Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mtbOgre 11-30-07, 02:04 PM	Ok, I'm building my first Warforged Artificer and he is going to be a rogue replacement plus a general utility magic tosser. The idea is he will not be focused on dishing out damage so much as solving problems so I want to give him a ton of utility spells and such. Here is my basic character: Three Zero Whiskey Lima (3OWL) Warforged Artificer 4 STR: 12 DEX: 16 CON: 15 INT: 18 WIS: 10 CHA: 11 1st Level Feat: Skill Focus UMD 3rd Level Feat: Point Blank Shot 4th Level Feat: Extraordinary Artisan Additionally I'm thinking of taking a dip into fighter or ranger at some point to pick up Longbow and Weapon Focus. I'm just not sure if I should dip now or later. We are starting at 4th level and we have never started a crafter above first level. So my theory was to start him at first level, have him expend his craft reserve in item creation, tracking expenses and deducting failed attempts from both his craft reserve and his funds. Then move him to second, then third, using his craft reserve and money up until he is raised to fourth level. So it would look something like this: Level UMD Reserve Gold Successes Spent Spent 1 7 20 500 15 (15 Scrolls) 2 8 40 1000 XX (XX Scrolls, XX Potions) 3 9 60 1500 XX (XX Scrolls, XX Potions, XX Wondrous Items) Is this the right way to do item creation for a non-first level character? Any comments on the character build itself?
Edymnion 11-30-07, 06:07 PM	For starters, it is unusual for an Artificer to use all of their craft reserve, especially at low levels where there isn't anything really that good to craft in the first place. Secondly, its generally assumed that most of the potions and the like you made at low levels got USED at low levels, hence how you survived to higher levels. And you typically wouldn't have the gold required at lower levels either. Look at your totals. 500 gp spent at lvl 1? Where did you get it? Lvl 1 character isn't supposed to have that much gold. A lvl 2 character is only supposed to have 900 gp worth of total wealth. You have this guy spending more than half his lvl 2 character wealth on scrolls at lvl 1. Basically, you've spent almost every last copper your character would have at low levels on crafting. Did he never get new weapons or armor? Don't forget that it takes you an entire day to make a single scroll or potion as well, which means you spent 2 weeks of downtime at lvl 1 just scribing scrolls? And how many weeks did you spend at lvl 2 while the rest of the party would be off adventuring? As a DM, the most I'd let you do is two or three potions, two or three scrolls, and a single wondrous item at half price. The wondrous item would also need to be something you could have crafted at lvl 3, otherwise I would reduce your lvl 4 craft reserve to pay for it. Bottom line though, don't try to work out crafting and the like, especially not at this low of a level. If you were starting at a high enough level where you might have been able to make your own +3 Flaming Greatsword, I would consider letting you use previous levels worth of crafting on it. But at that level, the only thing you would really have made is consumable single use items, and maybe one minor wondrous item, and thats about it.
mtbOgre 11-30-07, 07:22 PM	Thanks for the reply. I had a big post refuting a lot of the points that you made but since much of what I know about artificers is based on your (excellent) guide I feel compelled to defer to someone with more experience playing the class. Unfortunately, I am placed in the position where I am more or less self regulating. We used the item selection rules in the Magic Item Compendium to equip all our other characters. Do you think it's reasonable to assume that the artificer would have some additional magic above and beyond what a non-crafting character would own? Maybe spending 1/2 the craft reserve from the previous level?
Edymnion 12-01-07, 12:10 AM	Do you think it's reasonable to assume that the artificer would have some additional magic above and beyond what a non-crafting character would own? Maybe spending 1/2 the craft reserve from the previous level?Yes, hence why I said I would allow a single wondrous item at half price, assuming they could have crafted it the previous level (which includes things like character wealth, emulation checks, etc). The problem though is that its rare for the artificer to actually make anything at low levels that they don't pretty much immediately use. Add to that that you would be making things for the party as well (like healing potions), and you have even less of your items left over for yourself at higher levels.
mtbOgre 12-01-07, 07:53 PM	Yes, hence why I said I would allow a single wondrous item at half price, assuming they could have crafted it the previous level (which includes things like character wealth, emulation checks, etc). The problem though is that its rare for the artificer to actually make anything at low levels that they don't pretty much immediately use. Add to that that you would be making things for the party as well (like healing potions), and you have even less of your items left over for yourself at higher levels. Very cool. Thanks. Sometimes my greedy side takes over and since the DM doesn't put on the brakes I have to do it myself.
Edymnion 12-01-07, 09:42 PM	Very cool. Thanks. Sometimes my greedy side takes over and since the DM doesn't put on the brakes I have to do it myself.Yeah, I've played several artificers up from lvl 1, and honestly, about the only thing they ever made at lvls 1 and 2 were healing potions for the party, and a few utility scrolls. First thing they usually made at lvl 3 was a haversack, which eats up most of your character wealth. Its fairly rare to get enough downtime to do anything at those levels, as no one else has anything they need downtime to do. At higher levels, it gets easier to find downtime, since you generally have several characters that need to craft something, or research a spell, go find somebody to teach them a new feat/class/prc/etc.