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.