Yet another artificer... there should be a FAQ on this guys.

[Zaetar]

Now... I did read many many other posts in the playground, minmax and wherever else, but still i need to be sure of what im doing, artificers are a delicate matter when it comes down to xp, gp and what to create.

The artificer I'm planning to make is your tipical inventor with little stuff moving from place to place, carrying materials, working on stuff or just buzzing around. At least that's what i'd see in its workshop.

Getting to the point, what i want is a clockwork/fullmetal artificer so:

1) Is there any construct version of the Iron Defender? I dont look forward to see my homuncudog getting killed and me suffering a probably lethal 2d10. I sure could take Improve Homunculus feat but still... I want to mass produce something of that style, not 1 homunculus a month, the first 2 are the wright and an arbalester and I'm trying to negotiate some way of healing myself from the blood loss.

2) I like clockwork stuff so a wright looking like a frankendwarf is not so good to me, do you think it wouldnt be too broken (for some reason) or dumb or whatever excuse to not do it, if I asked my DM to allow my constructs and homunculi to be made purely of metal and clockwork pieces?

Examples: Wright = dwarf-sized warforged-ish, Messenger = metal wings and body, Filcher =humanoid-ish shadesteel golem miniature... to name few. Maybe the same applied to few constructs? Fang golem into a Blades Golem? Exchange fangs for blades? I could even craft them myself.

All this obviously changing the craft/profession check from whatever they need to Metalworking and/or Engineering. If he wants to throw 3 rust monsters at me then he can go ahead and do it, i just want my clockwork minions. I can accept wood though. Just too keep them looking warforged-ish.

3) Probably forgot what this question was supposed to be or will think about it later after the answers...

Notes: Yes i did read the mechonomicon and the unifficial artificer handbook. I even got them open this very moment, but I do prefer some other opinions and advice from others that know more and/or got more experience on this stuff than i.

[Deophaun]

1) Check out the effigy creature template. Complete Arcane, pg 151. It won't have the innate link with you (makes sense as it's not made from your blood) and will be mindless, but for a combat minion it should do fine, probably better than the defender.

2) Fluff is (or should be) mutable. As long as there is no real mechanical impact. In regards to the craft check: You're an artificer. Intelligence is your primary stat. You should be able to hit all of these craft checks by taking 10 and maybe using masterwork artisans tools. No skill ranks required.

[Zaetar]

1) Check out the effigy creature template. Complete Arcane, pg 151. It won't have the innate link with you (makes sense as it's not made from your blood) and will be mindless, but for a combat minion it should do fine, probably better than the defender.

2) Fluff is (or should be) mutable. As long as there is no real mechanical impact. In regards to the craft check: You're an artificer. Intelligence is your primary stat. You should be able to hit all of these craft checks by taking 10 and maybe using masterwork artisans tools. No skill ranks required.

The point of Effigies is to recreate life, i just want my own little warforged-ish minions...

Okay then...
3) I was thinking about taking skill points into craft skills... now that you remembered me that i get abnormal bonuses because of reasons then where should i allocate the points? D: Or I do need at least 1 point on them? Examples if possible?

Mental note: blow the dust off photoshop and make warforged/iron-wood versions of homunculi and constructs...

[Deophaun]

The point of Effigies is to recreate life, i just want my own little warforged-ish minions...
Don't know where that is stated. What we do have is the following:

Unlike with most constructs, an effigy creature’s true nature is not always immediately obvious. Some are quite lifelike...
"not always"
"some"
That implies there are effigy creatures that do have true natures that are immediately obvious and are not quite lifelike. Make it look like a warforged.


I was thinking about taking skill points into craft skills... now that you remembered me that i get abnormal bonuses because of reasons then where should i allocate the points? D: Or I do need at least 1 point on them? Examples if possible?
Hmm... just remembered how sparse the Artificer's skill options are. If your party is missing it, don't be afraid to cross-class Knowledge skills. Same with Spot and Listen. Just don't feel the need to get more than two craft skills. I recommend metalworking to speed the construction of effigies if you go that route (use unseen crafter to help out), and one for kicking WBL when it's down (anything that produces trade goods that sell at full value, like sculpting, which also happens to help with homunculi).

[Zaetar]

Don't know where that is stated. What we do have is the following:

"not always"
"some"
That implies there are effigy creatures that do have true natures that are immediately obvious and are not quite lifelike. Make it look like a warforged.

Yeah well... i think that makes sense. After all at least half of constructs do resemble animals and most are neglected by not having an advancement, not being useful for their level, too expensive, etc.
And i think they would be cheaper due to the lack of spells used in them?



Hmm... just remembered how sparse the Artificer's skill options are. If your party is missing it, don't be afraid to cross-class Knowledge skills. Same with Spot and Listen. Just don't feel the need to get more than two craft skills. I recommend metalworking to speed the construction of effigies if you go that route (use unseen crafter to help out), and one for kicking WBL when it's down (anything that produces trade goods that sell at full value, like sculpting, which also happens to help with homunculi).

I will just get like 10 on the craft/prof i need to get the 100% success and leave it at that.
Dip some points into Appraise to sell stuff properly?
And max out all the other stuff related to mechanical/magical stuff? Maybe dip a little into Knowledge (Nature) for the sake of knowing a little about whatever inspired my effigies?

Sounds good?