From Keith Baker’s 3rd party, Exploring Eberron supplement.
The Maverick is a 3rd party artificer subclass, created by Keith Baker, the original creator of the Eberron setting, who has continued his work on the setting with 3rd party supplements. You can get the maverick subclass in the Exploring Eberron book from DM’s Guild.
Mevericks are highly experimental artificers that jump from one half-finished project to another. While this can lead to other, more professional artificers, labelling them as amateurs, many mavericks can end up landing on incredible innovations. This is often through the sheer variety of their experimentation as well as a willingness to think beyond established norms.
In practice, they become a highly spell-focused subclass that can both draw upon the spells of other classes as well as enhancing both their cantrips and their levelled spells through their manic experimentation.
Like most artificers, the rules and tactics can become a little convoluted. But my article is here to help. I’ll take you through the tactics you can use as well as how you can build and optimise your own maverick artificer.
At a glance
- 2/3 caster with solid support casting
- Customisable enhancements for yourself and others through infusions
- Highly spell-focused subclass
- Able to draw upon the spells possessed by other classes
2/5 – A spell-focused subclass that struggles to match full casters in potency. There’s some nice ideas and more accurate cantrips, spells from other lists and casting spells with higher spell slots is helpful, but it’s not enough to make this as effective as a full caster.
Maverick features
Arcane breakthroughs – Lv3
How it works
Choose another class’ spell list. You can now choose a single spell from this spell list for each spell level as you gain access to that spell level.
Tactics
- Deciding on your spell list depends on what kinds of spells you want access to.
- Wizards have the largest range of spells so can make a good option. Sorcerers have a lot of spells in common with the wizard making them a lesser option.
- Mavericks are also geared more towards spellcasting rather than weapon attacks. This makes the paladin, and to a lesser extent, ranger spell lists less useful. However, if there are specific spells you’re keen on, these can make sense.
- You may also want to focus on what spells can be upcast to be considerably more powerful in choosing your list because of one of your later features (superior breakthroughs).
Cantrip specialist – Lv3
How it works
You know an extra cantrip, and when you take a short rest, you can swap it for another cantrip from the artificer or breakthrough spell lists.
Tactics
- The big thing here is making sure you get access to powerful cantrips from other spell lists.
- Eldritch blast and toll the dead are both good options.
Cantrip savant – Lv5
How it works
Gain +1 to spell attack rolls and your saving throw DC for cantrips. This increases to +2 at 9th level and +3 at 15th.
You can also replace a cantrip from your spell list with another as an action once per long rest.
Tactics
- Essentially you’re better at hitting with your cantrips now.
- Changing cantrips on the fly can be useful for utility moments. This can mean you don’t need to keep utility spells in your known spells as much as you can just swap them in when needed. This includes things like mage hand, minor illusion and prestidigitation.
Superior breakthroughs – Lv9
How it works
You can cast spells prepared through arcane breakthroughs as if casting it at 2 levels higher than the spell slot used.
This can be done a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier.
Tactics
- This helps the artificer perform at a closer capability to full casters.
- You should pick spells through arcane breakthroughs that are enhanced when upcast. This includes spells like; burning hands, chromatic orb, scorching ray, fireball, spirit guardians and so on.
Work in progress – Lv9
How it works
Use an action to replace an artificer spell with another artificer spell once per long rest.
Tactics
- You’re unlikely to want to be doing this in combat because of the action cost so this is mainly for utility out of combat.
- It can be handy to ensure all artificer spells are at your fingertips most of the time, but is unlikely to give meaningful use very often.
Final breakthrough – Lv15
How it works
You gain an extra spell slot of each spell level you have to cast spells prepared through the arcane breakthrough feature.
Tactics
- Essentially you have extra spells slots to use your arcane breakthrough spells.
- The on thing to ensure is that arcane breakthrough spells are ones that are likely to be useful regularly.
How good is the maverick subclass?
The Maverick struggles with the idea of being a fully spellcasting focused subclass, while being a 2/3s caster. So while some of the features offer some substantial improvements to the overall artificer class, it all still feels kind of weak compared to a full caster.
If we compare the maverick to a bard for example, they get spells from other spell lists and are a highly utility style caster. But they get access to 9th level spells, and even with the maverick’s level 9 upcasting feature, it’s only at levels 11 and 12 that they can cast with a higher spell slot than the bard. And eventually this falls behind the bard’s spell levels.
The issue is that all of this is a lot of effort to bring the maverick closer in power to full casters. The only additional benefits to a full caster for a maverick is the ability to switch spells on the fly, and their heightened accuracy/spell save DC on cantrips. This does make them better than average with cantrips, but a warlock with agonising blast and eldritch blast will still outperform the maverick on cantrip damage.
Sadly, outside of levelled spells, if you’re just trying to deal damage with cantrips, then the maverick falls behind other artificers as can be seen below:
| Level | Maverick | Forge adept | Armorer | Artillerist | Battle Smith |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 6.5 | 12 | 10 | 18.5 | 14 |
| 5 | 13 | 32.5 | 18.5 | 24.5 | 22.5 |
| 9 | 13 | 37.5 | 20.5 | 29 | 32.5 |
| 15 | 18.5 | 46.5 | 20.5 | 48 | 48 |
Flavour-wise, I like the maverick, but sadly, its damage output is too low and its capabilities with spells remains inferior to other full casters. I think it would be easy to feel underpowered in a party with other casters, despite the maverick’s casting focus.
2/5
Building a maverick
If you want to play a maverick, you’ll want to build heavily around their spellcasting capabilities.
Below I’ve gone through how you can build an optimised maverick artificer.
Ability scores
Recommended options
Intelligence: Your most important ability score by far. You’ll need this to make your spells more potent.
Dexterity: You won’t have access to heavy armor so you’ll want this to be at least 14 to take full advantage of medium armor.
Constitution: Great for maintaining concentration and getting your HP up a bit.
Options to avoid
Strength: Mavericks have little need for strength.
Wisdom: You have little need for this.
Charisma: You’re not built for face skills, leave this for bards, paladins and other charisma-centric classes.
| Ability score | Point Buy | Standard Array |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 8 | 10 |
| Dexterity | 14 | 13 |
| Constitution | 15 | 14 |
| Intelligence | 15 | 15 |
| Wisdom | 10 | 12 |
| Charisma | 8 | 8 |
Skills
Recommended options
Arcana: Solid knowledge skill and as a rare, intelligence based class, one of the best options for specialising in this.
History: Another decent knowledge skills to take advantage of your intelligence.
Investigation: Investigating things will often come up and it’s also an intelligence based skill.
Nature: Decent enough knowledge skill and uses intelligence which you’ll be strong in.
Perception: Not a great ability score for an artificer, but perception is useful for everyone in the party.
Sleight of hand: You should have a decent dexterity and with thieves’ tools proficiency, you can make a decent burglar option when the party is absent of a rogue.
Options to avoid
Medicine: Just grab a healing potion, cure wounds or something like magic initiate to get healing word. Arcane breakthrough could also get you healing word.
Races
I’d consider a race that enhances the following kinds of features for a maverick:
- Spellcasting: As natural spellcasters, any kind of spellcasting enhancements or innate spells are only going to help round out your capabilities and give you more options.
- Intelligence-based: Some races will specify certain ability scores you increase. If that’s the case, you’ll want to prioritise an intelligence increase followed by dexterity and constitution.
- Safety: Mavericks aren’t really built for melee so anything that can help you stay safe is useful. Things like flight, bonus action disengage and teleportation are all great for this.
Recommended races
The races of D&D 5e have gone through various iterations. Below I’ve recommended races that work well with a maverick using the most recently published version from D&D 5e (2014).
- Autognome – 2 extra tool proficiencies, easy healing outside of combat, lots of resilience features and built for success stacks nicely with flash of genius. Autognomes feel almost built for artificers (literally) and their abilities work nicely together.
- Eladrin – Fey step is very handy for teleporting away from danger while trance gives you a couple of extra proficiencies which you can use to fashion yourself into more of a replacement rogue if needed. All very handy for a maverick.
- High Elf – +2 to dexterity and +1 to intelligence suit a maverick quite nicely. Proficiency in perception is always useful and a free cantrip from the wizard’s spell list is handy for a spell-focused artificer.
- Fairy – The big draw here is flight. Get up high and blast away from a distance. Faerie fire is really good too, and enlarge/reduce is decent for some extra spell options.
- Goblin – Nimble escape is great for keeping a maverick safe when you do get stuck in melee combat. Fury of the small is also great as you get extra damage on attacks or spells when attacking something of a size larger than yourself (which most creatures are).
Backgrounds
Backgrounds are great for adding a bit of flavour to a character and providing some small skill perks, gear and minor abilities. Generally for a maverick, you’ll want to focus on intelligence based skills and extra tool proficiencies (as the tool king). With that in mind, below are some of the better background options for you:
- Acolyte – Decent skill proficiencies in insights and religion, 2 languages and perks at temples (like free healing).
- Clan Crafter – History and insight are good skill options for an artificer. You’ll also get proficiency in a type of artisan’s tools and you get an extra language. Plus it’s very thematically appropriate.
- Faction Agent – Insight and the choice of another skill make a great choice of proficiencies. You also get 2 languages and affiliation with a powerful organisation.
- Far Traveler – Insight, perception and a language are decent for an artificer, though you’ll likely rarely use persuasion as artillerists are rarely the best option for a party spokesman. You get proficiency in an instrument too for what it’s worth.
- Sage – Arcana and history are good skill proficiencies for an artillerist and you get 2 languages too.
Feats
When taking an ability score increase or using a variant Human, you can gain access to feats, taking one instead of the ability score increase. Some DMs will also give you a feat when you create your character for added flavour. Just check with your DM that they allow feats.
Feats can add powerful options to a character, but it’s important you pick feats that will complement a maverick’s skillset nicely. Below I’ve pulled out some of the best options for a maverick:
- Fey Touched – Increase your intelligence by +1 and get misty step and another 1st level spell with a free use every long rest. Misty step is a great spell for mavericks to get out of danger when things look dangerous (and isn’t on the artificer spell list).
- Lucky – Making 3 rerolls a day is powerful for any class!
- Medium Armor Master – +1 AC if you have at least 16 dexterity (when wearing medium armor) and no disadvantage on stealth checks when in medium armor. A great option for a class that relies heavily on medium armor to make sure they’re not too vulnerable.
- Metamagic Adept – Enhance your spells with the metamagic ability from the sorceror class.
- Shadow touched – Not quite as good as fey touched as you can get invisibility through your class list, but a couple of extra prepared spells and free castings remains useful for an artificer.
- Skill Expert – Better at even more skills is great.
- Skilled – 3 more skills to be proficient in is also great.
- Spell Sniper – Double spell range for attack spells, can ignore cover for spells attacks and an extra cantrip. All very handy for an alchemist that might rely on spells for damage dealing and wants to stay out of danger.
- War caster – This will help you maintain concentration.
Weapons
Once you hit level 5, spells, including cantrips, will be more powerful (and accurate) than weapon attacks. Before this point, you might want to consider a ranged weapon if your dexterity is high enough to make this better than your spellcasting. You might also want a weapon or 2 for rare times when you can’t use spells.
For these times, I’d recommend the following weapons:
- Pistol – Your highest damage, one-handed, ranged weapon. Wield it alongside your spellcasting focus. If you’re going for full hands, then you’ll need the repeating shot infusion, though I’d swap for a different infusion once you hit level 5.
- Hand Crossbow – Decent ranged option that only requires one hand so you can wield your spellcasting focus in your other hand. Again, you’ll need the repeating shot infusion for this combination (which you can then swap out once you hit level 5).
- Dagger – Can be used for ranged and melee attacks giving you attacks of opportunity but only does d4 damage.
- Just a shield – You might decide that most of the time, you’d rather just cast spells and have the extra protection of a shield. Especially by level 5, this is probably your best option.
Armor
As you have proficiency in medium armor, and you won’t want to invest so heavily in dexterity that light armor is worthwhile (because from level 5 or before, you’ll be primarily blasting off cantrips), you’ll likely want to go with medium armor. I’d start with scale mail and upgrade to half plate once you’re able to.
A shield is also a good option for some extra protection.
Other class guides
Not sure a maverick is for you. Why not check out one of our other class guides for more inspiration.
