D&D Artificer Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Artificer level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I will get a commission at no extra cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure.

D&D Artificer Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Artificer level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Artificer Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 8 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d8.

Proficiencies

• Armour: Light armour, medium armour, shields.
• Weapons: Simple weapons.
• Tools: Thieves’ tools, tinker’s tools, one type of artisan’s tools of your choice.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Constitution (CON) and Intelligence (INT).
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, and Sleight of Hand.

Class Features

• Magical Tinkering
  You have the ability to invest a spark of magic into tiny objects using your thieves’ or artisan’s tools.

• Spellcasting
  Thanks to the time spent studying, you now have the ability to cast spells channelling the power of magic through objects. At level 1 you have the following:
  Cantrips known: 2.
  Spell slots: 2 (1st level).

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Infusions known: 4.
• Infused items: 2.
• Infuse Item
  You have the power to enchant common items with magical infusions that turns them into magic items.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level).
• Artificer Specialist
  Like some other classes, at level 3 you can finally choose the subclass for your character among the Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist and Battle Smith.
• The Right Tool for the Job
  Thanks to your amazing handcrafting abilities mixed with a touch of magic, you have learned how to produce the tool you need for a specific job. Using your thieves’ or artisan’s tools you can magically create one set of artisan’s tool in 1 hour.

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level), +2 (2nd level).
• New Artificer Specialist subclass feature: this depends on which Artificer Specialist you have chosen for your Artificer.

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Infusions known: +2.
• Infused items: +1.
• Tool Expertise
  When you use your proficiency with a tool to make an ability check, your proficiency bonus is doubled.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (2nd level).
• Flash of Genius
  You can use your reaction to modify the roll when you or another creature within 30 feet of you performs an ability check.

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spell slots: +2 (3rd level).
• New Artificer Specialist subclass feature: this depends on which Artificer Specialist you have chosen for your Artificer.

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Infusions known: +2.
• Infused items: +1.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Spell slots: +2 (3rd level).
• Magic Item Adept
  You know very well how to use and create magic items and this gives you two useful abilities: you can attune up to 4 magic items at the same time and it takes a quarter of the time and half the cost in gold for you to craft a magic item if the rarity of that item is common or uncommon.

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (3rd level).
• Spell-Storing Item
  You can store a spell in an object that can be later used by you or another creature.

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Infusions known: +2.
• Infused items: +1.
• Cantrips known: +1.
• Magic Item Savant
  Your knowledge of how to use and create magic items deepens therefore you can attune up to 5 magic items at the same time and you ignore class, race, spell and level requirements to attune or use a magic item.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).
• New Artificer Specialist subclass feature: this depends on which Artificer Specialist you have chosen for your Artificer.

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level), +1 (5th level).

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Infusions known: +2.
• Infused items: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• Magic Item Master
  You can attune up to 6 magic items at the same time.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d8 (roll or 5) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d8.
• Soul of Artifice
  You’ve formed a mystical bond with your magic items which you can now use as protection gaining the following effects: +1to all saving throws for each item you’re attuned to and if you’re hit points reach 0 (without being killed) you can terminate one of your artificer infusions to recover 1 hit point back.