Wow, it's a full new class.
I was not expecting that.
Class Features:
1d8hd: So it's meatier than the average magic user.
Proficiencies: A combination of the cleric, and the rogue, with out the emphasis on agility. So far, it looks like a second-line warrior/support. Con/Int saves mean they join sorcerers in the "I don't worry so much about concentration club"
Skipping the subclasses, for now
Magic Item Analysis
Detect Magic as a ritual? That's odd, why not must make it work like the Paladin's
Divine Sense? That way they can use it in the middle of an encounter.
Identify as a ritual is basically expected at this point.
Tool Expertise
Needs some verbiage cleanup, explicitly call it
Expertise, and just change the rules text a bit, so that people don't get the weaselly idea that it stacks with the Rogue or Bard Ability due to technically having a different name.
Wondrous Invention
So you get 5 magic items as a class feature. What happens if the magic items are stolen or lost? Do you get a new one or are you just screwed out of a class feature?
This needs to be reworked into a "Magical load" mechanic where the Artificer can just make one of the things on the list, but it stops working if they aren't attuned or in possession of it.
Anyway, this list seems to be geared more toward shoring up any deficiencies in the exploration pillar of the game your character might have. Though there are a few fun items like the Alchemy Jug and Decanter of Endless Water. Of note: you can get darkvision or a substitute for it at level 2. Something Rogues wish they could have, but artificers don't come with stealth skills as the default.
Spellcasting
They are a 1/3 caster,
without cantrips? Oversight much? Cantrips are one of the best parts of 5e, proliferate access to them please.
Mending in particular should be a default option for an Artificer. In fact, fitting with the theme of the "modifies people or objects" spell list, crib most of the cleric cantrips (sans
Sacred Flame) too.
Also noticeably missing from the list are:
Find Traps,
Locate Object,
Heat Metal and few others I will cover shortly.
Additionally, the artificer (and especially the alchemist) is intended to be a healer of no small measure. Arrogantly quoting myself, here is the list of most of the stuff that is supposed to be healed in 5e:
Me said:
- Ability Score Reductions
- Blindness/Deafness
- Charm
- Curses
- Death
- Exhaustion
- Fear
- Lost Limbs
- Maximum Hit Point loss
- Paralysis
- Petrification
- Stun
I give Kudos for placing
Lessor Restoration and
Revivify on the list. But the list should still have
Remove Curse, and
Dispel Magic. Both of which are staples.
Calm Emotions would be another nice pick. Maybe even break the spell level rules and give them
Greater Restoration. But in particular, an Artificer should be able to replace lost limbs with prosthesis, it would be a hugely complex subsystem, but they have existed in D&D before, and it would be nice to see them return.
Overall, I get the feeling Artificers would have benefited from being a 1/2 caster. They don't have cantrips to start with, party healers need access to ways to cure maladies sooner rather than later, and there are a few level 5 spells that would be perfect for them. Alternatively, they could just get a brand new subsystem to handle the healing side of the house.
Infuse Magic
This is a fun little ability that allows the party to bend the action economy around it's knee. And give buffs to players who wouldn't normally have access to them. Self-targeting spells, in particular, open up some interesting non-standard encounter and combat options.
Ability Score Improvement
This is standard (well for non rogue/fighters, another deviation from traditional 1/3 casters) with the exception they get their last one at 18th instead of 19th level. Could be useful for multi-class purposes.
Superior Attunement
More attunement slots, fitting considering that they get more magic items.
Mechanical Servant
This one is a bit odd.
Firstly, it's only
Large beasts. With a CR of 2 or less. Lets see what that list looks like.
- Axe Beak
- Brown Bear
- Camel
- Constrictor Snake
- Crocodile
- Dire Wolf
- Draft Horse
- Elk
- Giant Bat
- Giant Boar
- Giant Eagle
- Giant Hyena
- Giant Octopus
- Giant Owl
- Giant Sea Horse
- Giant Spider
- Giant Toad
- Giant Vulture
- Hunter Shark
- Lion
- Plesiosaurus
- Polar Bear
- Rhinoceros
- Riding Horse
- Saber-Toothed Tiger
- Tiger
- Warhorse
I took the liberty of highlighting some of the more
interesting or
strong options.
In Volo's you have:
Secondly, they can look like
whatever you want, so long as the stats can fit. You want a gyrocopter ? Use the giant bat or eagle stats. A submarine? Use the hunter shark.
Unfortunately, they aren't going to be combat-viable for very long because they don't scale, making them slightly more robust familiars rather than animal companions. Also of note: Nothing has hands! And although the Giant Eagle can speak naturally, the construct cannot. Which severely limits the ability of the servant to do anything involving items. Your best bet is to make some kind of mount depending on your campaign preference (though a flying mount is always in-vogue), and use them to haul yourself around. Keeping them out of combat unless absolutely necessary.
A free flying or swimming mount at level 6 is rather good, it's just not as mind-blowing as some would imply it to be.
Soul of Artifice
It's a capstone that gives you an additional attunement slot, and +6 bonus to saving throws. Capstones are always weighed against the "Can I do something better by multi-classing?" conundrum, mostly because so few people actually get to 20th level. As it stands, you can safely drop out of this class at level 18, the 4th level spells aren't all that spectacular, and the level 20 wondrous items outside of maybe Ring of Mind Shielding are just not impressive enough to consider. Just Pick up two levels of Fighter for a Fighting Style (probably archery) Second Wind, and Action Surge; and call it a finished character.
Now for the Subclasses!~
First of all, it's apparent that the Subclasses(called Specialist) have a feature that makes up for the lack of attack scaling on attacks or attack cantrips. It's a thing more appropriate to 1/2 casters than 1/3 casters for sure.
Alchemist
Potions and Bombs! perfect for your aspiring Kobold or Gnome.
Alchemist’s Satchel
It's an Arcane Focus for all your Alchemical tomfoolery. An excuse to get rid of the bookkeeping, but a needed one.
Alchemical Formula
This subclass does not use weapons as a rule, they use bombs instead. Nifty!
Alchemical Fire: A 5' explosing doing 1d6 damage that scales, about cantrip quality. Also gives an incentive to take level 19.
Alchemical Acid: Your alternative to fire, single target, does max damage to objects. This will probably end up being your main damage go-to.
Healing Draught: An healing ability with it's ups and downs. You can make one of these at a time, and have one ready for up to an hour before you need to use it. However, it takes an action for that person do drink it, you have to hand it to that person or pour it in their mouth yourself (meaning you are right next to them), and any one person can only benefit once per day from it. Once per short rest may be more appropriate for how healing works in 5e, even if that warrants a reduction in healing power.
Smoke Stick: Effectively an encounter power that lasts the entire encounter with no concentration. If there was some way to dispel the smoke at the whims of the Artificer, this would be an amazing gold-standard power for area denial.
Swift Step Draught: You give someone a Cup-O-Joe and their speed increases by 20'. Also an encounter power, has the drawback that you can't brew a pot of the stuff for your entire party to get away, but it is really good for getting the plate-clad warrior into position or out of an exploding volcano.
Tanglefoot Bag: This one sucks compared to
Smoke Stick. Or even in general. A 5' patch of difficult terrain just isn't going to cut it most of the time. Should have been a single target restrain of some kind. Also an encounter power.
Thunderstone: An at-will ranged AoE 10' knockback and prone, with a CON save. This thing is awesome. It may not deal damage directly, but it's good enough to not have to.
Gunsmith
Son of the Gun. Perfect for Crazy Dwarves. Or anyone who want's a gun in general. Also potentially a better Arcane Archer than the Arcane Archer Fighter Subclass.
Master Smith
You get Smith's tools and
Mending. Why is this the only way to get a cantrip on a 1/3 caster? I have no idea.
Thunder Cannon
You make a gun, it's a slightly stronger Heavy-Crossbow with greater range. You can also make a new gun should you need it for whatever reason. Note: It's not a very good to give anyone else a gun, as they aren't Proficient in it, and it costs a bunch, and it takes 3 days to make one. However, you should totally keep an extra gun on hand, just in case.
Arcane Magazine
A Combination of a Quiver and and a Focus for all your gun-shooting needs. You can make like 60 bullets a day, which is upwards of 20 encounters worth of shot. Why even bother with the bookkeeping at that point? I dunno, maybe they just didn't want people to blow a blood vessel from seeing an officially supported and functional gun in D&D, and threw in the arbitrarily high number of bullets per day as a preemptive appeasement.
Thunder Monger
At level 3 you no longer take the attack action, you make a"special attack" action when using your gun, in return you get bonus damage, like sneak attack, only unrestricted and thunder damage. It's a very strange wording that may have been used to prevent interactions with things that trigger when you take an attack action. However, things like the Sharpshooter feat still apply (because that applies to attack rolls, not the attack action), so I dunno what the big problem they are supposed to prevent is.
Blast Wave
You now have a moderately powerful Cone-based PBAoE option that deals force damage and knocks targets away from you. What's not to love? It isn't an attack roll, so it doesn't work with Sharpshooter, but I doubt that will be relevant in the situations where you want to use it.
Piercing Round
This is an at-will variation of
Lighting Bolt.
Explosive Round
Ditto above, but with
Fireball.
Closing thoughts.
This is a way better offering than the Wizard Subclass Artificer. More akin to the Magical MacGyver from Eberron, though it falls a bit short in some areas. And it could really use a trapsmith subclass.