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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Revised Artificer - Spell-Storing Item replaces Spellcasting



Greywander
2020-05-15, 02:52 AM
"This is, like, actually forging your own magic items! You could give the rogue Jump boots, you can give the fighter Darkvision googles, Pyrotechnic gauntlets, Disguise Self mask! You can give out any kind of invention and item linked to a spell, holy crap! This is the most creative and awesome ability, why isn't the artificer built around this?"

-XP to Level 3, literally seconds before noticing you can't put Spell-Storing item on anything other than weapons and spell foci

I'll confess, I'm not wild about how the artificer handles its spellcasting. There's the idea that they're not really casting spells, they're using gadgets and inventions that produce effects similar to spells, but they do such a poor job of implementing this on the mechanical side that it just ends up ticking everybody off. Artificers, for all intents and purposes, cast their spells like any other caster. Almost. There is the tiny requirement that you have to be holding your spell focus (a tool or infused item) in your hand. If you wanted to ignore the gadget fluff and play it like a normal spellcasters, well, you can't. But if you want to embrace the inventor fluff and sling around gadgets for your "spells", well, the mechanics don't really support that, either.

So I listened to XP to Level 3 and rewrote the artificer using spell-storing items instead of spellcasting. Now you can actually embrace the flavor of being an inventor with various gadgets. And, as with the old spell-storing item, you can give your spells to someone else. That's right, the artificer is now the class that gives their own spellcasting to their party members. Artificers were already a great support class, but now their support levels are through the roof.

Check it out give me feedback, if you please: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TEmSINUn9fbx7RbSkU3UBJxNJAynysb-y-QbKPNDElA/edit?usp=sharing

JNAProductions
2020-05-16, 09:14 PM
The big issue I see with this is "Why is the artificer going with you?"

If they can just hand off their spells, why even go with you on the adventure?

Greywander
2020-05-16, 11:38 PM
That's a fair question, and one worth looking into whether or not things need to be tweaked, but I think there are already some good reasons for the artificer to be present:

The spell-storing tool is much stronger than a spell-storing item, and can only be used by the artificer.
Only the artificer can recharge a spell-storing item. Until you reach higher levels, each item will only have enough charge to fire off one, maybe two spells.
In addition to recharging the item, the artificer can also change the spell stored in it, if the situation calls for it.
Early on, the artificer can only make a couple spell-storing items. It wouldn't be until the higher levels that they could actually make a meaningful contribution to the party while staying home.

Mostly, this boils down to requiring the artificer to recharge the item or change the spell, and the spell-storing tool being significantly stronger. While an artificer could help the party out while staying home, it would be much more beneficial to the party if the artificer went with them. Also, there might be a difference depending on whether your adventure takes place in town (where they could swing by the artificer's place any time) or out in the wilderness or a dungeon (where they can't access the artificer until they return to town).

That said, I like the idea of an NPC artificer who gives the party toys every time they come back into town. But there should be plenty of incentive for a PC artificer to go with the party.

Old Harry MTX
2020-05-17, 03:51 AM
I like it! It would be interesting to add a box that advises the player and the DM not to choose the infused object at random, but by preferring something related to the effect of the spell (boots for haste, goggles for detect magic, a colored lamp for hypnotic pattern, a gun of magic missiles ...).

Also at higher levels, I wouldn't mind being able to sacrifice or spend something extra to be able to apply Metamagic effects to the infused spells.

Greywander
2020-10-01, 07:20 PM
Necroing this thread, as I just linked to it in another thread (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?619824-Artificer-spellcasting-sucks-and-here-s-why) and expect some people might drop by to comment. As I understand the rules, I'm the only one who can necro my own threads.

TerrorSweats
2021-01-20, 06:37 PM
Oh man, I love this.
I was just in the middle of tinkering with some artificer homebrew for this exact problem based on arcane abeyance and warlock style ritual casting, but this is way more polished and it even has an elegant way to work in cantrip items in stead of making them a separate limited ability like right cantrip for the job and the UA version of the mark of making. Great, solid stuff. Inspiring even.

Greywander
2021-01-20, 11:32 PM
Thanks! But, how did you find this? Were you dredging through the old pages of homebrew, or did you do a search? The last post on this topic was a while ago...

I still haven't had an opportunity to playtest this, so I have no idea if the numbers are balanced. It's likely a bit overtuned. Still, I'm looking forward to trying it out sometime. It should be quite fun to make cool items and hand them off to party members and see how they use them.

TerrorSweats
2021-01-23, 11:28 AM
Yeah, it was a search. Sorry. Didn't clock the date. This showed up way before what I was looking for so I assumed it was more recent.

Greywander
2021-01-27, 02:04 AM
No need to apologize, I was just surprised to see this older thread pop up on the first page again. Honestly, I wouldn't mind getting some more feedback on it anyway.

I think the spell widgets and battery packs are a new addition since I first posted this. Not sure if they're really necessary, but I do kind of like the added flexibility.