D&D 5E (2024) Which spells should level 11+ Artificers spam all the time?

[tetrasodium]

I see nothing in the 5.5 spell description that would prevent it from stacking.

This was easy to find because pg 276 temporary hit points glossary entry says: "Temporary Hit Points are granted by certain effects and act as a buffer against losing real Hit Points. See also chapter 1 ("Damage and Healing"). "

PHB29 damage and healing section has this to say about them.

Spoiler

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS
Some spells and other effects confer Temporary Hit
Points, which are a buffer against losing actual Hit
Points, as explained below.

LOSE TEMPORARY HIT POINTS FIRST
If you have Temporary Hit Points and take damage,
those points are lost first, and any leftover damage
carries over to your Hit Points. For example, if you
have 5 Temporary Hit Points and take 7 damage,
you lose those points and then lose 2 Hit Points.

DURATION
Temporary Hit Points last until they're depleted or
you finish a Long Rest (see the rules glossary).
THEY DON'T STACK
Temporary Hit Points can't be added together. If
you have Temporary Hit Points and receive more
of them, you decide whether to keep the ones you
have or to gain the new ones. For example, if a spell
grants you 12 Temporary Hit Points when you al-
ready have 10, you can have 12 or 10, not 22.
THEY'RE NOT HIT POINTS OR HEALING
Temporary Hit Points can't be added to your Hit
Points, healing can't restore them, and receiving
Temporary Hit Points doesn't count as healing.
Because Temporary Hit Points aren't Hit Points, a
creature can be at full Hit Points and receive Tem-
porary Hit Points.
If you have O Hit Points, receiving Temporary Hit
Points doesn't restore you to consciousness. Only
true healing can save you.

This was of course also how temporary hit point stacking worked in 5.0 and the nonstacking was explained in the 5.0 phb on page 198 where you had the damage and healing section's relevant bit. Good on 5.5 for demonstrating why a well constructed glossary is a tool that supports the GM during play by making this sort of rules reference into a quick & trivial thing that can be tossed back on the player trying to make a case based on poor selective reading of the rules with a "what does the glossary say about [thing]"

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This was easy to find because pg 276 temporary hit points glossary entry says: "Temporary Hit Points are granted by certain effects and act as a buffer against losing real Hit Points. See also chapter 1 ("Damage and Healing"). "

PHB29 damage and healing section has this to say about them.

Spoiler

TEMPORARY HIT POINTS
Some spells and other effects confer Temporary Hit
Points, which are a buffer against losing actual Hit
Points, as explained below.

LOSE TEMPORARY HIT POINTS FIRST
If you have Temporary Hit Points and take damage,
those points are lost first, and any leftover damage
carries over to your Hit Points. For example, if you
have 5 Temporary Hit Points and take 7 damage,
you lose those points and then lose 2 Hit Points.

DURATION
Temporary Hit Points last until they're depleted or
you finish a Long Rest (see the rules glossary).
THEY DON'T STACK
Temporary Hit Points can't be added together. If
you have Temporary Hit Points and receive more
of them, you decide whether to keep the ones you
have or to gain the new ones. For example, if a spell
grants you 12 Temporary Hit Points when you al-
ready have 10, you can have 12 or 10, not 22.
THEY'RE NOT HIT POINTS OR HEALING
Temporary Hit Points can't be added to your Hit
Points, healing can't restore them, and receiving
Temporary Hit Points doesn't count as healing.
Because Temporary Hit Points aren't Hit Points, a
creature can be at full Hit Points and receive Tem-
porary Hit Points.
If you have O Hit Points, receiving Temporary Hit
Points doesn't restore you to consciousness. Only
true healing can save you.

This was of course also how temporary hit point stacking worked in 5.0 and the nonstacking was explained in the 5.0 phb on page 198 where you had the damage and healing section's relevant bit. Good on 5.5 for demonstrating why a well constructed glossary is a tool that supports the GM during play by making this sort of rules reference into a quick & trivial thing that can be tossed back on the player trying to make a case based on poor selective reading of the rules with a "what does the glossary say about [thing]"

Aid does not give temporary hp.

 

[BenjaminPey]

I see nothing in the 5.5 spell description that would prevent it from stacking.

PHB p. 238: "In contrast, the effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine"

 

[Paul Farquhar]

PHB p. 238: "In contrast, the effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine"

Possible, but vague. Can you only benefit from one cast of Cure Wounds? Can you only be damaged once by a Fireball?

 

[tetrasodium]

Aid does not give temporary hp.

In addition to the pg 238 nonstacking this is still a problem 5e created for the GM. Back in 3.5 when we had bonus types where the same bonus type never stacked aid was a morale bonus rather than what is now effectively an untyped bonus

Possible, but vague. Can you only benefit from one cast of Cure Wounds? Can you only be damaged once by a Fireball?

It's not "vague" at all on 238. Aid only presents as an exception when looking for loopholes with selective reading of the rules because it adds to current and max hit points

Spoiler

COMBINING SPELL EFFECTS
The effects of different spells add together while
their durations overlap. In contrast, the effects of
the same spell cast multiple times don't combine.
Instead, the most potent effect-such as the high-
est bonus-from those castings applies while their
durations overlap. The most recent effect applies if
the castings are equally potent and their durations
overlap. For example, if two Clerics cast Bless on the
same target, that target gains the spell's benefit only
once; the target doesn't receive two bonus dice. But
if the durations of the spells overlap, the effect con-
tinues until the duration of the second Bless ends.

Coincidentally Aid is on pg239. The effects of cure wounds & a fireball could not be questioned about stacking like that because they add or subtract hit points from the target's current hp total until they reach the maximum hp or kill the target.

 

[BenjaminPey]

Possible, but vague. Can you only benefit from one cast of Cure Wounds? Can you only be damaged once by a Fireball?

Obvisouly no, you can benefit from multiple castings of these spells because they are instant. Doesn't seem that vague to me.

Full text: "The effects of different spells add together while their durations overlap. In contrast, the effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap. The most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap. For example, if two Clerics cast Bless on the same target, that target gains the spell's benefit only once; the target doesn't receive two bonus dice. But if the durations of the spells overlap, the effect continues until the duration of the second Bless ends."

For Fireball and Cure Wounds, their effects are one and done, they obviously stack. But Aid duration is 8 hours. So no.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Obvisouly no, you can benefit from multiple castings of these spells because they are instant. Doesn't seem that vague to me.

Full text: "The effects of different spells add together while their durations overlap. In contrast, the effects of the same spell cast multiple times don't combine. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap. The most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap. For example, if two Clerics cast Bless on the same target, that target gains the spell's benefit only once; the target doesn't receive two bonus dice. But if the durations of the spells overlap, the effect continues until the duration of the second Bless ends."

For Fireball and Cure Wounds, their effects are one and done, they obviously stack. But Aid duration is 8 hours. So no.

I’m happy to accept that as the correct interpretation.

I had an interesting experience playing the Solasta 2 EA. I found myself recasting the warlock’s unlimited false life, even in combat once or twice. They don’t stack of course, but my bladelock went through those temp hp at an alarming rate!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Back in 3.5 when we had bonus types where the same bonus type never stacked aid was a morale bonus rather than what is now effectively an untyped bonus

3rd edition had far too many different bonus types, some with exceptions. It was one of the things that made that edition so painfully slow.

 

[Zardnaar]

I’m happy to accept that as the correct interpretation.

I had an interesting experience playing the Solasta 2 EA. I found myself recasting the warlock’s unlimited false life, even in combat once or twice. They don’t stack of course, but my bladelock went through those temp hp at an alarming rate!

I got confused with heroes feast which does stack with aid.

OP artificer spells kinda stink for infuse items lvl 11.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

OP artificer spells kinda stink for infuse items lvl 11.

Since you can change the spell on a long rest, there are some planned situational uses for the core spells, such as giving the whole party Fly or Invisibility for a specific task. But most of the time the poor old alchemist is probably using it to top up hp out of combat.

A reanimator with a lightning bolting self healing zombie can certainly get a lot more mileage out of the ability.