Wizards of the Coast Tinkers with Artificer Playtest for Dungeons & Dragons

Published: May 17, 2019 5:50 PM /

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Wizards of the Coast has gone open source on their playtest for the newest class to join Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, the Artificer.

Originally released as a fully fledged class in the Eberron campaign setting during the 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the Artificer is a magical-style caster who deals with tools and constructs infused with their magical power. Often representing a mix of technology and magic, the class is a complex one that has seen two major iterations in 3.5 and 4th edition versions of the game, and is often a perennial fan favorite to be re-introduced in 5th edition.

Wizards of the Coast announced that they would be releasing the Artificer back in March, as a part of the Unearthed Arcana set. Wizards stressed that the class is still in playtest mode. Today, they have announced some changes to the class, including the addition of two new subclasses, the Archivist and Battle Smith.

The Archivist is able to store vast amounts of information as a core knowledge base, and mechanically are given several abilities and spells that focus on finding, identifying, and having access to an artificial mind. The Battle Smith, on the other hand, is a more straightforward defensive subclass, providing an armored companion that can protect party members and having access to buff spells.

In addition to the new subclasses, a few new infusions, one of the main ways Artificers craft items, were introduced. These include Enchanted Wand, Repeating Shot and Repulsion Shield. Enchanted Wand provides a standard +1 bonus to attack rolls. Repeating Shot gives a ranged weapon a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls along with making it require no ammunition. Finally, Repulsion Shield gives a player a +1 bonus to armor class if holding a shield, and if hit by an attack can use an immediate power once to push the attacker up to fifteen feet away from them.

Along with this is a revised spell list and revised rules to multiclassing. All of these changes will be accompanied by a survey from Wizards of the Coast, to gauge player feedback on the changes to the class.

Players can download the playtest information for the Artificer here if they wish, or directly from Wizards of the Coast.

What are your thoughts on the Artificer? Looking forward to trying it out yourself? Leave your comments below. 

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| Staff Writer

A longtime player of games, creator of worlds, and teacher of minds. Robert has worked many positions over the years, from college professor to education… More about Robert