0:00
The battlesmith is back and it got some
0:02
really much needed updates from the 2014
0:04
version of the artificer. Most of the
0:06
tweaks are actually pretty small. Like
0:08
they're going to feel subtle. They're
0:10
not going to feel like huge changes when
0:12
you read the subclass, but really
0:14
they're they're huge. The biggest
0:16
changes were to the steel defender
0:18
itself. Just the changes on the math.
0:20
The armor class now scales with your
0:22
intelligence modifier, so it will become
0:24
more durable as you get stronger. Its
0:27
damage is slightly better and again
0:28
scales off your intelligence modifier
0:30
instead of your proficiency bonus. So
0:32
like it's it's much more tied to your
0:34
intelligence than it was. Its AC is
0:36
better. Its damage is better. It loses
0:39
exactly two hit points, but who cares?
0:42
The AC is better. That'll make up for it
0:44
just fine. At level five, the
0:46
battlesmith's version of extra attack
0:48
allows you to trade one of your attacks
0:50
to have your steel defender attack a
0:52
second time. So you can command it as a
0:54
bonus action to move, attack, use its
0:57
bonus action, whatever. And then during
0:59
your attack, you can have it attack a
1:00
second time. Since it's doing like 1d8
1:03
plus two plus your intelligence, it very
1:06
well be doing more damage with its
1:09
attacks than you are. So in a lot of
1:11
cases, that's a really good trade. Just
1:13
let your steel defender do the fighting.
1:15
I think overall just the small changes,
1:18
the mathematical changes to the steel
1:19
defender and the change to extra attack
1:22
really make this subclass more of what
1:23
it was supposed to be in the 2014 rules.
1:26
Like this was the pet artificer and
1:30
really it was a a marshall artificer who
1:32
could use intelligence for attack and
1:34
damage who happened to have a pet and
1:37
you could get a pet from a homunculus
1:38
servant. So there really wasn't much
1:40
point to the subclass even though it was
1:42
objectively pretty good. the new version
1:45
feels much more realized, much more like
1:48
it it hits the fantasy both mechanically
1:51
and narratively of what it is trying to
1:53
be. So, I do think this is a much better
1:56
version of the subclass. It's not
1:57
insanely powerful, but it's going to
1:59
feel effective and it's going to feel
