D&D Releases Playtest for Updated Artificer

Wizards of the Coast has dropped a new Unearthed Arcana Playtest for the Artificer, bringing the often neglected 13th Dungeons & Dragons 5E class into alignment with the 2024 rules update. The playtest was released via D&D Beyond today, with feedback launching on December 24th.

The Artificer gains several new abilities, many of which are designed with an eye to making the class more versatile. For instance, players can now craft low-cost items quickly with a revamped Magical Tinkering ability, while Infuse Item ha been changed to Replicate Magic Item and allows players to replicate magic items of certain rarities and item type. Players can also use the Magic Item Tinker ability to convert a Replicated magic item into a spell slot. The capstone Soul of Artifice ability has also received a buff, with the Artificer no needing a Reaction in order to utilize its ability to skip death saving throws and restoring more health as well.

The subclasses were also updated. For example, the Alchemist's Experimental Elixir producing more elixirs and Chemical Mastery getting a big boost with extra damage, resistance, and the ability to cast Tasha's Bubbling Cauldron. The Armorer has a new Dreadnought option and Armor Modifications was replaced with a new ability called Armor Replication. The Artillerist's Eldritch Cannon can switch between various options instead of being set to one option and the Explosive Cannon ability does more damage and only requires a Reaction to use. Finally, the Battle Smith has received minor adjustments to its Steel Defender construct.

Compared to many other class updates in the 2024 Player's Handbook, the Artificer's changes are much less drastic. There are some obvious updates that bring the class in line with the design updates to other classes, but it didn't receive a major rework like several other classes.

 

[Horwath]

They are not EKs (which is intended to be a switch-hitter), they are their own thing (but much more similar to paladins and rangers). If you play a weaponsmith and want to hit people with cantrips you have missed the point.

honestly, paladins and rangers should have cantrips by default, as it was in playtest, and have extra attack option for cantrips.

I do not know for paladins, but it would help rangers with 5th+ level and especially 11th+ level when they start to fall off a cliff with damage.

maybe remove from paladins +1d8 extra damage at 11th level

 

[Horwath]

Wish there was an alternative battlesmith option, where you didn't have to lug Preston the robodog around with you. Not everyone wants their gish to be a pet class.

I believe that is the Armorer.

 

[Neonchameleon]

I've been trying to sketch out character ideas, and I keep running into little pain points. Mostly due to changes from the prior version.

Battle Smith has issues because you don't have the "Infused items act as casting foci" clause anymore. If you want to use a two-handed melee weapon or any sort of ranged weapon, you have to resort to item juggling to draw the foci for when you want to cast and then getting the hand free again to use the weapon.

Agreed. Needs to go in the feedback.

The loss of the gun weapon proficiency is a shame.

Also needs to go in the feedback, along with the idea that you can use an actual firearm as an arcane firearm (and possibly even get weapon rules if you make your own).

I tried to stat out an Artillerist using True Strike and a Pistol, and it's a mess of having to craft a Repeating Pistol ASAP and take a Fighter 1 dip for a result that still isn't that good because Artillerist just doesn't scale that well.

Mr "ten fireballs per day at level 11" scales just fine. They just don't have an entirely smooth levelling curve; they start off very strong thanks to the forcefield and then get caught up on before surging ahead at level 11.

What I wonder is whether the melee artificer with an Enspelled Weapon of Searing Smite is a bug or a feature.

And whether WotC think that the alchemist is strong enough given that it's meant to be cleric-ish in its approach.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

I believe that is the Armorer.

Which doesn't let you pick your own weapon. It's thunder gauntlets or flail.

 

[Horwath]

Which doesn't let you pick your own weapon. It's thunder gauntlets or flail.

all 3 are great 1Handed weapons.


what armorer lacks is ability to change armors as an Action. not as short rest.

they gave similar ability to artillerist when you can pick type of attack with your cannon every turn as they said, you could not predict an encounter so everyone defaulted to force balista.

Action is still a huge cost to use in the middle of combat but it gives options, especially if you have a moment to prepare.

 

[Staffan]

My wish for the alchemist is that those cantrips are put into bombs they throw, at least then the flavor makes them different. IME, an alchemist is just a spellcaster, with less power than other casters.

I believe that flavor-wise, that is exactly what is happening. That's why artificers use various toolkits as arcane foci – the alchemist artificer isn't waving a set of beakers around and then an acid splash spell goes flying off, they are throwing a bottle of gunk that has the effects of an acid splash spell.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

all 3 are great 1Handed weapons.


what armorer lacks is ability to change armors as an Action. not as short rest.

they gave similar ability to artillerist when you can pick type of attack with your cannon every turn as they said, you could not predict an encounter so everyone defaulted to force balista.

To me, it's not that thunder gauntlets or the flail are great or not. They are. But if I want an armourer with wrist blades rather than thunder gauntlets, I just can't, unless I give up half my subclass abilities.

As for switching armour model on the fly, I'm happy it can't do that. If I'm wanting to play as a tank armourer artificer, I don't want to have the party annoyed at me for refusing to switch to another model and flying at a critical combat moment. Making a choice which you stick with for flavour and theme reasons is really important to me.

It's one of the reasons I hate it how aasimar can now just change type on the fly, rather than being one particular type.

 

[Horwath]

alchemist needs 100% control of their elixirs, no random roll BS and higher level slots should give more elixirs.
2 for level 2 slot, 4 for level 3 slot, 5 for level 4 slot, 6 for level 5 slot.

and extra elixirs should follow prof bonus so 5 elixirs at level 13, 6 elixirs at level 17.

 

[Horwath]

To me, it's not that thunder gauntlets or the flail are great or not. They are. But if I want an armourer with wrist blades rather than thunder gauntlets, I just can't, unless I give up half my subclass abilities.

yeah, some option should be added to merge any 1Handed weapon inside each arm and be able to use Int for attack with merged weapons. For all 3 armor models.

As for switching armour model on the fly, I'm happy it can't do that. If I'm wanting to play as a tank armourer artificer, I don't want to have the party annoyed at me for refusing to switch to another model and flying at a critical combat moment. Making a choice which you stick with for flavour and theme reasons is really important to me.

no one forces you to change your armor, but that is the same as party asking a wizard to cast certain spell or someone to use a weapon that is best for the situation.

It's one of the reasons I hate it how aasimar can now just change type on the fly, rather than being one particular type.

it's once per day usage so who cares, 99% are winged ones anyway.

 

[Horwath]

alchemist needs 100% control of their elixirs, no random roll BS and higher level slots should give more elixirs.
2 for level 2 slot, 4 for level 3 slot, 5 for level 4 slot, 6 for level 5 slot.

and extra elixirs should follow prof bonus so 5 elixirs at level 13, 6 elixirs at level 17.