Alchemist archetype: Epicurean


Homebrew and House Rules


Hello everyone. I was wanting some constructive feedback on an archetype I was working on. Thanks for your time. Any questions, please be sure to let me know.

EPICUREAN:

"Death is nothing to the epicurean, for that which lacks sensation is nothing to them.” - Unknown

A connoisseur of the arts of life, the epicurean believes that tranquility and comfort is the pinnacle of human happiness, seeking the refinement of pleasures that can be experienced by the senses. Some epicureans believe that this is achieved by a simple life, with moderation in all things sensual. Others are more debaucherous, willing to “try anything once” and seeking to make everything as pleasurable and opulent as possible. While the epicurean doesn't totally reject mysticism, both sides tend to agree that nothing is better than earthly experiences and care very little for the entailments of an afterlife.

Cognatogen: At 1st level, an epicurean learns how to create a cognatogen, as per the cognatogen discovery. This ability replaces the mutagen class ability (an epicurean cannot create mutagens unless he selects mutagen* as a discovery).

Bomb: A epicurean’s bombs deal damage one die step lower than normal (regular bombs deal d4s, concussive bombs deal 1d3s, and so on). This ability otherwise functions as and replaces the standard alchemist bomb class feature.

Craft Edibles (Su): At 1st level, the epicurean learns how to create food that can bestow magical benefits on those that consume it. The materials cost is subsumed in the cost of creation: 400 gp × the level of the highest-level spell × the level of the caster. Edibles are always fully charged (10 charges) when created and cannot contain higher than 3rd level spells. If desired, a spell can be placed into the edible at less than the normal cost, but then consuming that particular spell drains additional charges from the edible. Divide the cost of the spell by the number of charges it consumes to determine its final price. The creator must have prepared the spells/formulas to be stored (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focus the spells require as well as material component costs sufficient to activate the spell 50 times (divide this amount by the number of charges one use of the spell expends). Material components are consumed when he begins working, but focuses are not. (A focus used in creating an edible can be reused.) The act of cooking the edible triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the staff ’s creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster’s currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.) Creating certain forms of edibles may entail other prerequisites beyond spellcasting. Crafting an edible requires 1 day for each 1,000 gp of the base price. Consuming an edible is the same action as drinking a potion. This replaces Brew Potion.

Note: You must calculate your caster level as though you were an alchemist (i.e 2nd level spells require a minimum of 4th level caster, 3rd level requires a minimum of 7th level) when crafting edibles.

Brew Stimulant (Sp): At 2nd level, the epicurean can imbue a normal beverage, transforming it so that when drank, it has the same effect as a blessing of fervor spell. Brewing the drink takes 10 minutes in total, making enough for one medium sized creature. The beverage is potent for 24 hours. Once a character has received the benefits of the epicurean's stimulant, he cannot do so again for 24 hours. The drink tastes normal, but magic detects it as mild transmutation. This replaces poison resistance +2, +4 and +6.

Soul Food (Su): The epicurean can create fabulous spells by cooking one meal or serving of a favorite food of the epicurean’s choice, typically a dough suitable for cookies, pastries, or other desserts. Cooking the meal takes 1 hour. Eating the food provides one of the following benefits for 1 hour: age resistance, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, eagle’s splendor, fox’s cunning, greater false life, neutralize poison (instantaneous) owl’s wisdom, remove disease (instantaneous). Alternatively, the epicurean can shape the dough into a Small, humanlike creature, animating it as a homunculus for 1 hour. This replaces poison immunity.

Ambrosia (Sp): At 14th level, a epicurean can convert a normal beverage into a nectar-like beverage once per day that functions as per heroes' feast (this version of heroes' feast does not require a divine focus). It takes 10 minutes to create this elixir. He can create enough ambrosia for one creature per level. Once a creature has received the benefits of the epicurean's ambrosia, he cannot do so again for 24 hours. This does not stack with the bonuses granted by heroes' feast or heroic invocation. This replaces the discovery normally gained at this level.

Regalement (Sp): At 18th level, the epicurean's ambrosia ability becomes more powerful. Those that imbibe the ambrosia are cured of all poisons, diseases, temporary negative levels and ability damage. In addition, they also receive a +4 morale bonus on attack and damage rolls and saving throws against poison effects, gain 2d8+4 temporary hit points, and become immune to both fear and charm effects. This does not stack with the bonuses granted by heroes' feast or heroic invocation. This replaces instant alchemy.

Example Craft Edibles:
Some examples could be a pie of cure light wounds with 10 slices to show the 10 charges. Nothing says it has to be that big however. It could be an apple of cure light wounds that by taking a single bite out of it consumes one charge. Edibles could also be drinks, candy and pretty much anything you can think of. You could even have tobacco chew, drugs, or alcohol infused as a Craft Edible, but I'd suggest that GMs rule that the positive effects of the spell supersede the effects of the drug...except maybe the negative effects >:).


This is pretty interesting, go on with it.


Bardess wrote:
This is pretty interesting, go on with it.

Thanks. The ladyfriend plans on playtesting this, but I figured I'd see if anyone caught anything glaringly wrong/broken/underpowered/etc.

Dark Archive

So how did the playtesting go?


What level does one get soul food? It should be in its description.

Also while the gingerbread man option of soul food is cute, it needs to be fleshed out a bit more. Does it gain all homulucus attacks? Is it under the alchemists control? Can you bake an army of them? As such, I would move that part into a separate discovery or ability.

Is there a limit to the number of stimulants/soul foods/ambrosias the alchemist can have prepped at a time?

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