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An [[Artificer]] is someone who makes artifacts.  Duh.
'''Artificer''' is the most common term used in fantasy games for a character archetype or class focused on the creation and use of gadgets and devices. Whether a pulp gadgeteer, a mad scientist, or even outright called an artficer, they're somebody defined by the way in which they can either use artifacts to fight or else their skill at making stuff.


''...''
Needless to say, artificers mostly tend to show up in [[steampunk]], [[dieselpunk]] or [[magitek]] settings.


Okay, I'll write an article.
==Dungeons & Dragons==
This archetype actually goes back a long way in [[Dungeons & Dragons]], all the way to the Sky[[gnomes]] of [[Mystara]]. The most "classical" D&D example, unfortunately, are the incredibly irritating Tinker Gnomes of [[Dragonlance]] - gnomes cursed by [[Reorx]] to constantly experiment with science, but never to actually achieve anything.


An [[Artificer]] is the gadget-maker in fantasy games. Nerds love 'em because they make quasi-scientific devices in a pre-Renaissance feudal setting, just so they can be magical without using magic.  Or maybe because they're [[furry]] for steampunk crap.
The archetype came into its own with the Artificer class in [[Eberron]]: as Eberron was built to explore the logical conclusions of D&Disms, magical engineers were a natural result, and this gave rise to the Artificer class. It was more or less an arcane buffer, using a complex ruleset called "Infusions" to temporarily enchant items and augment constructs, as well as being better at making magical items and creating construct sidekicks.


== Aritficers in WH40K ==
In [[Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition]], it came into its own as the Arcane Leader; embracing its status as the [[Wizard]]ly equivalent to the [[Cleric]], it specialized in healing spells and temporarily buffing armor & weapons, from giving your guys flaming swords to dispatch [[troll]]s to making your armor electrocute anybody trying to stab your ass.


In the grim darkness of [[40k|the future]], an artificer is a dude who sticks his dick into pieces of metal until they transform into a mastercrafted weapon or a suit of [[Pauldrons|artificer armour]].
In [[Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition]], initially, the Artificer was released as a new subclass for the [[Wizard]] in the "Eberron Update" official booklet. It was a source of much [[skub]], not only from the perceived downgrade, but because it simply wasn't very good. Then, to everybody's amazement, it got re-released as a new Int-based 1/3rd caster class in the January 9 2017 issue of Unearthed Arcane. In this case, it also doubles as an [[Alchemist]] or a [[Gunslinger]].


Ork [[Ork|mekboyz]] are kind of like artificers, in that they build stuff that should not work but does, but it only works when operated by other Orks due to the WAAAGHHH!!!
==Deadlands==
In [[Deadlands]] Classic, the Mad Scientist Arcane Background is essentially a [[magitek]] artificer, using inspiration secretly provided by demons and super-fuel compressed from damned souls to engineer all manner of impossible devices. In Hell on Earth, you got Junkers, who are essentially a post-apocalyptic counterpart to the Mad Scientists. And in Lost Colony, the Mutes use arcane-fueled mentally-controlled nanobot swarms to achieve the same result.


== Artificers in Dragonlance ==
==Ars Magica==
The guild of Hermetic magicians known as House Verditius in [[Ars Magica]] doesn't use formulaic spells like the rest of the gang; instead, they craft items that will express their spells, and these items can even be used by non-wizards, although they do not last long enough to make true wizards obsolete. Sometimes the rules of the game describe House Verditius as alchemists, expressing their spells with potions, vapours and ointments instead.  Their heraldic sign is a hand with a ring on each finger.


[[Gnomes]].  Every gnome in [[Dragonlance]] is an artificer, pathologically obsessed with making devices but cursed never to make a flawless one.  There's a legend of a gnome that built flawless artifacts, but one of them was a plane-shift device which got the attention of Takhisis/Tiamat, who snatched this gnome and threw him into an astral oubliette.
==Mage: The Ascension==
In [[Mage: The Ascension]], this is essentially the archetype tapped by the Sons of Ether and the entirety of the Technocracy, all of whom channel magick through pseudo-technological props and mediums.


This is where World of Warcraft got their gnomes from.
==Warhammer 40K==
Besides using "artificer" to mean "a truly skilled craftsman" (artificer gear is very valuable and much more effective than normal), the [[Ork]] [[Mekboy]]z are a classic example, as their technological creations are mostly held together by the psionic energies of other orks.


== Artificers in Eberron ==
[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons Classes]]
 
[[Eberron]] wants to be steampunk SO BADLY, so naturally it has artificers.  They're basically Wizards that use magic items in place of spells, even to the point where they can gain a familiar just like a wizard but it's called "constructing a <s>golem</s> homonculus."
 
== Artificers in Ars Magica ==
 
The guild of Hermetic magicians known as House Verditius in [[Ars Magica]] doesn't use formulaic spells like the rest of the gang; instead, they craft items that will express their spells, and these items can even be used by non-wizards, although they do not last long enough to make true wizards obsolete.  Sometimes the rules of the game describe House Verditius as alchemists, expressing their spells with potions, vapours and ointments instead.  Their heraldic sign is a hand with a ring on each finger.
 
== Artificier in D&D 5E ==
 
Surprising a lot of people, given how the class had previously been reduced to a Wizard school in the Eberron Unearthed Arcana, the Artificer was revealed as as class in the Unearthed Arcana- Artificer, released on January 9, 2017.

Revision as of 00:42, 11 January 2017

Artificer is the most common term used in fantasy games for a character archetype or class focused on the creation and use of gadgets and devices. Whether a pulp gadgeteer, a mad scientist, or even outright called an artficer, they're somebody defined by the way in which they can either use artifacts to fight or else their skill at making stuff.

Needless to say, artificers mostly tend to show up in steampunk, dieselpunk or magitek settings.

Dungeons & Dragons

This archetype actually goes back a long way in Dungeons & Dragons, all the way to the Skygnomes of Mystara. The most "classical" D&D example, unfortunately, are the incredibly irritating Tinker Gnomes of Dragonlance - gnomes cursed by Reorx to constantly experiment with science, but never to actually achieve anything.

The archetype came into its own with the Artificer class in Eberron: as Eberron was built to explore the logical conclusions of D&Disms, magical engineers were a natural result, and this gave rise to the Artificer class. It was more or less an arcane buffer, using a complex ruleset called "Infusions" to temporarily enchant items and augment constructs, as well as being better at making magical items and creating construct sidekicks.

In Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition, it came into its own as the Arcane Leader; embracing its status as the Wizardly equivalent to the Cleric, it specialized in healing spells and temporarily buffing armor & weapons, from giving your guys flaming swords to dispatch trolls to making your armor electrocute anybody trying to stab your ass.

In Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition, initially, the Artificer was released as a new subclass for the Wizard in the "Eberron Update" official booklet. It was a source of much skub, not only from the perceived downgrade, but because it simply wasn't very good. Then, to everybody's amazement, it got re-released as a new Int-based 1/3rd caster class in the January 9 2017 issue of Unearthed Arcane. In this case, it also doubles as an Alchemist or a Gunslinger.

Deadlands

In Deadlands Classic, the Mad Scientist Arcane Background is essentially a magitek artificer, using inspiration secretly provided by demons and super-fuel compressed from damned souls to engineer all manner of impossible devices. In Hell on Earth, you got Junkers, who are essentially a post-apocalyptic counterpart to the Mad Scientists. And in Lost Colony, the Mutes use arcane-fueled mentally-controlled nanobot swarms to achieve the same result.

Ars Magica

The guild of Hermetic magicians known as House Verditius in Ars Magica doesn't use formulaic spells like the rest of the gang; instead, they craft items that will express their spells, and these items can even be used by non-wizards, although they do not last long enough to make true wizards obsolete. Sometimes the rules of the game describe House Verditius as alchemists, expressing their spells with potions, vapours and ointments instead. Their heraldic sign is a hand with a ring on each finger.

Mage: The Ascension

In Mage: The Ascension, this is essentially the archetype tapped by the Sons of Ether and the entirety of the Technocracy, all of whom channel magick through pseudo-technological props and mediums.

Warhammer 40K

Besides using "artificer" to mean "a truly skilled craftsman" (artificer gear is very valuable and much more effective than normal), the Ork Mekboyz are a classic example, as their technological creations are mostly held together by the psionic energies of other orks.