D&D 5E (2024) ReReview: Artificer

[Zardnaar]

Depends on the subclass. The armorer is specifically the one who can switch from stealth to defender to melee attacker to spellcaster as the situation demands, but is not the best in any role. You could try to build your character around a single armor mode, but that will always produce disappointing results.

Point.

Its why I didnt raye it C as its OK and base class is decent.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Replicate Magic Item
The MVP ability of the artificer and the main appeal of playing one. How good it is depends mostly on player knowledge.

This is why I'm not sure S tier is appropriate. It can be very effective but also can be kinda weak.

Magic Item Tinker.
Looks cute but it can be abused. Basically find an item with charges and transmute it into something else once it has 1 charge left. Or drain it for a spell slot.

I didn't realise that that was considered an abuse; I thought it was intended behaviour.

Flash of Genius Level 7.
Great ability. Big buff to a saving throw as a reaction. Would be gold but Paladin auras exist. This is the next best option.

Paladin auras also require you to stack up in fireball formation and not every paladin is a charismadin. Is the paladin aura better? Yes - but not always.

Magic Item Adept
You can attune an extra item. Very nice but its not exactly MVP and its level 10. More is always better especially for this class.

I'm not sure which rating set you're using - and this is nice when you are making your attuned items.

The artificer comes online at level 2 IMHO and peaks at level 10 and 11. This is due to magic item plans via replicate magic item and the spell storing item.

And it's as online as anyone is at level 1.

Alchemist.
Opportunity cost for a "better" subclass is higher. Outclassed at that role by one of the other subclasses at least early on. I found it rough at level 3 and its the only one I would say that about.

Pretty much. The Alchemist appears to be an attempt to be a fake cleric rather than leaning into other types of artifice. And the elixirs effectiveness varies from first level spell to second level spell - meanwhile at least three of the other four subclasses can all do things that are very hard to replicate without excessive magic.

Armorer
Living the dream You are iron man from the MCU. However first impressions are deceptive. You think you're Iron Man but you're actually fairly poor at combat.

The armourer just doesn't work in various ways. Most notably being that you basically can't enchant your weapon. And you generally need a backup cantrip attack because you only have one innate weapon in your armour. Honestly the whole thing makes me go meh to the point that if I want to play Iron Man I'm going to use an artillerist who carries their own tiny cannon around with them.

What the armourer does do is lets you swap between a pseudo-paladin and a pseudo-ranger (although if I'm going pseudo-ranger I'm going battlesmith as beast master).

Artillerist.
There is one big potential bugbear. You cannon only has 5hp per artificer level. 5.5 critters hit like a truck and if your cannon dies things fall apart a bit.

If the canon dies to anything except AoE damage take the win. The cannon has an AC of 18 and the approximate hit points of the party wizard. And all it costs to fix up is a single first level spell slot. And, especially in 2024 where you've already had the force field and have handed initiative to everyone.

Likewise the Battle Smith; one of the points of the Steel Defender is to take the hits so the flesh and blood people who are only slightly less fragile and a lot harder to put back together don't have to.

Cartographer
A weird new class that doesn't stand out in any way at least on paper.

Oh, it stands out. It stands out for two things: No long term damage and no top line burst. On the other hand it's one of the very few subclasses with an actual at-will teleport that doesn't take any form of action. It's weak at combat (especially solo combat) but very good at the exploration pillar. Yes the internet is sleeping on it but there are legitimate reasons that its power is campaign-specific.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Tanking. Supporting. Creating magic items.
Opening locks. Solving problems.

You are a spellcaster. You have a lot of tools.
If you have 14 dexterity, you can sneak around very well too.

Don't be fooled by the weapons. It is just a neat side job. Similar to valor bards or war clerics.

You have a similar niche to Valor Bards, War Clerics, and Bladesinger Wizards. But you deal less at-will damage, a lot less nova damage, and have access to less powerful effects. You have more magic items, but generally an equivalently lesser number of spells.
In many cases, you have the same Dex as the other archetypes in your niche.

The only time I've found artificers to really have a niche is in long adventuring days: your buffs through distributing your magic items are much less powerful than the spells of a full caster, but they are generally always-on, where a spell would have a duration. So if you can stretch the adventuring day over a lot of minor encounters rather than a few dangerous ones, your comparative performance improves.

Pretty much. The Alchemist appears to be an attempt to be a fake cleric rather than leaning into other types of artifice. And the elixirs effectiveness varies from first level spell to second level spell - meanwhile at least three of the other four subclasses can all do things that are very hard to replicate without excessive magic.

Alchemist tries to function as a cleric, but even outside of hit points, it just doesn't get access to the spells to relieve conditions at the levels where they are generally useful.
As a healer, combatant and general party support, a Paladin is probably better.

Oh, it stands out. It stands out for two things: No long term damage and no top line burst. On the other hand it's one of the very few subclasses with an actual at-will teleport that doesn't take any form of action. It's weak at combat (especially solo combat) but very good at the exploration pillar. Yes the internet is sleeping on it but there are legitimate reasons that its power is campaign-specific.

Problem is, your teleport has a maximum range of 30ft, and is limited use if you want to travel to anywhere where one of your party hasn't already reached. Overall its not much better than all the "Misty Step proficiency bonus times per day" that so many other archetypes and even races have access to.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You have a similar niche to Valor Bards, War Clerics, and Bladesinger Wizards. But you deal less at-will damage, a lot less nova damage, and have access to less powerful effects. You have more magic items, but generally an equivalently lesser number of spells.
In many cases, you have the same Dex as the other archetypes in your niche.

The only time I've found artificers to really have a niche is in long adventuring days: your buffs through distributing your magic items are much less powerful than the spells of a full caster, but they are generally always-on, where a spell would have a duration. So if you can stretch the adventuring day over a lot of minor encounters rather than a few dangerous ones, your comparative performance improves.

See below.

Alchemist tries to function as a cleric, but even outside of hit points, it just doesn't get access to the spells to relieve conditions at the levels where they are generally useful.
As a healer, combatant and general party support, a Paladin is probably better.

If you compare a solid B Claas with 2 S or A classes, you are comparing apples to oranges.

Artificers are great. They even have their niche and advantages over both classes. But power wise they are a bit behind.
They might be more fun or fitting for what you imagine.

Problem is, your teleport has a maximum range of 30ft, and is limited use if you want to travel to anywhere where one of your party hasn't already reached. Overall its not much better than all the "Misty Step proficiency bonus times per day" that so many other archetypes and even races have access to.

 

[Zardnaar]

See below.

If you compare a solid B Claas with 2 S or A classes, you are comparing apples to oranges.

Artificers are great. They even have their niche and advantages over both classes. But power wise they are a bit behind.
They might be more fun or fitting for what you imagine.

Big problem for artificers is specialization.

Support im an alchemist. Cost you're not a life cleric.

Steel defender and artilerist you're not a a Paladin or archer.

So it comes down to replicate magic iremscand your level 10 and 11 ability.

Pipes of haunting are great but you're not getting level 3 spells. You can support the party by giving away your items but bards and Clerics exist.

You're not bad as such just outclassed at most things most of the time. If you can easily crank out items and equip minions thats potentially great but back in ask the DM territory.