Artificer

[bluthunda]

Does it exist if so what book and is it basically a crafting magical item user or is it any good at all any help appreciated i cant find it in my books?

[sonofzeal]

It's in Eberron Campaign Setting. It crafts magic items, yes. It also gets some bonuses for using Wands and Scrolls, potentially granting it enormous power with enough gold to spend. It also gains "infusions", whereby it can temporarily add magic properties to things, like making your shoes give you a bonus on jump, or giving your sword the Flaming property.

[bluthunda]

the reason i ask is because i was planning on making a Warforged primarily a wand caster would i be better off going Artificer or just using Wizard and taking the craft feats

[sonofzeal]

the reason i ask is because i was planning on making a Warforged primarily a wand caster would i be better off going Artificer or just using Wizard and taking the craft feats
Depends on the campaign. Artificers are potentially more powerful than Wizards... if they have sufficient gp and time, and there's ways to reduce their dependence on both.

Thing is, Artificers can apply metamagic to wands and scrolls on the fly, and I don't know of any way for Wizards to do the same. This makes Artificer by far the best wand-slinger in the game. However, the amount of bookkeeping they take can get ridiculous eventually, and metamagic'ing wands burns extra charges meaning you go through gp relatively quickly.

If you don't mind the bookkeeping, and expect a lot of loot and a reasonably flexible adventuring schedule, Artificer's by far your best bet. If any of those things are negative though, you might find Wizards edging them out in practice.

[bluthunda]

Thank you i believe I'll go with wizard now for a wizard to use a wand there is no check just innately do it right

[Big Fau]

Thing is, Artificers can apply metamagic to wands and scrolls on the fly, and I don't know of any way for Wizards to do the same.

Check Complete Mage for Metamagic Spell Trigger. Wizards have a way too.

[sonofzeal]

Check Complete Mage for Metamagic Spell Trigger. Wizards have a way too.
Granted. I'd still say Artificers are the premier wandslingers of the game, though.

[Psyren]

Note that Warforged Wizards have a built-in drawback, namely the arcane spell failure that comes with their default plating. You can spend a feat on Unarmored Body to remove it, or be a Psion instead as Psionics don't have somatic components. (Or even be a Psionic Artificer.)

[Tvtyrant]

Artificers have several class features that make them better at using wands than a Wizard.

1. They can apply metamagic to wands. Without this wands are a rather weak source of damage, stuck at 4th level spells with a low CL. With it you can get an empowered, maximized, twin spelled orb of (insert your favorite) and do ungodly amounts of SR:No damage.

2. They have a crafting reserve that acts in place of XP when crafting items. This reduces the cost of making the wands.

3. They can increase the CL of a wand by +2 for free, so they are better even without metamagic than a wizard's wand.

4. You can craft as if you know any spell. This means you are not limited to make wands of spells you know like a Wizard is.

[Godskook]

1. They can apply metamagic to wands. Without this wands are a rather weak source of damage, stuck at 4th level spells with a low CL. With it you can get an empowered, maximized, twin spelled orb of (insert your favorite) and do ungodly amounts of SR:No damage.

Just to nitpick, there's no restriction on CL of wands. You can make a CL 20 wand just fine. Granted, you gotta pay extra for every point of CL you up it, but still, you can do it.

[Tvtyrant]

Just to nitpick, there's no restriction on CL of wands. You can make a CL 20 wand just fine. Granted, you gotta pay extra for every point of CL you up it, but still, you can do it.

Fair enough. This is free though, so there is that.

[umbergod]

Fair enough. This is free though, so there is that.

and you cant forget, any artificer that is semi focused on crafting, will craft it for less gp and less exp.

[Reluctance]

3. They can increase the CL of a wand by +2 for free, so they are better even without metamagic than a wizard's wand.

That "for free" costs a feat. One that wizards can take too. Just like wizards can take the artisan feats.

[Greenish]

Thank you i believe I'll go with wizard now for a wizard to use a wand there is no check just innately do it rightWizards (and everyone else) can use wands that have spells from their spell list without check, yes.

[gorfnab]

Note that Warforged Wizards have a built-in drawback, namely the arcane spell failure that comes with their default plating.
This only applies when casting from arcane scrolls or casting arcane spells. Wands and staffs are not affected by Arcane Spell Failure. A way to at least be able to cast in light armor (or in the case of Warforged the Mithral Body feat from Eberron Campaign Setting) would be to take a level of Spellthief (Complete Adventurer) and the Master Spellthief (Complete Scoundrel) feat.

[gorfnab]

Here is the Artificer's Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5929).

[Psyren]

This only applies when casting from arcane scrolls or casting arcane spells. Wands and staffs are not affected by Arcane Spell Failure. A way to at least be able to cast in light armor (or in the case of Warforged the Mithral Body feat from Eberron Campaign Setting) would be to take a level of Spellthief (Complete Adventurer) and the Master Spellthief (Complete Scoundrel) feat.

This would only apply to spells on the Spellthief list though.

And if all his casting, ever, is going to be from wands and other items, Artificer is the clear winner here as that is what it was designed to do.

[Alienist]

And if all his casting, ever, is going to be from wands and other items, Artificer is the clear winner here as that is what it was designed to do.

If you're taking a wizard but then choosing to never cast spells, then commoner and expert beats that handily.

Artificer has very poor support for actually using wands (as compared to making them). They really only get two things:

1) take 10 on UMD at 13th level
2) a third level infusion to apply metamagic without burning extra charges

The third level infusion could itself be bought on a wand.
As such at that point there really isn't any advantage to Artificer unless you invest heavily in both divine and arcane spells.

Being a proper Wizard gives you a number of advatages. Remember that the Artificer is not the best of both worlds (arcane and divine), but rather it is the worst of both worlds. Almost all of the really good things that divine and arcane casters get are exclusively divine or arcane. Examples: Arcane thesis, Divine metamagic.

In our case, the Artificer is stuck with Wand Mastery, whereas the Wizard has access to Wand Mastery if he wants it, and the enormously more powerful Residual Magic. Using Residual Magic alone a wand based wizard could eaily come out ahead of the artificer even if the wizard never crafts anything and pays full retail price instead.

Additionally, the wizard, if he does choose to cast spells to supplement his wand blasting, has access to spells as a swift action, which greatly increases his usefulness in combat over the artificer.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Thing is, Artificers can apply metamagic to wands and scrolls on the fly, and I don't know of any way for Wizards to do the same. This makes Artificer by far the best wand-slinger in the game. However, the amount of bookkeeping they take can get ridiculous eventually, and metamagic'ing wands burns extra charges meaning you go through gp relatively quickly.

The Incantatrix prestige class (Player's Guide to Faerun) allows you to add metamagic to wands.

[Psyren]

Artificers don't need Divine Metamagic or Arcane Thesis though, so their lack of such is hardly a disincentive. And their easy access to divine spells is a definite positive, with no requirement to "invest heavily" in them.

Second, you get every spell faster than Wizards do. You get most spells discounted by one spell level, or even more by drawing from PrC lists. (e.g. You can get fireballs at 3 instead of 5, or Haste at 1 from Trapsmith.)

Third, they get a Dedicated Wright at 4th-level that can assist with their crafting and make wands all day while they adventure. Wizards must wait until at least 6 for the privilege, and then only by burning almost all their feats on crafting.

Fourth, if you're bringing the Wizard's other spellcasting ability into the equation, you have to bring in the Artificer's other features as well - able to be the party trapmonkey, creating and wearing magic armor/shields, rings and amulets etc., all sharply discounted from the costs Wizards have to pay, including those with requirements that wizards cannot meet. And because of all these features (plus their generic bonus feats), Artificers have more feats to throw around in other areas to make wand use even better, such as artisan feats.

[Greenish]

This would only apply to spells on the Spellthief list though.Master Spellthief allows casting any arcane spells without ASF in light armour.