Artificer battlesmith, gnome ?

[Jacco]

Hello everybody. I'm about to start a new campaign that will take my character to level 9-10 ... The basic idea for my character is a battlesmith artificer who has a past as a moody builder ... I was thinking of a gnome who attacks with two-handed sword or one-handed crossbow. I chose gnome because I would like to use my steel defender as a mount and as cover during combat. I have no idea if I should multiclass him and what to multiclass to take. Tips? Other races might consider? Should i take greatsword or crossbow?

Thanks a lot guys:smallsmile:

[MightyIgoo]

Single class does very well. Gnome is great mechanically, and flavorful. Remember that, as size Small, you cannot wield any weapon that is Heavy, including great swords. You could two-hand a longsword, however. The crossbow is a good idea, and you gain access to an Infusion that ups damage and gives infinite ammo.

[Jacco]

Single class does very well. Gnome is great mechanically, and flavorful. Remember that, as size Small, you cannot wield any weapon that is Heavy, including great swords. You could two-hand a longsword, however. The crossbow is a good idea, and you gain access to an Infusion that ups damage and gives infinite ammo.




Then could it work attacking from behind my defender? In this case what advantages would I have?
Could a level or two with the warrior or mage work? Would I have any advantages? always considering that the campaign stops at level 10

[Dork_Forge]

Handcrossbow works well with the Repeating Shot infusion, but a Greatsword is a bad choice, any small race gets disadvantage to attack with a heavy weapon.
r since you get the
If you specifically want to two hand a sword then a longsword would be the way to go, personally I really like using a spear since you get the versatile d8 but a flexible ranged option (with Returning Weapon).

[Iku Rex]

Treantmonk has a video on a Gnome Battle Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3Xog9_pc4

[MightyIgoo]

Then could it work attacking from behind my defender? In this case what advantages would I have?
Could a level or two with the warrior or mage work? Would I have any advantages? always considering that the campaign stops at level 10

I think you could argue a case for your Defender granting half-cover, if not more. Hiding behind it sounds great. An Artificer can cast spells and produce magic items for their teammates, like armor and weapons. Multiclassing is not necessary for Artificers, but if you really to, two levels of War Mage Wizard can help with your AC and some extra spell slots.

[Bardon]

Then could it work attacking from behind my defender? In this case what advantages would I have?
Could a level or two with the warrior or mage work? Would I have any advantages? always considering that the campaign stops at level 10

Behind?

You're small, it's Medium. You can ride it! Take the Mounted Combatant feat if you like but it's not required.

[Dork_Forge]

Then could it work attacking from behind my defender? In this case what advantages would I have?
Could a level or two with the warrior or mage work? Would I have any advantages? always considering that the campaign stops at level 10

Just wanted to highlight that what you're replying to isn't completely accurate, you can wield heavy weapons, you'll just have disadvantage on them.

[Jacco]

Behind?

You're small, it's Medium. You can ride it! Take the Mounted Combatant feat if you like but it's not required.

instead of riding my steel defender, I want to fight from behind him for cover. The idea is to go into melee and take hits thanks to the increase in my AC. I didn't specify, my bad, that I should be the half tank of my group as my other two companions are wizard and warlock, so I fight from behind my steel defender having my AC boosted, use the one handed crossbow plus the talent it gives + 10 to damage and -5 to shooting. Could it be valid? Any tips in light of this?

Later, if my master allows it, I intend to make an armor for my steel defender or adapt a shield to him to increase his AC.

[stoutstien]

instead of riding my steel defender, I want to fight from behind him for cover. The idea is to go into melee and take hits thanks to the increase in my AC. I didn't specify, my bad, that I should be the half tank of my group as my other two companions are wizard and warlock, so I fight from behind my steel defender having my AC boosted, use the one handed crossbow plus the talent it gives + 10 to damage and -5 to shooting. Could it be valid? Any tips in light of this?

Later, if my master allows it, I intend to make an armor for my steel defender or adapt a shield to him to increase his AC.

Not that there is anything wrong with the pavise battlesmith but nothing is stopping enemies from walking around you or take a small step one way or another to bypass your cover.

SS is a tough sell as well. You could grab crossbow expert and get enough attacks to make it worthwhile but that means 2 feats for a fairly small increase in damage.

[Jacco]

Not that there is anything wrong with the pavise battlesmith but nothing is stopping enemies from walking around you or take a small step one way or another to bypass your cover.

SS is a tough sell as well. You could grab crossbow expert and get enough attacks to make it worthwhile but that means 2 feats for a fairly small increase in damage.

So, is it not worth to take SS? it's better to take what for a good dps?

[stoutstien]

So, is it not worth to take SS? it's better to take what for a good dps?

Nothing wrong with SS but I would max int first. The class just gets way too much out of a high intelligence score to delay it much.

[x3n0n]

Nothing wrong with SS but I would max int first. The class just gets way too much out of a high intelligence score to delay it much.

Agreed: to 18 immediately, and to 20 no later than lv12 if possible.

OP: if you happen to have an odd Int score, the Gnome racial feat Fade Away can save your life in combat while not delaying your Int progression: unseen means disadvantage on all incoming attacks, no opportunity attacks, and an attack with advantage.

[Jacco]

Agreed: to 18 immediately, and to 20 no later than lv12 if possible.

OP: if you happen to have an odd Int score, the Gnome racial feat Fade Away can save your life in combat while not delaying your Int progression: unseen means disadvantage on all incoming attacks, no opportunity attacks, and an attack with advantage.

so no feat or dip but aiming for int. Am I not left behind with the damage?

[stoutstien]

so no feat or dip but aiming for int. Am I not left behind with the damage?

Short answer: no

Slightly longer response:
Battlesmith can keep damage output just shy of what a paladin minus some burst thanks to DS but with the flexibility to maintain that damage regardless of factors. Paladin needs to get close to something to do much of anything where BS can just shrug and keep on trucking.

I ran the numbers a while back I'll see if I can dig them up.

Update: a lv 5 BS with a d8 weapon and infusion will deal almost the exact same damage as a pally with the standard duelist/spear/PaM combo before factoring resources.

[Naanomi]

If you sink your self-crafted items into defense boosters, you can really have impressive AC in all but the highest magic item presence campaigns

[Jacco]

Short answer: no

Slightly longer response:
Battlesmith can keep damage output just shy of what a paladin minus some burst thanks to DS but with the flexibility to maintain that damage regardless of factors. Paladin needs to get close to something to do much of anything where BS can just shrug and keep on trucking.

I ran the numbers a while back I'll see if I can dig them up.

ok nice, good to know. 1 level of dip in the warrior class is it worth? Or maybe another dip

[stoutstien]

ok nice, good to know. 1 level of dip in the warrior class is it worth? Or maybe another dip

Nothing wrong with a fighter dip I would consider it a side grade over an upgrade.

[Quietus]

Another option, might be spreading a bit too thin though - Lightfoot Halfling artificer battlesmith, with two Rogue levels. You are explicitly allowed to hide behind your SD, due to it being larger than you, and due to Rogue levels you can do so as a bonus action.

Added fun : If you pick up another campaign with the same characters afterward, you can get Artificer to 11 (for the spell storing item), and grab Rogue 3 for the Thief subclass. Recent rulings put the SSI as a "Use an item" action, which means as a thief you can attack (with extra attack and sneak attack), and then follow up with a bonus action to either hide, or fire off your spell storing item.

Might not be exactly what you're looking for, I just think this interaction is neat.

[Jacco]

Another option, might be spreading a bit too thin though - Lightfoot Halfling artificer battlesmith, with two Rogue levels. You are explicitly allowed to hide behind your SD, due to it being larger than you, and due to Rogue levels you can do so as a bonus action.

Added fun : If you pick up another campaign with the same characters afterward, you can get Artificer to 11 (for the spell storing item), and grab Rogue 3 for the Thief subclass. Recent rulings put the SSI as a "Use an item" action, which means as a thief you can attack (with extra attack and sneak attack), and then follow up with a bonus action to either hide, or fire off your spell storing item.

Might not be exactly what you're looking for, I just think this interaction is neat.

oh that's a nice tip, i'm curious about that... in this way i'm gonna have advantage in every round, am i wrong?

[stoutstien]

oh that's a nice tip, i'm curious about that... in this way i'm gonna have advantage in every round, am i wrong?

Only if the NPC(s) in question don't just shift over so they have LOS on you. Being able to hide behind your SD wouldn't be something I would count on to be valid often enough to build around it.
If you are looking for ways to get advantage the artificer has a handful of spells that can generate it for everyone which is better than just a single attack from yourself.

The radiant weapon infusion is a good tool once you get to lv 6.