alchemist builds: utility or bomber

[shadow wyrm]

i am currently making a second character for a survival in the wood type campaign (the reason for the second character is because to split or prestige in this campaign you need a week in game with a npc to do so). so i was wonder for a alchemist should i fill the needed utility for make another damage per turn character. our current team comp is two dual-wielders one a bard and the other a ranger a (useless) bard and finally a bow using ranger.

as for the character its self he has leather armor and a light crossbow other than that basic gear and as for the race it is undecided but i was thinking elf or half elf (waiting on DM approval).

that is all i can give with out my character sheet next to me.

[Braeden Caldwell]

Any restictions on what source materials you can use?

There generally are two prevailing theories when it comes to Alchemist, using bomber or using mutagen to make yourself into a Mr Hyde kind of character. If you are going bomber there are two major types you can play, support bomber that uses lots of area denial types of bombs and applies negative conditions to enemies (usually focused around smoke bomb leading into stink bomb), or go full ranged striker and focus on getting as many bombs out as possible (using the fast bombs discovery and using the feat rapid shot). There are always other options available, but those are the two most common ways that alchemist is played.

Also if you go with the bomber route I would strongly suggest going with a small size race for the +1 to hit and +1 AC (Gnome is very good) or tiefling if it is allowed because they get +Dex and +Int which are bombers main two stats. For Mr Hyde type anything that can +Str is good, so half elf would be fine.

[Cerberus Seven]

Why choose between offense and support when you can do both? Make an elven alchemist and get longbow proficiency and a DEX/INT bump to supplement the bombs, healing/support extracts (be sure to take the Infusion discovery early to support your party), plentiful skill points, a mutagen to make you more nimbler/beefier, and good FORT/REFLEX saves the class gives you. If you don't like something of the base package, there's a bunch of cool archetypes too. It's an excellent class when done right.