i personally like most of the changes, although i do wish Artificers could grant a +1 bonus to an item without expending their limited resources replicating a pre-existing +1 item. Seems a bit silly
I'll have to read more, but so far it looks like they've moved away from the "you touch an object with a screwdriver, and now it's magic" design of the previous iteration, which can only mean good things.
My two cents: The Alchemist continues to look like the weakest of the subclasses. There's nothing in it that makes it outstandingly interesting, especially because the elixirs are still random. And hardly anyone will sacrifice their already few spell slots for this, to get another potion. 1/2
There is no viable combat ability for the Alchemist. Alchemical Servant could be cool, but you are still bad at casting like any other artificer subclass. Every other Subclass get a pet, a pet or a damn enlarged mech! Alchemist gets...random potion. Even on paper it looks unfair. 2/2
1. The removal of infusions like being able to make a crossbow repeating and it makes it own ammo ect. were the only thing that made this class feel like it was originally in 3.5 Eberron now its just a caster that makes magic items I thing you can already do without this class.
They integrated those into the replicate magic item feature. Repeating Shot is a magic item listed in the PDF (along with Returning Weapon, Mind Sharpener, and several others). It's functionally the same though it would allow the DM to include permanent versions of them in the world.
The biggest issue mechanically is that with the removal of infusions artificers can no longer use their creations as magical focuses, which completely breaks spellcasting in many situations (such as holding a weapon + shield).
But yeah they took out stuff that gave artificer a lot of it's flavor
2. I never really used the infusion option to make magic items in 2014 D&D save maybe a bag of holding, and crafting in either version of 5e has always been lack luster and boring, and while in that vein the new magical tinkering SO LAME I don't care if I can make a rope and a lantern ect.
3. You could of just made magical tinkering be able to give us the "lesser infusions" ie not the full blown magic item and kept the stupid crafting but you doubled down on the artificer being a department store instead of being cool.
i agree, it really feels like they went from weapon enchanters to magic shop owners.
Artifice is about creating something new out of scrounged parts, wires, and magic. It's about making cool robots and potions and bombs and giving buffs to your party.
Now it's a discount on magic items.
i think what we would like to see is a system where a player could come up with ideas and a mechanic for being able to make those ideas come to life in the game.
This game is about creativity and coming up with solutions and ideas, not "consult the table to see what you can do."
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But yeah they took out stuff that gave artificer a lot of it's flavor
Artifice is about creating something new out of scrounged parts, wires, and magic. It's about making cool robots and potions and bombs and giving buffs to your party.
Now it's a discount on magic items.
This game is about creativity and coming up with solutions and ideas, not "consult the table to see what you can do."