To Alchemist or not to Alchemist, that is the question.


Advice


I am requesting the assistance of the omniscient hive-mind. I am contemplating taking a couple of levels of Alchemist at levels 5 and 6. This is so that I can make my own poisons to take full advantage of the Toxic Recovery feat. I am undecided on whether or not this is worth the effort.
Dwarf unBarbarian
St 16 In 12
Dx 12 Wi 16
Cn 16 Ch 5
T- Glory of Old
T-

1) Barb. Steel Soul
2) Barb. (Superstitious)
3) Barb. Toxic Recovery?
4) Barb. (Regenerative Stance)
5) ?

I will be taking the Dwarven Fury Style chain as I qualify for them.

Toxic Recovery:
Prerequisites: Dwarf, hardy racial trait.

Benefit: Whenever you succeed at a SAVING throw against poison, you heal 1 point of ability damage of the TYPE dealt by the poison. Whenever you heal ability damage naturally or magically, you heal 1 additional point of ability damage. This feat has no effect on penalties to ability scores or ability drain.

Thanks for any advice.


So, you're planning on making poison a source of healing? You're a mad dwarf, I'll tell you that. I'm guessing that a Vivisectionist would go best with the Barbarian? Don't think bombs will do you much good anyway. I haven't taken a look at the newer Archetypes yet, maybe there's another one better fitted these days?


Rub-Eta wrote:
So, you're planning on making poison a source of healing? You're a mad dwarf, I'll tell you that. I'm guessing that a Vivisectionist would go best with the Barbarian? Don't think bombs will do you much good anyway. I haven't taken a look at the newer Archetypes yet, maybe there's another one better fitted these days?

Metamorph might actually be good for a 1-2 level dip. Trades out alchemy for 1 hour/level per day alter self.


I don't think of ability damage as being enough of a hazard to be worth building for, but what you're proposing works.

My preferred way to up my Fort Save, though is to just multiclass.

There are other good reasons to take levels in Alchemist, though. Barbarian buffs and rage powers generally stack with Alchemist ones: Barbarian Rage Strength would stack with Alchemal Mutagen Strength, for example.


You should go Eldritch Poisoner, which gives you an arcanatoxin that deals either strength or dexterity damage to start and you can choose discoveries to expand that to the other ability scores if you want to progress further in alchemist.

You can also take the mutagen discovery to start (at alchemist level 2) for +4 to whatever physical stat you want.

Barring that, the next best would likely be ragechemist to complement your barbarian.


I'd be careful with ragechemist, it's very easy to rage yourself into a 0-int coma unless you build heavily around it.


Rub-Eta wrote:
So, you're planning on making poison a source of healing? You're a mad dwarf, I'll tell you that. I'm guessing that a Vivisectionist would go best with the Barbarian? Don't think bombs will do you much good anyway. I haven't taken a look at the newer Archetypes yet, maybe there's another one better fitted these days?

Vivisectionist would be awesome, unfortunately PFS doesn't like them.


Scott Wilhelm wrote:

I don't think of ability damage as being enough of a hazard to be worth building for, but what you're proposing works.

My preferred way to up my Fort Save, though is to just multiclass.

There are other good reasons to take levels in Alchemist, though. Barbarian buffs and rage powers generally stack with Alchemist ones: Barbarian Rage Strength would stack with Alchemal Mutagen Strength, for example.

I am not really building for the poison recovery. I am making a Dwarfy Dwarf. One Dwarf racial feat, Steel Soul, and the Dwarf combat style are the core of this build. Toxic Recovery is another Dwarf feat and I was looking at making it viable if it didn't cost too much. All in keeping uber Dwarfiness.

The Exchange

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The way I determine if someone should be an alchemist is the same way I determine if they should be a gnome.

"Are you an alchemist?"
"Yes - Good. keep doing that."; or
"No - Then be an alchemist."

It's like asking if you should be batman. If you are Batman, great. If you're not then you should probably start being Batman.

But seriously, if you're only after the poison creation then don't. They're too costly even as an alchemist. Theres a few ways around it but it isn't worth it.

Now mutagens. That could be fun.

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

5 levels of druid for the poison spell? Then you can dye your beard green! And not wear all of the armors. Maybe stone armor....

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