Zalabim's page

So what does Spirit Song imply?

Success The creature takes half damage and can't use reactions until the beginning of its turn.
Failure The creature takes full damage, can't use reactions until the beginning of its turn, and is stunned 1.

I think it implies that even by Player Core 2 they didn't know what Stun is supposed to do.

Paizo's writers aren't gods. They're capable of making mistakes. In this case, it looks like insufficient effort was afforded for the remaster.

They don't know better. They don't know everything that's possible. They make niche options that aren't even strong in their niche. This is what playtesters are for.

If amp is a free action spellshape with the trigger "you want to amp a cantrip," and the benefit doesn't capitalize cast, then wouldn't that just work in the middle of an activity anyway. At least I'm pretty sure you can use triggered free actions in the middle of activities. How much it just works the way that makes it work are we supposed to assume?

But yes, I am advocating to remove amps from Psi Development too. That alone would address the excessive Magus+imaginary weapon combo.

Yeah, the Psychic Dedication feat obviously works differently than other caster dedication feats, and that could be enough reason to change it. It's not enough reason to gut it, making the only caster dedication that never gets a focus point out of the caster class whose main advertised identity is its use of focus spells. The psychic has two things: Unleash Psyche (inspired by Wilder or something) and psi amps (inspired by power points or psychic focus.) I suppose it has a third thing, worse spell slots than every other caster so far. That would be the only feature the dedication keeps from psychic.

Now that I cited mobility as an issue, you're also inserting Sudden Charge into the build when your listed 1st-level feat was Vicious Swing:

gesalt wrote:

Well if we're looking at that fighter for example: Vicious swing (if resist is ever a problem)+elf champ dedication at 2, LoH at 4, reaction at 6...

Oh. The quote says Vicious Swing is at level 2. The champ dedication is also at level 2, from elf. More proof that guidance almost never makes any difference. That whole line of discussion is only about why not everyone takes Guidance all of the time. Amped Guidance is not so powerful that only pure psychics can ever be allowed to learn it. Psychic Dedication has access to other worthwhile amps for a variety of purposes.

this build has exactly one Fighter feat until level 8, and it's situational at best.

It has two. Lay on Hands at 4 is probably considered more important in a party that's otherwise using only medicine for downtime. But I'm just extrapolating from my party that did rely on medicine for downtime healing. It's probably not an optimal party, but what has that got to do with psychic dedication in general or amped Guidance in particular. It's just two feats.

Not just that, but every 2nd-level class feat is apparently weak; nothing satisfies nor ever will.

Most caster dedication feats are empty. This would perhaps be the most empty.

When you and Gesalt talked about the General Feats issue, you seemed to be agreeing about many low level feats being skippable. That was definitely Gesalt's recommendation to take some archetype feats in non-FA games. Also, pick 2 out of these 12 cantrips (actually 1 out of these 6 sets of two cantrips) and they get increased range (or something) is some flavor. It's almost certainly worse than just picking two cantrips from a spellcasting tradition list. That's what the dedication feat should change to if the reason for the change is consistency. Then a level 4 feat gives a psi cantrip with amp. The level 6 feat allows the surface cantrip and amp. That's consistent with how other multiclass dedications work. Consistency isn't a bulletproof argument, but it's part of the broader argument in favor of changing the dedication feat.

I should also make myself clear. I'm fine with feats being weak. Even being so weak that no rational actor would ever choose them. Sometimes those are prerequisites for an ability that makes it worthwhile. Sometimes they're just flavorful. It's what I've come to expect from Paizo. They talk about a concern for balance, but they aren't really thorough with it. I rate them better at flavor than balance.

Strip away the pretense, the poor theorycrafting, and the bad-faith argumentation, and we do in fact appear to be in agreement that the Psychic's dedication feat is in fact stronger than other caster dedications. Whether or not that justifies nerfing the feat is still up for debate, but we do in fact have a common ground here that I see no reason in trying to deny.

If we stripped away "the pretense, the poor theorycrafting, and the bad-faith argumentation", I wouldn't have anyone to be talking to. I do think the Psychic Dedication feat has stronger flavor of its parent class than other caster dedications. I think if it were to change, then choosing from all the occult cantrips to cast with thought components is more broadly flavorful than only picking a conscious mind cantrip pair with their psi cantrip buffs.

And just to get out of the weeds we've been getting lost in for a hot second: claiming that Psychic Dedication isn't a strong feat just because you're using it for the Focus Point on some kooky build is a patently silly argument. It is a complete non-sequitur, as that build could be anything and does not account for other builds that can and do get far more out of that feat. That you and others would endorse this kind of non-argument just because it agrees with your worldview to me shows just how little regard there is in the present conversation for facts, reason, or just honest discussion. We can and should do better than this.

You. It's just you. You're the only one making that the argument. Everyone else is talking about other things and you just haven't understood. That whole party example from Gesalt is only talking about amped Guidance, not the balance of the dedication overall.

Gesalt has said that psychic dedication only comes up because being a multiclass dedication allows it to be taken more easily. I've been trying to tell you that while good, amped Guidance is not 3 times every encounter, or overpowered. You're the only one with this axe to grind about amped Guidance specifically. I've yet to see any evidence that the amps in general are so much more powerful than other focus spells. The ones that the multiclass can access aren't even obviously stronger than other focus spells. It might be easier to just change a handful of problem spells (if there are any) than it is to rewrite the entire archetype. You're only getting this pushback because you're stretching too hard.

I've seen the argument that psychic dedication is inconsistent with other caster dedication feats. It kind of is. So is Witch. I've seen the argument that psychic amps are so much more powerful than other focus spells that they shouldn't be available to multiclass psychics, with no supporting evidence. I've seen the nonsense that psychic amps are the defining feature of psychics, so none should be available to multiclass psychics. The conclusion doesn't follow from the premise.

Incorrect. Those are examples of not free archetype where a fighter or a rogue took psychic dedication and did not take guidance. That is all. Since you seem oddly hung up on guidance. The only point was there are other good focus spells. Other good reactions.

Picking a conscious mind and getting just the two buffed standard cantrips would still be one of the weaker caster dedications since you wouldn't get to pick cantrips freely. The amp would be pushed back to level 6. Unless that should be removed too.

Getting only one focus point for only one cantrip is watered down from two points for three cantrips. Getting only two specific cantrips isn't watered down. It's an empty glass. Most caster dedication feats are empty. This would perhaps be the most empty.

Given how amps do in fact define the Psychic and are made to be significantly stronger than regular focus spells, I would say that the same ought to apply to those.

If amps do define the psychic, then the multiclass needs to give at least one amp for the character to be a psychic. It's not a given that the amps (particularly the limited ones that are available for multiclass characters) are "significantly stronger" than regular focus spells. When the psychic was written, the idea was that they'd use focus points more often than other classes. They are more easily accessible. They could be made less easily available. They are not so strong or so class defining that they could never be allowed to a multiclass psychic. A multiclass bard could eventually get lingering composition, and fortissimo composition. A multiclass psychic can never get Omnidirectional Scan.

Amped guidance is great. I've had it for 15 levels on my psychic. But it does come up about as often as a critical hit. It depends on the party. With a bard in the party, it's almost never. It doesn't happen often enough that I don't need another use for my reaction, and for my focus points. It's not 3 times per encounter.

I know this thread is sort of about what exemplar builds are worth being an exemplar for, but my main point was that the extra effects on Spark Transcendence are what is unique to Exemplar, and it makes sense to think of how your character is going to benefit from those.

Fighters and rogues don't find use for amped Guidance because they already have common uses for their reaction. Those that don't are mentioned to consider it. They're more likely the beneficiary of guidance than the caster. It's competing with Shield, Warp Step, and Message.

Amped Guidance is pretty nice, but not so commonly useful that even one character is likely to use it 3 times in an encounter, let alone have opportunity enough for multiple people in a party to consider learning it. If there are 15 rolls made in a round that it could apply to, there's still a 40% chance that no roll could be changed by the +1 bonus. It gets better, 20%, when it's +2. Because amped Guidance cannot improve success, and attack rolls don't care about critical failure, and a natural 1 isn't going to change, there's usually only 1 exact die result that it can be used on for any roll. It's not enough that people avoid getting status bonus elsewhere, such as the popular Heroism and Bless from the Occult list. It's very reasonable to also have a personal use for your reaction if you're going to take amped Guidance.
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Psi Cantrips are like Hex Cantrips or Composition Cantrips. Those usually aren't given out easily by multiclasses. Amps are like Focus Spells and Spellshapes, and the low level ones usually are available for multiclassing, though not at level 2. Unleash Psyche is actually the Psychic's unique ability right now. It uniquely buffs all psychic spellcasting, compared to Sorcerous Potency or Blood Magic. It enables Psyche actions.

If the dedication shouldn't give amps, and normally wouldn't give psi cantrips, then it doesn't grant anything except the worst occult spellcasting dedication. The dedication could switch to giving a multiclass usable Unleash Psyche and Psyche actions instead of psi cantrips and amps. You'd be picking a subconscious mind instead of a conscious mind. There's some notable psyche feats that seem designed for a character holding the front line, away from allies.

I looked at this thread in the first place because I wanted to make a goblin exemplar that was an Exemplar of Goblin. Alternate between being very loud and very quiet. Sneak, and steal, and sing, and distract. Idea spawned from seeing what kind of folk hero style Exemplar could be made, instead of the expected bruisery melee style. Definitely use Shadow Sheathe to throw stuff. Gaze Sharp as Steel made sense to find loot. Then I got distracted by looking at the Epithet for Cunning and Deft; I want to use the steal/palm an object one, but creating a distraction led me to the Distracting Performance feat (and Goblin Song) to be able to choose whether to hide myself, or hide someone else every time I use transcendence.

It feels very doable. I think the extra action options on transcendence are important to balancing the Exemplar's kit, compared to others which may have larger average numbers.

Claxon wrote:

But as previously noted, it seems like the auditory trait has been used in a confusing fashion with some spells like Illusory creature technically being useless against the deaf.

Illusory Creature has an option to speak through the illusion, hence the Auditory trait. It doesn't seem that confusing unless you just look at the traits and don't read through the whole spell. It could be cleared up a bit by moving the Auditory trait to the explanation of speaking through the illusion so it's clear it's dependent on using that feature.

Careful. That could be used to say that Cranial Detonation's Death trait is only for enemies.

If you limit it to one amp before refocusing then someone who takes the unique psi cantrip might be unable to spend both their focus points.

The only other dedication that I know gives a focus point is Blessed One Dedication for lay on hands. A normal spellcasting dedication gives a little more than your choice of two cantrips and a skill training. If psychic tried to do that, someone might take none of the psi cantrips with the dedication. That would be somewhat undesirable. Them you could limit the archetype's use of amps since it could learn only one.

You could. But I think changing Imaginary Weapon to be more practical to the psychic and less powerful for a spellstrike should be more the aim. If it were a saving throw like a troop attack, that would be an example.

I cannot stress enough that Gaze is trash.

It's defensive status AC bonus directly competes against Aegis, and it's offensive potential is so bad, that it is genuinely going to be inferior to the empty 1A of Shift Immanence in many/most scenarios due to Exemplar's spark mechanics.

Gaze doing 3.5 dmg is just too low. You could outright double Gaze's damage and it still would struggle to justify its selection.

It's not that big of a difference. The only place it ever seems to favor the weapon is with Gleaming Blade used for agile weapons, which isn't the deadliest way to use Gleaming Blade. It's the double slice problem again. Double slice is extra strong where it's boosting something that is otherwise weak.

Certainly there are other reasons you might want to use your weapon's trans effect round after round [breaking through resistance, hitting multiple targets], but it's not automatic for damage to a single target. The bigger threat to Gaze is the feats that give other trans to use for damage, like Steel on Steel and Breath of Vital Ash. Gaze is at least better than Shift Immanence.

There's 9 weapon ikons. (5) Barrow's Edge, Mortal Harvest, Noble Branch, Shadow Sheath, and Unfailing Bow depend on the result of your previous attack. (2) Hands of the Wildling and Starshot are area hits that use saving throws, so you'd ideally use them alongside a 1st action full MAP attack. (2) Finally there's Gleaming Blade (Double Slice) and Titan's Breaker (Power Attack).

Zalabim wrote:

People are comparing with inventor, thaumaturge, swashbuckler or the like, but not barbarian here? It seems like an obvious thing to do with strength exemplar.

If you're wanting to compare martial prowess and combat damage, the barbarian does make a bit more sense.

However, if you're comparing all the red tape, hoops, and actions classes have to do before being allowed to perform their primary shtick appropriately and effectively, then the other classes make more sense.

It's all in the context.

In terms of key attribute, weapon selection, targeting options, and making skill checks, the Exemplar is looking pretty liberated next to them. Transcendence only gains value as you level, so I think it's more of a formality than a cost. It's enough that my first impression is that the weapon damage bonus could be permanent more because that's simpler to explain/track/implement and nearly the case already. It looks like it could be kind of annoying at the table to have an aura, or a resistance, or a damage bonus that flickers off and on every round. So half of the time, your reactive strike has a damage bonus. Half of the time, you resist energy with Pelt of the Beast and the other half you have an aura of +2 saves. Is this the time when you have Mirrored Aegis (aura) or is that PC the one you chose with Raise the Walls? I would call these effects intense paper shuffling.

I think giving the class the ability to hold onto more than one ikon's immanence as they level could counter the increasing complexity of higher level characters. It might even be enough to save Leap the Falls

You can Spark Transcendence only once each round.

You have to pick different ikons because the ability didn't give you permission to pick the same ikon multiple times.

You might justify picking two different ikons that both apply to the same weapon or unarmed strike, but none of those overlaps seem to give two single target damage boosting transcendences.

Gaze Sharp as Steel seems to be there for the range. Some of the feat ikons are definitely stronger when you're in range. Those feats can turn many other ikons into a second damage ikon.

Gleaming Blade doesn't have to be one handed. So the math is a little different than double slice.

People are comparing with inventor, thaumaturge, swashbuckler or the like, but not barbarian here? It seems like an obvious thing to do with strength exemplar.

I don't know right away what could be done for these, but all the conscious minds that don't work with the system. Unbound Step, Tangible Dream, Oscillating Wave, and Distant Grasp all had basically only the ability to attack vs AC with Amps. With the remaster, Oscillating Wave now has a save option in frostbite. Infinite Eye doesn't have any offensive amp and doesn't interact with unleash psyche. Silent whisper is carried by Shatter Mind. Daze, Unbound Step, Tangible Dream, and Infinite Eye still have big system problems, and Distant Grasp to a lesser degree.

For a lot of Minds the core tool in their kit is big single target ranged damage against AC as a caster.

Just listing things that I think could be done, amp feats could be opened up for use with all your spells, like spellshapes are.

Unleash psyche could have less restrictions. Activation, spells that benefit, how spells benefit, duration, or penalties.

Psyche actions, especially from subconscious mind, could have their action changed.

Interaction with focus points can be modified.

Number of spell slots.

I hope a number of the spells get some clarification or fixes too. Poltergeist's Fury really bothers me.

The first thing I'd fix on mutagens is actually the duration. Same for the Ablative gadgets. 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour isn't scaling, because 1 minute duration is worthless. You can't use 1 minute of cognitive, silvertongue, or serene mutagen. Even 10 minutes on an exploration buff is just enough to apply to one segment. That can be one check.

The Alchemist class's number of Advanced Alchemy items and maximum number of ready Versatile Vials both reference the character's intelligence modifier. Such an important number as "how many times you get to use your class ability" should really be set at the class writing level and not left up to individual attribute choices, like whether someone chooses an Intelligence Apex item or not.

Examples: Barbarian rage duration, Cleric Font of Power uses, anyone's spells per day.

The spell Poltergeist's Fury can be sustained for 1 minute, and sustaining increases the radius, but the spell never says when creatures in the area take damage, leading to the appearance that it only does its rather low damage when cast.

The solution seems obvious to me. It should not be a bomb, and it should work on any elixir. Just call it, I don't know, reach spell or something. Topical solution. Throw anything. It's an additive, so it's allowed to have a benefit. You can base the mechanic on the toss rule, if you must roll a d20. I'm pretty sure that's not an attack even though you make a ranged roll.

On the subject of contact poisons, the remaster changed the rogue Poison Weapon feat in a couple notable ways. First change is that the poison is just applied to the weapon like normal. There's no longer any clause about the poison having to be delivered quickly or expiring early. The second change is that the strike no longer specially exposes the target to contact poison, even though that's still an option to apply to the weapon. Are you supposed to apply contact poison then hope the enemy picks it up?

Just a general reminder that both Advanced Alchemy and Quick Alchemy now only allow the alchemist to create consumables. So you cannot create an infused sun dazzler after all.

letting them ride on your shoulders is pretty fine since even the devs themselves in their playthroughs and in their presentations have done so, and it's even half-referenced in the rules about pcs riding pcs (that those follow different rules than simpyl having a tiny familiar riding you and etc)

I can't speak about actual play examples, but the rules for riding PCs are only written about PCs. They don't seem to mention companions, minions, or familiars at all.

From GM Core pg 29, Mounted Combat I see "The mount rules are for common cases: humanoids riding quadrupedal animals. However, you might allow someone to ride a beast or other type of creature by making a few adjustments." ... "If one of your PCs is Tiny, they might want to ride on another PC's shoulder. In this case, the two PCs should both roll initiative and act together on the lower count, and they gain only two actions at the start of their turns instead of three since the larger PC must spend one action keeping the smaller PC balanced, and the smaller PC must spend one action holding on."

So you may allow a familiar to ride for free, or you may stick to the rules example of costing one action from each, or maybe the result is that the familiar and PC each get two actions per turn, or something else.

There's also the Pet Cache spell in Player Core, the Familiar Satchel in Pathfinder Society, the Familiar Tattoo from Secrets of Magic, and the Absorb Familiar ability (expanded from Grand Bazaar's Tattoo Transformation?) that all let you carry your familiar on your person in more or less safety, at the cost of the familiar being able to act freely. The satchel suggests your familiar could ride in a normal pouch or pocket and only have to spend one action to enter or exit, as a common PFS ruling. As a Tiny creature, you could also just carry it in one hand.

The mismatch between the rules and the way people actually play is why I hate familiars.

They should also write alchemists the feats that just do whatever these pet abilities are supposed to accomplish. Instead, they could shut down Lab Assistant by making it a Command, like Valet.

Does everyone interested in familiars just never move? The action savings of any of the proposed options is easily lost if you ever have to command your familiar just to keep up with you in battle. Familiars are tiny, with default 25 speed and 0 reach. It's easy for a familiar to get left behind, even if it can be Independent. It must be in your space to use lab assistant, and must start in your space for item delivery. Item delivery then requires it to reach the target's space as well. It sounds like spell delivery for items. It's nothing to get excited over. It's not a substitute for real QoL options for the alchemist.

If I poison weapons before a fight, and I should, then it only lasts 10 minutes. It doesn't have to be my weapons. And I don't know why I can apply poison as one action instead of two.

I'm trying to think of some way that the alchemist gets to use alchemy in combat instead of before combat. The bomber is doing it. Why not everyone else.

The problem with toxicologist is that they didn't make poisoning weapons in combat functional. How is the blowgun poisoner feat supposed to work?
Create poison. Apply poison. Strike. Next turn.
Create poison. Apply poison. Reload. Next turn.
Strike. Create poison. Apply poison. Next turn.
Reload. Strike. Reload. Next turn.
Create poison. Apply poison. Strike. Next turn.
You don't hide. You don't move. You strike with a blowgun on 3 turns out of 4. You used 3 poisons.

Compare this to having darts already poisoned.
Strike. Reload. Strike. Next turn.
Reload. Strike. Reload. Next turn.
You strike 6 times in 4 rounds. You use the agile trait. You used 6 poisons. You can try to hide, or move, or use quick alchemy instead of those two-strike rounds.

If you're down to Quick Vials, it seems better to just throw them as bombs rather than apply them as poison to one of your ranged weapons.

I hate familiars. But, a Lab Assistant has to be in your space. It uses one of its actions on the quick alchemy. Familiars cannot activate items, so it then gives that item to you, or to another ally. I think it could even throw the item (10' ranged increment) if it can make the DC 15 ranged attack. Then whoever receives the item can activate it. So it still takes at least two actions.

For a lot of builds, the fact that you are passively always regaining 2-3 VVs even when doing other things basically translates to also "you can be permanetly under 2-3 things by taking that hit on your maximum VV stash)

So, as a Mutagenist as an example, you can be permanently under Bestial from level 3 and onwards and instead of having 6 VVs for the fight you are starting the fight with 5.

Add in stuff like Collar of shifting spider and retrieval belts, and suddenly you are even better action conomy wise.

For the toxicologist, you can have 3 poisoned weapons up all the time, and instead of starting with 7 VVs at level 10, you are starting with 4.

and etc

That's imo is an acceptable loss for the massive action economy boost.

And that's not accounting for all those times you either have the leisure to have an extra round, or you're simply waiting for the enemies to rush towards you and not the other way around. A single round of prebuffing, with Double brew, means that you can have up to 5 effects ongoing from round 2 and thereafter, and still have VVs left for emergencies, and still have all your Advanced Alchemy things that you can use for either longer duration buffs, or stuff like Elixirs of Health to get in a pinch, or for extra bombs, extra poisons, and etc depending on your Field.

Ok. That completely agrees with what I'm talking about. The best plan for a non-bomber is to use versatile vial buffs pre-combat. Bombers have a tool to use versatile vials in battle, as their means of battle. Others don't. Toxicologist can't apply a new poison to their weapon for one action. like a rogue. There's no Reach Elixir. There's no Alchemical Combat to activate an elixir while you fight, not even to just avoid reactive strike. Everything points to the Alchemist is a non-combatant. Or the combatant is a non-alchemist. You'll have versatile vials to use for every fight, but there's no good reason to use versatile vials **in a fight**. I can see maximized elixirs of healing being worth using, but otherwise, am I wrong?

For Quick Alchemy, yes. but wouldn’t that same language technically allow a toxicologist to use 1 action to draw and apply their field vial poison, as well as a churigeon or mutagenist to to spend 1 action to draw and drink their own field vial elixirs?

Wouldn't that same language allow a bomber to use one action to draw and strike with their field vial bomb, but Quick Bomber says "You Interact to draw a bomb, draw a versatile vial, or use Quick Alchemy to create a bomb, then Strike with the bomb." So, it looks pretty confirmed that versatile vials are a thing you draw when you want to use them.

As for the Quick Vials, you need to see them for what they are:

free, no resource, cantrips.

You won't use them when an ally is down any more that you'd use Rousing Splash when an ally is down. But if you have leftover actions remaining, tossing a free 3d6 healing at 12 is not that terrible.
Furthermore, there are feats that make this healing atually do decent stuff, like fully rerolling any kind of mental effect an ally is suffering, which is amazing benefit for a level 1 feat to have on a cantrip.

Rousing splash is a great point of comparison. At level 12, it grants 6d4 temp hp and washes away one fire or acid as appropriate assistance, for two actions at 60' range. The target is then immune for 10 minutes.

The Chirurgeon Field vial heals the target for 3d6 at 20' range, or for 3d6 and grants +int (5?) temp hp at melee range, also for two actions. The target is then immune to only the healing for 10 minutes. Then there's a 1st level feat that adds an additional will save against a mental effect. There's a level 2 feat that adds appropriate assistance against bleeding to the melee use, and as well as the rest of your infused healing elixirs.

So the class specific option with a class feat and an attribute requirement compares to the primal/divine cantrip, minus all the range. This Field Vial has little to recommend it in combat.

You can't use additives with quick vials. Granting an improved recovery check against bleeding is normally two actions. If you're doing this with first aid, it requires a healer's toolkit and a medicine check. The gunslinger's Cauterize is one action, but you also have to reload the gun. If you do it with Clotting Elixirs it comes alongside any of your infused healing elixirs.

Healing bomb has the problem of needing to hit your ally to get the full effect, and it doesn't even give the elixir the normal bomb bonuses to attack rolls. You have to be using another item for those. Additives are supposed to be benefits. This looks more like a desperation move you'd try on a dying ally, and accept the splash healing as an acceptable cost.

The Field Discovery (level 5) for Chirurgeon works for touch range field vials, but not the thrown version. It does appear to work if you hit with a healing bomb, its issues notwithstanding, but it looks like the chirurgeon is encouraged to be a melee combatant for some reason. There is no boost that only works for chirurgeon's field vials.

Quick bomber works with healing bombs, but I haven't seen similar action compression for poisons, mutagens, or elixirs. It looks like those are all going to remain best used pre-and-post combat, so non-bomber (strength) alchemists will still just strike with simple weapons as their battle plan? A mutagenist can get some temp hp if they use the mutagen close enough to combat starting, or mid-combat, but that's a poor consolation for spending two-actions to engage bestial mutagen. You aren't given any action compression to claw back these action costs later.

Combine Elixirs definitely only costs 1 additional vial. Compare it to the old version. It's really clear. Again, additives are supposed to be benefits.

I thought alchemist kinda has the resource plan of a wave caster, if alchemical items are ~half a spell. So I expected they'd have an activity or action to make using those items also be like half a spell. Soothe is two actions to heal an ally up to 30 feet away. IF an alchemist wants to do that, it takes three actions.

Chirurgeon definitely can use quick Vials as a healing elixir. That's been previewed. Here's hoping just that specific use has the 10 minute cooldown because that's the only one that's otherwise at will.

I've done thinking about what could go wrong, but followed by how to avoid those problems. For Versatile Vials, wrong would be taking the Quick Tincture feature from Alchemical Sciences Investigator and swapping the word Elixir or Tool for Healing, Poison, Mutagen, or Bomb. This is because current Quick Alchemy can make any formula you know. The right way would be to keep Quick Alchemy, and also make new effect(s) specific to each field.

For the example of throwing a vial like an acid bomb, the wrong way would be "As a ranged splash weapon with an increment of X ft," or "Treat the vial as an Acid Flask (lesser). As your alchemist level increases..." This is wrong because some current medium armored alchemists would have a difficult time making use of a weapon that uses Dexterity for its attacks. The right way would be for the acid to attack using your key ability, or require the target to save against your class DC.

For the example Mutant Physique feat, that adds an extra effect when under Juggernaut, Bestial, or Quicksilver Mutagen. The wrong way is to combine the three physical mutagen feats (Invincible, Elastic and Feral) into one feat. The right way to do it is to write a boosted effect for as many mutagens as possible and allow a character to unlock those effects by taking the feat. Alternatively, write one benefit for the feat to give under any mutagen, like how revivifying mutagen works with any mutagen. This is called future proofing, except the future is now, because books with non-core mutagens already exist.

For Additive feats, the wrong way to do them is to restrict them to a very narrow selection or creation method of alchemical items. The right way to do them is like spellshape actions where one can be applied wherever the effect makes sense, to advanced alchemy or quick alchemy alike, with whatever action cost makes sense for the ability. Healing Bomb would be Elixir Bomb, for instance. This is like how Spellshape feats mostly work for all spellcasters but psychic Amp feats mostly don't work for psychics. It sucks having a bunch of daily-use abilities that don't interact with your class feats at all. Also, just improve the power level of some of the existing feats. Healing Bomb is probably not intended to be 1d6 healing until level 7. Revivifying Mutagen is probably not expected to be mostly 1d6 healing until level 11.

Not all rogues are theives, and there's examples of rogues in fiction that can fit in an heroic party. The literal concept of the "rogue" in D&D and TTRPGs is likely derived from LoTR's Bilbo. Han Solo is also another common inspiration for the scoundrel trope, which is covered by rogues.

Many players cite LotR for inspiration in early D&D, but Gygax usually avoids it, and might actively deny it (for legal reasons if nothing else). In this case, the Grey Mouser is probably a primary inspiration.

Gygax writes the thief class after talking to some early D&D players making a burglar class for a dwarf henchman in their own game, so they at least might've thought about Bilbo. Gygax's final version is far from the Hobbit's portrayal.

In a similar fashion, the word Ranger appears in LotR, but the D&D class isn't primarily interested in being Aragorn.

Vorthos is also happy when mechanics fit the game's story well, or feel like they tell a story. Flavor text appeals to vorthos, as well as particularly evocative mechanics. The name of roughly every inventor feat, and a bunch of psychic feats are for vorthos.