Libertad
Legend
Eberron Artificer, Old vs New
While I won't be doing a full review of Forge of the Artificer, at the very least I figured to cover its updated Artificer class for the 2024 ruleset. For comparison, I'm going to be using the 5.0 Artificer from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, which I'll call the 2020 Artificer. This is due to the fact that that one has one more subclass than the one from Rising From the Last War.
First off, the Core Traits are still the same, although the starting equipment is slightly wealthier in line with 2024 changes. However, 2024 Artificers are no longer auto-proficient with firearms. Such weapons are now part of the core rules (and also present in NPC entries in Forge of the Artificer) in the martial weapon category. A 2024 Artificer can gain proficiency with martial ranged weapons via the Artillerist subclass (or martial weapons in general via a choosable Battle Smith subclass option), but otherwise they're only proficient with Simple Weapons. Additionally, in line with 2024 rules the 19th level Ability Score Improvement is replaced with an Epic Boon. But as firearms are a very controversial option in general for D&D, to say nothing of the fact that they weren't an explicit addition to Eberron in 5.0, this is more of a stylistic point than anything. Still, it's weird that 5.5 Artificers aren't automatically proficient by default.
Magical Tinkering is renamed Tinker's Magic. The 2020 version lets the class imbue a minor utility effect into a mundane object in line with various cantrips; the 2024 version instead grants the Mending Cantrip and lets the user magically create a piece of nonmagical gear from a small list. Such items are very cheap to buy, whereas the 2020 version could have some more broad utility uses such as emitting recorded messages and visual effects of choice.
1 Point for the 2020 Artificer
Spellcasting is changed so that the class has a predetermined amount of prepared spells rather than being modified by Intelligence, placing it in line with the rest of the 2024 classes. The cantrips known, slot levels, and spells per day are still the same progression-wise. As for class spells, the 2024 version gains True Strike which is hardly an improvement, but they also lose the Xanathar and Tasha cantrips and spells such as Booming Blade, Catnap, and Intellect Fortress. As for what spells the 2024 gains, they get Mending for free as mentioned above, and new spells include Arcane Vigor, Circle of Power, Dragon's Breath, and Homunculus Servant (2nd level, new spell in book). As to whether these new spells make up for the old, the Tasha's spells veered a lot more towards utility and out of combat stuff, while the 2024 spells are more explicitly about combat and damaging/healing effects. So can go either way depending upon your build.
No Points for either Artificer
Infuse Item becomes Replicate Magic Item, and instead of being called Artificer Infusions they are called Magic Item Plans. The 2025's total number of Plans known is much less, topping out at 8 vs 2020's 12. The total number of such items they can have active at once between Long Rests is still the same. The unique Artificer Infusions from Tasha's have now been made into proper independent magic items in Forge of the Artificer, such as Boots of the Winding Path, and Homunculus Servant is now a 2nd-level spell instead as covered above. The 2025 Artificer does add some new replicable magic items to their learnable roster: for 6th level, they get Necklace of Adaption, Ring of Swimming, Sentinel Shield, Wand of Magic Missiles, Wand of Web, and Weapon of Warning; at 10th level, they add Armor of Resistance, Dagger of Venom, Elven Chain, Ring of Feather Falling, and any Uncommon Wondrous Item that isn't cursed; at 14th level, they add Arrow-Catching Shields, Flame Tongues, and any Rare Wondrous Item that isn't cursed. The "any non-cursed uncommon/rare wondrous items" pretty much includes all of the 2020 Artificer replicable Wondrous Items, but expands it to potentially include items from non-corebook sources. So while the 2025 Artificer may lose out on no longer having the ability to make magic items that only exist on their class features list, their ability to make other magic items down the line expands their role greatly.
1 Point for the 2025 Artificer
The Right Tool For the Job that lets a 3rd level Artificer summon a set of artisan's tools of choice no longer exists for the 2025 Artificer. While such a feature is rather situational, it is an overall loss.
1 Point for the 2020 Artificer
Instead of doubling their proficiency bonus for tool checks at 6th level, the 2025 Artificer gains Magic Item Tinker. That lets them apply effects to items they created via Magic Item Plans, such as using spell slots to restore lost charges, causing a magic item to disappear and be converted into spell slot levels based on its rarity once per Long Rest, or transforming it into a different Magic Item Plan they know once per Long Rest.
Tool check rolls are pretty situational even at the best of times, and the pre-2024 rules didn't really have intricate systems for item crafting. While 2024 did take some steps in making item crafting more prominent, it's still not an important or frequent aspect of the rules. 2025's new features are more broadly useful for most campaigns.
1 Point for the 2025 Artificer
Flash of Genius has been changed. In the old version, it let the Artificer spend a Reaction to add their Intelligence modifier to another creature's ability check or saving throw. It does the exact same thing in 2025, but it can only be used on a failed ability check or saving throw, with the bonus potentially making enough of a difference to turn a failure into a success. While this may sound like a downgrade, as the 2020 version had to apply the Reaction when the roll is being made rather than when it is rolled and the DM declares the result, this is actually an improvement as it allows the Artificer to thus intervene and potentially change the outcome.
1 Point for the 2025 Artificer
Spell-Storing Item is the same, although it can now affect spells of up to 3rd level, whereas the 2020 version only affected up to 2nd level.
1 Point for the 2025 Artificer
Magic Item Adept/Savant/Master still grants additional max attuned items at 10th, 14th, and 18th level. However, the 14th level feature is different: the 2020 Artificer could ignore various prerequisites for attunement requirements, while the 2025 Artificer loses this in exchange for regaining one expended use of Flash of Genius at the end of a Short Rest. Overall, this makes the Artificer less able to use magic items that are otherwise class/race/level-restricted, which can be a downgrade. But as the rewarding of such items is often subject to DM Fiat, it isn't as easy to gauge as something like an explicit restoring of a limited resource like the 2025 version has. All in all, whether this is a loss depends on how the DM hands out magic items in the campaign.
No Points for either Artificer
The 20th-level capstone changes as well. In the old version, the Artificer got +1 to all saves per magic item to which they are attuned, and can use a Reaction to end an artificer infusion to drop to 1 hit point instead of 0. The 2025 version has a similar cheat death feature, but doesn't cost a Reaction (or any action, for that matter) to destroy any number of created Magic Item Plans, regaining Hit Points equal to 20 x the number destroyed. Additionally, they regain all uses of Flash of Genius on a short rest as long as they're attuned to at least 1 magic item.
The 2020's strength is that this lets the Artificer break bounded accuracy by getting as high as a potential +6 bonus to saving throws. The 2025 version has a better means of cheating death in terms of action economy, although at such a level enemies will be dealing so much damage that 20-40 hit points won't be that drastically different than 1 hit point. A more significant number such as 3-5 items for 60 to 100 hit points may be worth it, but this begs the question of how worthy a trade-off it is for the Artificer to sacrifice so many precious item Plans which may even be in the hands of their fellow party members!
1 Point for 2020 Artificer
So adding up the points so far, we have 3/4. We haven't covered the subclasses yet, as subclasses are choosable options rather than universal features. However, I found that each subclass for 2025 is an improvement upon the 2020 Artificer, which edges out the newest version of the class to be a clearer winner.
For the default class, the 2020 version's superior choices are pretty solidly concentrated around the lower levels with the exception of the 20th-level capstone. But even the downgrades for 2025 feel more like minor nerfs rather than build-breaking changes. The Magical Tinkering/Tinker's Magic is the kind of stuff that can be replicated by various cantrips which are easy enough to get, and double proficiency on tool checks don't have as much kick. Compare this to stuff like expanding potential craftable magic items to "any non-cursed uncommon/rare wondrous item" or the Flash of Genius' upgrade, and I would still feel fine with playing a 2025 Artificer.
Regarding the subclasses, the 2025 version gets a new one known as the Cartographer. As it doesn't have any comparisons, I'm only going to cover the pre-existing 4: Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, and Battle Smith.
One improvement each 2025 artificer subclass gets is that they halve the amount of time it takes to craft items fitting within their specialization. As 2024 rules now have explicit definitions of how long it takes to craft non-magic items, this gives Artificers an explicit boost in being able to churn out items faster.
The 2025 Alchemist gains proficiency with the herbalism kit on top of alchemist's supplies. The Blight bonus spell is replaced with Vitriolic Sphere, and the Experimental Elixirs are improved by requiring a Bonus Action to apply/drink rather than an Action and their buffs gain larger bonuses at higher class levels. Alchemical Savant gets a downgrade in no longer working with necrotic damage, and Restorative Reagants no longer grant Temporary Hit Points. Chemical Mastery trades out Greater Restoration and Heal to instead apply +2d8 Force damage to various elemental damage Artificer spells, and they can cast Tasha's Bubbling Cauldron once per long rest. That's a new 2024 spell that lets the caster produce a number of Common/Uncommon potions of their choice equal to their Intelligence modifier.
Personally, I think the 2025 Alchemist makes up for more than it loses, so 1 point to the 2025 Artificer.
As for the 2025 Armorer, its bonus spells, armor/tool proficiencies, and Extra Attack are the same. But the trademark Arcane Armor loses the flavor text of expanding to cover the Artificer's entire body, and it also loses the text where it can't be removed against their will and replaces missing limbs. The Guardian and Infiltrator Armor Models work the same, although the Guardian's Defensive Field is now usable an infinite number of times but only when the Artificer is Bloodied (50% or less Hit Points). We also get an all-new Dreadnaught Armor Model, which gives the Artificer a reach-weapon sledgehammer or wrecking ball that can push or pull creatures up to 10 feet. As a bonus action, the Artificer can become Large size for up to a minute along with +5 reach a number of times per Long Rest equal to Intelligence modifier. The 9th level class feature is also replaced: the 2020 version lets the Artificer treat the armor as 2 infusable items rather than 1 and can infuse 2 more items at once. The 2025 version instead grants a bonus Magic Item Plan (and maximum Infusable Plans at once) that has to be in the Armor Category, as well as adding +1 to attack and damage with their Armor Model weapons. The 15th level capstones for the 2025 Armorer are the same, but the Guardian and Infiltrator get increased damage dice for their special weapons, and the Infiltrator can also gain a one-turn Fly speed Intelligence modifier times per Long Rest. The Dreadnaught can now go up to Huge size, add +10 feet to reach, and has advantage on Strength checks and saves.
Overall, the 2025 Armorer is an improvement. 1 Point for the 2025 Artificer.
The 2025 Artillerist gains proficiency with ranged martial weapons, and their bonus spells are the same. The 3rd-level Eldritch Cannon and its 15th-level capstone are pretty much the same but with a much clearer format for readability. As is the Arcane Firearm, although it can now be applied to martial ranged weapons in addition to wands, staves, and rods. The 9th-level Explosive Cannon gets a straight-up improvement in the 2025 version, where the Temporary Hit Point restoration from the Protector options gets an additional die of healing, and the damage from the cannon's self-destruction is 3d10 instead of 3d8.
A straight improvement. 1 Point for the 2025 Artificer.
Last but not least, the Battle Smith! The 2025 subclass is by far the least-changed in virtually every respect, but with one important distinction. Any mention of adding the Artificer's Proficiency Bonus in the Steel Defender's stat block is replaced with the Artificer's Intelligence modifier. Furthermore, the Steel Defender adds that same modifier to any ability check or saving throw it makes. As Intelligence tops out at 20/+5, this is technically one below the maximum +6 Proficiency Bonus. But as it's easier to get a higher ability score modifier much earlier in play than a Proficiency Bonus, this makes the Steel Defender overall better at every tier of play save for 17-20. And even then, the 2025 version won't be adding such die rolls to ability checks and saves.
1 Point for the 2025 Artificer.
Verdict: If we only make it so that subclasses count for 1 at most (as you can only have up to 1), then the final tally will be 3/5. But if we add the subclasses individually, it will be a much starker 3/7. Either way, the 2025 Artificer wins out. While I admit that there are elements in Forge of the Artificer that I am not as fond of, I am happy with the class' current iteration.
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