doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
So, the two main archetypes that I feel are missing from the Artificer, other than the Aeronaut, Self-Forged, a Swarm-of-Small-Bots maker, and an archetype that empowers an armored or artificial hand to punch things really hard, are the Bombardier and the Sabatuer.
Bombardier - So, what does this look like? Well, the basic idea here is to have an artificer who uses missile weapons, enhancing their missiles with arcane explosions and other such effects. Let it be flavored either as alchemical substances loaded into arrows, or sigils drawn on specially prepared missiles. The basic function would be to add damage to ranged weapon attacks, and use the weapon's range when casting spells that normally have a range other than self, while the special limited stuff would be things like;
Sabatuer - The basic idea here is an arcane hacker, trap-maker, and sabatuer of magical effects and devices. Abilities would be stuff like;
Neither specialty would get every single thing we can think of for them, but I'd rather shorten a long list than pad out a shallow idea.
Any ideas? Anyone think that Sabatuer could be done well as a rogue instead?
Anyone love or hate the idea of a vehicles artificer that gets a personal construct mount that isn't a size category larger than the artificer, like an arcane motorcycle (I wouldn't say a motorcycle is large, but medium creatures ride them just fine) type deal? Something they're meant to be able to have with them pretty much any time a ranger could bring their pet. Maybe it can go between small and medium or medium and large, if necessary?
Bombardier - So, what does this look like? Well, the basic idea here is to have an artificer who uses missile weapons, enhancing their missiles with arcane explosions and other such effects. Let it be flavored either as alchemical substances loaded into arrows, or sigils drawn on specially prepared missiles. The basic function would be to add damage to ranged weapon attacks, and use the weapon's range when casting spells that normally have a range other than self, while the special limited stuff would be things like;
- deliver touch spells with a ranged weapon attack
- "smite" style spell-like effects, or simply give the subclass some extra spells of that nature like ensaring strike and hail of thorns
- utility trick arrows, like an arrow that explodes out to make a rope ladder or grapple-shot, whatever can be thought of
- do the basic ranged thing with more powerful spells (ie, limit the basic thing to cantrips and 1st level spells? maybe leveled spells require a bonus action to cast with the weapon?)
- ignore any limiting properties of the weapon, essentially creating longbows that gnomes can use and repeating crossbows
- Increase range of ranged attacks
- sidebar talking about using the archetype with guns
- Spells: Ranged smite-style spells like hail of thorns, maybe a couple out of class spells that would be really juicy with the subclass abilities, like big booms with a short range normally. I mean, shatter and fireball are great candidates, tbh. Fireball from 600ft with sharpshooter sounds fun to me, but is obviously a balance concern, potentially.
Sabatuer - The basic idea here is an arcane hacker, trap-maker, and sabatuer of magical effects and devices. Abilities would be stuff like;
- Make magic items and placed magic effects explode, dealing damage according to a level scale
- create traps mundane and magical
- Change what a magical effect does in some way, like changing where a portal goes, replacing the spell in a glyph of warding, changing who can come in and out of an effect safely, etc.
- Drain magic items and effects to regain spell slots or to recharge other items, or heal, or gain back a subclass specific secondary resource?
- spells: Dispel Magic and Counterspell, Absorb Elements, Detect Magic, Identify, idk what else tbh
- Later levels add prof to ability checks made as part of casting a spell, like Counterspell or Dispel Magic
Neither specialty would get every single thing we can think of for them, but I'd rather shorten a long list than pad out a shallow idea.
Any ideas? Anyone think that Sabatuer could be done well as a rogue instead?
Anyone love or hate the idea of a vehicles artificer that gets a personal construct mount that isn't a size category larger than the artificer, like an arcane motorcycle (I wouldn't say a motorcycle is large, but medium creatures ride them just fine) type deal? Something they're meant to be able to have with them pretty much any time a ranger could bring their pet. Maybe it can go between small and medium or medium and large, if necessary?