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My society group will be starting over at level 1 when season 4 comes out. I have only been playing Pathfinder for a couple of months. GREAT GAME! Anywho, my first character is a dwarf barbarian (invulnerable rager) because I wanted something fairly easy while I got used to the game. Well I am working on my concept for my next PFS character and I really want to be an alchemist. There is one in my group right now but he seems fairly ineffective. Now to be fair he has had some really bad rolls at bad times. But most of the stuff I have read here recommends you focus or range or melee if you want to be a good alchemist. He seems like he is trying to be both.
I am looking for some advice on making a gnome alchemist. I want to be a run and gun bomber who can be a good supporting party member. I know that for sure what 3 of my group members are going to be (half-elf cleric, human paladin, human witch) I looked at the guide in sticky thread and it gave me some good starting ideas, but I know that doesn't incorporate some of the new content and books. So I want to make sure I am not missing anything that is VITAL. I get a little confused on what feats/abilities can work with my bombs. I know I will be level 1, but this seems like a class you have to build and plan for.
So any thoughts?
My PFS alchemist is level 1 right now, with 2 xp (Sunday he'll level!). He's an elf (Int and Dex are both great, I try to stay out of melee, so Con isn't too important) and he's a bomb focused alchemist. I'm going to make him a Preservationist at 2nd level since poison really just costs too much to be useful and Summons (even Nature's Ally) ROCK. I haven't totally decided what I'm gonna do with my feats and discoveries, this is what I have so far:
1 Point Blank Shot (+1 hit and damage to ranged attacks [to include bombs] within 30')
2 Precise Bombs (Choose a number of squares to not be splashed by your bombs)
3 Precise Shot (no -4 to hit an opponent in melee)
4 Smoke Bomb (Battlefield control and pre-req for Stink Bomb)
5 Stink Bomb (Same Battlefield control as Smoke Bomb, anybody in the area fort saves or Nauseated, which really sucks)
6 Spontaneous Healing (By level 6, I don't really want to start over)
7 Rapid Shot (1 additional ranged attack [no bombs], all attacks take a -2 to hit)
8 Fast Bombs (Throw as many bombs as you would be able to fire arrows; Rapid Shot now affects bombs)
That's all I have for now. I wanted to throw wings in there somewhere but I just don't have room for it.
Grenadier is a solid pick. If I went back in time, I would reset my alchemist to grenadier and pick up proficiency in the Curve Blade. Then I'd catch people on fire with my finessable elven falchion whenever they got into melee range.
I picked preservationist because it's not too late (doesn't replace or alter anything I have now, at 1st level) and poison, as I mentioned, is just not what you might want it to be.
That said, get an alternate damage type if you want to be able to bomb regularly, especially once you pass low levels. One BBEG with fire immunity or high resistances can really ruin your day.
Your party will love you if you pick up infusion, too. Everybody likes personal-ranged buffs and standard action enlarges.
Back to bombing! Your 7th level feat should be either TWF or RS (like me!) and your 8th level discovery should be Fast Bombs (also like me!) to get ridiculous full-attack bombing. You'll run out fast (and gredadier, unlike most PFS alchemists, does NOT come with extra bombs out the box) but you'll destroy!
Hope this all helped.
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grenadier is a great archetype for what you want. preservationist is good also, but contributes nothing to your bombs or damage.
im planning on playing a halfling bomb tosser, and seems like a good 5th man.
Where is the grenadier from? Is he from the Advanced Race Guide? I ordered that book but it hasn't arrived yet.
Where is the grenadier from? Is he from the Advanced Race Guide? I ordered that book but it hasn't arrived yet.grenadier is a great archetype for what you want. preservationist is good also, but contributes nothing to your bombs or damage.
im planning on playing a halfling bomb tosser, and seems like a good 5th man.
It's from the Pathfinder Society Field Guide.
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Another good feat for a bombing type is splash weapon mastery. It gives you far shot with all splash weapons, lets you adjust the scatter roll for a miss by +-1, and you can add one square of your choice to the splash radius.
My alchmist is 7th right now and point blak shot and SWM are the only two attack helping feats I have. I think you can probably skip percise shot with a good dex small size and proper placement even -4 is still a low number to hit. Since about 5th level Dr. Westcrown has rarely needed above a 1to 4 to hit someone.
Good trait "strong arm supple wrist" adds 10ft to range increment with thrown weapons if you move 10 ft first. Very very usefull.
Take advantage of cheap alchemical weapon creation the throw anything feature helps a lot. In 8-9 scenarios I still change encounters with them.
Also as a bomber espically one with infusion playing up is much safer and you still contribute.
I would also suggest grenadier with a selection of longbow if you dont dump STR.
I just took a one level dip at 7th into Monk Master of Many Styles archtype to pick up Kirin Style and Kirin Strike. I can't wait to try it out.
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@ Mad Chemist- I was looking at the Kirin Style feat and I have a question. That +2 bonus only works for the savings throw you make against your target's attacks right? It has nothing to do with your bomb DCs. But the Kirin Strike is pretty awesome! Are you going to go back into alchemist now or will you take more levels in monk?
If you are an elf or otherwise proficient in long/shortbow, Precise Shot can be helpful when you don't want to throw bombs or if you are using Explosive Missile. SWM is a solid bomber feat, though, since it gives you some control over misses (sometimes you just can't roll too well, sometimes the baddies are dodge/deflect heavy) and gives you an extra splash square, too. That's all IN ADDITION to Far Shot for the weapons you will be using when it matters.
SASW is another "if I could go back" option, use it and a Will Save bonus providing trait and you oughta be pretty happy with your trait selections.
Nobody has commented on my mention of Wings - trust me, flying can save your life! You know all those PFS witches flying around Hexing everybody? They always seem to come out of the fray unscathed. I'm not sure why alchemists don't take it more often. I guess they don't want superstitious villagers to be afraid of them.
As for my alchemical poke-summons? I don't know from experience, yet, how useful or pain-in-the-butt they are since I'm still 1st level. I just wanted to trade poison for something and that looked like my best retroactive option.
Since you're awaiting the arrival of your new, cool rulebook - if you find yourself playing a non-PFS alchemist, look into the goblin racial archetype and discoveries, they're pretty cool.
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If you are an elf or otherwise proficient in long/shortbow, Precise Shot can be helpful when you don't want to throw bombs or if you are using Explosive Missile. SWM is a solid bomber feat, though, since it gives you some control over misses (sometimes you just can't roll too well, sometimes the baddies are dodge/deflect heavy) and gives you an extra splash square, too. That's all IN ADDITION to Far Shot for the weapons you will be using when it matters.
SASW is another "if I could go back" option, use it and a Will Save bonus providing trait and you oughta be pretty happy with your trait selections.
Nobody has commented on my mention of Wings - trust me, flying can save your life! You know all those PFS witches flying around Hexing everybody? They always seem to come out of the fray unscathed. I'm not sure why alchemists don't take it more often. I guess they don't want superstitious villagers to be afraid of them.
As for my alchemical poke-summons? I don't know from experience, yet, how useful or pain-in-the-butt they are since I'm still 1st level. I just wanted to trade poison for something and that looked like my best retroactive option.
Since you're awaiting the arrival of your new, cool rulebook - if you find yourself playing a non-PFS alchemist, look into the goblin racial archetype and discoveries, they're pretty cool.
Oh I totally want to take wings. I have been torn though... I thought about wings and then I also thought about preserve organs to work my way to becoming a mummy. Is Strong Arm Supple Wrist legal for society? I was leaning towards reactionary. Having a higher initiative is never a bad thing.
SASW is PFS legal. Reactionary is good but you will likely have a pretty good Dex and the initiative bonus to go with it. What you won't have is a good Will save, and failing one of those can mean bombing the bejeesus out of your party. That said, adding Reactionary to the mix can mean that whatever would want to charm/dominate/otherwise force a Will save out of you would be dead before it gets a chance. (Casters can be kind of tricky, though...)
Mummy is pretty awesome - immunities are not easy to come by, especially in Society.
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Dr. Westcrown is going back into Alchemist after this little dip. His last 6 scenarios have been Tian influnced in addition to learning the laungage during RP time he spent learning his monk level which as an elf he displayed as Kirin Style.
The strike is where all the good stuff is the first feat is just an entry fee. Which is why he took his at 7th to get everything at once.
On wings i may take wings but the Doc is a bit of a generalist. If I do take wings I will probably dip back into Monk for one level to pick up crane style. Dr. Westcrown has worn the uniform of a Plague Dr. Complete with mask since lvl1. And the image of him standing "crane style" ala karate kid speaking tengu while boming is too good to pass up.
If you want to focus on bombing you need an alternate energy type. I took frost early and even though it is the other most commonly resisted element it has staggered which can be big. Lots of creatures strong against fire are weak against cold at lower levels. When outsider multi resistances come into play you can pick up force which is awesome.
You can make alkali/acid flasks cheap you should have some along with some al fire and liquid ice as backups to give you some options early on.
Holy water has to be purchased but it can be a good back up for multi resist evil outsiders or undead and it has no chance of friendly fire. With Kirin Strike I can do 2D4+19 with one.