I am in a campaign where the DM is a player in my main group. This campaign is for our daughters. I am trying to stay more in the background/support and let them take the helm. The DM suggested I go with Artificer and test it out. I am starting at level 5. I built it with a Rock Gnome and went full Artificer to lvl 5. I took Artillerist as my subclass but I feel it doesn't give me what I want in support of the other players. The enhancing 2 items is nice but it is only 2 items. I can get myself half plate and use a shield and that would put me at ac 19 so I should be fine for the most part. What should I or could I do to help them more?
First of all, consider switching to Alchemist. Alchemist has a broader range of group support-y features; the Artillerist is more the combat blow-shit-uppy version. People don't like the alchemist as much, but in about two weeks-ish that won't matter anymore because the table's getting flipped and all us artificer folk will be remaking their characters with the Eberron Rising artificer rules.
Second of all, I'd also consider remixing your infusions. Three of your four are combat-y, when an Artillerist especially has the room to take a ton of utility items that help other folks out. Rope of Climbing helps your party get past obstacles, a Wand of Magic Detection can locate secrets (or magical traps), the Many-Handed Pouch allows you and your girls to share a small number of key useful items. Stuff that helps the entire part, or stuff that can help a specific member of the party help others, like the Cloak of the Manta Ray or Goggles of Night. If you run Artillerist, your combat wand is all the firepower you need most times, and if you're an Alchemist your familiar can help fight when it's not buffing allies.
Rising is changing the alchemist entirely. You wont have the homonculous anymore (rip, but it is still an infusion), and instead you have something called "experimental elixir". Yurei, i think i can guess how much you would hate the idea of a randomly determined potion as the alchemists main feature, but this isnt the "blow shit up" kind of potion, at least. After finishing a long rest, you can fill a flask with a liquid, the effect of which you roll for to randomly determine. (I see this as you doing experiments with your alchemists supplies, and creating some special potion based on the effects as a discovery). These effects are stuff like: Cure woulds but 2d4 instead of 1d8, +10 movement for an hour, a fly speed of 10 feet per round for an hour, 1d4 to all ability checks for 10 minutes, a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws for an hour, and that kind of stuff. A creature gains these benefits by drinking the potion. You can create additional ones at the end of a long rest, by expending your spell slots, getting an elixir for each spell slot you expend, and you can choose what kind these are. I feel that this fits the potion aesthetic that many felt was required of the alchemist, but without just making it an explosive mad scientist (which is supposed to be the artillerist). Or at least, that is what seems to have leaked. You can find what has leaked online somewhere, cant access it now, and it only goes up to 4th level.
Thanks this helps. Gives me hope for the changes because I feel that all the artificer classes are missing stuff when leveling. I see no where that says I gain more infusions. Are they always stuck to 2 total infusions? Can they make any permanent?
Was even thinking multi classing to rogue to pick up stealth and other skills to help group. Or make a fighter / alchemist the focuses on hand crossbows sharpshooter and crossbow expert with the added stats from infusions.
Artificers do get more Infusions as they level up, as shown in their class table. You're actually only one level away from your third available infusion, at level 6. There are rules for crafting magic items in various books, but they're all freaking awful and none account for artificers supposedly being the masters of magical tinkering. I'd wait to see if the Rising book has better crafting rules, if I could.
Crossbow artificers almost don't need Crossbow Expert; Repeating Shot does eighty percent of what XbowXpert does, just sans the janky hand crossbow bonus attack. A light crossbow with Repeating Shot is a solid, dependable artificer weapon. If you want the hand crossbow three-attack thing, you'll need to be a Battlesmith in about two weeks. Every other artificer is apparently losing Arcane Assault, nor are they actually gaining any other class features in its place because Wizards hates inventors. It is, sadly, gonna suck hard to be an alchemist in a couple of weeks.
I'd also note that an artificer doing the Sharpshooter/XbowXpert thing is really not staying in the background and letting their companions shine :P A rogue level might be cool for extra Expertise options and Cunning Action, but only if your group is struggling to make skill checks. if so, consider switching out a cantrip for Guidance. It's pure cheddar, but it's also a picture perfect "you take the lead" option that helps other people make checks in your place.
I am in a campaign where the DM is a player in my main group. This campaign is for our daughters. I am trying to stay more in the background/support and let them take the helm. The DM suggested I go with Artificer and test it out. I am starting at level 5. I built it with a Rock Gnome and went full Artificer to lvl 5. I took Artillerist as my subclass but I feel it doesn't give me what I want in support of the other players. The enhancing 2 items is nice but it is only 2 items. I can get myself half plate and use a shield and that would put me at ac 19 so I should be fine for the most part. What should I or could I do to help them more?
https://ddb.ac/characters/18654742/7IP2T2
First of all, consider switching to Alchemist. Alchemist has a broader range of group support-y features; the Artillerist is more the combat blow-shit-uppy version. People don't like the alchemist as much, but in about two weeks-ish that won't matter anymore because the table's getting flipped and all us artificer folk will be remaking their characters with the Eberron Rising artificer rules.
Second of all, I'd also consider remixing your infusions. Three of your four are combat-y, when an Artillerist especially has the room to take a ton of utility items that help other folks out. Rope of Climbing helps your party get past obstacles, a Wand of Magic Detection can locate secrets (or magical traps), the Many-Handed Pouch allows you and your girls to share a small number of key useful items. Stuff that helps the entire part, or stuff that can help a specific member of the party help others, like the Cloak of the Manta Ray or Goggles of Night. If you run Artillerist, your combat wand is all the firepower you need most times, and if you're an Alchemist your familiar can help fight when it's not buffing allies.
Please do not contact or message me.
Rising is changing the alchemist entirely. You wont have the homonculous anymore (rip, but it is still an infusion), and instead you have something called "experimental elixir". Yurei, i think i can guess how much you would hate the idea of a randomly determined potion as the alchemists main feature, but this isnt the "blow shit up" kind of potion, at least. After finishing a long rest, you can fill a flask with a liquid, the effect of which you roll for to randomly determine. (I see this as you doing experiments with your alchemists supplies, and creating some special potion based on the effects as a discovery). These effects are stuff like: Cure woulds but 2d4 instead of 1d8, +10 movement for an hour, a fly speed of 10 feet per round for an hour, 1d4 to all ability checks for 10 minutes, a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws for an hour, and that kind of stuff. A creature gains these benefits by drinking the potion. You can create additional ones at the end of a long rest, by expending your spell slots, getting an elixir for each spell slot you expend, and you can choose what kind these are. I feel that this fits the potion aesthetic that many felt was required of the alchemist, but without just making it an explosive mad scientist (which is supposed to be the artillerist). Or at least, that is what seems to have leaked. You can find what has leaked online somewhere, cant access it now, and it only goes up to 4th level.
A discussion for a very different thread, Bunsen.
Please do not contact or message me.
sorry
Thanks this helps. Gives me hope for the changes because I feel that all the artificer classes are missing stuff when leveling. I see no where that says I gain more infusions. Are they always stuck to 2 total infusions? Can they make any permanent?
Was even thinking multi classing to rogue to pick up stealth and other skills to help group. Or make a fighter / alchemist the focuses on hand crossbows sharpshooter and crossbow expert with the added stats from infusions.
Artificers do get more Infusions as they level up, as shown in their class table. You're actually only one level away from your third available infusion, at level 6. There are rules for crafting magic items in various books, but they're all freaking awful and none account for artificers supposedly being the masters of magical tinkering. I'd wait to see if the Rising book has better crafting rules, if I could.
Crossbow artificers almost don't need Crossbow Expert; Repeating Shot does eighty percent of what XbowXpert does, just sans the janky hand crossbow bonus attack. A light crossbow with Repeating Shot is a solid, dependable artificer weapon. If you want the hand crossbow three-attack thing, you'll need to be a Battlesmith in about two weeks. Every other artificer is apparently losing Arcane Assault, nor are they actually gaining any other class features in its place because Wizards hates inventors. It is, sadly, gonna suck hard to be an alchemist in a couple of weeks.
I'd also note that an artificer doing the Sharpshooter/XbowXpert thing is really not staying in the background and letting their companions shine :P A rogue level might be cool for extra Expertise options and Cunning Action, but only if your group is struggling to make skill checks. if so, consider switching out a cantrip for Guidance. It's pure cheddar, but it's also a picture perfect "you take the lead" option that helps other people make checks in your place.
Please do not contact or message me.
I think they are replacing arcane armament with something else.