There isn't any Paizo artificer class, however 3PPs have produced various analogues to it. There's the Artificer by Adamant Entertainment which is the most faithful version of the class, the Tinker class by Interjection Games and the Machinesmith class by Louis Porter Jr Design. But yeah, a Paizo one would be nice for PFS players and to get continual support in Paizo's future products. Although thematically speaking the Alchemist has always felt similar to me and would make a wonderful archetype for the alchemist.
There's the Artificer by Adamant Entertainment which is the most faithful version of the class
Eh, doesn't even have something to replicate the main combat ability of the artificer, infusions. It's "a" artificer class, but out of combat it can craft items like a wizard... in combat it's a really weak version of a wizard.
Although thematically speaking the Alchemist has always felt similar to me and would make a wonderful archetype for the alchemist.
Well... since you'd have to replace every ability of the alchemist since none of them really fit an alchemist, that probably would be a new class rather than an archetype.
Yes it is a pretty popular concept - see Cheapy's list of Artificer classes...
I think the Artificer was a very fun class to play in 3.5 and I would love to see an official Pathfinder version of the Artificer.
Adding a "Contact Infusion" discovery to the Alchemist would be a very simple way of matching the Artificer. Make a ranged touch attack with an infusion and have it apply to the target, a willing creature can have it applied as a no fail melee touch.
You would need to add some of the weapon and armor enchants to the alchemist spell list but that could be done either by the discovery or by making an archetype that includes the discovery. Adding item creation feats as discoveries and the master craftsman feat to the Archetype would finish the conversion possibly exchanging the entire item creation line for bombs. Could trade out mutagen and poison features for an Inevitable Unchained Summoner Eidolon that is not an outsider and is always there but must be repaired or rebuilt.
The only real thing missing would be a way to reuse magic items but in our table games we have created a 3rd level spell with 1 hour cast time that can turn a held magic item into 50% of its value in diamond dust or transfers the enchantments from one legal target to another held legal target for 10% of its base cost in diamond dust. It helps with stream lining treasure.
... but aren't basically all of the alchemists spells personal buffs. Not really fitting for devices.
... but aren't basically all of the alchemists spells personal buffs. Not really fitting for devices.
I thought there was a discovery to let others benefit from your extracts.
... but aren't basically all of the alchemists spells personal buffs. Not really fitting for devices.I thought there was a discovery to let others benefit from your extracts.
That discovery turns your personal buffs into potions that give buffs. Not really the type of things I imagine with an inventor character that isn't a chemist.
I mean, you can't even build a weapon with it.
I'm going to ask "Why?"
Not trying to be insulting or sarcastic, I want to know what ability it had that another class doesn't give you at least as well.
The only really big things I remember were:
1) Consuming a magic item to put the magic in something else. (Which in my opinion and assuming we were actually doing it correctly by the rules, was horrifically overpowered.)
2) Making magic items without an XP cost. Which doesn't exist in PF to my sorrow.
3) Being able to make any kind of magic item. Which most anyone can do with some assistance and/or a good skill check.
A friend of mine always wanted to play an artificer, since it was one of his favorite characters umpteen years ago. He agreed that 1) above was too powerful and didn't want that. He made and found a bunch of conversions for the artificer. Every one of them was either way too powerful (he agreed since they dominated everything) or extremely underwhelming.
Everything else he said he wanted the class to do, could be done better by just a vanilla wizard, alchemist, or bard. I was never able to figure out exactly what he was looking for, so I was never able to help him find/create it.
I want it to be able to X, Y, and Z.
Ok, here's a wizard that does that better.
Well, yeah I guess that's not really it. It needs to be able to U, V, and W instead.
Oh, your describing a bard's abilities along with a high UMD.
No, no, no. I mean it needs R, S, and T.
How is that different than an alchemist?
Etc...
Why would an Artificer / engineer like class be unusable in PFS?
I think he's saying that because crafting is disallowed in PFS, and crafting magic items is normally the focus of artificer classes. Though, I don't think PFS would stop the design team, vigilante is a mess if PFS because of how it's renown and social identity works but the design team still made it anyway since there is more to PF than PFS.
o.O It's the concept rather than the abilities necessarily. The CONCEPT of an engineer who makes gadgets and gizmos as well as being able to upgrade armor or weapons temporarily. I think it would be awesome to create something like... a turret. =P
LOL! Everyone is always telling me to ignore the name. Come up with the build that gives the abilities to fulfill the concept you want. The old "Don't play a rogue; play a sneaky ranger, bard, or ninja since they all do the concept better" argument.
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There isn't any Paizo artificer class, however 3PPs have produced various analogues to it. There's the Artificer by Adamant Entertainment which is the most faithful version of the class, the Tinker class by Interjection Games and the Machinesmith class by Louis Porter Jr Design. But yeah, a Paizo one would be nice for PFS players and to get continual support in Paizo's future products. Although thematically speaking the Alchemist has always felt similar to me and would make a wonderful archetype for the alchemist.This does not include the half dozen or so on the late PathfinderDB site. You're never going to see one from Paizo, because they would be totally unusable in PFS.
I heard that it was because they were in the Ebberon and Forgotten Realms setting books and the owners of those copyrights won't give them up. Won't swear to it, but that's what I heard.
Personally I like the Machine smith. It is simply a reflavouring of the Alchemist so mechanically it works but it feels so cool. The flesh wraith from them is also a cool alternate class from the machine smith.
Is the main purpose of the artificer to buff items in, or for, combat?
Is another important facet the construction and use of magic items?
Once the artificer is in combat, what role does it play? Tank? Striker? Buffer? De-Buffer? Archer (probably crossbow or gun)? Battlefield control? Blaster? A combination of these?
Vizier from Akashic Mysteries makes a rather good artificer, crafting abilities + the ability to form semi-existent magic items around yourself.