Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Introduces The Artifcer

I don't think anyone saw this coming!

 

[Patrick McGill]

I think a mechanist or alchemist class fits into a low magic setting just fine. Unique gadgets and trinkets that aren't simply magic items from the DMG would feel much better too me. Granted I'm not familiar with Ebberon, but i don't see why a gadgeteer must needs be high magic.

 

[BookBarbarian]

An artificer class should make me feel like I'm playing Tony Stark. I think this fits the bill. I personally don't have firearms in my campaign, so refluffing the gunslinger into something else would be necessary for me, but I think it's easily doable.

 

[unnatural 20]

But, I do find it odd, after all the hand-wringing over and reluctance to introduce missing full classes, to see one put forth for a fairly specific and Ebberon-originated concept ('Gunsmith' seems to put it in that sort of fantasy-steampunk milieu, too). Maybe Eberon's in the offing?

I do hope so! Though, per canon, there are no guns in Eberron.

 

[fuindordm]

If you have a setting where magic items aren't that common then I wouldn't include the artificer as a playable class since I see it as a class for a world like Eberron where magical items are relatively common. For other worlds, I'd restrict it. I probably wouldn't include the artificer in my current setting, it doesn't really have a place in it.

Very true.

Just to add my personal spin on your comment:

Does a low-magic-item campaign have to be low magic generally? No, of course not. By the same token, a low magic campaign doesn't have to be low-magic-item, if spellcasting is a more difficult skill than crafting fetishes, totems, or devices. After all, collecting and mixing ingredients could be considered less taxing mentally than imposing one's raw will on the universe--it all depends on your point of view for how magic works.

If I am running a low-magic setting then I would prefer to allow just one type of arcane caster. It could be the artficer--why not--but in that case I might not allow any other arcane classes at all.

That could be interesting, actually: arcanes are artificers, divines are clerics, and no other spellcasting classes at all--that feels a bit steampunky to me.

Cheers,
Ben

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I do hope so! Though, per canon, there are no guns in Eberron.

I remember that being a point from Keith Baker.

But I personally felt that firearms could have been ancient Dhakaani weapons that were forgotten after the war with Xoriat.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

I remember that being a point from Keith Baker.

But I personally felt that firearms could have been ancient Dhakaani weapons that were forgotten after the war with Xoriat.

there isen't much need for firearms in a world where wands of magic missile are common.

 

[blakesha]

oh... yay... WOTC going the "cater for everyone Pathfinder class glut" route..

 

[lkj]

Yeah. I had an initial curiosity, but I suspected that they did the math. In fact, I think Mearls has said as much now in response to someone on his twitter feed.

AD

 

[TwoSix]

That could be interesting, actually: arcanes are artificers, divines are clerics, and no other spellcasting classes at all--that feels a bit steampunky to me.

I'd probably go with warlocks for divine/obviously supernatural instead, but yea, I do like that feel.

 

[Dire Bare]

I am completely fine with the gun. It's not really a gun in the fiction because there are no guns. There is just a person using their magical powers to make a stick go boom.

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