 modes but would almost lock out the unspecialized one (eg sentinel is great for guardian but useless for infiltrator, sharpshooter great for infiltrator useless for guardian).
Some more martial class nudges ? at least in combat we got meh DPR, ok tankiness with shield and the current infusions for +1 shield and +1 armor (we are lvl 7 in our campaign and mobs can have like +8/9 so even my plate +1 and shield +1 can be lacklustre vs advantage (eg pack tactics) or multi-attacks. outside combat the class itself feels decent/good in non-interaction situations thanks to int based skills and tools
Level 9: meh, the only thing I can think of is it may be easier to code for dndbeyond (current version doesnt work anyway), infusing multiple effects on our armor is nice (you customize as you please) getting just another armor/shield plan seems redundant when you already have a suit of plate and shield. if you replicate magic items like wands for variety of effects (dont see how you would use other stuff if the dm already gives nice loot - ours has us roll for the loot table, i was unlucky to roll 6 basic health pots in a row) and have a guaranteed plate/shield plan maybe but still you get wands at 6 and 14 so the good stuff is late)
Level 15: bump the damage numbers a bit more imo. or better yet two-stage dmg/effect bump, one at lvl9 and one at 15.
Dreadnaught:
I was thinking (as im not a fan of the ball/chain) how about the weapon could be any one handed or versatile (but not able to use it with two hands) weapon simple or martial?
You choose the weapon on model change or whenever you can change models (so on short/long rest you can swap the weapon only)
Perhaps if on level 3 the weapon options are limited instead of any simple/martial weapon and on 9 you get to use more options?
Alternative: choose one weapon that can be wielded with one hand and lock into that on getting the subclass. At lvl 9 you can replace it by "fusing" a magic item you own (not created by the Replicate magic item feature) into the armor.
Reasoning: coolness factor something like a power rangers megazord sword or from pacific rim where the longsword comes out of the suit's arm ?
More realistic reasoning: at my table I sometimes feel stuck using the thunder gauntlets while our fighter and rogue got magic weapons with a ton of extra damage/utility at level1 (i got a defensive/utility option as the main tank)
Forgo the push/pull parts, maybe instead of that you gain the weapon proficiency and mastery while wielding the special weapon.
level 9 for dreadnaught the weapon is now magical to bypass resistances.
Maybe when you become bigger your damage increases, similar to enlarge/reduce, + something per size increase ? just make the buff limited use/duration
Guardian:
make thunder gauntlets light so we can punch twice without the use of extra attack (not saying we should lose the extra attack) more like a 1-2-1 punch combo. now it feels like the
MCU scene where iron man punches the hulk saying "go to sleep go to sleep go to sleep" but more clunky?
Also would make carrying a shield less mandatory as we would have another playstyle option.
Maybe turn the thunder part more as flavor (keep the disadvantage spreading effect) but is now bludgeoning and bypasses magic immunities at level 9? or we can choose bludgeoning or thunder damage on attack declaration? so we dont get in trouble when we are in guardian mode and the opponents have resistance/immunity to thunder?
Defensive field being usable while bloodied but no limits on use: meh the plus of the previous version was you can 'preload' the THP before combat. New needs clarification what happens to THP if you get healed to no longer bloodied status?
Infiltrator:
The description says the gem can be on one hand or the chest, if it is on the chest then why can't the armorer also wield a weapon in both hands?
Otherwise maybe there are two gems, one on each hand, and you can do something more if you use both hands to shoot? (like a ranged-versatile thing?)
Maybe force damage instead of lightning (I dont know whats more commonly resisted, i'd guess lightning)
Level 9 or 15: get fly speed, go full Ironman/mecha
What does having the thrown property even mean for the launchers? they arent thrown, you are not throwing the glove at someone like you would a dagger.
Have a question about the Armorer ability to Don and Doff thier armor from what distance from thier armor can they Don the arcane armor That has never been said???
It's never been said because the answer is just kind of common sense; you have to be touching armor to put it on, and there's nothing in the Armorer subclass that says otherwise to override that general principle.
pronouns: he/she/they
I assume Venom-like or like in the second iron man movie (from the suitcase) or in civil war where ironman presses a button and gets wrapped in it? or go full infinity war if allowed to have it "spawn" from your bag? It would be cool if you could Ironman 3 it and have it fly piece by piece onto you
I agree with this, there should be the ability to select from a variety of weapons with their weapon masteries, even if it's a permanent choice at level 3.
but then you would neglect Battlesmith, which is literally the Weapon-Subclass. Armorer is the Armor-Subclass and they already have a special variant of Masteries.
Wrecking Ball: Push or Pull 10ft
Thunder Gauntlet: Sap with Taunting
Lightning Launcher: Extra Damage
Anyway, here is my Feedback:
Magical Tinkering
Terrible change. It feels like the Designer forgot that this is an RPG where creativity is a thing.
You can now create the following as a Magic Action:Ball Bearings, Basket, Bedroll, Bell, Blanket, Block and Tackle, Bucket, Caltrops, Candle, Crowbar, Flask, Jug, Lamp, Net, Oil, Paper, Parchment, Pole, Pouch, Rope, Sack, Shovel, String, Tinderbox, Torch, Vial
The ones marked in Bold are also in the Fast Crafting list of the Crafter Feat. First of all...what good is a Bedroll that disappears after 1h? If i create a Jug, i usually want to store something inside, which means the 1h limit is pretty bad. Same with all the other Containers on that list.
Also slightly off topic...Fast Crafting allows to create a Tent, but not a Bedroll or Blanket? A Rope, but not a String? A Ladder, but not a Pole? A Jug, but not a Flask or Vial? Really?
Another change made is the "usage count". It is no longer a permanent count based on your INT (Magical Sparks), it is now a per-long-rest count.
Basically...this feature has been turned into a Looney-Tunes Bag of Stupidity. The creative uses of the old version have been removed completely. What do i mean by that?
You could use the Light-Feature to shoot a glowing bolt so that you can see how far or deep a tunnel goes. Its not a lot of light, but it is magical light.
You can use the Recorded Message to leave a Note in case something goes wrong on your Solo-Mission.
You can use the Nonverbal Sound to create a Device that plays the sound of Waves, which reminds the old Sailor of a Story. The crying child stops crying because the wooden bird now chirps.
This is a roleplaying Game, not a crafting simulator.
Suggestion:
Stick with the old System and Buff it.
Magical Tinkering now grants the Prestidigitation and Mending Cantrip and you are allowed to enhance each part of it (you know, like Rock Gnome can do for whatever reason?)
Create a harmless sensory effect -> The Object plays a nonverbal sound, odor or recorded message
Light or snuff out a flame -> The Object sheds 5ft Bright and 5ft Dim Light
Clean or Soil -> Create a Cleansing Stone (Eberron)
Chill, Warm, Flavor -> Allows to tolerate warm or cold weather (but not damage)
Make a Color, Mark, Symbol -> Show a static visual effect or up to 25 words of text, or a mixture.
You create a nonmagical trinket or illusion -> You create a mundate item from the Fast-Crafting List (and add the missing ones to Fast Crafting)
All of them use a "Magic Spark" and last until you relese them.
QoL Change: If you try to exceed your maximum,
the oldestchoose one of the older objects where the property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.This is just to fix the "juggle sparks" issue the old version had, where you had to reapply every single effect when you lost an older object, like a glowing stone you threw into a Well.
Spellcasting
The amount of prepared Spells has been reduced. This is fine, but Artificer could really need the "Ritual Casting" then. If im only allowed 2 Prepared Spells, im not using them for the Rituals, which i only need at the end of the Day (Alarm, Identify, Purify Food and Drink...)
Homunculus Servant
I like that it is now more in line with Find Familiar, but the Price should be fixed. 100gp is too much for a consumable. Either reduce the cost, or stick with the "Gem drops on death".
It should also be a Level 1 Spell, to provide better Backwards Compatibility. It was previously a Level 2 Infusion, now it would be a Spell you get access to at Level 5. Since this Spell Scales with its Level, a Level 1 Slot should not break anything.
Replicate Magic Item
Another terrible change. Artificer now requires the use of the DMG to choose Items from, which is just not good. There are too many exploits and Loopholes.
Create a bunch of Enspelled Items to gain a ton of Spell Slots. There are Rarity Issues with for example Weapon of Warning and Helm of Awareness. WoW is just simply better, yet you get it sooner. Wand of Fireballs or Wand of Secrets and all the other Wands are all technically Enspelled Items, yet they are separate. At Level 14 you can create a Bag of Holding and Portable Hole, and i believe i dont have to say what happens if one is put into the other?
The old system wasnt perfect, granted, but the new system is just simply bad. Magic Items are often too powerful, which is why they are DM Items. Players should not be able to freely pick whatever they want.
Suggestion:
On my Table i "fixed" Infusions by allowing them to be added to Non-Attunable Items. That way they stayed relevant for much longer. Artificer was able to turn a +1 Crossbow into a +2 Repeating Crossbow by adding the "Repeating Shot" Infusion. A Dagger of Venom could be turned into a throwable, by adding the "Returning Weapon". It again plays with creativity, without breaking the System.
Some of the "underused magic items" like "Goggles of Night", "Cap of Water Breathing", "Rope of Climbing" etc could be fixed in other ways by for example allowing Artificer to switch the "Magic Item" once per Long Rest. That way a "Cap of Water Breathing" can be switched for "Goggles of Night" when the Underwater-Arc ends. Goggles of Night can then be switched for a Wand of Secrets when you really need one, which you then switch for "Sending Stones" because you need to split the party.
Right Tool for the Job
I like that one. Saves me Inventory Space, but i would like it more with the old "Magic Spark" feature where i have a maximum number instead of a per-long-rest.
Magic Item Tinker
I dont like that one, because it is useless for the Martials. A Battlesmith would never drain a Weapon (which means the Weapon disappears with the new System), just to cast a Level 2 Spell. I would never want to become Unarmed and Unarmored for such a weak spell selection.
The removal of Tool Expertise is also not nice. Bard, Ranger and Wizard all get Expertise now, why not Artificer? Give them Expertise at 2 and Tool Expertise at 6.
Magic Item Adept
A lot of the Features are made around Crafting. So why was the Crafting modifier removed? It could be added as an improvement to what the Subclasses get.
General Crafting: Crafting Time and Cost is now 1/2
Subclass Crafting: Crafting Time is further reduced to 1/4
Spell Storing Item
Overall i like it, but Alchemist could really need something good here. There are just no good level 3 Spells on that list. Armorer has Lightning Bolt, Artillerist has Fireball, Battlesmith has Barrage...and Alchemist has...Mass Healing Word and Gaseous Form? Yeah no.
Soul of Artifice
Cheat Death is just as useless as it was before. At level 20, it doesnt matter if you have 1 or 20 Hit Points. You loose both in a single hit anyway. And a fixed 1d6 on Checks isnt really that useful either.
What do others get?
Barbarian: +4 STR and CON up to 25.
Bard: Improved Power Word Heal and Power Word Kill
Cleric: Wish, pretty much once per Week
Druid: Free Wildshape once per Fight, Convert Wildshapes to Spellslots, and 10x Lifespan
Fighter: Four Attacks per Turn
Monk: +4 DEX and WIS up to 25
Paladin: Subclass specific. Advantage on Saving Throws, damaging Aura, permanent Bright Light, never missing hits, per-turn healing, swift-spellcasting, wings...yeah they get a bunch of cool stuff.
Ranger: Improved Hunters Mark
Rogue: Natural 20 on demand
Sorcerer: Free Metamagic
Warlock: Regain all Pact Slots on Short Rest
Wizard: Free Spells
So...compared to that...Artificers Level 20 feels like a level 10 Feature. A +4 INT would fit here, and maybe something that fits the Magic Item Theme.
Subclasses
Alchemist
Sadly, still as bad as it was before. No one likes RNG on essential Abilities. Overall i can see why Alchemist is the least played one.
Armorer
I like the new Armor, but there is one huge problem. The old Infusions allowed to Infuse Armor at Level 9 by treating it as Armor, Boots, Helmet, and Weapon.
The new Version only grants an additional Plan and an additional created Item, which is a huge difference.
Artillerist
Only one wish: Level 15 provides double Firepower, this means that Flamethrower and Force Ballista profit from this. Protector does not.
Suggestion: If both Cannons use Protector, the Temp-HP stack when the same target is affected twice.
Battlesmith
- The new Replicated Magic Items are no longer considered a Focus. This means that a Sword-and-Shield Smith can no longer cast Spells.
- Being a Martial Class and THE Weapon Subclass, Weapon Mastery should be added, maybe in a limited Form for "only Infused / Replicated Weapons".
A better clarification for "what can your Servant or Defender do" would be neat. Can they use Magic Items? Can they use Weapons and Armor?
yep, thats what i meant with my feedback there too. Old Armorer had the ability to infuse individual parts, which made it scale. you had the ability to make your weapon a +2, make it radiant and whatnot. Since this is gone, scaling is also pretty much gone.
I think that the Replicate Magic Item feature should still allow for two known Plans at the 6th, 10th, 14th, & 17th levels, even if you can still only employ one of them. It would really boost utility without changing current power levels.
I think the Battlesmith should gain access to Weapon Masteries.
I think Magic Item Tinker should still include Tool Expertise. Tool use is already ridiculously prohibitive, even with this UA version of Artificer's ability to craft actual (if temporary) items quickly. Permanent items still take untenable amounts of time ("I'll see you in 6- 10 months, once I've made this armor here!"), even with 20% price discounts and narrowly specific halving of time-costs.
Soul of Sacrifice's "Magical Guidance" feature needs to include Saving Throws, too. As a capstone ability, I think that would be far more enticing a draw to single-class to level 20.
Hatred, violence,
Fall to earth like so much snow.
Who will be the sun?
I'm an OG player. I remember when "Basic" came out in boxed sets.
As a secondary general note...
While reviewing the Armorer, I noted the pattern of damage "upgrades" go from 1d12 to 2d6. Why?
I imagine some will argue that since the 1d12 median damage is 6.5, with a minimum of 1, and the median damage of 2d6 is 7, with a minimum of 2, that this is in fact an improvement.
I would note the probability of rolling a 12 on a d12 is 1-in-12; while rolling a 12 on 2d6 is 1-in-36.
Would it be so game-changing to instead just give a flat +2 damage bonus (1d12+2) instead of going to 2d6?
Hatred, violence,
Fall to earth like so much snow.
Who will be the sun?
I'm an OG player. I remember when "Basic" came out in boxed sets.
The Alchemist was the class I loved the most after years of playing D&D but it also felt like the weakest class I've ever played. I just like the theme of it! I couldn't agree more with removing the randomness to Experimental Elixir since Alchemy is sort of like Chemistry which is based on the laws of science. Alchemist should know what they are making. What I would like is the ability to convert my spells I have into potions that other players could use to cast them. Maybe like a number of spells equal to my Prof or something? The way I see it this would make them the true utility subclass of the bunch. Armorer is the tank, gunner is the dps, battle smith is the crowd control, alchemist is sort of the healer but really this ability should fulfil their other utility aspects since again they already get healing elsewhere.
"Life is Cast by Random Dice"
Burn my candle twice.
I have done my life justice
Against random dice.
my party is still at level 7 and they got weapons with extra damage not +1/2. I got a shielding item to tank for everyone more. so 0.5 average damage increase at lvl15? seems low, instead i'd much prefer to see the 1d10 and 1d8 become 2d10, 2d8. it's lvl15
Amorer can already do everything old armor can, as far as split pieces.
the only one that is questionable is the weapon, and I think the intention for all the magic items like weapon +1+2+3, returning weapon, etc, is that you can make any weapon that is simple or martialwith them. That would include armor weapons. They also have blurb that says if you
now, I think they should clear this up, because people seem to be confused either way, but I don’t think mechanically there is supposed to be any real difference with armorer, except they don’t have to wait until level 9 to improve the weapons.
the other parts had some unique items, but this is no longer the case. It basically added helm of awareness only.
There is no confusion really. The new version creates separate items so you can not +1/+2 your armor weapons anymore. The only way would be if they inherit from the armor itself. Eg if armor is +1 or magic in general then the ball and chain of new dreadnought is +1 or at least bypasses immunity to non magic bludgeoning respectively.
As a secondary general note...
While reviewing the Armorer, I noted the pattern of damage "upgrades" go from 1d12 to 2d6. Why?
I imagine some will argue that since the 1d12 median damage is 6.5, with a minimum of 1, and the median damage of 2d6 is 7, with a minimum of 2, that this is in fact an improvement.
I would note the probability of rolling a 12 on a d12 is 1-in-12; while rolling a 12 on 2d6 is 1-in-36.
Would it be so game-changing to instead just give a flat +2 damage bonus (1d12+2) instead of going to 2d6?
my party is still at level 7 and they got weapons with extra damage not +1/2. I got a shielding item to tank for everyone more. so 0.5 average damage increase at lvl15? seems low, instead i'd much prefer to see the 1d10 and 1d8 become 2d10, 2d8. it's lvl15
It could go from 1d12 to 2d8. That'd make sense for base damage at upper tier levels. 😊
Hatred, violence,
Fall to earth like so much snow.
Who will be the sun?
I'm an OG player. I remember when "Basic" came out in boxed sets.