Artificer
Masters of invention, artificers use ingenuity and magic to unlock extraordinary capabilities in objects. They see magic as a complex system waiting to be decoded and then harnessed in their spells and inventions. You can find everything you need to play one of these inventors in the next few sections.
Artificers use a variety of tools to channel their arcane power. To cast a spell, an artificer might use alchemist's supplies to create a potent elixir, calligrapher's supplies to inscribe a sigil of power, or tinker's tools to craft a temporary charm. The magic of artificers is tied to their tools and their talents, and few other characters can produce the right tool for a job as well as an artificer.
The Magic of Artifice
As an artificer, you use tools when you cast your spells. When describing your spellcasting, think about how you're using a tool to perform the spell effect. If you cast cure wounds using alchemist's supplies, you could be quickly producing a salve. If you cast it using tinker's tools, you might have a miniature mechanical spider that binds wounds. When you cast poison spray, you could fling foul chemicals or use a wand that spits venom. The effect of the spell is the same as for a spellcaster of any other class, but your method of spellcasting is special.
The same principle applies when you prepare your spells. As an artificer, you don't study a spellbook or pray to prepare your spells. Instead, you work with your tools and create the specialized items you'll use to produce your effects. If you replace cure wounds with heat metal, you might be altering the device you use to heal-perhaps modifying a tool so that it channels heat instead of healing energy.
Building an Artificer
Hit Dice. \(1d8\) per artificer level.
Proficiencies
Armor. You gain proficiency with light armor, medium armor, shields.
Weapons. You gain proficiency with simple weapons and firearms.
Tools. You gain proficiency with thieves' tools, tinker's tools, one type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Skills. Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand.
Saving Throws. Constitution and Intelligence are your saving throw proficiencies.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment:
- Any two simple weapons of your choice,
- A light crossbow,
- Your choice of studded leather armor or scale mail,
- Thieves' tools and a dundeoneer's pack.
Artificer Table:
| Level | Class Features Gained | Infusions Known | Infused Items | Proficiency Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Spellcasting, Magical Tinkering | +2 | ||
| 2nd | Infuse Item | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| 3rd | Choose Artificer Subclass, Right Tool for the Job | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| 4th | Obtain Feat | 4 | 2 | +2 |
| 5th | Subclass Feature | 4 | 2 | +3 |
| 6th | Tool Expertise | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 7th | Flash of Genius | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 8th | Obtain Feat | 6 | 3 | +3 |
| 9th | Subclass Feature | 6 | 3 | +4 |
| 10th | Magic Item Adept | 8 | 4 | +4 |
| 11th | Spell-Storing Item | 8 | 4 | +4 |
| 12th | Obtain Feat | 8 | 4 | +4 |
| 13th | 8 | 4 | +5 | |
| 14th | Magic Item Savant | 10 | 5 | +5 |
| 15th | Subclass Feature | 10 | 5 | +5 |
| 16th | Obtain Feat | 10 | 5 | +5 |
| 17th | 10 | 5 | +6 | |
| 18th | Magic Item Master | 12 | 6 | +6 |
| 19th | Obtain Feat | 12 | 6 | +6 |
| 20th | Soul of Artifice | 12 | 6 | +6 |
Subclasses
When you reach level 3, choose the type of specialist you are: Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, or Battle Smith. Your choice grants you features at 5th, 9th, and 15th level.
Class Features
Spellcasting
You have studied the workings of magic and how to channel it through objects. As a result, you have gained the ability to cast spells. To observers, you don't appear to be casting spells in a conventional way; you look as if you're producing wonders using mundane items or outlandish inventions.
You produce your artificer spell effects through your tools. You must have a spellcasting focus-specifically thieves' tools or some kind of artisan's tool-in hand when you cast any spell with this Spellcasting feature. You must be proficient with the tool to use it in this way.
You prepare the list of artificer spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the artificer spell list. When you do so, choose a number of artificer spells equal to your intelligence modifier + half your artificer level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spell slots available by level:
| Level | Cantrips | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | |||||
| 2nd | 2 | 2 | ||||
| 3rd | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4th | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 5th | 2 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 6th | 2 | 4 | 2 | |||
| 7th | 2 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 8th | 2 | 4 | 3 | |||
| 9th | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 10th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 11th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 12th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 13th | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 14th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 15th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 16th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| 17th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
To cast one of your artificer spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of artificer spells requires time spent tinkering with your spellcasting focuses: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list. When you gain a level in this class, you can also replace one of the artificer cantrips you know with another cantrip from the artificer spell list.
Magical Tinkering
At 1st level, you learn how to invest a spark of magic into mundane objects. To use this ability, you must have tinker's tools or other artisan's tools in hand. You then touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of the following magical properties of your choice:
- The object sheds bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet.
- Whenever tapped by a creature, the object emits a recorded message that can be heard up to 10 feet away. You utter the message when you bestow this property on the object, and the recording can be no more than 6 seconds long.
- The object continuously emits your choice of an odor or a nonverbal sound (wind, waves, chirping, or the like). The chosen phenomenon is perceivable up to 10 feet away.
- A static visual effect appears on one of the object's surfaces. This effect can be a picture, up to 25 words of text, lines and shapes, or a mixture of these elements, as you like.
The chosen property lasts indefinitely. As an action, you can touch the object and end the property early.
You can bestow magic on multiple objects, touching one object each time you use this feature, though a single object can only bear one property at a time. The maximum number of objects you can affect with this feature at one time is equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one object). If you try to exceed your maximum, the oldest property immediately ends, and then the new property applies.
Infuse Item
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to imbue mundane items with certain magical infusions. The magic items you create with this feature are effectively prototypes of permanent items.
When you gain this feature, pick four artificer infusions to learn. You learn additional infusions of your choice when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Infusions Known column. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer infusions you learned with a new one.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object and imbue it with one of your artificer infusions, turning it into a magic item. An infusion works on only certain kinds of objects, as specified in the infusion's description. If the item requires attunement, you can attune yourself to it the instant you infuse the item. If you decide to attune to the item later, you must do so using the normal process for attunement.
Your infusion remains in an item indefinitely, but when you die, the infusion vanishes after a number of days have passed equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 day). The infusion also vanishes if you give up your knowledge of the infusion for another one.
You can infuse more than one nonmagical object at the end of a long rest; the maximum number of objects appears in the Infused Items column. You must touch each of the objects, and each of your infusions can be in only one object at a time. Moreover, no object can bear more than one of your infusions at a time. If you try to exceed your maximum number of infusions, the oldest infusion immediately ends, and then the new infusion applies.
Right Tool for the Job
At 3rd level, you learn how to produce exactly the tool you need: with tinker's tools in hand, you can magically create one set of artisan's tools in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. This creation requires 1 hour of uninterrupted work, which can coincide with a short or long rest. Though the product of magic, the tools are nonmagical, and they vanish when you use this feature again.
Tool Expertise
Starting at 6th level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses your proficiency with a tool.
Flash of Genius
Starting at 7th level, you gain the ability to come up with solutions under pressure. When you or another creature you can see within 30 feet of you makes an ability check or a saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Magic Item Adept
When you reach 10th level, you achieve a profound understanding of how to use and make magic items:
- You can attune to up to four magic items at once.
- If you craft a magic item with a rarity of common or uncommon, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Spell-Storing Item
At 11th level, you learn how to store a spell in an object. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch one simple or martial weapon or one item that you can use as a spellcasting focus, and you store a spell in it, choosing a 1st- or 2nd-level spell from the artificer spell list that requires 1 action to cast (you needn't have it prepared).
While holding the object, a creature can take an action to produce the spell's effect from it, using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell requires concentration, the creature must concentrate. The spell stays in the object until it's been used a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifier (minimum of twice) or until you use this feature again to store a spell in an object.
Magic Item Savant
At 14th level, your skill with magic items deepens more: You can attune to up to five magic items at once. You ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item.
Magic Item Master
Starting at 18th level, you can attune to up to six magic items at once.
Soul of Artifice
At 20th level, you develop a mystical connection to your magic items, which you can draw on for protection:
- You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to.
- If you're reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to end one of your artificer infusions, causing you to drop to 1 hit point instead of 0.