D&D 5E Different Artificers

[Warpiglet-7]

So I am the last to adopt new classes like Artificer.

it usually involves theme frankly and I am not big into steampunk—-and a lot of artificer art gives me that vibe.

anyway, I thought of different themes I like more. One was infernal tech and I had a brief exchange about that. But then I got thinking…

how malleable is artificer? What about weird organic tech? Creepy living things…tentacles, slime, flesh that grafts on. It would look more like dark sorcery than gadgetry.

just curious about different ways other have transformed artificer (flavor-fluff).

would really enjoy hearing some stories builds or ideas!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I once suggesting a Goliath or other generally primal-attuned race who was a Battle-smith, their beast being a telthor (Telthor) and binding primal spirits into their item.

Same kind of logic could be used to go back to the Incarnum Soulmelder of 3.5e where you could bind the essence of monsters to augment yourself. Same thing for some kind of Binder warlock.

You could be some kinda skald melding legends of the past into your blades and shields.

Or more generally some kind of court-mage, where you serve as both magical and medical counsellor for the royalty.

Or a priest-archivist in a church dedicated to a god of craft.

etc

I also try to avoid the steampunk vibe of the class, usually.

 

[J.Quondam]

Neat idea! I'm one of those "late adopters", too, so this could be a helpful thought-experiment. So...

Maybe reskinning it as alien tech? As the artificer levels, for example, he's basically figuring out more and more functions of some mysterious widget he found as a kid. Over time he discovers he can use it to levitate stuff, shoot beams, transmute substances, and much of the other stuff that artificers do; as well as deduce plans for other devices, concoctions, and whatnot.

"Mortimer, son of a farmer, was awakened by a loud flash and crash out in the fields. Investigating, he found a few smoldering sheep around a crater with a hunk of silvery material half-buried at the bottom. With a little digging, he eventually extracted a smooth, malleable ovoid of shimmery putty ringed by a few buttons and sliders, and a tiny, vaguely handlike depression on one end. Mortimer timidly touched his finger to a white button, and the egglike thing started to hum softly... and the farmkid's trowel slowly rose into the air! Wide-eyed, Mortimer suppressed a laugh, shoved the weird device into his pocket, and hurried home before he was missed for breakfast. The trowel spun a few moments in the air before sinking slowly back to the ground."​

Not suitable for all campaigns, but that might fit in some oldschool gonzo setting with buried spaceships, four-armed apes, the occasional laser pistol, and the like. And the mysterious crater from the PC's past would be an obvious hook.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Neat idea! I'm one of those "late adopters", too, so this could be a helpful thought-experiment. So...

Maybe reskinning it as alien tech? As the artificer levels, for example, he's basically figuring out more and more functions of some mysterious widget he found as a kid. Over time he discovers he can use it to levitate stuff, shoot beams, transmute substances, and much of the other stuff that artificers do; as well as deduce plans for other devices, concoctions, and whatnot.

"Mortimer, son of a farmer, was awakened by a loud flash and crash out in the fields. Investigating, he found a few smoldering sheep around a crater with a hunk of silvery material half-buried at the bottom. With a little digging, he eventually extracted a smooth, malleable ovoid of shimmery putty ringed by a few buttons and sliders, and a tiny, vaguely handlike depression on one end. Mortimer timidly touched his finger to a white button, and the egglike thing started to hum softly... and the farmkid's trowel slowly rose into the air! Wide-eyed, Mortimer suppressed a laugh, shoved the weird device into his pocket, and hurried home before he was missed for breakfast. The trowel spun a few moments in the air before sinking slowly back to the ground."​

Not suitable for all campaigns, but that might fit in some oldschool gonzo setting with buried spaceships, four-armed apes, the occasional laser pistol, and the like. And the mysterious crater from the PC's past would be an obvious hook.

Fun!

I had a vision of laser gun wielding tiefling driving home from work today. I like this idea and I am not usually into gonzo but I am willing to make an exception. But I would play the barrier peaks in a heartbeat!

what about aliens tech more similar to Venom of spider man fame…or like the creepy bio weapons from Prometheus.

I am liking the ideal of infernal tech still. Weird sulphuric smelling moving rock, lumps of grafting flesh…

so many fun ideas outside of clockwork steampunk!

I HATED the class at first and now feel compelled to play one….I just have to settle on the flavor

 

[Warpiglet-7]

Thought of another odd one.

sailor background with weird sea creatures with tentacles hanging.

a belaying pin, standard equipment for sailor background would be a rod. Good for an arcane firearm as well as club damage melee.

it would be kraken spawn or some other evil cursed creatures hangin one him and launching spells? I dunno. Making it up as I go…

could even go pirate. it’s a little like “the fathomless” warlock I guess.

this also makes me think…if organic stuff, what about a witch from the swamp? The homunculus could be a swamp creature of some type.

Mummified body parts could be…something…

 

[Ashrym]

I'm not sure they're new given they were developed when 3.0 was transforming into 3.5 but mage-punk is the Eberron flavor. I made a war baker who discovered magic recipes while baking. I used alchemist and every effect involved cupcakes and/or batter because it was the only way he knew how to draw out the magic.

The alchemist is easy to use as a more traditional potion chucker, and mad science or gothic horror can be used. Artificers draw magic out of items. Flavoring those items is open.

Any form of the gadgeteer trope can work.

 

[CleverNickName]

One of the most imaginative takes on the Artificer class that I've heard: a little boy discovers that his Legos are magical, and the things he builds with them can do amazing things.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I'm not sure they're new given they were developed when 3.0 was transforming into 3.5 but mage-punk is the Eberron flavor. I made a war baker who discovered magic recipes while baking. I used alchemist and every effect involved cupcakes and/or batter because it was the only way he knew how to draw out the magic.

The alchemist is easy to use as a more traditional potion chucker, and mad science or gothic horror can be used. Artificers draw magic out of items. Flavoring those items is open.

Any form of the gadgeteer trope can work.

I skipped 2e, 3.5 and 4.

to me as a 1e and 5e player the artificer is new.

never looked at Eberron actually.

but as far as a new class for 5e…it is. Right? They only have added subclasses until artificer?

 

[Warpiglet-7]

One of the most imaginative takes on the Artificer class that I've heard: a little boy discovers that his Legos are magical, and the things he builds with them do amazing things.

Wild

 

[Ashrym]

I skipped 2e, 3.5 and 4.

to me as a 1e and 5e player the artificer is new.

never looked at Eberron actually.

but as far as a new class for 5e…it is. Right? They only have added subclasses until artificer?

They were released in ERftLW about a year and a half ago, and released in TCoE more recently. Relatively new to 5e I suppose but the class has been around for 15 years or so now.

Eberron is one of my favorite settings. It adds the concept of industrialized magic for magical "steampunk-like" setting. It was a fresh take on fantasy settings for me when it came out, halfling dinosaur riders and all. ;-)