Every New D&D Subclass In Eberron: Forge Of The Artificer

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Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.

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Dungeons & Dragonsjust droppedeight new subclasses inForgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn, and five more are arriving inEberron: Forge of the Artificer.This time, they're all for artificers, proving that the name of the book is more than just lip service. Four of these subclasses appeared before in the 2014 rules, but they've now been updated to fit in alongside the 2024 revisions.

Across the board, artificers are crafty characters who approach magic with an inventor's spirit. How that manifests, though, can vary wildly depending on the subclass. From the potent mixology of Alchemists to the offensive creativity of Artillerists, artificers open up a new world of approaches on and off the battlefield.

Alchemists Tinker With Elixirs

An alchemist goblin in DnD reaching with forceps toward a bubbling flask.

AnyD&Dcharacter can cart some Alchemist's Supplies around, but only Alchemists can unlock their full potential. That starts with proficiency in Alchemist's Supplies and Herbalism Kits at level three, along with halving the time requirement to brew potions according to the 2024 crafting rules.Alchemists can use their supplies to magically produce two experimental elixirs every Long Rest, although the concoctions will disappear if they're unused by thenext Long Rest.

At level five, using Alchemist's Supplies as a Spellcasting Focus gives Alchemists a bonus to select rolls, based on their Intelligence modifiers. Level nine brings some free uses of Lesser Restoration with Alchemist's Supplies as a Spellcasting Focus.

Level 15 adds a final batch of miscellaneous benefits. Alchemists can deal additional force damage when using artificer spells that deal acid, fire, or poison damage, and they gain resistance to acid and poison. They can also castTasha's bubbling cauldronfor free once per Long Rest, as long as— you guessed it — Alchemist's Supplies are the Spellcasting focus.

Armorers Focus On Powerful Defense

Armorers take the concept of armor proficiency to a whole new level. Rather than just suiting up with some light, medium, or heavy armor, these artificers tinker with armor to grant it magical and mechanical abilities.

At level three,Armorers can turn their personal suit of armor into Arcane Armor, removing its strength requirement, making it easier to take on and off, and allowing it to be used as a Spellcasting Focus. They can also pick between Dreadnaught, Guardian, and Infiltrator options, each with its own unique advantages.

Armor Model	Features
Dreadnaught	Force Demolisher - Project an arcane melee weapon that deals 1d10 force damage and pushback Giant Stature - Transform and enlarge armor to change size from Medium to Large temporarily
Guardian	Thunder Pulse - Concussive blasts with 1d8 Thunder damage, impose disadvantage on attack rolls Defensive Field - Gain temp HP with a bonus action while Bloodied
Infiltrator	Lightning Launcher - Shoot bolts of lightning that deal 1d6 Lightning or 2d6 once per turn Powered Steps - Speed increase by 5 feet Dampening field - Advantage on Dex (Stealth) checks

Level five Armorers enjoy a second attack every turn, and level 9 Armorers level up their ability to Replicate Magic with an additional armor plan and item. They also gain +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with their Arcane Armor special weapon. Level 15 levels up those special weapons and grants Armorers additional abilities for movement and control on the battlefield.

Artillerists Go For Ranged Control

Artificer Artillerist character holding a canon with the metal head of a dragon on the end with a fiery background.

While an Armorer might focus on their protection, an Artillerist is all about the offense. These artificers combine the power of magic and craftsmanship to take ranged weapons to the next level, hurling powerful projectiles and explosive attacks around the battlefield.

Artillerists start with Martial Ranged weapon proficiency at level 3, along with proficiency in Woodcarver's Tools and more efficient crafting of magic wands.They can use Woodcarver's Tools or Smith's Tools to make Small or Tiny Eldritch Cannons, which naturally become more powerful as Artillerists level up.

At level five, Artillerists can use Woodcarver's Tools to turn Rods, Staffs, Wands, or Martial Ranged weapons into Arcane Firearms, which can be used as a Spellcasting Focus that grants a bonus to spells. Level 9 makes Eldritch Cannons more powerful and gives them the ability to self-destruct. At level 15, Artillerists can use two Eldritch Cannons at once, and they and their allies gain half cover within 10 feet of their Eldritch Cannons.

Battle Smiths Rely On Metal Companions

A battle artificer in a shop environment in D&D.

If you've ever wanted to bring a mechanicalPokémon intoD&Dcombat, the Battle Smith is for you. At level three, they get a Steel Defender that can be commanded with bonus actions in combat. While its stats never vary, the appearance of the Defender is entirely up to the player. When Defenders die, a spell slot can be consumed to restore them to life, and new defenders can be made after each Long Rest.

Steel Defenders
Traits	Steel Bond - Add Proficiency bonus to ability checks & saving throws
Actions	Force-Empowered Rend - 1d8 + 2 + Intelligence mod melee attack Repair (3/day) - Regain 2d8 + Intelligence mod HP
Reactions	Deflect Attack - Force disadvantage on attacks on other creatures within range

Level three also gives Battle Smith the ability to use Intelligence for attack and damage rolls with magic weapon attacks, along with proficiency with martial weapons. At level five, they get an extra attack per turn, which they can also use to have their Steel Defender do a Force-Empowered Rend.Level nine throws some extra Force damage and healing into the mix with either Destructive or Restorative Energy, used when magic weapon or Steel Defender attacks land. Level 15 doesn't bring any particularly transformative new abilities for Battle Smiths, but it does improve both the level nine feature and the Steel Defender's ability to deflect attacks.

Cartographers Never Get Lost In Battle

Artificer in DnD leaning out of a window and yelling.

The Cartographer might not sound like the flashiest Artificer subclass, but the navigational abilities that it brings to the table are useful for more than just exploration. Starting at level three, Cartographers have proficiency with Calligrapher's Supplies and Cartographer's Tools.

Cartographers can immediately put these tools to work, scribespell scrolls in half the time using 2024's crafting rules. They can also use Cartographer's Tools to grant magical maps to party members, which offer Initiative bonuses and allow them to use spells to affect other map holders without having line of sight, so long as range is maintained.

Somehow, that's not all for Cartographers' level three abilities, as they also get bonus uses offairie fireand teleportation abilities. At level five, Cartographers can use their Intelligence modifier to increase spell and attack damage. Level nine expands the teleportation possibilities, allowing Cartographers to also move other willing creatures around under the right circumstances.

Level 15 brings the final upgrades to bearers of Cartographer maps. Map holders can destroy their maps to avoid going down when their health would otherwise drop to 0 HP, and a Cartographer holding one of their maps can usefind the pathfor free once per Long Rest.

An Artificer isn't always the perfect fit for everyD&Dcampaign, but the class can be great when the occasion is right, especially if a campaign takes place in Eberron. The five subclasses provided inEberron: Forge of the Artificerwill likely define the Artificer for years to come. Whether you plan on picking up the book or not, it's worth knowing what each of them can bring to theDungeons & Dragonstable.