Spell Blocks look like children's toy blocks. They help Artificers build something they can't normally build: Level-sensible spells.
Spell Blocks always come in pairs. An Artificer can use them as a spell focus. While holding them both in one hand he can transfer a normal Artificer spell slot into each item as one action. He can then expend both Spell Block slots to create a single spell slot equal to the sum of those slots.
He can create higher level spell slots this way before he chooses spells. He can prepare Artificer spells of that level if he does. He can't use those resulting spell slots to create even higher or level slots. He can also create higher spell slots "on the fly" and then upcast spells into those slots. They can also be used to turn a higher level slot into two lower level slots with the same methods and restrictions.
Spell Blocks make for a perfect Artificer Infusion (7th level prerequisite). Ask your DM.
Notes: Artificer of 7th level or higher, Creation, Utility, Artificer, transmutation
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Posted Dec 11, 2021Authors notes:
It bugged me tremendously that my Artificer couldn't cast spells like Fabricate and Stone Shape until 13th level or Creation and Animate Objects until 17th! I understand he's a half caster but DAMN! The 4th and 5th level spells are nigh useless at those levels and aren't exactly game breaking at full caster levels.
The 1st and 2nd level spell list is good but it takes until 9th level for your "game changing" 3rd level spells. What are your Big Guns this level?
Haste, Elemental Weapon and Flame Arrows. Seriously. Revivify is nice to have and you can Dispel Magic like everyone else now, but if you need to take out that BBEG right the F now then the Big Gun you get to cast in round one is Haste... a spell that makes the target lose a round of actions if you break concentration.
13th level is 4th level spells. Big Guns?.. Summon Construct and Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. The Sphere was cute at 7th level, it's still cute now. It still works. It's useless more often as there are more creatures that won't fit inside it and it doesn't work well against single enemies, but it's OK. The Construct is 4th level, 55hp and 17ac , if it were a 7th level Construct it would have 100hp, 20ac and deal more damage. That would be useful, this is a speed bump.
17th level is.. 17th level. They're casting 9th level spells and attacking with real martial characters. We are casting Animate Objects and watching them bounce off enemies who laugh at non-magical weapons. Bigbys Hand is not cutting it here either.
The Subclasses get the good spells like Fireball and Hypnotic Pattern and Greater Invisibility and Wall of Force but get those spells specifically at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th level so Spell Blocks wouldn't help get them earlier. It would be nice if they did but we're not trying to keep up with Wizards here, we're trying to keep useful.
So why Spell Blocks? I think it's a way to use a magic item to help fix the major class problem with Artificer: The lack of useful options at medium and higher levels. The other way would be to change the class of course but it's easier to just throw one magic item into the mix.
The first nice thing is getting to actually use Fabricate and Creation and Stone Shape and those nifty Artificer-perfect spells. How many games don't even last until 13th level, not to mention 17th.
The second is that upcasting some of those weak spells can get pretty good. It takes out a lot of casting slots but if you can make something that lasts awhile if may be worth it. A high level Aid can be a great 8 hour buff. The Summoned Construct lasts for an hour and gets much better at higher levels. Bigbys Hand will last for a whole combat and gets dangerous the more you upcast it too. We're just trying for level-appropriate power once in awhile here. We have good class abilities already, we just need a little boost.
The third is that you're an Artificer, you could just make it yourself. Your DM may have even noticed you falling off the power curve. Ask if you can make Spell Blocks one of your Infusions. It may not exactly "fix" the Artificer but I think its a significant help to it's problems.