Reviewing the Artificer

[fuindordm]

Ground Rules: this thread is for serious discussion of the choices that WotC made when adapting the artificer to 4th edition, and new proposals for the class. Let's keep the banter to a minimum, and make this a useful resource for the game designers.

Here then are my own thoughts:

The artificer is a very strong concept--a master of magic, but not necessarily of spells or battle magic. The strongest archetype reproduced by this class is the arcane crafter (Weyland Smith, Mim and Eol from the Silmarillion), but it can also represent dusty scholars, smart explorers, technicians and alchemists.

While the new artificer boasts many powers and abilities that support this theme, I feel that in certain cases the flavor of the class has been sacrificed to shoehorn them into the leader role. On the other hand, we also see the designers stretching their wings to extend the basic power framework--which in my mind is a very good thing.

There are some very good ideas in this class, especially:
Linking some powers to a short rest (foresight-->strength).
Artifices--halfway between zones and creatures (a solid mechanic, with their own HP and even the ability to move).
Healing surges as fuel--powering stronger magic with your own life force. Lovely, and very much on-theme!
All three are certainly keepers, and have immense potential. They should be used frequently to make this class a unique play experience.

Sadly, the number of such powers is fairly sparse. The list has many direct damage spells, following the now-familiar 4e model for leader powers: hurt the enemy and buff your friends at the same time. The problem is that aside from requiring a ranged weapon to use, far too many of feel no different from the cleric's attack+buff powers. I don't mind a few "magic bolt" powers, but they shouldn't be the focus of the class.

I firmly believe that there is no need for all classes to focus on direct damage. Take the Warlord, for instance: one of their dailies isn't even an attack. Instead, they allow an ally to attack in their place. What a great idea! The Warlord fulfills the leader role mainly by focusing the party's damage output where it is needed most. The artificer should follow a similar model, but using magic rather than tactics--in my opinion, their flavor demands it.

On this level, here are some ideas for artificer at-wills:
Disrupting Blow: Melee attack (Int vs AC), plus enemy gets a -2 to AC for one round. (Not unlike Aggravating Force)
Brand Weapon: No attack, you or adjacent ally adds +1d6+Con elemental damage to their next attack (your choice of element).
Exploding Missile: Ranged attack (Int vs AC), enemies in burst 1 take Con bonus in "splash damage" (your choice of element).

Now, how about their leader role? Let's look at the three things leaders should do for their party:
Cleric (healing and buffing)
Warlord (healing and focusing party damage)
Artificer (buffing and focusing party damage)

To feel distinct, the artificer should be able to enhance their allies' attacks, especially by adding magical properties to them. They should also enhance their allies' defenses in the same manner. The designers may be afraid that such a character is boring, but many of the artificer powers they designed are so interesting and flavorful that I'm sure the class would be a lot of fun even with very few powerful direct damage effects.

One might argue that all leaders need to provide lots of healing. I don't think this is true. First of all, avoiding damage is as good as repairing damage--if the artificer can grant appropriate resistances and defense bonuses on the fly ("A mind flayer, huh? Let me touch your helmets--there you go, +4 to Will defense!") or during a short rest, then they can make it much easier for a party to survive the encounter.

The healing word/inspiring word formula is growing tiresome, and the alchemical flavor of "healing infusion" feels forced. Must all artificers fling magic tea at their allies to keep them alive? I much prefer the Regeneration Infusion, Healing Figurine and Hero's Elixir.

Finally, the hallmark of an artificer is flexibility. Just as the wizard can change some of their spells every day, the artificer's powers should seldom be limited to a single damage type. The "magic bolts" are cool, but what the class really needs is an ability to play with elemental keywords in their own powers and their allies' equipment.

Recommendations:
When filling out the power list, try to find more Artifices, "short rest" powers, and party-buffing powers with variable keywords (which need not damage enemies at the same time). There are already more than enough "magic bolts"--players with the urge to play a "blastifer" can take them all, those who want to be crafters can focus on other things.
Replace "Healing Infusion" with a class ability that allows them to grant minor elemental resistances or defense bonuses on the fly. Otherwise, its structure can be similar: for example, it can still be usable 2/encounter and feats can still open up other uses. The basic ability should be something along the lines of granting 5/10/15 resistance at the three tiers.
If more healing is needed, you could allow the ally to spend a healing
surge at the same time--but without restoring bonus HP.
Any power with an alchemy flavor should require at least a short rest to prepare. Slick Concoction, for example, should really be of this type. And when it's used, it should actually create a slippery zone--not let the artificer push someone in any direction desired. Caustic rampart also falls into this category--it's a really cool power, but I'd rather see the artificer brewing it up beforehand.

Thanks for listening!

 

[DracoSuave]

The healing aspect of the artificer is a legacy thing tho from 3rd edition. They actually were capable of making healing concoctions, and using them at opportune moments. In an Eberron game, while other characters might buy a wand of CLW, but the artificer could be making scrolls of CMW at level 1, and using them. And cheaply at that.

Plus, it's a defining feature of leaders, to be able to either magicly use, or non-magicly inspire, the use of healing surges outside the second wind action.

Defenders get to mark things.
Strikers get to add bonus dice of damage once/round.
Leaders get an ability to healing surge.

What makes the artificer different than the Cleric or Warlord is that he can use this ability in an alternate way, by providing temp hp to the entire group, and I could definately see this being -very- useful. Perhaps they'll get feats that allow other uses of this feature. (Kinda like how Divinity Feats affect Channel Divinity)

 

[fuindordm]

Me again...

Here's another thing I just thought of--the artificer as trapmaker.

Some of those "magic bolt" powers would be very interesting if there were a feat or utility power that allowed artificers to create a trap that does the same thing. A power that creates simple elemental traps would also be very much in keeping with the class.

What? Not "Leader" enough for you? Class roles should be a guideline, not a straitjacket! As long as the artificer has lots of powers to buff and protect his allies, he qualifies as a leader in my book.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[Dayspire]

My world is very steampunkish. And while I like some of the things here, I can't help but be a bit sad that the Artificer isn't more... I dunno... mechanical? That's probably my own bias and hope talking there, I realize that. I see this class, and I think wow, I wonder what I could do trying to come up with an Inventor type core class.

 

[generalhenry]

Cleric (healing and buffing)
Warlord (healing and focusing party damage)
Artificer (buffing and focusing party damage)

Warlord-- Melee, defender qualities, tactical master
Cleric-- melee or ranged, defender and controller qualities, master of healing
Artificer-- ranged, controller qualities, master of zone buffs

 

[keterys]

The Eberron Artificer was always magic based, not technological. Minor note, but Exploding Missile would be bad as it's pretty much _the_ controller aspect of being a wizard to have the at-will area attack. No poaching.

 

[lukelightning]

The Eberron Artificer was always magic based, not technological. Minor note, but Exploding Missile would be bad as it's pretty much _the_ controller aspect of being a wizard to have the at-will area attack. No poaching.

I think artificers should be controllers. We already have two leaders, but only one controller.

 

[generalhenry]

We already have two leaders, but only one controller.

BAH! Class role should be assigned due to the needs of the class, not metagame BS.

I think artificers should be controllers.

They have many controller abilities. But still at their core, they're a buffing class.

 

[Axensmash]

Another thing that I feel that they are lacking somewhat is their ability to craft Homonculi. One of the things that really drew me to the class was thier ability to bring a bunch of Homonculi to bear on the battlefield. Iron Defenders, Persistent Harriers etc. That flavour felt like it was missing.

 

[Nymrohd]

I have to say I find it strange that so many artificer abilities are based on ranged weapons. For one thing any artificer who takes them would simply have to get Weapon Proficiency (longbow) since one feat would increase most of his damage by a die and increase his range a lot. The thing is that ranged weapon artificers really were one of the least favored builts back in 3.5. I would like to see a wand based artificer that uses implements for damage for one.

The artifice concept is great, and I wonder if it could possibly be adapted for homonculi, which were a great niche of the artificer and always interesting.

I will agree with the OP that the healing word concept is getting overused already. And that an artificer that focused on preventing damage or creating buffers like temporary hit points to absorb it, would serve as well as one that actually healed.

More powers that focus on buffing the gear of your allies is needed as well.