The Complete Artificer Infusions Guide for 5E
Eberron: Rising From the Last War is the only content officially released for Dungeons & Dragons 5E that included a full class. The Artificer’s infusion mechanic is it’s bread and butter, the reason to bring an artificer on an adventure. But, infusing items is actually pretty strange. It’s a pseudo-crafting system, and covered in rules. That’s why we’re gonna make it look easy for you with our Artificer Infusions Guide.
Table of Contents
Artificer Infusions 5E
Artificer infusions are applied to nonmagical items and turn them into magical items. At the end of a long rest, you can touch as many nonmagical items as you can apply infusions to. That gives them the infusions you want to give, but make sure they’re in your possession!
All infusions require specific objects in order to be applied. For example, you cannot apply Enhanced Arcane Focus on a weapon. You can only apply it to the items listed in the “Prerequisites” list. Some infusions require attunement. If they do, they’ll say so in their “Prerequisites” list.
How Many Infusions Do I Know?
At level 2, you are given four artificer infusion recipes. At level 6, 10, 14, and 18, you gain another 2 infusions known. Every level you get in Artificer, you can replace an infusion known with a new recipe. For example, say you’re exploring and you know the infusion for a magic armor with a +1 bonus. Then, your Paladin gains +1 Full Plate. When you level up, you can consider replacing that infusion with something that is wanted by your party, such as a Lantern of Revealing (if your party can’t see invisible creatures by now!) The following table outlines the infusions known and the maximum number of infused items for each level of artificer you have.
| Artificer Level | Infusions Known | Infused Items |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 4 | 2 |
| 3rd | 4 | 2 |
| 4th | 4 | 2 |
| 5th | 4 | 2 |
| 6th | 6 | 3 |
| 7th | 6 | 3 |
| 8th | 6 | 3 |
| 9th | 6 | 3 |
| 10th | 8 | 4 |
| 11th | 8 | 4 |
| 12th | 8 | 4 |
| 13th | 8 | 4 |
| 14th | 10 | 5 |
| 15th | 10 | 5 |
| 16th | 10 | 5 |
| 17th | 10 | 5 |
| 18th | 12 | 6 |
| 19th | 12 | 6 |
| 20th | 12 | 6 |
How Many Infusions Can I Have at Once?
You can have a number of infusions active equal to half your infusions known (2 at level 2, 3 at level 6, 4 at level 10, 5 at level 14, and 6 at level 18). These infusions last until you either die (in which case they wear off after an Intelligence Modifier number of days) or you infuse another item. You can’t infuse a nonmagical item, so you can’t stack infusions on top of the same item.
Can an Artificer Have Two of the Same Infusions?
In general, the answer is no. This is because in the rules as written, you cannot learn an infusion more than once unless the inscription of that infusion says otherwise.
List of Artificer Infusions
The following are the Infusions currently available to the Artificer. If the item is an “Enhanced” item, it’s good if you’re playing a nonmagical campaign and you need strict bonuses. Otherwise, it’s fine to take them until your party gets the magical items they need.
- Enhanced Arcane Focus: A rod, staff, or wand gives a creature a +1 to spell attack rolls, and ignores half-cover when making spell attacks. +2 at level 10.
- Enhanced Defense: Some armor or a shield gains a +1 bonus to AC. +2 at level 10.
- Enhance Weapon: A weapon gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage. +2 at level 10.
- Repeating Shot: A weapon with the ammunition property ignores the loading property and gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage. This weapon no longer requires you to load ammunition. Great if your Ranger or Fighter is using a crossbow and hasn’t taken Crossbow Mastery.
- Replicate Magic Item: You learn how to replicate common magical items. This comes from a specific list of items, and you only learn to make a new one every time you take this infusion. Probably the most helpful Infusion, but requires research and preparation to make good.
- Returning Weapon: A weapon that you can throw gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage. It returns to your hand immediately after you throw it. Perfect for early-game thrown weapon builds!
- Boots of the Winding Path (Requires – Level 6): A creature can teleport 15 feet as a bonus action. They must have been in that space during the current turn. Good for skirmishers, like the Drunken Master, who move a lot without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Homunculus Servant (Requires – gem or crystal worth 100 gp): You create a friendly homunculus, about as strong and durable as a familiar, that requires 100 gp worth of jewels. This creature requires a bonus action to command. It’s fairly useful as a Bonus Action damage dealer, but Artillerists and Battle Smiths have better things to do. It’s a pretty expensive scout, otherwise.
- Radiant Weapon (Requires – Level 6): A weapon you touch gains +1 bonus to attack and damage, and sheds light in a 60 ft (30 ft dim) radus. The weapon has 4 charges (regains 1d4 at dawn) that can be spent to attempt to blind a creature that hit the wielder for a round. Not bad, if you need a defensive weapon in your off-hand.
- Repulsion Shield (Requires – Level 6): A shield gains +1 AC. It has 4 charges (regains 1d4 at dawn). After successful melee attack against you, the shield shunts the attacker up to 15 feet away – without a save! Fantastic if a creature is using multi-attack; you knock them away and they just flail at the air.
- Resistant Armor (Requires – Level 6): This armor has resistance to one non-physical damage type of your choice… including force! More useful than normal armor against most casters, elementals, or incorporeal creatures. It requires a lot of guesswork, though!
Infusion Conclusion
Infusions are useful in every campaign, but in campaigns with low magic items, infusions are incredible. The Enhanced items are early game life-savers, and Replicate Magic Item will let you get extremely cheap ways to get much-needed gear. Some of the level 6 infusions are largely unnecessary, but decent utility options if your party can make use of them.
Infusions are largely based on your party and your current situation. Plan with your group, and you’ll see that 5E Artificer is very, very much worth the character slot.
