So, when I first saw the alchemist list, my kneejerk reaction was "oh God, just give it spells."
Now that I've thought it over, I can see why they weren't given spells. But, if Alchemy is going to be something new and different from your basic spellcasting, I'd like to see it be a bit more new and different. Right now, the extracts are just acting as self-only spells, which, given that the class isn't especially powerful, feels more like a nerf than it does a boon (unless you go for the infusion development, in which case it's pretty damn solid).
So, in that vein, I have to ask, what do you guys think extracts should do to be more distinct from spells?
Here are my suggestions:
-Not dispellable: Extracts aren't spells. If anything, they should be supernatural abilities, or even extraordinary and, if they can't be dispelled, they're giving the class a cool and interesting advantage.
-Move action?: Assuming they're a bit smaller or easier to use than regular potions, it feels fair to allow the alchemist to chug an extract quickly. This sounds stronger than it is, remember the alchemist doesn't really have any game-breaking extracts. They won't be SODing anybody, so why not let themselves buff up quickly?
-Combinable?: As an alternative to a move action, why not have a system where lower level extracts can be combined into one big gulp to be used as a standard action? Since these are mostly self-buffs and heals, I don't think it would be fair to penalize them to the extent a caster is penalized for quicken spell.
There are a couple of ways this could be done. One one hand, they could be allowed to combine formula levels to come up with the total level of the extract (IE level1+level3=level4). On the other hand, they could simply pick extracts equal to the highest level they can use-4, and simply add those extracts to existing extracts and use them for free. It's still burning slots.
-Duration?: There's something about imbibing your magic that makes it seem like it should be a bit longer lasting. Could the extracts all be given some kind of longer duration than their spell counterpart? (Rounds to minutes, minute to 10 minutes?) eternal potion is a cool ability, and I think it could be worked into the basic extract system without needing a discovery.
-No AoO: I understand why the typical adventurer provokes an AoO from drinking a potion mid-combat, but the typical adventurer isn't a specially trained potion master. The Alchemist is a bit more combative than the typical wizard, and I don't think it would be too off the wall to assume that they can gulp a potion without exposing themselves to their enemies.
Anyway, those are my ideas. I'm hoping somebody else has more, as I really would like this system to be working as an alternative to spellcasting.
I tend to agree with these suggestions.
The thing is, there's no real problem with them using the spell list. As much as I'd like to see something like warlock invocations, I do see why it's easier for future supplements to support a class using the existing system.
But they need to far more different from spells to justify not being spells.
what other ways could they interact with that sytsem?