Artificer
The artificer class receives new features and subclasses in this document.
Optional Class Features
You gain class features in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything when you reach certain levels in the artificer class. This section offers additional features that you can gain as an artificer. Unlike the features in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, you don't gain the features here automatically. Consulting with your DM, you decide whether to gain a feature in this section if you meet the level requirement noted in the feature's description. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them.
The Innovative Magic feature presented here replaces the Spellcasting feature from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, and the Soul of Artifice feature replaces the feature of the same name.
Innovative Magic
You have studied the workings of magic and how to channel it through objects. As a result, you have gained the ability to cast spells. You don't cast spells in a conventional way, instead producing wonders using enhanced items or outlandish inventions.
Arcane Mechanisms
You produce your artificer spell effects through special devices or other items you create and maintain, each designed to cause a particular spell effect. These items can only be used by you, and you are assumed to always have them or the components required to produce them on your person. When you cast a spell, you activate one of these items, providing components as normal - a spell with a verbal component might be caused by an item you can activate with a simple voice command, while a spell with a material component might require the item to perform a reaction with spell components or draw magic from a spellcasting focus.
Cantrips (0-Level Spells)
At 1st level, you know two cantrips of your choice from the artificer spell list. At higher levels, you learn additional artificer cantrips of your choice, as shown in the Cantrips Known column of the Artificer table.
When you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the artificer cantrips you know with another cantrip from the artificer spell list.
Spell Charges
Starting at 1st level, you can imbue customized devices with spell charges used to cast spells of 1st level or higher. The Innovative Magic table shows how many spell charges you have.
When you finish a long rest, you can prepare a number of spells from the artificer spell list, which must be of a level no greater than the number indicated for your level in the Capacity column of the Innovative Magic table. For each spell you prepare, you must allocate a number of spell charges to it equal to the spell's level or higher. A spell charge can only be allocated to a single spell at a time, and once you allocate all your spell charges, you cannot prepare additional spells during this long rest. You can cast a spell you have prepared by spending a number of the spell charges allocated to it equal to the level at which you cast it, up to your capacity.
For example, if you are a 5th-level artificer, you have 8 spell charges and a capacity of 2. At the end of a long rest, you might decide to prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds with 2 charges, the 2nd-level spell invisibility with 2 charges, and the 2nd-level spell heat metal with 4 charges. During the course of the following day, you could cast cure wounds by spending charges allocated to it: one charge to cast it at 1st level, or two to cast it at 2nd level. Once you spend all charges allocated to cure wounds, you can't cast that spell again until you allocate your charges again as part of a long rest. If you have more than 2 charges allocated to a spell, such as with heat metal, you can still only spend up to 2 charges when you cast it, since that is your current capacity.
If your artificer subclass grants additional spells, you can prepare and cast them in this way as if they were spells on the artificer spell list.
Innovative Magic
| Artificer Level | Spell Charges | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | 1 |
| 2nd | 3 | 1 |
| 3rd | 4 | 1 |
| 4th | 4 | 1 |
| 5th | 10 | 2 |
| 6th | 10 | 2 |
| 7th | 12 | 2 |
| 8th | 12 | 2 |
| 9th | 18 | 3 |
| 10th | 18 | 3 |
| 11th | 22 | 3 |
| 12th | 22 | 3 |
| 13th | 26 | 4 |
| 14th | 26 | 4 |
| 15th | 30 | 4 |
| 16th | 30 | 4 |
| 17th | 40 | 5 |
| 18th | 40 | 5 |
| 19th | 45 | 5 |
| 20th | 45 | 5 |
Spending Charges Elsewhere
When you gain the Infuse Item feature, some of your infusions might have a number of charges, some of which are regained at dawn. When you allocate your spell charges at the end of a long rest, you can allocate charges to these infusions instead of your spells, restoring one charge for each spell charge you allocate.
Other artificer features may require you to spend a spell slot, such as the Eldritch Cannon feature available to Artillerists. You can instead spend a spell charge allocated to any spell. If the feature requires a spell slot of a certain level, you can spend a number of charges equal to that level, which can be allocated to the same spell or different ones.
Spellcasting Ability
Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your artificer spells; you rely on an understanding of the theory behind magic to create the devices you use to cast your spells. You use your Intelligence whenever an artificer spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an artificer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +
Ritual Casting
You can cast an artificer spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and its level is no greater than your capacity. You don't need to have the spell prepared.
Spellcasting Focus
You can use thieves' tools or any artisan's tools as a spellcasting focus for your artificer spells. When you gain the Infuse Item feature, you can also use any item that bears one of your infusions as a spellcasting focus for these spells.
Multiclassing
If you multiclass as an artificer with the Innovative Magic feature, your artificer level doesn't contribute towards your total caster level. Innovative Magic is considered a separate feature from Spellcasting, but can be used to fulfil the requirements of any feature which requires it. If you have both Innovative Magic and Spellcasting or Pact Magic, you can allocate charges from Innovative Magic to spells you know or prepare with a different feature, and you can use spell slots from those features to cast artificer spells prepared with Innovative Magic.
Artificer Infusion Options
When you choose artificer infusions, you have access to the following additional options.
Animated Weapon
Prerequisite: 6th-level artificer
Item: A simple or martial melee weapon (requires attunement)
This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it.
The weapon has 4 charges. While holding it, the wielder can take a bonus action to speak a command word and expend 1 of the charges, causing the weapon to fly towards a creature of the wielder's choice it can see within 60 feet of it and hover in its space for up to 1 minute. The wielder can use its reaction to make an opportunity attack with this weapon if the chosen creature moves to a different space, after which the weapon returns to the wielder's hand. The weapon regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn.
Avoidant Armor
Prerequisite: 10th-level artificer
Item: A suit of armor (requires attunement)
Choose Dexterity, Constitution, or Wisdom when you infuse this item. When the wearer of this armor is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw of the chosen type to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Elemental Weapon
Prerequisite: 10th-level artificer
Item: A simple or martial weapon (requires attunement)
This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with it, and deals an extra 1d4 damage on a hit. You choose the type of this damage when you infuse the item: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder.
Haste-Bearing Armor
Prerequisite: 14th-level artificer
Item: A suit of armor (requires attunement)
This magic armor grants a +1 bonus to the wearer's AC. The wearer can activate arcane mechanisms in this armor at the start of its turn, gaining an additional action on each turn which it can use only to take the Dash or Dodge actions. Its movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity while it has this additional action. At the end of each of its turns, it must roll a d6, losing this additional action on a 1 or 2.
Once the armor is activated in this way, it can't be activated again until the next dawn.
Haste-Bearing Weapon
Prerequisite: 14th-level artificer
Item: A simple or martial weapon (requires attunement)
This magic armor grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. While holding it, the wielder can activate arcane mechanisms in this weapon at the start of its turn, gaining an additional action on each turn which it can use only to take the Attack action (1 weapon attack only). At the end of each of its turns, it must roll a d6, losing this additional action on a 1 or 2.
Once the weapon is activated in this way, it can't be activated again until the next dawn.
Impact Boots
Prerequisite: 6th-level artificer
Item: A pair of boots (requires attunement)
While wearing these boots, a creature has resistance to damage taken from falling. When the creature takes falling damage, it can use its reaction to redirect the force of impact into a shockwave. All creatures within 10 feet of the point where it landed must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw, taking thunder damage equal to the damage the wearer took from falling on a failed save. If a creature takes 10 thunder damage or more in this way, it is pushed 5 feet away from the wearer for every 10 thunder damage it takes.
Many-Handed Pouch
Prerequisite: 6th-level artificer
Item: 2-5 pouches
The infused pouches all share one interdimensional space of the same capacity as a single pouch. Thus, reaching into any of the pouches allows access to the same storage space. A pouch operates as long as it is within 100 miles of another one of the pouches; the pouch is otherwise empty and won't accept any contents.
If this infusion ends, the items stored in the shared space move into one of the pouches, determined at random. The rest of the pouches become empty.
Multitool
Prerequisite: 6th-level artificer
Item: A set of artisan's tools or thieves' tools
This set of tools can reshape itself to fit its user's needs. It counts as thieves' tools and all artisan's tools at once, and creature using these tools is considered proficient with them no matter their form, as long as it is proficient with any set of tools this multitool could count as.
Shield-Bearing Armor
Item: A suit of armor and a shield
This suit of armor has a retractable shield incorporated into one of its arms. A creature wearing this armor can don or doff the shield at the start of each of its turns and after any action or attack it makes on its turn (no action required).
Stabilized Item
Prerequisite: 10th-level artificer
Item: Any
The infused item can bear up to three of your infusions at a time, including this one. If both other infusions require attunement, the item still only requires a single attunement slot to attune to. If two infusions grant benefits to the same property of the item (such as Enhanced Weapon and Radiant Weapon both granting bonuses to attack and damage rolls), these benefits do not add together, but you use whichever is better.
Telescoping Weapon
Item: A simple or martial weapon
As a bonus action, you can extend your reach with this weapon by 5 feet. If the weapon isn't two-handed, you have disadvantage on attacks made with it while wielding it in only one hand. This effect lasts until you use another bonus action to end it.
Umbral Weapon
Prerequisite: 6th-level artificer
Item: A simple or martial weapon (requires attunement)
This magic weapon grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. While holding it, the wielder can use a bonus action to dim all nonmagical sources of light within 30 feet for 1 minute, turning bright light they shed into dim light.
The weapon has 4 charges. As an action, the wielder can expend 2 charges to cast darkness, targeting a point on the weapon. The wielder can see in the darkness created by this spell as if it were dim light. The weapon regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn.
Flexible Replication
If you choose the Replicate Magic Item infusion option, you can replace the magic item you chose with a different item available through Replicate Magic Item each time you finish a long rest.
Infusion Adept
When you gain an artificer feature that lets you attune to additional magic items, you can only attune to up to 3 magic items that aren't infused items you create. For each magic item you could attune to above 3, you can have one additional infused item at a time. This infused item must require attunement, and you are the only creature who can attune to it.
Soul of Artifice
At 20th level, you develop a mystical connection to your magic items, which you can draw on for protection:
- You gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to.
- If you're reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can use your reaction to end your attunement to a magic item, causing you to drop to 1 hit point instead of 0.
Artificer Specialists
At 3rd level, an artificer gains the Artificer Specialist feature, which offers you the choice of a subclass. The following options are available to you when making that choice: the Golemancer, Spellwright, Survivalist, and Weaponsmith.
Removed Specialties
The Alchemist and Battle Smith specialists should not be selected. The Alchemist is replaced by a full Alchemist class specializing in bombs, oils, poisons, and potions of all sorts, while the Battle Smith is replaced by two new artificer specialist options: the Golemancer and Weaponsmith.
Spellwright
Magic is a deep and mysterious thing, and there are some who have dedicated their entire lives to understanding its intricacies. Spellwrights, however, view magic as an endlessly flexible tool to be used like any other. While learned wizards may despair that spellwrights have no grasp of the magnitude of what they use, these artificers only care about understanding magic as far as that understanding helps them use it more effectively and customize it to their whims.
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 1st level, you gain proficiency with calligrapher's supplies and the Arcana skill. If you are already proficient with calligrapher's supplies, you gain proficiency with another set of artisan's tools of your choice.
Spellwright Spells
Starting at 1st level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Survivalist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Spellwright Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 2nd | chromatic orb, unseen servant |
| 5th | magic mouth, rope trick |
| 9th | counterspell, fireball |
| 13th | dimension door, ice storm |
| 17th | animate objects, creation |
Introductory Spellcraft
At 1st level, you have begun to experiment with some simple spells. You learn the prestidigitation cantrip and two other cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list, which are artificer spells for you. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for them. When you finish a long rest, you can replace one of the other two cantrips you gained from this feature with another cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list.
Spell Formulae
At 3rd level, your experimentation with spells has begun to bear fruit: you can alter the spells you know to behave in new ways. When you finish a long rest, you can create a new formula for one artificer spell you know. Choose one of the following changes to make to the spell:
- If it deals damage of a type that appears in one of the following lists, you change its damage to a different type from the same list.
Physical: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Elemental: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, thunder
Mystical: force, necrotic, psychic, radiant
- If it imposes a saving throw for an ability that appears in one of the following lists, you change the saving throw to a different ability from the same list.
Physical: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution
Mental: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma - If it deals damage and its level is less than or equal to 1/4 your artificer level (rounded up), you can cast it as a ritual.
For example, if you created a spell formula for the spell Tasha's caustic brew, you could change the spell so it requires a Strength saving throw, instead of Dexterity. When you cast a spell for which you have a formula, you choose to use either the spell's normal effects or those of your formula. You can have two formulae memorized at a time; if you create a new formula while you already have as many as you can memorize, you forget one of your current formulae of your choice.
In addition, you can more easily learn new spells. When you finish a long rest, you can replace one of your Spellwright spells with another spell of the same level from the wizard spell list, which counts as an artificer spell for you.
Arcane Potency
At 5th level, you learn to shape the energy of your spells more efficiently, giving them greater power. When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can can add 1d8 to one of the spell's damage rolls.
Advanced Spellcraft
At 9th level, you learn new ways to modify your spells. You can have up to three spell formulae memorized at a time, and each formula can consist of two changes to a spell, rather than one. In addition, when you create your formulae, you can change a spell in the following ways:
- If it has a range of 30 feet or more, its range is increased to 500 feet if it was lower, or decreased to touch.
- If it affects an area, such as a sphere or cone, the size of that area is increased or decreased by 5 feet.
- If it does not deal damage or restore hit points and its level is less than or equal to 1/4 your artificer level (rounded up), you can cast it as a ritual. The additional time required to do so is 1 hour, rather than 10 minutes.
Mastered Spellcraft
By 15th level, you have made staggering advancements in the art of spellcraft. You can have up to four spell formulae memorized at a time, and each formula can consist of up to three changes to a spell. In addition, when you create your formulae, you can change a spell in the following ways:
- If it is a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action, it has a casting time of 1 bonus action.
- If it is a spell of 2nd level or higher, it can be cast using a spell slot one level lower than normal.
Survivalist
A Survivalist is more at home in the deep wilderness than a well-organized workshop. Expert hunters and gatherers, survivalists rely only on what materials they can collect themselves, crafting equipment from the hide and bone of fallen foes. Their connection to the natural world influences the way they infuse magic into their weapons and armor, enabling them to call upon aspects of the creatures used to craft them.
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with leatherworker's tools and martial ranged and finesse weapons. If you are already proficient with leatherworker's tools, you gain proficiency with another set of artisan's tools of your choice.
Survivalist Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Survivalist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Survivalist Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | goodberry, hail of thorns |
| 5th | locate animals or plants, spike growth |
| 9th | conjure barrage, lightning arrow |
| 13th | locate creature, stoneskin |
| 17th | commune with nature, conjure volley |
Survival Instincts
When you reach 3rd level, your experience in the wilderness has honed your senses and instincts. You gain proficiency with the Perception and Survival skills, and your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make which uses your proficiency in one of these skills.
In addition, you gain one Fighting Style of your choice available to rangers.
Aspected Apparel
At 3rd level, you can augment your equipment with the aspect of a slain foe. Over the course of a short or long rest, you can use leatherworker's tools to adorn a set of armor or clothing with hide, bones, or similar remnants of a slain beast, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature. As you do so, you call upon the spirit of the slain creature to empower your equipment, creating a set of aspected apparel. Choose one of the wild aspects listed below. Any creature wearing a set of aspected apparel gains the benefits of any wild aspects it has.
You can have two wild aspects at a time, applied to the same set of aspected apparel or different ones. This increases to three wild aspects at 9th level and four at 15th level. A single set of aspected apparel cannot have the same wild aspect multiple times.
If you try to apply a wild aspect to a set of armor or clothing while you already have as many wild aspects as you can have across all your aspected apparel, one of your existing wild aspects of your choice fades away.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Aspected Self
Starting at 9th level, you retain a connection to your wild aspects even when they benefit others. You gain the benefit of each wild aspect you have active on a set of aspected apparel worn by another creature.
Wild Hunter
By 15th level, you can draw upon the aspects of your foes with much greater power. All your wild aspects improve.
Wild Aspects
The wild aspects are presented in alphabetical order. The text of a wild aspect addresses the wearer of the set of aspected apparel.
Agile Movement. Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain a climbing and swimming speed equal to your walking speed. Starting at 15th level, difficult terrain does not cost you extra movement and you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed. If you end your turn in the air, you fall to the ground.
Beast of Burden. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks and you count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. Starting at 15th level, you have advantage on Strength saving throws and cannot be moved against your will while conscious.
Environmental Adaptation. You gain resistance to your choice of cold or fire damage. Starting at 15th level, you gain resistance to both damage types.
Keen Senses. Dim light (or darkness if you have darkvision) does not impose disadvantage on your Wisdom (Perception) checks, and you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on hearing and smell. Starting at 15th level, you gain blindsight for 10 feet and tremorsense for 30 feet.
Pack Hunter. You can take the Help action as a bonus action in combat. Starting at 15th level, you have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Rugged Endurance. You make Constitution saving throws with advantage. Starting at 15th level, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier at the start of each of your turns (minimum of 1 temporary hit point).
Shadow Sneak. You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while in dim light or darkness. Starting at 15th level, you can always attempt to hide while in dim light or darkness, even from creatures with darkvision.
Tooth and Claw. Your weapon attacks deal an additional 1d4 damage of the weapon's type. Starting at 15th level, this damage increases to 1d8 and is magical.
Weaponsmith
A Weaponsmith specializes in creating and fighting with magical weapons of all sorts. Though more likely than most artificers to use their magical infusions to improve their allies' weapons, most weaponsmith artificers also possess a personal weapon heavily invested with their own magic—the work of years on end, and something which stands head and shoulders above their other creations.
Tool Proficiency
When you adopt this specialization at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with smith's tools and martial weapons. If you are already proficient with smith's tools, you gain proficiency with another set of artisan's tools of your choice.
Weaponsmith Spells
Starting at 3rd level, you always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Weaponsmith Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare.
Weaponsmith Spells
| Artificer Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | searing smite, shield |
| 5th | branding smite, spiritual weapon |
| 9th | conjure barrage, lightning arrow |
| 13th | fire shield, staggering smite |
| 17th | banishing smite, steel wind strike |
Invested Weapon
At 3rd level, you have invested a weapon with a portion of arcane power, binding it to your own magic. Choose one nonmagical simple or martial weapon to become your invested weapon. It becomes a magical weapon with a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls, and you gain the following benefits related to your invested weapon:
- As long as you are on the same plane of existence as your invested weapon, you can summon it to your hand as a bonus action.
- You can take a bonus action to change it into any other simple or martial weapon. It retains all benefits other than altered damage dice and weapon properties.
- You cannot be unwillingly disarmed of it.
- When you hit a creature with this weapon, you can expend one spell slot to deal force damage in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d6 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st.
When held by a creature other than you, your invested weapon functions as a nonmagical weapon of its type with no special benefits. If you wish to invest a new weapon, you can do so over the course of a long rest, after which your previous invested weapon loses all magical properties.
Extra Attack
Starting at 5th level, you can attack twice, rather than once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Elemental Investiture
At 9th level, you augment your invested weapon with elemental magic. Its bonus to attack and damage rolls increases to +2. In addition, choose one of the following benefits to apply to your invested weapon. You can change this choice when you finish a long rest, gaining all the benefits of your new choice and losing those you had previously.
Flame Brand. You can use a bonus action to cause flames to erupt from your weapon. While flaming, the weapon deals an extra 1d6 fire damage on a hit and grants you resistance to cold damage. It also shines bright light in a 40-foot radius and dim light for another 40 feet. The flames last until you use a bonus action to end them or until you sheath or drop the weapon.
Frost Brand. You can use a bonus action to freeze your weapon in magical ice. While frozen, the weapon deals an extra 1d6 cold damage on a hit and grants you resistance to fire damage. Once per hour, it can also be used as an action to extinguish all nonmagical flames within 30 feet of you. The ice lasts until you use a bonus action to melt it or until you sheath or drop the weapon.
Storm Brand. You can use a bonus action to coat your weapon in crackling electricity. While electrified, the weapon deals an extra 1d6 lightning damage on a hit and grants you resistance to lightning damage. It also grants you a flying speed of 30 feet, although you fall to the ground if you end your turn in midair. The electricity lasts until you use a bonus action to end it or until you sheath or drop the weapon.
Eldritch Investiture
At 15th level, you augment your invested weapon further with supremely powerful magic:
- Its bonus to attack and damage rolls increases to +3, and the extra damage from your Elemental Investiture increases to 2d6.
- If you score a critical hit on an attack roll made with your invested weapon, you deal an additional 4d6 force damage to the target.
- When you use your action to cast an artificer spell, you can make one attack with your invested weapon as a bonus action.