Artificer (5A)

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Masters of invention, artificers use ingenuity and magic to unlock extraordinary capabilities in objects. They see magic as a complex system waiting to be decoded and then harnessed in their spells and inventions. You can find everything you need to play one of these inventors in the next few sections.

Artificers use a variety of tools to channel their arcane power. To cast a spell, an artificer might use alchemist's supplies to create a potent elixir, calligrapher's supplies to inscribe a sigil of power, or tinker's tools to craft a temporary charm. The magic of artificers is tied to their tools and their talents, and few other characters can produce the right tool for a job as well as an artificer.

Greyhawk: Rock gnomes are the traditional artificers of the Flanaess, especially artillerists. But with the social and economic advances that are happening, there is a greater need for practical magic and technology, and artificers are in demand.

You must have an Intelligence score of 13 or higher in order to multiclass in or out of this class.

Class Features

As an artificer, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

Hit Dice: 1d8 per artificer level

Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per artificer level after 1st

Proficiencies

Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields

Weapons: Simple weapons

Tools: Thieves’ tools, tinker’s tools, one type of artisan’s tools of your choice

Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence

Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand

Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• any two simple weapons
• a light crossbow and 20 bolts
• (a) studded leather armor or (b) scale mail
• thieves’ tools and a dungeoneer’s pack

Optional Rule: Firearm Proficiency

The secrets of gunpowder weapons have been discovered in various corners of the D&D multiverse. If your Dungeon Master uses the rules on firearms in the Dungeon Master's Guide and your artificer has been exposed to the operation of such weapons, your artificer is proficient with them.

Table: The Artificer

Class Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Infused Items	Cantrips Known	Spell Slots per Spell Level
					1	2	3	4	5
1st	+2	Magical Tinkering, Spellcasting	-	2	2	-	-	-	-
2nd	+2	Infuse Item, Overnight Crafting	4	2	2	-	-	-	-
3rd	+2	Artificer Specialist, The Right Tool for the Job	4	2	3	-	-	-	-
4th	+2	Ability Score Improvement	4	2	3	-	-	-	-
5th	+3	Artificer Specialist feature	4	2	4	2	-	-	-
6th	+3	Tool Expertise	6	2	4	2	-	-	-
7th	+3	Flash of Genius	6	2	4	3	-	-	-
8th	+3	Ability Score Improvement	6	2	4	3	-	-	-
9th	+4	Artificer Specialist feature	6	2	4	3	2	-	-
10th	+4	Magic Item Adept	8	3	4	3	2	-	-
11th	+4	Spell-Storing Item	8	3	4	3	3	-	-
12th	+4	Ability Score Improvement	8	3	4	3	3	-	-
13th	+5	Concentration Device	8	3	4	3	3	1	-
14th	+5	Magic Item Savant	10	4	4	3	3	1	-
15th	+5	Artificer Specialist feature	10	4	4	3	3	2	-
16th	+5	Ability Score Improvement	10	4	4	3	3	2	-
17th	+6	Spell lock	10	4	4	3	3	3	1
18th	+6	Magic Item Master	12	4	4	3	3	3	1
19th	+6	Ability Score Improvement	12	4	4	3	3	3	2
20th	+6	Soul of Artifice	12	4	4	3	3	3	2

Class Features

Magical Tinkering

At 1st level, you've learned how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice.

• The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
• Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long.
• The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away.
• A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like.
• The object moves with a land, fly, or swim speed of 10 ft., either in a circular path entirely within a 5 ft. space or in a straight line. The movement is unstable and will crash unless you stay within 30 ft. and spend an action maintaining it each round.
• The object can catapult another object up to 1 ounce in weight. It is a simple ranged weapon with a range of 10 ft./20 ft. and the loading weapon property, but does no damage.
• The object projects one of the following: flame, electricity, or cold on touch. Not intense enough to do damage, this can light candles, discipline pets, chill drinks, and the like.
• Make an object stick to a surface or another object. It takes a Strength score of only 4 to pull them apart, but the bond will not break by itself.
• The object animates and can perform, doing rolls, jumps, twirls, dance and similar antics as appropriate to its form. It cannot move about using this property.
• The object can measure and display time. If the object has other properties, they can be set to activate at specific times.

The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early. You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect The maximum number of properties you can have running with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier plus your artificer level (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.

Spellcasting

You've studied the workings of magic and how to cast spells, channeling the magic through objects. To observers, you don't appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you appear to produce wonders from mundane items and outlandish inventions.

Tools Required

You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools. You must have a spellcasting focus—specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool—in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature (meaning the spell has an "M" component when you cast it). You must be proficient with the tool to use it in this way. See the equipment chapter in the Player's Handbook for descriptions of these tools.

After you gain the Infuse Item feature at 2nd level, you can also use any item bearing one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus.

Cantrips (0-Level Spells)

At 1st level, you know Mending and two cantrips of your choice from the artificer spell list. At higher levels, you learn additional artificer cantrips of your choice, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Artificer table.

When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer cantrips you know with another cantrip from the artificer spell list, but you cannot replace the Mending cantrip.

You can spend a spell slot when casting Mending. This reduces the casting time to one action. Against creatures that recover hit points when Mending is cast on them, this increases the damage repaired by 2d6 for each level of the spell slot used.

Preparing and Casting Spells

The Artificer table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your artificer spells. To cast one of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

You prepare the list of artificer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the artificer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of artificer spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your artificer level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 5th-level artificer, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With an Intelligence of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell Cure Wounds, you can cast it using a lst-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of artificer spells requires time spent tinkering with your spellcasting focuses: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your artificer spells; your understanding of the theory behind magic allows you to wield these spells with superior skill. You use your Intelligence whenever an artificer spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an artificer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast an artificer spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared.

Infuse Item

At 2nd level, you've gained the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions, turning those objects into magic items.

Infusions KnownWhen you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column of the Artificer table.

Infusing an Item Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement (see the attunement rules in the Dungeon Master's Guide).

Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you replace your knowledge of the infusion.

You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column of the Artificer table. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion ends, and then the new infusion applies.

If an infusion ends on an item that contains other things, like a bag of holding, its contents harmlessly appear in and around its space.

Overnight Crafting

At 2nd level, when you take a long rest, you can craft items as if you spent a whole day crafting and still get the normal benefits of a long rest. This allows you to craft items during adventures or at twice the normal rate if you work both night and day. Applies to both magic and non-magic objects.

Artificer Specialist

At 3rd level, you choose the type of specialist you are. Your choice grants you features at 5th level and again at 9th and 15th level.

1. Alchemist
2. Archivist^UA
3. Armorer
4. Artillerist
5. Battle Smith
6. Chymist^5A
7. Conveyor^5A
8. Draper^5A
9. Element Shaper^5A
10. Forge Adept^UA
11. Geometrician^5A
12. Maverick^UA
13. Metamorpher^5A
14. Psychometrist^5A
15. Puppeteer^5A
16. Reanimator^5A

The Right Tool for the Job

At 3rd level, you've learned how to produce exactly the tool you need: with thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand, you can magically create one set of artisan's tools in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. This creation requires 1 hour of uninterrupted work, which can coincide with a short or long rest. Though the product of magic, the tools are nonmagical, and they vanish when you use this feature again. You add your proficiency bonus when working with these tools, even if you are not proficient with them.

You can now add infusions and magical tinkering to magical objects, but when effects overlap only the best effect of the infusion, tinkering, or the magic item applies.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Tool Expertise

At 6th level, your proficiency bonus is now doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool. This does not apply to proficiencies gained from the The Right Tool for the Job ability.

Flash of Genius

At 7th level, you've gained the ability to come up with solutions under pressure. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an ability check or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Magic Item Adept

When you reach 10th level, you achieve a profound understanding of how to use and make magic items:

• You can attune to up to four magic items at once.
• If you craft a magic item with a rarity of common or uncommon, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.

Spell-Storing Item

At 11th level, you can now store a spell in an object. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one simple or martial weapon or one item that you can use as a spellcasting focus, and you store a spell in it, choosing a 1st- or 2nd-level spell from the artificer spell list that requires 1 action to cast (you needn't have it prepared).

While holding the object, a creature can take an action to produce the spell's effect from it, using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell requires concentration, the creature must concentrate. The spell stays in the object until it's been used a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of twice) or until you use this feature again to store a spell in an object. Using this item does not require any components or a command word, but does require using the item and an Intelligence of 6 or more.

Concentration Device

At 13th level you have a device that can maintain spells for you. Your concentration can't be broken as a result of taking damage.

Magic Item Savant

At 14th level, your skill with magic items deepens more:

• You can attune to up to five magic items at once.
• You ignore all class, race, spell and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item.

Spell Lock

At 17th level you can create a Tiny device that maintains a spell. This means that you can concentrate on two spells at the same time. If you are casting a third spell that requires concentration, your concentration lapses on one of the two spells you are currently concentrating on.

Magic Item Master

You attain mastery of magic item use and creation.

• Starting at 18th level, you can attune up to six magic items at once.
• You can ignore any spell requirements on using magic items. This means that you can use all scrolls.
• When you craft magic items, you can without using any of the spells that would normally be required.

Soul of Artifice

At 20th level, you develop a mystical connection to your magic items, which you can draw on for protection:

• You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to.
• If you're reduced to 0 hit points but not killed out-right, you can use your reaction to end one of your artificer infusions, causing you to drop to 1 hit point instead of 0.

Infusions

New or altered infusions are listed here.

Homunculus Servant

A Homunculus Servant has a number of d4 Hit Dice equal to your level and gains a one-time bonus to its Hit Points equal to your Intelligence modifier. Due to its 12 Constitution this results in Hit Points equal to (3.5) times your level + your Intelligence modifier (rounded down, minimum 10 Hit Points).

This rules is what I expect we will want to play with at higher levels, as I think the Homunculus Servant's HP will scale too slowly. We'll see how it works out.

Editor's Notes

Artificer, so hard to get right. Not only is this a generalist class, which are in itself hard, it is also a support class and a half-spellcaster, all tricky prospects. My premise for these changes is that the artificer is weak and that the way to rectify that is to make them more artificer-like.

• I removed Infusions Known as a concept, and doubled the number of infusions. I suppose infusions could scale more over levels, perhaps starting at one and ending up at 20 or the high teesn, but for the moment I doubled them.
• Overnight Crafting doubles the artificer's crafting speed, and more importantly lets them do a bit of crafting on adventures as long as a long rest is involved.
• Magical tinkering got more options, mostly for fun but with some utility.
• Artificers now get Mending as an additional cantrip, and can spend spell slots when casting Mending to quickly heal their own constructs.
• Right Tool for the Job now gives semi-proficiency.
• At level 3 you learn to infuse magical items. This can be a worrying complexity to new players, so a better wording would be nice.
• Magic item adept's ability to craft faster and more cheaply removed. In a game that actually allows and gives time for crafting the reduced cost can very quickly unbalance things.
• At level 13 and 17 your ability to concentrate improves. With the weak spells the artificer has compared to full casters, this is good but not outrageously so.
• Magic Item Master allows the artificer to ignore spells required for crafting.