Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: The Artificer Is Here! & UA Schedule Changes

Not liking the shape of this. It's certainly powerful in a batman-utility sort of way, but I didn't expect the Artificer to become a "Must Have Pet" class. My potion thrower is gone, and the party Beastmaster is giving me side-eye.

Unless you can put Returning Weapon on the potions you throw.

 

[Iry]

Wait...can the Alchemical Homunculus give all PCs advantage on all out of combat skill checks, and 12+Int temporary hitpoints prior to any combat, as often as it wants at no cost?

Looks like you get 3 Salves Per Day. Defender Turrent looks like it can go forever.

 

[Parmandur]

Wait...can the Alchemical Homunculus give all PCs advantage on all out of combat skill checks, and 12+Int temporary hitpoints prior to any combat, as often as it wants at no cost?

Any PC can give another Advantage outside of combat.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I really, really, really don't like that they're trying to fit mechanical engineering into a spellcasting chassis. The whole "The Magic of Artifice" text-box makes my skin crawl:

You got it mistaken. It's magical mechanical engineering.

Anyway I like the class.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I'm amused at the Artificers in Other Worlds part, it even brings up Mystara and Sigil! Along with the very obvious Izzet League having many Artificers in Ravnica.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm amused at the Artificers in Other Worlds part, it even brings up Mystara and Sigil! Along with the very obvious Izzet League having many Artificers in Ravnica.

That is a robust section: makes me suspicious.

 

[cbwjm]

I'm amused at the Artificers in Other Worlds part, it even brings up Mystara and Sigil! Along with the very obvious Izzet League having many Artificers in Ravnica.

What's amusing about it?

 

[vecna00]

I've posted this on Facebook, but I'll just copy it here!

I'm pretty positive on it. I miss the gunsmith and incremental extra attunements, and I question adding their version of Extra Attack, but overall I like it.

The pets are fine, not great, but fine. They give a bit of the original artificer feel, but I would love the ability to craft any type of homunculus as before.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

What's amusing about it?

Queue the thread speculating about what campaign setting is next...

Also setting purists who insist that if a class never existed in the last edition a campaign setting was published in, it's not part of that campaign setting.

 

[kenmarable]

Wait...can the Alchemical Homunculus give all PCs advantage on all out of combat skill checks, and 12+Int temporary hitpoints prior to any combat, as often as it wants at no cost?

It only grants 1 single PC advantage (only on ability checks) up to Int mod times within the next hour OR 2d6 temp hit points only 3/day. So it’s pretty narrowly defined.

 

[cbwjm]

Queue the thread speculating about what campaign setting is next...

Also setting purists who insist that if a class never existed in the last edition a campaign setting was published in, it's not part of that campaign setting.

Hah, yeah. I can totally see both of those things happening.

 

[SkidAce]

Magical Tinkering is cool.

1st level NPCs with this can now create magical paintings with ambient sound.

/scurries off to create the Imager's Guild.

Note: with Paint Brushes as their magical focus of course.

 

[Hussar]

Couple of things jump out.

1. Being able to spend a bonus action to have your homonculus perform the Help action kinda steps on the Mastermind's toes a bit. But, it is pretty cool. And, it makes the pet VERY useful without needing to have a "combat pet".

2. I get the notion, but, a turret isn't really a pet is it?

3. Why does this class get extra attacks per round? I mean, the spell list for both subclasses is pretty robust - they've got damage spells down pat. None of the other casters get multiple attacks as a baseline. Seems a tad unnecessary to me. And, unless you pick up a magic weapon, doesn't that make the Enhanced Weapon infusion pretty much a must have? Additionally, I know that my current DM had a real issue with my forge priest getting a magic weapon at 1st level, I can't imagine he's going to be thrilled with someone who can create two magic weapons at 2nd level and give them to anyone.

4. I LOVE the fact that the artificer can swap out cantrips on a long rest. Very cool idea.

I want to see this in play. Fortunately, my group will be staring a new campaign very soon. Yay.

 

[epithet]

Arcane Weapon is a pretty great 1st level spell. It's at least as good as the 3rd level Elemental Weapon.

Seems like Artificer would be a good choice for the Magic Initiate feat.

 

[Psyzhran2357]

3. Why does this class get extra attacks per round? I mean, the spell list for both subclasses is pretty robust - they've got damage spells down pat. None of the other casters get multiple attacks as a baseline. Seems a tad unnecessary to me. And, unless you pick up a magic weapon, doesn't that make the Enhanced Weapon infusion pretty much a must have? Additionally, I know that my current DM had a real issue with my forge priest getting a magic weapon at 1st level, I can't imagine he's going to be thrilled with someone who can create two magic weapons at 2nd level and give them to anyone.

The Artificer's spell slots only go up to Level 5, so I guess the extra attack (albeit with the magical weapon caveat) is to keep it in line with the Ranger and the Paladin.

Also, we now have an INT half caster to round out the casters, yay. I can finally make Gnomes that aren't wizards or third casters! Hopefully it remains so in the final iteration.

 

[gyor]

I really, really like both of them.

 

[gyor]

Arcane Weapon is a pretty great 1st level spell. It's at least as good as the 3rd level Elemental Weapon.

Seems like Artificer would be a good choice for the Magic Initiate feat.

You can use that feat to poach any half caster spells like Ranger, Paladin, or now Artificer.

A Bard however could chose it as a magical secret.

 

[Arryn]

Some thoughts on this:


-I think that an Artillerist should be able to use a firearm as an arcane focus, if they're proficient and such weapons exist in a campaign. I want to see pistols that shoot Fireballs.

Attach a wand to the barrel of your pistol. Cast that new spell which makes it magical, then you have a gun which is a focus and you can fire it twice a round if you want.

 

[Herosmith14]

I like it. I like the warlock/paladin chassis, which I think fixed a lot of the conceptual problems the old one had.

I do agree that Alchemist feels a little bland (then again, that's what I thought about last versions alchemist, too), but I can live with this. And while I will miss the gunsmith, I'm willing to give artillerist a chance (the turret actually looks decently fun).

And who knows? If UA down the road is more Artificer stuff, maybe Gunsmith will get resed, and wasn't included here because this was planned for Eberron, and I've seen how people react when you put guns in people's Eberron.

I do also love the infusion system. While I do agree Spell Storing should come in a little earlier, if they expand on the infusion list, is be just as happy getting it at 18th.

 

[Thurmas]

I like the fact that they finally gave a half caster cantrips. I wish the ranger and paladin followed the same model. You could even keep the same 1st level slots at level 2, similar to those two classes, with the cantrips at level 1 and I would be fine with it.

I wish the turret damage scaled with spell slot expended. 1d10 per spell slot for a single target turret, 1d6 per slot for a cone aoe turret. It would give a nice, similar ability to the paladin's smite, yet be different. All that being said, not entirely sure how I feel about the turret in general.

 

[Herosmith14]

Also, I don't know whether to be amused or triggered by the fact that people are complaining this isn't Steampunky enough, when a lot of the complaints I saw on last version were that it wasnt magitechy enough.