From what I understand, there's no intention of putting the artificer in the core, so we're probably not going to see a 5eR version for a long time. Sadly.
D&D (2024) How should the Artificer be implemented in 1DnD?
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
I’m referring to the SRD, not to the revised core books.
They’ve indicated an intention to add Artificer to the SRD previously, IIRC. I think it was Kyle Brink in one of his interviews.
As for the revised core, that doesn’t bother me outside of it being weird to me to put guns in the PHB but not the artificer, and wanting more Artificer support.
I don’t actually think the class needs a major revision. Most of its shortcomings could be fixed with a few optional variant features and some new infusions.
Frozen_Heart
Hero
I'm personally betting on Artificer never getting a 1DnD update.
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
Same here. It's the newest class, and was updated recently in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything along with tons of other updates. It's already way ahead of the other base classes.
Marandahir
Crown-Forester (he/him)
It is missing out VASTLY on subclass count, though. And there's so much more that can be done with it. But it would need an update if they want to update it in such a way that plays nicer with the other revised classes.
My issue with this is that Artificers are more than ANY other class defined as EXPERTS. They are artisans, craftspeople, creators, inventors, skillful, tool-makers and tool-utilizers and tool-improvers. Move them more into the Mage category and they step all over the Wizard. And the Sorcerer, for that matter too, with the whole inventive creativity flexibility stuff. I know we have an Arcane Expert already, but Bards and Artificers occupy VERY different design spaces.
I also think that as Experts who dabble in spellcasting, they can dabble in martial arts too, as needed by their subclass, fulfilling the Swordmage concepts quite nicely as well as other Battlemage Arcane Half-caster concepts quite eloquently. What is a weapon but another tool to be infused or enhanced? I'm not sure what I'd give the story of an Arcane Half-caster Half-Warrior if not the story of the Artificer (without already being the story of Bladelocks, Valour-Bards, Sword-Bards, Bladesingers, nor Eldritch Knights).
If you asked me what would a Ranger be if it was Arcane? I'd tell you an Artificer.
bedir than
Full Moon Storyteller
All of this has inspired me to think about an Urbanist Artificer -- someone who specializes in things like bounty hunting, investigation, slipping through crowds, etc
Marandahir
Crown-Forester (he/him)
YESSSSSSS. I LOVE IT. I had a similar thought for an Arcane bounty hunter character class that I was trying to make its own thing but kept feeling like it was too limited to be a full class. I ended up putting this "Spellbinder" or "Vanguard" as a homebrew Artificer subclass.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
I really would love to see the Artificer get 2 artisans tools they are proficient with get expertise early, along with 1 of the “good tools”.
The two artisans tools would be a “vocation” that would grant them some minor xanathar’s style benefits when crafting with those tools, and some social status as an artisan.
Stuff like cooking utensils and brewers supplies meaning you can give THP during a short or long rest, or remove a level of exhaustion, or something. Weavers could be able to make cloaks that protect against weather or give a small stealth benefit, while cobblers could make silent shoes or shoes that give advantage against exhaustion when traveling or some benefit with not slipping in uncertain terrain like ice or wet stone.
You can learn a second vocation at X level, maybe. Or the benefits get less minor and more magical? That’s more dicey.
The two artisans tools would be a “vocation” that would grant them some minor xanathar’s style benefits when crafting with those tools, and some social status as an artisan.
Stuff like cooking utensils and brewers supplies meaning you can give THP during a short or long rest, or remove a level of exhaustion, or something. Weavers could be able to make cloaks that protect against weather or give a small stealth benefit, while cobblers could make silent shoes or shoes that give advantage against exhaustion when traveling or some benefit with not slipping in uncertain terrain like ice or wet stone.
You can learn a second vocation at X level, maybe. Or the benefits get less minor and more magical? That’s more dicey.
Gorck
Prince of Dorkness
It has 4 subclasses, and they already said that, in the 2024 PHB, all the classes will have 4 subclasses each. So that seems to be on par with their future plans. If they issue 2024 splat books with more subclasses, maybe they'll include some Articifer ones. Who knows what the future holds?
Neonchameleon
Legend
The Artificer has, as I see it, three basic problems.
The permanent items problem feels as if it's missing from the class concept. And the power curve - you have a three attunement limit. Yes, OK, the Artificer can get five. But the core issue here is that an Artificer in a group where there are no other magic weapons is a different prospect from one with a Monty Haul DM. These are two issues where the concept isn't met. But even if we assume it was (there should definitely be infusions for sharpening existing magic weapons for example, as well as a "everyone in the party has a +1 weapon until the next long rest infusion" and a permanent every few levels) this wouldn't fix the round to round play experience.
The core reason that the Paladin and Ranger work in combat is that in most rounds what they do is greater than the individual best of their abilities. The obvious case is that if the Paladin just hit people or cast spells they would basically be an inferior fighter or cleric in that round - but they hit people and smite at the same time increasing their damage output because they can grab power from two pools at once. (And the best controlled condition for enemies is dead). Rangers aren't just good archers; they are good archers who stack that with Hunter's Mark and have extra damage per round in their subclass - and they aren't just good at stealth, they stack that with the frankly broken Pass Without Trace to become amazing at stealth. The lifeblood of hybrids is the ability to draw from both their power sources to reach peaks their partial access to either wouldn't give.
The Artificer? No free actions. Their only bonus action L1 spells are Expeditious Retreat and Sanctuary, L2 it's Kinetic Jaunt and Magic Weapon (that overlaps their infusions of course), and L3 it's just Ashardlon's Stride. And the only reaction spells on the entire Artificer list are Absorb Elements and Featherfall. Literally the only way of using spell slots Artificers have that don't make them inferior wizards or clerics for while casting are light movement spells (no Misty Step) and Absorb Elements. (Or, I suppose, standard wizards/clerics if casting a cantrip). And their weapon damage output unless they have a useful subclass is best described as "wet pool noodle"; they just get a single attack and have to use a secondary stat.
Which brings us on to the lack of synergies in their subclasses.
Ignoring the obviously undertuned Alchemist we'll start with the armourer. They get second attack? Great! It takes them out of wet pool noodle territory but not into specialist combatant territory. The armour's special weapon is a trap, especially because you can't enchant it or infuse it before level 9 without giving up magic armour or armour infusions. Let's take a simple comparison of a badly built jack of all trades ranger who's gone dex primary to match your Int, has (for some strange reason) gone Defensive style, and refuses to use Hunter's Mark.
The artillerist almost works. The spell list at least gives you Shield, so that's nice (and gives you a spell you can use in combat). A fundamental problem with the Artillerist is that the Cannon (a) has 1 hour duration and (b) takes limited resources to replace. If the PCs are always on the offensive this isn't a problem - but if the party ever needs long term vigilance (e.g. keeping watch), gets ambushed, or has a long term even the artificer can either be basically an alchemist in combat or can waste their first turn and a spell resummoning the Eldritch Cannon. (The Protector canon not scaling is another issue; average 8.5 temp hit points for multiple people is great at level 4 - and 9.5 is almost pointless at level 20). Also again benchmarking against the PHB Ranger other than at levels 3-4 just isn't good; with Firebolt and a Force Ballista you're comparable to an archery ranger who's not using Hunter's Mark and who doesn't have good magic bow.
The Battle Smith is far the best of the set. First they get Shield meaning they get to attack and cast something useful. Second they are literally the only Artificer subclass that gets to make full use of the artificer's ability to make themselves magic weapons as they get both Extra Attack and Int on attack and damage rolls with a magic (including infused) weapon. This also means that their baseline combat output without the Steel Defender is roughly on a par with the Armourer - and unlike the Artillerist the Steel Defender sticks around. With the Steel Defender? They get to use their bonus action to make a third attack. We're in two weapon fighting style territory here - but with the artificer able to hang back and use the Steel Defender to soak up damage and either use a bow or a polearm. You actually have synergies within the class here. And because of it this is the only artificer subclass that can even hang with the PHB Ranger.
- No ability to make permanent magic items (something that massively incentivises consumables) or cost discounts (Magic Mouths, Continual Flames, and Glyphs of Warding should all be very low cost spells if not free for Artificers).
- A power curve that (in part due to attunement rules) is very dependent on how generous the DM is in terms of loot
- Almost no synergies (unlike the paladin and ranger and like the D&Done warlock) to the point it frequently works badly with magic weapons
- Bad benchmarking (which isn't a separate problem from the previous two) that compares unfavourably to the PHB Ranger
The permanent items problem feels as if it's missing from the class concept. And the power curve - you have a three attunement limit. Yes, OK, the Artificer can get five. But the core issue here is that an Artificer in a group where there are no other magic weapons is a different prospect from one with a Monty Haul DM. These are two issues where the concept isn't met. But even if we assume it was (there should definitely be infusions for sharpening existing magic weapons for example, as well as a "everyone in the party has a +1 weapon until the next long rest infusion" and a permanent every few levels) this wouldn't fix the round to round play experience.
The core reason that the Paladin and Ranger work in combat is that in most rounds what they do is greater than the individual best of their abilities. The obvious case is that if the Paladin just hit people or cast spells they would basically be an inferior fighter or cleric in that round - but they hit people and smite at the same time increasing their damage output because they can grab power from two pools at once. (And the best controlled condition for enemies is dead). Rangers aren't just good archers; they are good archers who stack that with Hunter's Mark and have extra damage per round in their subclass - and they aren't just good at stealth, they stack that with the frankly broken Pass Without Trace to become amazing at stealth. The lifeblood of hybrids is the ability to draw from both their power sources to reach peaks their partial access to either wouldn't give.
The Artificer? No free actions. Their only bonus action L1 spells are Expeditious Retreat and Sanctuary, L2 it's Kinetic Jaunt and Magic Weapon (that overlaps their infusions of course), and L3 it's just Ashardlon's Stride. And the only reaction spells on the entire Artificer list are Absorb Elements and Featherfall. Literally the only way of using spell slots Artificers have that don't make them inferior wizards or clerics for while casting are light movement spells (no Misty Step) and Absorb Elements. (Or, I suppose, standard wizards/clerics if casting a cantrip). And their weapon damage output unless they have a useful subclass is best described as "wet pool noodle"; they just get a single attack and have to use a secondary stat.
Which brings us on to the lack of synergies in their subclasses.
Ignoring the obviously undertuned Alchemist we'll start with the armourer. They get second attack? Great! It takes them out of wet pool noodle territory but not into specialist combatant territory. The armour's special weapon is a trap, especially because you can't enchant it or infuse it before level 9 without giving up magic armour or armour infusions. Let's take a simple comparison of a badly built jack of all trades ranger who's gone dex primary to match your Int, has (for some strange reason) gone Defensive style, and refuses to use Hunter's Mark.
- In Guardian Mode you match the Ranger's damage output in melee (1d8 + Int vs 1d8+ Dex) assuming they don't remember to proc their subclass bonus damage. You match their AC. Your only real advantage is your Defensive Field for temp hit points equal to your level proficiency times per day. (This, incidently, is the same sort of damage level as one of the bard melee subclasses).
- In Infiltrator mode you do d6 ranged damage (vs a bow's d8), and have an extra d6 damage as a proc (vs most subclasses d8). You have a movement buff, and you have a stealth buff to make up for their being Dex-primary.
The artillerist almost works. The spell list at least gives you Shield, so that's nice (and gives you a spell you can use in combat). A fundamental problem with the Artillerist is that the Cannon (a) has 1 hour duration and (b) takes limited resources to replace. If the PCs are always on the offensive this isn't a problem - but if the party ever needs long term vigilance (e.g. keeping watch), gets ambushed, or has a long term even the artificer can either be basically an alchemist in combat or can waste their first turn and a spell resummoning the Eldritch Cannon. (The Protector canon not scaling is another issue; average 8.5 temp hit points for multiple people is great at level 4 - and 9.5 is almost pointless at level 20). Also again benchmarking against the PHB Ranger other than at levels 3-4 just isn't good; with Firebolt and a Force Ballista you're comparable to an archery ranger who's not using Hunter's Mark and who doesn't have good magic bow.
The Battle Smith is far the best of the set. First they get Shield meaning they get to attack and cast something useful. Second they are literally the only Artificer subclass that gets to make full use of the artificer's ability to make themselves magic weapons as they get both Extra Attack and Int on attack and damage rolls with a magic (including infused) weapon. This also means that their baseline combat output without the Steel Defender is roughly on a par with the Armourer - and unlike the Artillerist the Steel Defender sticks around. With the Steel Defender? They get to use their bonus action to make a third attack. We're in two weapon fighting style territory here - but with the artificer able to hang back and use the Steel Defender to soak up damage and either use a bow or a polearm. You actually have synergies within the class here. And because of it this is the only artificer subclass that can even hang with the PHB Ranger.
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