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Well 1st off the alchemist from that anime and the alchemist class are far different from each other. The alchemist class is designed to lob bombs for the most part and create specialty potions known as mutagens and extracts that only he can consume. The discoveries he comes upon through his advancement further alter his mutagen and body if obtained, give new abilities to his bombs or sub out the bombs for different damage types, make his extracts more effective, and so on.
There are multiple ways to play the alchemist. The most common is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide style with natural attacks and a high burst bomber. Some though, like my self, play them a tad bit more differently like using them as party healers and tankish bruisers with some field control.
There are many threads on these forums of alchemist im sure you can find one and get a feel on how to create one.
Btw the following is the only site i really use and the best go to for all your paizo needs. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/home
There are many different ways to run it. Anime style does not fit here.
Things that are great ti implement with it: kind of magical rogue replacement, doctor, supporter, skill monkey, natural attack focused guy etc.
It is great to play someone who is kind of magical but dies not use magic. Archetypes provide lots of flexibility, e.g vivisectionist makes it more like a rogue, internal alchemist let's you do a monte christo kind of guy etc.
Have fun :-)
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The run down of the character is some what simple.
Your Formula list is you "spell book" and the extracts are your spells. Like Wizards an Alchemist can obtain new formulas off other Alchemist and must prepare them ahead of time. Unlike the casters though the Alchemist extracts are vials of liquid similar to that of a potion except only you can use them.
The Discoveries can be viewed much like the Rogue's Talents. At ever even Alchemist level he acquires a new discovery. These discoveries might have requirements though like being x level Alchemist and/or having a different discovery to qualify. The discoveries that are meant for bombs some times has an asterisk (*) near them. Those that have that symbol can not be used with other discoveries that have that symbol.
Bombs are ranged thrown weapons and follow the ranged thrown weapon rules. Unlike most ranged thrown weapons though they damage in an area of effect, similar to a Wizard's fireball. The target struck by the bomb takes bomb damage and those around the target take splash damage.
The Mutagen is pretty much a Dr. Jekyll concoction that decreases your mental scores in favor for a boast to your physical scores for x period of time. Also i would like o mention is that the mutagen has no x times per day so you can have multiple mutagens but only one mutagen can be created stored, and used at any given time. So if you make one mutagen and make another right after it with out using the 1st mutagen the 1st will become inactive and unusable.
I hope that helps and clarifies the class for you. Im sure i have missed some thing and if i did mention it and i will do my best to explain it. If you have any questions and im on i will be more that happy to answer it to the best of my capabilities.
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As others have noted, The FMA style of alchemists doesn't quite have enough in common with the alchemist class in Pathfinder. Pathfinder's Alchemist is more directly derived from the traditional western image: mixing potions and the like. while most other aspects of these two alchemists line up pretty well(emphasis on self experimentation/harm, for instance), the Pathfinder alchemist simply lacks the ability to tranform the world around them in the way that the FMA Alchemist quintisentially does.
Mechanics-wise, a reflavored wizard or sorcerer, with a specialization in transmutaions (or, for mustang's case, fire spells) would probably fit the design of the FMA alchemist much better.
+1
Alchemists lend themselves more towards the mad scientist-type of play. The insane people who perform experiments on themselves and laugh maniacally before the experiment or before throwing bombs at their opponents.
To add on to what Hiram said, sorcerer with an Arcane bloodline might fight the FMA alchemists, but a wizard with a school focus on transmutation is definitely closer to how alchemy works in the FMA universe.
Or if your are the gm can always create your own fma based alchemist (might be bit more work than you want but it could be rewarding) I made classes based of the anime fairy tail it was rather easy and i've made character based off of cole (infamous) all depends how much time/work you want to put into it
Magus seems more like the class you want if you are looking to go all FMA on us. It is the one with all the big flashy spells that can alter the environment while still keeping melee abilties. Oracle...might also be a decent choice, depending on mystery/spells known selection. Otherwise, just grab a wizard/socerer like everyone has said.
The alchemist spell list is more focused on healing, buffing, and the like. There are a few different kinds of spells here or there (I know that they have some extract that allows an elemental touch attack, as well as the spell "Summon Swarm"), but for the most part you will not find what you are likely looking for.
This is not to say that alchemist is a bad class. It is in fact one of the most flexible classes around, able to fill almost any party role that you decide to devote them too....except for the big flashy God Wizard role. Still, it would not exactly be hard to have an entire party of alchemists: they can do ranged, melee, buffing, healing, stealth, etc. Just looking at a dedicated melee/tank build (feral mutagen, spontaneous healing, healing touch, lingering spirit, mummification, preserve organs), you are more likely to get something like the show's homunculi than the alchemists. You might be able to pull off a Mustang with bombs...but that is hardly the same.
Yeah, Pathfinder Alchemists aren't able to reshape the landscape around them. You're thinking Transmutation Wizards for that. Alchemists here are more mad chemists.
I have personally attempted the Alchemist as a variable-assault platform. Between bombs, clever use of mutagens and extracts, and various discoveries, one can make a character that can fight nearly any battle close to the front lines. Think of creative ways to use alchemical items/gadgets to get a job done. Consider how frequently you can use an alchemical engine to get a fishing boat to jump large gaps.
Never underestimate the willingness of GMs to reward called shots to the mouth with a bomb. Doubly so if you crit.
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I have an alchemist at Lvl 3. We are doing Skull and Shackles and so far we have been doing mostly RP (just got to Bonewrack isle) but what combat we did have I did well. Alchemist also gets good Skill points so I could do some face work/ skill monkey. I focused on a survivable bomber. I'm a half-elf and took the bramble brewer archetype that reduced the stat bump from the mutagen but increases the natural armor. That plus the shield mutagen and reduce person gave me a 27 AC at lvl 2.
My main concern is not damaging my party members with bombs but other than that it's been great.
Just as an aside. Pathfinder Alchemists CAN reshape the world around them. They can turn it into a blasted, smoking ruin quite easily!
I may someday wish to run an Alchemist and more importantly I wish to show this thread to some of the GM's and players in my hobby shop and such, but they feel the class is too hard to understand and can't be run due to what they believe to be a bad description in the handbooks.
What, specifically, is bad about the alchemist's description? Are there problems with the class I'm not aware of?
For a better fictional reference than FMA, check out the Witcher novels or video games. Pathfinder’s Alchemist class is quite similar to Witchers.