D&D (2024) Artificer access to the Arcane spell list

[cbwjm]

Rangers are only banned from Evocations in the Primal spell list. Just saying that we don't need to as extensively block off spell schools as we did with the bard. Necromancy is probably a good one, as is Enchantment (spare the dying and catnap are the spells).

The tricky part of the artificer is that, much like the bard, they want to have access to Primal spells as well as the occasional Divine. How do we do that?

Yeah, you don't have to restrict as many as the bard, I'm primarily looking at how you'd restrict the schools to still keep with the primary schools, and I guess the feel, of the artificer. Necromancy and enchantment seem to be no brainless since their current spell list has only a single spell from each, and to me, the schools of illusion and divination (other than a couple of spells) are both limited and overall don't seem to me to fit the feel of the artificer's spells.

 

[Marandahir]

I could see a stage magician artificer who is all about the science of the lights and magic tricks, who'd have more illusion spells. But that could also be a 3rd level specialisation that grants you access to that school.

 

[Gorck]

Sure. But the necromantic mortician doctor is just as critical a part of fiction. While Frankenstein's monster would be classified as a flesh golem in D&D terms, the FICTION of Dr. Frankenstein is not about constructs so much as playing with life and death, which is the fiction of Necromancy, not Transmutation. There's a reason Herman Munster and Lurch are considered undead characters in their respective parodies.

Hmmm, I could play this now by re-flavoring the Battle Smith's Steel Defender into a Flesh Defender. I might just have to go make one of those.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I wonder what it would look like if you just gave Artificers cross-list access to Abjuration, Conjuration, Evocation, and Transmutation?

Okay, I went ahead and put this into a single list.

Lvl Spell School Ritual

0 Acid Splash Conjuration No
0 Blade Ward Abjuration No
0 Druidcraft Transmut. No
0 Fire Bolt Evocation No
0 Light Evocation No
0 Mage Hand Conjuration No
0 Mending Transmut. No
0 Message Transmut. No
0 Poison Spray Conjuration No
0 Prestidigitation Transmut. No
0 Produce Flame Evocation* No
0 Ray of Frost Evocation No
0 Resistance Abjuration No
0 Sacred Flame Evocation No
0 Shillelagh Transmut. No
0 Shocking Grasp Evocation No
0 Thaumaturgy Transmut. No
0 Thorn Whip Transmut. No

1 Alarm Abjuration Yes
1 Armor of Agathys Abjuration No
1 Arms of Hadar Conjuration No
1 Burning Hands Evocation No
1 Chromatic Orb Evocation No
1 Create or Destroy Water Transmut. No
1 Cure Wounds Abjuration* No
1 Divine Favor Evocation No
1 Ensnaring Strike Conjuration No
1 Entangle Conjuration No
1 Expeditious Retreat Transmut. No
1 Faerie Fire Evocation No
1 Feather Fall Transmut. No
1 Find Familiar Conjuration Yes
1 Fog Cloud Conjuration No
1 Goodberry Transmut. No
1 Grease Conjuration No
1 Guiding Bolt Evocation No
1 Hail of Thorns Conjuration No
1 Healing Word Abjuration* No
1 Hellish Rebuke Evocation No
1 Jump Transmut. No
1 Longstrider Transmut. No
1 Mage Armor Abjuration No
1 Magic Missile Evocation No
1 Protection from Evil and Good Abjuration No
1 Purify Food and Drink Transmut. Yes
1 Sanctuary Abjuration No
1 Shield Abjuration No
1 Searing Smite Evocation No
1 Shield of Faith Abjuration No
1 Tenser’s Floating Disk Conjuration Yes
1 Thunderous Smite Evocation No
1 Thunderwave Transmut.* No
1 Unseen Servant Conjuration Yes
1 Witch Bolt Evocation No
1 Wrathful Smite Evocation No

2 Aid Abjuration No
2 Alter Self Transmut. No
2 Arcane Lock Abjuration No
2 Barkskin Transmut. No
2 Blindness/Deafness Transmut.* No
2 Branding Smite Evocation No
2 Cloud of Daggers Conjuration No
2 Continual Flame Evocation No
2 Cordon of Arrows Transmut. No
2 Darkness Evocation No
2 Darkvision Transmut. No
2 Enhance Ability Transmut. No
2 Enlarge/Reduce Transmut. No
2 Find Steed Conjuration No
2 Flame Blade Evocation No
2 Flaming Sphere Evocation* No
2 Gust of Wind Evocation No
2 Heat Metal Transmut. No
2 Knock Transmut. No
2 Lesser Restoration Abjuration No
2 Levitate Transmut. No
2 Magic Weapon Transmut. No
2 Melf’s Acid Arrow Evocation No
2 Misty Step Conjuration No
2 Moonbeam Evocation No
2 Pass without Trace Abjuration No
2 Prayer of Healing Abjuration* No
2 Protection from Poison Abjuration No
2 Rope Trick Transmut. No
2 Scorching Ray Evocation No
2 Shatter Transmut.* No
2 Spider Climb Transmut. No
2 Spike Growth Transmut. No
2 Spiritual Weapon Evocation No
2 Warding Bond Abjuration No
2 Web Conjuration No

3 Aura of Vitality Abjuration* No
3 Beacon of Hope Abjuration No
3 Blinding Smite Evocation No
3 Blink Transmut. No
3 Call Lightning Conjuration No
3 Conjure Animals Conjuration No
3 Conjure Barrage Conjuration No
3 Counterspell Abjuration No
3 Create Food and Water Conjuration No
3 Crusader’s Mantle Evocation No
3 Daylight Evocation No
3 Dispel Magic Abjuration No
3 Elemental Weapon Transmut. No
3 Fireball Evocation No
3 Fly Transmut. No
3 Gaseous Form Transmut. No
3 Glyph of Warding Abjuration No
3 Haste Transmut. No
3 Hunger of Hadar Conjuration No
3 Leomund’s Tiny Hut Evocation Yes
3 Lightning Arrow Transmut. No
3 Lightning Bolt Evocation No
3 Magic Circle Abjuration No
3 Mass Healing Word Abjuration* No
3 Meld into Stone Transmut. Yes
3 Nondetection Abjuration No
3 Plant Growth Transmut. No
3 Protection from Energy Abjuration No
3 Remove Curse Abjuration No
3 Sleet Storm Conjuration No
3 Slow Transmut. No
3 Speak with Plants Transmut. No
3 Spirit Guardians Conjuration No
3 Stinking Cloud Conjuration No
3 Water Breathing Transmut. Yes
3 Water Walk Transmut. Yes
3 Wind Wall Evocation No

4 Aura of Life Abjuration No
4 Aura of Purity Abjuration No
4 Banishment Abjuration No
4 Conjure Minor Elementals Conjuration No
4 Conjure Woodland Beings Conjuration No
4 Control Water Transmut. No
4 Death Ward Abjuration No
4 Dimension Door Conjuration No
4 Evard’s Black Tentacles Conjuration No
4 Fabricate Transmut. No
4 Fire Shield Evocation No
4 Freedom of Movement Abjuration No
4 Giant Insect Transmut. No
4 Grasping Vine Conjuration No
4 Guardian of Faith Abjuration No
4 Ice Storm Evocation No
4 Leomund’s Secret Chest Conjuration No
4 Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound Conjuration No
4 Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum Abjuration No
4 Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere Evocation No
4 Polymorph Transmut. No
4 Staggering Smite Evocation No
4 Stone Shape Transmut. No
4 Stoneskin Transmut.* No
4 Wall of Fire Evocation No

5 Animate Objects Transmut. No
5 Antilife Shell Abjuration No
5 Awaken Transmut. No
5 Banishing Smite Abjuration No
5 Bigby’s Hand Evocation No
5 Circle of Power Abjuration No
5 Cloudkill Conjuration No
5 Cone of Cold Evocation No
5 Conjure Elemental Conjuration No
5 Conjure Volley Conjuration No
5 Destructive Wave Evocation No
5 Dispel Evil and Good Abjuration No
5 Flame Strike Evocation No
5 Greater Restoration Abjuration No
5 Hallow Abjuration* No
5 Insect Plague Conjuration No
5 Mass Cure Wounds Abjuration* No
5 Passwall Transmut. No
5 Planar Binding Abjuration No
5 Swift Quiver Transmut. No
5 Telekinesis Transmut. No
5 Teleportation Circle Conjuration No
5 Tree Stride Conjuration No
5 Wall of Force Evocation No
5 Wall of Stone Evocation No

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Okay, I went ahead and put this into a single list.

You could make a worse list for artificers.

I think this is much clearer design. Decide which school a spell is in and then you know which class it is. Only one decision point, not 2 - or better 1 for each class with spells.

 

[Marandahir]

Okay, I went ahead and put this into a single list.

Spoiler: collapsed for space

Lvl Spell School Ritual

0 Acid Splash Conjuration No
0 Blade Ward Abjuration No
0 Druidcraft Transmut. No
0 Fire Bolt Evocation No
0 Light Evocation No
0 Mage Hand Conjuration No
0 Mending Transmut. No
0 Message Transmut. No
0 Poison Spray Conjuration No
0 Prestidigitation Transmut. No
0 Produce Flame Evocation* No
0 Ray of Frost Evocation No
0 Resistance Abjuration No
0 Sacred Flame Evocation No
0 Shillelagh Transmut. No
0 Shocking Grasp Evocation No
0 Thaumaturgy Transmut. No
0 Thorn Whip Transmut. No

1 Alarm Abjuration Yes
1 Armor of Agathys Abjuration No
1 Arms of Hadar Conjuration No
1 Burning Hands Evocation No
1 Chromatic Orb Evocation No
1 Create or Destroy Water Transmut. No
1 Cure Wounds Abjuration* No
1 Divine Favor Evocation No
1 Ensnaring Strike Conjuration No
1 Entangle Conjuration No
1 Expeditious Retreat Transmut. No
1 Faerie Fire Evocation No
1 Feather Fall Transmut. No
1 Find Familiar Conjuration Yes
1 Fog Cloud Conjuration No
1 Goodberry Transmut. No
1 Grease Conjuration No
1 Guiding Bolt Evocation No
1 Hail of Thorns Conjuration No
1 Healing Word Abjuration* No
1 Hellish Rebuke Evocation No
1 Jump Transmut. No
1 Longstrider Transmut. No
1 Mage Armor Abjuration No
1 Magic Missile Evocation No
1 Protection from Evil and Good Abjuration No
1 Purify Food and Drink Transmut. Yes
1 Sanctuary Abjuration No
1 Shield Abjuration No
1 Searing Smite Evocation No
1 Shield of Faith Abjuration No
1 Tenser’s Floating Disk Conjuration Yes
1 Thunderous Smite Evocation No
1 Thunderwave Transmut.* No
1 Unseen Servant Conjuration Yes
1 Witch Bolt Evocation No
1 Wrathful Smite Evocation No

2 Aid Abjuration No
2 Alter Self Transmut. No
2 Arcane Lock Abjuration No
2 Barkskin Transmut. No
2 Blindness/Deafness Transmut.* No
2 Branding Smite Evocation No
2 Cloud of Daggers Conjuration No
2 Continual Flame Evocation No
2 Cordon of Arrows Transmut. No
2 Darkness Evocation No
2 Darkvision Transmut. No
2 Enhance Ability Transmut. No
2 Enlarge/Reduce Transmut. No
2 Find Steed Conjuration No
2 Flame Blade Evocation No
2 Flaming Sphere Evocation* No
2 Gust of Wind Evocation No
2 Heat Metal Transmut. No
2 Knock Transmut. No
2 Lesser Restoration Abjuration No
2 Levitate Transmut. No
2 Magic Weapon Transmut. No
2 Melf’s Acid Arrow Evocation No
2 Misty Step Conjuration No
2 Moonbeam Evocation No
2 Pass without Trace Abjuration No
2 Prayer of Healing Abjuration* No
2 Protection from Poison Abjuration No
2 Rope Trick Transmut. No
2 Scorching Ray Evocation No
2 Shatter Transmut.* No
2 Spider Climb Transmut. No
2 Spike Growth Transmut. No
2 Spiritual Weapon Evocation No
2 Warding Bond Abjuration No
2 Web Conjuration No

3 Aura of Vitality Abjuration* No
3 Beacon of Hope Abjuration No
3 Blinding Smite Evocation No
3 Blink Transmut. No
3 Call Lightning Conjuration No
3 Conjure Animals Conjuration No
3 Conjure Barrage Conjuration No
3 Counterspell Abjuration No
3 Create Food and Water Conjuration No
3 Crusader’s Mantle Evocation No
3 Daylight Evocation No
3 Dispel Magic Abjuration No
3 Elemental Weapon Transmut. No
3 Fireball Evocation No
3 Fly Transmut. No
3 Gaseous Form Transmut. No
3 Glyph of Warding Abjuration No
3 Haste Transmut. No
3 Hunger of Hadar Conjuration No
3 Leomund’s Tiny Hut Evocation Yes
3 Lightning Arrow Transmut. No
3 Lightning Bolt Evocation No
3 Magic Circle Abjuration No
3 Mass Healing Word Abjuration* No
3 Meld into Stone Transmut. Yes
3 Nondetection Abjuration No
3 Plant Growth Transmut. No
3 Protection from Energy Abjuration No
3 Remove Curse Abjuration No
3 Sleet Storm Conjuration No
3 Slow Transmut. No
3 Speak with Plants Transmut. No
3 Spirit Guardians Conjuration No
3 Stinking Cloud Conjuration No
3 Water Breathing Transmut. Yes
3 Water Walk Transmut. Yes
3 Wind Wall Evocation No

4 Aura of Life Abjuration No
4 Aura of Purity Abjuration No
4 Banishment Abjuration No
4 Conjure Minor Elementals Conjuration No
4 Conjure Woodland Beings Conjuration No
4 Control Water Transmut. No
4 Death Ward Abjuration No
4 Dimension Door Conjuration No
4 Evard’s Black Tentacles Conjuration No
4 Fabricate Transmut. No
4 Fire Shield Evocation No
4 Freedom of Movement Abjuration No
4 Giant Insect Transmut. No
4 Grasping Vine Conjuration No
4 Guardian of Faith Abjuration No
4 Ice Storm Evocation No
4 Leomund’s Secret Chest Conjuration No
4 Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound Conjuration No
4 Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum Abjuration No
4 Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere Evocation No
4 Polymorph Transmut. No
4 Staggering Smite Evocation No
4 Stone Shape Transmut. No
4 Stoneskin Transmut.* No
4 Wall of Fire Evocation No

5 Animate Objects Transmut. No
5 Antilife Shell Abjuration No
5 Awaken Transmut. No
5 Banishing Smite Abjuration No
5 Bigby’s Hand Evocation No
5 Circle of Power Abjuration No
5 Cloudkill Conjuration No
5 Cone of Cold Evocation No
5 Conjure Elemental Conjuration No
5 Conjure Volley Conjuration No
5 Destructive Wave Evocation No
5 Dispel Evil and Good Abjuration No
5 Flame Strike Evocation No
5 Greater Restoration Abjuration No
5 Hallow Abjuration* No
5 Insect Plague Conjuration No
5 Mass Cure Wounds Abjuration* No
5 Passwall Transmut. No
5 Planar Binding Abjuration No
5 Swift Quiver Transmut. No
5 Telekinesis Transmut. No
5 Teleportation Circle Conjuration No
5 Tree Stride Conjuration No
5 Wall of Force Evocation No
5 Wall of Stone Evocation No

You could make a worse list for artificers.

I think this is much clearer design. Decide which school a spell is in and then you know which class it is. Only one decision point, not 2 - or better 1 for each class with spells.

To that end, I'd actually rearrange the 3 Major Spell Lists via Level > School > Alphabetical. In the actual spell glossery they can be alphabetical, but on the spell lists I'd think it would make more sense to organize them more like this (taking just 1st level spells for sake of illustration):

ABJURATION SPELLS
1 Alarm Yes
1 Armor of Agathys No
1 Cure Wounds* No
1 Healing Word* No
1 Mage Armor No
1 Protection from Evil and Good No
1 Sanctuary Abjuration No
1 Shield Abjuration No
1 Shield of Faith Abjuration No

CONJURATION SPELLS
1 Arms of Hadar No
1 Ensnaring Strike No
1 Entangle No
1 Find Familiar Yes
1 Fog Cloud No
1 Grease No
1 Hail of Thorns No
1 Tenser’s Floating Disk Yes
1 Unseen Servant Yes

EVOCATION SPELLS
1 Burning Hands No
1 Chromatic Orb No
1 Divine Favor No
1 Faerie Fire No
1 Guiding Bolt No
1 Hellish Rebuke No
1 Magic Missile No
1 Searing Smite No
1 Thunderous Smite No
1 Witch Bolt No
1 Wrathful Smite No

TRANSMUTATION SPELLS
1 Create or Destroy Water No
1 Expeditious Retreat No
1 Feather Fall No
1 Goodberry No
1 Jump No
1 Longstrider No
1 Purify Food and Drink Yes
1 Thunderwave* No

 

[Marandahir]

Hmmm, I could play this now by re-flavoring the Battle Smith's Steel Defender into a Flesh Defender. I might just have to go make one of those.

While I LOVE your comment above here, and that's a great example of reflavouring for the sake of a great concept, it also misses the point of what I was saying, which is that while yes, the story of the Modern Prometheus is directly the inspiration of Flesh Golems, the fiction that it's playing in is that of Necromancy. In any case, I'm all for various options, and it sounds like Necromancy is best saved with Artificers for a Specialist subclass.

 

[MarkB]

Part of the original flavour of the artificer was that they understood magic in a way that went beyond restrictions of arcane or divine, so it would be a good nod to those origins if their spell list was restricted by school but not by the arcane / divine / primal divisions.

 

[Marandahir]

Part of the original flavour of the artificer was that they understood magic in a way that went beyond restrictions of arcane or divine, so it would be a good nod to those origins if their spell list was restricted by school but not by the arcane / divine / primal divisions.

That would be interesting, though I'd worry that it would then confuse the fiction of what Arcane Magic is, since that's supposed to be a catch all for everything not granted by Gods/Outer Planes or Nature/Inner Planes.

 

[MarkB]

That would be interesting, though I'd worry that it would then confuse the fiction of what Arcane Magic is, since that's supposed to be a catch all for everything not granted by Gods/Outer Planes or Nature/Inner Planes.

That was kind-of the point of them originally, though - it didn't matter what the source was originally, because Artificers were tinkering with magic on a more fundamental level, producing the same effect without necessarily using the same cause.