Making the Most of Artificer

[Sigreid]

In a forgotten realm campaign I'm thinking of making an Artificer. I want to lean into the idea of fusing magic and mundane technology to get more out of both. Thing is, I'm not having much luck finding out what mundane technology is available in the realms. I know there's an island that has primitive firearms, which is cool, but what about other things? Do they have a roman empire level understanding of plumbing? Anyone figured out the hot air balloon thing? Basic suction pump like for a old west well? Gears and clocks? My google-fu has failed me on what the actual available tech in say a thriving metropolis like Waterdeep would actually be. Anyone know?

Might be worth noting I'm thinking of a guy whose sole focus isn't on better ways to cave someone's head in. :D

[Kobold_paladin?]

different factions and empires might have different technology, like maybe calimport has a more sophisticated indoor plumbing? saltmarsh has steam-powered boats? ask your DM what different peoples have access to.

[Sigreid]

Thanks, it's a shared DM role so we tend to want to go with published abilities.

[Mutazoia]

I would suggest researching Gond (https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Gond), the smith God. He has pretty much always been the steampunk God of The Realms. The above link will have a bunch of resources to look at.

[Sigreid]

Thanks, I'll look at that.

[Wizard_Lizard]

I mean gnomes already have at least a bit of that.. well rock gnomes do. If you become a gnome and then make all of your infusions Goldbergesque contraptions with a bajillion cogwheels, then that kind of fits the aesthetic.
You could also be a goblin or kobold, coz they have at least some flavour to do with that.

[Rfkannen]

If you want to go with high tech, there is at least one canonical alien space ship that has crashed into feaurun before, you could have learned tech from that. I remember the original adventure was called Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, and there was a fearun remake called lost laboratory of kwalish that I haven't looked at yet.