Rune Knight/Battlesmith Artificer Multiclass Help

[BurgTurdler]

Hey Friends, I'm looking to Multiclass Rune Knight and Battlesmith now that Eberron is out. I'm not that good at juggling all the details and how all the things synergize. Can you guys help me figure out the best way to put those together? I'm thinking RK 3/BS X and taking the fire and ice runes.

How do you guys see this working together(ASI's, infusions, etc)?

Oh! I forgot to mention, this is for Baldur's Gate:Descent Into Avernus.:sigh:

[Anderlith]

Hey Friends, I'm looking to Multiclass Rune Knight and Battlesmith now that Eberron is out. I'm not that good at juggling all the details and how all the things synergize. Can you guys help me figure out the best way to put those together? I'm thinking RK 3/BS X and taking the fire and ice runes.

How do you guys see this working together(ASI's, infusions, etc)?

I don’t do much theorycraft, so I won’t help you there, but as for fluff? An Artificer explorer who learned the secret runes of Xendrik sounds cool

[moonfly7]

Again, not good at theory, and I apologise for that, but perhaps your artificer infusions could also all be flavored as runes, that way the two classes blend together seamlessly.

[BurgTurdler]

Both awesome ideas! Thanks :)

[moonfly7]

Oh! I forgot to mention, this is for Baldur's Gate:Descent Into Avernus.
Then take the runes that give you resistance to fire damage, and steer away from fire and cold damage based runes, they'll be a lot less helpful here.

[BurgTurdler]

Anyone else have any ideas for me? Level balance, infusions, ASI's, etc...

[moonfly7]

Anyone else have any ideas for me? Level balance, infusions, ASI's, etc...

Well, what do you want to accomplish?
If you can describe what you want, I can help a bit.
I'm really only going to be useful with artificer here, so bare with me.
For infusions you should obviously grab +1 armor and +1 weapon. And probably a cloak of protection if your a high enough level. That's just general advice.

[Dork_Forge]

What level will you be starting at/playing to and what race have you chosen? Point buy or rolled?

[BurgTurdler]

I'm going to be playing Descent to Avernus so from level 1-X. I think I saw someone say 13 but these things tend to run long so maybe a little higher.

IDK... I'm just looking for fun ideas on how other ppl would make a multiclass Rune Knight/Artificer. I was 100% on Battlesmith earlier today then I saw the UA about Sidekicks, and there's only going to be two players, and there's a thing called a pot of awakening..., aaaand I could have an awakened shrub casting goodberry and barkskin sitting in the little circular opening in the middle of my walking artillery cannon. Yep, that sounds fun. I'm looking for ideas like that and how someone would build it between the two classes. Like how many of each level and in which order? Which class to start with to get proficiencies and important class features.

[Dork_Forge]

I'm going to be playing Descent to Avernus so from level 1-X. I think I saw someone say 13 but these things tend to run long so maybe a little higher.

IDK... I'm just looking for fun ideas on how other ppl would make a multiclass Rune Knight/Artificer. I was 100% on Battlesmith earlier today then I saw the UA about Sidekicks, and there's only going to be two players, and there's a thing called a pot of awakening..., aaaand I could have an awakened shrub casting goodberry and barkskin sitting in the little circular opening in the middle of my walking artillery cannon. Yep, that sounds fun. I'm looking for ideas like that and how someone would build it between the two classes. Like how many of each level and in which order? Which class to start with to get proficiencies and important class features.

Personally I'd go Battle Smith and break off at Art 6/7 to Fighter 4, it's hard to pick a jumping off point in Artificer but this would get you the Extra Attack and Flash of Genius. Once you hit Fighter 4 just jump back into Artificer to finish up. If you go the Artillerist route then you can jump at either 3 or 4 Artificer, but the Rune Knight is all about weapons so Battle Smith seemed more fitting.

[Callin]

Im theoried up a ranged version of this a bit ago.

RK 7 is really good for your reaction as a ranged. Heavy Crossbow with Repeating Infusion and Sharpshooter and either Ranged or Close Quarters Shooter (UA) fighting styles. I like the Fire and Storm Runes. Storm is really great if you dont go to 7th in it. So say a good break is 6th or 8th here.

Art 2 is all you need but more gives other good things. If you want the pet for a melee blocker then go Art 10/RK 3. I would pick up RK sooner than later so you got the 2 runes you want.

Myself I went Alchemist. So with a 6 RK/7 Alch split you get 2 Attacks with a Repeating Heavy Crossbow +1 + 1d6 Giants Might with possible SS. 2 Runes/SR, 4 1st lvl Spells, 3 2nd, Int to Healing Spells, Flash of Genius, and Potions, spending a spell slot for conc free bless is nice.

[BurgTurdler]

Thanks peeps! Good stuff.

[Teaguethebean]

My brother was made this build in a game I am running and his build is artificer 3 fighter 8 as of now. Though he could do that and remain relevant as we started at lv9 so it wasn't hard for him to get fighter 5 art 3 without feeling weak for a long time either from halted extra attack or no int based attacks.

[Phhase]

If you're willing to toss in 2 levels of Forge Cleric, being able to create any metal or part-metal item within 100gp value during every short rest is actually amazing if you're gonna primarily be an artificer. A couple metal tubes, a Bag of holding, 67 gallons (Only costs 53 gp, believe it or not!) of oil, and a little magic and presto! You've violated the Geneva Conventions! Enjoy your liquid flamethrower. And that's not even getting INTO the shenanigans you can get up to if your DM allows you to create ANY metal, such as magnesium...

Nice avatar, by the way.

[BurgTurdler]

If you're willing to toss in 2 levels of Forge Cleric, being able to create any metal or part-metal item within 100gp value during every short rest is actually amazing if you're gonna primarily be an artificer. A couple metal tubes, a Bag of holding, 67 gallons (Only costs 53 gp, believe it or not!) of oil, and a little magic and presto! You've violated the Geneva Conventions! Enjoy your liquid flamethrower. And that's not even getting INTO the shenanigans you can get up to if your DM allows you to create ANY metal, such as magnesium...

Nice avatar, by the way.

YES! This is the stuff I want to hear! I need all the zany crap to make my gf pull her hair out. This is her first time DMing and she's nervous. I want to blow her mind with the crap I bring to the table... DtA is supposed to be like mad max right?

[Phhase]

YES! This is the stuff I want to hear! I need all the zany crap to make my gf pull her hair out. This is her first time DMing and she's nervous. I want to blow her mind with the crap I bring to the table... DtA is supposed to be like mad max right?

...This is what you want to hear, eh? Then know that I was holding back.

Yes, Descent Into Avernus has some mad-maxish aspects. There are vehicles with weapons and stuff.

Here are some more...esoteric ideas, straight from the pale. Be gentle, though! Try to throttle the number and intensity of deployments by your DM's comfort.


Heat Metal is an Artificer spell, yah? Well, guess what. That spell turns water into gunpowder. Observe.

Steam Cannon

You will need: Metal, a little insulation. Ceramic is a great insulator. Heat Metal and Shape Water.

Fabricate, Forge Cleric, or otherwise create an insulated metal tank you can carry that had metal coils inside it, the ends of which stick out of the tank. Attach a hose and emitter to the top of the tank. The emitter can be as simple or complicated as your DM allows it to be. Here's the basic intrigue of the weapon:

Fill the tank with Water.

Cast Heat Metal on the coils.

Use a bonus action on your turn to deal 4d6 fire damage to the water in the tank, creating a huge steam surge.

Either use an action to build up steam pressure in the emitter and then blast out a projectile with it, or just make a scalding hot fog cloud. Hell, you could even use Shape Water to turn steam to ice as it flies out of the barrel!

If you are allowed to make the emitter more complex than a hose, consider allowing a steam chamber that holds pressure, allowing you to fire pretty much anything like a cannon.

Alternatively, fill the tank with acid, poisonous liquid, or substrate that will create a ton of smoke, and mercilessly fumigate your enemies. Hope you brought a gas mask!

Instant Fun, just add Water!

You will need: Decanter of Endless Water, Shape Water cantrip.

A Decanter of Endless Water becomes a Decanter of Endless Utility with this strategy. If you are allowed to install a Decanter in the mouth of your steel defender so that it can activate it, great! Use a bonus action to command the defender to use the geyser. Then, use Shape Water, or spell-store it in the defender's mouth. Instant ice cannon breath weapon!

Shape Water in general has endless utility. You can use it to make weapons like javelins out of ice, beds of ice caltrops, hanging icicles, slippery terrain, opaque thin ice over an open pit, reinforce/freeze shut things with ice, break open rocks or doors by freezing water in cracks or locks, you name it, there's a way. Even better if it's allowed to work on things like poison.

Steam Bomb

You will need: Metal, Water, Heat Metal or Create Bonfire, Bag of Ball Bearings (optional)

It's simple. Create a sealed metal vessel and fill it with water (and ball bearings if you're really mean). Heat it up, and hey presto! I Can't Believe It's Not C4!

Piranha

You will need: Acid (Easy to stockpile if you have an Alchemy Jug, a small amount of metal, Heat Metal

This one's simple. Add a small metal rod to the bottle. Use a metal that isn't iron if your DM rules that iron corrodes instantly (It shouldn't though - your purposes do not require longevity). If you like, use Forge Cleric to create glass bottles that have iron heating elements sandwiched between glass. Cast Heat Metal on the heating Elements. The acid will boil. Throw it.

Hot acid.

Is.

NASTY.

Ask your DM how much damage they'd allow, though.

Liquid Fueled Fury

You will need: An Alchemy Jug, a small heat source, patience

The Alchemy Jug can create large amounts of beer and wine. Distill the alcohol from it. Pure alcohol is poisonous, and very flammable.




Good news: if your DM permits you to create metals that aren't iron with Forge Cleric, that's your excuse to pull up Wikipedia and the periodic table. Note that a bar of iron is listed as being worth 1 sp, and no other metals are listed.

Magnesium: Burns with blinding white flame

Mercury: Highly Toxic, emits toxic fumes, looks sweet.

Lead: Very heavy, poisonous.

Aluminum: Explosive when powdered. Mix with rust powder to form Thermite. Mix with soap and oil, or the discharge from a Wand of Viscid Globs to form napalm.

Potassium: Healthy in trace amounts. Burns/Explodes in water.

Lithium: Burns with a radical-looking red flame.

Neodynium/Cobalt: Highly magnetic (And yes, they ARE metals!)




This may be straying a little outside the bounds of the possible. But hey, we'll see.

Hindenburg Special

You will need: an airtight vessel (try a Bag of Holding sealed with Sovereign Glue), an insulated vessel, Shocking Grasp, two metal electrodes and capture assembly.

It's electrolysis. Just use Shocking Grasp and collect the Hydrogen. Have fun with that! It's explosive.

Winter's Blood

You will need: a highly insulated metal vessel, Ray of Frost or Frostbite, Gust.

Today, we're condensing and collecting liquid nitrogen by chilling the vessel rapidly. Liquid gas is intensely cold. Cold damage for everyone! Bonus points if you can store the liquid gas inside pellets of Dust of Dryness...



Forge Cleric. If you are allowed, you can create a cannon. After all, you only need a thousand pounds of iron to create a Naval 6-pounder cannon, and at 1 sp per pound, 1000 pounds is right at the 100 gp Forge limit! Even if you aren't, if you can find a good projectile launcher, or maybe even just a big crossbow, here are some thing you craft and fire out of them....

Beads of Force
Lots of force damage, a big imprisoning bubble.

Dust of Dryness
Hoo boy. They were not thinking very hard when they made this item. A bag of this holds up to 10 pinches of powder. A single pinch absorbs up to 15 cubic feet of water and converts it into a tiny pellet. The water is released again if the pellet is smashed.

15 cubic feet of water weighs almost a literal ton.

So go ahead and fill an artillery shell with these pellets. Put some on a cross bow bolt. Whatever. On hit, you opponent will be hit with up to 150 cubic feet of water (10 pinches). That's gotta count for something. The rapid expansion can also be used to blow things open like dynamite. To drown things that normally wouldn't. Hell, with the right amount of water inside, you could use one of these instead of gunpowder in a gun.

Bonus points if your ally uses a ready action and casts a cold spell to trap them in a goddamn iceberg.

And god help you all if your DM allows you to store liquid gases or oil inside a pellet.

Ball Bearings
Grapeshot.

Dust of Sneezing and Choking
Tear Gas.

Poisons and Potions
Violate the Geneva Conventions. Vaporizing potions and poisons with Heat Metal is optional.

Shadows
If you have Mystic levels and a 3 psi limit (Or an ally who does), and use the Mastery of Light and Darkness discipline to summon Shadows, toss the subsequent corpses in a Bag of Holding. Later, fire it at stuff. The bodies will have turned into shadows, which will happily devour the nearest living thing. A shadow can fit in a 1x1 inch space, so if you destroy every part of an about-to-rise corpse except a 1x1 bit of bone, and form a musket ball, cannon ball, or other ammunition around it, there you go. Miniturization.

Spell Gem
Anyone can store a spell in one of these babies. Fire that spell at someone's face. Combines well with an ice spell and Dust of Dryness bomb for an instant iceberg.

You can also cast the spell inside the gem as an action. Store Glyph of Warding inside, and cast it as a fire blasting Glyph on the inside of your cannon barrel for an extra-powerful shot.



Sorry it took a hot minute. Be wise how quickly and often you deploy these. You have a potentially great amount of power here.

[BurgTurdler]

...This is what you want to hear, eh? Then know that I was holding back.

Yes, Descent Into Avernus has some mad-maxish aspects. There are vehicles with weapons and stuff.

Here are some more...esoteric ideas, straight from the pale. Be gentle, though! Try to throttle the number and intensity of deployments by your DM's comfort.


Heat Metal is an Artificer spell, yah? Well, guess what. That spell turns water into gunpowder. Observe.

Steam Cannon

You will need: Metal, a little insulation. Ceramic is a great insulator. Heat Metal and Shape Water.

Fabricate, Forge Cleric, or otherwise create an insulated metal tank you can carry that had metal coils inside it, the ends of which stick out of the tank. Attach a hose and emitter to the top of the tank. The emitter can be as simple or complicated as your DM allows it to be. Here's the basic intrigue of the weapon:

Fill the tank with Water.

Cast Heat Metal on the coils.

Use a bonus action on your turn to deal 4d6 fire damage to the water in the tank, creating a huge steam surge.

Either use an action to build up steam pressure in the emitter and then blast out a projectile with it, or just make a scalding hot fog cloud. Hell, you could even use Shape Water to turn steam to ice as it flies out of the barrel!

If you are allowed to make the emitter more complex than a hose, consider allowing a steam chamber that holds pressure, allowing you to fire pretty much anything like a cannon.

Alternatively, fill the tank with acid, poisonous liquid, or substrate that will create a ton of smoke, and mercilessly fumigate your enemies. Hope you brought a gas mask!

Instant Fun, just add Water!

You will need: Decanter of Endless Water, Shape Water cantrip.

A Decanter of Endless Water becomes a Decanter of Endless Utility with this strategy. If you are allowed to install a Decanter in the mouth of your steel defender so that it can activate it, great! Use a bonus action to command the defender to use the geyser. Then, use Shape Water, or spell-store it in the defender's mouth. Instant ice cannon breath weapon!

Shape Water in general has endless utility. You can use it to make weapons like javelins out of ice, beds of ice caltrops, hanging icicles, slippery terrain, opaque thin ice over an open pit, reinforce/freeze shut things with ice, break open rocks or doors by freezing water in cracks or locks, you name it, there's a way. Even better if it's allowed to work on things like poison.

Steam Bomb

You will need: Metal, Water, Heat Metal or Create Bonfire, Bag of Ball Bearings (optional)

It's simple. Create a sealed metal vessel and fill it with water (and ball bearings if you're really mean). Heat it up, and hey presto! I Can't Believe It's Not C4!

Piranha

You will need: Acid (Easy to stockpile if you have an Alchemy Jug, a small amount of metal, Heat Metal

This one's simple. Add a small metal rod to the bottle. Use a metal that isn't iron if your DM rules that iron corrodes instantly (It shouldn't though - your purposes do not require longevity). If you like, use Forge Cleric to create glass bottles that have iron heating elements sandwiched between glass. Cast Heat Metal on the heating Elements. The acid will boil. Throw it.

Hot acid.

Is.

NASTY.

Ask your DM how much damage they'd allow, though.

Liquid Fueled Fury

You will need: An Alchemy Jug, a small heat source, patience

The Alchemy Jug can create large amounts of beer and wine. Distill the alcohol from it. Pure alcohol is poisonous, and very flammable.




Good news: if your DM permits you to create metals that aren't iron with Forge Cleric, that's your excuse to pull up Wikipedia and the periodic table. Note that a bar of iron is listed as being worth 1 sp, and no other metals are listed.

Magnesium: Burns with blinding white flame

Mercury: Highly Toxic, emits toxic fumes, looks sweet.

Lead: Very heavy, poisonous.

Aluminum: Explosive when powdered. Mix with rust powder to form Thermite. Mix with soap and oil, or the discharge from a Wand of Viscid Globs to form napalm.

Potassium: Healthy in trace amounts. Burns/Explodes in water.

Lithium: Burns with a radical-looking red flame.

Neodynium/Cobalt: Highly magnetic (And yes, they ARE metals!)




This may be straying a little outside the bounds of the possible. But hey, we'll see.

Hindenburg Special

You will need: an airtight vessel (try a Bag of Holding sealed with Sovereign Glue), an insulated vessel, Shocking Grasp, two metal electrodes and capture assembly.

It's electrolysis. Just use Shocking Grasp and collect the Hydrogen. Have fun with that! It's explosive.

Winter's Blood

You will need: a highly insulated metal vessel, Ray of Frost or Frostbite, Gust.

Today, we're condensing and collecting liquid nitrogen by chilling the vessel rapidly. Liquid gas is intensely cold. Cold damage for everyone! Bonus points if you can store the liquid gas inside pellets of Dust of Dryness...



Forge Cleric. If you are allowed, you can create a cannon. After all, you only need a thousand pounds of iron to create a Naval 6-pounder cannon, and at 1 sp per pound, 1000 pounds is right at the 100 gp Forge limit! Even if you aren't, if you can find a good projectile launcher, or maybe even just a big crossbow, here are some thing you craft and fire out of them....

Beads of Force
Lots of force damage, a big imprisoning bubble.

Dust of Dryness
Hoo boy. They were not thinking very hard when they made this item. A bag of this holds up to 10 pinches of powder. A single pinch absorbs up to 15 cubic feet of water and converts it into a tiny pellet. The water is released again if the pellet is smashed.

15 cubic feet of water weighs almost a literal ton.

So go ahead and fill an artillery shell with these pellets. Put some on a cross bow bolt. Whatever. On hit, you opponent will be hit with up to 150 cubic feet of water (10 pinches). That's gotta count for something. The rapid expansion can also be used to blow things open like dynamite. To drown things that normally wouldn't. Hell, with the right amount of water inside, you could use one of these instead of gunpowder in a gun.

Bonus points if your ally uses a ready action and casts a cold spell to trap them in a goddamn iceberg.

And god help you all if your DM allows you to store liquid gases or oil inside a pellet.

Ball Bearings
Grapeshot.

Dust of Sneezing and Choking
Tear Gas.

Poisons and Potions
Violate the Geneva Conventions. Vaporizing potions and poisons with Heat Metal is optional.

Shadows
If you have Mystic levels and a 3 psi limit (Or an ally who does), and use the Mastery of Light and Darkness discipline to summon Shadows, toss the subsequent corpses in a Bag of Holding. Later, fire it at stuff. The bodies will have turned into shadows, which will happily devour the nearest living thing. A shadow can fit in a 1x1 inch space, so if you destroy every part of an about-to-rise corpse except a 1x1 bit of bone, and form a musket ball, cannon ball, or other ammunition around it, there you go. Miniturization.

Spell Gem
Anyone can store a spell in one of these babies. Fire that spell at someone's face. Combines well with an ice spell and Dust of Dryness bomb for an instant iceberg.

You can also cast the spell inside the gem as an action. Store Glyph of Warding inside, and cast it as a fire blasting Glyph on the inside of your cannon barrel for an extra-powerful shot.



Sorry it took a hot minute. Be wise how quickly and often you deploy these. You have a potentially great amount of power here.

I literally CANNOT WAIT to make and deploy this stuff. Can dust of dryness pearls hold acid? Because... Yikes! Honestly though, how the heck would you safely transport them? OMG I cant wait... (laughs evilly) I'm going right for evil in DtA. LOL I'm gonna rule avernus by like level 9 or something.

[Phhase]

I literally CANNOT WAIT to make and deploy this stuff. Can dust of dryness pearls hold acid? Because... Yikes! Honestly though, how the heck would you safely transport them? OMG I cant wait... (laughs evilly) I'm going right for evil in DtA. LOL I'm gonna rule avernus by like level 9 or something.

Glad you're exited! And I just remembered: refer to this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?601733-Hilarious-Idea-Regarding-New-UA-Wallhack-Warlock-Assassin#post24259263) post to see my thoughts on stupid fun potential with the Rune Knight. Remember, with great power, comes great responsibility for dramatic timing :smallcool:.

Also, note that you can also get the X-ray vision that is required by using a Ring, or using the Third Eye Discipline that grants it at psi limit 3.

Apropos of Acid, probably not, given that RAW only mentions water, but ask your DM. Dryness pellets are inert unless damaged. I imagine it takes at least enough force to break glass to smash the pellet. Not a great deal, but enough so that it's not hard to store safely.

There are also several interesting applications for lesser-seen magic items like the Immovable Rod. Since it can hold 3000 pounds, it could be used as a midair cannon mount. If you can jump really high, then hang a rope from it, cast Animate Object on the rope. Instant gallows.

Elemental Gems make another good type of ammo. Be careful to ask the DM whether or not you need to concentrate on the summoned elemental.

Also, if a weapon is magical (For example, because it carries an artificer infusion), a Pact of the Blade Warlock could make it their pact weapon and dismiss and summon it at will.

Any weapon.