Dungeons and Dragons’ new Eberron: Forge of the Artificer book adds a new subclass for the titular class, but it doesn’t really stick the landing.
Dungeons and Dragons’ 2024 new Core Rules have reshaped the game in massive ways. Some classes and subclasses have drastically different abilities or playstyles, some core game aspects have been changed, and even some of the most iconic monsters in Dungeons and Dragons are nothing like they used to be. This is not always for the best, as losing identity for novelty is not necessarily a good thing, but the overall reception has been good so far. Now, a new book is coming out in the form of Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, which aptly features the Artificer class, its four existing subclasses, and an entirely new subclassed – the Cartographer.
This is pretty exciting in and of itself, as new subclasses in Dungeons and Dragons are often a huge breath of fresh air for longtime players, and they can either unlock entirely new playstyles and strategies or build on untapped existing concepts. The Artificer subclasses are all unlocked at level 3, and they are: Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, and Battle Smith, with the Cartographer rounding them up. Yet, as interesting and flavorful as the Cartographer is for the Artificer, it fails to stick the landing of its teleportation spells, becoming a cool support class at best, and an underwhelming cauldron of half-cooked features at worst.
Dungeons and Dragons’ New Cartographer is Officially The Worst Artificer Subclass
Aside from some core Artificer changes in DnD 2024 from the Eberron: Forge of the Artificer book, such as learning Mending as a cantrip or Flash of Genius triggering when a creature fails a check or saving throw, each subclass has been updated, and the Cartographer has been added. Theoretically, the Cartographer is meant to be a support class that focuses on mobility and utility magic for allies, all while creating magical maps that connect all party members and give them bonuses. This is only partly true, though, as the class fantasy is quickly overshadowed by middling powers, spell selection, and abilities.
Eberron: Forge of the Artificer’s Cartographer Subclass Breakdown in DnD 2024
At level 3, the Cartographer gets access to Tools of the Trade, which is very useful to craft scrolls for spells, and the cost in gold is decent, too. However, this becomes exponentially worse after level 3 spells due to the massive cost in gold and the time required to finish the scroll, and assistants can’t be used to reduce the time required for crafting Spell Scrolls. There is some value to the scrolls when having a Wizard in the party who can learn the spells from the scrolls, which is easily achievable due to the overlap between Artificer spells and Wizard spells in Dungeons and Dragons. However, this is not guaranteed to be the case.
Then, the Cartographer gets its own spell list. This is as follows:
The Cartographer spells in Eberron: Forge of the Artificer are not inherently bad, but not great either. This is particularly evident when the selection doesn’t have a lot of uses to tie into the level 11 feature of the class, called Spell-Storing Item.
