Dungeons & Dragons offers a variety of different race, class and subclass options for players new and old looking to create characters. The game lets players become whatever sort of character they wish to become, and can pick character classes based on the sort of combat style they imagine for their character.
Adding even more variety, players can specialize in their classes by picking subclasses. One of the game’s classes, the Artificer, uses tools to focus their magic power and cast spells and create inventions. One of the artificer’s subclasses is the artillerist, which focuses on creating and using magical cannons and projectiles to fight. Here are tips for playing the best artillerist you can be.
8 Focus On Your Cantrips
Artificers aren’t full magic casters, but rather, they’re half magic casters, similar to Paladins. This means that they get access to fewer spell slots than classes such as the Wizard. You may be tempted to spend your spell slots on casting spells to attack, but ideally, artificers should take a different approach.
Ideally, artificers should focus on using their cantrips in combat. Grabbing good, offensive cantrips can make all the difference, and they can be used without expending spell slots, letting you conserve those slots for when you really need them.
7 Get Creative With Your Cannons
The Artillerist is focused on making creative and devastating explosions. A lot of the Artillerist’s skills and actions involve making the most of their available firepower. One of these is the Eldritch Cannon.
The eldritch cannon is essentially a magical cannon that can be Small or Tiny in size, allowing you to carry it around or mount it you a location or to a character. You can even create a cannon with legs so that it can move around. The cannon has its own AC and comes in three destructive types, providing customization and flexibility for every explosive situation.
6 Infusions Can Be Game Changing
All artificers have access to the infusion capabilities. Essentially, what infusions allow you to do is quickly turn nonmagical objects into magical items. The game rules list out different magical items that can be created using nonmagical items which are much easier to come by.
It’s easy to overlook infusions, but players should keep them in mind when adventuring. Infusions let artificers create attack items, wearable equipment, and even replicate magical items that you may already have. As your artificer gains experience, the sorts of infusions they can create grow, opening up endless possibilities.
5 Magical Tinkering Is Powerful In The Right Hands
Magical Tinkering is an artificer feature that players get at the 1st level of the class, but that doesn’t mean it should be overlooked at all. Magical tinkering is incredibly fun, powerful, and can get your party out of a pinch if used right.
What magical tinkering allows players to do is put a spark of magic into ordinary objects, so long as the object’s size is Tiny. With this, you can make objects light up like a lamp, record short messages in objects, and even make visual effects appear on surfaces. Using these creatively will serve you well in the long run.
4 Save Your Spell Slots
The artificer class isn’t a full magic casting class, like the wizard class is. Rather, artificers are considered to be half spellcasters, similar to paladins. What this means is that artificers get fewer spell slots to work with, and instead have to opt for a mixed play style.
For this reason, it’s important to conserve your spell slots when playing as an artificer. This is especially important for artillerists because spell slots can be expended to create more eldritch cannons, and those will be your primary damage dealers when in combat.
3 Position Yourself In A Supportive Yet Offensive Role
Being a half spell caster, the artificer is suited for both offense and support. The artificer artillerist is specialized in dealing explosive amounts of damage, but that’s not all this class and subclass have to offer.
The artificer and artillerist spell list include spells focused on dealing damage, but also spells that can provide support, such as Rope Trick and Wind Wall. These spells let you get creative with how you play your part on the battlefield and give your artillerist flexibility, letting you adapt to any situation.
2 Consider Using the Cannon More Than Spellcasting
As mentioned earlier, spell slots can be used by the artillerist to create eldritch cannons, which can be placed on things, characters, mounted, or even given legs. This makes eldritch cannons extremely versatile.
These cannons are also activated as your bonus actions, meaning your artillerist can keep moving and acting without feeling hindered by the cannon. Plus, with three types of cannons to pick from, there’s something suited to every situation. All this makes the artillerist suited for spending their spell slots on the cannon, perhaps more often than simply casting magic spells.
1 Mount Your Cannons, Or Give Them Legs
The thought of the eldritch cannons being small, or tiny, in terms of size, may seem underwhelming at first. However, whenever you’re playing as an artillerist, you should consider using the options available to you when magically creating cannons.
By giving your cannon legs, you can effectively attack the enemy while your character does something else, such as healing or engaging another opponent. By mounting cannons either on your artillerist or on another party member, you can allow them to move around and have a ranged weapon on them, ready to attack.
NEXT: Dungeons And Dragons: 15 Hilarious Magic Items
