Artificers and UMD

[Kabol]

Ok, So im lookin though my brand spankin new Eberron book Oohh'ing and Ahh'ing with the ocassional "Kick Ass" thrown in there for flavor. I come to the Artificer and im Loving the class, Seems SO versitial and got alot of Flavor and flexability for differant play styles. One of the Great features of the class is the flexability it has with Making and Useing Magic items, though thier Use Magic Divice Skill (UMD).

Now, Being kinda unfamilure with how UMD works, I look it up and find that - Damn - there are alot of tough DCs for it (All in the 20s). And then it struck me, For a class that built around useing Magic items, its almost impossable to use most of them reliably till your Mid level ( round lvl 7 or 10 ). Does that strike anyone as Odd?

For me, this dosent really hold to the flavor of the class, So what i think im going to Do is make it so that you "prep" an item for use. You can make your UMD roll ( taking 10 or 20 ) to Atune yourself with the item and how it works, After you do that you can use the item normaly.

Would that be over powering?

 

[Staffan]

Note that you can get some hefty bonuses to the roll. A starting human artificer could easily have a bonus of +12 to his UMD roll (4 ranks, Cha +3, Skill Focus +3, and the +2/+2 feat - Magical Affinity, I think). There's also an infusion that gives you a bonus to any one skill. I wouldn't be surprised to see that the artificers have invented gloves of attuning or something like that (2,500 gp, gives +5 to UMD).

 

[Kabol]

I agree with you you could get a good UMD score of you drop the feats and points into it. But it seems to me that You shoudnt have to spend all that. Since the class is kinda of built around the making/using of Items - its just seems Off to me that you need to spend 2 feats on a task that shoudn't be difficult for the class.

 

[Vanuslux]

That's like saying a low level rogue shouldn't have to spend skills and feats to be really good at stealing.

 

[Inari]

That's like saying a low level rogue shouldn't have to spend skills and feats to be really good at stealing.

Skills, sure. But a rogue's feats shouldn't need be built around stealing. Their class abilities (and skills) should suffice to make them deadly in their skills, AND leave them free with their feats.

Same goes for the Artificer (although I've never seen the class).

 

[Scion]

granting them a bonus feat at first level of Skill focus (umd) probably wouldnt be too overpowered would that suffice? It would allow, at first level, +4 ranks, +3 feat, +x cha bonus which would actually allow them to make a few scrolls sometimes, without having to spend a prescious feat.

 

[Staffan]

I agree with you you could get a good UMD score of you drop the feats and points into it. But it seems to me that You shoudnt have to spend all that. Since the class is kinda of built around the making/using of Items - its just seems Off to me that you need to spend 2 feats on a task that shoudn't be difficult for the class.

I don't see it as any stranger that most Artificers would eventually take Skill Focus: UMD than I think it's strange that most fighters would eventually take Weapon Focus or that many rogues wind up with Improved Feint.

 

[Kabol]

I guess its a differant view of the class.

I see it as a Class ability, and SOme see it as a Class Skill. Now, if taken as a skill. Then i can see Skill focus feats and all that. If seen as class Ability then dumping feats into it seems silly.

My issue is, this is a class built for Magic items. But all they gain above what anyone else can have is +2. To me that just seems off, a Rogue can use magic items jsut a TAD less effective then an artificer, and has alot more skill points to spread around.

To me that does not, Embrace how i see the class. To me, it shoud be an ability of the class that comes from close contact with magical items. Not just a skill that anyone can sink points into.

 

[Staffan]

My issue is, this is a class built for Magic items. But all they gain above what anyone else can have is +2. To me that just seems off, a Rogue can use magic items jsut a TAD less effective then an artificer, and has alot more skill points to spread around.

Personally, I see the class as being more about making magic items than using them. Being able to use all sorts of items is more of a side effect of being able to make them.

 

[Kabol]

Hah - but whats the point in making all these cool wands and staves and scrolls if your not going to be able to effectivaly use them?