D&D 5E Does the Artificer Suck?

[tetrasodium]

Yes, you burn 1 3rd level slot and get 10 bonus action concentration-offloaded castsings of a 1st or 2nd level spell.

For the tiny servant, you can pre-order as well, like "ready an action to do X" or "cast Y on any monster who attacks a party member" and it will repeat it each turn.

This is only one use. Other uses is just 10 more spell slots. Or give it to an ally to let them cast spells.

Spam Faerie Fire, maintain invisibility, spam levitate, web. Even just blasting isn't horrible; tell the tiny servant to catapult or scorching ray at creatures attacking your party, and it will repeat it every round until you tell it to stop. 21 DPR for 10 rounds is a lot.

You are making a lot of assumptions on how the gm will rule when wotc leaves holes in the rules. Even if that were the intent of the spell storing item to require tiny servant

The artificer is already reeling from a level 10 ability that literally does nothing unless the gm decides to finish systems wotc did not in a way that benefits the artificer & now your suggesting offloading concentration spells to a construct with 2 int using a spell that does not in any way mention concentration. There is even ample reason for the GM to rule that the concentration falls to the artificer who summoned it such as any of the reasons mentioned in here or here. Back to back abilities that come down to "ask your gm if this is even useful after ruling on rues omissions" is pretty awful design
@Stoutstien I agree completely, but you also need to look at what is being given up for it and ask if the loss is justified by the boon. Warding bond is a no concentration spell that battlesmith could cast 10x sure... but you need between 2 & 20 platinum rings each worth 50gp to do that depending on how many targets your hoping to cast it on & very little about the battlesmith screams "this guy could take all* the damage for the entire party!". Even a barbarian would have trouble with that. shatter is on armorsmith & artillerist lists sure, but one of those has a use every round bonus action & both of them are half casters with a level 10 ability that amounts to "ask your gm the value of having more angels dancing on the head of a pin." As a leveled spell that does 3d8 save for half & since the spell storing item is a level 11 ability we shouldn't forget to look at the class as a whole. It seems there is something else artificer has that does 3d8 at this level.

Spoiler: it's a doozy! you might wanna sit down first

If ten casts of such a mild improvement to that spell & a fast way to die is the highpoint of the spell storing item... are we seriously going to pretend that the problem is not engaging in creative enough minmaxing with it rather than the ability itself? don't forget what other classes get at level 10&11.


* Depending on how you read the spell.

 

[Mistwell]

As for scrolls.
It takes an action to use one. The DMG is quite clear on that. Yes, it means that reaction spells are almost useless on scrolls but not entirely so. Casting shield preemptively to cross a trapped room, or misty step for the same thing without using your spell slot might be good. Situational, yes, but still useful.

See also DMG errata, "Spell Scroll (p. 200). Starting with its second sentence, the first paragraph now reads as follows: If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust"

 

[Stoutstien]

The SSI explicitly states that you do not need the material components, costly or otherwise, because you aren't actually casting a spell. So for warding bond, continual flame and so on it's a good way to create wealth. It is also subtle with no requirement other than an action to activate it while being held. Like a garage door remote in your pocket you can have sorcerer level shenanigans.

The wording of SSI works perfectly with tiny servant because they don't need to know how it works. just a simple command to press a proverbial button. If a DM wants to nerf it by passing concentration back to the caster it hurts a lot of combos but houserules always have that potential.

Familiars are also A list users for the SSI as it bypasses the usual no attack clause with an item interaction that happens to produce a spell like effect.

The SSI is all about having a tool with the flexibility to fix that one problem you think you'll have each day. Damage is the least fun you can have with it. Mix it with magical tinkering for extra fun.

Bonus fun using the SSI doesn't break Invisibility on use because it's not an attack or casting a spell.

 

[Umbran]

The artificer is already reeling from a level 10 ability that literally does nothing unless the gm decides to finish systems wotc did not in a way that benefits the artificer

So, first, you're using emotionally loaded language - "reeling". The class is words on paper. It does not suffer shock or confusion. Word choice impacts how we think, though. So how about we tone down the rhetoric, so we don't slip into treating the rules for a fantasy class like they are person who is being attacked, please and thank you.

Next, I'm sorry, but the system for creating magic items is there and finished - the final throttle for it is in the GM's hands. Unless you only call systems that don't actually call for the GM to be involved in their game to function "finished", which would not be a great position to take, you might wanna back off that.

& now your suggesting offloading concentration spells to a construct with 2 int using a spell that does not in any way mention concentration.

The Tiny Servant spell doesn't have to mention concentration. The spell creates a construct, and constructs are creatures. The ability says that a creature may enact the spell, and concentrate to maintain it if needed. The intelligence of the creature in question is not relevant, as concentration isn't based on Intelligence.

 

[tetrasodium]

The SSI explicitly states that you do not need the material components, costly or otherwise, because you aren't actually casting a spell. So for warding bond, continual flame and so on it's a good way to create wealth. It is also subtle with no requirement other than an action to activate it while being held. Like a garage door remote in your pocket you can have sorcerer level shenanigans.

The wording of SSI works perfectly with tiny servant because they don't need to know how it works. just a simple command to press a proverbial button. If a DM wants to nerf it by passing concentration back to the caster it hurts a lot of combos but houserules always have that potential.
Familiars are also A list users for the SSI as it bypasses the usual no attack clause with an item interaction that happens to produce a spell like effect.

I'm not sure "nerf" and "how does the GM choose to interpret an undefined area of the rules" are the same or even close to each other. I've read over the spell storing item's wording quite a few times & it doesn't mention components either, where are you getting the idea that spells like "warding bond continual flame & so on" can be put in or cast from it without them?

 

[Stoutstien]

I'm not sure "nerf" and "how does the GM choose to interpret an undefined area of the rules" are the same or even close to each other. I've read over the spell storing item's wording quite a few times & it doesn't mention components either, where are you getting the idea that spells like "warding bond continual flame & so on" can be put in or cast from it without them?

Let's start with the SSI and components. The feature is unique in that it is not spell casting on any level. So not only does the feature excluded any mention of components past the SSI itself, it goes as far to double back on wording to emphasize it's not a spell. no spell casting means no components. Action to activate and the spell's effects happen.

As far as concentration and tiny servants are concerned there is no intelligence or stat requirements whatsoever to remain concentration on an effect. See familiar with a ring of spell storing.
The SSI say the creature who actives the item maintains concentration. full stop. no side bars with exceptions or intelligence checks to see if they are a smart enough. that's about it clearly defined as you're going to get. The tiny servants are creatures and they can take the action to activate the SSI.

How bout the tiny servant spell? Nope nothing there. If anything the text gives the artificer a flat out direct rule for commanding the TS to use the SSI.

So if a DM is shifting concentration from one creature to another they are actively making a ruling that is contrary to every written rule. Not a bad thing but it is the very definition of both a house rule and a direct nerf to a class feature. There is absolutely no support for this ruling past rule zero.

 

[NotAYakk]

It says "produce the spells effect", it does not say cast it. The spells effect does not require components.

Look, I get that you are committed to thinking that feature sucks. And yes, a hostile DM could make any feature suck.

But SSI both a license to commit shenanigans, and it is quite strong when used in relatively simple ways. It is a suitable level 11 feature for the Artificer.

I get that there are also really boring and nearly useless ways to use it. And a level 11 fighter doesn't have to use their extra attack action; the feature says "can". What if they choose not to do the extra attack? Then the feature sucks.

Spell-Storing Item is weird and wonderful and it breaks piles of rules and has decent level of power.

 

[cbwjm]

That 11th level spell storing item feature is pretty good, getting an additional 10 casts of a 1st or 2nd level spell is decent and there are a few spells on the artificer list that I'd happily make use of. Even something as simple as cure wounds or lesser restoration would be good to store in the item especially as others can use the item as well the different subclasses add in a few good attack spells and the main list has a few defensive or utility spell that would be great to have a few extra casts of without taking up one or your limited slots for spell preparation. The only thing really holding it back the ability is that it takes an action to use it to cast the spell, otherwise I'd have branding smite stored in a weapon for a battlesmith.

 

[Helldritch]

See also DMG errata, "Spell Scroll (p. 200). Starting with its second sentence, the first paragraph now reads as follows: If the spell is on your class’s spell list, you can read the scroll and cast its spell without providing any material components. Otherwise, the scroll is unintelligible. Casting the spell by reading the scroll requires the spell’s normal casting time. Once the spell is cast, the words on the scroll fade, and it crumbles to dust"

Ok. So reading a scroll is now a reaction depending on the type of spell you have on the scroll??????
So...
The great giant swings its great club at Fasthand the incredible Wizard.
In a split second, Fasthand realizes that he does not have any spell slots anylonguer and the mighty club will bring him to a pulp and that a shield would save his skin...
Fortunately, he has a scroll of shield. So faster than the Flash, Fasthand takes the scroll and voilà! Fasthand is now protected.
This is utter naughty word.
This is an other example of why SA and some errata are utter naughty word and why I don't take these into account. My point stands, using a scroll is an action. Whatever the spell. RAW from the DMG.

 

[Flamestrike]

It's less broken than the hexblade/paladin MC.

Which isnt broken.