Alchemist Mutagen and other things: Timing

[thejeff]

I'm not misreading this am I?

Quote:

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.

There's no daily limit on how many he can make, right? Just that it takes an hour to make and he can only have one at a time.

He could use one during the day, make one in the evening before sleeping, use it when ambushed in the night and then make another in the morning.

OTOH, Extracts work more like spells. Limited per day. Resetting over night, I presume, but like spells any used in the last 8 hours aren't available.

It's not clear about bombs

Quote:

. An alchemist can use a number of bombs each day equal to his class level + his Intelligence modifier.

When does that reset? If I have some left and use them in the middle of the night, does that count against the next day's bombs?

[Avianfoo]

thejeff wrote:

There's no daily limit on how many he can make, right? Just that it takes an hour to make and he can only have one at a time.
He could use one during the day, make one in the evening before sleeping, use it when ambushed in the night and then make another in the morning.

Correct.

thejeff wrote:

OTOH, Extracts work more like spells. Limited per day. Resetting over night, I presume, but like spells any used in the last 8 hours aren't available.

Sorta:

Alchemist Alchemy wrote:

An extract, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its magic, so an alchemist must re-prepare his extracts every day. Mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work—most alchemists prepare many extracts at the start of the day or just before going on an adventure, but it's not uncommon for an alchemist to keep some (or even all) of his daily extract slots open so that he can prepare extracts in the field as needed.

It does not seem to have a 8 hour rest period required for arcane casting. It is actually unclear when extracts refresh. But "start of the day" seems to be a good time.

thejeff wrote:

It's not clear about bombs ... When does that reset? If I have some left and use them in the middle of the night, does that count against the next day's bombs?

Less clear but the following does indicate that they are refreshed "at the start of the day".

Alchemist Bombs wrote:

Most alchemists create a number of catalyst vials at the start of the day equal to the total number of bombs they can create in that day—once created, a catalyst vial remains usable by the alchemist for years.

[DeltaOneG]

Actual time of day is arbitrary with the generic default being when the GM says something like "the next day". Typically this occurs at the beginning of the day.

In the case of extracts it appears they simply expire and your stock must be refreshed.

Bombs I suspect to be like rages or wild shapes. At some point your reserve simply refreshes. Much easier than the prescription options of "you can only fling x bombs in any given 1 day period" meaning that 1 day after you throw a bomb the magical reserve spent is recovered.

End of the story, ask your GM and just put up with him/her if they screw with you.