doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Not gonna argue whether it should be done, just interested in thoughts of folks who agree with the goal.
That said
Reasons:
1. There are high level spells the Art should have
2. It is weird and bad to have wizards get stuff-creating spells before the Art
3. They currently have power budget room for it
Ideas:
1. Spell levels 1-5 are the same as other full casters, but levels 6-9 are like Warlock but with magic items called Masterworks rather than mystic arcanum.
2. Inventions rather than replicate magic item, similar to the new artificer except that some are artificer exclusive, and you can modify existing items not just create new ones. You can also transfer enchantments from one item to another. You get 1 at level 1, and more as you level up, reaching 10 at level 17.
2a. You can learn more inventions by encountering magic items, or by finding scrolls or spellbooks and using them to design magic items that replicate spells.
2b. You can spend spell slots (with a table for item rarity and spell slot level cost) to make temporary Inventions that only last 1 hour at most, allowing you to potentially never cast a spell with your spell slots and run entirely on class features and inventions.
3. You can craft anything craftable with your proficient tools in half the time and at half the cost, magic or mundane. Later on you get more tool proficiencies, and your subclass upgrades this to 1/4 of the time and cost for a subset of tools.
4. Split subclasses with mixed concepts. Each one has ways to use spell slots, at least 1 unique magic item, a tool they get special benefits with, and normal subclass stuff
4a. Artillerist into a turret subclass and a ranged weapon/wandslinger subclass
4b. Split the Battle Smith into a warrior subclass, and make the steel defender one of a few "Pact of" type Inventions*
4c. Split Alchemist into a medic/poisoner/potion maker and a bombardier that can throw grenades and such as a bonus action and can spend spell slots to make them have a bigger boom
5. Arcane Battery and Arcane Alternator (working titles). You can absorb magical energies and use them to recharge inventions and do stuff like hitting harder with your spells for a turn or two.
5a. Arcane Alternator is allows you to absorb damage of certain types for yourself or an ally, and lets you make a skill check as a ritual to dismantle persistent magical effects or drain magic items you encounter. This charges you Battery.
5b. Your battery has a Stability Die, and every time you charge or use it to charge something you roll the die. The die gets more unstable the more you use it, meaning that if your die is a d6 at level 5, you start out with a value of 1, which means that you only have an issue if you roll a one on the d6, but then it goes up to 2, then 3, etc the more you use it without resting and letting it cool down and reset to 1. Maybe using the charges cools the device and brings the number down, because your Heat level is equal to your current charges? So you roll anytime you use it, but the Heat Level goes up and down as you use the feature.
- This gives the artificer some experimental device flavor, and lets you be like the rogue but for magic stuff in a really fun tangible way.
6. Spell storing item is folded into Inventions and is broader but also limited by your inventions active
* alongside a spell storing item and a bound weapon and something like Armor of Tools, the battle pet would make up the secondary choice of the class
I'll add more ideas as I formulate them, but for now I'm curious if anyone here likes this set of ideas enough to help me develop them?
That said
Reasons:
1. There are high level spells the Art should have
2. It is weird and bad to have wizards get stuff-creating spells before the Art
3. They currently have power budget room for it
Ideas:
1. Spell levels 1-5 are the same as other full casters, but levels 6-9 are like Warlock but with magic items called Masterworks rather than mystic arcanum.
2. Inventions rather than replicate magic item, similar to the new artificer except that some are artificer exclusive, and you can modify existing items not just create new ones. You can also transfer enchantments from one item to another. You get 1 at level 1, and more as you level up, reaching 10 at level 17.
2a. You can learn more inventions by encountering magic items, or by finding scrolls or spellbooks and using them to design magic items that replicate spells.
2b. You can spend spell slots (with a table for item rarity and spell slot level cost) to make temporary Inventions that only last 1 hour at most, allowing you to potentially never cast a spell with your spell slots and run entirely on class features and inventions.
3. You can craft anything craftable with your proficient tools in half the time and at half the cost, magic or mundane. Later on you get more tool proficiencies, and your subclass upgrades this to 1/4 of the time and cost for a subset of tools.
4. Split subclasses with mixed concepts. Each one has ways to use spell slots, at least 1 unique magic item, a tool they get special benefits with, and normal subclass stuff
4a. Artillerist into a turret subclass and a ranged weapon/wandslinger subclass
4b. Split the Battle Smith into a warrior subclass, and make the steel defender one of a few "Pact of" type Inventions*
4c. Split Alchemist into a medic/poisoner/potion maker and a bombardier that can throw grenades and such as a bonus action and can spend spell slots to make them have a bigger boom
5. Arcane Battery and Arcane Alternator (working titles). You can absorb magical energies and use them to recharge inventions and do stuff like hitting harder with your spells for a turn or two.
5a. Arcane Alternator is allows you to absorb damage of certain types for yourself or an ally, and lets you make a skill check as a ritual to dismantle persistent magical effects or drain magic items you encounter. This charges you Battery.
5b. Your battery has a Stability Die, and every time you charge or use it to charge something you roll the die. The die gets more unstable the more you use it, meaning that if your die is a d6 at level 5, you start out with a value of 1, which means that you only have an issue if you roll a one on the d6, but then it goes up to 2, then 3, etc the more you use it without resting and letting it cool down and reset to 1. Maybe using the charges cools the device and brings the number down, because your Heat level is equal to your current charges? So you roll anytime you use it, but the Heat Level goes up and down as you use the feature.
- This gives the artificer some experimental device flavor, and lets you be like the rogue but for magic stuff in a really fun tangible way.
6. Spell storing item is folded into Inventions and is broader but also limited by your inventions active
* alongside a spell storing item and a bound weapon and something like Armor of Tools, the battle pet would make up the secondary choice of the class
I'll add more ideas as I formulate them, but for now I'm curious if anyone here likes this set of ideas enough to help me develop them?
