| Kiba Kurokage |
I am working on a ratfolk bomber/support alchemist and I wanted to try and take some things for flavor, So I chose the ratfolk archetype plague-bringer alchemist. So this brings in other flavor, like if I should take plague bombs. And it seems like it MIGHT work, but my issue is just understanding how it all works. I'm not looking at min-maxing, but having a fun, themed character who is somewhat useful.
So, from what I am looking at....
1: The effects of contagion are replacing the effects of fog cloud, and are for rounds/level and not instant. Presumably also providing obscuring like fog cloud?
2: Contagion seems to imply that the spell has the effects instantly in place, so a failed save vs Shakes for example, means they automatically take 1d8 Dex damage, and then have to do the 1/day saves. Or does it mean that they automatically get rid of all onset time, and THEN have to wait for the 1/day saves or take the damage?
3: As a spell, contagion replaces the save DC for various diseases with the DC for the spell, 10+3(generally)+casting modifier. Which by extension for an alchemist means that you use your typical bomb DC instead of the DC 12 for filth fever?
4: While I don't think greater plague bomb is worth it, (Making consecutive saves doesn't remove a disease, and +5 to magic DC to cure it), would lingering plague be worth burning a discovery for the combination of -onset time/frequency of saves/double duration for the plague bombs and my plague vial?
I included all relevant info below to help make things easy for anyone who wishes to try and help.
Plague Bomb (Su)*
The effects of the smoke created by an alchemist’s bomb duplicates the effects of contagion instead of fog cloud, filling an area equal to twice the bomb’s splash area for 1 round per level. An alchemist must be at least 8th level and must have the smoke bomb discovery before selecting this discovery.
Contagion
School necromancy [disease, evil]; Level antipaladin 3, bloodrager 4, cleric/oracle 3, druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 4; Subdomain decay 3
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
EFFECT
Range touch
Target living creature touched
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
The subject contracts one of the following diseases: blinding sickness, bubonic plague, cackle fever, filth fever, leprosy, mindfire, red ache, shakes, or slimy doom. The disease is contracted immediately (the onset period does not apply). Use the disease’s listed frequency and save DC to determine further effects. For more information see Diseases.
Plague Vial (Su)
At 1st level, a plague bringer can create a plague vial, an alchemically grown and concentrated disease sample. It takes 1 hour to prepare a plague vial, and once prepared, the vial remains potent until used. A plague bringer can only maintain 1 plague vial at a time—if he prepares a second vial, any existing plague vial becomes inert. A plague vial that is not in a plague bringer’s possession becomes inert until a plague bringer picks it up again.
It’s a standard action to drink a plague vial. Upon being imbibed, the plague vial infects the plague bringer’s blood, sweat, tears, and other bodily fluids for 10 minutes per class level. Any creature that harms him with melee attacks (except with reach weapons) must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the plague bringer’s level + the plague bringer’s Intelligence modifier) or become sickened for 1 round per plague bringer level. The plague bringer is immune to the effect of his own plague vial, but not that of another’s plague vial. The effects of multiple plague vials do not stack.
As a standard action, the plague bringer can infect a weapon with this sickness (typically by licking it or wiping his blood or pus on it). The disease on the weapon works like a poisoned weapon, except the source is a disease instead of a poison (so a dwarf’s resistance to poison does not apply).
Anyone other than a plague bringer (including another alchemist) who drinks a plague vial must make a saving throw against the vial’s DC or become nauseated for 1 hour. Unless he learns how to brew a mutagen by taking the mutagen discovery, he can never benefit from a mutagen and reacts to it as if he were a non-alchemist. At any particular time, a plague bringer can only be under the effect of either a plague vial or a mutagen (not both); drinking another immediately ends the effects of any ongoing plague vial or mutagen.
All limitations to mutagens apply to plague vials as if they were the same substance. The infuse mutagen discovery and persistent mutagen class ability apply to plague vials. The sticky poison discovery applies to a weapon infected with a plague vial. The plague vial is a disease effect.
This ability replaces mutagen.