Artificer Build

[hobofu]

I'm trying to make a build for a mage that ONLY makes and uses magic items and doesn't otherwise use spells of any kind. What would be the best way of doing this in a Submerged level game? I'm thinking Focused Practitioner with Ritual(Crafting) -2 and Refinement -7 (Extra enchant slots).

Would that get you the most slots? Is there a better build out there? Also is it worth grabbing a focus item to help with crafting?

[Drashna]

Been there. Done that.

And yes, focus items for crafting is a great idea. Namely because refinement can't be used to add specializations, so you'd have to use focus items.  Which would give you stronger items, and/or much more quickly.

[luminos]

16 focus item slots.  5 lore.  5 slots for extra strength in the items.  5 slots for extra frequency.  split 6 remaining slots into enchanted item slots.  You now have 12 separate enchanted items, each with a strength of 10 and 6 uses per session.  Each item can get an extra use by simply paying 1 stress, stress which replenishes every scene.  make one of the items a 10 shift block, one an armor: 5 effect, one a straight up attack, one whatever you favorite maneuver is, and then you have 8 slots to get creative with.  You are nearly unstoppable in physical conflict, even more so than someone who put all their refresh into physical abilities.  You have enough item slots to rival the versatility of a full wizard.  You've only used 5 skill points, leaving you 30 to use in whatever other ways are useful. 

In essence, you've won the game.  Congratulations.  If the GM does not veto this build, he is suffering from a strange form of insanity. 

[Korwin]

Here is my version (but its not an pure Artificer...)

High Concept: Demonic Escourt Assasine


-3 Item of Power
+2 Item Bonus, a Cloak
-2 Glamours
-1 Beast Change*
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-1

* The Char turns into an D&D Succubus (with non-functional Wings).


-2 Ritual: Item Creation    


-4 Supernatural Recovery
+3 Catch: Salt   
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-1


+1 Human Form
-1 - Emotional Vampire**
-1 - Incite Emotion**
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-1

** When using this Powers, the Char. gains black Eyes and and the room temperature gets higher (think Withe Court, only warmer instead of colder), small Horns sprout…


-1 Refinement x 4   -4
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-4
(10 Focus Item Slots) +5 Item Crafting Power Focus, 10 Enchanted Item Slots.


Skills:
Superb 2: Lore, Resources
Great 2: Altertness, Deceit
Good 2: Presence, Guns
Fair 3: Guns, Athletics, Endurance
Average 5: Conviction, Driving, Contacts, Fists, Discipline

After Beast Change:
Superb 2: Deceit, Guns
Great 2: Alertness, Athletics
Good 2: Endurance, Discipline
Fair 3: Conviction, Fists, Weapons
Average 5: Driving, Contacts, Investigation, Lore, Presence

Enchanted Items:
Knife: Opens a Door into the NeverNever.
(Strength 6, 5 uses per Session) --> 1 Enchanted Slot.
Shield Bracelet: +8 Block or +4 Armor (Duration 3 exchanges), 7 Uses per Session --> 4 Enchanted Item Slots.
An enchanted Chain: +10 Weapons damage (to Hit is with Guns), 9 Uses per Session --> 5 Enchanted Item Slots.

[babel2uk]

make one of the items a 10 shift block

That actually is a rather sick build. Just as something worth noting about magical blocks. Your description of the block details what it can stop. And for an enchanted item that should be fixed when you create it. It was something that was nagging at me because it seemed that the game varied dramatically from the novels on this - Harry's shield obviously deflects kinetic energy, but not heat (though I seem to recall he fixes that later on, but I may be wrong). However, reading through the text in the yellow block on page 252 it does cover that particular effect (though not actually as strongly as I think it should be handled).

[ralexs1991]

yeah he fixes the between PG and WN

[Belial666]

It isn't a "sick" build. For a submerged game, there are stronger pure physical combat builds. I mean, one could get Physical Immunity and pretty much win any physical conflict by default vs just about anything that could not satisfy its catch.

[babel2uk]

vs just about anything that could not satisfy its catch.

But it has a catch. The build that Luminos mentioned doesn't. But to be fair I wasn't really looking at it in the context of a Submerged game, which obviously does come with higher ability characters and opposition.

[Belial666]

It has a 3-refresh catch. That's how much refresh you need to get immunity to magic. Even better, only 1 refresh if you do it via a magic-repelling item of power.

In addition, he has to aim his attacks using a skill, usually discipline. So he attacks at +5. Someone with supernatural speed, acrobat, and athletics 5 is going to dodge 80 times out of 81.

Third, a block of 10 is strong but not THAT strong. Someone with a true-strike weapon (or just true strike as a power) and a stunt for +1 to attacks, could well attack at +7. All it would take would be a good enough roll to break through the block - or spending a fate point.

Fourth, someone with "All Creatures Are Equal" could ignore his defenses.

Fifth, a submerged wizard that focuses on controlled blasting can attack at +12, with weapon 7. He pretty much blasts through his blocks, easy. Sorcerors are even worse and someone with Sponsored Magic with lots of upgrades can be ugly.

Sixth, a thaumaturgist focusing on enchanting his weapons, armor and items by applying aspects via ritual magic, could attack and defend at higher than +10.




So yeah, he is on the upper 25% of power - in physical combat. That does not make him an "I Win" build in those cases. And it does not take into account Social Combat, Mental Combat, Utility, Investigation where his enchanted items do not offer anything useful.

[Tsunami]

To address the original questions:

For an Artificer Character, it's actually important to have some refresh left for Fate points.
You can then have some open potion slots and spend a Fate point from time to time to draw
some cool magical gimmick out of you Bag of tricks.

So, Yeah, Ritual Crafting and Refinements for extra slots is the way to go, but you really don't need 28 additional Enchanted item Slots.

You get two Focus item slots from Ritual.
Now, get a few more Focus slots, maybe 3, and another 10 Enchant. Slots
That totals to 4 refresh worth of refinement
Make a Focus item for crafting +3 Power/+2 Uses (Thats the 5 Focus Slots)

Assuming a Lore skill of 5 your Items, even your potions, start at Power 8/Uses 3 which is pretty awesome.
Build some Enchanted items, a decent defensive item (Power 8/Uses 7) will set you back 3 slots. A Magic sword (Weapon:6/ 5 Uses) is 1 slot, be creative with the rest. Keep 2-3 slots for Potions.

That's a build that could really be fun. Actually it's how I'm going to build my Item Crafter if I ever get around to play him. :-)

[luminos]

All creatures are equal does not allow the user to bypass magical blocks and armor.  It bypasses defensive abilities (as in toughness, not defense rolls) and mundane armor. 

Immunity to magic is a poor investment compared to my crafter build.  One on one, the crafter just uses one of his eight spare items to do a grasping branches-esque spell, so that the damage done is mundane instead of magic.  Compared side-by-side, the immunity to magic is a passive ability that will matter in specific circumstances while my crafter will always have his abilities be relevant.

Physical immunity without a catch is just as silly as my crafter.  It too should be disallowed by sane players and GM's

A block strength of 10 is that good.  Your prior reason why the crafter build isn't autowin was posing a character with that had a dodge of less than 10.  Both of these things can't count against the crafter, that would be a contradiction.  But it is possible for neither to be saying much about the crafters abilities.  I'll let you resolve the tension between your own arguments before responding to these, so you don't have to worry about accidentally moving the goalpost on me.

The uber attack wizard build (yet another insane build) can blast through his defenses.  You got me there.  There is one, nearly unstoppable build in terms of attack power, that beats this build.  They are both loco.  Normal character builds, that do not have access to some of these break points, will crumple against either.

You lost me on the thaumaturgist example.  Is he supposed to apply several dozen repeatably taggable aspects to himself before every fight?  Is this character build something that could actually work in play?


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Pointing out that one insanely strong build is countered by other insanely strong builds does not mean that one of those builds should no longer be considered insanely strong.  Rule of thumb:  If your build can do everything any of the other characters in your group can do, but so much better that you can't challenge multiple participants simultaneously, there is something wrong.  In this case, the something wrong is with the high-powered crafter build.

[Belial666]

Except that it cannot do what other builds can as well as they can. You got ritual -2, refinement for foci -4 (2 foci at +5), and refinement for enchanted item slots for another -3, for 12 items. Those items have to be specific effects, they can't be adjusted at all (unless you save some for potions).



Give me a set of 12 items at power 10 with 6 uses each that you consider game breaking and I will show you how they aren't. Remember, these are the only things the character can do power-wise. And they have to be specific, pre-set effects.

[Ryan_Singer]

From working on the artificer in my group, I have a small piece of advice. Take Thaumaturgy instead of Ritual: Crafter. For the extra 1 refresh, you get a crafting focus (+1 to power or frequency), the ability to spend refinement directly on Crafting focus, and the ability to do all other rituals, which you can explain with a crafting motif.

For only 1 refresh, it's a better buy than just 1 more refinement.

[Drashna]

In physical combat, the build would be vary powerful, but correct me if I'm wrong DFRPG isn't *just* about physical combat. Throw a few White Court at him and he's done within minutes.  And armed to the teeth like that in a social setting?  Sure, lets see how this guy does when his house is carpet bombed because he pissed off EVERYONE.

And again, what he has in pure power does not make up in versatility.

[Ryan_Singer]

In physical combat, the build would be vary powerful, but correct me if I'm wrong DFRPG isn't *just* about physical combat. Throw a few White Court at him and he's done within minutes.  And armed to the teeth like that in a social setting?  Sure, lets see how this guy does when his house is carpet bombed because he pissed off EVERYONE.

And again, what he has in pure power does not make up in versatility.

This is, of course, another important argument on why he needs decent wards. Thaumaturgy FTW.

Realistically, in a social setting, the Artificer is a sage, offering tips using Lore to place Well-Informed sticky aspects on fellow PCs. Lore maneuvers can be used against enemies, too. Don't bother doing intimidating. Speak softly, and blow crap up only when most of your group is agreed that bad guys should be blown up in that encounter.

As far as "armed to the teeth"; everyone expects casters to have magic items. Don't put multiple effects in one item, and they won't seem *that* threatening. Harry is never asked to give up his force ring in the novels, and he even takes his staff and blasting rod into Accorded Neutral Territory, Marcone's holdings, and even the seat of the White Court. The supernatural world is the Wild West. Everyone is armed, and insults and fighting words.

To reiterate: An Artificer should NEVER be on the offensive in a social situation. They are the sage doing Lore maneuvers. There is plenty of time to shine offensively when throwing around 8-10 shift attacks in physical combat.