Artificer's Disjunction

[RUMBLETiGER]

I was re-reading the Retain Essence level 5 class ability of the Artificer. With one day's worth of time with an item, a magical item is destroyed.

Is this as big a deal as it seems?
Cursed items canceled?
Are constructs destroyed?
How about artifacts?

 

[thompsja]

Well, the XP goes into your craft reserve, which evaporates when you gain an Artificer level. So you shouldn't burn items unless you plan to use it immediately.

My artificer burned an evil intelligent weapon, and ruled that I needed to make some spellcraft/use magic item rolls. If I was DM, I wouldn't allow artifacts to be reduced by an Artificer (unless we were Epic, and maybe not even then).

Cursed items - yes, they get smelted.

Constructs - Value is reduced by damage done. Self-directed constructs do not provide XP. Please - every warforged would be devoured!

It's not that big of a deal. It is a very nice feature that helps the artificer change items that people don't need into items that people do.

 

[frankthedm]

The ability is fine in an Eberron game. Just remember pricing a magic item is not G.U.R.P.S. character creation. IF the DM chooses to allow custom magic item creation, the DM has to evaluate every single custom item made.

Outside of an Eberron game, I'd advise caution about allowing a Magic Mart employee of the month as a Player character.

Here is a page with some info on artificer tricks.

Constructs - Value is reduced by damage done. Self-directed constructs do not provide XP. Please - every warforged would be devoured!

What book, magazine or webpage did you get that information from? The ability in the ECS just applies to magic items, which while similar, are not the same thing as a construct.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I'm just thinking that Mordenkainen's Disjunction is a 9th level spell. The Artificer's 5th level ability appears to duplicate the effects of the spell, with the duration of 1 day instead of instantanious. That appears pretty powerful.

I asked about constructs because they are crafted using magic and a feat under the same mechanics as crafting a wand, a ring, a rod, weapons and armor, etc. Therefore, can a construct be the target of the retain essence class ability? If so, if a party managed to subdue a construct so that it was rendered immobile for the day it took for the Artificer to drain it dry, would that be the same as killing the construct opponent?

Warforged are different because they are living constructs, and are not created using the same process as all other magic items, IMO.

 

[frankthedm]

I'm just thinking that Mordenkainen's Disjunction is a 9th level spell. The Artificer's 5th level ability appears to duplicate the effects of the spell, with the duration of 1 day instead of instantaneous. That appears pretty powerful.

I think you meant "the casting time of 1 day instead of instantaneous." Destroying most magic items is not a hard task. Smashy-Smashy works on most of them quite well.

The artificer is merely grinding up a magic item into XP powder and snorting it to make more items later. It is somewhat better than having to cart magic items back to cities to sell them off. You have to have the feat to create the item to salvage the XP, so artifacts are out since there is no pre-epic feat IIRC available to make them. Major artifacts are immune to being salvaged due to being quasi-indestructible.

Constructs are creatures. barring errata, retain essence won't touch them, just as Dispel Magic won't render a construct inert for 1d4 rounds. While they are made with an item creation feat, they are creatures.

Also MOST cursed items CAN be juiced for XP with this ability. A few won't work with this ability because the don't have a cost to create.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I think you meant "the casting time of 1 day instead of instantaneous." Destroying most magic items is not a hard task. Smashy-Smashy works on most of them quite well.

Constructs are creatures. barring errata, retain essence won't touch them, just as Dispel Magic won't render a construct inert for 1d4 rounds. While they are made with an item creation feat, they are creatures.

Thank you for the perspective. I hadn't paid attention to the fact that the party barbarian could destroy a magic item just as easily, and as a standard action.
I also appreciate the reference to the Dispel Magic difference between Constructs and other magic items, as well as the creature vs object difference.
Turns out I was letting my imagination run away with me, and while it's still a nifty ability for a crafting class, it's not "Teh Uber Broken" I was fearfully considering it might me.