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

[cbwjm]

Out of interest, I was thinking about how an Artificer might access the arcane spell list since it seems that some classes have limited access to a spell list. While I'm not really assuming the artificer will get a revision in 2024 PHB, it might have a revision in a later book.

Looking at the artificer's spells they have the following schools/spell numbers in their current list:

School	Number of Spells
Abjuration	15
Conjuration	12
Divination	5
Enchantment	1
Evocation	17
Illusion	5
Necromancy	1
Transmutation	39

Additionally, the Artificer has 5 spells that aren't arcane spells and that I didn't include in the table above: spare the dying, cure wounds, lesser restoration, revivify, and greater restoration.

Looking at this, enchantment and necromancy can easily be removed since they only have a single spell, and divination and illusion only have 5 so most likely could also be removed from artificer access, however, divination includes the spells identify and detect magic, 2 spells which I think an artificer should have so perhaps they'll keep it but I also feel like they could get those two spells as a class feature as something always prepared. Illusion has the creation spell which is also a prime candidate for an artificer, but since WotC are will to swap schools this could easily be included by making it conjuration.

Since artificers are also able to heal, I wouldn't be surprised if they have a "Songs of Restoration" ability like the bard, probably something like "Artifacts of Healing" but where the bard gets healing word, the artificer gets cure wounds.

So if I had to speculate what spell access a potential artificer update would have, I believe it would be the schools of Abjuration, Conjuration, Evocation, and Transmutation. They'll have class features that grant them access to detect magic and identify; and access to 5 healing spells in a similar fashion as the bard.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

I wonder what it would look like if you just gave Artificers cross-list access to Abjuration, Conjuration, Evocation, and Transmutation? Artificers always having healing spells memorized just seems weird to me.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Your analysis sounds sound.

 

[Mephista]

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?

 

[Marandahir]

I wouldn't remove Necromancy.

One of the most important fantasy scientist archetypes not yet explored - and thus key for expansion - is the Mortician/Dr. Frankenstein/tamperer with life and death character. This is a big part of the gothic fantasy that Artificers allow, and necromancer wizard comes at it from a completely different angle (much less magic necromancer a la Kel'Thuzad or the Lich King in WarCraft, much less of these fantasy scientists of classic horror genres).

Alternatively, that archetype should enable access to the Necromancy school. But then you lack access to a critical part of your character build until you reach 3rd level and can't reinforce that concept during the trainee levels...

Similarly, Botanist or other Biological / Ecological / Environmental Scientist Artificers would want plenty of spells locked behind the Primal spell list. I guess I'd give them freebies for their archetype, or let them choose a handful of those a la magical secrets, but it really feels like these spell lists are hindering key archetypes, and even something like Songs of Restoration really only restore certain spells to the Bard's list, so whatever they do would be limited at most…

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I wouldn't remove Necromancy.

One of the most important fantasy scientist archetypes not yet explored - and thus key for expansion - is the Mortician/Dr. Frankenstein/tamperer with life and death character. This is a big part of the gothic fantasy that Artificers allow, and necromancer wizard comes at it from a completely different angle (much less magic necromancer a la Kel'Thuzad or the Lich King in WarCraft, much less of these fantasy scientists of classic horror genres).

Alternatively, that archetype should enable access to the Necromancy school. But then you lack access to a critical part of your character build until you reach 3rd level and can't reinforce that concept during the trainee levels...

Similarly, Botanist or other Biological / Ecological / Environmental Scientist Artificers would want plenty of spells locked behind the Primal spell list. I guess I'd give them freebies for their archetype, or let them choose a handful of those a la magical secrets, but it really feels like these spell lists are hindering key archetypes, and even something like Songs of Restoration really only restore certain spells to the Bard's list, so whatever they do would be limited at most…

Is it that important, that you have to be the necromancer at level 1? I think this would be something you learn during your studies. And if it is that important to you, you have your magic initiate feat to help you out in the first 2 levels.

 

[Mephista]

I wouldn't remove Necromancy.

One of the most important fantasy scientist archetypes not yet explored - and thus key for expansion - is the Mortician/Dr. Frankenstein/tamperer with life and death character. This is a big part of the gothic fantasy that Artificers allow, and necromancer wizard comes at it from a completely different angle (much less magic necromancer a la Kel'Thuzad or the Lich King in WarCraft, much less of these fantasy scientists of classic horror genres).

Frankenstein monsters fall under flesh golems and homoculi category, both Constructs and not Undead. That should be Transmutation school, not Necromancy, along with the creation of chimera-like beings.

 

[cbwjm]

I wouldn't remove Necromancy.

One of the most important fantasy scientist archetypes not yet explored - and thus key for expansion - is the Mortician/Dr. Frankenstein/tamperer with life and death character. This is a big part of the gothic fantasy that Artificers allow, and necromancer wizard comes at it from a completely different angle (much less magic necromancer a la Kel'Thuzad or the Lich King in WarCraft, much less of these fantasy scientists of classic horror genres).

Alternatively, that archetype should enable access to the Necromancy school. But then you lack access to a critical part of your character build until you reach 3rd level and can't reinforce that concept during the trainee levels...

Similarly, Botanist or other Biological / Ecological / Environmental Scientist Artificers would want plenty of spells locked behind the Primal spell list. I guess I'd give them freebies for their archetype, or let them choose a handful of those a la magical secrets, but it really feels like these spell lists are hindering key archetypes, and even something like Songs of Restoration really only restore certain spells to the Bard's list, so whatever they do would be limited at most…

I think what you've said here about expanding spell access to additional schools would be good. The half-caster issue is a little problematic, as you say, but granting the mad scientist access to necromancy via the subclass works well in theory, as does limited access to primal or divine lists if needed.

 

[Marandahir]

Frankenstein monsters fall under flesh golems and homoculi category, both Constructs and not Undead. That should be Transmutation school, not Necromancy, along with the creation of chimera-like beings.

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.

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I wouldn't remove Necromancy.

One of the most important fantasy scientist archetypes not yet explored - and thus key for expansion - is the Mortician/Dr. Frankenstein/tamperer with life and death character. This is a big part of the gothic fantasy that Artificers allow, and necromancer wizard comes at it from a completely different angle (much less magic necromancer a la Kel'Thuzad or the Lich King in WarCraft, much less of these fantasy scientists of classic horror genres).

Alternatively, that archetype should enable access to the Necromancy school. But then you lack access to a critical part of your character build until you reach 3rd level and can't reinforce that concept during the trainee levels...

Similarly, Botanist or other Biological / Ecological / Environmental Scientist Artificers would want plenty of spells locked behind the Primal spell list. I guess I'd give them freebies for their archetype, or let them choose a handful of those a la magical secrets, but it really feels like these spell lists are hindering key archetypes, and even something like Songs of Restoration really only restore certain spells to the Bard's list, so whatever they do would be limited at most…

I would just make those be new subclasses that get access to the appropriate spells/spell lists. No reason to give all Artificers Animate Dead and other "Frankenstein-y" spells when that could be a cool "Fleshstitcher" subclass.