Quick Links
An artificer’s subclasses give them the flexibility to fill almost any role in aDungeons & Dragonsparty, able to effectively serve as tanks, damage dealers and utility casters. Better than any class, you’re able to change between these roles on the fly by improvising new items and abilities to match the situation.
The strategies for building them will differ depending on what you want to get out of the class, and this guide will focus on covering the main ways for building an artificer and then using them in play. There are also a couple of fun, if suboptimal builds for those looking to try a new spin on the class.
Updated June 02, 2025, by Sean Murray:Dungeons & Dragons has received new rules that can drastically change the way you start a new character. We’ve updated this guide to reflect these new options in D&D’s 2024 rules refresh, and also given this guide a few tweaks for improved formatting.
Best Ability Scores For An Artificer
Artificers overlap a lot with wizards on their ability scoresbut to treat them the same can be a dangerous mistake. Your inventor will spend a lot more time in close combat, and they’ll need to be able to defend themselves outside of simply casting spells effectively.
Intelligence
Intelligence is your top priority for any artificer. Your spellcasting relies on it, along with your class features. You should aim to get it to 20 through any combination of starting numbers, ability score improvements, and species bonuses.
Constitution
Constitution is the thin fleshly linebetween triumphantly surviving a deadly blow and exploding into a red mist. Itshares a priority with Dexterityin that it won’t help you with doing anything that looks cool but will keep you alive long enough for your other abilities to shine.More Constitution is always better, but if you find yourself regularly surviving combats you probably have enough.
Dexterity
Dexterity helps you survive long enough to use the Intelligence artificers are so proud of. Whether it’sdodging arrows or diving out of explosions, dexterity has your back. Withmedium armor, you’ll want to aim for 14 points of Dexterity.
If you’re using firearms you need Dexterityto increase your accuracy and damage (note that the Battle Smith can use their Intelligence modifier for attacks made with a magical weapon).
Certain subclasses and multiclassesare able to use heavyarmor. In that case, Dexterity is a lower prioritysince it won’t impact your AC. It will never hurt to have if you need to evade a grapple or an explosion, however.
Strength
Strength is just about the lowest priority for most artificers.Grapples you can evade with Dexterity, carry capacity can be ignored with a bag of holding, and theartificer infusion ‘armor of magical strength’can substitute your Strength for Intelligence in any skill check.
Wisdom
Wisdom has some of the most important saving throws and skill checks attached to it:Spells targeting Wisdom saves can stun you or even force you to attack your allies.Unfortunately, most characters only have the points to prioritize three ability scores, and Wisdom doesn’t beat Dexterity or Constitution in importance. YourFlash Of Genius feature lets you add intelligence to your Wisdom saves, bailing you out from mind control even with a low Wisdom score.
Charisma
Charisma saving throws are rarebut are also attached to some of the most debilitating effects in the game.A bad Charisma save can quite literally end a character, but you might also go an entire campaign without having to make one. In aggregateCharisma is a low priorityunless your GM has a track record of throwing out banishment spells.
Best Ability Scores
As noted above, you’ll definitely want Intelligence to be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution, and then Dexterity.Here’s how we suggest distributing your ability scoreswhile creating a new character using points buy and standard array starts.
10
13
14
15
12
8
Best Subclasses For Different Artificer Playstyles
Having a clear idea of what you want your character to be will help a lot with picking your subclass, but don’t feel the need to restrict yourself in pursuit of a specific character image: Artillerists aren’t the only subclass able to use guns, and alchemists don’t have a monopoly on crafting potions.Your subclass will represent a specialtybut not necessarily an exclusive focus.
Best For Large Parties: Artillerist
The Artillerist is all about gettingvalue for money out of AoE effects.Your subclass spells are almost all AoEs. Your eldritch cannon caneither provide area damage or area protection. These abilities will all see the most effect in alarge group that fights large groups of enemiesorwades through large numbers of small encounters.The cannons are cheap to replace as well. If one is destroyed, you may resummon with a single spell slot.
Artillerist is one of theeasiest artificer subclasses to flavor as being completely non-magical. Spells such as shatter and catapult can beflavored as using a firearmto fire scattershot or heavy slugs, respectively.
Best Team Player: Alchemist
Alchemists gain strong utility and better healing from theirExperimental Elixirs feature. You get arandom assortment at the end of a long rest but if you want to pick and choose you’ll need to spend spell slots.The advantage of the elixirs over their equivalent utility spells is the lack of concentration. An elixir of boldness affects a third as many people as the first-level spell Bless butcannot be interrupted.
A flight speed of 10ft per round won’t help your barbarian to chase down a griffin, but it can let an undexterous andsquishy wizard float gently through a room of trapswithout setting off any pressure plates (keep an eye open for tripwires though).
Even if one of the traps does hit them,there’s no risk of them losing the flight effectand falling into another, more dangerous trap.
The drawback of the Alchemist isthey rely the most on their teamin combat. Take care to not be caught alone or separated from your group.
Most Survivable: Armorer
Armorers can use more infusions than any other artificer but are the greediest about keeping them to themselves. You’re still a team player however: Yourthunder gauntlet provides a taunting effect that draws fire away from other team members, and your infiltrator armor meansyou won’t sabotage a grouped stealth check.
This subclass shines when used as a defensive combatant, but if you emphasize defense too strongly some enemies may lose interest and attack the easier targets you’re aiming to protect.
A fun way of playing an Armorer artificer is to add as many adjectives to your fist as possible. Guardian Mode Armor gives you theThunder Gauntlet.The Booming Blade cantrip upgrades this to theBooming Thunder Gauntlet.A radiant weapon infusion gives you theRadiant Booming Thunder Gauntlet.
Strongest All-Rounder: Battle Smith
This subclass combines thecore features of the Artillerist and Armorer while losing the specializations of both.you may use intelligence to attack with weapons,but lose access to heavy armor and the bonus infusions of an armorer.
The Steel Defender is able to better defend other peoplebut loses out on damage and is harder to revive than the replaceable cannons of an artificer.
Despite this, Battle Smiths do gain a notable piece of extra utility: The Battle Ready feature initially seems weaker than the Armorer’s intelligence weapons butcan be used with any magical weapon. In asetting that contains plentiful magic items,a Battle Smith has much higher potential. They are, however, moredependent on having a generous GM who is willing to hand out magic itemsas loot or make them available for purchase.
Best Species For An Artificer
Species options are very open in D&D Fifth Edition due to theexpanded rules for substituting ability score improvements. Not all tables play with this rule, though, and your characters’heritages can provide other boonsoutside an increase in intelligence.
Best Species For An Alchemist
Alchemists benefit from a heritage that lets them stretch their healing resources further. An autognome Alchemist is unable to heal from their own potions, but instead canspend hit dice to heal by casting the Mending cantrip on themselves.Having separate resources for healing yourself and others allows both to last longer.
The mechanicalresistance to poison and immunity to gaseous attackslet your Alchemist explore dangerous environments and weaponize them without risk to themselves.
Avoid the species that have ways of gaining temporary hit pointsas these will clash with the ones generated by your class elixirs.
Best Species For An Armorer
Goblin’sNimble Escape lets them disengage from combat as a bonus action. This pairs well with the thunder gauntlet and booming blade: Striking an enemy and then disengaging gives them disadvantage to attack other party members, encouraging them to follow you andactivate the secondary damage from booming blade by moving.
Gnome is a powerful, if unconventional option here: YourGnomish Cunning gives advantage on saving throws against magic. Fighting on the front lineyou’ll face these saving throws more often than a traditional artificer.There is also some fun imagery from a character three feet tall punching people from a mechanized suit.
Best Species For An Artillerist
The ability to carry your turret makesArtillerists shine brightest when they have extra mobility.Flying species can make use of more angles to aim their flamethrowers without hitting allies, as well as share the defensive boost provided by Fortified Position while still hovering comfortably out of melee reach. Two options stand out here:
Best Species For A Battle Smith
Similar to the Armorer, Battle Smiths thrive in melee. Their spell list is oriented arounddefensive buffs and aura spellsthat will see most use if they’re in the front lines often.
Hill dwarves gain extra hit points to survive longer, while mountain dwarves can ignore the strength requirements of armor.Both provide you an extra tool proficiency, which artificers always appreciate.
Best Multiclasses For An Artificer
Artificer and wizard share a problem when multiclassing: They’re the only two intelligence-focused classes. The overlapping utility of the two classes can also limit how much they can gain from each other. Despite that,artificer allows for some flavorful and powerful multiclassing options.
Armorer
Bladesinger Wizard
Bladesinger is a powerful choice that requires a big investment in dexterity.Bladesingers are unable to use their class features if wearing anything heavier than light armourmeaning your base Armor Class is lower than other armorers. The Bladesong rewards you by adding your intelligence to your AC.
Wizard alsogives you access to the shield spell,a notable absence from the armorer’s class list.
Artillerist
Forge Cleric
A single level of Forge Domain cleric grantsheavy armor proficiency and the Blessing Of The Forge abilitythat functions as an extra armor or weapon enhancement.Your spell list will expand with some cleric cantripsand first-level spells.
Artillerist struggles the most with multiclassing since you will rarely have an available bonus action to activate other class’s abilities.
Battle Smith
Fighter or Paladin
Battle Smiths can use any strength or Dexterity weapon with their Intelligence.A martial multiclass can give them more martial abilities,such as a fighting style, while still letting them use intelligence for accuracy and damage.
Fighter is a simple but reliable choice,giving features like action surge, that let you cast two spells in a turn.
Paladin delays the martial bonuses butgrants additional spellcasting levels and healing.
Alchemist
Warlock
Warlock provides a source of regenerating spell slots that lets you craft more elixirs after a short rest. With the right flavor explanation and a promise that you don’t combine Hexblade with Bladesinger, your GM may permit you to play a warlock that scales from Intelligence instead of Charisma. Even without it,you’re relying on the warlock more for their features than their spell list,so as long as youmeet the conditions for multiclass,this can pay off.
Thief Rogue
Thief rogueis another potential complement.The Fast Hands ability means you’re able to craft a potion with your action and then administer it with a bonus action.Alchemist struggles with the two actions taken to both craft and use a potion under normal circumstances, forcing non-thief alchemists topredict what potions they will need ahead of combat.
Best Backgrounds For An Artificer
Backgrounds in Fifth Edition are very malleable. The skills, tools, and languages they provide can all be substituted with GM permission, letting you pick largely based on the type of character you want to build. With that in mind, here are some options that can serve as scaffolding to build a character out from.
Wildspacer
This spacefaring background islimited to games in the Spelljammersetting but provides strong mechanical and narrative building blocks.An extra two hit points per level greatly increases your survivability,and a backstory where you were traumatized by a Space Clown or Beholdergives your GM a useful hook for future adventuresand character development.
House Agent
The high intelligence of artificers makes themfun to play as investigative characters. House agent is one background that lets you play them as inquisitive detectives, but you can achieve the same result with bounty hunter or spy backgrounds.
House Agent has useful narrative hooksspecific to the Eberron setting, where artificers are most prolific.
Hermit
The hermit background wasn’t written with artificers in mind butfits perfectly for the class: Years ago you made a great and powerful discovery that forced to enter seclusion. You’ll need tonegotiate with your GM as to what this discovery wasand how it impacts the character. Aim somewhere between academic trivia with no plot relevance and overwhelming secrets that would get a level one character killed instantly.
How To Play An Artificer In The 2024 Rules
Things haven’t changed too much for the artificer in D&D’s 2024 rules refresh. That said,some new starting options warrant discussingif you plan to play an artificer under the 2024 rules.
Background
When it comes to backgrounds, you’ll want topick one that lets you boost your Intelligencescore and offers a useful Origin Feat.
Easilythe best of the backgrounds in the 2024 Player’s Handbook is the sage. As a sage, you can increase both your Intelligence and Constitution scores, and you get the all-powerful Magic Initiate Origin Feat. This provides you with two extra cantrips and a level one spell, vastly improving the artificer’s magical options.
If your team lacks a skill cipher, then thescribe makes a decent option, letting you improve your Intelligence score while providing the Skilled Origin Feat. Thecriminal or guard backgrounds are also decentwith their Alert Origin Feats, as is the Merchant’s Lucky Origin Feat, but unless you have a compelling reason not to, stick with the sage background.
Theartisan background is generally not recommendedas the Crafter Origin Feat mostly provides features that you already have as an artificer.
Starting Equipment
The artificer’s standard starting equipment provides you with everything you’ll needto begin your artificer adventure. The sage’s starting equipment of a quarterstaff, book, parchment, and robe is generally useless to an artificer, so choose option B for some extra gold.
Species
It’s hard not to recommend human as the best speciesto play an artificer. Having an extra Origin Feat and an extra skill provides you with so many opportunities that just aren’t available to other species. The Toughness or Lucky Origin Feats are great to pair with the sage’s Magic Initiate feat for incredible early-game power.
Rock gnome is, perhaps unsurprisingly,another ideal choice for artificers. Mending is an essential cantrip for most artificers, and Gnomish Cunning makes you surprisingly tough in mage battles.
Moremelee-oriented artificers, such as the Armorer or Battle Smith,might find benefit in the goliath and orc traits.
Ability Scores
Your ability score priorities are no different in the 2024 rulesthan they were in the 2014 rules. Intelligence is your most important ability score, followed by Constitution, and then Dexterity. Use the suggested scores above to give yourself an ideal start.
Multiclass Options
Artificers are usually the class that other classes dip into rather than the other way around. That said, artificers can still receive some benefits with a level in another class.Check the chart in the preceding sectionfor the best potential multiclass options.
