Artificer Archetypes: contribute!

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Really, to have been fun, Artificers should have gotten computer hacker-esque 'reprogramming' abilities, so they could take existing magic and rework it to do different things.

Like, say, take a Deflection bonus to AC and turn it into a Luck bonus?

Or make an item grant a bonus on skill checks?

Or add a bonus power to weapons that it didn't have before?

They only thing they can't really do in one step is take a Luck bonus to AC and make it into a Luck bonus to Attack. Of course, they could just take the sword's enhancement bonus and make it a Luck bonus and then enhance the sword with [Greater] Magic Weapon, but there you go.

EDIT: In other words, could you explain what you mean a bit more? I think they can already do it, but I could be wrong.

 

[RangerWickett]

Really? I thought Artificers just were experts who could make magic items with a craft point pool. Mind you, I haven't seen an Eberron book for 8 months now, but I could've sworn they didn't get any 'power swapping' abilities.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Really? I thought Artificers just were experts who could make magic items with a craft point pool. Mind you, I haven't seen an Eberron book for 8 months now, but I could've sworn they didn't get any 'power swapping' abilities.

Nah - I think you're mixing up Magewrights and Artificers. Magewrights are Adepts with Craft skills and a limited arcane spellcasting list.

Artificers get every magic item creation feat and a craft reserve, but they also get a number of infusions (basically, spells) which only work on magical items or constructs.

They start off with things like Magic Weapon and Weapon Augmentation (Personal), which allow them to give +1 Enhancement bonuses (as per the spell) and apply any ability that costs +1 to their own weapon. They also have a skill-item infusion which grants circumstance bonuses to a particular skill, which increases as they increase in level.

Eventually, they can hand out weapon or armor abilities that cost up to +5 on the fly, create single-shot wands on the fly, add extra charges to existing wands, and change bonuses from one type to another (i.e., Deflection to Luck, etc.).

EDIT:

Ferinstance, if an artificer really, really wanted to, they could take your Cloak of Elvenkind (+5 Competence to Hide) and then they'd apply their Skill Enhancer on it, and make it a CoE (+5 Comp. to Hide, +5 Circumstance to Hide). Then, they'd bonus-switch it, and make it a CoE(+5 Comp. to Hide, +5 Luck to Hide), and Skill Enhance it again, to end up with a CoE (+5 Comp. to Hide, +5 Luck to Hide, +5 Circ. to Hide). You've got a +15 CoE (for an hour or so, anyway).

 

[Shadowlore]

Nah - I think you're mixing up Magewrights and Artificers. Magewrights are Adepts with Craft skills and a limited arcane spellcasting list.

Artificers get every magic item creation feat and a craft reserve, but they also get a number of infusions (basically, spells) which only work on magical items or constructs.

They start off with things like Magic Weapon and Weapon Augmentation (Personal), which allow them to give +1 Enhancement bonuses (as per the spell) and apply any ability that costs +1 to their own weapon. They also have a skill-item infusion which grants circumstance bonuses to a particular skill, which increases as they increase in level.

Eventually, they can hand out weapon or armor abilities that cost up to +5 on the fly, create single-shot wands on the fly, add extra charges to existing wands, and change bonuses from one type to another (i.e., Deflection to Luck, etc.).

EDIT:

Ferinstance, if an artificer really, really wanted to, they could take your Cloak of Elvenkind (+5 Competence to Hide) and then they'd apply their Skill Enhancer on it, and make it a CoE (+5 Comp. to Hide, +5 Circumstance to Hide). Then, they'd bonus-switch it, and make it a CoE(+5 Comp. to Hide, +5 Luck to Hide), and Skill Enhance it again, to end up with a CoE (+5 Comp. to Hide, +5 Luck to Hide, +5 Circ. to Hide). You've got a +15 CoE (for an hour or so, anyway).

Well on the fly sorta. It takes an AP or 10 minutes for those armor/weapon abilities, but yes still there. That last example is pretty sweet looking though (and for those who don't have the material or don't recall, theses infusions are likewise 10 minutes or 1 AP for 1 round). But why stop there? Convert to an insight bonus so your +5 competence bonus from Shadow armor enhancement also stack for a total of +20 to hide plus your skill and ability mod.

But back to archetypes ...
I totally agree with the B5 Technomages as iconic artificers. McGuyver also strikes me as one, but less so than the Technomages. Not so much on Scotty and LaForge.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I know its not quite the same, but I ran a gnomish artificer in 2Ed. I concentrated on alchemy, herbalism and other crafts skills, making all kinds of potions and concoctions. The essential idea (as far as combat went) was controlling an area or laying covering fire while the REAL warriors delivered the hurt.

As a result, he threw a lot of smoke-bombs, firebombs, acid and/or gas grenades, etc. Poison may or may not have been in his repetoir...

I did a little research on nifty little facts about ancient technology and the natural world, like how to build an ancient battery, how wool and amber can generate electricity, pine sap can be used as an extremely low-grade explosive, or which animals, mushrooms and plants made the nastiest poisons.

He used oils to make locks easier to pick, or sometimes to make it easier to hit (now) prone opponents.

Non-combat, he'd use his crafting skills to generate a little cash- showing this blacksmith a better way to forge a particular alloy, or using a weak battery to electroplate cheap jewelry (usually to scam a scammer).

 

[Staffan]

Really? I thought Artificers just were experts who could make magic items with a craft point pool. Mind you, I haven't seen an Eberron book for 8 months now, but I could've sworn they didn't get any 'power swapping' abilities.

There's an infusion (sort of spells) that does that:
Item Alteration
Transmutation
Level: Artificer 4
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch
Target: Magic item touched
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
You alter an item that provides a certain type of bonus so that it provides a different type of bonus to the same value or roll. For example, you could change a ring of protection +1 so that it provided a natural armor bonus to AC instead of a deflection bonus, or you could change a cloak of resistance so that it provided a circumstance bonus on saves instead of a resistance bonus. You can not use this infusion to change an item so that it provides a sacred or profane bonus, nor can you change an item that already does so to make it provide a different kind of bonus. You also cannot make an item provide a dodge bonus to AC.

The big thing they have going for them though, is this one:
Spell Storing Item
Level: Artificer 1
Components: S, XP
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Item touched
Duration: 1 hour per level or until discharged
Saving Throw: None (object)
Spell Resistance: No (object)
This infusion allows you to place a spell effect into an item to draw it forth later, at your command. The item becomes, in effect, a command-word item with a single charge, which only you can use.
You can imbue any spell of 4th level or lower into the item, as long as its spell level is no greater than one-half your artificer level. Your artificer level is the spell’s caster level (though you can voluntarily reduce this, but no lower than required to cast the spell in question). You must make a successful Use Magic Device check (DC 20+(spell level×3)) to emulate the spell and store it in the item, but you don’t need to make another check to later use the item. If you fail this check by 10 or more, you suffer a mishap. The DM determines the result of a mishap, as with scroll mishaps. As a default, either the spell is activated immediately instead of being placed in the item, affecting you if possible, or the spell erupts in a burst of uncontrolled energy, dealing 2d6 points of damage to you.
An item can only carry one spell at one time.
You must provide any expensive material components or XP components the spell requires at the time you imbue it into the item. You must provide any focus the spell requires at the time you cast it from the item.
XP cost: Your caster level × the spell level. For example, to place a scorching ray cast at 3rd level into an item, you need to spend 6 XP.

 

[MavrickWeirdo]

over on the wizards boards, someone has posted a Homunculus Master PrC Link