Alchemist [Base]

[Stratovarius]

Alchemist

"Your petty corruption of magic will not diminish my power, fool!"
– Relak Traven, Human Alchemist

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Making an Alchemist
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Abilities: An Alchemist uses Intelligence to determine what level of spell the Alchemist can cast. If he has less than 11 Intelligence, he cannot cast any spells.

Races: Alchemists can be found among any race, although the Biyous of Biyan tend to have the most per head of population. They are uncommon among the other races.

Alignment: Because of the serious and complex requirements inherent in researching and creating potions, Alchemists tend towards the lawful, but can be found at any point on the law–chaos spectrum. They have no bias on the good-evil spectrum.

Starting Gold: As Wizard.

Starting Age: As Wizard.


Table 1: The Alchemist
Hit Die: d6

Code: [Select]

Level  BAB   Ref   Fort  Will  Abilities                           
-------------------------------––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
1      +0    +0    +0    +2    Brew Potion, Grenadier                         
2      +1    +0    +0    +3    Delay Potion, Potion Quick Draw, Extra Spell                         
3      +1    +1    +1    +3    Brew Potion (2nd), Double Throw                         
4      +2    +1    +1    +4    Metamagic Potion, Extra Spell                         
5      +2    +1    +1    +4    Brew Potion (3rd), Potion Wielder                         
6      +3    +2    +2    +5    Identify Potion, Extra Spell                         
7      +3    +2    +2    +5    Brew Potion (4th), Extra Potions                         
8      +4    +2    +2    +6    Metamagic Potion, Extra Spell                         
9      +4    +3    +3    +6    Brew Potion (5th), Potion Master                       
10     +5    +3    +3    +7    Twinned Metamagic, Extra Spell                         
11     +5    +3    +3    +7    Brew Potion (6th), Potion Barrage                         
12     +6    +4    +4    +8    Metamagic Potion, Extra Spell                         
13     +6    +4    +4    +8    Brew Potion (7th), Potion Expert                         
14     +7    +4    +4    +9    Extra Potions, Extra Spell                         
15     +7    +5    +5    +9    Brew Potion (8th), Splash Around                         
16     +8    +5    +5    +10   Metamagic Potion, Extra Spell                         
17     +8    +5    +5    +10   Brew Potion (9th), Potion Genius                         
18     +9    +6    +6    +11   Spray of Potions, Extra Spell                         
19     +9    +6    +6    +11   Doubled Brewing                         
20     +10   +6    +6    +12   Metamagic Potion, Augmented AlchemyClass skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level): Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Speak Language, Spellcraft (Int)
             
Class Features
Your potions are the centre of your being and the focus of your character.

• Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Alchemists are proficient with all simple weapons and light armour.
  
• Brew Potion (Ex): Rather than cast spells, you use your alchemical talents to brew spells into potions. This acts like the brew potion feat, except this costs no gold or XP and you can brew no more than three times your class level in total spell levels per day. It takes one hour each morning to brew the potions you have chosen for that day, although if you choose not to brew all of the possible potions, it takes 15 minutes to brew a potion at any point later in the day. Any potions not used within 24 hrs of being brewed are wasted. You may brew any potion that targets one or more creatures or an area. If the potion is drunk, the drinker is the target of the spell. If the potion is thrown, if it is an area effect spell, the centrepoint for the area is where the potion breaks open. If it is a targeted potion, it targets the creature struck. Potions are thrown as ranged touch attacks with a range increment of 10 ft. Every two levels after first, you can brew a higher level of potion (2nd at 3rd class level, 3rd at 5th, etc.). You may brew potions using any appropriate spell from the cleric spell list. For the purposes of potions, your caster level is equal to your class level.
  
• Grenadier (Ex): You gain the benefits of the Grenadier feat, except it also applies to thrown potions.
  
• Delay Potion (Ex): Any ally to whom you give a potion (including yourself) can delay the onset of the potion as if they had the Delay Potion feat.
  
• Potion Quick Draw (Ex): A 2nd-level alchemist can produce a potion stored at his belt or in a bandolier as a free action, as if he were drawing a weapon using the Quick Draw feat.
  
• Extra Spell (Ex): At each indicated level, you may choose a single spell off of the wizard/sorcerer list that is of a level equal to or less than the highest level potion you can brew. You can now brew potions using that spell.
  
• Double Throw (Ex): You may drink or throw two potions as a standard action.
  
• Metamagic Potion (Ex): At each indicated level, you gain one metamagic feat, which can be applied to a potion without increasing the potion level required. You must pay any other costs of the metamagic feat. You can only apply one feat at a time.
  
• Potion Wielder (Ex): When you use or throw a potion, the DC and the effective caster level of the spell inside the potion is increased by 1.
  
• Identify Potion (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, you are so sure of your knowledge that you always successfully identify any potion as what it is.
  
• Extra Potions (Ex): At 7th level, you can brew up to four times your class level in total spell levels per day. At 14th level, this increases to five times.
  
• Potion Master (Ex): When you use or throw a potion, the DC and the effective caster level of the spell inside the potion is increased by 1.
  
• Twinned Metamagic (Ex): You may apply two metamagic feats to a potion when creating it without increasing the potion level required.
  
• Potion Barrage (Ex): You may drink or throw up to one potion per four class levels as a standard action, but if you throw more than two, you take a -4 penalty on all attack rolls.
  
• Potion Expert (Ex): When you use or throw a potion, the DC and the effective caster level of the spell inside the potion is increased by 1.
  
• Splash Around (Ex): Potions you throw are now treated as grenade-like weapons, and anyone caught in the splash radius is affected by the spell.
  
• Potion Genius (Ex): When you use or throw a potion, the DC and the effective caster level of the spell inside the potion is increased by 1.
  
• Spray of Potions (Ex): As a full-round action, you may throw a potion at your full base attack bonus at each opponent within 30 feet.
  
• Doubled Brewing (Ex): When brewing a potion, you can choose to have a single potion have two spells inside of it. These spells both count against the spell levels brewed per day, and both activate when the potion is thrown or drunk.
  
• Augmented Alchemy (Ex): Whenever creating a potion, you can choose to make it more powerful than normal by increasing its level cost by two. If you do so, the benefits, damage, penalties, and duration of the potion are doubled, and the save DC increases by 2.
  

[RobbyPants]

I like this. The "casting" mechanic is more elegant than something I tried to create a while back. I like the idea of simply treating spells in potions as grenades. This solves the issue I had with trying to tie too much to things like acid flasks and alchemist's fire.

Is their spell list drawn from the Sorcerer/Wizard list, or do they get their own spell list? Personally, I'd probably make my own, and have it focus on healing, buffs, crowd control, and blasting.

You might want to let them increase the range increment of thrown potions beyond 10 feet, as they gain levels.

Side note: if you want your tables to not have a scroll bar in them, use <pre> tags instead of <code> tags.

[Amechra]

They draw from the Cleric list. Which presents an... issue.

Alright, so I take Extend Spell at 1st level (yes, I know I can't actually use it by RAW.)

Then I grab Persistent Spell as my 4th level choice for Metamagic Potion...

...

Quick question - what are the issues with drawing free, day-long buffs from the best list of buffing spells in the game, with the capacity to cherry-pick from the third best?

On another note, could you move the restriction on what spells you can brew based of Int down into the class? The place you have it now is... unintuitive.

[RobbyPants]

Oh yeah, I see the Cleric list part, now.

[Stratovarius]

The problem you've described is with Persistent spell, somewhat unsurprisingly. So I'll just do what I normally would and ban the class from taking the feat

I didn't actually come up with the idea - it's taken straight from the Alchemical Savant class from Magic of Eberron, which uses it for spellvials. I tweaked it a little to make it easier to use, but that's about it. This class is basically a combination of that one with the Master Alchemist and my own ideas.

I thought about increasing the range increment, but I decided to go with more throws per action. But if you think it needs longer ranger (because it is a rather fragile class to be in short melee distance), I'll see where I can squeeze it in.

[Amechra]

The problem you've described is with Persistent spell, somewhat unsurprisingly. So I'll just do what I normally would and ban the class from taking the feat

I didn't actually come up with the idea - it's taken straight from the Alchemical Savant class from Magic of Eberron, which uses it for spellvials. I tweaked it a little to make it easier to use, but that's about it. This class is basically a combination of that one with the Master Alchemist and my own ideas.

I thought about increasing the range increment, but I decided to go with more throws per action. But if you think it needs longer ranger (because it is a rather fragile class to be in short melee distance), I'll see where I can squeeze it in.

I was hoping you'd ban it (that was the point of my little diatribe). But I personally would be more comfortable with a bit more of a restriction on which metamagic you can apply. There is a reason free metamagic is considered to be one of the better things out there, even just ignoring Persistent Spell.

Overall, I just feel kinda... disappointed. Brew Potion feels kludgy, and your class features are... pretty boring, all things considered - you really focused hard on potions, to the exclusion of, say, alchemical items or poisons. Heck, Alchemist Savant at least got Universal Potions and the ability to mix alchemical items in with their spellvials.

As far as I can tell, you can't even use your potions for Minor Creation-type effects - which is a shame, because that's one of the things I think of when I think Alchemy.

[Stratovarius]

I was hoping you'd ban it (that was the point of my little diatribe). But I personally would be more comfortable with a bit more of a restriction on which metamagic you can apply. There is a reason free metamagic is considered to be one of the better things out there, even just ignoring Persistent Spell.

I know, but as a caster the Alchemist has a much lower effective spells per day count than any of the Tier 1 characters. So I don't feel too bad about the access to strong metamagic (Persistent spell excepted), as they have to parcel out their magic more carefully.

Overall, I just feel kinda... disappointed. Brew Potion feels kludgy, and your class features are... pretty boring, all things considered - you really focused hard on potions, to the exclusion of, say, alchemical items or poisons. Heck, Alchemist Savant at least got Universal Potions and the ability to mix alchemical items in with their spellvials.

Alchemist Savant and Master Alchemist, on the other hand, couldn't use AoE spells in potions - so that's a large number of very nice BFC spells off the table right there. And with that in mind, there's nothing at all that alchemical items can do that AoE spells can't, so on the combined front, this class is actually a fair bit more versatile than either the Alchemist PrCs presented by WotC. And I didn't particularly see the point in catering to an area of the game that is, generally, underdeveloped and weak.

[Lokiyn]

I'd agree that the class is more of a potion master than any sort of alchemist, but I'd definitely disagree about alchemy and poisons being underdeveloped and weak.

[Stratovarius]

I'd definitely disagree about alchemy and poisons being underdeveloped and weak.

Alchemists have less material dedicated to them than Truenaming, especially given the Master Alchemist class only deals with potions (i.e., not alchemy), while the Alchemist Savant has a grand total of 2 class abilities that apply to it. And poisons aren't a form of alchemy - they're a separate part of D&D that's generally better supported than alchemy, although focusing on them is definitely dropping tiers behind the spellcasters.

[Lokiyn]

well somewhat, By my count i believe there is something like 192 different alchemy items in 3.5 (not including dragon), with roughly 15-30 more Drugs; and i believe quite a bit of poison items (if you allow the rule in Vile darkness that allows alchemy to make poison); Alchemists can Heal, Damage, Buff, Debuff, and Battlefield Control with the materials printed, a Craft (Alchemy) character can do quite a bit more than most people give them credit for.

Now granted the PHB has roughly 390+ spells for wizards, but a good alchemist can generally access his whole load by level 5.

My main point is that if you have a class that focuses entirely on potions, and has no ability to produce or create academical items in a meaningful way, then its a "Brewer" rather than an "Alchemist". It feels mostly like it should be a (rogue + potions - sneak attack) rather than (wizard - spellcasting). Like "A rogue apothecary, traveling the world in search of exotic ingredients"

I guess it feels more like a NPC class (like a magewright or Adept) than a PC class if that makes sense.

I'll try and dig up the old outline i had for an alchemy only handbook, i suppose it's one of those overlooked corners in the system no one looks at because it's only ever seen in tiny pieces.

[Stratovarius]

My main point is that if you have a class that focuses entirely on potions, and has no ability to produce or create academical items in a meaningful way, then its a "Brewer" rather than an "Alchemist".

Except according to WotC, it's an Alchemist - Master Alchemist from Magic of Faerun has nothing to do with alchemy items at all, and spends his whole time brewing level 9 potions. Likewise, Alchemist Savant has as many or more abilities dealing with potions as it does alchemical items. I just dropped the "Master" bit since it was a base class rather than an Archmage type PrC.

It feels mostly like it should be a (rogue + potions - sneak attack) rather than (wizard - spellcasting). Like "A rogue apothecary, traveling the world in search of exotic ingredients".

The class you're looking for roughly exists - it's the Athasian Bard, which is akin to a poisonmaster/alchemist assassin as a base class. On the other hand, like most of the 3.5 Dark Sun classes, the balance is pretty poor. Athas.org tended to err strongly on the limited side for material they made themselves, so I'd guess the class was Tier 4 or 5. But it would provide a skeleton to work from.

I guess it feels more like a NPC class (like a magewright or Adept) than a PC class if that makes sense.

That's a bit odd, given it's Tier 2 (roughly), as it has a much wider set of spells known than a favoured soul, access to the same list, but lesser spells per day. Which it can blow all of them on level 7-9 spells if it wants to. On the other hand, it's possible to just stock up on lower level spells with piles of metamagic enhancements. Will give you it's definitely not my best standalone base class (that's Walker in the Wastes), but it wasn't meant to be. It was just a fun idea I cooked up quickly.

well somewhat, By my count i believe there is something like 192 different alchemy items in 3.5 (not including dragon), with roughly 15-30 more Drugs; and i believe quite a bit of poison items (if you allow the rule in Vile darkness that allows alchemy to make poison); Alchemists can Heal, Damage, Buff, Debuff, and Battlefield Control with the materials printed, a Craft (Alchemy) character can do quite a bit more than most people give them credit for.

Now granted the PHB has roughly 390+ spells for wizards, but a good alchemist can generally access his whole load by level 5.

I'll try and dig up the old outline i had for an alchemy only handbook, i suppose it's one of those overlooked corners in the system no one looks at because it's only ever seen in tiny pieces.

This right here (access everything by level 5) is why I don't think alchemy is particularly well supported - WotC never scaled the alchemical items high enough that they could be used as replacements for upper level magical items or spells, which is necessary to make them the focal point of a character. Now, a well designed build can overcome that, but CO has shown it can break the game using a commoner, so that's more a reflection of the options available in D&D rather than the strength or weakness of alchemy. It's also a build that requires a lot of downtime in order to have enough items to last for a long campaign (or magical item use to do the same thing, but, again, not alchemy), which puts some restrictions on the types of campaign it's any good at.

On the other hand, it's one of those aspects of D&D that could definitely do with a good handbook, if for no other reason than to collect all of the options in one place for the first time, which I've never seen. It would certainly make designing a class using them easier.