Good uses for Spell-Storing Item - Artificer - Class Forums - D&D Beyond Forums (2024)

A good combo I've recently figured out is Web + Tasha's Caustic Brew. I'd suggest putting TCB in the SSI but it can work the other way around too.

Web can restrain a creature thus causing them to make the DEX save from Tasha's with disadvantage. It's an action to try and escape the web... and an action to scrape the acid off of itself so the creature has to choose which action they'll take each turn. If they choose to scrape off the acid you can hit them with it again (with advantage) before they attempt to escape the web.

Now, admittedly, you could put Web in the SSI, give it to somebody in the party that doesn't normally use their concentration and can avoid losing it (the party's rogue or monk is usually a good choice)

That was the basic idea that I forgot to mention, yes. Granted I was considering the other party member to be the one applying the TCB repeatedly.

A couple other options for creatures using the SSI:

Homunculus Servant who can hide behind another creature or in a pocket or just fly out of melee range taking the dodge action when it's not needed to reapply acid.
A Familiar who can be dismissed (and still RAW maintain concentration on Web).

As a small sized battle smith (gnome, goblin, etc), make your spell storing item cast warding bond, take the mounted combatant feat, and then give the item to your steel defender. Then have the steel defender cast warding bond on you and mount it.

Now you have +1 ac, +1 saves, and resistance to all damage. Your steel defender takes the same amount of damage you do but it can heal itself with an action and you can heal it with a cantrip. It doesn't have resistance to damage it takes itself, but with mounted combatant you can force attacks on your mount to target you, and your SD can use its reaction to make that attack have disadvantage. The only reliable way for enemies to take out your mount is AOE attacks, but with mounted combatant the SD has evasion, so it takes half or no damage from most of those.

EDIT: I realize this won't help OP as an artillerist, but I think it's a good idea.

Unfortuantely it really is restricted to the spell list. Which means a lot of fun things wont' work. I REALLY wanted Inflict Wounds for my Alchemist with it. I even got hte spell via Shadow Touched feat in Tasha's. No go sadly.

Thankfully the subclass spell lists call out"These spells count as artificer spells for you" so they're valid for it. Although most aren't that useful. Flaming Sphere on it is a pretty useful one. More so if you have a familiar or a Homculus. Since you each can put out aflaming sphere every combat. So Alchemists will enjoy that detail. Though you're an artilrist.

Catapult is a pretty fun one; if you've prepped over time rocking Acid vials as ammo, or oil + a fire attack from your turret is pretty fun combo.
False Life is a weird one; not the best use. But is something you could have everyone get every hour until you run out. Since you'll probably finish most exploring in an hour or two. it is a method to avoid needing the protector cannon. but in efficient.

Aid is a spell I think that gets over looked. In the morning you use two or three uses (Depending on how many player characters and pets there are) to give everyone 5 more HP for the day. Further, it becomes a "pseudo mass healing word" later in the day if several people go down, you can use it to tag 3 of them within range; which overrides the previous use of the spell. They get 5hp back raising them from 0. Which is something you as a Artirlist can't pull off.

Invisibility is a nice tool to have if you think you'll have to sneak much that day. As is Spider's Climb; which can afford the entire team a method of getting around or up a wall, or b ypassing things without having to use fly.

If you want offenses as an Artilirist Shatter is an option. Its thunder damage as well. though it is loud.

Ultimately though, I think Aid, Cure Wounds, Invisibility, or Catapult are likely the best options in the end.

As for the hom*onculus. as your an artilirist you'll get less use out of it. But. if your HS is the one with the Cure Wounds or Aid, then it could sit on you; or perhaps in the backpack of the front liner. and it could heal them as a bonus action; or it could pop out for the Aid Trick in bad times. Since in battle Cure Wounds may or may not heal more than Aid dependding on roll/stats. So it depends on if you want the emergency button, or if you want to heal more often.

I'm fond of invisibility though. Because its almost always has a use

I like the idea of handing the SSI to humonuculi and steel defenders, a defender with spider climb could carry you all over terrain.

Heat metal gives them a bonus action offensive option, passing it on to the rest of the party to burn a heavily armoured bad guy together could be pretty potent.

Curious, do multiple enlarge or shrink stack on the same target?

Heat Metal is good if you hand it to player characters. But is not really useful for HS, or Defenders. Since you'd just be using your bonus action, to give them an action.
Which in fact. I don't think they can actually take a bonus action. "That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. " so they can take actions. but I don'tt think they can get bonus actions.

A big problem with magical computing is the cost of Magic Mouth (and Arcane Lock) components so SSI give the option of MM++

The Arcane Programmer Guide ( Official Rules Technique ) (giantitp.com)