Need help on starting an artificer that can fight, melee.

[Ninebalthazaar]

I was wondering how an artificer can start off well, level 2. Are they better played as melee, or ranged? I wanted to Dual-wield, but I really don't know what I'd need to do that, while still being a good crafter. Thoughts?:smalleek:

[fishyfishyfishy]

They can certainly be decent at both melee and ranged combat, but stay away from two weapon fighting, unless you really know what you're doing. And even then it's not very great.

To start with why don't you tell us what sources you are allowed to use and other character creation rules you have to work with.

[Ellowryn]

Well, your an artificer harry. Make a couple of continuous magic items of Divine Power, Heroics, Righteous Might, etc, so you will have full bab with all the fighter bonus feats you need. Also make an item of use activated Polymorph or Shapechange, make sure the caster level is high enough to have them last for a couple of hours after Extend Spell. Then strip off your magic items before a fight, hit the polymorph to turn into a War Troll or something similar, re-equip your other magic items, and BOOM you are a better fighter than the fighter.

[Jack_Simth]

Well, your an artificer harry. Make a couple of continuous magic items of Divine Power, Heroics, Righteous Might, etc, so you will have full bab with all the fighter bonus feats you need. Also make an item of use activated Polymorph or Shapechange, make sure the caster level is high enough to have them last for a couple of hours after Extend Spell. Then strip off your magic items before a fight, hit the polymorph to turn into a War Troll or something similar, re-equip your other magic items, and BOOM you are a better fighter than the fighter.
Ninebalthazaar is starting at 2nd. That puts a few crimps in those plans: spell availability (can't duplicate the spell for purposes of crafting until two levels before an appropriate caster could), feat availability (Artificers don't get Craft Wondrous until 3rd), and probably a few others.

Then there's the fun bit that the magic item creation guidelines are just guidelines, not rules, and specifically require the DM set the price, so continuous or use activated magic item of Divine Power / Heroics / Righteous Might / polymorph / shapechange might not fly.

You can mix an artificer up in melee, even at 2nd, but it's rather tricky and takes a decent amount of buff time. Better to go the 'standard' artificer route of ranged caster and skillmonkey. At 2nd, you can be rocking scrolls of things like Scorching Ray without too much trouble. Be warned that save DCs will be quite low, so you want to avoid spells with saves, and also be warned that when you make a scroll, it's caster level will be at the lower of that needed for the spell or your level... so you want to focus on stuff that's less dependant on caster level.

[Tvtyrant]

You can give your weapon the band property from level 1, so that is a big step in the right direction. An artificer with a bane greatsword deals 4d6 + 1.5×strength a hit, usually 17 or more damage.

That is four times a Kobolds and almost three times a hobgoblins HP, so you will one shot level 1-2 monsters. Later on it won't be as awesome, but you will get other buffs.

[Ellowryn]

..... Somehow completely missed that he was starting at level 2.

Yeah, without magic items your options are far more limited. Looking at the class, you have d6 HD, Average BaB, and proficiency with simple weapons, with light and medium armor, and with shields (except tower shields). At low levels if you want melee you can grab some scale mail, a heavy shield, and a morning star giving you reasonable AC and damage on hit on the cheap. If you want ranged you can grab a chain shirt and a light crossbow.

Artificers do gain a large amount of crafting feats for free as you level but part of what makes them so good is their ability to apply metamagic feats to stuff. You don't NEED them to be good, but each one you take increases your power and ability.

My 2c, at low level before you can break out the item crafting just focus on your infusions (there are a lot of good ones) and be a second line fighter while providing flanking to the melee focused guys.