Talk:Alchemist

general design philosophy: courageous milieu should set the tone of the class and have most of the major features of the class within it.  Each milieu after courageous should add one additional major feature, and otherwise just be improvements on previous features. 

therefore, for alchemist: 
- courageous = bombs, extracts, and discoveries
- heroic = mutagen
- valorous = grand mutagens (and poisons?)
- mythic = eureka bombs
- legendary = primal damage

a few features should probably just go away: swift alchemy, swift poisoning, instant alchemy, venom sac

(RD) so, in general, does this approach seem to make sense to you? Are you okay with, for example, moving mutagen all the way up to 8th level?  I ask because this same philosophy (several major features in courageous, then 1 per milieu after that) will likely get used in all the other classes, to some degree or another.

Bombs and Extracts

bomb damage. alky's can throw 2 bombs/round. 6 bombs per encounter, 18 bombs per day, is effective maximum. lower number of bombs to int mod. HUGE NERF! increase damage to level/2 circle damage to compensate. yes, bombs scale to circle 17 damage, yikes. fewer bombs but hit really hard. thoughts? (we can call this something different, like blast rank or something, instead of circle damage)

Okay, here's a first stab at some terrifyingly large bomb damage numbers:

Bomb Damage Draft

Alch Level	Dmg/Lvl	Bomb Damage
1	1d6+5	1d6+5
2	1d6+5	2d6+10
3	1d6+5	3d6+15
4	1d6+5	4d6+20
5	1d6+5	5d6+25
6	1d6+6	6d6+36
7	1d6+6	7d6+42
8	1d6+6	8d6+48
9	1d6+6	9d6+54
10	1d6+6	10d6+60
11	1d6+7	11d6+77
12	1d6+7	12d6+84
13	1d6+7	13d6+91
14	1d6+7	14d6+98
15	1d6+7	15d6+105
16	1d6+8	16d6+128
17	1d6+8	17d6+136
18	1d6+8	18d6+144
19	1d6+8	19d6+152
20	1d6+8	20d6+160
21	1d6+9	21d6+189
22	1d6+9	22d6+198
23	1d6+9	23d6+207
24	1d6+9	24d6+216
25	1d6+9	25d6+225
26	1d6+10	26d6+260
27	1d6+10	27d6+270
28	1d6+10	28d6+280
29	1d6+10	29d6+290
30	1d6+10	30d6+300
31	1d6+11	31d6+341
32	1d6+11	32d6+352
33	1d6+11	33d6+363
34	1d6+11	34d6+374
35	1d6+11	35d6+385

hrrrrm. rebuilding discoverys might be a big lift, but if we wanna 'fix' the class for good, this is one way to do it. 4 x 4 choices is 256 alky paths, yikes.  bombs as mini-pets...maybe as a discovery?  not sure the class needs that as well as a familiar.  heck, get rid of the familiar?  I just love the optics of it, though

(RD) there's nothing that says the familiar couldn't be one of the 4 x 4 choices... that way if the player decides it's too complicated, they choose something else.  Also, we need to rebuild how familiars work (in my mind, their primary combat utility is they give the caster a different point of origin for their spells/abilities... an alchemist familiar would possibly let them throw their bombs starting from their familiar's space, instead of their own (or use an extract, etc.)).

• clarify rules to state that alchemist can either prepare bombs and extracts in advance, or they can prepare them on the fly. Preparing them on the fly effectively gives them spontaneous casting; however, they cannot prepare on the fly while in mutagen form -- they can only use prepared bombs and/or extracts.
• Get rid of the "sharable extracts" discovery, and instead make all extracts self-only, but add in a "contagion" feature which allows the alchemist to spread a buff to an adjacent ally (buff would either lay a charge on the ally, or it would just last for a single round, regardless of how long it lasts on the alchemist).

Alchemist Example Builds

(not a legal build; needs reviewed) 

Bomb-Throwing Build

Human, base stats: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, int 18, Wis 10, Chr 8.

Example Feats

1st Level: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot. Lets you put your bombs exactly where you want them

3rd Level: Weapon Focus:Bombs. Still making the bombs better.

5th Level: Extra Discovery: Acid Bombs*. Now that the bombs go where you want them, you start to make them nassssty.

7th Level: Dodge. A point of armor class and unlocks good stuff.

9th Level: Close Quarters Thrower. Throw bombs in melee!

11th Level: Charging Hurler. Lets you keep up with the first round rush and still attack.

13th Level: Far Shot. Throw bombs waaaay further and still hit.

15th Level: Mobility. Avoid those attacks of opportunity.

17th Level: Shot on the Run. Pop around a corner, throw a bomb, hide. So awesome.

19th Level: Clustered Shots. This lets you punch through DR like crazy.

Example Discoveries:

2nd Level: Precise Bombs

4th Level: Explosive Bombs*

6th Level: Breath Weapon Bomb

8th Level: Fast Bombs

10th Level: Force Bomb*

12th Level: Demolition Bomb*

14th Level: Dispelling Bomb*

16th Level: Frost Bomb*

18th Level: Elixir of Life

20th Level: Fast Healing 5, Smoke Bomb*, Inferno Bomb*.

Hulchemist Build

Human, base stats: Str 16, Dex 14, Con 14, int 18, Wis 10, Chr 8

Example Feats

1st Level: Dodge, Mobility. Move around in melee, get hit less, and melee sucks, you want the armor class bad.

3rd Level: Weapon Focus: Natural Attacks. Yeah, you wreck'em in melee, you betcha!

5th Level: Power Attack. Yeah, you wreck'em in melee, you betcha!

7th Level: Point Blank Shot. Still gotta work the bombs!

9th level: Toughness. Hit points, baby!

11th Level: Precise Shot. Workin' the bombs

13th level: Shot on the Run. The corner thing, so awesome.

15th Level: Rending Claws. Oh, yeah, even more melee damage

17th Level: Defensive Combat Training. Stops the bad guys from tackling you all the time

19th Level: Advanced Def Combat Training. No, seriously. Getting grappled sucks.

Example Discoveries:

2nd Level: Alchemical Claw

4th Level: Spontaneous Healing

6th Level: Greater Mutagen

8th Level: Vestigial Arm

10th Level: Vestigial Arm

12th Level: Grand Mutagen

14th Level: Tentacle

16th Level: True Mutagen

18th Level: Nauseating Flesh

20th Level: Alchemical Abomination, Improved Alchemical Claw, Preserve Organs.