In each reprinting of the Artificer, we seem to get a new subclass. Here, we've got a really odd one: the Cartographer, which focuses on... map-making?
The Cartographer joins the Alchemist and Artillerist as a half-caster that doesn't also have martial capabilities to compensate. But how does it hold up?
Cartographer Spells:
1st: Faerie Fire, Guiding Bolt, Healing Word
2nd: Locate Object, Mind Spike
3rd: Call Lightning, Clairvoyance
4th: Banishment, Locate Creature
5th: Scrying, Teleportation Circle
You'll note that they get three 1st level spells here. Healing Word, of course, is very good - while the buffs to both it and Cure Wounds mean that Cure Wounds pulls away from Healing Word faster in terms of power, we can still prep that anyway. What we've got here, then, are mostly pretty situational spells - which is actually sort of fine, as I like having more situational subclass spells, as it frees up our own preparations for more general spells. Faerie Fire is a really good 1st level option, and we'll see that there's a bit of a focus on that.
Level 3:
Tools of the Trade:
You get the following:
Tool Proficiency: you gain proficiency in Calligrapher's Supplies and Cartographer's Tools. If you have either of these already, you can replace them with other types of tools.
Scroll Crafting: When you scribe a Spell Scroll, the time required to craft it is halved.
The rules on scroll-crafting are in the PHB, so this should be available in any campaign (though you also need some downtime).
Adventurer's Atlas:
When you finish a long rest while holding Cartographer's Tools, you can use them to create a set of magical maps by touching at least two creatures (which can include yourself) to a maximum of 1+Int. Each target receives a magical map, which updates constantly to show the relative positions of each person that holds the map, but is illegible to all others who look at it. The maps last until you die or use this feature again.
While carrying the map, a target gets the following benefits:
Awareness: They add 1d4 to Initiative rolls.
Positioning: The target knows the location of all other map holders that are on the same plane of existence as themselves. When casting a spell or creatin gan effect that requires being able to see the effect's target, a map holder can target another map holder regardless of sight or cover as long as they are within the spell's range.
So, this is fun and cool. The initiative bonus is not enormous, but it's enough to potentially make a difference. The positioning bonus is probably only going to come up occasionally, but it's great if you have players who like to go invisible or, like, a Rogue who hides mid-combat.
Mapping Magic:
You get the following:
Illuminated Cartography: You can cast Faerie Fire without expending a spell slot Int times per long rest. (It also describes affected creatures as if they are outlined in ink).
A good spell, and giving a half-caster extra uses of a spell for free is always nice.
Portal Jump: On your turn, you can spend half your speed (rounded down) to teleport to an unoccupied space within 10 feet of yourself or within 5 feet of a creature that is within 30 feet if they are holding one of your Adventurer's Atlas maps.
Let's talk about this: while the range is pretty short, this is fully unlimited teleportation. Are you trapped in a cage? Bamf out. Is that door locked, but you can peer through the crack underneath it? Bamf through. Bamf to your heart's content. Bamf all over the world. Are you ever grappled or restrained? Spend 15 feet of movement and you're not anymore. (Hell, even if you're swallowed by a monster, as long as one of your friends has a map within 30 feet, you can bamf to them even if you can't see them. This is really good.
Level 5:
Guided Precision:
Once per turn, when you cast a spell from your Cartographer Spells list or hit a creature affected by your Faerie Fire with an attack, you can add your Intelligence modifier to one damage roll of that spell or attack.
Additionally, damage can't break your concentration on Faerie Fire.
You do have some damaging spells in your list, but if you want to get this benefit from a cantrip, you'll need someone to have failed its Faerie Fire dex save. So, I'd say this is more limited than, say, the Alchemist's equivalent feature. But it is our little half-caster damage bonus, I guess - just probably the weakest of them.
Also concentration-free Faerie Fire might have been nicer, but at least we can rely on keeping it up.
Level 9:
Ingenious Movement:
When you use Flash of Genius, you or a willing creature of your choice you can see within 30 feet of yourself can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see as part of the same reaction.
This one's... kind of weird. It's reaction-speed Misty Step that an ally can use. Notably, the target of Flash of Genius need not be the one you teleport, so it's kind of a totally unrelated thing that happens the same time you use Flash of Genius. Remember that we're also going to be getting more uses of Flash of Genius now, so you'll get this more as well.
Level 15:
Superior Atlas:
You get the following benefits:
Safe Haven: When a map holder would be reduced to 0 HP, but isn't killed outright, the creature can destroy their map. They now change their HP to twice your Artificer level and they are teleported to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you or another map holder of your choice.
Ok, first off: there's no range on this, so if you have a friend a continent away who nearly gets killed, they can cross oceans and appear right next to you with 30 or more HP. Hold up, can this work across planes, even?
Unerring Path: If you are one of the map holders, you can cast Find the Path without expending a spell slot or needing the spell prepared and without spell components. You can do this once per long rest.
This is certainly thematic, but this is also one of those spells of truly dubious value (if you need to be familiar with the location, navigating to it probably won't be that hard). But yeah, can't fault it for being super on-theme (and giving us a 6th level spell we wouldn't otherwise get).
Overall Thoughts:
I am so torn on this subclass. Because part of me wants to point to the fact that it probably doesn't do very good damage, and it's not, like, a great healer. But this is maybe the best mobility-focused subclass in the game? Like, again, I don't know that this is going to be actually very good in a fight. But I don't think I could ever fault a player for taking it because you get unlimited short-range teleportation. That is, actually, so useful in so many situations.
And that's it: all five of the updated, revised subclasses. I think, broadly, most of the existing ones have seen some small improvements, though I think the base class changes are open to debate, and I'll need to think it over.
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