5e Artificer Specialization: Manawright

[BerzerkerUnit]

Any input is appreciated! This is a green lantern.

As a Manawright you crystallize a bit of raw magic which can be used for a variety of purposes.

Additional Proficiencies
Jeweler’s Tools

New Spells
You learn the Eldritch Blast and Light Cantrips if you don’t know them already, Intelligence is your spell-casting ability for these spells.

1st Shield, Magic Missile
2nd Phantasmal Force, Mirror Image
3rd Fly, Phantom Steed
4th Phantasmal Killer, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
5th Wall of Force, Bigby’s Hand

3rd Mana Core
At the end of a long rest you create a Mana Core. A crystal of pure magical power between 1 and 3 inches across. It can be any color or shape you desire though there seems to be a common delineation along alignment lines. This shard of crystallized raw magical power is typically embedded on the crafter’s forehead or the back of their hand.
On your turn you can use an object interaction to transform the crystal into a single object (this generally conforms to the level 2 Conjuration Wizard Feature but without the damage limitation). If the object is a weapon this can be done as part of an attack.
In addition to mundane objects, if you have not created your maximum number of infused items you can apply the effects of any one infusion you know to the item at the time it’s created.
You can return the object to its state as a crystal on your hand or head as a bonus action.


5th Unleash Core
The amount of power stored in the crystal can be represented as a d12. This feature allows you to use this power in multiple ways reducing the die to a d10, then a d8, and so on with each use. When you have expended its final energies to add a d4 to a spell it disappates completely. You can recreate it after your next short rest by expending a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The current die is based on the level of the spell slot used. D4 for first, d6 for 2nd, and so on to a maximum of d12 for 5th.
When you cast one of your Artificer Spells or make an attack with a weapon made with your Mana Core, you can empower it with the Eldritch energies contained within. The first time you use this feature after a long rest you may add 1d12 damage to the damage your spell or attack deals, the bonus damage is reduced as described above after each use.

9th Core Support
While your Mana Core is on your person you may expend its power to add its current die to any ability roll. This reduces its current power by 1 step.

15th Core Resonance
You can now use your reaction to attune your Mana Core to a creature you can see within 30 feet. This allows you to apply the bonus damage of your Unleash Core feature to the attacks or spells of other creatures as a reaction.

[Damon_Tor]

I'm always up for comic book stuff being adapted for D&D.

That said, I'm not sure artificer is the best fit. If anything, a GL is a paladin. Heck, they even have an oath.

[Garfunion]

I'm always up for comic book stuff being adapted for D&D.

That said, I'm not sure artificer is the best fit. If anything, a GL is a paladin. Heck, they even have an oath.
I was think he is more of an illusionist wizard at least 14th level.


As for the archetype I have no idea what it’s supposed to do or what kind of theme it’s supposed to portray.

[Damon_Tor]

I was think he is more of an illusionist wizard at least 14th level.

Well maybe if you were trying to make one in a WotC-only table, sure. But if I were to try to homebrew a GL subclass, paladin would be my choice for the parent class. Sure, Green Lanterns blast stuff and make shields for themselves, but they make melee weapons for themselves all the freaking time.

But thinking about it, maybe a warlock makes more sense. Both from a lore perspective and an abilities perspective.

[Garfunion]

But thinking about it, maybe a warlock makes more sense. Both from a lore perspective and an abilities perspective.
That is a far better idea for a GL archetype. With pact of the blade you can summon a weapon to your hand at will and with all the invocations for eldritch blast, you can re-skin the cantrip to look like anything a GL would conjure as a range attack. Charisma also fits in with the force of “will” concept of the GL.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Thank you for all the replies. I appreciate the fact that everyone has their own idea for how to go about doing a thing.

I’d like to know if anyone sees an obvious balance issue or requires clarity on how I’ve chosen to do that thing here. Note: I don’t generally balance around possible feat combinations or multiclassing choices.

I chose Artificer because you get more infusions than you can normally use and several of the spells on the list and class itself are good for “makes stuff” which, for me, jives with the theme of “Magic ring that makes stuff”, all this ties together to make a “color coded crystal widget that you can shapechange into different items that can bear any one of your currently unused infusions known on the fly” really nice.

I like some of the GL lore, I’m not presently interested in porting it over with the aesthetic.

Warlock works well for almost everything but I don’t want 7 Patrons for all the different emotions. Paladins are very close to GLs in narrative role and concept but east from west mechanically, and piling GL powers on top of heavy armor, smites, and auras is a recipe for either very weak GL powers or a very broken subclass.

[Garfunion]

Any input is appreciated! This is a green lantern.

As a Manawright you crystallize a bit of raw magic which can be used for a variety of purposes.

Additional Proficiencies
Jeweler’s Tools

New Spells
You learn the Eldritch Blast and Light Cantrips if you don’t know them already, Intelligence is your spell-casting ability for these spells.

1st Shield, Magic Missile
2nd Phantasmal Force, Mirror Image
3rd Fly, Phantom Steed
4th Phantasmal Killer, Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
5th Wall of Force, Bigby’s Hand

3rd Mana Core
At the end of a long rest you create a Mana Core. A crystal of pure magical power between 1 and 3 inches across. It can be any color or shape you desire though there seems to be a common delineation along alignment lines. This shard of crystallized raw magical power is typically embedded on the crafter’s forehead or the back of their hand.
On your turn you can use an object interaction to transform the crystal into a single object (this generally conforms to the level 2 Conjuration Wizard Feature but without the damage limitation). If the object is a weapon this can be done as part of an attack.
In addition to mundane objects, if you have not created your maximum number of infused items you can apply the effects of any one infusion you know to the item at the time it’s created.
You can return the object to its state as a crystal on your hand or head as a bonus action. This should be an action to transform like all other similar class abilities. To make it an -object interaction action- action only complicates things and creates potential abuse. Also it’s too powerful. You have combined the warlock’s pact blade and the wizards conjuration ability, also you are allow it to be infused. That’s a lot for a 3rd level feature.




5th Unleash Core
The amount of power stored in the crystal can be represented as a d12. This feature allows you to use this power in multiple ways reducing the die to a d10, then a d8, and so on with each use. When you have expended its final energies to add a d4 to a spell it disappates completely. You can recreate it after your next short rest by expending a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The current die is based on the level of the spell slot used. D4 for first, d6 for 2nd, and so on to a maximum of d12 for 5th.
When you cast an Artificer Spell or make an attack with a weapon made with your Mana Core, you can empower it with the Eldritch energies contained within. The first time you use this feature after a long rest you may add 1d12 damage to the damage your spell or attack deals, the bonus damage is reduced as described above after each use.
This feature is confusing and I’m not sure what you’re trying to create with it. It seems like you want to give your spells more damage with a reducing damage die.



9th Core Support
While your Mana Core is on your person you may expend its power to add its current die to any ability roll. This reduces its current power by 1 step.

15th Core Resonance
You can now use your reaction to attune your Mana Core to a creature you can see within 30 feet. This allows you to apply the bonus damage of your Unleash Core feature to the attacks or spells of other creatures.


It seems that you are trying to shoehorn an archetype to fit a very niche character design in an attempt to mid/max your Artificer. All the Artificer’s archetypes provide an extra bonus to damage with the use of a bonus action. This archetype is attempting to circumvent that model.

You should probably take a step back and look at what are you really trying to create.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Thanks for your reply
This should be an action to transform like all other similar class abilities. To make it an -object interaction action- action only complicates things and creates potential abuse. Also it’s too powerful. You have combined the warlock’s pact blade and the wizards conjuration ability, also you are allow it to be infused. That’s a lot for a 3rd level feature.

Both of those classes get 6th to 9th Level Spell casting. I don’t believe it’s too powerful on balance with Foresight, Create Undead, etc.
The goal is to make it the same as “drawing a weapon.”

You can’t look at something and expect 1 to 1 parity for balance. Merging those two features happens to readily represent the desired effect. If I’m expected to accept the critique’s value, please explain how it can be abused, and please see my above clarification about MC and feats before providing your example.

I’ll also request you look at the laundry list of features Hexblade Warlock 1 grants any character and remember that this would require a 3 level dip into Artificer (a half caster).

Once we’ve determined whether this baseline for the Specialization isn’t broken on its face, then we can indulge in whiteroom builds to see if it wildly outstrips the established hierarchy in an unacceptable fashion.



This feature is confusing and I’m not sure what you’re trying to create with it. It seems like you want to give your spells more damage with a reducing damage die.

Doesn’t strike me as confusing if you gathered the intent. I can revisit the language for clarity. This Artificer doesn’t get 2 attacks, Hex or Hunter’s mark or Agonizing Blast, so this was my preferred fix, representative of an item that needs periodic recharging. Weighed against the Artillerist +d8 to all Artificer spells, Extr Attack, or a Warlock using Hex and Agonizing Blast (which is to this day one of the strongest offensive options in game), I don’t see it as unbalanced over a 4 round combat.




It seems that you are trying to shoehorn an archetype to fit a very niche character design in an attempt to mid/max your Artificer. All the Artificer’s archetypes provide an extra bonus to damage with the use of a bonus action. This archetype is attempting to circumvent that model.

I rescind my earlier gratitude and resent the implication, there’s no intended min/maxing here. If that were the goal I’d definitely make it a Sorcerer or Wizard archetype.

Yes, two other Artificer archetypes do function a specific way at present, that is not an argument against attempting to do things differently. At present the only non-pet related bonus action artificers get is (I believe) Healing Word. This Artificer can also put their item away. Without the use of feats or multiclassing, this Artificer may be able to... use healing word more often? Attack with a light weapon in their off hand?

Please explain your reservations about breaking that pattern (again, without citing Multiclassing or feat combinations).



You should probably take a step back and look at what are you really trying to create.

A character that creates magic items that has focused on being able to create temporary items out of pure magic.

The Green Lantern allusions are designed to present a potential player with a readily understood analog for what kinds of things they’ll do regularly just as “has turret and gunwand” and “has iron dog and hammer” readily illustrate what the others will be doing round to round.

[Garfunion]

Look I don’t play at your table. If the DM thinks your archetype is fine so be it. I’m only trying to help you simplify the archetype (which is what 5e focuses on; simplicity) using my current understanding on other class archetypes. So if you’re trying to break the mold with this archetype, go right ahead. I’ve given you my opinions on the archetype.

[BerzerkerUnit]

Look I don’t play at your table. If the DM thinks your archetype is fine so be it. I’m only trying to help you simplify the archetype (which is what 5e focuses on; simplicity) using my current understanding on other class archetypes. So if you’re trying to break the mold with this archetype, go right ahead. I’ve given you my opinions on the archetype.

Yes, but you didn’t provide any rationale for your opinion which is, speaking generously, of little value to the refinement process.

As a medium armor/half caster the Artificer is a fundamentally weak class that relies on impressive subclass features to provide mechanical oomph. When it doesn’t have those it underperforms in every aspect. See Alchemist vs Cleric.

This archetype Is intended to be weaker than Artillerist or Battlesmith in a no feats/no MC scenario but able to be brought up to par with commonly selected feats (sharpshooter/crossbow master, GWM/polearm master).

The Core Unleashed Feature is intended to allow you to deal d10+d12 Damage with your Eldritch blast. Degrading to d10+d10, then d8 and so on. This may seem potent but compared to d10+Cha+d6 of the average warlock (with an 8 hour Hex at level 5) it’s a parlor trick. Which is intended bc hot swapping infusions is a supremely versatile out of combat option warlock’s don’t have.

While “simpler” can be a laudable goal we can surely agree it went out the window with spellcasting which opens the door for other classes to employ occasionally complex effects.