Building an Artificer

[Xanti]

I'm making an Artificer 9 and would like some input on items to get and feats to get.

I have 49k GP of items and gear I can buy and 14.6k Xp I can spend on creating items (No need to worry about the GP Cost associated with item creation).

I would like to see what everyone comes up with to make this guy worth playing. Thanks!

[Tvtyrant]

Unless my math is off, you just told us you have 730,000 GP worth of items to make. Okay, for that much there is tons you can do.

Get a Cube of Force, they are awesome.


Mini-Druid item collection:

These items make a pseudo-Druid when taken together.

Wands of Aspect of the Earth Hunter. Use the metamagic wand ability to persist this when you want to be a big, in your face bruiser.

The you use a staff of Bite of the Werebear (or scrolls) to boost your strength from the low 20s to the low 50s. It also grants you some feats like Powerattack, which you can use to pulverize people on a pouncing charge.

[Xanti]

Yup, my DM just did the math too. Count in the gp cost in item creation.

Could you put the source books you're using in there too?

[Tvtyrant]

Aspect and Bite are from Spell Compendium (pretty sure).

Metamagic spell trigger is from complete mage, and is one of the most important parts of an Artificer build.

Cube of Force is from the SRD/Core. It makes little walls of force to keep you safe.

Artificers are amazing, but I could be more useful if you told me what your build focus is/stats/race. An archer is different from a blaster from a melee, if you know what I mean.

[Xanti]

I'd appreciate the help.

I haven't rolled my stats up yet, but my thoughts were a wand wielding blastificer. My spell of choice right now is Ray of Enfeeblement because I know the DM will accept it. He's relatively open to extra sources though.

My race is grey elf, with the bonus to dex and int and minus to con and str, but that was something I could change too to suit my needs.

I thought this would a really cool class, but then the idea of I could have any item I basically could think made me think I should get some advice.

[Tvtyrant]

I'd appreciate the help.

I haven't rolled my stats up yet, but my thoughts were a wand wielding blastificer. My spell of choice right now is Ray of Enfeeblement because I know the DM will accept it. He's relatively open to extra sources though.

My race is grey elf, with the bonus to dex and int and minus to con and str, but that was something I could change too to suit my needs.

I thought this would a really cool class, but then the idea of I could have any item I basically could think made me think I should get some advice.

Some decent advice on an attack form.

Seeking Ray does pretty good damage for it's level. Unlike most CL3 2nd level spells, Seeking Ray does 4d6 electric damage. This is the same as Scorching Ray, but different. First of all, its Electric, which is less often resisted than Fire. Secondly, it avoids all concealment, cover less than total, and isn't penalized for firing into melee. That's delightful. Third, it establishes a link between you and your foe for 3 rounds that gives you a +4 to hit with future Seeking Rays. Forthly, it is a ray, which means that Splitting it results in 2x as much damage for only a +2 metamagic adjustment (vs 1.5x as much damage from Empower for +2 or 2x as much damage from Twin for a +4). You can Split it with Metamagic Trigger from the Artificer class, or craft a Metamagic Wand Grip for relatively cheap. Swap out grips between combats as needed. 8d6 ranged touch a few times a day is pretty cheap and reliable damage throughout most of your low level career as a blastificer.

The basic goal is to pick spells that are difficult to resist, and then apply metamagic to them through wands or staffs. My favorite one is wand of sonic snap with fell drain for automatic energy drain every level, but that is more efficient and less powerful.

[Madcrafter]

For a blastificer (or any artificer really), you only need a few wands for your core combat shtick. What the artificer excels at (besides everything) is being crazy prepared for every situation. As such, a good chunk of your gold should probably go towards wands for useful utility spells, scrolls for all those once in a blue moon utility spells that is is always nice to have, and items that are in the same vein. Remember that with a minute (or round if you burn an action point) of prep, you can fairly reliably cast any lv 1-3 spell in the game, so you don't really need lower level out of combat stuff (though it is nice to have if you don't want to spend the XP).
You probably also want to invest in a portable hole and dedicated crafting homunculus, as well as a nice suit of armour and the usual good items (Bunko's bargain basement is your friend).
Blastificers (or any artificer really) are also very feat intensive, you may want to consider going human or strongheart halfling.

[RoyVG]

As Madcrafter said, a Portable Hole and a Dedicated Wright allow you to craft on the go by letting the Wright do it inside of it. It's a contruct so it doesn't need to breath.

Take some scrolls of utility spells, and maybe a few buff spells along with it.

Artificer Monocle allow you to identify magic items like the Identify spell in only the fraction of the original time (1 minute insteadof 1 HOUR), without material components (100GP). And dirt-cheap at that. Only 1500 GP

The Spare Hand (Magic of Eberron) is quite handy (pun intended). Sacrificing a 1st level infusion allows the arm to grab or store items from your bag once per round as a free action for 24 hours. Swithing items between your hands is a free action IIRC, so you can have it grab a wand from your bag as a free action, and then switch wands as a free action and fire it immediately. Belt Slot, 12000GP, for an additional 10000 you get a second Spare hand. I took it more for flavor than something else

Take a Wand Bracer, it's non-magical, stores a couple of wands, swift action to grab one out if it. Storing one takes a longer time (standard maybe?). but you can drop the wand as afree action and grab another as a swift. This and the Spare had allow you to switch wands very fast. Drop 2 wands, grab two new ones. Takes a Bracer slot.

If you're a Warforged, a Wand Sheath is very nice. Pure mental action to activate a wand mounted in your wrist, kinda like IronMan.
(http://xmendarkgenesis.homestead.com/files/Iron-man-sig.jpg) You can even wield another wand in the same hand. Careful though, once a wand is locked in, it cannot be removed until all charges are used up. Combine with the above for insane wand wielding action. Also takes a bracer slot so careful if you already have a Wand Bracer, though what prevent you from having one of both?

Ring of Lesser Artifice is great, an extra lvl 1 and 2 Infusion is priceless. Well okay, 5000 gp but it's a steal. A level 3+4 and level 5+6 version exist as well but become expensive very fast (25.k gp and 61k gp resp.) Even low level infusions stay very viable on higher levels.

What I found helpful is making a list of useful infusions, especially the armor and weapon enhancements, there I made a second table for some good enhancements. It allows you to be ready at all times. Things like (Mage)Bane are pretty good, same goes Great Dispelling. Making a Schema of a few Infusions helps a lot too, they're basically the Eternal equivalent of scrolls. 1/day, everyday.

Take the feats that reduce Gold and EXP cost for crafting if you think you are going to craft a lot (Extraordinay and Legendary Artisan?). Time is alwo nice, but can work against you if you don't have a high enough Use Magic Device for the spell requirements.

Level 9 is perfect for the Wand Mastery feat, it increases the effective caster level and DC of wands by 2. This would have taken a lot of money if they were implemented in the wands themselves (with Heightened Spell and increasing the casterlevel).

Metamagic Item infusion + Persistent Spell Metamagic is priceless on a good buff spell.

Wow, I went a little further that I anticipated :D, I hope I was of some use.

[Rubik]

One thing you can do as a blastificer (or any artificer, really) on the side is grab some spellstoring aurorum dye arrows. Dye arrows are from Pathfinder, and deal no damage but have globes for dye so you can mark targets using ranged touch attacks. Since they're spellstoring you can add spells so you can buff your party members and debuff enemies at range, and since they're aurorum you can reconstitute them later. If you add throwing and returning then the ammo will return to you of its own accord.

[Xanti]

I think we're getting closer. Does anyone have any suggestions for what non spell completion items to get? I've heard some good ideas so far but Id like to hear more if anyone's got it.

[Tvtyrant]

Bead(s) of Force (SRD/Core) are 3,000 GP one shot items which do 5d6 force and make the opponent reflex against being stuck in a Resilient Sphere. If you throw it down so that it catches your allies in the 10ft. radius sphere you get a nice 10 min time out.

If you are none-good aligned, the Obsidian Steed is wonderful for a mostly unkillable mount that acts like a nightmare. Planeshift, overland flight, and Ethereal Jaunt for going anywhere!

Grey Ioun Stones cost next to nothing and circle around your head. Have your caster friends cast spells on them, or enchant them.

Marvelous Pigments let you remake dungeons and make any none magic item you could ever need. One pot is probably good, more than three and either you are abusing it or you over invested.

Sovereign Glue connects two things permanently unless Universal Solvent is applied to them. Glue a gate shut, or two boats together, or even weapons.

[Xanti]

Great ideas. One common problem. I'm a level 10 artificer, therefore am effectively CL 10. Most of your suggestions are above that.

[Madcrafter]

Actually 12th for making items.

Personally I wouldn't suggest the items Tvtyrant has listed. One, because I have a bit of a dislike for single use items (which strangely does not extend to scrolls), and also because you can accomplish basically all of what they do by just using wands/scrolls of the spells they contain.

The thing with artificer is that it is one of the most system intensive classes to play. When I was playing mine, I started by saying "What are the twenty most useful utility spells I can think of that I have available at my level, as well as some of the best spells around that I might on occasion want to use?" Then I made 1-4 scrolls of each, my half dozen blasting/healing wands, and my support items (ring of artifice, int headband, mw tools, and custom amulet of Unfettered Heroism). With that and a few other nick-nacks I was set. Mind you, if your UMD checks aren't so great (which shouldn't be the case) I can see why you might not want to stick to wand/scrolls exclusively, but usually they are better value than wonderous items because of their more stringent requirements.

It also depends a bit on how powerful you are going to get, and if you limit yourself. You are already playing an arguably tier 0 class, so you might want to avoid stepping on other people's toes.

[Tvtyrant]

Actually 12th for making items.

Personally I wouldn't suggest the items Tvtyrant has listed. One, because I have a bit of a dislike for single use items (which strangely does not extend to scrolls), and also because you can accomplish basically all of what they do by just using wands/scrolls of the spells they contain.

The thing with artificer is that it is one of the most system intensive classes to play. When I was playing mine, I started by saying "What are the twenty most useful utility spells I can think of that I have available at my level, as well as some of the best spells around that I might on occasion want to use?" Then I made 1-4 scrolls of each, my half dozen blasting/healing wands, and my support items (ring of artifice, int headband, mw tools, and custom amulet of Unfettered Heroism). With that and a few other nick-nacks I was set.
He asked for none-spell completion items, so that is what I posted.



The crafting CL of an Artificer of your level is +2 above its HD, and then you simply stack CL modifiers.

[Xanti]

Alright, what may be my twenty most useful utility spells and other knick knacks?

I'm feeling kinda overwhelmed when I look at all the possible choices.

[Madcrafter]

My character sheet is on a different continent, and you can do your own research, but off the top of my head...
Obscuring mist, always useful until stuff starts seeing through it
Delay death, if you need it, and have a way of getting the item out in time
Some sort of restoration magic if fighting draining things, if you don't have a divine caster or want to take some of the onerous load off them
A way to fly/get around easy (etherelness etc)
A way to give yourself time to prepare (you are more batman than the batman wizard. Unprepared you are good, but with even a few rounds of prep time, you can easily win against stuff that would beat a regular adventuring party to a pulp)
A way to bring people back from the dead (reincarnation is the lowest level choice, or one of the "if you get them in a round, they don't lose a level" ones)
A way to face in a pinch (you might even be the party face)
A way to find traps (you can disable them, but its easier to use magic to find them) Also, a great tip: magic traps can be eaten for XP, if you have a day and its safe to sit around it.
A way to escape, see obscuring mist/fly above
Any other spell that you think might come in useful. (eg. even though it has a save, which in a scroll is really low, I still toted around two scrolls of Lesser Geas, and did successfully use one on a drow prisoner). Spells with saves are generally not recommended though.
Other protection spells that you don't need all the time (including things like water walking/breathing for example, for situations you never expect to be in, but could happen).
A way to make food/water, if you don't have someone who can.
A way to detect magic, spectacles or the like.
Ways to do sneaky things.

Naturally, the game I was playing in had a bit of a mortality rate, which is why things like reincarnation is on there (I kept two of those on me). If your DM pulls his punches a little more, you probably don't need them. Also remember you can make these things, so you really only need to keep the things that you might need quickly on you (or just keep everything if its easier).

[avr]

You have the ability to put +5-equivalent properties on armour, weapons and shields. Therefore IMO you should have armour that you can take into any situation (a mithril shirt can be worn underneath clothing), a buckler, a main weapon and a few extras like daggers and a few thousand GP of the material components required to use these infusions.