Help with Artificer - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 viktor_von_doom May 12, 2008 18:50:18	All right right now I'm building an ECL 10 Warforged Artificer. All books are open and stats are done 30 pt. buy. I have two builds and I need your guys help in choosing the better one and shoring up any weaknesses I might have, Warforged stays though and I'm going for a primarily Artificer build. Now to get to it, heres build one Artificer 8/Spellcarved Soilder 2 STR: 14 DEX: 10 CON: 16 (+2 Racial, started out 14) INT: 14 WILL: 6 (-2 for racial) CHA: 16 (-2 racial, boosted at 4 and 8) BAB: 11/6 Saves: 6/3/5 Feats 1:Adamantine Body 3:Extraordinary Artisan 3:Craft Wondrous Item 4:Attune Magic Weapon 6:Power Attack 7:Martial Weapon Pro. Greatsword 9:Heroic Spirit Okay now for the second build Artificer 10 STR: 8 DEX: 14 CON: 16 (+2 Racial, started out 14) INT: 15 WILL: 6 (-2 for racial) CHA: 16 (-2 racial, boosted at 4 and 8) Feats 1:Mithril Body 3:Cull Wand Essence 4:Empower Spell 6:Quicken Spell 7:Wand Surge 9:Wand Mastery
#2 icnivad May 13, 2008 15:59:15	Even though the Artificer section claims Charisma to be your most important stat, intelligence really is. This stat effects your infusions, many skills, and number of skills. I'd put your highest stat there. Crafting might be a little tricky at lower levels, but as you level up, UMD checks get easier because you can start building items that boost your UMD. Also, how do you see this artificer engaging in combat? Front line? rear line with ranged weapons? rear line with wands? I'd also think about getting persistent spell. I'd also recommend reading this article: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=11846764#post11846764
#3 tshern May 13, 2008 16:33:54	If you're going for to melee, don't bother with Martial weapon proficiency. Get an eternal wand of Wieldskill and Persist it. Works wonders.
#4 dawnmor May 13, 2008 17:33:37	Artificers are HARD to play both in and out of Eberron settings, I know I have tried to do it many times and all those times it didnt go right. Sure I like the power behind artificers but I will never beable to get them because of all the math they require and I stink at math specially word problems . There too confusing for those who dont read there rules and read what other people think of them. So if I were you, I would think hard about if you want to really play a artificer. But........with that said..........Onto helping you. I would go with the first one Artificer 8/Carved warrior 2. But if I were you, I would stick with pure artificer. Then try and get this skill past your DM Craft (Arcane and/orc Divine script). It would allow you to have a chance to make scrolls that other people with UMD can use, So you make the scroll as normal but you roll the Craft check to see if you make it to where other people can use them, if the check fails then crafting it fails and you loose your ability to make it, and you destroy half of what you put into making the scroll in the first place. But it may put your game balance to shame if wizards and everyone else comes looking for you, kidnaps your butt, and forces you to make what they want or they kill you if your DM is cruel enough .
#5 alphathegreat May 13, 2008 19:52:34	I'd take a close look at the warforged racial substitution levels in Races of Eberron. At Level 1 you can use infusions on yourself. At Level 3 replace the Craft Homunculus feature with Tools of War, a super-awesome feature that does two things: 1. Whenever you use an infusion on a construct, living construct, weapon or armor, repair cha-mod damage. 2. When you use your craft reserve to add a magical property to a construct or living construct(including yourself), to create a construct, or to [b]create or enhance magic armor, a magic shield, or a magic weapon, each point spent is worth 2xp. That's right, you effectively double your craft reserve for that stuff. There's also a neat and somewhat abusive trick you can pull with this in conjunction with the level 5 ability retain essence(you also need Legendary Artisan and Extraordinary Artisan to make this work). Cheesy trick at work 1. Make a magic sword worth 2000gp. Ordinarily, that would cost you 1000gp and 80xp. With your artisan feats, that will be 750g and 60xp instead. With the warforged substitution level you are actually only spending 750g and 30xp from your craft reserve. Now watch closely. 2. Sell the sword for 2000gp. Buy another sword for 2000gp. What is Alpha up to? Well, retain essence on the bought sword, adding 80xp to your craft reserve! Congratulations, you just paid 750g and some crafting time for 50 craft xp. What good is that? Well, if you spend it making items for profit, 50 craft reserve will make a 3,333gp sword(we're talking averages here), which nets you 1,333gp...with no xp loss. If you're not interested in making items for profit, it still makes your craft reserve effectively unlimited. Crafting times actually become an issue with this trick, however, in case you're thinking of trying to create an unlimited supply of money. You can still only craft so much per day.
#6 bozwevial May 13, 2008 21:43:45	If you're going for to melee, don't bother with Martial weapon proficiency. Get an eternal wand of Wieldskill and Persist it. Works wonders. While you're at it, grab an eternal wand of Heroics too, and never forget that Martial Study is a fighter bonus feat. (In fact, Tshern might have clued me into that little bit of wisdom a while back-it's saved my skin twice now.)
#7 viktor_von_doom May 14, 2008 16:05:45	Thanks for the advice you guys. icnivad-The first build is frontline (Hence the Gr. Sword Pro.). The second is back line. AlphatheGreat-All ready know about all the Sub. levels, took em all. This is more of a Dungeon Crawl campaign so that trick is out (Thought the DM says it might become a campaign) so I'll keep that in mind. Tshern-Where is Weild skill at?

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

viktor_von_doom

May 12, 2008 18:50:18

All right right now I'm building an ECL 10 Warforged Artificer. All books are open and stats are done 30 pt. buy. I have two builds and I need your guys help in choosing the better one and shoring up any weaknesses I might have, Warforged stays though and I'm going for a primarily Artificer build.

Now to get to it, heres build one

Artificer 8/Spellcarved Soilder 2
STR: 14
DEX: 10
CON: 16 (+2 Racial, started out 14)
INT: 14
WILL: 6 (-2 for racial)
CHA: 16 (-2 racial, boosted at 4 and 8)

BAB: 11/6
Saves: 6/3/5

Feats
1:Adamantine Body
3:Extraordinary Artisan
3:Craft Wondrous Item
4:Attune Magic Weapon
6:Power Attack
7:Martial Weapon Pro. Greatsword
9:Heroic Spirit

Okay now for the second build

Artificer 10
STR: 8
DEX: 14
CON: 16 (+2 Racial, started out 14)
INT: 15
WILL: 6 (-2 for racial)
CHA: 16 (-2 racial, boosted at 4 and 8)

Feats
1:Mithril Body
3:Cull Wand Essence
4:Empower Spell
6:Quicken Spell
7:Wand Surge
9:Wand Mastery

icnivad

May 13, 2008 15:59:15

Even though the Artificer section claims Charisma to be your most important stat, intelligence really is. This stat effects your infusions, many skills, and number of skills. I'd put your highest stat there. Crafting might be a little tricky at lower levels, but as you level up, UMD checks get easier because you can start building items that boost your UMD.

Also, how do you see this artificer engaging in combat? Front line? rear line with ranged weapons? rear line with wands?

I'd also think about getting persistent spell.

I'd also recommend reading this article: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=11846764#post11846764

tshern

May 13, 2008 16:33:54

If you're going for to melee, don't bother with Martial weapon proficiency. Get an eternal wand of Wieldskill and Persist it. Works wonders.

dawnmor

May 13, 2008 17:33:37

Artificers are HARD to play both in and out of Eberron settings, I know I have tried to do it many times and all those times it didnt go right. Sure I like the power behind artificers but I will never beable to get them because of all the math they require and I stink at math specially word problems

.

There too confusing for those who dont read there rules and read what other people think of them. So if I were you, I would think hard about if you want to really play a artificer.

But........with that said..........Onto helping you.

I would go with the first one Artificer 8/Carved warrior 2.

But if I were you, I would stick with pure artificer.

Then try and get this skill past your DM Craft (Arcane and/orc Divine script). It would allow you to have a chance to make scrolls that other people with UMD can use, So you make the scroll as normal but you roll the Craft check to see if you make it to where other people can use them, if the check fails then crafting it fails and you loose your ability to make it, and you destroy half of what you put into making the scroll in the first place.

But it may put your game balance to shame if wizards and everyone else comes looking for you, kidnaps your butt, and forces you to make what they want or they kill you if your DM is cruel enough

alphathegreat

May 13, 2008 19:52:34

I'd take a close look at the warforged racial substitution levels in Races of Eberron.
At Level 1 you can use infusions on yourself.
At Level 3 replace the Craft Homunculus feature with Tools of War, a super-awesome feature that does two things:
1. Whenever you use an infusion on a construct, living construct, weapon or armor, repair cha-mod damage.
2. When you use your craft reserve to add a magical property to a construct or living construct(including yourself), to create a construct, or to [b]create or enhance magic armor, a magic shield, or a magic weapon, each point spent is worth 2xp. That's right, you effectively double your craft reserve for that stuff.
There's also a neat and somewhat abusive trick you can pull with this in conjunction with the level 5 ability retain essence(you also need Legendary Artisan and Extraordinary Artisan to make this work).

Cheesy trick at work

1. Make a magic sword worth 2000gp. Ordinarily, that would cost you 1000gp and 80xp. With your artisan feats, that will be 750g and 60xp instead. With the warforged substitution level you are actually only spending 750g and 30xp from your craft reserve. Now watch closely.
2. Sell the sword for 2000gp. Buy another sword for 2000gp. What is Alpha up to? Well, retain essence on the bought sword, adding 80xp to your craft reserve! Congratulations, you just paid 750g and some crafting time for 50 craft xp. What good is that? Well, if you spend it making items for profit, 50 craft reserve will make a 3,333gp sword(we're talking averages here), which nets you 1,333gp...with no xp loss.
If you're not interested in making items for profit, it still makes your craft reserve effectively unlimited.
Crafting times actually become an issue with this trick, however, in case you're thinking of trying to create an unlimited supply of money. You can still only craft so much per day.

bozwevial

May 13, 2008 21:43:45

If you're going for to melee, don't bother with Martial weapon proficiency. Get an eternal wand of Wieldskill and Persist it. Works wonders.

While you're at it, grab an eternal wand of Heroics too, and never forget that Martial Study is a fighter bonus feat. (In fact, Tshern might have clued me into that little bit of wisdom a while back-it's saved my skin twice now.)

viktor_von_doom

May 14, 2008 16:05:45

Thanks for the advice you guys.

icnivad-The first build is frontline (Hence the Gr. Sword Pro.). The second is back line.

AlphatheGreat-All ready know about all the Sub. levels, took em all. This is more of a Dungeon Crawl campaign so that trick is out (Thought the DM says it might become a campaign) so I'll keep that in mind.

Tshern-Where is Weild skill at?