D&D 5E Tell me about your Artificer

[Stormonu]

Finally getting to play my first Artificer.

We're playing a New Cappena game. My artificer is a Rhok (Rhinoman) whose pinsuit is actually halo-powered armor, with a host of self-built devices incorporated into it that have a very secret agent style (disguise self, invisibility, magic missile, jump, etc.)

It's a fun character to play, but the three subclasses seem very pigeon-holed (As an armorsmith, I feel like I'm forced to try and be "iron man" and it feels difficult NOT to go that route).

 

[I'm A Banana]

I played Zenexor, a human alchemist, for 14 levels.

Zenexor was in a Theros campaign, so he was in a world that evokes ancient Greek myths. One of the gods of this world is a god of poison and medicine and serpents and medusae and similar. So he was destined for greatness by her.

I played him as a sort of bronze age doctor, experimenting with bugs and plants and other people, trying to uncover the secrets of healing and poison. He was pretty amoral (poisoned an entire shrine to the Hephaestus-alike god, used poisons and diseases in his attacks), but over the course of the campaign learned about things like consent and the consequences of actions.

Mechanically, it was a weird niche. I played him mostly as a caster, but he was NOT AT ALL squishy. The defining feature of the alchemist - the elixirs - proved kind of difficult to use in combat. I didn't end up using a lot of the fire abilities of the alchemist (didn't fit the vibe), which probably contributed to his lack of power. It was a lot of fun to get the damage boost to poison spells and the like.

 

[WanderingMystic]

I am currently playing a half orc Artificer (Artillerist) who is a labor union boss in Ebberon. The character is a blast to play. His spells are different types of ammunition or devices he whips up. Conjure Bonfire is a land mine, Cure Light Wounds is my whiskey and things like that.

Mechanically I feel that the class is lacking, they are not as strong as the other half casters but feel like they want to play like a warlock or full caster

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't play artificers, so I don't really have anything to contribute. I just dropped in to say how much I love threads like this one, where people are just sharing their experiences and their creativity. Game on, my friends.

 

[Clint_L]

My spouse doesn't post here but they LOVE their artificer!

Blimmig is a level 10 goblin battle smith. Their background is that they were a wandering toy smith - basically a peddler - who traveled from town to town with their mobile tinkering cart - like a food cart, but mostly making toys. Due to the need for self-protection, they had invented a gun; I used the rules for the pepperbox from Critical Role. The first time Blimming was forced to use it to actually shoot someone, they spent the next round of combat throwing up.

At level 2, they used an infusion to create a homunculus, Bethany, which is a little animated dragon toy. At level 3, they managed to tinker their cart into a janky robot (Mr. Cart, their defender) which kind of transforms as needed: a crudely drawn face pops up on a stick, the side panels swing out to act as shields, and so on.

On top of that, my spouse RPs every spell as an invention. So when they cast "grease,"Blimming whips out, basically, a giant super soaker full of grease and starts spraying it. "Revivify" is a set of goblin jumper-cables. "Fly" is a half-assed harness with wings. And so on. They take great delight in describing every action with appropriate side effects (Blimming is forever being knocked prone after firing their gun, which is much too big for them, for example).

In terms of how it plays: they're fantastic! We have a barbarian main tank (and now my monk is arguably a second main tank) so Blimming is great in a supporting role, but also offers excellent ranged offence. They're just a super fun and effective character.

 

[TwoSix]

One of my current characters is a shadar-kai artificer who's essentially an anime action hero. Big sword, brooding, has a pet steel panther, knows way too much but doesn't tell anyone anything, will randomly touch other PC's armor and weapons to make them "stop sucking".

Elven Accuracy + Great Weapon Master + Haste + pet for flanking means the character does a brutal amount of damage, which the DM would probably object to more if I didn't play completely recklessly. He's already killed the character twice, and I've dropped into death save territory at least 10 times.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I’ve played two artificers, but since one of them was very heavily homebrewed, I’ll talk about the other one.

Bakara Urdnot was my Tortle Artillerist Artificer, who would mount her Eldritch Cannon onto her back and control it via a visor that also acted as the Eye of the Eagle magic item. She wielded two hand crossbows for shorter range, a heavy crossbow for long range, and with a combination of Sharpshooter, Spell Sniper, and Crossbow Expert (along with a bit of house ruling by my DM), she became a lethal sniper on the battlefield.

Though she did have access to the offensive spells the subclass gave out, pretty much all the spells I used with her were utility, helping her move around the battlefield or remain undetected or helping her other teammates with positioning or protection. I especially loved using Silence to help set up muted sniper shots, Invisibility to help with stealthiness, or using Vortex Warp to zip people around, and these three spells would be my go to spells for the Spell Storing Item feature depending on the situation.

 

[Onions4Knights]

I'm currently playing an Alchemist named Dr. Adderson for Adventurer's League. He's a buff Plague Doctor.

I started him as a Fighter. He's got 20 AC as an Alchemist and is either tossing out Poison/Acid spells or healing. When he runs out of spells, he uses his Doctor's Stick (Morningstar) to beat the crap out of peope.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

I am playing a duergar refugee “captain grimjak.” He is going the artillerist route.

I am playing with sunlight sensitivity.

He has had some early misadventures…he was about to be sold to the drow and participated in a mutiny on an undersea barge that was commanded by a night hag.

In any event, I say he stole some infernal tech knowledge from her.Change self is a drow skin mask that changes when worn.
His gun is like a six shooter for cantrips but has a larger barrel for leveled spells as well.

His eldritch cannon is like a gauntlet he wears. It shoots ghostly energy which howls—-and is powered by the souls of the damned—-a stream of distorted ghostly faces fly out of it. It can scramble like it is part of the Adam’s family if it must but is usually worn.

Two things are a struggle. DM has been nice about my indecision…

I really want ray of frost in my gun along with fire bolt but…he is strong. So I was torn for fourth and debated going…weapon master for a greataxe and booming blade. If he enlarges, it’s as good as ray of frost from his arable firearm. D12, d8, d4 +4 (and maybe 2d8 if they move) vs. 3d8.

I also thought about crusher with warhammer instead since it could knock someone back and allow the cannon to fire without disadvantage.

I generally see myself using cantrips and cannon….so spells primarily to get advantage or counter disadvantage. I have enlarge and invisibility as a duergar to be complemented with a bunch of faeirie fire.

He is bald like most duergar, bearded and wears goggles. Proficient in stealth and sleight of hand…want to sneak a good amount to get good combat position, sow chaos and so forth…

He often want to solve things with destruction…often asks about I derdark delicacies like giant spider legs at inns. Resentful of authority and generally heroic…hates drow, mind flayers and many duergar in particular given his past.

The nighthag he double crossed may come back to get revenge if DM wants…

 

[bedir than]

I really want to play a re-skinned Alchemist whose tool is a Printing/Letter Press. They put out scrolls rather than potions. The character would be constantly fiddling with their blocks to cast spells in the short term, likely using the humancoulous as an aid for the various components of the press.