D&D (2024) 2024 Artificer

[mellored]

I've played an Artificer in short campaigns and it's super fun out of combat but just pretty weak in terms of damage. And it's straight garbage at Level 1-2, basically unplayable until subclasses at Level 3, I would never play Artificer unless the adventure started at Level 3 or higher

Give them Truestrike and they will be fine early on.

And if anyone is should be using weapons with their casting stat, it's Artificer.

 

[Umbran]

Artificers are less martial and more magical.

The Battlesmith raises an eyebrow at you on that one.

 

[Clint_L]

The Battlesmith raises an eyebrow at you on that one.

Yeah, my spouse's battlesmith kicks all kinds of butt. They focus on utility with their spells, use the construct for off-tanking and support with their bonus action and reaction, and blast away with a firearm. And they make it so the party almost never fails a crucial skill check or saving throw. They're potent in combat and incredibly versatile.

 

[Merlecory]

I liked that the 2014 Artificer (2019 actually) had a subclass at level 5, allowing for subclasses to carry the class in different directions. Having a half caster that didn't get Extra Attack at level 5 is great for class mechanical diversity IMO, and not something I would expect WotC to do again. I wish that they had given Artificer at least one spell that was all their own, but maybe on a second try.


That said:

• Alchemist is weak. I think this subclass is occupying a "doctor" alchemist, and a "bombardier/poisoner/acid" alchemist. I think this subclass could be split in two.
• Armorer looks like a slightly weaker alternate to the paladin and ranger. I do feel like, on paper, it is just at weaker Paladin though.
• Artillerist is sorely lacking in Indirect fires, and seems better served by making the cannon a health beacon. I will admit, I am not sure how to solve that first problem in a way that makes sense in DnD. The health beacon might be better on the Armorer or Alchemist.
• Battle Smith is a pet subclass, not really my thing.

 

[Ashrym]

The Battlesmith raises an eyebrow at you on that one.

Not really. That's a more martial option on a more magical class than Paladins or Rangers.

That's like calling a Bard a martial class because of the College of Valor.

I see the Battle Smith pet as a defining characteristic more.

I am thinking there's more room for a 2024 pass than what I was thinking was a minimum requirement at this point though. There are some helpful comments in this thread.

 

[Clint_L]

The thing that makes Battlesmith so good is that they optimize their action economy. On almost every round they have something impactful to do with their action, bonus action, and reaction. Plus they are a fantastic asset outside of combat.

 

[WanderingMystic]

So I have played in games with an Artillerist, and Alchemist and a Battle Smith, now I am playing an Artillerist in a different game. In my experience the infusions don't really matter as much around level 5-6. Having a magical weapon/focus and armor is nice but once everyone else starts to get their own magical items you seem to get ignored. Compared to your other half casters who get weapon mastery and a fighting style the power level of the Artificer leaves much to be desired. The Battle Master and Armorer's extra attack at level 5 allows them to be better at keep up with the Paladin and the Ranger however the 5th level abilities for the Alchemist and the Artillerist both fail in comparison.

What I had wanted from an Artificer based on 3rd ed was someone who has much more versatility and are more deserving of begin full casters than Bards ever were. You are playing a class where 2 of your subclasses are forced to focus on cantrip casting with no noticeable improvement like Eldritch blast has with the Warlock. Overall I think that the warlock chasse would work better than the half caster. Give them "infusions" that act more like a warlocks invocations, the pact magic works nicely as an "arcane battery" to power their devices that they craft.

 

[MarkB]

Thieves' Tools still exist.

Thieves’ Tools(25 GP)​

Ability: Dexterity
Utilize: Pick a lock (DC 15), or disarm a trap (DC 15)

Sleight of Hand as an applicable skill proficiency doesn't change that. It's still a tool proficiency. Rogues and Artificers both gain that tool proficiency with the class.

What happens is if they both also take Sleight of Hand then they gain advantage using Thieves' Tools.

Rogues can take Expertise in Sleight of Hand at 1st or 6th, can no longer take Expertise in tools including Thieves' Tools, and can avoid Expertise in favor of other skills relying on DEX bonus, proficiency, and advantage. Or they can keep it simpler without taking Sleight of Hand and all relying on Thieves' Tools proficiency and DEX bonus.

Artificers automatically have Expertise in Thieves' Tools at 6th level. At 1st level they can take proficiency in Sleight of Hand as well for advantage. At 7th level when the Rogue is also adding Reliable Talent the Artificer is adding Flash of Genius.

I wouldn't call 6th and 7th levels rear-loaded when those are strong skill levels for Rogues too and advantage is available early for either.

Same with Infusions. Cap of Water Breathing or Goggles of Night help. Boots or Cloak of Elvenkind later.

Under the 2024 rules you generally make those checks using an appropriate skill, such as Sleight of Hand, and if you're proficient with both the tool and the skill you gain advantage.

I don't think there will be such a thing as expertise with tool proficiencies for any 2024 class. They'll probably give artificers something else, whether it's expertise in the skills related to those tools or something of equivalent usefulness.

 

[Baumi]

I played an Artillerist to 12th level, and it was a blast! As an at-will damage powerhouse, I was dealing around 9d6 damage per round while maintaining solid AC and some cool tricks up my sleeve. While I couldn't go nova like a Paladin or unleash flashy high-level spells like a Wizard, my staying power was excellent, thanks to at-will damage, a high defense, and features like Spell Store.

However, I found the Infusions frustrating. While they're central to the Artificer concept, managing magic items—figuring out who needs what, how many items you can attune, and what you can create—wasn't enjoyable for me. Additionally, it’s challenging to gauge the power of your artificer since Infusions can vary from extremely powerful to barely useful. This ambiguity arises because many magic items often provide passive boosts or utility in rare situations, which can make it hard to assess their overall impact. But maybe that's just a personal issue!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

So I have played in games with an Artillerist, and Alchemist and a Battle Smith, now I am playing an Artillerist in a different game. In my experience the infusions don't really matter as much around level 5-6. Having a magical weapon/focus and armor is nice but once everyone else starts to get their own magical items you seem to get ignored. Compared to your other half casters who get weapon mastery and a fighting style the power level of the Artificer leaves much to be desired. The Battle Master and Armorer's extra attack at level 5 allows them to be better at keep up with the Paladin and the Ranger however the 5th level abilities for the Alchemist and the Artillerist both fail in comparison.

What I had wanted from an Artificer based on 3rd ed was someone who has much more versatility and are more deserving of begin full casters than Bards ever were. You are playing a class where 2 of your subclasses are forced to focus on cantrip casting with no noticeable improvement like Eldritch blast has with the Warlock. Overall I think that the warlock chasse would work better than the half caster. Give them "infusions" that act more like a warlocks invocations, the pact magic works nicely as an "arcane battery" to power their devices that they craft.

Yeah, I think WotC over-valued the Infusion thingy because they went with the base assumptions that magic items aren't mandatory to the game while most games are more generous with magic items loot/crafting/shop.

With the comming of the new magic crafting rules and feats, full casters will definitely have an edge over the artificer.

A knowledge cleric who can swap in new tool proficiencies and has Expertise can be a great item crafter and a support full spellcaster.

Or a Bard who can poach from other spell lists to access the best spells enchant on an item, with Expertise in Arcana and prof with Tools from feat or background.