D&D Releases Playtest for Updated Artificer

Wizards of the Coast has dropped a new Unearthed Arcana Playtest for the Artificer, bringing the often neglected 13th Dungeons & Dragons 5E class into alignment with the 2024 rules update. The playtest was released via D&D Beyond today, with feedback launching on December 24th.

The Artificer gains several new abilities, many of which are designed with an eye to making the class more versatile. For instance, players can now craft low-cost items quickly with a revamped Magical Tinkering ability, while Infuse Item ha been changed to Replicate Magic Item and allows players to replicate magic items of certain rarities and item type. Players can also use the Magic Item Tinker ability to convert a Replicated magic item into a spell slot. The capstone Soul of Artifice ability has also received a buff, with the Artificer no needing a Reaction in order to utilize its ability to skip death saving throws and restoring more health as well.

The subclasses were also updated. For example, the Alchemist's Experimental Elixir producing more elixirs and Chemical Mastery getting a big boost with extra damage, resistance, and the ability to cast Tasha's Bubbling Cauldron. The Armorer has a new Dreadnought option and Armor Modifications was replaced with a new ability called Armor Replication. The Artillerist's Eldritch Cannon can switch between various options instead of being set to one option and the Explosive Cannon ability does more damage and only requires a Reaction to use. Finally, the Battle Smith has received minor adjustments to its Steel Defender construct.

Compared to many other class updates in the 2024 Player's Handbook, the Artificer's changes are much less drastic. There are some obvious updates that bring the class in line with the design updates to other classes, but it didn't receive a major rework like several other classes.

 

[abirdcall]

LEVEL 11: SPELL-STORING ITEM
Whenever you finish a Long Rest, you can touch one Simple or Martial weapon or one item that you can use as a Spellcasting Focus, and you store a spell in it, choosing a level 1, 2, or 3 Artificer spell that has a casting time of an action (you needn't have the spell prepared).

This is just for the 6th level ability to make an uncommon weapon or armour.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The Alchemist version of extra attack is Alchemical Savant. The unstated design intent: Alchemists use cantrips as their main damage source, so we're going to power up the cantrips we want them to use - acid splash, fire bolt, or poison spray, This feature keeps these cantrips competitive as your main action (and adds a bit of sauce onto your big damage spells).

The key problem with this is that Alchemical Savant (and it's a far bigger problem for the Alchemist than the Artillerist) is the artificer version of the cleric Potent Spellcasting. And yes it applies to non-cantrips, but you're multiple spell levels behind the cleric.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

This is just for the 6th level ability to make an uncommon weapon or armour.

I thought the question was about the spell for the Spell Storing Item feature needing to be an action spell. Sorry if I misunderstood.

 

[Hussar]

I mean, I believe that happened, but I would say to the rest of your party "What the hell guys?", because unless the rest of the party was like, and astounding selection of anti-optimized worst-case choices, and/or played in truly impressively suboptimal ways, it shouldn't happen. I mean, highest damage by far? There's no mechanism for them to do that! They don't get good damage adds, they don't get a lot of attacks, and they're half-casters! It basically has to be the rest of the party failing to do much. I mean, just out of interest, what does the party look like class/subclass-wise if you don't mind?

Mechanically, Artificers just aren't overpowered. They're not even powered!

What you're seeing is 100% going to be down to some combination of players, character builds, and possibly unusual house rules or specific adventure choices.

Well, the Pet artificer has 3 attacks per round by 5th level, dealing d12's with the heavy crossbow and d8's with the pet that grants a bucket full of bonus HP to the encounter. Can focus on single stat, meaning no MAD. By pretty early days, we're looking at 2d12x2 magic attacks, which pretty much bypass most damage reduction, and a pet that deals force damage which also bypasses all damage reduction. Add on spells and other buffs, and I don't see how your artificer isn't top damage dealer. Add in the -5/+10 feat and suddenly that character was absolutely top tier.

I love how people white board theory craft their answers without any actual experience. I TRACKED the damage. That's why I knew that the character was dealing gobs of damage.

In the other game, the turret artificer was combining with the druid to summon ludicrously strong mobs that just got ridiculous. People bitch about the Twilight Cleric but AFAIC, that's small potatoes compared to an Artificer.

 

[I'm A Banana]

My wish for the alchemist is that those cantrips are put into bombs they throw, at least then the flavor makes them different. IME, an alchemist is just a spellcaster, with less power than other casters.

I mean, neat, but not really necessary. The difference between "a bomb of acid you can throw" and "I cast acid splash" is pretty academic. The alchemist I played was flavored as "bronze age doctor at the beginnings of medicine" and I could easily fluff most spells I cast into using some weird poisonous creature to cause a magical effect. Much like a bard, some of the roleplaying fun of an artificer is imagining how you cast your spells using your inventions.

Which is broadly to say that I agree with WotC's goals of revision, not revolution, here. I think it's smart to try smaller changes. The raw numbers, by and large, are OK.

Like, comparing half-casters....

Level 1
Paladin: Lay on Hands (and the divine smite spell, which I think is worth mentioning)
Ranger: Hunter's Mark
Artificer: Magical Tinkering

Artificer is the clear loser there. Magical Tinkering is a fun utility, but it doesn't Make Number Go Up. You don't have a special Level 1 Spell that can add quick damage, unlike paladins and rangers. And you're wielding simple weapons and wearing medium armor. You're going to feel weak here.

One power-neutral option might be to add such a 1st level spell that artificers can always have prepared. I could imagine, for instance, a Reaction spell that adds 1d6 damage from a particular list of types when an ally hits - or is hit. An energy-flexible smite that can be applied to offense or defense, that doesn't need to be remembered long-term. Or maybe a shield spell that increases the AC by less but provides some other benefit (damage resistance, energy damage, a buff to attacks or AC or damage...). There's probably a few options we could consider here, and I think it'd really help "feel" like a boost in power without actually changing the numbers much. As it is, Artificers don't have a clear "winner" in their 1st level spell line up like the other half-casters do. Cure Wounds probably comes closest, but that feels like small potatoes compared to the Paladin's Lay on Hands pool, and isn't cast for free (and doesn't represent EVERY artificer out there).

Level 2:
Paladin: Divine Smite, Fighting Style
Ranger: Expertise, Fighting Style
Artificer: Replicate Magic Item

This is kind of competitive, because a +1 weapon or a +1 shield or a +1 wand of the war mage are pretty nice options. There's a bit of an issue with the "hey go look at this list" part of the design that could be streamlined. Still, I could see a case for giving the Artificer a little limited Expertise on Int checks related to magic items or something. Something ribbon-y that speaks to their archetype a bit. Because Replicate Magic Item has such a broad list of options, there's not a 2nd level ability that speaks to something unique about your artificer.

Level 3
Paladin: Channel Divinity, Subclass
Ranger: Subclass
Artificer: Right Tool for the Job, Subclass

Again, pretty competitive. The artificer subclasses all give a "main invention," some expanded spells, and some tool and crafting boosts as a ribbon. Each main invention is probably about worth a Channel Divinity or a 2nd level spell.

Level 4
Everybuddy gets feats. Artificer fares no worse there.

Level 5
Paladin: Extra Attack
Ranger: Extra Attack
Artificer: Subclass Feature - Extra Attack OR a ~ 4-5 point damage buff.

The subclasses getting the damage buff feel pretty bad here. It's definitely not as transformational as Extra Attack, and it's hard to buy the argument that it's as powerful - Extra Attack with a martial weapon is worth about 10 points of damage or so. A 1d8 or a +INT mod isn't doing the same work.

One thing to note is that the subclasses that get Extra Attack either get martial weapons or get an equivalent to a martial weapon in their invention (such as the Armorer's armaments on their arcane armor). This might be a bit that's missing for our less martial Artificer subclasses. Like, give them the damage buff and ALSO give them something equivalent to extra attacks / a 3rd-level spell. This seems in design very close to the cleric's Blessed Strikes / Potent Spellcasting option, but applied to a half-caster, we're not getting our power from our spell slots.

I'd think that if we redesigned the Artillerist and Artificer to have an equivalent to "martial weapons with Extra Attack," we might be getting at the heart of a lot of people's dissatisfaction with the numbers.

 

[I'm A Banana]

The key problem with this is that Alchemical Savant (and it's a far bigger problem for the Alchemist than the Artillerist) is the artificer version of the cleric Potent Spellcasting. And yes it applies to non-cantrips, but you're multiple spell levels behind the cleric.

As a Cleric, you should be spending your action casting your highest-level spells.

As an Alchemist in this playtest, you should be spending your action casting your damaging cantrip, and then your Bonus Action to heal or buff. So you're probably doing a worse job buffing than the cleric, but you're dealing damage more often.

More than missing 3rd level slots, I think this split is a big part of why the Alchemist might look underwhelming. I'm a worse cleric, AND my main source of damage isn't anything near as good as Extra Attack.

 

[SkidAce]

+1 for using crossbows / guns as magic implements.

Lobbing a firebolt from a crossbow is much more thematic for Artificers than using a wand.

The description for artificer from the beginning has led us to believe we should be flavoring all our spells etc, through the eyes of our chosen tools.

Artificers use a variety of tools to channel their arcane power. To cast a spell, an artificer might use alchemist’s supplies to create a potent elixir, calligrapher’s supplies to inscribe a sigil of power, or tinker’s tools to craft a temporary charm. The magic of artificers is tied to their tools and their talents, and few other characters can produce the right tool for a job as well as an artificer. - D&D Beyond

Granted a crossbow isn't actually a tool, but we have been doing it.

 

[Chaltab]

This is just for the 6th level ability to make an uncommon weapon or armour.

Oh... oh my. See I don't have the 2024 DMG. This is not an item I was familiar with. yeah if this item is available for Infusions/Replications that will be busted as all nine hells.

 

[Neonchameleon]

As a Cleric, you should be spending your action casting your highest-level spells.

As an Alchemist in this playtest, you should be spending your action casting your damaging cantrip, and then your Bonus Action to heal or buff.

If you're using your bonus action to heal then, before level 9, you're basically equivalent to a cleric casting a damaging cantrip and casting Healing Word (or Shield of Faith). Even here you don't exactly compare well to the cleric when the cleric does what you do.

Of course there's the level 6 option of Enspelled Armour or an Enspelled Weapon for six charges of e.g. Healing Word. (Or a Wand of Web for seven charges of messing people up). My concern here of course is the Enspelled Armour of Shield given to the paladin...

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Granted a crossbow isn't actually a tool, but we have been doing it.

Back when the Artificer first came out, I was all about how the Artificer should dump some healing powder into a Blunderbuss and then shoot someone with it to heal them.