I've been considering this build to add to my big book of builds.
Since armor max DEX only applies to DEX to AC, and otherwise DEX stays uninhibited for other statistics, like reflex save, initiative, ranged attack bonus, etc., I have been considering an Alchemist with a dip into Fighter for Heavy Armor and a feat.
between defensive extracts like Shield, Blur, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, etc. and heavy armor and a buckler, I feel a bomber alchemist (grenadier) with a back up ranged weapon could be quite beefy.
Anyone played an Alchemist like this? Any thoughts? Suggestions?
I'd go some other dip for armor other than fighter. Cavalier perhaps.
I'd go some other dip for armor other than fighter. Cavalier perhaps.
Why cavalier? That seems like it's going to load you up with a lot of stuff you're not actually going to use. Fighter's give you a bonus feat and tower shields, which are awesome.
I'd go some other dip for armor other than fighter. Cavalier perhaps.Why cavalier? That seems like it's going to load you up with a lot of stuff you're not actually going to use. Fighter's give you a bonus feat and tower shields, which are awesome.
That bonus feat and shield proficiency are literally all you get.
well the fighter dip seems great if you want to go Tiefling for the +1/2 level to bomb damage and Arcane Strike via Darkness SLA. That extra feat is really handy, in that case.
Speaking of which, does Arcane Strike work with bombs?
The tower shield seems a bit useless, since you probably want a buckler so you can use a longbow, since you have the feats for it anyway.
Tiefling ability to get Arcane Strike is also handy for said back-up bow. The +DEX and INT is handy, and you could have a high enough DEX to use it for +STR for the bow or +CON for hp... bombs are a bit close range. Seems that would go well with defensive spells and heavy armor.
That bonus feat and shield proficiency are literally all you get.I'd go some other dip for armor other than fighter. Cavalier perhaps.Why cavalier? That seems like it's going to load you up with a lot of stuff you're not actually going to use. Fighter's give you a bonus feat and tower shields, which are awesome.
And a cavalier gives you a horse that makes you deeply depressed when it is (inevitably) killed. Not to mention that you get saddled with an Order, which dictates your stuff about your character. Fighter doesn't come with any strings attached.
Gun Tank.
Gun Tank.
As the dip? Because otherwise there is no alchemist there...
|
I've been considering this build to add to my big book of builds.
Since armor max DEX only applies to DEX to AC, and otherwise DEX stays uninhibited for other statistics, like reflex save, initiative, ranged attack bonus, etc., I have been considering an Alchemist with a dip into Fighter for Heavy Armor and a feat.
between defensive extracts like Shield, Blur, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, etc. and heavy armor and a buckler, I feel a bomber alchemist (grenadier) with a back up ranged weapon could be quite beefy.
Anyone played an Alchemist like this? Any thoughts? Suggestions?
I really wonder why you need the dip if you're willing to burn your traits. Armor Master + Sargarvan Guard will net you 0 ACP on Mithril Hellknight Plate, which only has an ACP of 5. It's listed separately from Full Plate, making it a unique kind of armor, although if you wanted to go a little lighter, Field Plate is 2 less AC, as well as still being ACP 5, which with the traits will bump that down to 0 with Mithril.
As for a shield, both a buckler and light shield are both ACP 1, which is gone with a masterwork version of it for just a little more. Picking up a heavy Darkwood Shield would remove the ACP from that, making it just as easy to carry.
Although Unbreakable Fighter is one of the best one level dips in the game by virtue of picking up both Endurance and Diehard, which are the prereqs to some GREAT feats.
An Alchemist is too important to interrupt just for better armor, and you could pick up both traits with Additional Traits, which is basically one feat for heavy (mithril) armor proficiency.
consider this feat set up for a tiefling Alchemist Bomber:
1 Point blank Shot
(1F) Precise Shot
3 Rapid Shot
5 Arcane Strike
7 Splash Weapon Mastery
9 Iron Will
11 Improved initiative/Toughness
As you can see, a non-human Alchemist is struggling to fulfill feat requirements without a dip. Heavy Armor is just a nice bonus.
I don't think delaying Alchemist goodies by a level is really as bad as all that.
With mithril fullplate, your accuracy isn't any lower, your AC is higher, and the fighter level allows for Arcane Strike or Splash Weapon Mastery in a timely fashion.
Of course, this doesn't matter for a human alchemist. they get an extra feat, and do not qualify for Arcane Strike anyway.
I could see taking Armor Expert, but i feel Accelerated Drinker is a great trait no Alchemist should be without.
|
|
I really wonder why you need the dip if you're willing to burn your traits. Armor Master + Sargarvan Guard will net you 0 ACP on Mithril Hellknight Plate
I am of the opinion that traits don't stack. Hell knight plate is masterwork. Making it mithril doesn't get you to -2, it gets you to -3 as mithril items are counted as masterwork.
It's not a bonus, it's a reduction which do stack. It's also not a trait reduction, so there's no reason it shouldn't stack.
While Hellknight plate can be argued, at worst you can go with Field Plate, which does state you can purchase Masterwork versions of it. Although at that point you're only doing one AC better than a Breastplate, which as an ACP of 4, which means you only need one trait to get it down lower, and you get it cheaper too.
I still don't think there's a lot aside from Unbreakable Fighter worth leaving alchemist progression for, especially for some bonus armor profs.
|
|
consider this feat set up for a tiefling Alchemist Bomber:
1 Point blank Shot
(1F) Precise Shot
3 Rapid Shot
5 Arcane Strike
7 Splash Weapon Mastery
9 Iron Will
11 Improved initiative/ToughnessAs you can see, a non-human Alchemist is struggling to fulfill feat requirements without a dip. Heavy Armor is just a nice bonus.
I don't think delaying Alchemist goodies by a level is really as bad as all that.
With mithril fullplate, your accuracy isn't any lower, your AC is higher, and the fighter level allows for Arcane Strike or Splash Weapon Mastery in a timely fashion.
Of course, this doesn't matter for a human alchemist. they get an extra feat, and do not qualify for Arcane Strike anyway.
I could see taking Armor Expert, but i feel Accelerated Drinker is a great trait no Alchemist should be without.
Well, there are traits that you can take to give you a scaling SLA to power your Arcane Strike, I listed one or two in my guide for Alchemist.
I guess I just hate slowing down the progression for any reason myself.
Also you really don't need Rapid Shot until level 7 unless you're playing this as an archer too, and even then I'd hold off until you got your accuracy built up a bit better. For a bomber, I'm not sure if Arcane Strike is the best way to go until you have Fast bombs anyways, as you're really only adding 1-2 damage a round for a swift action. Maybe it's just my love of the Grenadier, but I feel like a swift action should do more than that.
Tiefling's real selling point to me is the tail, which is awesome for retrieving stowed gear, although I'll agree that I love Accelerated Drinker.
Gun Tank.As the dip? Because otherwise there is no alchemist there...
I think Pup was being facetious/snide, implying that a gun tank would get you the same thing as your looking for (heavy armor and a ranged touch attack, while ignoring the self-buffing possible as an alchemist and splash damage) but that's actually a half-decent idea, you get the armor proficiency, and access to guns. Which can make the Explosive Missile Discovery from Ultimate Combat really good. Also, if you put in extra Wisdom into your ability scores to boost your weak WILL save, you'll be getting grit too. It's a pity Gun Tank and Siege Engineer don't mesh, because then you could have all that AND get Grit points from your intelligence instead.