We need a healer for our level 11 group and I was thinking of going Alchemist instead of Cleric. Does this work well in practice? I know Alchemist has healing and Restoration but I am wondering if there are other needs I am not thinking of.
You will absolutely NEED to infusion special ability to do this, or else the other characters can't use your extracts.
For healing you should be able to use wands of CLW to make up for your lack of healing spells and energy channeling. Its Far and away the best hp per your gold peice of the healing items.
You have most of the status removal effects already. I suggest brewing one of each at maximum caster level (instead of minimum as standard) and keeping multiple alchemical allocations memorized so you can use the stronger potions over and over. this trick also works with healing potions that are normally too expensive for every day use. Your second level slots can get you a 3rd level healing spell.
Our Alchemist has been filling in for the Cleric roll a WHOLE LOT earlier than 11th level :P
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At 11th level the clerics channels do 6d6 healing. This is possible Cha+3 times per day and can catch all the players so assuming a modest +2 cha, your cleric can channel 5 times per day. For a party of 4 that is 120d6 worth of healing.
An 11th level alchemist can use 4th level spells which require pre-prepairing or 1 minute of preperation. For others to use the extracts you make you will need to burn one of your discoveries. Also, if another character is taking your infusion in combat it is an attack of opportunity and a standard action, just like taking a potion.
The cleric can access 6th level spells, and spontaneously convert to healing spells. They have more spells available. The cleric has access to Breath of life and raise Dead as 5th level spells and Mass cure moderate wounds and Heal at 6th. They can cast defensively to deliver "risk free" healing in combat.
If you are considering wands of cure light wounds, there is a large array of classes that can use these. Making potions ahead of time is a good strategy, but both wands and potions cost resources, and CLW is a pretty small hit in combat.
It depends upon the composition of your party, if you have other healing characters it can work, but I would put the alchemist a long way behind the cleric in terms of healing capacity.
The Chirurgeon archetype allows their heals to automatically become infusions without spending the discovery. It also gives bonuses with the Heal skill and eventually gives you access to Breath of Life.
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In most campaigns you can get away without a dedicated "healer" as long as some basics are taken care of.
In essence you need some planning with the rest of your group. How are you going to deal with curses, diseases, poisons, ability damage, level drain, and of course, hit point damage and death.
Clerics and Oracles can take care of the entire list, but neither class is required.
An alchemist with infusion can take care of a fair amount of this list. They have all the cures (including heal), cure disease, remove curse, restoration, lesser restoration, delay and neutralize poison.
Also note that Antitoxin can take the bite out of poison too.
However, uses per day becomes an issue. Especially with healing HP damage.
If nobody else in the party has healing capability, you definitely need to pool party funds and keep cure light wounds wands in stock. At 750 gp, they give you the best healing bang for your buck (this is an out of combat healing device only)
You also need to worry about some form of raise dead. Raise dead scrolls will cost 6125 gp each, which is actually a steal considering the spell would cost 5000 gp even if it was on your list.
So to answer your question: Yes, you can make due with an Alchemist, as long as you take care of some little things:
1) Maximize your Use Magic Device
2) Take the "infusion" discovery
3) Keep some "healing" formulae ready to go: Delay poison, Lesser restoration, restoration
4) Keep some antitoxin handy too. Give some to every party member
5) pool party funds and fill the gaps, specifically cure light wounds wands and a scroll or two of raise dead (somewhere around mid level)
One advantage Clerics have over the other is that they have the entirelist with essentially zero investment as long as they're good aligned. So you can take on the role of support, ranged/melee attacker. If you take Craft Wand and Scribe Scroll you can also save the group money by crafting the stuff yourself. Th trouble people have with healing builds is that they tend to go overboard on the healing portion without providing much else.
Alchemists can do it as well with the above investments my point is that clerics don't need nearly as much.
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...we do have a healing-oriented Paladin, who can at least help with the channels.
I'm just playing a Rogue now and having fun and don't quite want to go all the way over to Cleric - Alchemists have a flavor I like more and more skills (I am aware Clerics are probably much better, pound for pound, as they tend to be).
So...
1) Do you want Trapfinding (or is Disable Device enough)?
2) What skills do you want especially?
3) Do you want to be ranged or melee... or both.. or support?
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So...
1) Do you want Trapfinding (or is Disable Device enough)?
2) What skills do you want especially?
3) Do you want to be ranged or melee... or both.. or support?
1) I would prefer trapfinding. If I do vivisectionist alchemist I can have sneak attack and also have an awakened animal cohort that I was thinking could take Rogue levels and thus trapfind, but if there is a better way to get it for the alchemist that would work, too.
2) Well, a Cleric needs Spellcraft and Knowledge religion and only get two ranks, so that sort of sucks. Ideally a decent mix - perception, disable device, stealth, maybe sense motive, acrobatics is fun. (Currently playing a Rogue so I have plenty).
3) Well, I have been playing a mix of melee and range (gun proficiency with deft shootist, TWF, and a pistol and a rapier). I am trying to be more support-ish since no one else wants to and I have been playing the longest by far so I think I have the best chance of making a fun support character...
Just a note, the vivisectionist doesn't gain a cohort. You give them intelligence, but they needn't follow or even listen to you.
Half-Orc
Racial Traits: Chain Fighter, Scavenger
Traits: Suspicious, Reactionary
Str: 10
Dex: 22 (26) (after level bumps, 20 originally)
Con: 14
Int: 14 (18)
Wis: 12
Cha: 7
1st: Ranger (Guide, Trapper) Feat: Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus(Scimitar)
2nd (and so on): Alchemist (Internal Alchemist, Vivisectionist)
3rd: Tumor Familiar (Hedgehog), Scimitar Dance
5th: Infusion, Weapon Focus(Scimitar)
7th: Iron Will, (Point Blank Shot)
9th: ?, (Rapid Shot)
11th: Crippling Strike, Improved Critical(Scimitar)
Equipment:
Belt of Dexterity +4 (16000)
Headband of Intelligence +4 (16000)
Cloak of Protection +3 (9000)
Potion of Remove Blindness/Deafness (750)
Potion of Remove Curse (750)
Potion of Remove Disease (750)
Potion of Mage Armor CL 12 (600)
Potion of Delay Poison (300)
Potion of Undetectable Alignment (300)
Potion of Invisiblity (300)
Potion of Protection from Arrows CL 10 (1000)
Elixir of Hiding (250)
Wand of CLW (750)
Eyes of the Eagle (2500)
Boots of Striding and Springing (5500)
Handy Haversack (2000)
Stone with Heightened (4th level) Continual Flame cast on it (330)
Composite Longbow (100)
20 Arrows (1)
20 Silver Arrows (40)
20 Cold Iron Arrows (2)
Mithral Scimitar +1 (4015)
Cold Iron Scimitar (30)
Tools, Thieves', Masterwork (100)
Kit, Alchemist's (25)
Tool, Masterwork Alchemy (50)
Tools, Surgeon's (20)
Kit, Healer's (50)
Materials for 3 Restoration Infusions (2 already in use at the start)
158 Gold
Skills (all skills +2 to total with Heroism):
Acrobatics 11 ranks, 24 total
Appraise 1 rank, 8 total
Climb 1 rank, 4 total
Craft (Alchemy) 1 rank, 8 total, 18 for making Alchemical substances
Disable Device 11 ranks, 24 total, 25 for disabling traps
Fly 1 rank, 12 total
Heal (from Knowledge Nature) 18 total, 21 with equipment
Knowledge (Arcana) 1 rank, 8 total
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 1 rank, 8 total
Knowledge (Geography) 1 rank, 8 total
Knowledge (Nature) 11 ranks, 18 total
Knowledge (Planes) 1 rank, 5 total
Perception 11 ranks, 24 total, 26 to notice hidden doors, 27 to notice traps
Ride 1 rank, 12 total
Sende Motive 11 ranks, 20 total
Sleight of Hand 1 rank, 12 total
Spellcraft 1 rank, 8 total
Stealth 11 ranks, 22 total, 32 with Elixir of Hiding
Survival 11 ranks, 15 total, 16 for tracking, 20 with Bloodhound
Swim 1 rank, 4 total
Use Magic Device 1 rank, 2 total
Extracts:
Shield (4)
Enlarge Person (for Pally friend... assuming he is str based) (2)
Cure Light Wounds (in order to be able to use CLW wands)
2nd level:
Alchemical Allocation (3, the first one is used to drink Mage Armor potion)
Barkskin (1)
See Invisibility (1)
3rd level:
Bloodhound (to get scent) (1)
Heroism (2 the other is infusion)
Fly (1)
(Haste only if you think wizard or summoner won't do it)
4th level:
Restoration (2)