Artificer help...

[Jeargroth]

Ok, not getting as much time to play as I want, due to RL. So looking for feed back from people who are presently running Arties...

Human vs WF... does the Soloability being able to self cast repair spells make the diff? or does the Feat Construct Essence help? Either way I have to spend points and feats to make it work... WF (healers friend) Human (human Mending, plus construct) Or is it just an emergency thing... usually take a hireling along most runs.

If go human is the Mark of Making worth it? For self healing... NOT Worried about the crafting stuff. I can do a build but if i go Greater Mark of Making 3 feats for combat all get tossed... Are there enuf SP on an arti to make it work just with their own spell pool, with Construct Ess?

[Roguewiz]

Ok, not getting as much time to play as I want, due to RL. So looking for feed back from people who are presently running Arties...

Human vs WF... does the Soloability being able to self cast repair spells make the diff? or does the Feat Construct Essence help? Either way I have to spend points and feats to make it work... WF (healers friend) Human (human Mending, plus construct) Or is it just an emergency thing... usually take a hireling along most runs.

If go human is the Mark of Making worth it? For self healing... NOT Worried about the crafting stuff. I can do a build but if i go Greater Mark of Making 3 feats for combat all get tossed... Are there enuf SP on an arti to make it work just with their own spell pool, with Construct Ess?

The Construct Essence feat helps immensely if you're going to solo as a non-toaster. The Mark of Making is worth it, IF (and I emphasize IF) you can work it into your build. If you're going full Artificer, then that won't be a problem since they have Bonus feats every 4 levels. If you multiclass into something else, then you might have problems.

[BlackSteel]

I'm doing just fine on a half elf w/o construct essence. between the UMD for wands/scrolls, and just regular potions, my HP stays in the red rather easily. Not as easy as spending my limited spell points on repairs (but i do tend to have plenty of sp left over between shrines anyway)

healing amp gear, enhancements, and PL's tends to help tho

[riexau]

+1 for construct essence. Worse case, 75% healing + 50% repair = 125% potential.

[Shareeth]

+1 for construct essence. Worse case, 75% healing + 50% repair = 125% potential.

but that's not from 1 spell, it's from 2 spells, so that would make it 62.5% potential. you just have more sources of healing. Another way to look at it, is to accept you get 25% less healing from the cleric in the group, but you can also self heal yourself with your acane spells for 50% more hp. could work. also there's the 10% ship buff. so it's more like 15% down on regular healing and 50% up on arcane healing.

[smeggy1384]

if you're hauling about a hireling anyway human is the way to go. Start with point blank shot and augment summon. If you don't plan on using a healing hireling you could do WF, though you won't have much SP. My arti is 15, human with construct essence.. no repair enhances at the moment. Not much to rely on(though i did have repair enhances until 13 or so), i use hirelings for healing though. Construct essence is going to be swapped out when i lesser rez(though i may TR once i get to 20, will be my first). Plenty of mistakes to fix either way. Construct essence is nice at lower levels, and with AP backing those repairs, as you get to the point where your low AC won't stop mobs from hitting you it gets less useful. Higher level you'll be wanting to save SP for bladebarrier, sometimes empowered bladebarrier.. Make pretty short work of the gangs of mobs i can drag into it now that i finally have it.

[Jakarr]

WF all the way, if you are soloing even better to be WF as your Repair spells are 100% effective and once you get reconstruct its easy street, no need for anyone else to heal ya. And you dont have to waste a feat on Construct Essence.

[Fetchi]

If you decide to go WF - don't take healers friend. The whole point is to be able to self heal. You don't have to worry about healing amp so others can heal you.

[MagsonDare]

I've made both a "fleshie" and a warforged. They both work just fine, but the ability to self-heal from level 1 and then to be able to cast Reinforce Construct as a bonus HP booster has gone a long way to making me invulnerable in the low levels as a WF, where I always felt a bit fragile as a fleshie, even though the fleshie only +1 hp from CON different per level than the WF.

At level 5 on the WF I'm now running 65 base HP (haven't taken Toughness feat yet), +10 from a False Life necklace, then +11 from the Korthos Aid Bracers, +15 from Reinforce Construct, and +25 from Ablative armor for an effective HP of 126. The drow I made could be at 107, so it's not too terribly different, but the drow's still self-healing from Cure Light and Cure Moderate potions right now, while the WF can simply cast Repair Moderate any old time. . . not that it's ever been necessary.

I also like the WF immunites and not needing Water Breathing, so I'm very much preferring the WF to the Drow.

[RavenStormclaw]

I suppose up to level 6 WF might be better but once you get to that level it makes little difference. You get stoneskin at 6 which means even if you don't take the spell you can use the scrolls. Craft some invulnerability armor and stack stoneskin and ablative armor. You won't really need to worry about healing yourself.

for the record i have been gone over a year a just started playing again which means I started crafting from scratch with my Arti and toward the end of level 5 I was able to craft invulnerability armor so its fairly easy to do.

[My2Cents]

But what about at much higher levels where you want a second (or even third?) hireling to do some of the tougher quests/areas? They need to be healed, too. So how does that figure in?

I've been trying to decide this myself, and am running a low level WF arti, I think I'm gonna switch to human and see if I like that better. I'm completely confused as to whether or not to make my arti a crafter or rely on a completely separate toon I've been using to decon items for awhile...

[smeggy1384]

But what about at much higher levels where you want a second (or even third?) hireling to do some of the tougher quests/areas? They need to be healed, too. So how does that figure in?

I've been trying to decide this myself, and am running a low level WF arti, I think I'm gonna switch to human and see if I like that better. I'm completely confused as to whether or not to make my arti a crafter or rely on a completely separate toon I've been using to decon items for awhile...

The pet can play tank, you just need it a healer then. One cleric(you'll want divine vitality for when there is no shrine around and you need resists/mass protections again) hireling should be plenty, if you need more its going to be in the places where you need pressure plate holders or something.

Edit: Forgot to mention there are times you'll need healing, but not want to do it. While endless fusilade is going for example. You will want a minion to handle that stuff while you kill the bad guys.

[Jeargroth]

I am trying to work the Marks into build... It just isn't working. The Class isn't as feat starved as some, but definitely not exactly any feats to burn either...

By proper count I see 13 Feats between 1-20 and I have 15 feats to place them in...

Augment Summon
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Least Mark of Making
Lesser Mark of Making
Greater Mark of Making
Construct Essence
Rapid Shot
Toughness
WP Focus Ranged
Improved Critical Ranged
Improved Precise Shot
Quicken Spell
Toughness
Mental Toughness

These are in no order of importance, any help weeding out to pare it down would be appreciated or I have to drop the Mark line and pick up another Meta ... Or Go Forged and miss out on Human skill bonus and pick up Healer friend feat enhance line.... and try to keep my Arcane failure rate down... some how.

[Kilnedric]

I am trying to work the Marks into build... It just isn't working. The Class isn't as feat starved as some, but definitely not exactly any feats to burn either...

By proper count I see 13 Feats between 1-20 and I have 15 feats to place them in...

Augment Summon
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Least Mark of Making
Lesser Mark of Making
Greater Mark of Making
Construct Essence
Rapid Shot
Toughness
WP Focus Ranged
Improved Critical Ranged
Improved Precise Shot
Quicken Spell
Toughness
Mental Toughness

These are in no order of importance, any help weeding out to pare it down would be appreciated or I have to drop the Mark line and pick up another Meta ... Or Go Forged and miss out on Human skill bonus and pick up Healer friend feat enhance line.... and try to keep my Arcane failure rate down... some how.

IMHO, the feats that are nice-to-have, but not *needed* are:

Toughness #2
WF Ranged
Mental Toughness

[Robi3.0]

+1 for construct essence. Worse case, 75% healing + 50% repair = 125% potential.

math and logic have taken a serious hit today.

I have yet to take it on my human Artificer. I have had no problem healing myself or other.

I was planning on taking it at level 8 but reconsidered.

[Jeargroth]

I am trying to work the Marks into build... It just isn't working. The Class isn't as feat starved as some, but definitely not exactly any feats to burn either...

By proper count I see 13 Feats between 1-20 and I have 15 feats to place them in...

Augment Summon
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Least Mark of Making
Lesser Mark of Making
Greater Mark of Making
Construct Essence
Rapid Shot
Toughness
WP Focus Ranged
Improved Critical Ranged
Improved Precise Shot
Quicken Spell
Toughness
Mental Toughness

These are in no order of importance, any help weeding out to pare it down would be appreciated or I have to drop the Mark line and pick up another Meta ... Or Go Forged and miss out on Human skill bonus and pick up Healer friend feat enhance line.... and try to keep my Arcane failure rate down... some how.

OK not only am I a bubble head losing things all over the place today but I can't count either...14 Feats in 13 spots... drop the extra toughness that was me not paying attention... but now its down to Quicken spell or Mental Toughness? If i am using Marks do they get bonuses from Quicken, bout the only thing I was thinking would need it as a Ranged focus pet runner... or do i need it and forget about the extra SP points?

[smeggy1384]

OK not only am I a bubble head losing things all over the place today but I can't count either...14 Feats in 13 spots... drop the extra toughness that was me not paying attention... but now its down to Quicken spell or Mental Toughness? If i am using Marks do they get bonuses from Quicken, bout the only thing I was thinking would need it as a Ranged focus pet runner... or do i need it and forget about the extra SP points?

If quicken and mental toughness are the only ones you'll consider then quicken it is. SP isn't much of an issue though at 15, even with the occasional maximized BB to drag a small army into. I'd not take mental toughness, though i suppose if you intend to go buff entire raids nonstop it might help. Soloing you won't need it, unless you afk a lot in between shrines. The majority of the time shrines go untouched in my dungeons.

[Jeargroth]

Which one would you recommend dropping then? I only looking at what I think I will need, I have no experience just trying to do this by theory...

[smeggy1384]

Augment Summon
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Least Mark of Making
Lesser Mark of Making
Greater Mark of Making
Construct Essence
Rapid Shot
Toughness
WP Focus Ranged
Improved Critical Ranged
Improved Precise Shot
Quicken Spell


Would be the ones i would take out of what you mentioned, you had two toughness and one mental toughness, should fill the 13 slots. If you wanted warforged go for it, though loses the making line. Arcane failure isn't a problem, though i hear it is when you are using scrolls. Don't forget the prestige line lowers arcane failure by 10%.

[Jeargroth]

Ahh never thought of the Maximize BB ect... don't know the complete spell lists... so better as a Fleshy as caster/crafter/ vs wf bolt machine.