Hello everyone;
We are gonna start a new game and I'd like to try and build an overall effective alchemist. I was considering a very thematic character using a Reanimator archetype (UM) but under casual observation it seemed to be a quite underwhelming option with too many drawbacks. If you can give an advice for reanimator I would be grateful.
Usually I tend to play pure arcane caster types. This time though, I wanted to try something with a twist. Alchemist seems interesting enough albeit not nearly as powerful as typical arcane caster. It seems to be a very focused support class that doesn't really excel at it's focus. If I am wrong, please enlighten me. ;)
The two options I am looking at right now are Chirurgeon and Reanimator, both from Ultimate Magic.
As this is my first Alchemist character I need help with a lot of stuff, so I have some questions.
*Will alchemist work well in carrion crown ap?
*Should I focus on bomb discoveries or not?
*What feats besides Point-Blank Shot and Rapid Shot should I consider a must? Is Skill Focus: umd a good choice?
*Is an alchemist able to fill the big boots of a primary "arcane" caster?
*How to allocate stats? Should I max out int or not? What are the most important attributes besides Intelligence?
*What race works best in combination with an alchemist class?
Thanks a lot.
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Well, there are a lot of "ifs" when making an alchemist.
The first thing to consider is "What role do I want my alchemist to play?" Is he a bomber, melee, do I want to split the difference and try for both? The latter isn't very feasible unless you have high stats.
I would only recommend maxing out Int if you go the bomber route. Otherwise a 16 is really all you need as you really don't need to worry about saveing throws.
The other stats would be allocated based on your build. Str for a melee with Con and Dex being important. Int and Dex would be your 2 primary stats for a bomber.
An alchemist doesn't fill a primary caster well. Alchemists can buff decently as they are able to pass off self-only buffs to classes that normally wouldn't get them. For instance, this allows a fighter to gain the benefits of a Shield spell. This is done via an alchemist discovery.
If you have access to Ultimate Magic you should definitly check out the achtypes for the alchemist in there as well as the new discoveries. One archtype in particular trades out your bombs for sneak attack and is a lot of fun for a melee alchemist. I've also found that removing the bombs from the equation makes picking discoveries much easier.
Also, the more information about what you want your alchemist to do the more we can help :-)
And as for if he will or won't work for Caqrrion Crown, I don't see why not. Alchemists are incredibly versitile characters. The force bomb discovery would work wonders against any incorporeal enemies you encounter. I haven't run the AP but do have a lvl 6 melee alchemist in Serpent's Skull and he's standing shoulder to shoulder with the Barb/ Rogue in the front of the group. I am encountering AC issues but that has more to do with our low party wealth I think.