Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Introduces The Artifcer

I don't think anyone saw this coming!

 

[Xeviat]

What about at least raising the "cooldown" to short rest instead of long rest? The draught is once per day which makes it kind of mediocre compared to other sources of healing.

Once per day per person. 1/2 level round up d6 healing is almost as good as giving everyone the toughness feat, you just have to spread it over the day instead of having it for one go.


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[Garresh]

Once per day per person. 1/2 level round up d6 healing is almost as good as giving everyone the toughness feat, you just have to spread it over the day instead of having it for one go.


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I don't buy that argument. No offense, but by that logic any healing effect can be completely overpowered. Prayer of Healing with a Life Cleric winds up being equivalent of double the Toughness feat, PER SLOT.

The issue I have with Draught of Healing is that due to the way it works, it functions rather poorly as an in combat heal. You can only heal one person with it, and in general it consumes THEIR action instead of yours, and you'll want to pick the person to give it to before the fight.

Simultaneously, it's a poor out of combat healing option as well, as it can only be done once per long rest per creature. If we compare it to equivalent "off-healer" options, almost all of them tend to choose between being an emergency combat healer, or a sustained healer. I think probably the best comparison here is the Tranquility Monk UA, as it has a similar level of healing in 5 person party.

The Tranquility Monk gets the burst heal to say "No you are NOT going down". Actually, just a few days ago a Tranquility monk saved my butt in a fight after I took a 5th level fireball to the face with my 3rd level warlock. Fun stuff. Back on point, compare this to the Artificer. Their burst healing in a fight is mediocre, it consumes the target's action, and your action as well if you heal more than once. So it's combat usefulness is clearly not its intended purpose.

Simply put, it should be focused on saving someone's butt in a fight, or it should be focused on potent healing out of combat. The once per day restriction, poor action economy, and lack of ability score bonus to healing cause it to be just a bit lackluster. I mean, even a healer's kit is a better option, and that feat is rarely taken outside of low levels.

Since I ran some numbers a while back, I'll provide examples of healing potential. We'll do this at level 5 to make things easy, with a 5 player party. This will be under the assumption of a day with 2 short rests.

Tranquility Monk: 10 healing per party member. Can burst heal and heal in fights.
Artificer: 13.5 Healing per party member. Poor use of resources in fights.
Moon Druid: 22.4 Healing per party member. Can lower efficiency to burst heal in fights, but not ideal.
Any Class With Healer's Kit: 37.5 Healing per party member. No burst heal capability.
Life Cleric: 120.1 Healing per party member. Can lower efficiency to burst heal in fights, and do this just as well as their all day efficient healing.

So this is kind of an amusing example, but you see that efficient out of combat healing is not overpowered(or everything would be playing life cleric). And the next best "efficient" healing option, the healer's kit, is actually very rarely taken in most campaigns and considered to be somewhat "meh". Artificer is the only class in this lineup that cannot burst heal in combat reliably. I understand that the artificer shouldn't be compared to a healing specialist(and the no one is expect it to rival life cleric). But given the amount of damage given up by the gunsmith class, or utility given up by other formulae, the Healing Draught could be a little better, at least. It could be a bonus action to create, or could have the option to throw it at a friendly creature whereupon it turns into an aerosol and heals them remotely. Or it could be only twice a day, or maybe have slightly better scaling. Whatever the case, the current math makes it seem a little bit lackluster.

Healing has never been overpowered in D&D, and from an optimization perspective is always a bad option. So a little boost to something that is mathematically inferior to other "bad" options might not be so horrible.

 

[Xeviat]

I don't buy that argument. No offense ...

None taken. The thing is that it takes no resources. It's entirely free. Well, it eats up one choice and you'll have to pick it eventually. It's a resourceless healing. Healer at least costs a feat (and heals a ton every day, don't get me started).

Other healing (except a few) cost resources, either spell slots or feats. For the choice of one of your alchemy options, you get to add 1d6 hp per day per odd level to everyone in your party. That choice is on the order of a cantrip. Would a cantrip that heals 1d6/2d6/3d6/4d6 that cost you and the target a standard action, usable once per short rest per person, be something you don't think people would take? I mean it's small, but it's nearly free.


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[Chaosmancer]

I don't buy that argument. No offense, but by that logic any healing effect can be completely overpowered. Prayer of Healing with a Life Cleric winds up being equivalent of double the Toughness feat, PER SLOT.

The issue I have with Draught of Healing is that due to the way it works, it functions rather poorly as an in combat heal. You can only heal one person with it, and in general it consumes THEIR action instead of yours, and you'll want to pick the person to give it to before the fight.

Simultaneously, it's a poor out of combat healing option as well, as it can only be done once per long rest per creature. If we compare it to equivalent "off-healer" options, almost all of them tend to choose between being an emergency combat healer, or a sustained healer. I think probably the best comparison here is the Tranquility Monk UA, as it has a similar level of healing in 5 person party.

The Tranquility Monk gets the burst heal to say "No you are NOT going down". Actually, just a few days ago a Tranquility monk saved my butt in a fight after I took a 5th level fireball to the face with my 3rd level warlock. Fun stuff. Back on point, compare this to the Artificer. Their burst healing in a fight is mediocre, it consumes the target's action, and your action as well if you heal more than once. So it's combat usefulness is clearly not its intended purpose.

Simply put, it should be focused on saving someone's butt in a fight, or it should be focused on potent healing out of combat. The once per day restriction, poor action economy, and lack of ability score bonus to healing cause it to be just a bit lackluster. I mean, even a healer's kit is a better option, and that feat is rarely taken outside of low levels.

Since I ran some numbers a while back, I'll provide examples of healing potential. We'll do this at level 5 to make things easy, with a 5 player party. This will be under the assumption of a day with 2 short rests.

Tranquility Monk: 10 healing per party member. Can burst heal and heal in fights.
Artificer: 13.5 Healing per party member. Poor use of resources in fights.
Moon Druid: 22.4 Healing per party member. Can lower efficiency to burst heal in fights, but not ideal.
Any Class With Healer's Kit: 37.5 Healing per party member. No burst heal capability.
Life Cleric: 120.1 Healing per party member. Can lower efficiency to burst heal in fights, and do this just as well as their all day efficient healing.

So this is kind of an amusing example, but you see that efficient out of combat healing is not overpowered(or everything would be playing life cleric). And the next best "efficient" healing option, the healer's kit, is actually very rarely taken in most campaigns and considered to be somewhat "meh". Artificer is the only class in this lineup that cannot burst heal in combat reliably. I understand that the artificer shouldn't be compared to a healing specialist(and the no one is expect it to rival life cleric). But given the amount of damage given up by the gunsmith class, or utility given up by other formulae, the Healing Draught could be a little better, at least. It could be a bonus action to create, or could have the option to throw it at a friendly creature whereupon it turns into an aerosol and heals them remotely. Or it could be only twice a day, or maybe have slightly better scaling. Whatever the case, the current math makes it seem a little bit lackluster.

Healing has never been overpowered in D&D, and from an optimization perspective is always a bad option. So a little boost to something that is mathematically inferior to other "bad" options might not be so horrible.

I think it looks fine as is, because it is an awfully big heal for next to zero cost, as an out of combat ability. As I think someone pointed out up above, it is nearly equivalent to casting Cure Wounds at the highest spell slot available to that level (in cleric/full caster). In addition, the Alchemist concerned with healing party members will also take Cure Wounds, and probably infuse Cure Wounds into some items as well, giving them a rather decent amount of healing overall, and the Alchemist still gets their acid and fire attacks as well, which are impressive amounts of damage in their own rights.

I'd worry that making it per short rest, giving them 3 per day on the average assumed scale, would equal far too much healing. Even twice a day could end up too much as a 9th lv alchemist would then heal their party for 10d8 hp per member just from the draught alone. Which is nearly similar to spending all their hit die, per member.

(All of that ignores +mod gotten from healing spells and HD, because that may vary greatly depending on whose casting/spending)

 

[Garresh]

Hm. That's a fair assessment. On that note, do you think the other formulae are all in a good spot? I'm not sure about the smokestick or the thunderstone.

 

[Garresh]

Doublepost. Ignore.

 

[Ancalagon]

The tanglebag seems very weak because the area is quite limited.

Blocking line of sight can be *very* useful, so I think the smokestick is good. It's particularly useful in a map with tunnels, chokepoints etc. If the bad guy have an "archery wing" clustered in one spot you can shut them down for a round or two easily.

Thunderstone is good too IMO but the range makes it problematic. In fact it's a notable feature of the Alchemist is his limited range...

 

[Chaosmancer]

The tanglebag seems very weak because the area is quite limited.

Blocking line of sight can be *very* useful, so I think the smokestick is good. It's particularly useful in a map with tunnels, chokepoints etc. If the bad guy have an "archery wing" clustered in one spot you can shut them down for a round or two easily.

Thunderstone is good too IMO but the range makes it problematic. In fact it's a notable feature of the Alchemist is his limited range...

I'm going to essentially agree with all this. With one caveat, 2 of these you get at level 14 and level 17.

Tanglefoot is bad regardless, but is the Thunderstone still a good ability to gain by 17th level? Prone and 10ft knockback just doesn't seem to be powerful enough for that. Same with the Smokestick, very useful but it is equivalent to Fog Cloud, which is a 1st level spell.

I think these two could stand to get an improvement of some sort by level 14, so that they stay competitive with the other options at those levels.

As written, I'd say most players get Acid, Fire then Healing at level 1.

Level 3 they will grab smokestick or Thunderstone, depending on preference. Maybe Swift Draught (+20 speed, how good is that?)

Level 9 they get which ever one they didn't get before, or maybe Swift Draught

Level 14 they finish out which ever of those they haven't received, I'd guess it would be Swift Draught

Level 17 they grab the Tanglefoot bag and weep bitter tears, because it was never worth taking and now is their capstone.


Maybe there are major concepts or ideas I'm not seeing, but you get your best abilities early, and then slowly get weaker and weaker abilities as you gain levels, which could be a problem.

 

[Garresh]

Hm. So I'm convinced. My concerns with regards to the Healing Draught were unfounded. However, the concerns raised above definitely are somewhat worrying. It might not be a bad idea to make it so that Tanglefoot, Speed, Smokestick, and Thunderstone all have a small power increase at level 11. It would make it less of a dead level I think. Not sure what that would entail, but it would certainly smooth out the progression and make the power a little less frontloaded. Maybe something like Thunderstone also blinds for 1 round at level 11. That might be a bit too strong, but given the short range and whatnot it might not be terrible. Or something like Tanglefoot lowers movement speed to 0 at level 11. Or Smokestick at 11 causes a "clinging smoke" which causes a 5 foot radius cloud to move with any creature that exits the smokestick's area for 1 round. Speed Draught upgrades to +40 movement at level 11. Some of these are probably OP, but it's food for thought.

Ironically, by the lategame concerns, the Healing Draught is the only one not needing adjustment. Jokes on me I guess. =P

 

[Ancalagon]

I'm going to essentially agree with all this. With one caveat, 2 of these you get at level 14 and level 17.

It's a worse version of the battlemaster problem isn't it? You pick the best abilities at low levels and at higher level take the meh ones....