3.5e Warforged Artificer

[Dawnmor]

Ok the details are...Flaws are allowed but subject to DM approval.  Any 3.5 or 3.0 material.  1st level.

Some detail background on the Campaign.  We start out in a city that is built on Teirs (Poverty stricten to richest and powerful being on the upper teir), Most of the Law enforcement and most likely most of the labor is Machina's.  Which would mean a Warforged Workforce is my guess or something close to it.  My character is a Warforged and part of the military squad that goes out on city patrol from time to time, otherwise hes a crafter of both magical and mundane items, usually creating cheap mundane items for free to help keep the farmers happy.

My character as I said above is a Crafter, he will later use wands but not to devastating effects like other artificers would be.  The DM doesnt care about optimizing but I do, I rather stay on par with the rest of the group.  So my character will be creating potions for the group, it wont help much later (Mid to late levels) but it will prevent people from dieing.  Using the Packmate to assist in damage with Flasks and such, I like the idea of the packmate what can I say?.  Also the DM is permitting me to craft my own gear before hand and sense its mundane gear I am good.

My build so far is....I took some sub levels but im not sure if I will take the 4th level sub level out of ROE.  Because the only good thing is making magic weapons and armor for 2xp only instead of the normal amount.  Then take craft construct at 6th level so I can create the homunculus.  This artificer isnt a Blaster, or a hordificer.  Its a General Artificer that most likely will stink later but im not sure how long the Campaign is.  Its all Weather permitting for me, but not so much for the group who lives in town.

Here is the build.....

The ability scores are after changes....Im playing a Warforged sooo....Str 14, Dex 18, Con 18, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 10.

House Ruled: Arcane Script Skill (it allows me to make another Check to determine wether or not its a scroll I alone can use or a scroll an arcane caster themselves can use)

So I am looking at.....

Arcane Script                  4
Knowledge (Engineering) 4
UMD                              4
Craft (weapons)              4
        (Alchemy)              4
        (Weapons)             4
        (Blacksmith)          4
        (Traps)                  1

Spot                             1
Listen                           1
Profession (Tanner)       1

Artificer 1: 1st Sub Level, Skill Focus (Craft: Alchemy) 1st, Legendary Artisan (Flaw: Noncombatant).
Artificer 2:
Artificer 3: Two weapon fighting
Artificer 4: Bonus Feat (Extraordinary Artisan), 4th Sub level for Warforged artificer.
Warforged paragon 1
Artificer 5: Craft construct (Not sure if Iwill keep this or not)
Alch Sav 1:
Artificer 6: Empower Spell
Artificer 7:
Artificer 8: Bonus Feat (Wand Mastery)
Alch Sav 2:
Alch Sav 3: Imp Homunculus (Depends on Craft Construct)
Alch sav 4:
Alch sav 5:
Artificer 9: (Not sure on 15th level Feat)
Artificer 10:
Artificer 11:
Artificer 12: Bonus feat: Bind Elemental (Once I see if I can build the Airships that the DM Will allow later)
Artificer 13:
Artificer 14:

I think I got all the feats and such, it was quite confusing putting this all together in a plan to follow for leveling.  I am not sure how well this Campaign will go or if this character will live or die due to the group doesnt like warforged too often but I like them.

Any assistence?

I may end up being stuck on watch for the group, so I wanted to get Warforged Paragon if the DM allows it which he should hopefully.  But the character is set up to be a Crafter type early on repairing and making mundane items as the city needs them and such. 

I took the Tools of war sub level for the 2xp thing for making magic arms and armor and weapons which the group will most likely need.  So thats the plan and later become a Wand user and such.

Edit: I took craft construct for the Pack mate hoimunculs but I was told that it sucked.  So I dont know what else to do.

[xaotiq1]

Just wondering why you took TWF with this character for Dual Wand Weilder or something? You could go with Gloves of the Balanced Hand (MIC) and spend that feat on something else. Also, wouldn't a Spellcarft check be able to tell you who could use a scroll?? Finally, I also like the packmate homonculus.

[Dawnmor]

Well the Arcane script is so I can make a bit more money for little cost.

Spellcraft would tell me, but the idea is for me to sell my scrolls to other casters or people with UMD for a tad more money.

You like the packmate? I read somewhere that the Packmate was easily destroyed?

[xaotiq1]

It reminds me of the luggage from Discworld. Sapient Pearwood, love it.

As to the character, I'm surprised you're taking TWF instead of taking Mercantile Background at level 1 and pushing Legendary Artisan or Skill Focus to Level 3.

[linklord231]

I'm not a huge fan of Alchemist Savant on Artificers.  Their big thing is the spellvial and universal potions, but artificers don't benefit from those nearly as much as normal casters.  In my opinion, you'd be better off going pure artificer. 
Second, I note a distinct lack of Persistent Spell.  It sounds like something like a party buffer would be in line with your play style, and Persistent makes that style so much more viable.  You don't have to cheese it up, but even if all you do is persist a Lesser Vigor your party will love you forever. 

That being said, your current build looks like you're trying to throw potions in combat.  The only way I've ever seen that be effective is on a rogue, and that's only because they get stupid sneak attack bonuses.  Without the sneak attack damage, throwing potions/flasks just isn't effective.  If you really like this concept, you could try to convince your DM that the Factotum's pseudo casting qualifies for Alchemical Savant and go in that way. 

Regarding packmates:  If you keep artificer AND still want to throw flasks, then the packmate is pretty much necessary.  But, nothing ever says you're limited to only one homunculus.  You can totally make an Arbalest, 3 Iron Defenders, and a Dedicated Wright (I think that's what the crafter one is called) to go along with it.  It'll be expensive, but you can do it. 

[Dawnmor]

I went with Alchemist Savant for the Potions 3/day thing.  Potions may not seem huge but in my experience they are well required when the cleric is down and it also saves time and money, and if I read the Alchemist Vanilla potion right, I can toss in a Heal or Complete repair spell into the vial and throw it to allow the party to heal themselves as well as myself.

I went Two weapon fighting because it suggested in the Advancement block of the Alchemist savant that it would be wise.

Perhaps I should Drop Two weapon fighting and get Chain spell instead.  That way I can chain a Cure X wounds spell or buff spell.  I also seen what happens if you persist spells, it doesnt end well with a cruel DM and because of this buffing may be out of my game.  Im not sure what I will do but the idea of a Support character kinda appeals to me.

Mercantile background was already considered but because its restricted to Dwarves it would be unwise.

Edit: Is the Warforged Artificer Sub level 4th Tools of War good or bad? and is it worth loosing Craft Homunculus?

[linklord231]

The problem is, you will never be able to do that as an artificer because they don't have Cure Wounds on their infusion list, only Repair Damage.  So unless your entire party are Warforged, you won't be able to throw healing potions at them with Universal Potion.  You can still craft potions of Cure and hand them out to people before combat, but you could do that as an artificer anyway.  It's unclear to me if you can "fake" a spellvial of Cure as an artificer, or if the spellvial can only hold infusions you can cast - ask your DM.  If you can fake it, I'd suggest only getting 2 levels of Alchemist Savant.  If you can't, just drop it entirely.

Oh, I just noticed that it requires Favored in House Cannith or Least Dragonmark (Making), which you didn't mention taking. 

In general, you might be better off focusing on Wands instead of potions.  Grab Reach Spell and Chain Spell, and use those with your Metamagic Trigger infusion to heal the entire party at range. 

[Dawnmor]

Why Reach?, wouldnt chaining a buff spell be better? unless its a Touch spell inside a wand and then Meta it to have a 30ft range?

where is dual wand?

is Cull Wand essence any good?

[Dawnmor]

Here is the Revamped version.

I didnt take the 4th level Artificer Sub level sense I didnt get an actual Answer are how good or bad it was?.

Artificer levels only, Artificer 20.

1st: 1st level Artificer Sub level (Infuse self), Legendary Artisan (flaw), Chain spell (1st)
2nd:
3rd: ?feat?
4th: Bonus Feat: Extraordinary Artisan.
5th:
6th: ?feat?
7th:
8th: Empower Spell, Bonus Feat: Wand Mastery.
9th: ?feat?
10th:
11th:
12th: Bonus Feat: Craft Construct, ?feat? (thinking of Imp Homunculus)
13th
14th
15th: ?feat?
16th: Bonus Feat: Extra Rings
17th:
18th: ?Feat?
19th:
20th: Bonus Feat: ?

This would allow me to be a Wand user rather then a generalist/Grenadier type.  Which is what is in my characters bags atm.
 

[linklord231]

Right, Reach is so that you can cast Wand buffs that would normally be Touch spells. 
For your free feats, I recommend Extend, Persist, Split Ray, and Empower metamagic in no particular order.  Extend and Persist make buffs last longer, Empower makes your heals better and gives your offense a boost, and Split ray can make some of your buffs hit multiple people but it's mostly for use with Enervation and Scorching Ray. 

[Dawnmor]

I wrote down Empower and split ray, I can take out maximize spell and put in Extend.  Ill figure a way to put in Persist.  I just love the idea of a packmate who can fly and sense it has opposable thumbs and fingers place a ring of invisibility on him .  Fly around the battle field dropping healing potions down peoples throats as needed.