So, the new build for the Alchemist has vastly improved a class that I was already really excited to play. My one true problem, because most of them can be fixed with new discoveries, is that the class doesnt really have any class features with true alchemical items. They may get to add their int to damage, and get significant bonuses to making them, but nothing to really use them more effectively. First through twentieth alchemists fire will still do 1d6+int damage and have the same saves, rendering them pretty much useless early on. It just seems like more concentration should have been put into these items that the Alchemist specializes in.
I talked with my dm and we were thinking about making a new feature that would allow the Alchemist to use his extracts to make alchemical items more effective. The Alchemist can prepare an alk item like one of his extracts and for the day that alchemical item would have a DC equal to 10 plus half his level and his int modifier. It also adds one extra die of damage per extract level given up and one round to the duration of the alcehmical item.
We were thinking about this more as a flavor kind of thing, but I dont know how effective it will be. Just wondering what you guys thought and any other rules you guys had maybe?
Well I remember James mentioning additional Alchemical items being made available in this book.
You don't really need more powerful alchemist fire because you have bombs which are more powerful and can be customized to act similarly to a boosted alchemist fire anyways.
KrVnk wrote: So, the new build for the Alchemist has vastly improved a class that I was already really excited to play. My one true problem, because most of them can be fixed with new discoveries, is that the class doesnt really have any class features with true alchemical items. They may get to add their int to damage, and get significant bonuses to making them, but nothing to really use them more effectively. First through twentieth alchemists fire will still do 1d6+int damage and have the same saves, rendering them pretty much useless early on. It just seems like more concentration should have been put into these items that the Alchemist specializes in.
I talked with my dm and we were thinking about making a new feature that would allow the Alchemist to use his extracts to make alchemical items more effective. The Alchemist can prepare an alk item like one of his extracts and for the day that alchemical item would have a DC equal to 10 plus half his level and his int modifier. It also adds one extra die of damage per extract level given up and one round to the duration of the alcehmical item.
We were thinking about this more as a flavor kind of thing, but I dont know how effective it will be. Just wondering what you guys thought and any other rules you guys had maybe?
I would still keep alchemist fire handy because your use of bombs is limited. If you're put up against a few tough enemies in a day, it might not matter, but if you fight a lot of low level enemies, alchemist fire (or Ebberon's Alchemist Frost, ect) can still be useful.
I know that the bombs work as a more effective alchemists fire, but there are other types of alchemical items (tanglefoot bags, thunderstones, etc. etc.) that could still be useful later on if they were more potent. I just wish the class had a feature that supported these items that have been around for so long, made them better, higher dc and such. Bombs are just one type of alkie item when there are many others too that get neglected later on.
I'm confident we'll be getting what you ask for in the new alchemical items.
Be creative and work with your DM. My alchemist is working on a project where he is creating a super adhesive. Describe the affect you want, and put time and resources into the research and see what the results are from working with your DM.
I set my research time per week, amount of resources devoted to my research, and make an alchemy check once per week to determine success of working towards creating my new alchemical item.
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