It was left out of the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook, but the steampunk Artificer is coming back anyway

The Artificer is controversial. It was introduced in Dungeons & Dragons 5e's Eberron: Rising From the Last War sourcebook, and then in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. With its steampunk and magical technology vibes, some feel the Artificer character class doesn't sit well with more traditional high-fantasy settings. (Greyhawk would beg to differ.)

When the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook released September 17, the Artificer was the last kid picked for kickball. Correction: the Artificer wasn't picked at all. You will not find it there.

But publisher Wizards of the Coast just released its first Unearthed Arcana in probably a year. And you've guessed it: the Artificer is now in a beta testing phase to bring it forward from D&D 5e (2014) into D&D 5e (2024). If every single class included in the 2024 Player's Handbook is any indication, then Wizards of the Coast is tweaking just about everything it can when it comes to the Artificer's complex blend of spellcasting, crafting, and infusions.

The Artificer is the top level of the character class. Below it are four subclasses:

• Alchemist - An expert at combining reagents to produce mystical effects.
• Armorer - Modifies armor to function almost like a second skin.
• Artillerist - Uses magic to hurl energy, projectiles, and explosions.
• Battle Smith - A combination of protector and medic.

Here are some ways in which the Artificer and its subclasses will be revised:

• Spells. Tweaks makes to D&D 2024's spells will affect the Artificer's gameplay.
• Magic Items. Heavily employs magic items, so changes made to magic items naturally alter how an Artificer plays on the battlefield. 

If you have the time and ability to playtest the new Artificer at your table, or even if you can only read it to get an overview of the changes, you'll be doing the rest of us a service. One of my Dragonlance players is itching for a change, and the Artificer has been calling to him for years now.

Go here in D&D Beyond to download a PDF of the 2024 Artificer playtest.