The Alchemist visionary archetype says:
"At 2nd level, a visionary researcher learns how to create an experimental mutagen that benefits others, though not as well as his normal mutagen. The experimental mutagen works just like a standard mutagen, except the natural armor bonus and the alchemical bonus to the ability score are half normal (+1 natural armor bonus and +2 to one ability score)."
The rules for mutagen state:
"At 1st level, an alchemist discovers how to create a mutagen that he can imbibe in order to heighten his physical prowess at the cost of his personality. It takes 1 hour to brew a dose of mutagen, and once brewed, it remains potent until used. An alchemist can only maintain one dose of mutagen at a time—if he brews a second dose, any existing mutagen becomes inert. As with an extract or bomb, a mutagen that is not in an alchemist’s possession becomes inert until an alchemist picks it up again."
I assume that the visionary mutagen does not become inert out of the possession of the alchemist.
Does that mean that the Visionary can hand out a mutagen, have a party member drink it, and then immediately fashion another one so as to buff the entire party? Is this what was intended my the rules? Or would the first mutagen become "inert" as soon as a new one was fashioned?
I'm not sure if an hour is immidiate... And it goes inert when the new one is brewed, regardless of who's hands its in.
I'm not sure if an hour is immidiate... And it goes inert when the new one is brewed, regardless of who's hands its in.
I should have made this clearer. You brew the mutagen, hand it off to a player and he consumes it. It now lasts 10 minutes per level. Assuming you are seventh level, you immediately start brewing another one and have it to hand out an hour later. That would give buffs to 2 party members for ten minutes at seventh level, 20 at eight and so on, correct? Or does the first one go inert when the next is created even if it has been consumed?
Oh, in that case you could. I've seen alchemist do that all the time for themselves. Its gone once you drink it, doesn't say anything about the buff being removed.
I don't know many situations where in the next 10 minutes you'll do something amazing after having an hour of freetime anyway.
I'm pretty sure you can have just one Mutagen at a time.
When making your mutagen, which takes one hour, you decide if it's normal, which only you can consume, or experimental, which has half benefits both for you or any ally who drinks it.
What you can do on the other hand is grab Infuse Mutagen discovery, and make a satchel of experimental mutagens to hand out to your allies, though the price is slightly moronic at 1,000gp and -2 int per infused mutagen.
Visionary's mutagen does not allow you to craft extra mutagens besides then default amount of one.
Example: You create an experimental mutagen and give it to your cleric. You two split up and you make a new mutagen before he has a chance to drink his, it is now inert, and yours is active.
You create an Infused Experimental Mutagen and give it to the cleric. It gives only half the benefits, but stays active till it's drunk.