After years of playtesting, the artificer is the first class to be added to D&D 5e.

Do you love using items? What about magical items? Consider rolling an artificer. These magical tinkerers always have something up their sleeves, creating a versatile option for new and veteran players alike.

The Gnome race can be found in the Player’s Handbook. Click here to pick up your own copy of The Player’s Handbook!

The Artificer class can be found in either Eberron: Rising from the Last War OR Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Click here to pick up your copy of Eberron: Rising from the Last War OR click here to pick up your own copy of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything!

How to Make a Gnome Artificer

Gnomes make for great artificers because of their +2 bonus to intelligence. Artificers should focus on INT as it’s very important for just about every class feature. CON and DEX are your next most important stats, depending on how you plan on playing the character.

Once you reach 3rd level, you can choose a subclass. Your options are the ranged DPS-focused Artillerist, the healing, and elemental damaged-focused Alchemist, the melee-focused Battle Smith, or don a magical suit of armor with the Armorer archetype. Each option is a great way to augment your playstyle as you see fit.

How to Play a Gnome Artificer

Artificers can be a bit complicated to understand at first, but they get a lot of very useful class features.

You automatically know all the spells on the artificer spell list. The spell list is pretty limited in comparison to other classes, but that simplicity can make things easier to find. You know a small number of cantrips, and rather uniquely you can swap out a cantrip if you’d like whenever you level up.

Magical Tinkering – This is where your imagination comes into play. Cobble together small magical gizmos that can help you along your journey. You can enchant some stones with a putrid scent to act as a stink bomb, or even create a makeshift tripwire by enchanting a string with an alarm. Tinkering adds a ton of flavor to your session.  

Artificer Infusion – Artificers can infuse magical items. You have a bunch of different choices, but most of them boil down to creating specific magic items from a list or making +1 versions of weapons and armor. These items can be made during long rests, and you can even let other players use them.

Flash of Genius – At level 7, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence bonus to a check or saving throw for yourself or anyone in your party. That’s huge! Your Intelligence should hopefully be a +4 by level 7, and +4 can easily save yourself or an ally from certain death. You get to use it a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier, giving your character a ton of utility.

How to Roleplay as a Gnome Artificer

Roleplaying your Artificer is easy – gnomes are naturally cunning and prolific tinkerers. They’re typically friendly, sociable, and fun-loving, but don’t let that railroad you into a personality for your character. (Isn’t being creative what this game’s all about?)

Image credit: Serpaja America

Here are some general backstory ideas to get you started:

– A hermit who spent much of her time deep in the woods, tinkering with magic before being driven from her home.

– A young gnomish graduate of a great magical academy looking to prove his worth.

Let your imagination run wild, and don’t forget to have fun!

Do you love using items? What about magical items? Consider rolling an artificer. These magical tinkerers always have something up their sleeves, creating a versatile option for new and veteran players alike.

How to Make a Gnome Artificer

Gnomes make for great artificers because of their +2 bonus to intelligence. Artificers should focus on INT as it’s very important for just about every class feature. CON and DEX are your next most important stats, depending on how you plan on playing the character.

Once you reach 3rd level, you can choose a subclass. Your options are the ranged DPS-focused Artillerist, the healing, and elemental damaged-focused Alchemist, the melee-focused Battle Smith, or don a magical suit of armor with the Armorer archetype. Each option is a great way to augment your playstyle as you see fit.

How to Play a Gnome Artificer

Artificers can be a bit complicated to understand at first, but they get a lot of very useful class features.

You automatically know all the spells on the artificer spell list. The spell list is pretty limited in comparison to other classes, but that simplicity can make things easier to find. You know a small number of cantrips, and rather uniquely you can swap out a cantrip if you’d like whenever you level up.

Magical Tinkering – This is where your imagination comes into play. Cobble together small magical gizmos that can help you along your journey. You can enchant some stones with a putrid scent to act as a stink bomb, or even create a makeshift tripwire by enchanting a string with an alarm. Tinkering adds a ton of flavor to your session.  

Artificer Infusion – Artificers can infuse magical items. You have a bunch of different choices, but most of them boil down to creating specific magic items from a list or making +1 versions of weapons and armor. These items can be made during long rests, and you can even let other players use them.

Flash of Genius – At level 7, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence bonus to a check or saving throw for yourself or anyone in your party. That’s huge! Your Intelligence should hopefully be a +4 by level 7, and +4 can easily save yourself or an ally from certain death. You get to use it a number of times per long rest equal to your Intelligence modifier, giving your character a ton of utility.

How to Roleplay as a Gnome Artificer

Roleplaying your Artificer is easy – gnomes are naturally cunning and prolific tinkerers. They’re typically friendly, sociable, and fun-loving, but don’t let that railroad you into a personality for your character. (Isn’t being creative what this game’s all about?)

Here are some general backstory ideas to get you started:

– A hermit who spent much of her time deep in the woods, tinkering with magic before being driven from her home.

– A young gnomish graduate of a great magical academy looking to prove his worth.

Let your imagination run wild, and don’t forget to have fun!