Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything Artificer Guide | New 5E Options

The Artificer is 5E’s forgotten class. Introduced in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, the Artificer was kind of… left behind. WOTC made a cool idea, and then sort of forgot about it… That is, until the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Now, Artificer is an officially made class, and a valid option to any campaign. Because of that, you have a full Intelligence class to play around with, and don’t need to rely on Wizards! Check out what’s new in our Tasha’s Guide to Everything Artificer guide!

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything Artificer Guide

Because Wizards had to reintroduce Artificer in an official, non-location guide, the Artificer didn’t receive many changes. At least, compared to the original classes. They are however available to be played in almost any campaign; Forgotten Realms’ Island of Lantan trains artificers, and many tinkering gnomes from Dragonlance learn this art. Artificers are now canon in the two major worlds of 5E, which is stellar!

New Artificer Options

Tasha’s spent a ton of space reintroducing this incredibly unique class, and thus we don’t have quite the amount of variance compared to other classes. That being said, don’t worry! The Artificer did receive some changes to help it push through the early game and come out looking balanced.

New Spells

The artificer’s spell list is a little different than it was in Eberron. Not too much, of course, but enough that you might notice some changes. 

For example, the Artificer now has access to the “Blade” cantrips (Booming Blade and Green-flame Blade). These make a melee artificer much better, which is great for the multiple melee-oriented Artificer builds.

Cantrips

• Booming Blade
• Green-Flame Blade
• Lightning Lure
• Sword Burst

1st

• Grease
• Tasha’s Caustic Brew

3rd

• Intellect Fortress

4th

• Summon Construct

Nothing too insane, but I love the extra utility that the Artificer got!

Infusion Tweaks

A few Infusions got some level tweaks, or changed stats to work better for their level. There are only a few major infusion changes, similar to Spells. There are also a few new ones.

• Arcane Propulsion Armor: Level 14; movespeed increases by 5, get a ranged Force attack with the Thrown property, replaces lost limbs, and can’t be removed.
• Armor of Magical Strength: No level. 6 charges, spend a charge to add a bonus to Strength Checks or Saves equal to Intelligence. Or, spend 1 charge to avoid being knocked prone.
• Helm of Awareness: Level 10. Gives advantage on Initiative and can’t be surprised.
• Homunculus: Changed from level 6 to no level requirements. Otherwise unchanged, though it still requires 100 gp of investment. It is still a little hard to keep alive and is mostly good for scouting.
• Mind Sharpener: 4 charges, which can be used to automatically succeed a failed check to maintain concentration.
• Replicate Magic Item: There’s a few new magic items that can be replicated, mostly from Tasha’s Cauldron. Talk with your DM to know what exactly you can replicate, and look at the table.
• Spell Refueling Ring: 6th level. Once per day, you can use a reaction to recharge a spell of a slot level 3 and lower.

Cool new items, and only a few changes to bring Artificer’s options in balance.

New Subclass

There’s also a new subclass, snuggled in between the older Archetypes.

Armorer

The Armorer is an awesome defender or ranged damage archetype. It essentially gives the Artificer Arcane Propulsion Armor for free, which is a really cool buff. It lets the armorer quickly adapt to combat or stealth situations, and offers a few new infusion slots to work with. No longer does the Artificer need to feel bad for spending Infusions on itself! This might be the best Defender that the Artificer has access to; at least without relying on a pet!

Wrapping Up Our Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything Artificer Guide

The Artificer didn’t get much, but it’s now fully in the eye of Wizards of the Coast. That’s great news, and Tasha’s is the supplement to get if you want the new and fully improved Artificer. And don’t forget to check out our guide to New Subclasses in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything.