A 2024 Artificer can't leave a secret message in a form only others with the right knowledge will understand, or leave a recorded message. A 2014 Artificer can do these things frequently, with the only limit being on number of active objects, while the 2024 Artificer can make five sheets of paper a day.This is also an extremely confusing sentiment because the class just, gets Prestidigitation now. You can use that cantrip to literally do everything the old feature could, that’s why they changed it.
A 2024 Artificer can’t takes Prestidigitation can just do the exact thing the old magical tinkering ability could do while also getting to make a free item every day. How is that not better?
One of these features encourages and rewards creativity; the other exists for people who care solely about fixed mechanical utility of items (and as mentioned, are too forgetful/lazy to have their character buy or craft things).
Even just the premise of the 2024 feature highlights how the design caters to the type of player who doesn't care in the slightest about anything but mechanical utility. You just magically conjure up mundane items, but only from this list of mundane items. They disappear at an arbitrary time not determined by when you conjured the item but when you rest. You don't need resources, you don't need time, you just can pull whatever from your butt and it just goes away for the sake of "balance". It's lazy, but "lazy" is the attitude 2024 is written for.
Last edited: