Artificer dip?

[redking]

Is an Artificer dip optimum for an item creation spellcaster with a fixed spell list?

Let's say you are a warmage. You dip Artificer for Item Creation (Ex). If you can afford to stick around until 5th level you get retain essence and a bunch of item creation feats.

What have you done with Artificer dips?

[Rebel7284]

Consider:
- Artificer power grows exponentially every level, similarly to the casters they emulate.
- 5 levels isn't really a dip, it's a solid quarter of your pre-epic levels.
- Warmage benefits a lot from classes that expand its spell list while progressing casting.

So artificer and Warmage really don't work together, it's similar to taking Sorcerer + Wizard in the same built.

If you can re-make your character from scratch, a Warlock can blast like a Warmage and also gets Deceive Item/Imbue Item so can fit both roles out of the box.

If you just want access to various crafting feats on a Warmage, consider finding your way into a Chameleon 2 dip for the floating feat, a lot less disruptive to your build than five levels of artificer.

[redking]

Consider:If you just want access to various crafting feats on a Warmage, consider finding your way into a Chameleon 2 dip for the floating feat, a lot less disruptive to your build than five levels of artificer.

That makes a lot of sense. I was also misreading Item Creation (Ex) Artificer ability, which relies on Artificer level.

[Telonius]

A one-level dip in Artificer gives a whole lot of random goodies. Able to craft any scroll or magic item of 3rd level or less (with appropriate UMD check), Artificer Knowledge, Scribe Scroll, and a few helpful class skills (UMD, Disable Device, and Open Lock) that are common prereqs but can be kind of hard to come by otherwise. That's a lot of random utility, but honestly it's really not worth a lost caster level. If you're trying to delay Advanced Learning, you'd be better off taking an easy-entry PrC that advances spellcasting.

An Artificer dip is better for something that's primarily melee, or as a Rogue-alternative if you need to qualify for PrC's.

[redking]

Am I right in assuming that given the gold and XP, an Artificer could create an epic homunculus? Has there been any optimisation work on these creatures?

[Arcanist]

Am I right in assuming that given the gold and XP, an Artificer could create an epic homunculus? Has there been any optimisation work on these creatures?

Given that the Homunculus has a maximum advancement of 6HD, you shouldn't be able to do so. However if your DM says otherwise, by all means. It is 2,000gp per HD to get the ball rolling after all. Personally, if a player wishes to funnel most of their wealth into what is essentially going to be a single uber summon that dies far easier than they would with a similar investment of wealth, by all means.

[redking]

Given that the Homunculus has a maximum advancement of 6HD, you shouldn't be able to do so.

An artificer’s homunculus can have as many Hit Dice as his master’s Hit Dice minus 2, apparently.

[Arcanist]

An artificer’s homunculus can have as many Hit Dice as his master’s Hit Dice minus 2, apparently.

Ah, so you can. Still seems like an inefficient use of wealth, but if this is your thing? Go for it.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The artificer bonus feat ability says, "Bonus Feat: An artificer gains every item creation feat as a bonus feat at or near the level at which it becomes available to spellcasters."

So taking a single level dip should get you every [item creation] feat that exists. The only reason the artificer class grants feats at specific levels is because those are the levels that a single classed artificer would qualify for them.

[redking]

The artificer bonus feat ability says, "Bonus Feat: An artificer gains every item creation feat as a bonus feat at or near the level at which it becomes available to spellcasters."

So taking a single level dip should get you every [item creation] feat that exists. The only reason the artificer class grants feats at specific levels is because those are the levels that a single classed artificer would qualify for them.

It does seem to say that. Surely not the intended function of the class. However, "every item creation feat as a bonus feat" should open up item creation feats from every published product, not just those listed in the table.