D&D 5E A Simpler Change For Artificers?

[doctorbadwolf]

So, Artificers work pretty well, but feel like they are restricted on some key things to a degree that feels unnecessary.

What if they gain the ability to make consumable common and uncommon magic items at 1/2 cost and time early, upgrading to the full ability later on?

For consumables that cast a spell, we could bring down the spell storing item to tier 2 and make it only cast the spell proficiency mod times. Later, it becomes prof+Int and eventually upgrades the spell level it can cast? Or perhaps you can do higher level spells, but you lose uses, so a 3rd level spell gets half as many uses?

Lastly, add 1 infusion in tier 1 or 2, and then another around 11, to give a little more variety and punch to the class.

Thoughts? Too much? If you had to pick two of the three ideas. What do you pick?

What levels would make sense for these upgrades?

 

[Stoutstien]

Would take quite a bit of work to figure out how these changes would effect the class.
Crafting is hard to judge at all because it's so game dependent to the point it might not even be an option unless you make special rules to fold it into S/L rest. I like crafting and the reduction in craft time can lead to some epic shenanigans but by lv 10 it's less jarring.

For a better casting "feel" for the artificer I personally just made them full classic prepared casters(old school style where you prep each slot/spell) and all spells have a material component added via what ever the player wants but in exchange they remove all other spell components. so zero verbal or somatic for artificers. Additional they use the spell point variant rule so they can freely shift resort around each day. They can still spontaneous expend 2 points to activate subclass features. Want exploding jelly beans or tiny paper dolls that grab you to slow your fall(feather fall) have at it.

Infusions are about spot on IMO. I do think a subclass that expands them wouldn't go amiss. I could see new infusions in the coming splat book. Tasha has some monsters just missing some low level one if your table frowns on spamming find familiar for everyone.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yeah honestly I think they could be full casters. What I might do instead is make them full caster to level 5 spells, then have Great Infusions that allow them to cast 6+ level spells. And make thier ritual casting not require preparing the spell.

Maybe.

I do also think that better crafting should be from level 3 and come from the subclass, and be specific to a type of item associated with that subclass, and spellstoring item maybe…level 5.

Not sure doing both would work out, unless I can combine the higher Spellcasting and spell storing item in some way.

 

[Leatherhead]

So there is the problem with the crafting suggestion:

Either your game has downtime or it doesn't. And this change isn't going to mean anything either way.

Normally, It takes half a workweek to craft a common consumable magic item. Assuming you using a standard calendar (instead of the FR calendar with 10 days) that's just under two full days of work. Even a potion of healing would still take 12 hours to brew.

 

[Stoutstien]

So there is the problem with the crafting suggestion:

Either your game has downtime or it doesn't. And this change isn't going to mean anything either way.

Normally, It takes half a workweek to craft a common consumable magic item. Assuming you using a standard calendar (instead of the FR calendar with 10 days) that's just under two full days of work. Even a potion of healing would still take 12 hours to brew.

Aye. Without reintroducing the concept of things like the dedicated wright, which comes with it's own issues within 5e's framework, crafting is hard to value as a tangible feature. That's why I would suggest adding it into the rest mechanic so there was some automatic progression included into the reduction of cost/time.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

So there is the problem with the crafting suggestion:

Either your game has downtime or it doesn't. And this change isn't going to mean anything either way.

Normally, It takes half a workweek to craft a common consumable magic item. Assuming you using a standard calendar (instead of the FR calendar with 10 days) that's just under two full days of work. Even a potion of healing would still take 12 hours to brew.

It isn’t nearly so binary. One game might have a few days in town, where another has weeks or months between adventures, and other is never in a place longer than a single long rest.

In all but the most extremely fast paced games, turning weeks into days into a day or two opens up crafting that would otherwise be impossible.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’d consider a special rule to allow the artificer to consider a long rest to allow half a day of progress on a crafting project, but that is about it.