On the flip side is that artificer's are easy to mis-manage too. Thief hit points and base attack with poor fortitude and reflex saves makes them easy to hurt; and the majority of their best infusions take a minute or longer to cast and generally burn experience points and/or expensive material components.
What they have going for them is their ability to customize their gear - but even then that customization isn't exactly efficient. Sure the artificer can retain essence the xp's out of ring of protection +1, but then they're out the gold they'd get for selling the item and they still have to pay for the new item they're making.
The broken examples I've seen generally require a person to take feats from three different sources or the artificer was created soley to to exploit wand usage.
caveat - I'm currently playing an artificer who's one of the more mis-managed one. He's a tailor and focused more on creating magical clothing than doing damage. I burn through the party wands like they're water, but my only meta-magic feat is extend spell. He's fun, but no one mistakes him as powerful.
What they have going for them is their ability to customize their gear - but even then that customization isn't exactly efficient. Sure the artificer can retain essence the xp's out of ring of protection +1, but then they're out the gold they'd get for selling the item and they still have to pay for the new item they're making.
The broken examples I've seen generally require a person to take feats from three different sources or the artificer was created soley to to exploit wand usage.
caveat - I'm currently playing an artificer who's one of the more mis-managed one. He's a tailor and focused more on creating magical clothing than doing damage. I burn through the party wands like they're water, but my only meta-magic feat is extend spell. He's fun, but no one mistakes him as powerful.