Introduction
The Artificer is the only class in the 2014 rules built around the premise that magic is a technology, not a mystery. Where a Wizard studies a spellbook and a Sorcerer channels an innate gift, an Artificer picks up a set of tinker's tools, spends an hour with a mundane object, and turns it into a prototype magic item through Infuse Item. That single mechanical hook, permanent-feeling magic items you build yourself rather than find in a hoard, is the class's entire pitch, and it is the reason Eberron introduced the Artificer to 5e in the first place: a setting where arcane magic runs the trains, powers the elevators, and won a world war needed a class whose spellcasting looks like engineering.
Mechanically, the Artificer is a full INT-based prepared caster wrapped around two subsystems no other class touches: Infusions, which turn everyday objects into semi-permanent magic items between long rests, and a 3rd-level Specialist choice (Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, or Battle Smith, more below) that layers a bonus spell list and a distinct secondary role on top of the base chassis. The result reads less like "another spellcaster" and more like a toolbox character: a short prepared-spell list backed by Magical Tinkering, an ever-present set of infused gear, and, depending on specialist, an alchemical support kit, a suit of arcane armor, a battlefield cannon, or a steel-and-clockwork companion fighting at your side.
This guide covers the base Artificer class in full, feature by feature, then works through the infusion system (the class's core repeatable build decision) with its own comparison table, the full Artificer Infusions list, the leveled Replicable Items tables, race pairings, and a practical level-by-level example. The four Specialists (Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, Battle Smith) get a comparison summary here and a full feature-by-feature breakdown in the Artificer Subclasses Guide; the class-spell guide and feat guide referenced throughout ship separately as well.
Disclaimer
Ratings use a four-color system reflecting overall power in the context of the 2014 rules:
- ● Red — Poor. Avoid or situational at best.
- ● Orange — Situational. Useful in specific builds or campaigns.
- ● Green — Good. Reliable value in most builds.
- ● Blue — Excellent. Best-in-slot or near it for the right build.
Class Table Basics
Hit Die: d8 per Artificer level. Hit Points at 1st level: 8 + CON modifier. Hit Points at higher levels: 1d8 (or 5) + CON modifier per level after 1st.
Proficiencies: Light armor, medium armor, shields. Simple weapons. Thieves' tools, tinker's tools, and one type of artisan's tools of your choice.
Saving Throws: Constitution and Intelligence.
Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand.
Starting Equipment: Any two simple weapons, a light crossbow and 20 bolts, your choice of studded leather armor or scale mail, thieves' tools, and a dungeoneer's pack (or 5d4 x 10 gp in place of class and background equipment).
Spellcasting Ability: Intelligence. Spell save DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + INT modifier. Spell attack modifier = proficiency bonus + INT modifier. Artificers are prepared casters: you prepare a number of spells equal to your INT modifier + half your Artificer level, rounded down (minimum one spell), and you can change that list on a long rest. Every artificer spell requires thieves' tools or another artisan's tool (or, after 2nd level, an infused item) in hand as a spellcasting focus.
Confirmed feature-by-level progression (direct from the class table):
| Level | Prof. Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Magical Tinkering, Spellcasting |
| 2nd | +2 | Infuse Item |
| 3rd | +2 | Artificer Specialist, The Right Tool for the Job |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Artificer Specialist feature |
| 6th | +3 | Tool Expertise |
| 7th | +3 | Flash of Genius |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | Artificer Specialist feature |
| 10th | +4 | Magic Item Adept |
| 11th | +4 | Spell-Storing Item |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Magic Item Savant |
| 15th | +5 | Artificer Specialist feature |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | — |
| 18th | +6 | Magic Item Master |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Soul of Artifice |
Cantrips Known runs 2 (1st) to 3 (10th) to 4 (14th). Infusions Known runs 4 (2nd) up to 8 (19th), climbing roughly every 2-3 levels. Infused Items (the cap on how many of your known infusions can be active in objects at once) runs 2 (2nd) up to 6 (19th). Spell slots follow a standard half-caster-adjacent progression that reaches 5th-level slots at 17th level and never opens 6th-level or higher slots at all, the Artificer's spellcasting ceiling stops at 5th-level spells for its entire career.
Class Features
Magical Tinkering (1st Level) ●
With tinker's tools or another artisan's tool in hand, touch a Tiny nonmagical object as an action and give it one of four properties: it sheds dim light, it plays a recorded 6-second message when tapped, it emits a chosen sound or odor, or it displays a static visual effect (a picture, up to 25 words of text, or lines and shapes). The property lasts indefinitely until you end it as an action, and you can affect a number of objects at once equal to your INT modifier (minimum one). This is the class's flavor-forward opening feature, not a combat tool: it earns its keep for signaling, marking, and low-stakes utility (a silent recorded warning, a lit token for a dark room, a forged-looking seal), but it deals no damage and grants no mechanical bonus on its own. Rated Green for how often a clever player finds a use for it, not for raw power.
Spellcasting (1st Level) ●
Full prepared-caster access to the Artificer spell list, entirely reprinted PHB and Xanathar's Guide to Everything spells with no new spell text introduced by this class. You know 2 cantrips at 1st level, climbing to 4 by 14th, and you can swap one cantrip per level gained. Spell slots reach 1st-level at 1st, 2nd-level at 3rd, 3rd-level at 9th, 4th-level at 13th, and 5th-level (the class's ceiling) at 17th. Because the prepared-spell count is INT modifier + half level rounded down, a 5th-level Artificer with INT 14 (+2) prepares 4 spells total, noticeably fewer than a full caster's list, which is exactly why each pick matters more here than on a Wizard or Cleric. The dedicated spell-selection guide (best-artificer-spells) covers ritual-heavy utility picks and infusion-pairing choices in depth.
Infuse Item / Infusions Known (2nd Level) ●
The class's signature feature. You learn 4 artificer infusions at 2nd level from the Artificer Infusions list (full list and ratings below), and you learn more as you level per the Infusions Known column. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can touch a nonmagical object matching one of your known infusions' requirements and turn it into a magic item; if it needs attunement, you can attune to it the instant you infuse it. You can have a limited number of infusions active at once (the Infused Items column), and you can swap one known infusion for a different one whenever you gain a level. An infusion's magic vanishes if you die (after a number of days equal to your INT modifier, minimum 1) or if you give up your knowledge of it for a different infusion. See the Infusion Selection Strategy section below for the full comparison table and a level-by-level plan.
Artificer Specialist (3rd Level) ●
At 3rd level, choose Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, or Battle Smith. This choice grants a bonus, always-prepared spell list (that does not count against your normal prepared-spell total) plus features at 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 15th level. See the Specialists section below for a full comparison; each specialist gets its own dedicated guide.
The Right Tool for the Job (3rd Level) ●
With tinker's tools in hand, spend 1 hour of uninterrupted work (which can coincide with a short or long rest) to magically create one set of artisan's tools in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. The tools are nonmagical and vanish the next time you use this feature. This solves a narrow but real problem: never being locked out of a downtime check because you lack the specific tool proficiency's kit, at the cost of an hour of prep time. A real help for a party without a dedicated crafter, situational everywhere else.
Ability Score Improvement (4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 19th Level)
Standard ASI progression: +2 to one ability score, or +1 to two, at each listed level, never exceeding 20. Push Intelligence first; see Ability Scores below.
Tool Expertise (6th Level) ●
Your proficiency bonus doubles on any ability check using a tool you are proficient with. Combined with the class's baseline thieves' tools, tinker's tools, and specialist tool proficiency, this makes an Artificer the party's best lockpicker, best trap-disarmer, and best crafter by a wide margin from 6th level on. At 6th level (+3 proficiency, doubled to +6) plus a typical +3 INT/DEX modifier, that is a +9 on thieves' tools checks against locks and traps most other classes cannot reliably beat.
Flash of Genius (7th Level) ●
Reaction: add your INT modifier to an ability check or saving throw made by you or any creature you can see within 30 feet. Uses equal to your INT modifier per long rest (minimum once). This is the Artificer's signature party-support reaction, a renewable, no-slot-cost bonus that can save a failed Concentration save, a party member's death save-adjacent skill check, or a crucial group Stealth roll. At INT 18 (+4), that is 4 uses of a flat +4 to any roll within 30 feet, every long rest.
Magic Item Adept (10th Level) ●
Attune to up to 4 magic items at once (up from the standard 3). Crafting a common or uncommon magic item costs a quarter of the normal time and half the normal gold. The attunement bump matters immediately for a build wearing several infused items plus found magic gear; the crafting discount matters most in campaigns with real downtime and gold to spend.
Spell-Storing Item (11th Level) ●
On a long rest, store a 1st- or 2nd-level artificer spell that requires 1 action to cast into a simple or martial weapon or a spellcasting-focus item you can touch (you needn't have it prepared). While holding it, any creature can spend an action to trigger the stored spell using your spellcasting modifier, usable a number of times equal to twice your INT modifier (minimum twice) before the charge runs out or you restore it on your next long rest. This effectively hands a non-caster ally a usable spell for free: storing Cure Wounds in the party Fighter's sword, or Absorb Elements in a front-liner's shield, extends the Artificer's spell list to characters who otherwise have none.
Magic Item Savant (14th Level) ●
Attune to up to 5 magic items at once, and ignore all class, race, spell, and level requirements on attuning to or using a magic item. This is the point where the Artificer can pick up and use anything the party finds, a Paladin-restricted holy weapon, a Wizard-only staff, no longer matters to this character.
Magic Item Master (18th Level) ●
Attune to up to 6 magic items at once. A straightforward continuation of Magic Item Adept and Magic Item Savant's attunement scaling.
Soul of Artifice (20th Level) ●
Gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws per magic item you are currently attuned to (up to +6 with the full 20th-level attunement cap). If reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, use your reaction to end one of your infusions instead of dropping to 0, landing at 1 hit point instead. A capstone that rewards the class's entire "wear and carry lots of magic items" identity with a huge, always-on saving-throw bonus and a once-per-infusion near-death save.
Ability Scores
Standard Artificer priority:
| Ability | Score | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| INT | 17 (15+2 racial) | Spell save DC, attack modifier, prepared-spell count, tool-check bonus |
| CON | 14 | HP, Concentration saves |
| DEX | 14 | AC (light/medium armor), initiative |
| WIS | 12 | Perception, WIS saves |
| CHA | 10 | Social, dump if not needed |
| STR | 8 | Dump unless Battle Smith melee build |
● INT: Everything the class does keys off this: spell save DC, spell attack rolls, prepared-spell count (INT mod + half level), and Tool Expertise checks. Push to 20 as fast as ASIs allow.
● CON: d8 hit die and a class that frequently stands in melee range of its own Eldritch Cannon or Steel Defender needs the HP and Concentration-save cushion.
● DEX: Feeds AC in light or medium armor (the class's proficiency ceiling) and initiative. A Battle Smith planning to fight with a magic weapon using INT for attack rolls (via Battle Ready) can deprioritize DEX slightly further than Alchemist or Artillerist.
Infusion Selection Strategy
Infusions are the Artificer's core repeatable build decision: you re-evaluate your known infusions every level-up and re-evaluate which of them are actually infused into objects every long rest. Two things drive the decision differently than a normal magic-item pickup: infusions are known ahead of the items that will receive them (you can infuse the same infusion into a different physical object each long rest), and several infusions scale automatically at 10th level without spending a new infusion slot.
| Infusion | Item Type | Attunement | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhanced Weapon | Simple or martial weapon | No | ● | +1 to attack and damage (scaling to +2 at 10th), no attunement cost, works on any weapon proficiency in the party. The single most reliable early pick. |
| Enhanced Defense | Armor or shield | No | ● | +1 AC (scaling to +2 at 10th), no attunement cost. Put it on your own armor or a front-liner's; either use is strong. |
| Enhanced Arcane Focus | Rod, staff, or wand | Yes | ● | +1 spell attack (scaling to +2 at 10th) and ignores half cover on spell attacks. Only useful if you or an ally has a spell-attack-based caster identity; skip in an all-melee party. |
| Homunculus Servant | Gem worth 100+ gp or a dragonshard | No | ● | Prerequisite 6th level. A permanent, renewable construct companion with its own attack and reaction (Channel Magic, delivering your touch spells through it). Strong scouting, action-economy, and touch-spell-delivery value for the rest of the class's career. |
| Repeating Shot | Ammunition weapon | Yes | ● | +1 attack and damage on ranged attacks (no scaling clause), ignores loading, and produces its own ammunition. Removes an entire logistics category (buying and carrying ammo) for a ranged-focused build. |
| Radiant Weapon | Simple or martial weapon | Yes | ● | Prerequisite 6th level. +1 attack and damage, a bright-light utility toggle, and 4 charges of a reaction blind on being hit. A strong weapon pick once the level requirement clears, competing directly with Enhanced Weapon for the same item slot. |
| Boots of the Winding Path | Boots | Yes | ● | Prerequisite 6th level. Bonus-action 15-foot teleport to a space you occupied this turn. Cheap, renewable repositioning with no spell-slot cost; strong for a squishier Alchemist or Artillerist who needs to kite. |
| Repulsion Shield | Shield | Yes | ● | Prerequisite 6th level. +1 AC plus 4 charges of a reactive 15-foot push on being hit in melee. Solid defensive pick for a front-line build, but competes with Enhanced Defense for the same shield slot and only pays off in melee-heavy fights. |
| Resistant Armor | Armor | Yes | ● | Prerequisite 6th level. Resistance to one damage type of your choice, chosen at infusion time. Situational by nature: strong against a known upcoming threat, dead weight against an unknown one. |
| Returning Weapon | Thrown weapon | No | ● | +1 attack and damage plus auto-return after a thrown attack. Narrow: only useful for a build actually using thrown weapons as its primary attack, which is uncommon on this class. |
| Replicate Magic Item | Varies (see Replicable Items tables) | Varies | ● | Can be learned multiple times, once per magic item chosen. This is where most of the class's real magic-item variety lives; see the leveled tables below. |
A workable default 2nd-level spread: Enhanced Weapon (party or self damage floor), Enhanced Defense (party or self AC floor), one Replicate Magic Item pick that solves a logistics gap (Bag of Holding for storage, Sending Stones for party communication), and one flexible fourth slot you swap based on the campaign (Wand of Magic Detection for a dungeon-heavy game, Rope of Climbing for exploration-heavy games). Because you can swap one infusion per level, treat this as a starting point rather than a locked build.
At 6th level, the level-gated infusions (Boots of the Winding Path, Homunculus Servant, Radiant Weapon, Repulsion Shield, Resistant Armor) all unlock simultaneously, and this is the point most Artificer builds meaningfully diverge from each other based on party role.
Playing the Infusion Economy in Practice
The mechanical trap most new Artificer players fall into is treating Infuse Item like a one-time equipment screen: pick four infusions at 2nd level, slot them into four items, and never revisit the choice. That wastes the feature's actual design. Infusions Known and Infused Items are deliberately different numbers specifically so you carry a wider toolkit than you can deploy on any single day, and the deployment decision resets every long rest at zero cost. A party about to spend a week crossing open water wants Cap of Water Breathing or Cloak of the Manta Ray infused; the same party about to breach a fortified keep wants Enhanced Weapon and Enhanced Defense on the front line instead. Swapping which known infusion is currently active costs nothing beyond the long rest you were taking anyway, so there's no reason to leave a situational infusion sitting idle in your known list while a more relevant one goes unused.
The other common mistake is under-investing in Replicate Magic Item because its individual entries look weaker than the flashier standalone infusions. That undersells the category: Replicate Magic Item is the only infusion type that can be learned multiple times, which means a single Artificer can eventually carry three or four different Replicable Items simultaneously (subject to the Infused Items cap) alongside their combat-focused infusions. A 10th-level Artificer running Enhanced Weapon, Enhanced Defense, and two Replicable Items (say, Headband of Intellect for a struggling INT stat and Cloak of Protection for a fragile party member) is getting more total party value per long rest than a build that ignored the Replicable Items tables entirely in favor of only the named standalone infusions.
Full Artificer Infusions List
Every infusion an Artificer can learn, confirmed directly from the class's Artificer Infusions section across both Eberron: Rising from the Last War and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything:
- Arcane Propulsion Armor (14th-level prerequisite, a suit of armor, requires attunement) — Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Walking speed increases by 5 feet; the armor's gauntlets are magic melee weapons dealing 1d8 force damage with a thrown property (20/60 ft.) that return to the wearer after being thrown; the armor can't be removed against the wearer's will and replaces missing limbs.
- Armor of Magical Strength (a suit of armor, requires attunement) — Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The armor has 6 charges. Expend 1 to add your Intelligence modifier to a Strength check or saving throw, or to avoid being knocked prone. Regains 1d6 charges daily at dawn.
- Boots of the Winding Path (6th-level prerequisite, boots, requires attunement) — Bonus action teleport up to 15 feet to a space occupied earlier in the same turn.
- Enhanced Arcane Focus (rod, staff, or wand, requires attunement) — +1 (then +2 at 10th level) to spell attack rolls; ignores half cover on spell attacks.
- Enhanced Defense (armor or shield) — +1 (then +2 at 10th level) bonus to Armor Class.
- Enhanced Weapon (simple or martial weapon) — +1 (then +2 at 10th level) bonus to attack and damage rolls.
- Helm of Awareness (10th-level prerequisite, a helmet, requires attunement) — Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Advantage on initiative rolls; the wearer can't be surprised unless incapacitated.
- Homunculus Servant (6th-level prerequisite, gem worth 100+ gp or a dragonshard) — Creates a permanent Tiny construct companion with its own stat block, attack, and Channel Magic reaction.
- Radiant Weapon (6th-level prerequisite, simple or martial weapon, requires attunement) — +1 attack and damage, a light-emission toggle, and 4 charges of a blind-on-hit reaction.
- Repeating Shot (ammunition weapon, requires attunement) — +1 attack and damage on ranged attacks, ignores loading, produces its own ammunition.
- Replicate Magic Item (varies, can be learned multiple times) — Replicate a specific magic item chosen from the Replicable Items tables below.
- Repulsion Shield (6th-level prerequisite, shield, requires attunement) — +1 AC and 4 charges of a reactive 15-foot push on a melee hit.
- Resistant Armor (6th-level prerequisite, armor, requires attunement) — Resistance to one damage type chosen at infusion time (acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder).
- Returning Weapon (thrown weapon) — +1 attack and damage, returns to hand after a ranged attack.
- Spell-Refueling Ring (6th-level prerequisite, a ring, requires attunement) — Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. As an action, recover one expended spell slot of 3rd level or lower. Usable once per day, refreshing at dawn.
All 15 infusions above are legal for a 2014-rules Artificer; the four marked Tasha's Cauldron of Everything were added by that book and are not present in the Eberron-only infusion list.
Replicable Items By Level
Replicate Magic Item's actual pool is level-gated. The Artificer must be at least the listed level to choose an item from that tier; items marked "Yes" require attunement.
2nd-Level Artificer: Alchemy Jug (No), Armblade (Yes, described in the source's Chapter 5 Eberron item list), Bag of Holding (No), Cap of Water Breathing (No), Goggles of Night (No), Prosthetic Limb (Yes, Chapter 5), Rope of Climbing (No), Sending Stones (No), Wand of Magic Detection (No), Wand of Secrets (No).
6th-Level Artificer: Boots of Elvenkind (No), Cloak of Elvenkind (Yes), Cloak of the Manta Ray (No), Eyes of Charming (Yes), Gloves of Thievery (No), Lantern of Revealing (No), Pipes of Haunting (No), Ring of Water Walking (No), Wand Sheath (Yes, Chapter 5).
10th-Level Artificer: Boots of Striding and Springing (Yes), Boots of the Winterlands (Yes), Bracers of Archery (Yes), Brooch of Shielding (Yes), Cloak of Protection (Yes), Eyes of the Eagle (Yes), Gauntlets of Ogre Power (Yes), Gloves of Missile Snaring (Yes), Gloves of Swimming and Climbing (Yes), Hat of Disguise (Yes), Headband of Intellect (Yes), Helm of Telepathy (Yes), Medallion of Thoughts (Yes), Periapt of Wound Closure (Yes), Pipes of the Sewers (Yes), Quiver of Ehlonna (No), Ring of Jumping (Yes), Ring of Mind Shielding (Yes), Slippers of Spider Climbing (Yes), Ventilating Lung (Yes, Chapter 5), Winged Boots (Yes).
14th-Level Artificer: Amulet of Health (Yes), Arcane Propulsion Arm (Yes, Chapter 5), Belt of Hill Giant Strength (Yes), Boots of Levitation (Yes), Boots of Speed (Yes), Bracers of Defense (Yes), Cloak of the Bat (Yes), Dimensional Shackles (No), Gem of Seeing (Yes), Horn of Blasting (No), Ring of Free Action (Yes), Ring of Protection (Yes), Ring of the Ram (Yes).
Note that the Xanathar's Guide to Everything common-rarity items are also legal picks for Replicate Magic Item per the source text, if that book is in use at the table. For general item mechanics beyond what's Artificer-specific, see the D&D 5e 2014 Magic Items Guide; several Replicable Items above (Armblade, Prosthetic Limb, Wand Sheath, Ventilating Lung, Arcane Propulsion Arm) are Eberron-original items detailed in that source's own item chapter.
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Start BuildingSpecialists
At 3rd level every Artificer chooses one of four Specialists: Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist or Battle Smith. All four are compared in depth, feature by feature, in the D&D 5e Artificer Subclasses Guide.
All four grant two always-prepared spells at 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th and 17th level that do not count against your prepared total, plus features at 3rd, 5th, 9th and 15th level. The short version: only Battle Smith and Armorer grant Extra Attack, so the specialist decides whether you are a weapon user at all.
| Specialist | Source | Extra Attack | What it gives you | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battle Smith | ERLW | Yes, 5th | A construct companion and INT weapons | ● |
| Armorer | TCoE | Yes, 5th | Heavy armor and a weapon in your body | ● |
| Artillerist | ERLW | No | A cannon, plus Shield and Fireball free | ● |
| Alchemist | ERLW | No | Healing, elixirs and condition removal | ● |
The Steel Defender is Battle Smith-specific. It comes from that specialist's own 3rd-level feature, not the base class table; Alchemist, Armorer and Artillerist never gain one. It is a Medium construct with AC 15 and hit points equal to 2 + your Intelligence modifier + five times your Artificer level.
Races
The Artificer is entirely INT-primary for its spellcasting, so races with an Intelligence bonus or an Intelligence-adjacent trait package read strongly here.
● Gnome: +2 INT baseline plus Gnome Cunning (advantage on all INT, WIS, and CHA saves against magic), a defensive package that directly covers the class's own spell save DC and its Concentration-adjacent WIS/CHA vulnerabilities. Rock Gnome's Artificer's Lore trait (double proficiency on magic-item-related History checks) is thematically redundant with, but mechanically stacks cleanly alongside, the class's own Tool Expertise.
● Vedalken: +2 INT, Vedalken Dispassion (advantage on all WIS and CHA saves, no magic qualifier required, stronger than Gnome Cunning's "against magic" clause), and Tireless Precision (add a d4 to one ability check using a skill or tool you're proficient with, once per short rest). Tireless Precision overlaps directly with the class's tool-based identity, and Vedalken Dispassion covers the WIS/CHA saves nothing else in the Artificer's own kit touches. One of the two best race pairings for this class.
● Warforged: +2 CON, +1 any (put the +1 in Intelligence), Constructed Resilience (poison advantage and resistance, no need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep, disease immunity), and Integrated Protection (a flat +1 AC that stacks on top of the class's own light or medium armor proficiency). The thematic fit is the tightest of any pairing in this book, a magic-as-technology class riding a living-construct chassis, and the free +1 into Intelligence means the race never fights the class's stat priorities the way a fixed-bonus race can.
● Kalashtar: +2 WIS, +1 CHA is the wrong stat split for a pure Artificer build (neither bonus feeds Intelligence), but Dual Mind (advantage on all WIS saves) and Mental Discipline (psychic resistance) are strong defensive traits for a squishy INT-caster chassis regardless of what feeds its spellcasting. Best on a Kalashtar Artificer willing to run a slightly lower Intelligence in exchange for a very strong saving-throw floor, or on a multiclass build layering a few levels of Artificer onto a WIS-primary chassis.
● Mountain Dwarf: +2 STR, +2 CON is not an Intelligence bonus at all, but Dwarven Armor Training grants free medium armor proficiency the class already has, and the flat CON bonus and Dwarven Resilience (poison advantage and resistance) build an unusually tanky INT-caster chassis. The Mountain Dwarf Wizard / Artificer multiclass note appears elsewhere in this library specifically because medium armor plus the Artificer's own AC-boosting infusions produces a caster sitting at 17+ AC from very early levels.
● Variant Human: +1 to two stats of choice (INT and CON, or INT and DEX) plus a 1st-level feat. War Caster at level 1 protects the class's own Concentration spells from the moment play starts, and the flexible +1s let a build hit INT 17 immediately without waiting on an ASI.
● High Elf: +2 DEX, +1 INT is a smaller Intelligence bonus than Gnome or Vedalken offer, but the free wizard cantrip and Fey Ancestry's charm advantage both matter, and the DEX bonus feeds the class's AC and initiative. Functional, not best-in-class.
Skills
Artificers choose 2 from: Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Sleight of Hand.
● Investigation: INT-based. The class's own spellcasting stat feeds this directly, and it's the most thematically dense pick, examining devices, spotting traps, and reading magical mechanisms.
● Arcana: INT-based. Identifying spells, magic items, and planar phenomena, useful in any campaign that features unfamiliar magic.
● Perception: WIS-based but essential regardless of class. An Artificer without it relies entirely on party members to catch ambushes and hidden threats.
● Sleight of Hand: DEX-based. Useful for an Artificer who also wants to lean on thieves' tools proficiency for lockpicking and trap disarming, less useful otherwise.
● Medicine: WIS-based. Rarely a priority pick for a class whose Alchemist specialist already covers a chunk of the party's healing needs through spells and elixirs rather than skill checks, but a reasonable third or fourth choice for a build built specifically around a field-medic identity.
Between Tool Expertise (6th level, doubles the proficiency bonus on any tool check) and the class's own baseline thieves' tools and tinker's tools proficiency, an Artificer's non-Skill toolkit is frequently worth more at the table than its two chosen skills. Don't overlook the tool-check side of the character sheet when planning what this class is actually good at outside combat.
Backgrounds
For a full ranking of all 13 PHB backgrounds and how each compares outside this class, see the D&D 5e 2014 Backgrounds Guide.
● Guild Artisan: The book's own Quick Build recommendation. Matches an artisan's tools proficiency directly to the class's tool-based identity, and the guild membership gives a natural in-world reason for an Artificer's workshop connections.
● Sage: Arcana and History, both INT-based skills that reinforce the class's spellcasting stat, plus a researcher's identity that fits the "arcane science" framing of the class's own flavor text.
● Outlander: Athletics and Survival, less thematically tight but a solid pick for an Artificer built as a frontier-exploring inventor rather than a city workshop tinkerer, matching the class's own "seekers of new lore" framing.
Feats
● War Caster: Concentration advantage and a spell-as-opportunity-attack option. An Artificer's Concentration spells (Faerie Fire, Haste, and several specialist bonus spells) benefit the same way any caster's does.
● Resilient (Wisdom or Charisma): The Artificer's saving-throw proficiencies (CON, INT) leave WIS and CHA fully exposed, exactly the two saves most charm, fear, and dominate effects target. Resilient closes whichever of those two gaps a build's race doesn't already cover.
● Alert: +5 initiative matters for a class that wants its Eldritch Cannon, Steel Defender, or infusion-boosted attacks online before the enemy gets a turn.
● Moderately Armored: Heavy armor proficiency plus a +1 to STR or DEX, useful only for a build actively working around the class's medium-armor cap rather than embracing it.
For the complete feat priority list by level, see our Best Feats for Artificer guide. For the complete spell priority list by level, see our Best Artificer Spells guide.
Weapons
● Light Crossbow: The class's own starting-equipment default. Simple-weapon proficiency plus range makes it a reliable no-investment ranged option for any specialist.
● Battle Smith's magic weapon (via Battle Ready): Once a Battle Smith gains Battle Ready at 3rd level, any magic weapon can use INT instead of STR or DEX for attack and damage, turning a melee weapon into a viable primary attack option without splitting stat investment.
● Enhanced Weapon or Radiant Weapon-infused weapon: Either infusion turns a mundane simple or martial weapon into a +1 (or +2 at 10th level) magic weapon for whoever wields it, Artificer or ally.
● Martial weapons without Battle Smith: Alchemist, Armorer, and Artillerist gain no martial weapon proficiency from the base class or their specialist, so a non-Battle-Smith Artificer using a martial weapon is fighting without proficiency unless a feat or multiclass level grants it. The Armorer works around this with its Arcane Armor's built-in weapons, which count as simple weapons.
Armor
● Medium Armor + Enhanced Defense infusion: The class's own medium armor proficiency plus a self-infused +1 (or +2 at 10th) AC infusion produces a strong AC floor without spending a feat or multiclass level on armor training.
● Shield: Full shield proficiency from the base class table, stacking with any armor choice for another +2 AC.
● Light armor only: Functional but leaves AC on the table compared to medium armor, relevant mainly for a build that wants to stay under a specific STR threshold for movement reasons.
Multiclassing
Multiclassing requirement: Intelligence 13.
● Artificer X / Wizard 1-2: Both classes share Intelligence as their casting stat, so the multiclass never fights its own ability scores. A short Wizard dip adds Arcane Recovery (a free short-rest refresh of spent spell slots) on top of the Artificer's own infusion economy.
● Artificer X / Fighter 1-2: A Fighting Style and Action Surge cost only 1-2 levels and don't compete with the Artificer's own spellcasting progression much, since spell slots lag behind character level on a multiclass anyway.
● Artificer X / Rogue 1-3: Expertise doubles proficiency on two skills, stacking conceptually (though not mechanically identically) with the Artificer's own Tool Expertise, and Sneak Attack adds damage a low-slot Artificer otherwise lacks in melee or with a ranged weapon.
● Artificer X / Cleric or Druid dip: WIS-based multiclasses fight the Artificer's INT investment directly and are rarely worth the stat split unless the build specifically wants a WIS-keyed race like Kalashtar carrying both halves.
Note the class-wide multiclassing rules the source calls out explicitly: taking a level of Artificer as a secondary class grants light armor, medium armor, shields, thieves' tools, and tinker's tools proficiency, and multiclass spell slots are calculated by adding half your Artificer levels (rounded up) to the appropriate levels from your other spellcasting classes, the same half-caster-style math a Paladin or Ranger multiclass uses rather than a full-caster's whole-level count.
Example Build: The Battle Smith Bulwark (Warforged Artificer, Levels 1-11)
| Level | Key Gain | ASI/Feat |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magical Tinkering, Spellcasting | — |
| 2 | Infuse Item (4 infusions known, 2 infused items) | — |
| 3 | Battle Smith Specialist: Steel Defender, Battle Ready | — |
| 4 | Ability Score Improvement | INT 17 → 19 |
| 5 | Battle Smith feature: Extra Attack | — |
| 6 | Tool Expertise; 5 infusions known, 3 infused items | — |
| 7 | Flash of Genius | — |
| 8 | Ability Score Improvement | INT 19 → 20 |
| 9 | Battle Smith feature: Arcane Jolt | — |
| 10 | Magic Item Adept (infusion bonuses scale to +2) | — |
| 11 | Spell-Storing Item; 6 infusions known, 4 infused items | War Caster |
Race: Warforged (+2 CON, +1 INT, Constructed Resilience, Integrated Protection)
Starting Stats (Point Buy): INT 16 (+1=17), CON 15 (+2=17), DEX 14, WIS 12, CHA 10, STR 8
Infusions at 2nd level: Enhanced Weapon (on the Artificer's own weapon or a party front-liner's), Enhanced Defense (self shield), Repeating Shot (once a ranged weapon enters the loadout), Replicate Magic Item: Bag of Holding.
Tactics: Steel Defender arrives at 3rd level and immediately becomes a second body on the battlefield, sharing the Artificer's initiative and taking the Dodge action by default or a commanded action on a bonus action spend. Battle Ready lets the Artificer swing a magic weapon using Intelligence instead of Strength or Dexterity, so the same stat that drives spellcasting also drives melee damage, no split investment required. Integrated Protection's flat +1 AC stacks with the Enhanced Defense infusion and the class's own medium armor and shield proficiency for an AC total well above what most INT casters reach by 6th level. At 9th level, Arcane Jolt turns every hit (the Artificer's own or the Steel Defender's) into a choice between bonus force damage and a burst of healing for a nearby ally, giving this build real in-combat flexibility between offense and support depending on how the fight is going.
Common Mistakes
Treating the short prepared-spell list as the whole caster identity. An Artificer's prepared list (INT modifier + half level, rounded down) is shorter than a full caster's, but judging the class purely on that number ignores Magical Tinkering, the infusion system, specialist bonus spells (which don't count against the prepared total at all), and, from 11th level, Spell-Storing Item. A 9th-level Artificer with 5-6 prepared spells might be running a Homunculus Servant, three active infusions, and a specialist bonus spell list on top of that, meaningfully more total capability per round than the raw prepared-spell count suggests.
Forgetting that most infusions require a spellcasting-focus-eligible tool in hand to cast spells, but not to use. Once an item bears one of your infusions, it works as a spellcasting focus for you specifically, but the infusion's own effect (the AC bonus, the attack bonus, the companion) functions for whoever is wearing or wielding it, Artificer or ally, with no such requirement. Don't assume an infused item is somehow locked to the Artificer's own hands unless its specific text requires attunement by a particular creature.
Skipping Replicate Magic Item because the individual items look mundane next to Enhanced Weapon or Homunculus Servant. As covered above, Replicate Magic Item is the only infusion category that stacks with itself, learnable multiple times for different items. A build that only takes the flashy named infusions and ignores the Replicable Items tables is leaving a large fraction of the class's total toolkit on the table.
Building a non-Battle-Smith Artificer around martial weapons. Alchemist, Armorer, and Artillerist gain no martial weapon proficiency from the base class or their specialist. A build planning to fight in melee with a longsword or similar weapon needs either the Battle Smith specialization specifically, a feat that grants martial proficiency, or a multiclass dip; assuming any Artificer can pick up a martial weapon competently is a straightforward reading error on the class table.
FAQ
How many infusions can an Artificer know and use at once?
Infusions Known (how many total infusions you've learned) and Infused Items (how many can be active in objects simultaneously) are separate numbers. Infusions Known starts at 4 (2nd level) and reaches 8 by 19th level; Infused Items starts at 2 (2nd level) and reaches 6 by 19th level. You'll always know more infusions than you can have infused at once, which is what makes swapping infused objects on a long rest a real decision.
Which Artificer Specialist is the best pick for a first character?
Battle Smith is the most forgiving because Steel Defender gives a durable frontline body from 3rd level, buying room for a squishier caster build elsewhere. Armorer is a close second, trading the companion for heavy armor and an Intelligence-keyed built-in weapon. Alchemist is the strongest pure support pick for a party without a dedicated healer. Artillerist is the best fit for a ranged-damage identity. None is mechanically weak; the choice tracks which role your party is missing.
Is Steel Defender available to every Artificer or only Battle Smiths?
Steel Defender is Battle Smith-specific, granted by that specialization's own 3rd-level feature block rather than the base Artificer class table. Alchemist, Armorer, and Artillerist Artificers never gain one.
Does the Artificer get any spells that aren't in the Player's Handbook or Xanathar's Guide to Everything?
No. The full Artificer spell list is entirely reprinted PHB and Xanathar's Guide to Everything spells, spot-checked directly from the source. The class's distinct identity comes from the infusion and replicable-item subsystem layered on top of a conventional prepared-caster spell list, not from any new spell text.
Can an Artificer use spellcasting focuses other than tools?
Not by default. Magical Tinkering and Spellcasting both require thieves' tools or another proficient artisan's tool in hand to cast an artificer spell. Once Infuse Item arrives at 2nd level, any item currently bearing one of your infusions also works as a spellcasting focus.
Does an Artificer need to be attuned to an item to infuse it?
Only if the specific infusion requires attunement, which is noted individually for each infusion and each Replicable Item above. If it does require attunement, you can attune the instant you infuse it, skipping the normal short-rest attunement process entirely for that one act. If it doesn't require attunement (Enhanced Weapon, Enhanced Defense, several Replicable Items like Bag of Holding), the infused item functions immediately for anyone who picks it up, with no attunement step at all.
What happens to an infusion if the Artificer who created it dies?
The infusion doesn't vanish immediately. It persists in the item for a number of days equal to the Artificer's INT modifier (minimum 1 day) before fading. This gives a party a short window to either revive the Artificer or make other plans before a squad's worth of infused gear stops functioning all at once.
Final Notes
Hot Take: Most reads of this class treat the infusions as a slightly reskinned magic-item shopping list and miss that they're actually a resource-allocation puzzle disguised as one. The real decision isn't "which infusion is strongest," it's "which two of my four-to-eight known infusions do I actually infuse tonight, given tomorrow's plan." A build that treats Infuse Item like a one-time equipment screen instead of a nightly re-plan is leaving half the class's value on the table; the Artificer who wins the most value out of this system is the one asking "what does tomorrow look like" every single long rest, not the one who infused the same two items in session one and never touched the choice again.
The Artificer's identity holds together across all four specialists because the base chassis, prepared INT spellcasting layered under a long-rest infusion economy, does the same work regardless of whether the specialist adds an alchemical support kit, a suit of arcane armor, a battlefield cannon, or a steel companion. Gnome and Vedalken read as the strongest pure stat-and-save pairings; Warforged wins on theme and AC floor; Kalashtar and Mountain Dwarf both offer a different defensive profile for a build willing to trade a bit of raw Intelligence for it.
Pick a Specialist before locking in an ability-score plan past 3rd level, since Armorer and Battle Smith's Battle Ready meaningfully change what a build wants from Dexterity and Strength. Treat Infuse Item as a morning-of-the-adventuring-day decision, not a one-time equipment screen. And don't judge the class's spellcasting by its short prepared list alone, the infusions, Magical Tinkering, and (from 11th level) Spell-Storing Item are all doing real work alongside those few prepared spells every single encounter.
For a reader still deciding between this class and a more conventional INT caster, the honest comparison is against the Wizard, not against a martial class. Both are Intelligence-primary, both can wear the same spell save DC math, and both benefit from the same handful of races covered above. The Artificer trades the Wizard's larger spell list and ritual-heavy utility for a different toolkit: permanent-feeling gear the whole party can use, a companion or cannon depending on specialist, and a class-wide identity that survives long stretches without a single spell slot being spent at all. A campaign that leans on exploration, downtime crafting, and equipping a full party plays to the Artificer's strengths; a campaign built entirely around set-piece spell-slot nova turns plays closer to the Wizard's. Most tables run somewhere between the two, which is exactly why this class reads as a strong, flexible pick rather than a narrow specialist option.
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