So my GM had me roll for stats and the rolls came out above average, but with no outstanding stat: 13, 12, 14, 14, 14, 13 arranged as I wish. I'd like to be an alchemist focusing on bombs (and using the party's CLW wand -- we have no real healer), so where might I go with this? I've never played an alchemist before, but they sure look like a SAD class. I could be an Elf or Ratfolk or Tiefling (although I have a Good character in mind), since INT is king and DEX is prince for this class.
Is there any race that gives +4 INT or will I have to settle for 16 with racial bonuses? I just want to contribute my fair share to the party. Is there any other way of boosting my INT at low levels that I'm forgetting? And would a Grenadier be the ideal archetype?
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INT is going to be your main stat but, in my experience, DEX is not as important as you would think. The ability to target touch AC makes hitting very easy by mid levels, except against certain types of foes. 14 to start for DEX is very viable.
I don't know of any race that gives +4 to INT that is commonly allowed as PC race. However 16 to start is fairly respectable. Obviously you will want to put stat increases to INT and get a headband that boosts it as much as possible as well when you get the opportunity.
I am a pretty big fan of switch hitting with the Alchemist class. If you don't have a real idea for the character that relys on Race, I would be tempted to suggest going Half Orc for Darkvision, Favored Class bonus that increases bomb damage, +2 to INT, and proficiency with the Falchion. Put your third 14 onto STR and carry around a longspear to keep enemies at bay a bit. Once you have exhausted your bombs for the day drink your mutagen keyed to STR and lay the smack down on enemies with the longspear or falchion.
I've heard that many people favor the Grenadier archtype, and I can't really argue against it. I'm more partial to the Beastmorph archtype myself though.
Good luck with your character. I've played 2 Alchemists and I always have a lot of fun with them.
Edit: Tieflings also make excellent ALchemists, with a good alternate FCB. This might be even better for you than Half Orc. (I love the falchion as a weapon though so I'm always tempted to go half orc with any non-martial class that might want to hit things too)
INT is going to be your main stat but, in my experience, DEX is not as important as you would think. The ability to target touch AC makes hitting very easy by mid levels, except against certain types of foes. 14 to start for DEX is very viable.
I don't know of any race that gives +4 to INT that is commonly allowed as PC race. However 16 to start is fairly respectable. Obviously you will want to put stat increases to INT and get a headband that boosts it as much as possible as well when you get the opportunity.
I am a pretty big fan of switch hitting with the Alchemist class. If you don't have a real idea for the character that relys on Race, I would be tempted to suggest going Half Orc for Darkvision, Favored Class bonus that increases bomb damage, +2 to INT, and proficiency with the Falchion. Put your third 14 onto STR and carry around a longspear to keep enemies at bay a bit. Once you have exhausted your bombs for the day drink your mutagen keyed to STR and lay the smack down on enemies with the longspear or falchion.
I've heard that many people favor the Grenadier archtype, and I can't really argue against it. I'm more partial to the Beastmorph archtype myself though.
Good luck with your character. I've played 2 Alchemists and I always have a lot of fun with them.
Thanks for the detailed reply! Is the Falchion likely to do much good, considering that Alchemists seem pretty squishy (d8 and 3/4 BAB, but only light armor). I thought he'd stay behind the line and toss bombs (I'm even thinking of a chirurgeon just to get a little more healing in the party) or shoot things.
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I usually try to stick to using the longspear until I've exhausted my bombs and drank my mutagen. Then it sort of becomes a toss up. the bigger critical threat range on the falchion is very good, but somewhat comes down to how well you roll. Staying farther away from enemies is a really good thing to do though with an Alchemist unless you dip a level into Barbarian or something.
It sounds like Tiefling is really the race you want to go with. +2 INT and DEX, with -2 to CHA is kinda perfect for you. I would have mentioned it first, but I'm more used to Core races only games so that's where my mind was at. Plus if you can use the Prehensile tail alternate race trait, that's amazing
So my GM had me roll for stats and the rolls came out above average, but with no outstanding stat: 13, 12, 14, 14, 14, 13 arranged as I wish. I'd like to be an alchemist focusing on bombs (and using the party's CLW wand -- we have no real healer), so where might I go with this? I've never played an alchemist before, but they sure look like a SAD class. I could be an Elf or Ratfolk or Tiefling (although I have a Good character in mind), since INT is king and DEX is prince for this class.
... And would a Grenadier be the ideal archetype?
With those scores and focusing on bombs, I'd go with tiefling: 13 Str, 16 Dex (+2 race), 14 Con, 16 Int (+2 race), 12 Wis, 11 Cha (-2 race). Take the Fiendish Sprinter (better movement) and Prehensile Tail (gain much of the benefit of Tentacle or Vestigial Arm). Consider taking Expanded Fiendish Resistance to pick up acid resistance 5 (and possibly Armor of the Pit later on). Use the alternate favored class bonus to increase bomb damage.
A tiefling isn't prevented from having a good alignment (just like an aasimar can be evil). Grenadier is a good choice if you want to focus on bombs.
A race to consider is Hobgoblin. Here is why. +2 Dex and +2 Con. No minus. Darkvision always a plus. Now here's why they make great Alchemists. They get the racial trait of a bomb every other level. Two they are a goblin subtype which allows them to be a Winged Alchemist. A Feat allows you to ride a Giant vulture or Dire Bat. I'd go Dire Bat myself. You lose Mutagen but you can always pick it up later if you want. With this you can keep out of range and lob bombs all day long. Well worth considering.
I like hobgoblin better for a melee-focused alchemist (probably with the beastmorph archetype), not a bomb-focused one. Especially with Pit Boss for the racial proficiency with whip.
I've always wanted to try an eleven archer alchemist. Those stats look decent for it.
All right, this feels really dubious (in fact probably is because a player of mine tried it once), but works.
A Peri-blooded Aasimar has +2 Int and +2 Cha
However there are special variant abilities. You can give up your spell-like ability for an additional +2 racial bonus to Int.
This could net you a bonus of +4, and therefore start off with an 18 Int.
Check it out here
The line of text that says "Players with a particular character concept in mind may consult their GM if they want to select a specific variant ability" seems to me to indicate that there are certain things in the variant abilities table that most GMs would sign off on, "extra stats" is probably not one of them.
Like "you have a swim speed" and "you can talk to horses" are totally different balls of wax than "+2 Con".
Id suggest an array of:
12 14 14 14 13 13
I'd pick either Half-Elf, Half-Orc or Human. Put your +2 in Dex either way. Of the three Half-Orc is my favored. You can get a +1 to all saves (good on a balanced stat array, particularly with a poor Will save to shore up), and the flexibility to choose an extra free Extract when you level (Human FCB) or +1/2 damage to your Bombs (Half-Orc FCB) on each level up.
Tiefling gets you the raw stats, but not as much build synergy as any of the above (Human and Half-Elf for Feats, Half-Orc for survivability and damage output).
You will only ever need a max of 16 Int to cast all your spells. It's a secondary priority.
Grenadier is a good option. Take all the standard ranged Feats (Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, etc.) and pick a longbow as your Martial weapon. Alternately, if you pick Half-Elf take Ancestral Arms as an alternate racial trait.
Buff yourself to the gills with things like Heroism and shoot arrows like a normal martial. Use extracts for buffing and utility, and nova the s+*+ out of people with Bombs once you can get Fast Bombs, pelting them with bombs that damage and debuff like Force Bombs.
Huh, for some reason I thought the Tiefling one was Fire damage only.
I've intentionally chosen stats like that; and emphasized my character's versatility.
My advance would be go into that full alchemist route; but also consider this:
1 level of Urban Barbarian, or Urban bloodrager. This allows you to boost a stat on the fly, and can combine with your extracts, and mutagen.
If you need to be come a melee warrior, use both on Str. Dex: both rage and mutate on Dex.
To date, the character (James Carver, a Half-Orc Alchemist/Urban Bloodrager with a celestial bloodline familiar) has been one of my more successful, and memorable PCs among my groups.
Also remember that your alchemist will need to use UMD for the CLW wand since their extracts do not qualify for spell trigger items
Actually, alchamistes may not be able to make wands, but they are specifically said to be able to use them.