Gate Pass Gazette Playtest the ARTIFICER (Kickstarter backers only)

[WanderingMystic]

At 20th level, you could have up to 16 5th-level spells (or spells cast with a 5th-level slot) and four cantrips, and could effectively cast them forever if you didn't roll a 1 on the Fizzle Die. I think they're counting on people spending slots on their vehicles and pets--and that definitely will happen. But that means the Bombardier probably needs something to spend those inventions on as well.

Your device fizzles if you roll the spell level you are casting or less on your fizzle die, not just on a 1, so your spells fizzles about 62% if you are casting a 5th level spell.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

Spells: I would love to see the Arcane Muscles cantrip added so I can hulk out long before I get my Rage of the Meek.

oh-ho...

At 20th level, you could have up to 16 5th-level spells (or spells cast with a 5th-level slot) and four cantrips, and could effectively cast them forever if you didn't roll a 1 on the Fizzle Die. I think they're counting on people spending slots on their vehicles and pets--and that definitely will happen. But that means the Bombardier probably needs something to spend those inventions on as well.

Now, a 20th-level wizard has 22 spell slots (out of 25 spells that are prepared, assuming Int 20) and five cantrips, plus three free 1/day signature spells, plus 10 additional spell slot levels from Arcane Recovery, plus as many free first-level spells they want from True Magician, plus as many ritual spells as they want.

So... I'm not sure the artificer is actually the best caster. But they are very good, especially the Bombardier who doesn't need to spend inventions on archetype abilities.

yeah, good point. still terrifying.

This actually doesn't bother me so much because you don't have spells, you have magitech devices that should weigh something. This is why you get hirelings or your pets to carry your stuff for you.

oh i'm fine with it from a balancing perspective, my point was that 30+ pounds is still a lot.

Your device fizzles if you roll the spell level you are casting or less on your fizzle die, not just on a 1, so your spells fizzles about 62% if you are casting a 5th level spell.

well, remember that your archetype spells have an increased fizzle die - so by 20th level there's a 50% chance your 5th level invention will keep going if it's an archetype invention.

 

[Alhazrael]

Since they haven't added the Artificer to the Bug Report section, the released PDF has an error on either pg 3 in the table or pg 10 & 11. The 9th and 11th level features are swapped and I am not 100% certain which is supposed to be which (Advanced Tactical Chemistry & Reliable Invention).

 

[WanderingMystic]

well, remember that your archetype spells have an increased fizzle die - so by 20th level there's a 50% chance your 5th level invention will keep going if it's an archetype invention.

True. Something I keep forgetting is that the extra die bump at lvl 20 so I was thinking d6/d8 not d8/d10. That does feel powerful but if I remind myself that it is part of their capstone it feels a bit better.

 

[thelordofthemorning]

So, from a purely mechanical stand point, I love it. So much better than O5e artificer.

I am a little grumpy about it being so completely not appropriate for every campaign setting flavorwise, specifically that the technological aspect makes it not really appropriate to a lot of more traditional fantasy or or medieval sword and sorcery settings, which is what I tend to prefer. The techno-magical approach is certainly a valid one for the artificer, but it's not the only one, and I would have preferred the base class to be presented in a slightly more flexible manner. However, I don't think that is necessarily a deal breaker, as other than the Engineer subclass I think this can be fairly easily reflavored/reskinned to fit into a less technological setting. Just in case anyone else shares my preferences and is interested, here's a rough draft of me rewritten non-techno flavor for the A5e Artificer:

Artificers are those who thirst for arcane knowledge and power, and more importantly for new arcane knowledge and power. They find the hide bound traditions, ancient "wisdom", and esoteric rituals of traditional magical practice to be narrowminded and stifling, and so they set out on their own in search of new, unorthodox means of channeling magic. Magic is an inherently unpredictable and dangerous thing, and though artificers risk life and limb and frequent failure in their experiments, they attempt to insulate themselves somewhat from the unpredictable risks of their recklessness by focusing on sympathetic magic, the channeling of mystical energies through physical objects and foci and the harnessing of the innate magical properties of strange alchemic substances, as opposed to directly casting spells. This reliance on physical implements means that many artificers come from a background of being mundane craftsman, and those who do not quickly develop such skills out of necessity. Most interestingly of all, their studies give them unique insight into the supremely difficult and costly creation, use, and powering of magical items, insight even the greatest of traditional wizards and sorcerers cannot replicate, much to their consternation.

Spell inventions become unstable foci, bombardier either makes their bombs more explicitly magical (mini fireball you can throw) or emphasizes their alchemical nature (supped up alchemist fire or acid flask), stitcher is pretty much good to go, drop the engineer, add in the O5e artificer alchemist if you really want a third (ideally tweaking it first since O5e alchemist sucks), and there you have it.

 

[WanderingMystic]

For those of you who don't like the engineer it could be a magical mount like a disk of Tzeentch (warhammer), a magical suit of armor, a magical carpet, animated chariot, it could also be a figuring wondrous power or something simmilar.

 

[King Brad]

I am not opposed to mechanics like the fizzle die, but I don't like it here. Even though it does fit thematically really well, you have to get lucky twice for multiple spells to just work and there doesn't seem to be enough going on with the class otherwise to make up for that. The Archetypes help out in various ways, but I still feel like the core lass is missing something. That may be just me though.

I will say, however, that any time this style of mechanic is introduced for anyone's creation, there should be a disclaimer/designer note saying something like "This feature should be viewed initially as an additional option that accentuates the core game play loop of the class though is not expected to be its primary focus. We expect you to use it for X primarily, but wanted to give the option for Y" because 9 times out of 10 it just reads as "here's a thing you could do that a lot of other classes can do too but the risk of it failing is much greater for you because shrug"

That being said, I love a lot of this class. Bombardier and Engineer are right up my alley and while I dunno what combat looks like with the vehicle rules, I'm more that interested in finding out.

 

[Faolyn]

Your device fizzles if you roll the spell level you are casting or less on your fizzle die, not just on a 1, so your spells fizzles about 62% if you are casting a 5th level spell.

Apparently I can't read!

 

[WanderingMystic]

I am not opposed to mechanics like the fizzle die, but I don't like it here. Even though it does fit thematically really well, you have to get lucky twice for multiple spells to just work and there doesn't seem to be enough going on with the class otherwise to make up for that.

It is alot better than you think, I fact it is vastly superior to the o5e artificer.

• 1st level O5e 2 1st level spells / A5e 2 1st level, roll a d4 on a 1 they run out of charges. So you have a 75% chance to cast more spells.
• 5th lvl o5e 4 1st level spells, 2 2nd / a5e 6 devices can be up to 2nd level, 2 roll a d4, 2 roll a d6. Drastically better than o5e. So same number of spells, but a 75-83% to recast 1st level spells, and a 50-66% chance to recast 2nd level spells.
• 9th level o5e 4 1st, 3 2nd, 2 3rd / a5e 9 devices that can cast up to 3rd level 3rd level spells have a 25-50% chance of being able to recast.

This just keeps getting better because at 10th level the fizzle dice increases making it easier to cast low level spells over and over, at 11th level you reroll 1s. By 13th level you have 1 more device than an o5e artificer has spells and keep that all the way through 20th level and at 20th level your fizzle dice grows again.

So the a5e can cast 1 more spell per day guaranteed, can up cast all of their spells to their heights spell slot I they want and have a good chance to cast the spell over and over again and can practically cast 1st level spells as often as they would like.

The engineer and the sticher get hit hard with the fact that they will be sacrificing their spell devices to power their modification which I am not sure is worth it.

 

[King Brad]

It is alot better than you think, I fact it is vastly superior to the o5e artificer.

• 1st level O5e 2 1st level spells / A5e 2 1st level, roll a d4 on a 1 they run out of charges. So you have a 75% chance to cast more spells.
• 5th lvl o5e 4 1st level spells, 2 2nd / a5e 6 devices can be up to 2nd level, 2 roll a d4, 2 roll a d6. Drastically better than o5e. So same number of spells, but a 75-83% to recast 1st level spells, and a 50-66% chance to recast 2nd level spells.
• 9th level o5e 4 1st, 3 2nd, 2 3rd / a5e 9 devices that can cast up to 3rd level 3rd level spells have a 25-50% chance of being able to recast.

This just keeps getting better because at 10th level the fizzle dice increases making it easier to cast low level spells over and over, at 11th level you reroll 1s. By 13th level you have 1 more device than an o5e artificer has spells and keep that all the way through 20th level and at 20th level your fizzle dice grows again.

So the a5e can cast 1 more spell per day guaranteed, can up cast all of their spells to their heights spell slot I they want and have a good chance to cast the spell over and over again and can practically cast 1st level spells as often as they would like.

The engineer and the sticher get hit hard with the fact that they will be sacrificing their spell devices to power their modification which I am not sure is worth it.

Apparently I can't read either. Okay this is a lot cooler than I realized. Also the big issue was that it is After the fact, not Before, as I originally thought.

Edit: Thank you for clarifying.