Dungeons & Dragonsis updating its long-neglected thirteenth class - the Artificer. Earlier this year, Wizards of the Coast released a newPlayer’s HandbookforDungeons & Dragons, providing updated rules for character building and more. While not intended to be a new edition ofD&D, the newPlayer’s Handbookcontained extensive revisions, with all ofD&D’s 12 core character classes receiving some kind of update to make them more versatile and provide them with additional resources.
The only class that wasn’t included in the newPlayer’s Handbookis the Artificer, a class first introduced to 5E inWayfinder’s Guide to Eberronand later revised inTasha’s Cauldron of Everything. However,D&D’s designers assured fans thatthe Artificer would be updated in a future release.Ahead of that release, Wizards shared a newUnearthed Arcana playtestincluding a rules revision for the class.
Most of the changes are minor, with revisions to spell lists and updated abilities to bring the class in line with other 2024 classes. All four Artificer subclasses also received updates to beef up the Artificer’s abilities.
How The Artificer Is Being Updated With D&D 2024 Rules
The D&D Class Has Received Updates To Make Its Ability More Widely Useful
Unlike the Ranger or the Monk, the Artificer did not receive a major rework to most of its core class features. The most notable changes are to the class’s Magical Tinkering and Infuse Item abilities.Magical Tinkering now allows players to craft low-cost items quickly,while Infuse Item was changed to Replicate Magic Item and allows players to create certain kindsof Magic Items.Players can convert Replicated magic items into a spell slot if necessary at higher levels. The capstone Soul of Artifice ability also received a boost, no longer requiring a reaction to activate its “cheat death” ability.
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As forthe Artificer subclasses,the Alchemist can now produce more Experimental Elixirs, and the high-level Chemical Mastery ability received a buff with extra damage and an innate resistance to damage.The Armorer received a new Dreadnought option as wellas a new Armor Replication ability that replaces the existing Armor Modification ability. Perhaps the biggest change comes to the Artillerist’s Eldritch Cannon, with the player now able to switch between various combat options every turn instead of choosing an option prior to creating it.
Our Take: The Artificer Still Tries To Do Too Much
Several Artificer Subclasses Need More Than Three Abilities To Stand Out
Ultimately, the core problem with the Artificer remains the same—it’s a class that tries to incorporate multiple archetypes and fails to do any of them service. While all the changes made to the Artificer are improvements, the class still lacks a truly unifying concept.
Some of the subclass options (like the Battle Smith and the Armorer) work well with the general premise of the Artificer, butboth the Artillerist and the Alchemist could use more than just three subclass abilities to stand out.I’m most interested to see where the Artificer fits intoDungeons & Dragons' future plans, as there’s not a clear place for the class in its 2025 book plans.
