this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2023
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[5e][Discussion] Booming Blade + Force Ballista Artillerist, worth it? (ttrpg.network)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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I recently theorycrafted a Dex and a Str version of an Artillerist with the Gunner feat popping off a Booming Blade and a Force Ballista each turn.

Dex variant: Choose a race that gets a weapon proficiency (e.g. Githyanki) to weild a Rapier. Pick up Gunner at 4. Starting stats are somewhere along the lines of 8 15+2 14 15+1 10 8, aiming to max Dex and pick up a Headband of Intellect to cover the otherwise low Int. Rolling can get the starting Int to be more respectable, but otherwise this feels pretty bad early game.

Str variant: Can start with a feat race for Gunner, point buy stats of 14 13+1 14 14+2 9 8, aiming to max Int, get Resilient Wis, and pick up Gauntlets of Ogre Power to cover the otherwise low Str. Acquiring an All Purpose Tool can provide Shillelagh to not need GoOP.

Why do this at all? Arcane Firearm, whether you tap your rapier with it as your Artificer-required tool material component, or whether it itself is the staff you go bonking people with Booming Blade, provides an extra 1d8 Thunder damage. Force Ballista's built in knockback has no save. Put those together with Faerie Fire, and you have a pretty reliable chunk of damage every round alongside a semi-reliable BB rider proc.

Questions:

  • is Shillelagh via APT viable here? Since you can't cast Shillelagh and Faerie Fire on the same turn, setup feels bad.
  • would some other pushback, like Crusher, be more effective?
  • is being ranged overall, with ranged cantrips, just better damage faster (i.e. by dropping Gunner and maxing Int faster)?
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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago
  • Shillelagh + Booming/greenflame blades is verifiably incredible. Once you have it low Str or Dex dont matter offensively. (When I say verifiably, I had a party that I GM'd through Tyranny of dragons about 3 levels underlevelled, and the Shillelagh + greenflame user was consistently useful in combat)
  • Dont worry too much about Faerie Fire, the game is swimming in sources of advantage. If nothing else, elevation, positioning, and visibility are all ways to get it no matter your build.
  • crusher probably would be more effective, if only so it frees up the drone slot for a protector. Those Temp HP are a survivability measure that you just cant discount.
  • Not for a sword cantrip build, but overall, I have gotten places with a levitating air Genassi + arcane firearm + firebolt for main + shocking grasp for close