Ok so the artificer has a perk, where after an hour or so it can magiclly transform thinkers tools into any other form of tools. And this artificer in particular is proficient in alchamist, brewers, theif, and smith tools and obviusoly thinkers tools. As a DM is this something i should be worried about. now i know that when the situation calls for it, he may not have time to use them, and anti-magic can be a thing, but should i attempt to do something? or will i be totally fine?
Have bandits mug him and take his tools?? Just kidding...maybe...
Tools are exactly as useful as you as the DM allow them to be. As it is, you kind of have to go out of your way to make them relevant.
These toolsets are worth 50gp max, so it's trivial to be carrying them all around after a couple levels. This ability just adds flavor and saves some gold/encumbrance.
They also require their tools to cast spells, so taking them away is probably more harsh than you're thinking.
General rule, if its a base race or (sub)class feature its not over powered let alone enough for you as a DM to ban it. I personally find it in poor taste to get trigger the ban pistol for absolutely no reason or having the slightest thoight that it may be OP, especially full published content as is (if there's a specific reason like your setting wouldn't have it for a specific reason it's different).
When they get to a point of min/maxing, races and class features with multiclassing, feats and specific weapons then put your foot down or at least have a discussion with them
It should really only be an issue before like level 3. After that the party should be rolling in enough gold that they as a group can ensure everyone has a set of every kind of Tool they have Proficiency with. Besides which, it's pretty rare outside of the Artificer itself for Tools to be important.
Just remember that for an Artificer, their casting is a little weird. They do not use components, but rather are able to use any set of Tools they are Proficient in as a Focus. Depending on how you read the Tools Required entry of their Spellcasting feature, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say they can ONLY cast using their Tools, rather than just any Focus.
Someone used the analogy of waving around Tinker's Tools in order to cast Fireball, but I interpret it differently, thematically. Rather, they use their Tinker's Tools to start the timer device on the fire bomb they built this morning, before throwing it to the target area, and the effects are just identical to the Fireball spell. Mechanically, however, it's not any different.
Honestly... it takes an hour of work to produce the new set of tools. It's not like they can just casually swap tool-for-tool to like... sneak thieve's tools into a location that wouldn't normally allow them. Hell, there's probably a lot of moments where it will take them less time and effort to just go buy a new set of tools rather than spending an hour to create new tools. I wouldn't worry about it... if your artificer is clever enough to actively start solving problems with their brewer's tools, they should be rewarded for that not punished.
Ok so the artificer has a perk, where after an hour or so it can magiclly transform thinkers tools into any other form of tools. And this artificer in particular is proficient in alchamist, brewers, theif, and smith tools and obviusoly thinkers tools. As a DM is this something i should be worried about. now i know that when the situation calls for it, he may not have time to use them, and anti-magic can be a thing, but should i attempt to do something? or will i be totally fine?
Have bandits mug him and take his tools?? Just kidding...maybe...
Note that the feature doesn't transform tinker's tools so much as allow the artificer to create a new set of tools so long as they have tinker's tools available. Granted the Artificer can only have one set of these created tools at a time so it is a little bit like transforming, but requires an external set of (tinker's) tools to do so.
If it did transform the Tinker's Tools that would be a one way transformation since Right Tool For the Job requires Tinker's Tools to be able to use the feature. Thus to use it again would require the Artificer to buy a new set of tools each time. That'd be a feature that quickly runs itself to uselessness considering that at 50 gp Tinker's Tools cost more than any other set of tools (except alchemist supplies which are also 50gp). At most it'd save the Artificer a trip to the hardware store in the short term but require another one later.
Further note that it specifically states "artisan's tools" meaning RAW it can't be used to create things like disguise kits or thieves' tools. Up to you if you allow it to do so.
Funnily enough RAW I'm not sure these tools would be affected by an antimagic field. "Though the product of magic, the tools are nonmagical, and they vanish when you use this feature again." It seems similar to the way that undead aren't immediately dispelled by an antimagic field. Reference.
Taking an Artificer's tools away shuts down their spellcasting, and several of their class features. Don't do it unless the player's okay with it. Even then I wouldn't recommend it. A wizard who's lost their spellbook at least still has their prepared spells to cast with. RAW this isn't the case with an artificer.
Artificer Features that Require tools:
Magical Tinkering (Artisans tools), *Spellcasting (Artisans tools or Thieves' Tools), The Right Tool for the Job (Tinker's Tools)
Alchemist's Experimental Elixir, Alchemical Savant, and Chemical Mastery (Alchemist's Supplies) Artillerist's Eldritch Cannon (Smith's or Woodcarver's Tools) and Arcane Firearm (Woodcarver's Tools) BattleSmith's Steel Defender (Smith's Tools)
*Technically an artificer can use an infused item as a spellcasting focus and RAW Infuse Item does not require tools to be applied.
Ok so the artificer has a perk, where after an hour or so it can magiclly transform thinkers tools into any other form of tools. And this artificer in particular is proficient in alchamist, brewers, theif, and smith tools and obviusoly thinkers tools. As a DM is this something i should be worried about. now i know that when the situation calls for it, he may not have time to use them, and anti-magic can be a thing, but should i attempt to do something? or will i be totally fine?
Have bandits mug him and take his tools?? Just kidding...maybe...
Tools are exactly as useful as you as the DM allow them to be. As it is, you kind of have to go out of your way to make them relevant.
These toolsets are worth 50gp max, so it's trivial to be carrying them all around after a couple levels. This ability just adds flavor and saves some gold/encumbrance.
They also require their tools to cast spells, so taking them away is probably more harsh than you're thinking.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
General rule, if its a base race or (sub)class feature its not over powered let alone enough for you as a DM to ban it. I personally find it in poor taste to get trigger the ban pistol for absolutely no reason or having the slightest thoight that it may be OP, especially full published content as is (if there's a specific reason like your setting wouldn't have it for a specific reason it's different).
When they get to a point of min/maxing, races and class features with multiclassing, feats and specific weapons then put your foot down or at least have a discussion with them
It should really only be an issue before like level 3. After that the party should be rolling in enough gold that they as a group can ensure everyone has a set of every kind of Tool they have Proficiency with. Besides which, it's pretty rare outside of the Artificer itself for Tools to be important.
Just remember that for an Artificer, their casting is a little weird. They do not use components, but rather are able to use any set of Tools they are Proficient in as a Focus. Depending on how you read the Tools Required entry of their Spellcasting feature, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say they can ONLY cast using their Tools, rather than just any Focus.
Someone used the analogy of waving around Tinker's Tools in order to cast Fireball, but I interpret it differently, thematically. Rather, they use their Tinker's Tools to start the timer device on the fire bomb they built this morning, before throwing it to the target area, and the effects are just identical to the Fireball spell. Mechanically, however, it's not any different.
I do what dragon77 does.
Think Agatha from the Girl Genius comic.
Honestly... it takes an hour of work to produce the new set of tools. It's not like they can just casually swap tool-for-tool to like... sneak thieve's tools into a location that wouldn't normally allow them. Hell, there's probably a lot of moments where it will take them less time and effort to just go buy a new set of tools rather than spending an hour to create new tools. I wouldn't worry about it... if your artificer is clever enough to actively start solving problems with their brewer's tools, they should be rewarded for that not punished.
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Note that the feature doesn't transform tinker's tools so much as allow the artificer to create a new set of tools so long as they have tinker's tools available. Granted the Artificer can only have one set of these created tools at a time so it is a little bit like transforming, but requires an external set of (tinker's) tools to do so.
If it did transform the Tinker's Tools that would be a one way transformation since Right Tool For the Job requires Tinker's Tools to be able to use the feature. Thus to use it again would require the Artificer to buy a new set of tools each time. That'd be a feature that quickly runs itself to uselessness considering that at 50 gp Tinker's Tools cost more than any other set of tools (except alchemist supplies which are also 50gp). At most it'd save the Artificer a trip to the hardware store in the short term but require another one later.
Further note that it specifically states "artisan's tools" meaning RAW it can't be used to create things like disguise kits or thieves' tools. Up to you if you allow it to do so.
Funnily enough RAW I'm not sure these tools would be affected by an antimagic field. "Though the product of magic, the tools are nonmagical, and they vanish when you use this feature again." It seems similar to the way that undead aren't immediately dispelled by an antimagic field. Reference.
Taking an Artificer's tools away shuts down their spellcasting, and several of their class features. Don't do it unless the player's okay with it.
Even then I wouldn't recommend it. A wizard who's lost their spellbook at least still has their prepared spells to cast with. RAW this isn't the case with an artificer.
Artificer Features that Require tools:
Magical Tinkering (Artisans tools),
*Spellcasting (Artisans tools or Thieves' Tools),
The Right Tool for the Job (Tinker's Tools)
Alchemist's Experimental Elixir, Alchemical Savant, and Chemical Mastery (Alchemist's Supplies)
Artillerist's Eldritch Cannon (Smith's or Woodcarver's Tools) and Arcane Firearm (Woodcarver's Tools)
BattleSmith's Steel Defender (Smith's Tools)
*Technically an artificer can use an infused item as a spellcasting focus and RAW Infuse Item does not require tools to be applied.