The revised artificer has been released for a while now, and I’ve had some time to think about it. Artificer was my second favorite class from 4th edition (second to swordmage) and this revision does the class justice. My favorite part of this class is the license to flavor it gives you. In order to cast your spells you must use a tool set of some sort. You then use these tools to create the spells you cast, describing how you achieve their effects.

Examples of this would be using brewer’s supplies to become a fire spitter and spit a firebolt, or using calligraphy tools to paint something into existence using prestidigitation. The most widespread use of this flavoring is to use tinkering tools to create prototypes of magical items. Your only limit here is your imagination, and that’s what’s great about it. Flavoring abilities has been one of my favorite things to do in this game, and so I set out to create an example of flavor for every artificer spell. Hopefully this will serve as a spark of inspiration as you bring your magical inventor into the world.

Cantrips

Acid Splash- You pull a spherical vial of green acid from your pocket, shake it, and throw it at your target.

Mage Hand- You reveal a small movie projector. As you wind it up, it projects the image of a hand that then obeys your command.

Dancing Lights- You open a tin of glow worms, placing them into four paper lanterns that then float as you dictate.

Mending- Using a lighter, you magically melt 2 lodestones, using the material as a filler to fix your target.

Fire Bolt- You pull out a small scale catapult made out of a matchbox. You then flick the match to fling a bolt of fire at your target.

Message- You speak your message into a wooden cup with a copper wire stuck to the bottom that fades into etherealness.

Guidance- You give your target a pair of glasses that show them a heads up display that guides them with visual indicators.

Poison Spray- You pull out a pump sprayer loaded with purple liquid, pumping out a gas cloud at your target.

Light- You attach a light bulb with a spider-like base to your target.

Prestidigitation- You pull out a small candle that shimmers as you light it. You make a small wish as you blow it out, and the smoke puff forms into the effect of your choice.

Ray of Frost- You pull out a gun loaded with an icicle that seems to never melt. It pulses blue energy towards your target.

Resistance- You pull out a small square of folded cloth. As you throw it to your target it unfolds into a cloak that protects your ally.

Shocking Grasp- Tesla coils on the bracelet of your glove spark as you touch your target.

Spare the Dying- You use a less lethal setting on your shocking glove to stabilize your ally.

Thorn Whip- You pull out a small potted plant. As you pour glowing yellow fertilizer on it, it grows a vine, whipping your target.

Create Bonfire- You take a flint and steel, striking them to create a spark. The spark floats to a location of your choice, where it flares up into a bonfire.

Magic Stone- You rub a substance on up to three pebbles, giving them a property that makes them cut through the air like a sword through flesh.

Thunderclap- You pull a small white popper from your pocket. As you throw it on the ground, it emits a thunderous sound.

1st Level

Alarm- You pull out and set up a trap like mechanism that uses silver wire and a bell as the triggers.

Arcane Weapon- You attach a dial with an inset gem that changes colors when you turn the dial to your weapon.

Cure Wounds- You unwrap some clay that you apply to your ally’s wounds. The clay melds into their flesh, fixing the wound.

Detect Magic- You extend a device from your bag that resembles a metal detector. It works similar, only for magic.

Disguise Self- You pull up a ringed shower curtain over yourself. Like a quick change artist, you drop the curtain moments later, revealing your disguise.

Expeditious Retreat- You activate wheels on your shoes, propelling you.

False Life- You pull out a bottle of alcohol that has small faint ghosts floating around in the liquid.

Grease- This slippery bottle of oil almost slips from your grasp before throwing it at your target.

Identify- You observe your target through a magical monocle with a pearl based frame and a chain adorned with an owl feather.

Jump- A grasshopper leg sits in the main gear of this exosuit like pair of legs that you give to your target.

Longstrider- A pinch of dirt gets ground in the gears of this propelled wheel apparatus that attaches to the shoes.

Sanctuary- An armature holds a silver mirror that reflects light into would be attackers’ eyes.

Shield of Faith- Your target takes a swig of a yellow potion that has a parchment of holy text pickling inside.

Absorb Elements- A metal plate on the back of your hand shields you from the attack, saving some energy to expend on your next attack.

Catapult- You throw out a mini trebuchet to an object. The trebuchet’s hand like appendage then grabs the object and throw it.

Snare- You attach a small jet to some rope, tying it into a loop and placing it. Once the trap is triggered, the jet flies into the air, hoisting the creature.

2nd Level

Aid- You stamp on premade runes onto a white cloth, which you then throw onto your allies.

Alter Self-  You shake a bottle of blue goo, place a cone device with a ripcord on it, aim it and pull the ripcord. The device shoots a blue smog that envelops and alters as you desire.

Arcane Lock- You pour gold dust into the hole of a padlock, grinding it with a key before placing the lock.

Blur- You spin a prism inside a gyroscope, bending light around yourself and blurring your image.

Continual Flame- You apply oil with ruby dust mixed in on your target, then light it with a match.

Darkvision- You use a prototype temporary version of Goggles of Night.

Enhance Ability- You pull out a potion flask that is identified by the matching piece of animal fur or feather wrapped around it.

Enlarge/ Reduce- Pinching iron dust between your fingers, you look through your pointer finger and thumb at your target. You then expand or reduce your fingers as your target does the same.

Heat Metal- You heat an iron bead with a blowtorch, then throw the molten metal onto your target.

Invisibility- You melt gum arabic holding an eyelash onto a mirror. The mirror melts into a cloth that you place on your target, creating active camouflage.

Lesser Restoration- You give your target a vial of clear liquid that then changes color to match the ailment it’s fixing.

Levitate- Golden wire acts as the structure for this rocket pack.

Magic Mouth- You apply a lipstick made of jade dust and honeycomb. You then kiss your target, leaving behind an animated mouth.

Magic Weapon- You attach a small gem that bathes the weapon in pale blue light.

Protection From Poison- You take a pill that expunges all poison out of your pores.

Rope Trick- A loop of parchment is tied around a potion made of primarily powdered corn extract that activates when shaken.

See Invisibility- You pour Talc and silver powder into the frames of x-ray glasses.

Spider Climb- Mechanical spider limbs sprout from this backpack, carrying you up vertical surfaces.

Pyrotechnics- You throw sand (multicolored for fireworks, black for smoke) onto a nearby fire. The fire is either molded into fireworks, or smothered into smoke.

Skywrite- You write up to ten words on a piece of parchment. You then roll it up and place it in the pilot seat of a toy biplane, which then takes flight and writes the words in the sky with its exhaust.

3rd Level

Blink- You pull a dagger out that you slice through the air at the end of your turns. On successes the dagger cuts a hole into the ethereal plane.

Dispel Magic- You pull out a vacuum hose that sucks the magic from your target.

Elemental Weapon- This device is your improvement on the Arcane Weapon prototype.

Fly- This backpack unfurls into a wooden skeleton of wings covered with leather that grants flight.

Gaseous Form- You pull out a glass vial that holds ever burning alchemist’s fire. You uncap it and smoke filters through the gauze on it. The smoke then sweeps up the target, changing their form.

Glyph of Warding- You use chalk made of incense infused with diamond to draw a glyph. The incense smells like ginger for explosive runes, and lavender for spell runes.

Haste- You throw licorice root into a small blender. The blades spin faster and faster before you stop it and throw the mixture to your target, who then drinks it.

Protection From Energy- You pull out a piece of armor engraved with a rune. It orbits your ally, taking the brunt of a type of damage.

Revivify- A diamond fits into the power supply of this defibrillator.

Water Breathing- You throw a scuba like apparatus to your allies that allows them to breathe under water.

Water Walk- You activate a stack of cork boards that glow with arcane energy. They fly underfoot to catch your allies as they walk over water.

Catnap- You put a pinch of sand into a bellow, pumping out a large cloud of sand that covers your allies, lulling them into a peaceful sleep.

Flame Arrows-  You wrap a mechanized metal band around the opening of a quiver. As arrows are drawn, the band sets the arrowheads aflame.

Tiny Servant- You attach a small exo-suit to an object, granting it life.

4th Level

Arcane Eye- Bat fur and an eye are repurposed into a clockwork sentry that you put a small invisible cloak over.

Fabricate- You activate a crystal spider that weaves your item with its silk, much like a 3D printer.

Freedom of Movement- You take a leather strap from your sleeve and slap it onto your ally. The magic activates as it wraps around with the motion.

Leomund’s Secret Chest- You perform this spell and make a matryoshka of chests, reversing when you want to access the chest.

Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound- You call the hound by blowing a in whistle with a bone piece attached to it by a thread.

Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum- You fold a lead sheet into a box around a cloth wrapped chrysolite laid on an opaque glass. The box then expands into the sanctum.

Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere- You take two half shperes, one crystal, one gum arabic, and combine them with interlocking iron bands.

Elemental Bane- You throw a vial of smoke at your target. As they breathe in the smoke, they enter a coughing fit. While distracted, they’re easier to hit with spells.

Vitriolic Sphere- You throw a plastic balloon full of slug bile to an area. The balloon bounces once before bursting into an acidic explosion.

5th Level

Animate Objects- You pull out a jar containing electric elementals, break it open and the elementals possess the objects.

Bigby’s Hand- You break an egg into a box. The box then inflates a snakeskin glove into the hand.

Creation- Your 3D printing crystal spider gets an upgrade.

Greater Restoration- You crack the diamond with a piston powered nut cracker, mix the dust into water, then apply it to your target.

Wall of Stone- You throw a fist sized block of granite toward your target. It then explodes before reforming into a wall.

Skill Empowerment- You hand a small book with a gear on the spine to an ally. The gear spins, flipping through the pages and power reading to them, granting them expertise in a skill.

Transmute Rock- You splash a mixture of clay and water from a flask onto an area of stone or mud. The mixture reacts to the rock, transforming it to your liking.

 

And that’s all of the base artificer spells! Let me know if you want to see the spells given by subclasses, or even flavors for the infusions. What do you think of the artificer? What magical wonders have you created? I’d love to know!