Artificer

Artificers channel magic through tools, crafted objects, and inventions. This class uses Intelligence for spellcasting and combines prepared spells with magical infusions. The version below is the legacy class from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.

Core traits

If the DM uses firearm rules and your Artificer has been exposed to the operation of firearms, you are proficient with them.

Starting equipment

Take the equipment from your background and all of the following:

• Any two simple weapons of your choice.
• A light crossbow and 20 bolts.
• Studded leather armor or scale mail, your choice.
• Thieves' tools and a dungeoneer's pack.

Alternatively, forgo both the class and background equipment and use 5d4 × 10 gp to buy equipment.

Multiclassing

You need Intelligence 13 to enter this class or to leave it for another class. If Artificer is not your first class, it grants light armor, medium armor, shields, thieves' tools, and tinker's tools. For multiclass spell slots, add half your Artificer levels, rounded up, to the levels contributed by your other spellcasting classes.

Class progression

“Known” is the number of infusions you know; “Items” is the maximum number of objects bearing your infusions. Spell-slot columns give the slots available at each spell level. A dash means none.

Level 1: Magical Tinkering

With thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand, take an action to touch a Tiny nonmagical object and give it one of these properties:

• It sheds bright light for 5 feet and dim light for another 5 feet.
• It plays a recorded message when tapped, audible within 10 feet. You record the message when applying the property; it can last up to 6 seconds.
• It continuously emits an odor or a nonverbal sound, perceptible within 10 feet.
• It displays a static visual effect on one surface: a picture, up to 25 words, lines and shapes, or a mixture of them.

The property lasts indefinitely. You can end it by touching the object as an action. Each object can have only one such property. You can affect a number of objects equal to your Intelligence modifier, minimum one; creating another beyond that limit ends the oldest property.

Level 1: Spellcasting

Tools and spellcasting focus

You must hold thieves' tools or artisan's tools with which you are proficient when casting a spell through this feature. Such spells have a Material component because of this requirement. From level 2, any item bearing one of your infusions can also serve as your spellcasting focus.

Describing a spell as an invention, elixir, or other tool-based effect does not change its rules or grant extra benefits.

Cantrips and prepared spells

You know two Artificer cantrips at level 1. The progression table gives later increases. Whenever you gain an Artificer level, you can replace one known Artificer cantrip with another from the class list.

Prepare a number of Artificer spells equal to your Intelligence modifier + half your Artificer level, rounded down, minimum one spell. Choose spells from the Artificer list of levels for which you have spell slots. Casting a spell does not remove it from your prepared list.

You can change the list after a Long Rest. Preparing a new list requires at least 1 minute of work with your spellcasting focuses for each spell level of each spell on the list. You regain all expended spell slots after a Long Rest.

Spellcasting ability and rituals

• Spell save DC: 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
• Spell attack modifier: your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier.
• Ritual casting: you can cast a prepared Artificer spell as a ritual if it has the ritual tag.

Artificer spell list

This is the spell list printed with the legacy class. Spell descriptions and their source editions determine the individual spells' rules.

Level 2: Infuse Item

Learn four Artificer infusions. The progression table gives later increases. Whenever you gain an Artificer level, you can replace one infusion you know with another.

At the end of a Long Rest, touch a nonmagical object of a kind allowed by an infusion you know and turn it into that infusion's magic item. If the item requires attunement, you may attune to it immediately; attuning later follows the usual process.

An infusion stays in the object indefinitely, but ends when you replace your knowledge of that infusion. If you die, it ends after a number of days equal to your Intelligence modifier, minimum one day.

You can infuse several objects after the same Long Rest, up to the table's Items limit. Each infusion can exist in only one object at a time, and an object can hold only one infusion. Exceeding your item limit ends your oldest infusion. If an infusion ends on an item containing other objects, those contents appear harmlessly in and around its space.

Infusion references

• Arcane Propulsion Armor
• Armor of Magical Strength
• Boots of the Winding Path
• Enhanced Arcane Focus
• Enhanced Defense
• Enhanced Weapon
• Helm of Awareness
• Homunculus Servant
• Mind Sharpener
• Radiant Weapon
• Repeating Shot
• Replicate Magic Item
• Repulsion Shield
• Resistant Armor
• Returning Weapon
• Spell-Refueling Ring

Level 3: Artificer Specialist

Choose Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, or Battle Smith. Your choice grants features at levels 3, 5, 9, and 15.

Level 3: The Right Tool for the Job

With thieves' tools or artisan's tools in hand, spend 1 hour of uninterrupted work to magically create one set of artisan's tools in an unoccupied space within 5 feet. This work can coincide with a Short or Long Rest. The resulting tools are nonmagical and vanish when you use this feature again.

Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, and 19: Ability Score Improvement

Increase one ability score by 2, or two ability scores by 1 each. This feature cannot raise a score above 20.

Level 6: Tool Expertise

Double your proficiency bonus for ability checks that use your proficiency with a tool.

Level 7: Flash of Genius

When you or a creature you can see within 30 feet makes an ability check or a saving throw, use your Reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the roll. You can do this a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier, minimum once, and regain all uses after a Long Rest.

Level 10: Magic Item Adept

• You can attune to up to four magic items at once.
• Crafting a Common or Uncommon magic item takes one quarter of the usual time and half the usual gold cost.

Level 11: Spell-Storing Item

At the end of a Long Rest, touch a simple or martial weapon, or an item you can use as a spellcasting focus, and store a 1st- or 2nd-level Artificer spell in it. The spell must have a casting time of 1 action; you do not need to have it prepared.

A creature holding the item can take an action to produce the spell's effect using your spellcasting ability modifier. If the spell needs Concentration, that creature must maintain it. The item can produce the effect a number of times equal to twice your Intelligence modifier, minimum twice. The stored spell ends when those uses run out or when you use this feature to store a spell again.

Level 14: Magic Item Savant

• You can attune to up to five magic items at once.
• Ignore class, race, spell, and level requirements when attuning to or using magic items.

Level 18: Magic Item Master

You can attune to up to six magic items at once.

Level 20: Soul of Artifice

• Gain a +1 bonus to every saving throw for each magic item to which you are attuned.
• When reduced to 0 Hit Points without being killed outright, use your Reaction to end one of your Artificer infusions and drop to 1 Hit Point instead.