After talking about our tests over with a friend who also loves the Artificer class, we had some ideas/notes for these two subclasses as they really were bad subclasses when compared to Armorer and Artillerist as well as just in general. The Armorer is broken in the best possible way and Artillerist is pretty beast too. This is because these two subclasses aren't really spell dependent and Artificers are under the Domain of Gond not Mystra; so, why they even have spells in the first place was puzzling. Artificers are all about giving equipment spell like effects and properties. Both the Armorer who does this with their armor and the Artillerist who does this with weapons really capture this spirit in the class. Yes, they have spells, but they could run an entire campaign without casting and still have lots of options open to them. The Battle Smith and Alchemist not so much. So here are our suggestions for the community.

Alchemist

Replace Experimental Elixir with the following:

Whenever you finish a Long Rest while holding Alchemist’s Supplies, you can use that tool to magically produce two elixirs. For each elixir, choose a spell you have prepared for the elixir’s effect, which is triggered when someone drinks the elixir. The elixir appears in a vial, and the vial vanishes when the elixir is drunk or poured out. If any elixir remains when you finish a Long Rest, the elixir and its vial vanish.

Drinking an Elixir. As a Bonus Action, a creature can drink the elixir or administer it to another creature within 5 feet of itself.

Creating Additional Elixirs. As a Magic action while holding Alchemist’s Supplies, you can expend one spell slot to create another elixir. When you do so, you choose its effect from your prepared spells list. When you reach certain Artificer levels, you can make an additional elixir at the end of each Long Rest: a total of three at level 5, four at level 9, and 5 at level 15.

Currently every potion the Alchemist can make anyone else can make with the correct Tool Proficiency and Alchemist are basically fantasy chemist and Artificers are basically fantasy scientist. Both of which are pretty lawful, not chaotic. I don't really understand why they have a chaotic table of potions that anyone else can make (which are better) albeit for free. I'd much rather be able to create the potions no one else can and have a niche for the subclass in places like the Underdark or Far Realms where Wild Magic makes casting spells tougher. They aren't casters they operate under Gond not Mystra. I want to avoid all my spells, if possible, but the Elixirs table just blows chunks. It really does. Especially since I can use my Magic Plans for better potions on a Long Rest and because none of the other subclass abilities affect the potions. Which honestly, the other subclass should only affect their potions. This should be the subclass for people who want to act like wizards but without casting spells. Plus having someone to give the party members all Message as a potion would be handy in covert operations.

[EDIT: I also wanted to point out that Potions as a whole have been disappearing from D&D. There were so many in 2e and 3.5e and there are less I think in 2024 (6e) than there were in 5e too. What gives?!]

Battle Smith

The Battle Smith also needs love much like the subclass Alchemist which needs a rework to focus it on potions rather than useless spells and tables of chaotic lackluster buffs next to anything any other caster (including half casters) could offer in their subclass features. However rather than replacing spells with potions we thought it would be better to have them built on having extra Magic Plans. The Steel Defender isn't bad, but casting through it is still casting. It feels like a wizard with their Familiar and so it has no real identity. Especially when all the other subclasses with companions have some variety in what pet they can have with a flying, swimming, or ground version for each which can be switch on a Long Rest. Doing that with the Steel Defender would be nice but really what do smiths do? They outfit others. Why limit them to just having a robot friend? They should have the most Magic Plans and be the subclass with the capstone ability to have a single very rare item Magic Plan. Then they can out fit their party and companion opposed to the Armorer who is going to burn Magic Plans on enchanting their ironman suit or the Artillerist who will use their Magic Plans on improving their own DPS or the Alchemist who will use their Magic Plans to get free potions on Long Rests. The Battle Smith is the party member brought because they can outfit the party as a whole with the equipment needed for whatever situation they may encounter while away from civilization. Or at least Gnomish civilization.