Artificer sub class based on trick arrows/ bullets. Any suggestions welcome.

[pronate]

So I'm playing an artificer, and I really don't like the reliance on a companion the subclasses have, so I made my own based on making modified ammunition. Also to save time, I used the arcane archers arcain shots, because most of my effects would have been very similar, and I find them like combat maneuvers, which wizards also gave to the spell less ranger, so giving them to the artificer made sense. Also remember, you can get guns RAW if your DM allows them, Which mine does, so keep that in mind.

Any critics are welcome
On to the class.



Tolls of the trade

You gain proficiency in smiths tools and wood carvers tools. you also gain them.
any magic item in the ammunition category you craft cost half the gold and takes you a quarter of the usual time. You can also use a magical ranged weapon as a spell foci.




Spell shooter spells

3rd magic missile, shield

5th level, melfs acid arrow, mind spike

9th melfs minute meteors, lightning bolt

13th fire shield, vitriolic sphere

17th conger volley, swift quiver




ammunition modification

at 3rd level, with salves, acids, runes, and other means, your attacks with ammunition deal an extra 1d4 acid, cold, fire, lighting, posin, or thunder. You can switch damage types as a bonus action. the damage increases to 1d6 at 7th level, and to 1d8 at 15th level.




arcain shots.

at the end of a long rest, choose 2 arcane shot options form the arcane archer subclass. you can change these every long rest. your can choose 3 shots per long rest at 7th level, and 4 at 15th level. You can use a number of shots equal to your intelligence modifier. you regain all uses after a long rest. you can use any ranged weapon. you can turn a spell slot into a number of shots depending on the level of the slot, 1 for 1st level, 3 for 2nd, 5 for 3rd, 7 for 4th and 9 for 5th. all other arcane shot rules apply.




6th Potent modification

you can add your intelligence modifier to your weapon modification damage. you can also change one arcane shot option every short rest.




14th ammunition master

you gain the improved shots, but you can choose instead to inflict 2 effects you have prepared in on shot, each with their own saving throws.

[pronate]

One change I'm thinking of making is upping the damage of ammunition modification by one die, and making it a bonus action to activate for a minute.

[Fnissalot]

There is to much on level 3 as of right now with the elemental damage on shots, extra magic, better crafting and special ammo options. Also, having both the increasing elemental 1d4 and your int modifier on damage might be to much. I would keep Ammunition modification and place it on level 6.

A big limitation of the arcane Archer is that it only can use so few shots per short rest. You have removed that limitation completely by having both uses and spell slot conversion. I would set that you can use it once per short rest, or you can use a spell slot. If you use a spell slot, the amount of dice of your ammunition modification increases by the spell level of your expended spell slot.

The spell list is very combat focused, maybe replace the two shield spells with utility spells? For example, I think faerie fire and locate creature would be more fitting the theme?

Lastly, the last ability is a bit unclear what it does.

[pronate]

While I agree with most of what you said, I do have a few things.
1st, tools of the triad and the spell list are standard for all artificers. In my view 3rd level only has 2 real abilities.

2 going to answer this after 3

3 If you notice, you don't regain shots after a short rest, only a long one. That's why you can turn spells into shots. Will probably reduce the amount of spells you get from higher level spells though. that's why I gave it ammunition modification, so you could have something a little more consistent like the other subclasses, but looking at it more in depth, the artillerist, which I based my math on only lasts an hour. what do you think of bumping it up to a d6, and taking a bonus action to activate for a minute, once per rest.

4 fair, will probably change that.


5 also fair, wasn't really focusing on that, as I probably will never get there.