The Tier 0 Wealthless Artificer Handbook WIP

[RoboEmperor]

When one thinks of an Artificer, one thinks of a completely wealth dependent class that is completely useless without money, downtime, and access to civilization. They are wrong. Artificers are significantly powerful without any money or crafting. In fact, some might argue they are more powerful than wizards even when naked in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nothing, truly making them a tier 0 class.

In order to thoroughly educate new players about the true horrifying power of OPness that is artificers, I am making this handbook. Read it and learn how to properly use this class.

This is going to be more of a list of tricks rather than a build. My creativity is one dimensional so I'm asking other people to help me make this list.



The most important Infusion:
Spell Storing Item
This infusion lets you completely replicate any 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level spell in the game, from any spell list. This infusion however costs XP. But...

The second most important Infusion:
Concurrent Infusion
This infusion lets you completely replicate any 1st level infusion. Why is this amazing? Because it ignores Spell Storing Item's XP cost. Which means when you hit 8th level, you can cast any 4th level or lower spell in the game for free.

This guide gives you nice list of spells you can get at a lower level.
Consolidated List of "Bargain Bin" Spells for Artificers (http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=12661.0)

So what's so amazing about being able to cast any 4th level or lower spell from the game? Keep Reading



Planar Binding
Demonologists have Planar Binding as a 4th level spell. Magic Circle Against Evil is 3rd level and Dimensional Anchor is 4th level. That's right. Artificers get Planar Binding at level 8. three levels earlier than wizards! And two levels earlier than Nar Demonbinders!
What's so amazing about planar binding? Since it lets you enslave any 12hd or lower outsider, you essentially have access to every single SLA and Su ability possessed by a 12hd outsider or lower! Some SLAs and Su abilities include:
Free Wishes by Efreetis
Free Simulacrum from Mirror Mephits
At-Will Astral Projection and Etherealness from Nightmares
14th level cleric casting from Trumpet Archons
Free Raise Dead from Hollyphant
At-Will Fabricate from Rejkars
At-Will Animate Objects from Ravids
At-Will Wall of Ice from Bone Devils
Free Animate Dead from Artaagliths
Plane Shift from Jannis

Did I mention you get all of this at level 8? (or 9 if you need Dimensional Anchor).

Persistent Spell
Metamagic Item is a 3rd level Infusion that lets you apply a metamagic feat you know to a wand for free. Spell Storing Item creates a wand. Therefore you can use this 3rd level infusion to persist any 4th level or lower spell making you far superior to a DMM:Persist Cleric since you have access to arcane spells as well!

Reach Spell can make a lot of spells qualify for Persistent Spell. To take advantage of this...
1. Have a Minor Schema or Scroll.
2. Use Metamagic Scroll to apply Reach Spell to the Minor Schema or Scroll.
3. Use Metamagic Spell Completion to apply Persistent Spell to the Minor Schema or Scroll (now valid thanks to Reach Spell)
If you use this combo to persist Metamagic Item, you can apply a metamagic feat like Maximize Spell on a Wand or a Staff for 24 hours! Maximized Blasting Spell all day long!

Pass Any Skill Check
Divine Insight gives +15 to any skill check
Skill Enhancement gives +2-??? to any skill for 10minutes/level
Improvisation gives you +half your CL to any skill check

Summon Giants
8th level summoning spell accessed at level 8 because it's a 4th level spell on the Disciple of Thrym prestige class.

Infinite Crafting XP
1. Cast Mount
2. Cast Contagion the horse.
3. Cast Liquid Pain on the horse. (Liquid Pain substitues 3 xp for crafting)
4. Cast Fabricate (trapsmith 3) on the Liquid Pain to triple the amount of Liquid Pain you have.

If you think of a combo, please share! Two combos hardly make a handbook.

[SoraWolf7]

I found that a fun combination of Bane and Merciful Enchantments makes your weapons great for subduing large one-race armies. Especially if you put them on a jousting lance and charge people.

[Kelb_Panthera]

You've been beaten to the punch, my dude.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?427628-Disregard-Money-Acquire-Buff-Spells-Artificers-without-the-Artifice

[RoboEmperor]

You've been beaten to the punch, my dude.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?427628-Disregard-Money-Acquire-Buff-Spells-Artificers-without-the-Artifice

Not really. This guide aims to be a list of OP combos abusing the few really OP infusions. That guide is like a textbook (which is a good thing) and fails to emphasize the brokeness of some of its infusions. Had I had known that the Artificer is capable of the Planar Binding at level 8 without any xp, gp, or items I would not have spent so much time on cleric and sorcerer.

So if you know of an OP combo that uses 4th level or lower spells from various spell lists, please share!

[thethird]

Not really. This guide aims to be a list of OP combos abusing the few really OP infusions. That guide is like a textbook (which is a good thing) and fails to emphasize the brokeness of some of its infusions. Had I had known that the Artificer is capable of the Planar Binding at level 8 without any xp, gp, or items I would not have spent so much time on cleric and sorcerer.

So if you know of an OP combo that uses 4th level or lower spells from various spell lists, please share!

Potato potato.

So you want powerful 4th lvl spells that an artificer can use?

Artificer Bargain Bin (http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=12661.0), I am partial to summon giants.

Also, if you are going to use spellstoring item look at the gems from the Special Material Index (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?442820-Special-Materials-Index)

For what is worth, let me actually contribute. If you are looking into using infusions.

Required feats: Extend Spell, Persist Spell, Reach Spell (not required but nice: Wand Surge, Maximize Spell)
Required lvl: 11, you want metamagic spell completion
Step 1) Have a schema of Metamagic Item
Step 2) Use Metamagic Scroll (1st lvl infusion), to apply reach to your metamagic item schema
Step 3) Use metamagic spell completion to apply persist to your metamagic item schema (it is now valid due to reach)
Step 4) Use the metamagic item to persist a metamagic feat on an item (most likely a staff)
Step 5) Have fun

[RoboEmperor]

I found that a fun combination of Bane and Merciful Enchantments makes your weapons great for subduing large one-race armies. Especially if you put them on a jousting lance and charge people.

Thanks but that doesn't sound much like a combo, but more like a good idea.


Potato potato.

So you want powerful 4th lvl spells that an artificer can use?

Artificer Bargain Bin (http://bg-archive.minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=12661.0), I am partial to summon giants.

Also, if you are going to use spellstoring item look at the gems from the Special Material Index (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?442820-Special-Materials-Index)

For what is worth, let me actually contribute. If you are looking into using infusions.

Required feats: Extend Spell, Persist Spell, Reach Spell (not required but nice: Wand Surge, Maximize Spell)
Required lvl: 11, you want metamagic spell completion
Step 1) Have a schema of Metamagic Item
Step 2) Use Metamagic Scroll (1st lvl infusion), to apply reach to your metamagic item schema
Step 3) Use metamagic spell completion to apply persist to your metamagic item schema (it is now valid due to reach)
Step 4) Use the metamagic item to persist a metamagic feat on an item (most likely a staff)
Step 5) Have fun

Added to the list! Summon Giants isn't a combo but it's OP and abusive enough to be on the list!

[thethird]

Added to the list!

What I do is have several staves, one for each metamagic I am interested in. Normally a buffstick and a boomstick. Persistent spell on the buffstick, maximized spell on the boomstick... etc.

I persist unfettered heroism (an action point a round), from another schema, and then go to town with wand surge (use an action point as a wand/staff charge). This allows easy persistomancy of all the buffs on the buffstick and then blasting with the boomstick during the adventuring day.

An interesting thing to have on the boomstick is power surge, which gives you temporary charges, that you can then use to burn through metamagic spell trigger with the boomstick.

Also, speaking of power surge, have you read over my take on one of my favorite spells for the artificer? Hamagess' Staffsprout (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?497918-Wandman-All-the-partially-charged-wands)

[Armyguyclaude]

With Unseen Craft Level 1 infusion, handy haversack, and Dedicated Wright you can be constantly making scrolls on the go regardless of the situation. Dedicated Wright can't start projects, but Unseen Crafter can. Having a handy haversack is just nice since once any creation is done you don't need to go looking for it.

Action Points. As far as I know your base Wizard or Cleric doesn't get them. If you're putting an Artificer into a non-eberron campaign setting your DM may allow you to still have Action Points. At 3rd level Artificer can gain Rapid Infusion allowing the Artificer to cast an infusion without spending an action point. Since one of the action point benefits is to speed up casting time you can cast Person Weapon Augmentation for free 1/day. This way in pretty much any battle you come across you can have a Bane weapon against that creature type.

[RoboEmperor]

Huh, I guess this is really it. The only OP thing you can do with 4th level spells or lower is planar binding or free Persistent Spell. Been staring at that bargain bin list for a while now and I got nothing. Got excited for nothing @_@.

I guess I'll just flesh out the planar binding list some more, and the Persistent Spell list a little more despite it being information repeated by other guides (all in one place might help newer players like me), and then call it "finished" (more accurately, failed). Got excited for nothing >.<. Thought there were a lot of cross-class spell combos like Surge of Fortune (5th level so artificers can't have this one) on Planar Binding's check or Surge of Fortune + Vorpal (god damn I really wished surge of fortune was a 4th level spell >.<) or whatnot that uses 4th level spells or lower to break the game wide open.

I guess d&d 3.5 isn't as broken as ppl claim it is : P


With Unseen Craft Level 1 infusion, handy haversack, and Dedicated Wright you can be constantly making scrolls on the go regardless of the situation. Dedicated Wright can't start projects, but Unseen Crafter can. Having a handy haversack is just nice since once any creation is done you don't need to go looking for it.

Action Points. As far as I know your base Wizard or Cleric doesn't get them. If you're putting an Artificer into a non-eberron campaign setting your DM may allow you to still have Action Points. At 3rd level Artificer can gain Rapid Infusion allowing the Artificer to cast an infusion without spending an action point. Since one of the action point benefits is to speed up casting time you can cast Person Weapon Augmentation for free 1/day. This way in pretty much any battle you come across you can have a Bane weapon against that creature type.

Unseen Crafter is a level 2 infusion.