So I'm rolling an Alchemist for a new game starting at level 1. I just rolled up this character and was curious if people had feedback for me:
Race:
Elf
STR: 10
DEX: 17
CON: 14
INT: 18
WIS: 12
CHA: 10
Skills:
Craft: Alchemy
Disable Device
Fly
Knowledge Nature
Perception
Sleight of Hand
Spellcraft
Survival
Use Magic Device
Feat:
Point Blank Shot
My goal is to focus almost primarily on bomb use, but also to be able to use wands when it's not feasible for me to use a bomb or when I'm out for the day.
Anyone have any thoughts or feedback? Thanks!
Looks good so far. Early on make sure and have a nice longbow to plunk away at enemies. This will fall out of style after a level or two. A suit of studded leather armor will help for sure.
If you want to be a bomb specialist you might consider a level dip into fighter so you can wear full-plate and use a tower shield. That way you can also get Precise shot at first level.
Neither bombs or extracts are hindered by using armor. I don't know if using a wand with UMD is though... I suppose you'd still have the spell failure. By the time you get a wand or two though you'll have plenty of bombs per day.
Depending on how your party plays either Infusion or Precise Bomb will likely be your first Discovery.
One thing that really has not been mentioned is the alchemist's quiet little ability to make alchemial items at great speed. Even when your run out of bombs there are plenty of cool stuff to have as back up plans. My test guy is level 5, and his total Craft bonus is +17, if I remember.
Looks good so far. Early on make sure and have a nice longbow to plunk away at enemies. This will fall out of style after a level or two. A suit of studded leather armor will help for sure.
If you want to be a bomb specialist you might consider a level dip into fighter so you can wear full-plate and use a tower shield. That way you can also get Precise shot at first level.
Neither bombs or extracts are hindered by using armor. I don't know if using a wand with UMD is though... I suppose you'd still have the spell failure. By the time you get a wand or two though you'll have plenty of bombs per day.
Depending on how your party plays either Infusion or Precise Bomb will likely be your first Discovery.
Thanks for the input! Dipping into fighter isn't a bad idea. . .will see how that affects my character overall.
My 5th level alchemist has a +37 if I remember right.
+5 ranks
+3 class skill
+6 Int mod
+5 alchemist level bonus
+4 masterwork alchemist lab
+1 ioun stone
+3 Skill focus
+10 from my assortment of hirelings assisting me
I'm probably forgetting something too. I'm going to see about changing Skill Focus to something a bit more useful. We've decided to use the Craft Poisons feat JJ posted on the poison crafting thread so I don't really need it to be that high... Without that feat even crafting alchemical items twice as fast it still takes FOREVER to make poisons.
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I'm probably forgetting something too. I'm going to see about changing Skill Focus to something a bit more useful. We've decided to use the Craft Poisons feat JJ posted on the poison crafting thread so I don't really need it to be that high... Without that feat even crafting alchemical items twice as fast it still takes FOREVER to make poisons.
What thread would this proposed feat be in? And what exactly does it do? Im about to start up an elven alchemist in a sea-focused campaign, and I plan on having him be bomb focused with a bow with poisoned arrows as backup, as such plan on making a lot of poisons.
You can prepare poison more quickly than most.
Prerequisites: Craft (poisonmaking) 3 ranks
Benefit: You can create poison. The maximum number of doses of poison you can have brewing at any one time is equal to your rank in Craft (poisonmaking). Brewing a batch of poison (of any amount up to this maximum) takes 1 day for each 1,000 gp in the poison's per-dose price. (Depending on the GM, some special or particularly rare poisons can take much longer to brew.) To create poison, you must use up raw materials costing one half of the total price of poison to be brewed, and must make a Craft (poisonmaking) check (DC = the poison's save DC). If you fail the Craft (poisonmaking) check by 5 or more, you have accidentally exposed yourself to the poison.
Special: If you have the Poison Use ability, you don't poison yourself if you fail a Craft (poisonmaking) check by 5 or more.
Course we went ahead and homebrewed this homebrew to just work with Craft (alchemy) instead of Craft (poisonmaking)
Making a potion requires a Brew Potion though?
One thing i noticed. you dont add your alchy level to ALL craft(alchemy) checks, only to identify IIRC
One thing i noticed. you dont add your alchy level to ALL craft(alchemy) checks, only to identify IIRC
When using Craft (alchemy) to create an alchemical
item, an alchemist gains a competence bonus equal to his
class level to the Craft (alchemy) check. In addition, an
alchemist can use Craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if
using detect magic. He must hold the potion for one round
to make such a check.
So I'm rolling an Alchemist for a new game starting at level 1. I just rolled up this character and was curious if people had feedback for me:
Race:
ElfSTR: 10
DEX: 17
CON: 14
INT: 18
WIS: 12
CHA: 10Skills:
Craft: Alchemy
Disable Device
Fly
Knowledge Nature
Perception
Sleight of Hand
Spellcraft
Survival
Use Magic DeviceFeat:
Point Blank ShotMy goal is to focus almost primarily on bomb use, but also to be able to use wands when it's not feasible for me to use a bomb or when I'm out for the day.
Anyone have any thoughts or feedback? Thanks!
Nice build, but I have a few suggestions:
Pick Knowledge arcana rather than Fly at early levels. It won't come into play until much later anyway.
The 3.5 feat Grenadier grants you the same bonus as the point blank shot does except that there is no range limit. It only works on splash weapons, though...
Don't forget that the Throw anything feat gives you a +1 circumstance
bonus on attack rolls made with thrown splash weapons. A lot of people seem to miss that. :P
So judging from your build above you should have a +5 to hit with your bombs (+4 for attacks that are further away than 30 ft). That's nice, and doesn't even take the mutagen into account.
I'd like to know what kind of Extract you'd be selecting, btw.
Also, you're not actually proficient with the longbow as it is a martial weapon. Go with something else instead.
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So I'm rolling an Alchemist for a new game starting at level 1. I just rolled up this character and was curious if people had feedback for me:
Race:
ElfSTR: 10
DEX: 17
CON: 14
INT: 18
WIS: 12
CHA: 10Skills:
Craft: Alchemy
Disable Device
Fly
Knowledge Nature
Perception
Sleight of Hand
Spellcraft
Survival
Use Magic DeviceFeat:
Point Blank ShotMy goal is to focus almost primarily on bomb use, but also to be able to use wands when it's not feasible for me to use a bomb or when I'm out for the day.
Anyone have any thoughts or feedback? Thanks!
Nice build, but I have a few suggestions:
Pick Knowledge arcana rather than Fly at early levels. It won't come into play until much later anyway.
The 3.5 feat Grenadier grants you the same bonus as the point blank shot does except that there is no range limit. It only works on splash weapons, though...
Don't forget that the Throw anything feat gives you a +1 circumstance
bonus on attack rolls made with thrown splash weapons. A lot of people seem to miss that. :P
So judging from your build above you should have a +5 to hit with your bombs (+4 for attacks that are further away than 30 ft). That's nice, and doesn't even take the mutagen into account.I'd like to know what kind of Extract you'd be selecting, btw.
Also, you're not actually proficient with the longbow as it is a martial weapon. Go with something else instead.
I think you missed this but this Alchemist is an Elf
and to "thegreatpablo" If you're DM allows it, I say go with Grenadier
that's just me
The funny thing is I didn't, but I totally forgot about his racial proficiency. :P
Thanks for the reminder!
The funny thing is I didn't, but I totally forgot about his racial proficiency. :P
Thanks for the reminder!
I might actually back off of the scroll/wand use, bring my charisma back down to a 7 and pump my dex to an 8 and pick up a long bow.
I'll definitely look into the Grenadier feat, but if I go with a long bow, point blank shot might offer more bang for my buck.
For my first level extracts, I think I took these (don't have my character in front of me):
Comprehend Languages
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Enlarge Person
Reduce Person
True Strike
Any suggestions here would be helpful as well. :)
The funny thing is I didn't, but I totally forgot about his racial proficiency. :P
Thanks for the reminder!
I might actually back off of the scroll/wand use, bring my charisma back down to a 7 and pump my dex to an 8 and pick up a long bow.
I'll definitely look into the Grenadier feat, but if I go with a long bow, point blank shot might offer more bang for my buck.
For my first level extracts, I think I took these (don't have my character in front of me):
Comprehend Languages
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Enlarge Person
Reduce Person
True StrikeAny suggestions here would be helpful as well. :)
Well I do have one: Shield! I can't begin to describe how many times that extract has saved my rear these last weeks. It might be a good idea to ditch one of the extracts that you feel you won't be using daily in order to make room, for shield.
True strike is an excellent choice, though. You won't regret it.
Shield is nice for a tight spot, and squishey melee will appreciate it later if you get Infusions. We've got a pair of rogues in my game and a greatsword fighter who chug them pretty frequently.
The funny thing is I didn't, but I totally forgot about his racial proficiency. :P
Thanks for the reminder!
I might actually back off of the scroll/wand use, bring my charisma back down to a 7 and pump my dex to an 8 and pick up a long bow.
I'll definitely look into the Grenadier feat, but if I go with a long bow, point blank shot might offer more bang for my buck.
For my first level extracts, I think I took these (don't have my character in front of me):
Comprehend Languages
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Enlarge Person
Reduce Person
True StrikeAny suggestions here would be helpful as well. :)
Well I do have one: Shield! I can't begin to describe how many times that extract has saved my rear these last weeks. It might be a good idea to ditch one of the extracts that you feel you won't be using daily in order to make room, for shield.
True strike is an excellent choice, though. You won't regret it.
Ah yes, I forgot that Shield is a Shield bonus and not an armor bonus (stupid me). Good call. I tried to get some utility in there, and enlarge person isn't always the best thing (especially without infusion, yet, and having mutagens). So I'd probably replace that with Shield.
No problem. It's an often overlooked spell since most people take a look at it and wrongly think that "Shield bonus" is the same as armor bonus.
Another tip: When you get to higher levels, Alter self is a surprisingly good buff spell. If you turn yourself into a Lizardman with it you'll tun around with a +5 natural armor bonus for 1 minute per level. Not a bad deal at all...
I was under the impression alter self only gave you; darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, and swim 30 feet. If the form you choose has those available. As well as +2 Dex if you choose small or +2 Str if you choose medium.
The polymorph spells are very specific about what they give now. Transmutation
I was under the impression alter self only gave you; darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, and swim 30 feet. If the form you choose has those available. As well as +2 Dex if you choose small or +2 Str if you choose medium.
The polymorph spells are very specific about what they give now. Transmutation
Indeed, but from what I can tell from the spell bracket:
Alter Self
School transmutation (polymorph); Level bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a piece of the creature whose form you plan
to assume)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level (D)
When you cast this spell, you can assume the form of any
Small or Medium creature of the humanoid type. If the form
you assume has any of the following abilities, you gain the
listed ability: darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, scent, and
swim 30 feet.
Small creature: If the form you take is that of a Small humanoid,
you gain a +2 size bonus to your Dexterity.
Medium creature: If the form you take is that of a Medium
humanoid, you gain a +2 size bonus to your Strength.
...Alter self IS in fact a polymorph spell. I remember that it was officially referred to as such during the 3.5 era, which in all honesty were insane in regards to Polymorph rules.
Right, so you don't get any natural armor if you turn into a form with excessive natural armor. Just like Beast Shape won't give you any more then the spell states.
Right, so you don't get any natural armor if you turn into a form with excessive natural armor. Just like Beast Shape won't give you any more then the spell states.
I've read through the spells now and it looks like you're right. I guess I'm still reading to much into the rules. It's not 3.5 after all :P