Show Notes
Ever wanted to play an Artificer so obsessed with maps that they can literally teleport via doodles, yet still somehow get lost? Buckle up, because the Cartographer subclass is here to turn your D&D campaign into a magical GPS adventure—complete with rerouting, questionable shortcuts, and the occasional teleportation mishap straight into a dragon’s lair!
Episode Summary
In this thrilling episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts embark on a magical journey through the latest Unearthed Arcana updates for the Artificer class, complete with a hearty dose of laughter and debate. They begin by dissecting the major changes to the Artificer’s core mechanics and subclass features, including an in-depth look at the newest addition to the Artificer family: the Cartographer subclass—because what every adventuring party really needs is a sentient GPS that may or may not lead them into a pit of doom.
The discussion unfolds with an analysis of the Adventures Atlas, a magical mapping system that aims to redefine exploration mechanics but also raises questions about just how useful a glowing, teleporting map can be in the middle of combat. Can you really fight a dragon while scribbling out escape routes? The hosts weigh in.
From there, the conversation pivots to a much larger topic—the role of exploration in 5e. The hosts argue whether modern D&D has devalued travel and survival mechanics and whether subclasses like the Cartographer can bring back the golden age of navigating with actual consequences (hint: probably not, but it’s fun to dream).
Not stopping at Artificer updates, the episode veers into Dragon Marks, magic items, and character customization, with the hosts debating whether Dragon Marks should get a modern refresh or stay as the Eberron-exclusive party trick they’ve always been. They also dig into the Mark of Healing, Potent Dragon Mark, and the Boon of Sibiris, contemplating the power levels of these abilities and whether they introduce game-breaking (or at least table-flipping) potential.
Lastly, the hosts share game-mastering wisdom and some truly absurd personal anecdotes, proving once again that no amount of Unearthed Arcana can prevent players from doing completely unexpected things.
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Tyler Kamstra
Ash Ely
- Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games
- Join Ash’s West Marches-style PF2 Game
- Twitter: @GravenAshes
- YouTube @ashravenmedia
