Summary
Artificers are in an interesting position when it comes to using magic. They are half-casters, meaning they have access to magic but also focus on other things to fight, similar to a paladin. Still, their magic repertoire is robust, whether it causes raw damage to enemies, heals allies, or offers other types of utility since you don’t have that many spell slots to begin with.
Thus, whether you’re an armorer, battle smith, alchemist, or artillerist,Dungeons & Dragonshas interesting options to make your character even more efficient. That said, it’s important to remember what your build will focus on, as we’ll give you options for multiple builds here.
11Cantrips
Freebie Spells
Unless your character focuses exclusively on their weapons, you’ll likelyuse cantrips often.Thus, between those and a few utility cantrips, there are a few options worth talking about:
10Cure Wounds
Safety First
Unless you’re an alchemist, you’re probably not the party’s healer. Still, having Cure Wounds ready to go just in case things don’t go as planned is a good thing. You may not be the healer, sure, but if the healer goes down, who’s putting them back up?
There’s also the fact that the 2024 Player’s Handbook has buffed healing spells, making Cure Wounds a more tempting option than ever. If you want to help allies but don’t want to waste too many spell slots, consider getting Spare The Dying, too.
9Faerie Fire
Hit Better
Faerie Fire is a classic spell, and while it demands a dexterity saving throw from enemies (which they’re usually good at), the effect is worth the risk, especially since you target multiple people. Basically, people within a certain area roll the saving throw, and if they fail, everyone will have advantage when attacking said target.
Advantage can make a lot of difference in a fight, and granting that to all your allies is great. Artificers are also good at maintaining concentration, so you’re a good class to trigger this spell.
8Feather Fall
Save Yourself
Feather Fall is a niche spell, but having at least one character able to use it, especially at early levels, is very helpful. You can save up to five creatures from taking fall damage, whether you and your friends are falling or you see someone falling.
Eventually, you may be able to ditch this one with things that let you fly, such as the spell or magical items you can make. Still, Feather Fall also allows you to take more risks in combat since falling won’t be a problem.
7Aid
More Health
Aid is another popular choice among healer characters, but you can get this one if your healers haven’t. It might also be helpful if the party is large since the effects of Aid are limited to three targets.
With Aid, your maximum health increases, and the higher the spell slot, the more health you get. you’re able to also stack this spell with temporary hit points, and your healers can further improve things with Heroes' Feast.
6Dispel Magic
Stop!
Not every artificer can have Counterspell, so Dispel Magic is as good as it gets. It can help you and your party go through magical obstacles throughout the journey by simply annulling your DM’s magical trap and ignoring their upcoming puzzle.
Even though it costs an action, you can use it efficiently in combat by ending a spell that the enemy has successfully triggered. Stopping an ongoing Slow, Hypnotic Pattern, or Fear, among others, can solve many problems.
5Haste
Go!
Though limited, Haste offers a second action to its target, among many other small perks. That alone makes any character far more fearsome in combat, and as stated before, you’re a good class to keep concentration going, so whether you haste yourself or someone else, it works.
It’s also particularly useful if you already have Extra Attack because now you’re able to trigger one more attack (not two, though) per round until Haste is over. Just be careful with the lethargy that comes once the spell ends.
4Revivify
Rise, My Friends
Take everything we said about Cure Wounds, but make it more dire. The one thing worse than a healer being down is a healer being dead. Therefore, having someone who can bring them back is a game-changer, especially if the DM is targeting the healer specifically because of their support.
There’s also the fact we’re talking about a third-level spell, so healers who tend to do all the revivifying themselves can end up running out of spell slots during hard fights, so you can revive someone they currently can not.
3Arcane Eye
Eye Spy
Though this one costs a high-level spell slot and is also a bit niche, it’s too powerful to ignore. You can use the Arcane Eye to easily spy on people at any distance, as long as you have the time to physically make the Eye go wherever you need it to.
It lasts an hour, so you can take your time adventuring as an invisible, flying eyeball. Only particularly powerful enemies will be able to notice it with ease, so you’re good most of the time.
2Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere
Entrap Or Protect
If you need to take an enemy alive, look no further. Trapping an enemy with this spell is effective, as almost nothing can destroy the sphere, and it’s also weightless, so you may carry the target around like it’s nothing. They can roll the sphere and move around, but their movement is halved as if they’re in difficult terrain.
Because no damage goes through (not even a Disintegrate spell that destroys the sphere but doesn’t harm the person inside), the sphere is also useful for protecting weak NPCs that are too close to the fight.
