D&D 5E Does the Artificer Suck?

[Stoutstien]

You have a gracious GM who thinks a crafting day is 8 hours?

Not really. Even at 10, 12, or even 16 hours set as a craft day they are still pumping out scrolls every other long rest.

Which is really the heart of the issue. the artificer leverages time as a core resource and dnd doesn't handle time outside of combat well.

The 8 hour workday is also not a random number. on page 129 on the DMG it's the given normal time spent on a day of crafting a magical item.

 

[Zardnaar]

Ouch. Fair enough CR wise (Hard fight) as long as he was on his own, but the potential for a TPK is strong (particularly if he had time to buff in advance with Stoneskin and Mirror image, and you swapped out Burning hands for shield).

Even with absorb elements, it does like 23 or so damage on a failed save (and none of those PCs are proficient in Dex saves) which is a lot at 6th level for that party. The Cleric and Paladin likely take 45 damage, and are dropped to 0 HP as a result.



Burns a reaction and a 1st level slot.

Question for you: As DM, do you track their resource use during the game (either keeping rough tabs on it, or accurately, by recording it yourself?)

Also, the Paladin and Cleric dont have it, and likely dumped Dex for heavy armor.

Next time have the spellcasters mooks run around provoking AoO. (readying an action to just before the enemy casters turn if necessary) Then hit them with an energy spell from the caster.

Watch their faces when you remind them that they cant cast absorb elements as they've already used their reactions for AoO's.

I keep rough tabs on it but they keep track of it.

Storm sorcerer was resistant to lightning.

EK, Divine Soul, Artificer all have absorb elements.

None are wearing heavy armor, Paladin has 20 charisma, aura and uses shillelagh keyed off charisma. Pirate came so they're mostly in medium.

Invoker managed to drop 2 chain lightning plus upcast lightning bolt iirc.

 

[Flamestrike]

I keep rough tabs on it but they keep track of it.

Track it next time.

I have a feeling a few of them are 'forgetting' to record a few slots here or there.

Storm sorcerer was resistant to lightning.

EK, Divine Soul, Artificer all have absorb elements.

Did they have warcaster or a free hand to be able to cast it?

Somatic (but no material) components, so free hand needed.

None are wearing heavy armor, Paladin has 20 charisma, aura and uses shillelagh keyed off charisma.

Rolled stats eh?

I hate rolled stats. It creates the problem that caused you to start this thread.

 

[Zardnaar]

Track it next time.

I have a feeling a few of them are 'forgetting' to record a few slots here or there.

Did they have warcaster or a free hand to be able to cast it?

Somatic (but no material) components, so free hand needed.


Rolled stats eh?

I hate rolled stats. It creates the problem that caused you to start this thread.

One of them has warcaster and yes they've been tripping over not having a hand free often putting weapons away in effect forgoing AoO.

Rolled stats and +2 racial. Default array also has problems as some classes a lot more MAD than others.

 

[NotAYakk]

That is the problem. this is

Rarity is a useless metric for this as for example a +1 greatsword & an amulet against detection & location are both the exact same uncommon rarity

So you are saying that the amulet against detection and location, being something that could change how entire plots work, is on a table with an item that offers a small boost to your combat abilities, so the tables aren't very balanced?[/spoiler]

 

[Umbran]

Did you discuss this with the DM in advance of creating the PC?

No, because I didn't have a copy of Xanathar's at the time to know about this option to raise the question. My expectations had not included spending significant downtime crafting stuff, so I'm actually okay with it. It is more a wistful thing than a real gripe.

 

[Umbran]

Not really. Even at 10, 12, or even 16 hours set as a craft day they are still pumping out scrolls every other long rest.

Hm. Different playstyles. I haven't found the 1st level spells worth the effort, and above that for my group the money cost becomes an issue.

The 8 hour workday is also not a random number. on page 129 on the DMG it's the given normal time spent on a day of crafting a magical item.

Ah. With these quotes, from Xanathar's, most GMs I work with don't view it that way:

"Downtime activities are tasks that usually take a workweek (5 days) or longer to perform."

"Consider handling downtime away from the game table."

 

[tetrasodium]

So you are saying that the amulet against detection and location, being something that could change how entire plots work, is on a table with an item that offers a small boost to your combat abilities, so the tables aren't very balanced?[/spoiler]

Hat of disguise & weapon of warning along with many other things are also on that same table. That +1 also obliviates this line from every single one of these two hundred or so monsters with the line "Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons." The point is that attempting to repurpose treasure tables to gauge how many magic items that a PC might have at given levels, but is wholely inadequate as the foundation for what is either a design outline, guidelines, or as some claim actually complete "rules" for a crafting system using gp & downtime as the main resources involved in that section of xge

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

So you are saying that the amulet against detection and location, being something that could change how entire plots work, is on a table with an item that offers a small boost to your combat abilities, so the tables aren't very balanced?[/spoiler]

I believe Tetrasodium's complaint centers around +1 weapons being both "major magic items" (and thus suggested to be handed out less frequently) and "uncommon magic items". The time and money requirements in Xanathar's guide do not distinguish between major and minor items, and the guide does not explicitly tell DMs to make major item formulae and/or materials rarer or harder to obtain than those of minor magic items.

 

[Stoutstien]

Hm. Different playstyles. I haven't found the 1st level spells worth the effort, and above that for my group the money cost becomes an issue.



Ah. With these quotes, from Xanathar's, most GMs I work with don't view it that way:

"Downtime activities are tasks that usually take a workweek (5 days) or longer to perform."

"Consider handling downtime away from the game table."

Aye. They really missed the mark trying to broad brush downtime without considering the larger impact. Downtime is something that can take a week(s) or a few hours depending on the order you read the rules.

As for the spell scrolls themselves, a handful of them really do go a long way.