Alchemists using scrolls

[LordZod]

So from the SRD

Alchemist class description wrote:

An alchemist can utilize spell-trigger items if the spell appears on his formulae list, but not spell-completion items (unless he uses Use Magic Device to do so).

Magic Items - Using wrote:

Spell Completion: This is the activation method for scrolls. A scroll is a spell that is mostly finished. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting

So clearly a scroll uses the spell completion method. But does an Alchemist really need a UMD check to use a scroll of something on his formulae list? Even though he can use a wand the same way?

Because technically speaking Alchemists do not cast spells, and therefore have no class spell list.

[LordZod]

Also have been wondering about bombs and alchemists. Does bomb damage really multiply on large or huge creatures?

SRD - Thrown Weapons wrote:

You can't target a grid intersection occupied by a creature, such as a Large or larger creature; in this case, you're aiming at the creature.

A hit deals direct hit damage to the target, and splash damage to all creatures within 5 feet of the target. Splash weapons cannot deal precision-based damage (such as the damage from the rogue's sneak attack class feature).

An initial reading of this seems to indicate a few facts: Bombs strike against touch AC, but cannot score a critical hit or be combined with sneak attack damage -- even on a natural 20. Creatures that take up more than one square do not take multiplied damage from bombs, because their intersection cannot be targeted. At best you could target an intersection near the creature and hit two of the tiles he occupies that way. In this case the SRD seems to state:

Quote:

However, if you target a grid intersection, creatures in all adjacent squares are dealt the splash damage, and the direct hit damage is not dealt to any creature

So if you target in this way, the creature is not dealt the full damage, but rather with the minimum splash damage. I've seen a few alchemists run this in other ways. Does some other template or rule exists that allows alchemists to put down the numbers on large creatures?

[Skylancer4]

Don't have a book to look up the scroll question.

A critical hit isn't the same as precision damage, a crit is a crit and deals "base damage" plus appropriate modifiers times the critical modifier.

As for the splash, again not sure of the exact rules with no way to reference, but I believe the "bombs" have ways to modify the basic splash weapon and are on a daily limit. So those might be what are allowing the alchemist to deal more damage in an AoE.

Look for the alchemist guide (by 0gre I think, is in the guide to guides threads I believe) for how to get the most out of the alchemist class.

[0gre]

Alchemists need to make a UMD check to use any scroll.

Creatures take damage from an alchemists bombs once. If it's a direct hit they take full damage. If it's splash damage they take minimum damage and make a reflex save for half of that. It doesn't matter how many squares are adjacent to the impact area.

[LordZod]

0gre wrote:

Alchemists need to make a UMD check to use any scroll.

Creatures take damage from an alchemists bombs once. If it's a direct hit they take full damage. If it's splash damage they take minimum damage and make a reflex save for half of that. It doesn't matter how many squares are adjacent to the impact area.

We're in agreement. A creature cannot be hit by damage from a bomb more than once per throw, regardless of the squares it occupies. Bombs cannot be combined with sneak attack, and also bomb damage does not multiply on a critical hit. In fact, thrown splash weapons cannot crit at all. The Alchemist class description says this itself.

Quote:

The damage of an alchemist’s bomb increases by 1d6 points at every odd-numbered alchemist level (this bonus damage is not multiplied on a critical hit or by using feats such as Vital Strike).

Splash damage does not multiply on Vital Strike or a critical hit, and it is always minimized.

[0gre]

Actually, the bomb damage (1d6+INT) is doubled on a crit as far as I can tell. It's the bonus damage the alchemist gets at 3rd level and ever odd level after that that's not doubled.

So a crit with a bomb that does 5d6+INT does 6d6+INT*2.

[LordZod]

0gre wrote:

Actually, the bomb damage (1d6+INT) is doubled on a crit as far as I can tell. It's the bonus damage the alchemist gets at 3rd level and ever odd level after that that's not doubled.

So a crit with a bomb that does 5d6+INT does 6d6+INT*2.

I could see that, but that's like a crit with an alchemist fire. The bonus still isn't multiplied so it's really not consequential.