D&D 5E New Artificer Infusions For Expanded Spellcasting

[doctorbadwolf]

So, the idea struck me a while ago, back when this style of Artificer was in UA, and I just haven't gotten around to making any.

The idea is, Infusions that create spellcasting items, that expand what the Artificer can do, representing a special version of their normal spellcasting. Beyond stuff like Wands of Fireball, which the Arti can just craft using normal crafting rules, I'm talking about giving them access to spells they wouldn't normally get, including spells of a level they wouldn't normally have, allowing a player to trade infusions to get closer to "full caster" status, in a way that is similar to the Warlock's Mystic Arcanum.

So, for instance, Magnificent Mansion is a spell that is thematic for Artificers, but out of their reach because they made the class a half-caster. Why not have an item that lets you cast the spell once a day? A hand-sized model of a mansion, or perhaps simply a door carved from silver in a doorway carved from stone, the whole thing worth at least 15g, that you can open and pseak the command word and it enlarges to the size you need and creates the mansion on the other side of itself. By taking an Infusion, and not being available until level 13, it should be fine balance wise. It doesn't make you able to upcast your other spells, after all.

So, I'm going to make a list of the spells that I think would be appropriate for this idea, and I'd love to know if I'm missing any, or if any of my choices stand out as problematic.

Note that any spell that normally requires an expensive material component still does. Whether it's consumed as normal will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

I won't be considering perspectives that the whole idea is OP or whatever, however. I know at least one person will think it is, but it is not.

Related Infusion: Residuum. You create 250g amount of residuum powder in a pouch lined with platinum thread, worth 50g. Residuum powder can be used in place of any material component for a spell, or the crafting of a magic item, and is consumed when used in this way. If you use a higher level infusion slot, you create more Residuum, roughly appropriate to the rarity of items available at those levels. (the numbers can be hammered out later. could also make it 200g, and you can spend a spell slot when making the infusion, at the end of the rest, to increase the amount of powder made).
You can also make more residuum by sacrificing charges of a magic item that has charges, even up to disenchanting the item entirely, gaining XYZ residuum depending on the rarity of the item.
Lastly, you can use residuum and a spell slot to recharge a magic item, as an action. Details tbd.


Probably, these would be organized a lot like the Replicate Magic Item Infusion, where it's a separate list.


6th Level Spells:

Arcane Gate. Item: A silver and gold ring about 3 inches in diameter, that you place in the air and speak the command word to activate, or perhaps a special rod with a ring at the end, that you aim like a Portal gun to create both sides of the gate.

Statuette of Contingency: Item: The normal material component.

Guards and Wards: Not sure, maybe a key? A bell?

Ring of Summoning: Allows the casting of one spell that summons or conjures a creature, the spell must be 6th level or lower, is cast at 6th level, and is chosen when the Ring is made and infused. The actual item is a ring made of iron, silver, copper, and electrum, worked into the floor of a space. The Ring can also be used as a focus for other summoning spells. If it is, the caster adds your Intelligence mod to Concentration Saving Throws to maintain the spell, and to ability checks to control or command the creature summoned.

Mask of Otherworldly Transformation: Cast Tasha's Otherworldly Transformation when you put it on and speak the command word. Upper or Lower planes chosen when the item is infused.

Torque of Transformation: A golden and silver torque worth 25g, carved to show a golden bull on one side, and a silver bull on the other. Touching the torque and speaking the command word while wearing it casts the spell

Pince Nez of True Seeing: Nose glasses that, when activated, cast the True Seeing spell.


7th level Infusions

Rod of The Magen: A crystal rod that when aimed at a prepared statue of a Magen animates it in the form of a Magen, the type chosen when the rod is infused. Might ditch the consumed material cost, tbh. Make the statue cost 500g, but only be consumed if the magen is destroyed.

Ruby of Delayed Fireball: A nonagonal ruby, warm to the touch, which turns a bright yellow-white upon activation, and then operates per the spell. (benefit here is you could hide it somewhere, though it does emit light)

Portal of Magnificence: Magnificent Mansion

Planar Portkey: When put into the lock on a closed door and the command word spoken, turns the door into a portal to the plane the key is attuned to. If attuned to the user, can be used to make an Arcana check to change the destination of an existing portal, gate, or teleportation circle, or a 5th level spell slot can be used to turn the doorway into a teleportation circle portal to a known location, as per the spell.

Bowl of Gravitational Manipulation: Casts Reverse Gravity. Possibly some other stuff, because reverse gravity is such a situation spell.


I'll add more later, including some that cast or duplicate spells of lower levels, like a Cloak of Mage Armor.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Looks interesting.
A few notes:

Residuum: - I'd suggest not giving the weight in grams (g) if you are also giving the value in gold (also g).

Statuette of contingency might be more thematic if the item was one linked to the spell that contingency will activate. Contingency might technically be the more powerful effect, but I can see an artificer creating an item that will cast a spell under specific circumstances, rather than an item that casts contingency.

Torque of transformation. - Is this for casting Tenser's transformation, or a polymorph spell, or something else?

What is a Magen?

Making an item that they can use to cast a spell out of is basically how most artificer casting already works. Is the idea to give someone else the ability to cast the spell, like the spell storing item?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Some more ideas.

Simulacrum: Item is probably just a small carved ice statue of yourself?

Looks interesting.
A few notes:

Residuum: - I'd suggest not giving the weight in grams (g) if you are also giving the value in gold (also g).

I didn't mean to imply listing grams. The g was entirely for gold.

Statuette of contingency might be more thematic if the item was one linked to the spell that contingency will activate. Contingency might technically be the more powerful effect, but I can see an artificer creating an item that will cast a spell under specific circumstances, rather than an item that casts contingency.

That's an interesting idea, but perhaps too nebulous for an infusion. I'll think about it, though.

Torque of transformation. - Is this for casting Tenser's transformation, or a polymorph spell, or something else?

Tenser's Transformation, yeah.

What is a Magen?

A construct created by the Create Magen spell, found in Icewind Dale: Rime of The Frostmaiden. It's a CR 1-2 guarding construct that cannot speak but can perform simple tasks, and exists until destroyed or dispelled. It also costs you hit points, permanently, equal to it's CR, so you definitely aren't making an army of them.

Making an item that they can use to cast a spell out of is basically how most artificer casting already works. Is the idea to give someone else the ability to cast the spell, like the spell storing item?

The idea is to give them the option to spend Infusions to gain more spellcasting, in a thematic way. They gain not only more spells cast per day, but also access to spells they don't normally have, like Mage Armor, or a Weapon of Smiting that can cast X Smite, Y/Day.