D&D Releases Playtest for Updated Artificer

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Wizards of the Coast has dropped a new Unearthed Arcana Playtest for the Artificer, bringing the often neglected 13th Dungeons & Dragons 5E class into alignment with the 2024 rules update. The playtest was released via D&D Beyond today, with feedback launching on December 24th.

The Artificer gains several new abilities, many of which are designed with an eye to making the class more versatile. For instance, players can now craft low-cost items quickly with a revamped Magical Tinkering ability, while Infuse Item ha been changed to Replicate Magic Item and allows players to replicate magic items of certain rarities and item type. Players can also use the Magic Item Tinker ability to convert a Replicated magic item into a spell slot. The capstone Soul of Artifice ability has also received a buff, with the Artificer no needing a Reaction in order to utilize its ability to skip death saving throws and restoring more health as well.

The subclasses were also updated. For example, the Alchemist's Experimental Elixir producing more elixirs and Chemical Mastery getting a big boost with extra damage, resistance, and the ability to cast Tasha's Bubbling Cauldron. The Armorer has a new Dreadnought option and Armor Modifications was replaced with a new ability called Armor Replication. The Artillerist's Eldritch Cannon can switch between various options instead of being set to one option and the Explosive Cannon ability does more damage and only requires a Reaction to use. Finally, the Battle Smith has received minor adjustments to its Steel Defender construct.

Compared to many other class updates in the 2024 Player's Handbook, the Artificer's changes are much less drastic. There are some obvious updates that bring the class in line with the design updates to other classes, but it didn't receive a major rework like several other classes.
 

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Christian Hoffer

Christian Hoffer

First thoughts....

Magical Tinkering: This is a bit odd. The current version is that great either and this looks like an attempt to allow the artificer to create something useful as the need arises. That's situational and the list is meh anyway. This might reward creative players but I suspect it's missing the intended goal.

Spellcasting: This isn't significantly different, but I would point out that general spell changes can have some impact. I would also point out that the comparison to paladins and rangers I saw earlier in the thread was missing the cantrips artificers have at first level, which is more useful compared to favored enemy or lay-on-hands than magical tinkering.

I like moving Homunculus from the infusions to the spells.

Moving the homunculus into the spells removes an infusion tax to fill out bonus action options. Artillerists use bonus actions on cannons and battle smiths use bonus actions on steel defenders. That left someone like an alchemist either forced to take the infusion or go without, or look for another source. That's no longer the case.

The updated homunculus has hit point spread out better, PB bonus set by spell level, and a 30' ranged attack other artificers can make use of.

Replicate Magic Item: This seems more flexible, and given the gp value limitations of items for sale in some areas this could be an easy way to gain decent armor early now that it's created instead of infused.

Magic Item Tinker: I'm not convinced giving up a magic item is necessarily worth a spell slot. I would be inclined to remove the long rest restriction. It is nice to have a way to reclaim a spell slot when it is needed though.

Flash of Genius: I think this is another ability that could restore a single use on a short rest.

Spell Storing Item: Adding 3rd level spells to the list is a big upgrade to one of the best abilities artificers had. This also doubles as a method of transforming a weapon into a spell focus as a smaller benefit.

Soul of Artifice: This is better in one way and worse in another.

Alchemist thoughts...

Experimental elixirs being used or administered on a bonus action is useful. I don't, however, like the removal of a useful elixir for a small chance to select from the remaining list. If WotC wanted that approach I think they would have been better off to switch to a d8 roll and allow a choice on a 7 or 8, and then they can keep the transformation elixir with better odds of a choice.

That small chance takes away from the reasonable option to spend a 1st level spell slot on the transformation elixir.

2-5 elixirs is also better than 1-3 elixirs, but I think it would be better to start with more than 2.

Restorative reagents provides more temp hp for another small improvement.

I think chemical mastery is much improved. Conjured cauldron is more interesting than a use of mass cure wounds or heal. Alchemical eruption adds more damage. So an alchemist who casts acid splash under these rules is rolling the cantrip damage, adding INT modifier, and adding another 2d8 to a target in the small AoE. The wording might need a polish.

I know a lot of people don't care for the alchemist, but I like the bit of versatility it adds. The changes are generally positive in more elixirs, more temp hp, and a better damage option at higher levels. Conjured cauldron is interesting and thematic. I think alchemists have definitely improved but could use some tweaks.

Armorer thoughts...

I don't have much to say about the armorer. I think they're fairly straight forward.

Adding another armor model was definitely needed, and I think the size change is different enough catch my interest a bit in the dreadnaught armor.

Being bloodied to trigger the temp hp in the guardian armor has me wondering how often it can or will be triggered. The way it's worded it looks to me like an armorer artificer in guardian armor to spend a bonus action as often as desired as long as they're bloodied to give quite a bit of lasting power through repeat temp hp application.

I find it interesting that armor replication grants one additional magic item replication but armor modifications granted 2 extra infusions in the armor.

Perfected armor adding more damage is a step in the right direction.

Artillerist thoughts...

I suspect the tiny cannons are still going to be held in one hand. I don't believe there's much point in making them tiny otherwise. I also expect a lot of artillerists might have 10 extra fireballs at 11th level.

Deciding which cannon ability to use instead getting locked into a type of cannon is an improvement.

The reaction to explode the cannons is also better than spending an action for the amount of damage it does.

An issue I find with artillerists is the 1 hr shelf life on a cannon. That means every short rest it's gone. Every hour outside of that first hour it's gone. Every time it takes enough damage (mending is only good outside of combat) and it's gone. Trying to maintain a cannon in an adventuring day is hard on spell slots in a way arcane armor or a steel defender are not, and even elixirs last all day until they're used -- alchemists don't have elixirs disappear after an hour.

A person can get some good use out of the cannons while they are available, but players really need to be prepared to spend additional spell slots on cannons that won't be available for spells. Double firepower for 2 cannons is double spell slot expenditure to maintain those 2 cannons throughout the day.

Battle Smith thoughts...

I don't have much to say on this subclass as well. Battle smiths are also fairly straight forward.

The steel defender hasn't changed much and seem more reliant on INT bonus than PB. Steel bond looks like an improvement.

The battle smith still plays as a pet option and can use extra attack with weapons. This was and continues to be a solid option.

The steel defender does seem to have lost the vigilant trait, however, unless I'm just missing it.

Snipping out a few thoughts.

Steel Defender has an AC of 15, is limited to melee attacks, and at level 3 has 20 hp.
Turret has an AC of 18, can fire from range, and at level 3 has 15 hp.

I don't know if the Steel Defender actually ends up coming out on the better end for this. It can use its entire action to heal 2d8 (9) hp, but I don't know if that is as effective as getting 1d8+mod AND giving temp hp to anyone nearby in terms of staying power.

With Replicate Item... I don't think we ever had any issue with needing the armor to make an infusion, because the character was usually wearing armor. You just infused the gear the party already had, and if you wanted it to be better, the party got better gear. It would be BIZARRE to have a situation where the party needed the artificer to provide all of their gear more than... once in a full campaign.

I also agree that magic item tinker seems to be a really odd ability. I get the intent, but I don't see it working in practice.
 

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Doing my Day 2 closer read and test character mock up, I noticed that not only does the Homunculus Servant not use up an Infusion/Replicated Item slot anymore, it also doesn't cost a Bonus Action to command. Which means that while it's a bit fragile and expensive, it can be used by any Artificer subclass to add a little extra damage and utility.

Doesn't it come online a lot later though? My Tasha's is buried, but I thought I remembered a level 3 Artificer being able to use the Homunculus. Now they need to be level 5. Which isn't a lot, but it is noticeable.
 

Doesn't it come online a lot later though? My Tasha's is buried, but I thought I remembered a level 3 Artificer being able to use the Homunculus. Now they need to be level 5. Which isn't a lot, but it is noticeable.
Yeah, it used to be 2nd level when Infusions came in. Which is probably a deliberate change to make it part of the 5th level damage spike package.
 

The 2014 Artificer had "expertise" in tools, but that was removed in this version. I think they are moving away from treating tools like skills, but they could still grant a use on expertise to the artificer.

And I agree the artificer needs some "damage booster" ability or something else at level 1 that lets them fill that role better. "Overcharge item" that let's them do an extra 1d6 damage with a weapon or something. Alternatively, give them a mech for extra healing if you want to incorporate the 4e "leader" style artificer into it.

Hmm, I'm not convinced at the moment. Maybe it was my experience being with an Artillerist and not an Armorer or Battlesmith, but I felt my damage was good enough. My big tricks were usually being decently armored (think I had an AC of 17?) and throwing down web, while also following it up with a 3d8 and 2d8 attack the next turn. I wasn't winning a damage race, but I didn't build for that either.
 

I think I still have two thoughts from the base class. The subclasses are mostly fine, but it is the base I keep looking at.

1) If we are going to do making mundane items for the level 1 ability, just remove the limits. You can make any non-magical, small or smaller item costing less than 50 gp. I don't think I want them making armor with this (hence the small), but if you wanted to make a Warhammer? Sure, why not. Just let the artificer always have a useful item. As I mentioned before, actual play experience, tells me this is generally just not that good. It may lead to one or two cool moments, but it will rarely be radically powerful. Heck, I'd move Right Tool for the Job to level 1. That feels very magical engineer to me.

2) I don't like that the Artificer's abilities are so tied up in items that anyone could find in any treasure hoard. Take away the subclass abilities, and the Artificer gets... nothing really. Take the class up to level 6, halfway through most games, and the only unique thing they can do is pull an item out of their hat. It used to be that the infusions like the repelling shield or the mind sharpener were completely unique to the Artificer. You couldn't get them any other way. Now... now they are just treasure. So what is the artificer doing that no one else can do in the base class? I can't really think of anything. And that bothers me a lot.
 

Look, I don't want to yuck anyone's yum, optimization has a long history within the hobby, almost as long as the hobby itself. And I certainly don't think there's any such thing as BadWrongFun, a truly wrong way to play.


...but if there was........
I see your point, but part of the point of playtesting is to unleash your powergamers to stress test the thing being playtested to keep these loopholes from making it to print.
 



Just reviewed Treantmonk's video on this. Here is a summary of the issues he sees with the class. I should first mention overall he likes the direction they're going with the class, he just sees some problems:

1) Material Components: Every Artificer spell requires a material component of a tool. You cannot therefore use a weapon and shield, and cast a spell, without stowing/drawing shenanigans. This seems an oversight.
Only for the battle smith IIRC (and that was one of the mistaken and probable accidental changes). The armourer can use their arcane armour as a focus instead, and the alchemist and artillerist aren't weapon wielders anyway unless you count the Arcane Firearm as a weapon.
2) Level 6 Uncommon Armor, Wand or Weapon Item plans: This is too broad because of Enspelled items. This is a LOT of spells you suddenly get every day at this level. And the spell DOES NOT NEED TO BE ON YOUR SPELL LIST according to Crawford in the video, which means some spells which are otherwise siloed from classes like Bards are not siloed from this class. This isn't a huge problem at level 6 since it's cantrips and first level spells (though it can be in theory). But later when you get 3rd level spells it can be a problem.
Agreed. But it's more the quantity of spells that worries me.
3) Level 11: Spell Storing Item. This is his 2nd biggest issue with this playtest version. This is TEN extra 3rd level spells per day. 11th level Battlesmith has their pet fire 10 Conjure Barrage every day. Artillerists' fire 10 Fireballs per day. Armorer can do 10 Hypnotic Patterns or Lighting Bolts. Alchemists can do 10 hastes or dispel magic.
A worry - but not gamebreaking.
5) Endless Homunculus Exploit: There is a rules exploit.
This is a major exploit that can be easily closed off. Homunculus requires an expensive material component to cast. And if that loophole isn't closed off we get wands of Revivify and Continual Light.
 

I think one thing to consider is crafting is supposed to be more used in the 2024 rules. Which means "best at crafting magic items" is worth rather more than it was in the 2014 rules. The alchemist, in particular, is supposed to be crafting regular potions for the party using the crafting rules between adventures.

Another thing artificers seem to have lost in this version is free firearms proficiency.
 

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