Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Introduces The Artifcer

I don't think anyone saw this coming!

 

[flametitan]

Is it just me or is 11th level a dead level? I thought we were moving away from dead levels, and the bump to tier 3 seems like an odd place to put one as well.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

Is it just me or is 11th level a dead level? I thought we were moving away from dead levels, and the bump to tier 3 seems like an odd place to put one as well.

At 11th level the subclass features scale up a level. Because every single one of their subclass features scale with level their progression is strange.

 

[bganon]

I like this much, much better than the previous (Wizard subclass) incarnation. This actually feels like an artificer.

The bag could be fluffed as a wand collection (or a mix of items), the gun could be fluffed as a crossbow/staff, so I think a lot of the classic Artificer archetypes are doable with this. One that's missing is the Battlefist but I could see that as a later subclass, basically just a melee version of the Gunsmith.

The only other odd thing is that the servant is restricted to Large beasts. No homunculi or clockwork ravens?

 

[Storyteller Hero]

Since I made a full class design for Artificer as a DMsGuild project last year, I had to compare the UA one to mine. It looks like the UA designer ran into some of the same early problems that I did during my planning phase. I made a few points of comparison, explaining my design goals in contrast with corresponding aspects of the UA design.




The UA artificer is a 1/3 caster. That's fine, but if one is dreaming of making legendary items someday at epic levels (dreaming at least since most players rarely make it to epic), a 1/3 caster doesn't sound quite right for their level of magical prowess.




I made my artificer a full caster, with exclusive new spells that work together with its class feature Gadget Builder to build amazing inventions at the higher levels (ex. helicopter).




The UA artificer has a "robot buddy", but it's Large and can't be humanoid and can't speak. You just slap a template onto an existing beast monster from the MM. Simple, but creates challenges for actual use during gameplay (fitting into spaces, hard to disguise, causing panic among townspeople, etc.) and a lack of speech may be missed opportunity for roleplaying fun.




I made a robot buddy the focus of an archetype for mine. The robot buddy has an extensive section dedicated to customizing its specs, it's Medium-sized so that you can take it with you on most adventures, and you can craft a humanoid model. My robot buddy is also intelligent, has a soul, and can speak - something that can offer lots of opportunities for roleplaying enrichment.




The UA artificer has a small menu of non-consumable items that can be crafted, and those crafts are created during downtime.




I made it so that my artificer design has crafting "on the fly", creating tools and items (not the magic items in the DMG but from a section of items dedicated to the class feature) as needed to solve problems in and out of combat. I wanted the player's imagination in RL to go wild just as an artificer would in the fantasy world. I left the idea of crafting permanent magic items open for roleplaying during downtime instead of making them a distinct part of the class so that the player could be more open to making anything in or out of the DMG during the campaign downtime (also reducing the need for the player to have the DMG), as long as the DM is okay with it.




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Link to my artificer:

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/204687/THE-ARTIFICER-5e-Revised

EDIT: I updated the link since the new revised version is on a new product page after the old page got bugged,

 

[lkj]

Only skimmed through it. But am I right that the gunsmith 'special attacks' are basically at will? So a 5th level gunsmith is basically doing 3d6 with every attack?

I'm presuming that this scales properly with other classes (fighters extra attacks and superiority dice, wizard spells, paladin extra attacks and divine smite). But I'm also guessing others here will know off the top of their heads.

AD

 

[bganon]

My reading is that at 5th level it's actually 4d6+Dex modifier each turn. Base weapon is 2d6 piercing, and at 5th level it's +2d6 thunder damage. But the Thunder Monger is still using a normal attack roll, so it's Dex-based (on a class that is Int/Con), and the weapon requires a bonus action to reload after every shot.

The damage is not particularly high compared to what melee classes can do with a greatsword using the Extra Attack at level 5 (2d6+Str mod times two). It's quite good for a ranged option, but at the cost of off-class ability scores and sucking up bonus actions like mad.

 

[Osgood]

Overall I am pretty happy with this interpretation. It feels like an Artificer. I think some of the subclass features needs a bit of wordsmithing to clarify how often they can be used. I hope this means we can expect to see Eberron content soon; even simply opening the setting to the DMs Guild use would work (especially if Keith Baker puts some content out).

The only other odd thing is that the servant is restricted to Large beasts. No homunculi or clockwork ravens?

I thought he same thing. It could be easily fixed by adding Find Familiar to their spell list (or giving it as a free ritual) and specifying the familiar is a mechanical version of the animal.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

The only other odd thing is that the servant is restricted to Large beasts. No homunculi or clockwork ravens?

To me is almost feals like there might be a 3rd subclass missing that focuses on the servants.
it might get a smaler servent/familar at lower level, and add some of your bonuses to the servant you get at 6th level so it doesen't lag behind.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

The only other odd thing is that the servant is restricted to Large beasts. No homunculi or clockwork ravens?

I felt that Modrons that are CR 2 or below should be an option.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

Only skimmed through it. But am I right that the gunsmith 'special attacks' are basically at will? So a 5th level gunsmith is basically doing 3d6 with every attack?

I'm presuming that this scales properly with other classes (fighters extra attacks and superiority dice, wizard spells, paladin extra attacks and divine smite). But I'm also guessing others here will know off the top of their heads.

AD

But the Artificer does not get cantrips and the thunder canon can only be used once per turn taking up the action and bonus action.