D&D 5E Does the Artificer Suck?

[Zardnaar]

That makes your choices even more narrow...
and you miss out darkvision, extra benefits like +1 AC from warforged or extra speed from wood elf... I am not sold...

+1AC vs 3 attacks or 5 with +10 damage on each one.

In all editions of D&D killing stuff faster tends to be good. It's more or less the best fighter though.

 

[TheSword]

Our artificer seems to be having fun. She’s a warforged, with artillerist. The shield function is bloody good and she seems to be doing decent damage. Lots of exploration utility too with infusions and spells.

 

[Zardnaar]

Our artificer seems to be having fun. She’s a warforged, with artillerist. The shield function is bloody good and she seems to be doing decent damage. Lots of exploration utility too with infusions and spells.

Hoping to see that one in action. Looks alright early on.

Just trying to figure out later on. Think she can tank around AC23 stealth mode and using sharpshooter with her special armor weapon.

Brings the damage up.

 

[TheSword]

Hoping to see that one in action. Looks alright early on.

Just trying to figure out later on. Think she can tank around AC23 stealth mode and using sharpshooter with her special armor weapon.

Brings the damage up.

Yeah she has a breast plate and even early on felt like a solid character. They are about to hit level 10. As DM I’m conscious she’s only just hit level 3 spells but she seems fine about it.

She’s playing alongside a Whispers Bard who is the most fragile, and an unoptimized (really doesn’t optimize damage and actions so is actually a lot of fun to have in the party).

 

[Zardnaar]

Yeah she has a breast plate and even early on felt like a solid character. They are about to hit level 10. As DM I’m conscious she’s only just hit level 3 spells but she seems fine about it.

She’s playing alongside a Whispers Bard who is the most fragile, and an unoptimized (really doesn’t optimize damage and actions so is actually a lot of fun to have in the party).

Yeah you don't want to optimize to much. Haven't seen to much of it last year or three at least for meta builds.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

+1AC vs 3 attacks or 5 with +10 damage on each one.

In all editions of D&D killing stuff faster tends to be good. It's more or less the best fighter though.

No, it is a lot more AC.
It is also not +10 damage on each one. You tend to simplify it a bit too much.

At level 6 you can have 18 Dex and studded leather... 16 AC in my book.
The bog standard fighter should have 17 or 19 AC depending on build.
1 more if you are warforged...

No opportunity attacks with a ranged weapon. 30ft range is also not too much of an advantage.

But hey, it is discussed to dead and I won't convince you.

 

[Zardnaar]

No, it is a lot more AC.
It is also not +10 damage on each one. You tend to simplify it a bit too much.

At level 6 you can have 18 Dex and studded leather... 16 AC in my book.
The bog standard fighter should have 17 or 19 AC depending on build.
1 more if you are warforged...

No opportunity attacks with a ranged weapon. 30ft range is also not too much of an advantage.

But hey, it is discussed to dead and I won't convince you.

A giidoffense always beats defense in every edition of D&D.

Death is the ultimate debuff. If they're dead already they don't get to hit you back.

Or even if you kill them one round quicker.

 

[ECMO3]

I disagree with the well rounded assessment if you go dex.

There are situations where you need someone with a bit of strength is very useful.
In one of our first party everyone was all about dexterity and str as a dump stat... and mainly ranged.

There were quite a few very hard challenges.

This is so true. Recently I was in a party of dex-based characters - 2 Monks, an Artificer, a wizard. I was one of the monks and all 4 of us had an 8 strength. There were times when that really screwed us. When my Monk died I went with a Strength Rogue to replace her.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

A giidoffense always beats defense in every edition of D&D.

Death is the ultimate debuff. If they're dead already they don't get to hit you back.

Or even if you kill them one round quicker.

Only in the whiteroom in a 1 vs 1.
If you in a team of 5 can protect the other 4 who deal more damage, you win.
The argument you mention is true for the opponents too. If they can just wipe your damagedealers, you won't do damage.

Edit: even in a 1 vs 1, if my defense is so good, that I can negate 1 round of your attacks more on average, being theoretically down 1 round earlier is no problem at all. If I have 4 more AC than you, it is a good chance that I stand longer than you.

 

[Dragonsbane]

I actually find Artificers, like much of the later material WotC is adding, OP and unbalanced to earlier material.

We don't allow them in our games anymore.

This. One of the most unbalanced PCs we had in the last few campaigns was a Warforged Armored Artificer. Removed!