I'm building a Mindchemist Alchemist, and I just noticed the wording under the Cognatogen discovery.

"When the effect of the cognatogen ends, the alchemist takes 2 points of ability damage to the ability score penalized by the cognatogen."

Does this still apply to mindchemists, as that is their predominant discovery? I.e. there is no ability damage for a base mutagen, why is there ability damage for a cognatogen? I suppose lesser resto gets rid of it, but feels like a waste of a second level spell. Especially, if melee party members need it more.

Base Alchemist, Mutagen Ability:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist#TOC-Mutagen-Su-

MindChemist:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/archetypes/paizo---a lchemist-archetypes/mindchemist

Cognatogen Discovery:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/discoveries/paizo--- alchemist-discoveries/cognatogen-su

yup - mindchemists get it - which is one of the severe drawbacks of cognatogens vs regular mutagens.

Remember that Alchemists can keep creating mutagens multiple times each day (or cognatogens) so this penalty is probably there for a game balance against continually having the cognatogen active. It is definitely a very real drawback. You will heal 1 point of damage (to each ability score damaged) for a day's rest - but yes this is a very real drawback for the adventuring mindchemist using cognatogens.

(and the cost of lesser restorations adds up quite quickly if using potions or a wand - and casting them requires using limited extract slots)

A potion of Lesser Restoration combined with Alchemical Allocation will make this a non-issue.

A potion of Lesser Restoration combined with Alchemical Allocation will make this a non-issue.

Alchemical Allocation is a second level extract that can be used on one potion. It saves you some money but costs you a LOT of extract slots so it's not as powerful as it looks. After all, lesser restoration is a second level alchemist extract as well.

I tend to have a few powerful potions/elixirs on hand, and utilize Alchemical Allocation to use them.

When I do so, I give that extract slot more options. This is why I would carry a potion of Lesser Restoration.

With the trait Accelerated Drinker, you can gain the benefit of two Lesser Restoration potions before Alchemical Allocation wears off. You just need to be carrying two Lesser Restoration potions around with you. (You can even potentially benefit from three with Vestigial Arm and/or Tentacle discoveries, or even four if you throw in that Mythic Trickster power to drink as a Swift.)

With the trait Accelerated Drinker, you can gain the benefit of two Lesser Restoration potions before Alchemical Allocation wears off. You just need to be carrying two Lesser Restoration potions around with you. (You can even potentially benefit from three with Vestigial Arm and/or Tentacle discoveries, or even four if you throw in that Mythic Trickster power to drink as a Swift.)

Alchemical Allocation

School transmutation; Level alchemist 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round

This extract causes a pale aura to emanate from your mouth. If you consume a potion or elixir on the round following the consumption of this extract, you can spit it back into its container as a free action. You gain all the benefits of the potion or elixir, but it is not consumed. You can only gain the benefits of one potion or elixir in this way per use of this extract.

Sadly the duration doesn't matter, it only affects one potion.

Oops, I misread that line as "You can only gain the benefits of a potion or elixir in this way once per use of this extract" (i.e. no drinking the same potion twice, but you can drink two different potions). Nevermind, then.

If you have a Paladin in the party, brew some lesser restoration potions with his help. Pal gets it as a 1st level spell, so you can get the potions for only 50 gp each, and half that to create.