D&D 5E Homebrew druid/artificer character

Greetings,

My player wants to run a combination druid and artificer. The idea is that a group of wood elves have embraced arcane magic to build a civilization that can live in harmony with nature. One of the big things is to have an armorer who can use their battlesuit thing while wildshaped.

The player is struggling to come up with a build that functions well and can pull its weight next to our barbarian and hexblade sorlock. We're now on the third iteration of this build.

I offered that I could happily houserule some things if it led to greater synergy or fun, but player isn't sure what should be changed. Player isn't that experienced with 5e and would accept some advice I think but doesn't want me to build it myself.

What houserules or homebrew do you think would make this awkward multiclass shine?
 

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Are they trying to be an armored bear? Becuase that's either easy or impossible.

The easy answer is don't multiclass and just use barkskin to get armor that can be maintained while wildshaped. Option B is to get custom magic armor that works while wildshaped.

If they want to Armored Artificer's abilities to function while wildshaped - there's a reason that's not allowed. Just pick one and don't try to break the game via multiclassing.

If they just want to be powerful - play a single-class druid. It's stupidly powerful and easily an S-tier class with no multiclassing at all. It's also the second most complex class to play, right behind artificer. (The simplest S-tier class is paladin.)
 

Are they trying to be an armored bear? Becuase that's either easy or impossible.

The easy answer is don't multiclass and just use barkskin to get armor that can be maintained while wildshaped. Option B is to get custom magic armor that works while wildshaped.

If they want to Armored Artificer's abilities to function while wildshaped - there's a reason that's not allowed. Just pick one and don't try to break the game via multiclassing.

If they just want to be powerful - play a single-class druid. It's stupidly powerful and easily an S-tier class with no multiclassing at all. It's also the second most complex class to play, right behind artificer. (The simplest S-tier class is paladin.)
Okay, Claude Frollo. Why even reply if you don't want to talk about it?
 

Perhaps post the builds of all party members in question? I'm assuming this is a moon druid/armorer artificer?

A lot of the features wouldn't synergize if you let the armor work. Multi-attack doesn't stack with extra attack, nor should it. Defensive Field doesnt stack with wild shape THP. I would allow a claw attack or a thunder gauntlet punch in a multi-attack routine though. Basically the armorer gets the druid a fast donning suit of barding (and other stuff, but in wild shape a lot cant be used).

Allowing high AC, ablative temp HP, and disadvantage causing thunder gauntlets might make the bear too tanky and defensive, leading to boring combats. I'm not sure how much they nerfed the onion druid THP in 5.5 though.
The artificer/druid has a lot of utility compared to the others. They should be a bit worse in combat.
 

Moon Druid/Artillerist Artificer.

Turn into a beast and strap your cannon to your back. Go with a hit point tank and the Protecter cannon, or a heavy hitter with the Flamethrower, or a flying beast with the flyby feature to hit and run only to fire your Force Ballista as you fly off.
 

Greetings,

My player wants to run a combination druid and artificer. The idea is that a group of wood elves have embraced arcane magic to build a civilization that can live in harmony with nature. One of the big things is to have an armorer who can use their battlesuit thing while wildshaped.

The player is struggling to come up with a build that functions well and can pull its weight next to our barbarian and hexblade sorlock. We're now on the third iteration of this build.

I offered that I could happily houserule some things if it led to greater synergy or fun, but player isn't sure what should be changed. Player isn't that experienced with 5e and would accept some advice I think but doesn't want me to build it myself.

What houserules or homebrew do you think would make this awkward multiclass shine?
I like that you shared the narrative concept – that's usually the part that posts about char builds & homebrew class stuff leave out – and it's a really interesting twist!

I'm actually wondering what the player's intent/desire with the build is mechanically? That would influence my suggestions for them. And maybe if there isn't a clear articulation of that yet, you could instead share a short summary of current build focusing on what's not working and why?

My immediate response would be that you probably don't want to suddenly let the wildshaped druid be able to cast artificer spells through their Arcane Armor because that depreciates the 18th level Beast Spells druid feature (allowing them to cast druid spells while wildshaped). But some kind of very limited artificer casting could work as a house rule – even that might be unnecessary though as the Armorer subclass lets them cast Mirror Image or Fire Shield or Greater Invisibility and then they can wildshape while keeping that spell up which is a potent strategy.

My other immediate response is to just let them benefit from the AC of their Arcane Armor while wildshaped. Seems perfectly in line with the narrative of the armor practically being part of you (it regrows your limbs after all!), and it's not overpowered as long as you're throwing decent threats at the party to whittle down 2014 druid's extra wildshape HP.
 

The easiest is allowing druids to use Int. Or Wis for Artificer.

But it also depends on what type of druid and Artificer.

Mixing wild fire with steel defender into a single summon could be fun. Some kind of forge elemental, mixing fire and steel.

Then let him use Wild Shape to summon and repair it, artificer infusions to improve it, and the scaling is by character level.

Edit: you mentioned Armorer. And that's easy enough. Just let him use it while wild shaped, and use Int for the melee attacks.

Probably use the playtest rules where you keep your own HP and get some THP instead.
 


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