Have you ever tried the Artificer class? D&D’s thirteenth official class is often overlooked. As an arcane inventor who utilizes magic through devices and gadgets, it exists a bit outside the typical fantasy adventure stereotypes (like ‘warrior with a massive sword’ or ‘orphaned rogue’).
The Artificer was first introduced in one of the finest tabletop RPGs in 2004, as a class unique to the steampunk Eberron universe, although it has since appeared in multiple supplements like Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. While the class is still played fairly commonly, D&D Beyond indicates it ranks relatively low among the other 12 classes, reporting in 2023 that the Artificer had half the interest of players compared to the Monk.
It was notably missing from the 2024 rules update, never appearing in the various playtests or the subsequent sourcebooks released this year. However, it’s clear that the D&D design team is looking to elevate the Artificer to be compatible with the new guidelines as soon as possible—potentially for a new supplement in 2025.
Arcane enhancements
You can check out the new Artificer playtest on D&D Beyond, featuring a number of minor fixes and enhancements to align the class with the game’s 2024 mechanics.
The main thing to note is that the foundation of the Artificer class is largely unchanged. This is still a ‘half-caster’ we’ve become familiar with from recent D&D publications, complete with a slow advancement in spell levels, 1d8 health die, tinkering and crafting skills, and a focus on Intelligence as the primary attribute. However, some subtle changes are notable beneath the surface.
Your first-level ability, Magical Tinkering, is no longer restricted to creating Small objects with basic audio, visual, and olfactory effects. Instead, this feature allows you to craft useful adventuring gear such as a sack, bedroll, vial, shovel, rope, torch, or caltrops. (Characters are typically assumed to carry these items by default, considering they are usually part of starting gear, so I’m not entirely sure this will remain as is after further playtesting.)
Other adjustments to the base class may seem minor but are quite impactful. Flash of Genius, which allows you to use a reaction to assist an ally’s ability check or saving throw, now activates if your ally fails rather than before you know the outcome, which means you will only use the feature when it is genuinely necessary. Additionally, a later ability for storing spells in items now permits enhanced Level 3 spells – such as Fly, Revivify, or Haste – instead of capping out at Level 2.
My favorite change is new ways to generate or utilize spell slots, which is significant for a ‘half-caster’ class that has limited resources. Now, at Level 6, an Artificer can ‘drain’ a replicated magic item to gain spell slots in a pinch, while the Alchemist subclass can expend spell slots to create additional potions.
Flash of genius
The Alchemist, in particular, is a subclass that appears vibrant but may feel quite limiting in practice. Currently, you may need to roll a die to determine what magical potion you concoct daily—potentially rendering the feature ineffective if you don’t roll something relevant to your challenges that day. This aspect remains unchanged in the playtest, but now you can choose a specific potion if you consume a spell slot to produce it or if you roll a 6 on a six-sided die. It’s a clever trade-off that allows the player to determine whether their magical supplies warrant something specific versus purely random.
Furthermore, there are some improvements to damage and healing for the Alchemist’s core abilities that are much appreciated—especially given the ability enhancements most classes received for the 2024 regulations.
However, the Alchemist’s Chemical Mastery ability now loses access to some prominent spells (Greater Restoration, Heal) and replaces them with Tasha’s Bubbling Cauldron, a spell that creates a variety of common or unusual potions that can be collected separately by your allies each turn. While it’s very useful for preparing resources outside of combat, it can be quite constrictive during a critical battle situation.
The Armorer subclass remains largely unaffected but presents a new option for your character’s wearable power armor. Similar to the Guardian option, ‘Dreadnought’ armor is built for dealing with threats in melee; however, it emphasizes battlefield management, providing a 10ft weapon reach and the ability to shove creatures 10ft away from you upon a successful hit—along with the ability to increase your size, akin to a giant-blooded Goliath.
The Artillerist subclass, a ranged weapon expert, also makes your cannons slightly more adaptable in combat. Instead of choosing one of three cannon options when you create it, each cannon can seamlessly switch between these various functions, allowing you to use a flamethrower one turn and heal allies the next.
It’s currently unclear how many versions of the Artificer we will encounter: some classes in the 2024 rules playtest have been altered and presented to players multiple times, but the Artificer seems to be receiving a lighter redesign than, say, the Monk or Druid.
What is certain is that the design team aims to make the Artificer more versatile in its capabilities, implementing mechanics that will now be more useful—like quicker crafting times for weapons and items, enhanced damage and healing across all subclasses, and features that more reliably yield the results you seek.
My biggest complaint…