Whenever I'm not serving as Dungeon Master on my long term Dungeons and Dragons table I usually play Craftsman. While the Bard is always called a jack of all trades (they even have an ability called that) and a master of none, the Artisan is a true jack of all trades – and a master of one. Depending on the subclass, the Artisan can fill any role in the group: act as a support tank, a frontline fighter, or fire spells from afar. But they are undisputed masters when it comes to magical items. At higher levels, magical equipment with unique characteristics often defines the D&D experience, and artisans can wield twice as much as their fellows.
The latest official guide to Dungeons & Dragons, Eberron: Artisan's Forgehits shelves December 9th. It is described as an “extensive addition” to the 2019 product. Eberron: Rise After the Last War and expands almost every corner of the setting: updated character types, new skills and dragon marks, deeper knowledge of the Last War, new magic items and a complete set of rules for airships and mobile bases. Ideally you would refer to both books together, but there is plenty of material here. Forge that it's worth purchasing even if you don't have its predecessor. ForgeThe biggest impact on D&D is how it updates the Artificer class to match Fifth Edition Update 2024. And it makes my favorite lesson even better.
Tinker's Magic replaces Arcane Mastery as the first-level class ability. In the 2019 version of Artificer, you could only turn a random tiny object into a light or sound source. Basically, you can make a glow stick or some noisy thing to distract her. But now, with the help of Tinker's Tools, the Artisan can create all sorts of useful items, including a torch, rope, hook, caltrops and so on.
The biggest change is the removal of the item infusion system, which is replaced with replica magic items. Instead of enhancing items, weapons or armor with a magical effect, the Artisan can now create them directly (up to a certain amount, which depends on his level). In other words, before you could upgrade your tank's armor to give it +1 AC, you had to have an object to possess. Now you can craft this armor directly. You can make a shield that pushes enemies away from the wielder, a wand that gives a bonus to spell attack rolls, or even glasses that allow anyone to see in the dark. Craftsman's Forge also notes that any character can create items by spending gold and downtime, but artisans can do it much faster.
In previous editions, level 6 granted Tool Mastery, a boring buff to skill checks involving tool use. Crafters now receive a Magic Item Tinker, allowing them to more effectively interact with the magic items they create. They can use a spell slot to recharge an item, drain an item to replenish a spell slot, and transform something into another magic item. This update highlights the versatility of the class and redefines the Artisan as a craftsman who thinks on his feet. They are not the type of character who can do anything, but the type who can give their comrades the ability to do anything.
The Artisan's best ability, Flash of Brilliance, also receives a quality of life boost. Beginning at seventh level, an Artificer can use her reaction to add her Intelligence (INT) modifier to an ability check or saving throw. INT should always be the Artisan's main stat, so the modifier is usually between three and five, meaning Flash of Genius can be the difference between failure and salvation. If your fighter is hit by a fireball and fails the DEX save, Flash of Genius could make up the difference so they take 14 instead of 28 damage.
The updated Flash of Brilliance clarifies that the Artificer can use it after the roll fails, whereas before you could never be sure. At level 14, Artificer also now replenishes Flash of Genius uses with a short rest, which is another boon.
Each of the existing Artisan subclasses—Alchemist, Weaponsmith, Artilleryman, and Combat Smith—are receiving smoother progression updates that make the class stronger at lower levels. AND Forge adds Cartographer to the list.
The Alchemist is your potions master, specializing in buffing and healing the party in often unpredictable ways. (My Alchemist once won a fight by using Experimental Elixir to fly, and then just kept pouring acid on her enemy's head.) Want to be Iron Man in D&D? Then Armorer is for you: it offers a variety of customization options to help you choose the type of tank or skirmisher you need. The Warsmith functions as a frontline support class that comes with the Steel Defender companion. The default design is of a dog, but the player must determine whether his medium-sized design has two legs or four. Thus, you essentially get a home robot of your own design with solid characteristics and immunity that can repel attacks.
The Cartographer uses magical maps to control the battlefield, opening portals that allow any party member to teleport under certain circumstances. They also get a decent mix of healing, support, and attack spells to add to their kit, as well as a Homunculus Servant. While not as bulky as the Steel Defender, this tiny construct allows them to cast spells at a distance that would normally require proximity.
My personal favorite, the Artilleryman, remains a “big boom” specialist, and Craftsman's Forge tightens up the subclass, making it a little more flexible. An offensive caster (with access to Fireball at ninth level), the Gunner's main feature is the Eldritch Cannon, a small or tiny construct that can move across the battlefield, acting as a flamethrower, force ballista, or can generate temporary hit points for nearby allies. Previously, you could only choose one effect, but with the updated rules, the Dread Cannon can use any of three on your turn.
The best character I ever played in Dungeons & Dragons was an Artillery Artilleryman named Fergus. A teenager with a gun and a penchant for blowing things up, Fergus never told the rest of the group that he was a transplant from the future. The experiment failed, and a magical explosion threw him into the past. I played it a bit like a “so I just started blowing up” meme with a flavor mixed with Impulse from DC Comics, using weird jargon from his timeline to confuse the party. In every battle, he would strap the Dread Cannon to someone's back and then take cover to shoot enemies from afar. After that, he would randomly make someone a super useful magic item.
Fergus had his limitations as a character since I created him shortly after. Rebellion after the last war released in 2019. I originally thought of Fergus during a telephone interview with then-lead D&D designer Jeremy Crawford.
“Masters of unlocking magic in everyday objects, Artisans are the supreme inventors,” he said. “The Craftsman always has the right tool for the job. If he doesn't have it, give him a little time and he will do it.”
But is it legal for Fergus to strap the Dread Cannon onto the back of a battle-hardened fighter and send them both to the front lines? Yes, Crawford said. This is a true Craftsman power fantasy. And with Craftsman's Forgeclass is better than ever.
