| 4 people marked this as FAQ candidate. |
So has there ever been an official answer as to what exactly this sentence means?
" 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."
The key issue seems to be the phrase "...until an alchemist picks it up again."
I see some very interesting exploits with a beastform alchemist and either good friends or a tumor <monkey> familiar wearing a tiny master-work pack.
The step by step
Step one: Al the second level Beastform alchemist makes a mutagen granting darkvision in addition to the normal effects.
Step two: Melvin the tumor-monkey puts the potion in the tiny pack Al has crafted for Melvin.
Step three: Repeat one selecting different abilities until you run out of time or get bored.
Step four: When a specific mutagen is needed Al swaps the one he/she is carrying with Melvin and has a refreshing drink.
Note: The role of Melvin can be played by a friendly PC or a hired retainer Or a shelf in Al's lab.
A bandolier for the tumor monkey Will further speed the process. (Note No mention is made of capacity is made for non-medium bandoliers but Med=8 Small=4 tiny=2 seems reasonable if nor RAW)
So where does this fall apart? The sentence in question seems to clearly state that mutagens can move from inert to maintained status by being in possession of an alchemist who does not currently posses a mutagen. Even if undue, in my view, stress is placed on sentence in the Mutagen description before the one in question:
"An alchemist can only maintain one dose of mutagen at a time—if he brews a second dose, any existing mutagen becomes inert."
the plan still works. Al will simply buy or trade inert mutagens with other alchemists. In fact with a sufficient trade network and cash Al may never have to make a mutagen.
So where am I wrong or is this a nice minor versatility buff for Alchemists willing to do the extra work?
You are assuming that a mutagen which becomes inert because you brewed a second mutagen can be revived. There is nothing in the rules that suggests that.
Then how does the "pick it up again" sentence apply?
Are you positing 3 states for a mutagen?
1. Actively in possession of an alchemist.
2. Inert due to not being in possession of an alchemist.
3. Inert due to the creating alchemist making another mutagen.
This view creates a problem.
1. Assume Al makes a mutagen.
2. Before using the mutagen Al is captured, stripped and gated to deep into the Abyss.
3. Al's gear, including the now state 2 mutagen remain on the prime materiel plane.
4. The mutagen passes into the possession of an alchemist working for the bad guys. It is now in state 1 assuming bad alchemist does not have/create their own.
5. Tossed into an Abyssal prison our hero crafts a makeshift alchemy lab and creates a new mutagen to aid in the escape attempt.
The mutagen on the prime material changes to state 3.
If this is accurate, a level one class ability is able to communicate across planes. This may be unique in Pathfinder. It also creates an unblock-able means of sending secure, if quite limited messages.
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...an unblock-able means of sending secure, if quite limited messages.
The Light cantrip works similarly. I don't think it's transplanar.
On what are you basing the view that there ate 3 states for a mutagen?
The 2 state solution; State 1, active as the sole mutagen currently in the possession of an alchemist, and State 2: all other cases, seems much simpler. While satisfying all official language on mutagens.
...an unblock-able means of sending secure, if quite limited messages.The Light cantrip works similarly. I don't think it's transplanar.
How? A dispell or an antimagic field shuts the cantrip down. Not so the mutagen.
Or am I missing something?I don't think it is transplanar either but if the 3 state solution is correct it has to be. Even ignoring the planar issue the ability to send an unblockable message is quite the trick for a vial of nonmagical regents.
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I am still not sure where you are getting the idea that an inert mutagen becomes usable when it is picked up by a alchemist. The text states that it only becomes active if it is the only one created by the alchemist the brewed it. Otherwise the text stating the alchemist can only have one mutagen at a time becomes moot, since the alchemist could put one mutagen down, allowing it to become inert, and simply brew a second, and third, and tenth. Creating a second mutagen causes the first to become not only "inert", but also completely unusable.
From here, bolding mine:
PRD, Mutagens wrote" 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."
What are you basing the completely unusable idea on? From the language we have it appears that a mutagen can be either maintained or inert, and if inert it becomes maintained if picked up by an Alchemist who is not otherwise maintaining a mutagen.
Im with darthslash on this one.
if we look at it as a whole it states 2 ways for a mutagen to become enert. One way is that u brew another dose. Second way is if u give it to someone or put it down. It states that IF u do the second way it becomes inert, it will become usuable again if u pick it up. It says nothing about the first way becoming usable again.
So what we have with whats written is u brew a dose and hand it off to someone and it becomes inert. If u pick it up and get it back it becomes usable again. IF u brew another dose while u have given someone ur first dose then that dose u gave to someone becomes inert for 2 reasons. U can satisfy the requirements for getting it to become usable by grabbing it back with the firsg one by it simy being handed off BUT it has also become inert because u made another one which it doesnt state how that can be usable again.
I coukd very well be wrong as i have many times before but u see the reasoning right?
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I think that this should be answered in a FAQ.
I'm leaning to the "inert from making a new mutagen"=dead forever if only because the alternative make the Infuse Mutagen discovery pretty useless.
However, if said discovery did not exist already I would say that Poor Wandering One.
Also, I think the big contention is: can a mutagen be double-inert?
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The rules are describing two separate scenarios in which a mutagen becomes inert.
Scenario 1
The Alchemist has a STR mutagen in existence, but he has not imbibed it. He creates a DEX mutagen. The STR mutagen immediately (and [implied] permanently) becomes inert.
Scenario 2
The Alchemist has a STR mutagen in existence. He hands it to his friend to hold it while he takes his pants off (too many torn trousers from the bulk-up effect of his Mr. Hyde Special). The moment it leaves his possession, it becomes inert. However, as he hasn't yet created a new mutagen, when he takes it back it immediately becomes active again.
The loophole that you're proposing assumes that the inert state in both scenarios is temporary - for example, if you have a STR mutagen, brew a DEX mutagen, and then imbibe the DEX mutagen that the STR mutagen becomes active again (either as soon as the STR mutagen wears off, or as soon as you imbibe the STR mutagen, one of the two). The implication in stating that the mutagen goes inert upon making a second one indicates to me that the intention is that the moment you make a new active mutagen, all other mutagens you've made become permanently inert.
@ Redneckdevil:
And yet becoming inert doesn't mean he can't make it work again. There is no rules saying that once a bomb/mutagen/extract is inert, it can't be used ever again. Inert, according to the dictionary, means it simply doesn't cause the chemicals to react. It most certainly doesn't mean it can't be fixed or rectified.
There is a lot of language that is nonsensible in regards to the Alchemist's abilities, their functions, and what it entails. I mean come on, the Bombs feature even has this sort of language listed (a bomb becomes inert one round after it's created), even though by RAW you can't hold onto it once it's created; you have to throw it upon creation, no question's asked.
The point of that clause is so the Alchemist doesn't just spend one entire day making nothing but Mutagens and then burning them all during an adventure or big fight, trivializing the encounter(s).
Even so, look at it this way; the Mutagen takes an entire hour to create. It's not really broken considering it requires a lot of time to create just one, and trying to create several takes the whole day to do. Not many mid-adventure/dungeons have that kind of time to spare, so expecting the Mutagens to just pop out on the fly is a no-go just from that alone. On top of this, only a single Mutagen can be active on an Alchemist at a time, so creating Mutagens for specific situations is by no means broken whatsoever compared to what all of our other classes can do.
And while an Alchemist can hold onto and consume another Alchemist's Mutagen, the effects dissipate when the Alchemist creates his own Mutagen. So one could actually go to some awesome level 20 Alchemist, spend X amount of gold to commission one of the baddest Mutagens ever to be experienced, expend it during the adventure, and slaughter everything in sight with his +6/+8 Strength and make a character as dumb as AM BARBARIAN look like a genius.
It doesnt say it can either, only that it becomes inert aka unuseable. The only thing we do have saying it can be usuable after it becomes inert is if u put one on the ground or give to someone and pick it up. That sentence states it can be useable again if that happens but doesnt say anything on how it can be reuseable if u brew another one. That one just simply states it becomes inert that its. Thats what im gathering in that the it becomeing useable again is only the situations defined in the sentence that states a way and that only says if its dropped or carried by someone else. Like i pointed out, it shows us 2 ways it can become inert and thats brewing another one or if its outta ur pocession.
So brew another one, all others are permenantly inert.
Outta pocession is only temporary inert until picked back up.
I agree what u are proposing is not broken but i dont see anythingthat would back it up as being legal :-(
Ah but your missing a key part of the sentence. Please read again:
" 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."
He needs to maintain the mutagen to keep it viable. He has a magical aura that keeps the mutagen fresh and magical. If he sets that one down to make another one, then his magical aura will go towards 'Maintaining' the new dose.
To maintain is an ongoing process of keeping it fresh and potent, and he can only do that to one mutagen at a time.
Exactly. One at a time.
Step one: make mutagenStep two: hand mutagen to familiar/friend/shelf. Mutagen goes inert.
Step three: make second mutagen with different choices.
Repeat steps until bored
When alchemist does not have mutagen take one from familiar/friend/shelf and use.
This will not let mutagens stack. They don't see last line in Mutagen
"The effects of a mutagen do not stack. Whenever an alchemist drinks a mutagen, the effects of any previous mutagen immediately end."
I am just wondering why it is not possible to have multiple pre-made mutagens. Is possible for a seventh level Alchemist to prepare a mutagen while under the effect of another. (last 10min/level take 60min to make)
At most this adds some versatility to the Mutagen feature. It does not invalidate Infuse mutagen as that discovery allows multiple doses to be ready at a moments notice.
Im with darthslash on this one.
if we look at it as a whole it states 2 ways for a mutagen to become inert. One way is that you brew another dose. Second way is if you give it to someone or set it down. It states that if you do the second way it becomes inert, it will become usable again if you pick it up. It says nothing about the first way becoming usable again.
So what we have with what is written is you brew a dose and hand it off to someone and it becomes inert. If you pick it up and get it back it becomes usable again. IF you brew another dose while you have given someone your first dose then that dose you gave to someone becomes inert for 2 reasons. U can satisfy the requirements for getting it to become usable by grabbing it back with the firsg one by it simy being handed off BUT it has also become inert because u made another one which it doesnt state how that can be usable again.I coukd very well be wrong as i have many times before but u see the reasoning right?
So you propose that the word 'inert' is used to represent two separate states. Allowing the alchemist to send messages through spooky action at a distance as mentioned above.
Right?
@ Redneckdevil:
And yet becoming inert doesn't mean he can't make it work again. There is no rules saying that once a bomb/mutagen/extract is inert, it can't be used ever again. Inert, according to the dictionary, means it simply doesn't cause the chemicals to react. It most certainly doesn't mean it can't be fixed or rectified.
There is a lot of language that is nonsensical in regards to the Alchemist's abilities, their functions, and what it entails. I mean come on, the Bombs feature even has this sort of language listed (a bomb becomes inert one round after it's created), even though by RAW you can't hold onto it once it's created; you have to throw it upon creation, no question's asked.
The point of that clause is so the Alchemist doesn't just spend one entire day making nothing but Mutagens and then burning them all during an adventure or big fight, trivializing the encounter(s).
Even so, look at it this way; the Mutagen takes an entire hour to create. It's not really broken considering it requires a lot of time to create just one, and trying to create several takes the whole day to do. Not many mid-adventure/dungeons have that kind of time to spare, so expecting the Mutagens to just pop out on the fly is a no-go just from that alone. On top of this, only a single Mutagen can be active on an Alchemist at a time, so creating Mutagens for specific situations is by no means broken whatsoever compared to what all of our other classes can do.
And while an Alchemist can hold onto and consume another Alchemist's Mutagen, the effects dissipate when the Alchemist creates his own Mutagen. So one could actually go to some awesome level 20 Alchemist, spend X amount of gold to commission one of the baddest Mutagens ever to be experienced, expend it during the adventure, and slaughter everything in sight with his +6/+8 Strength and make a character as dumb as AM BARBARIAN look like a genius.
Exactly. What is more the 2 state solution gives the player alchemist a very good reason to have a lab. They will need a secure place, not on their person to store the mutagens. This can work against the wandering murder-hodo aspect of adventuring or at least lead to players having to work together.
The largest impact it has is on the Beastmorph which frankly could use the bump.
I'm not sure that the rules are clear enough, and I haven't read all posts to see if this is suggested but I think the easiest way to handle the issues it to say:
If an alchemist brews a second mutagen the first is rendered permanently inert. If an alchemist gives away, loses, or otherwise does not possess a mutagen he brewed it becomes inert, unless picked up by another alchemist who does not currently have a mutagen prepared.
I'm not sure that the rules are clear enough, and I haven't read all posts to see if this is suggested but I think the easiest way to handle the issues it to say:
If an alchemist brews a second mutagen the first is rendered permanently inert. If an alchemist gives away, loses, or otherwise does not possess a mutagen he brewed it becomes inert, unless picked up by another alchemist who does not currently have a mutagen prepared.
That allows the instantaneous communication problem.
From previous post:
"Are you positing 3 states for a mutagen?
1. Actively in possession of an alchemist.
2. Inert due to not being in possession of an alchemist.
3. Inert due to the creating alchemist making another mutagen.
This view creates a problem.
1. Assume Al makes a mutagen.
2. Before using the mutagen Al is captured, stripped and gated to deep within the Abyss.
3. Al's gear, including the now state 2 mutagen remain on the prime materiel plane.
4. The mutagen passes into the possession of an alchemist working for the bad guys. It is now in state 1 assuming bad alchemist does not have/create their own.
5. Tossed into an Abyssal prison our hero crafts a makeshift alchemy lab and creates a new mutagen to aid in the escape attempt.
The mutagen on the prime material changes to state 3.
If this is accurate, a level one class ability is able to communicate across planes. This may be unique in Pathfinder. It also creates an unblock-able means of sending secure, if quite limited messages."
Having the special inert due to creating alchemist making a second mutagen means some kind of non-detectable link remains between the creating alchemist and the mutagen. A link that stretches across planes and through anti-magic fields with ease.
Im with darthslash on this one.
if we look at it as a whole it states 2 ways for a mutagen to become inert. One way is that you brew another dose. Second way is if you give it to someone or set it down. It states that if you do the second way it becomes inert, it will become usable again if you pick it up. It says nothing about the first way becoming usable again.
So what we have with what is written is you brew a dose and hand it off to someone and it becomes inert. If you pick it up and get it back it becomes usable again. IF you brew another dose while you have given someone your first dose then that dose you gave to someone becomes inert for 2 reasons. U can satisfy the requirements for getting it to become usable by grabbing it back with the firsg one by it simy being handed off BUT it has also become inert because u made another one which it doesnt state how that can be usable again.I coukd very well be wrong as i have many times before but u see the reasoning right?
So you propose that the word 'inert' is used to represent two separate states. Allowing the alchemist to send messages through spooky action at a distance as mentioned above.
Right?
No i propose that the ruling states u can only make a mutagen useable again after it becomes inert if it becomes inert a certain way. The rules do not state that if a mutagen that becomes inert can become useable again if u brew another one.
and i dont propose it, the actual wording of it does. 1 way becomes inert (aka unusable) with no writing on how it can become useable again. Meaning brewing another mutagen makes the others permanently inert because it doesnt give a way to make them useable again. The other way by it leaving ur pocession becomes temporarly inert because it says it necomes inert once itleaves ur pocession it can become useable again if u pick it up or gets back in ur pocession. 1 way it becomes permanently inert necause it doesnt say how it can become useable again and 1 way it becomes inert and it can become useable again. The problem with ur design is a mutagen thats inert is still a mutagen. When u brew another mutagen the other mutagens u have that are already inert are still inert but are inert also necause u brewed another one.I can make a drink no longer safe to drink making it aka useless by throwing a piece of garbage in it. I can also mame that drink undrinkable because not only is there trash in it but put a poisen in it that disolves. Just because i pick the garabage outta the drink doesnt make it drinkable again becajse its still undrinkable because of the poisen. The drink first became undrinkable because i threw garabage in it but it also became undrinkable because of the poisen. So yes u fulfilled one way to make it uninert by havinv that mutagen in ur pocession but its inert because u brewed another mutagen.
Again i agree at face what u propose isnt broken, but i already had a player tell me how he could break the game by doing what u stated. He stated that all he had to dobwas in his downtime between adventuring spend all his time making mutagens. When he made one he would put one in his horses saddle bags because the rules dont say u have to give it toba different person each time, just that it has to be away from ur pocession. Game time starts gointo a dungeon and give the saddlebag to a cohort and sit back as the alchemist stays in a permanent mutagen stasis because of all his backups without having to stop after each one for 1 hour to create
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Exactly. One at a time.
Step one: make mutagen
Step two: hand mutagen to familiar/friend/shelf. Mutagen goes inert.
Step three: make second mutagen with different choices.Repeat steps until bored
When alchemist does not have mutagen take one from familiar/friend/shelf and use.
This will not let mutagens stack. They don't see last line in Mutagen
"The effects of a mutagen do not stack. Whenever an alchemist drinks a mutagen, the effects of any previous mutagen immediately end."I am just wondering why it is not possible to have multiple pre-made mutagens. Is possible for a seventh level Alchemist to prepare a mutagen while under the effect of another. (last 10min/level take 60min to make)
At most this adds some versatility to the Mutagen feature. It does not invalidate Infuse mutagen as that discovery allows multiple doses to be ready at a moments notice.
Once he starts making the second mutagen, he is no longer 'maintaining' the first one. Effect: It becomes useless.
You may as well stop arguing, someone found what they think is "murky wording" to allow a loophole rule exploit and no amount of pointing out what the actually says is gonna be accepted. Just because the rule is very clear to state 2 separate things doesn't mean that anyone who doesn't want to will acknowledge that.
" An alchemist can only maintain one dose of mutagen at a time—if he brews a second dose, any existing mutagen becomes inert."1st statement. Very clearly says that he can only maintain one and that if he makes a second that the first is null.
"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."
2nd statement. Very clearly states that the viable mutagen that an alchemist owns will not work once it leaves his possession until he regains it. Or decides to make a second one which then makes the lost one null.
1st statement- doesn't allow for the existence of more than one usable mutagen.
2nd statement- show how the one usable mutagen acts when it leave the alchemist's possession and how it acts when he retrieves it. Still doesn't give an allowance for more than one existing mutagen.
It's very clear except to people who want to be purposely obtuse or wish to use/exploit the loophole. FAQing this is only going to lead to a "no faq necessary" response even if the design team does respond to this.
If it helps, think of it in terms of spell slots. A Wizard who has a Fireball prepared in his 3rd-level spell slot can't prepare another spell in that slot without 'forgetting' the old spell first. The same is true for an Alchemist when it comes to his extracts\infusions - and also to his Mutagens: He has one 'slot' for a mutagen, and he cannot make another one unless he lets the other one become permanently inert. Once he gets to a high-enough level and gets the appropriate discovery, he can have more than one, but not before.
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I'm not sure that the rules are clear enough, and I haven't read all posts to see if this is suggested but I think the easiest way to handle the issues it to say:
If an alchemist brews a second mutagen the first is rendered permanently inert. If an alchemist gives away, loses, or otherwise does not possess a mutagen he brewed it becomes inert, unless picked up by another alchemist who does not currently have a mutagen prepared.
That allows the instantaneous communication problem.
From previous post:
"Are you positing 3 states for a mutagen?
1. Actively in possession of an alchemist.
2. Inert due to not being in possession of an alchemist.
3. Inert due to the creating alchemist making another mutagen.This view creates a problem.
1. Assume Al makes a mutagen.
2. Before using the mutagen Al is captured, stripped and gated to deep within the Abyss.
3. Al's gear, including the now state 2 mutagen remain on the prime materiel plane.
4. The mutagen passes into the possession of an alchemist working for the bad guys. It is now in state 1 assuming bad alchemist does not have/create their own.
5. Tossed into an Abyssal prison our hero crafts a makeshift alchemy lab and creates a new mutagen to aid in the escape attempt.
The mutagen on the prime material changes to state 3.If this is accurate, a level one class ability is able to communicate across planes. This may be unique in Pathfinder. It also creates an unblock-able means of sending secure, if quite limited messages."
Having the special inert due to creating alchemist making a second mutagen means some kind of non-detectable link remains between the creating alchemist and the mutagen. A link that stretches across planes and through anti-magic fields with ease.
I assume your not too familiar with Quantum Mechanics... Have you heard of FTL communication, aka Faster Than Light communication? It happens with quantum entanglement, which two particles become "entangled" with each other. They sort of "mimic" each other, if one adopts a spin, the other adopts the opposite spin. This occurs *instantly*, regardless of distance.
It's not magic, it's plain old quantum physics. The Alchemist might be using miniature particle accelerators to create his mutagens, thus enabling the instantaneous communication. If he creates another, changing the spin within himself as part of the process, the particles in the old one suddenly stop working right, causing the mutagen to degrade. Even if he changed the spin back to what it was, the mutagen has already degraded.
The instantaneous communication problem is a non-issue that doesn't even require magic.
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Also if an alchemist could make a bunch of mutagens and keep them around why would there be a discovery called "infuse mutagen" that specifically allows that?
Infuse mutagen: When the alchemist creates a mutagen, he can infuse it with an extra bit of his own magical power. This inflicts 2 points of Intelligence damage to the alchemist and costs 1,000 gp in rare reagents, but the mutagen created persists on its own and is not rendered inert if the alchemist creates another mutagen. This allows an alchemist to create different types of mutagens and keep them handy for emergencies. This does not allow an alchemist to gain the effects of multiple mutagens—only the most recently imbibed mutagen has any effect.
And the cost to have EACH extra mutagen: 2 int damage and 1000gp.
@ Xaratherus: By RAI, it makes sense. The obvious point is that only one Mutagen can be created and in possession of (or not in possession of) the Alchemist at any time.
But by RAW, you can't apply that conclusion because only Extracts are referred to function as spells in terms of effects, application, and memorization/creation, from a spellcaster; such wording isn't in the Mutagen entry, and therefore it isn't in line with how a Mutagen would otherwise be considered as both an object (surely spells aren't a real-world object), and when consumed, an effect that no other spell (or even group of spells) can concisely emulate.
@ Darthslash: And what conditions must be met for one to "maintain" a Mutagen? Such criteria are not explicitly defined (i.e. that sentence doesn't even imply or state that the creation of a second Mutagen nullifies the ability to maintain the first Mutagen to begin with), and is only RAI speculation; as far as I'm concerned, since "maintain" is not otherwise defined, we then go to the meaning in the dictionary, which is essentially "upkeep" in regards to keeping the Mutagen from going inert, which I am almost positive can be done while the second one is being created.
The statement that once the second one is brewed, it becomes inert, is correct. But once again, by RAW, simply becoming inert only means that there are no chemical reactions, and that definition doesn't deny the ability for it to become active in the future.
At least this ability is a heck of a lot more clearly written in comparison to the rest of the Alchemist's abilities, and has less improbable clutter getting in the way. But that sort of argument will be for another thread...
You are assuming that a mutagen which becomes inert because you brewed a second mutagen can be revived. There is nothing in the rules that suggests that.Then how does the "pick it up again" sentence apply?
Are you positing 3 states for a mutagen?
1. Actively in possession of an alchemist.
2. Inert due to not being in possession of an alchemist.
3. Inert due to the creating alchemist making another mutagen.This view creates a problem.
1. Assume Al makes a mutagen.
2. Before using the mutagen Al is captured, stripped and gated to deep into the Abyss.
3. Al's gear, including the now state 2 mutagen remain on the prime materiel plane.
4. The mutagen passes into the possession of an alchemist working for the bad guys. It is now in state 1 assuming bad alchemist does not have/create their own.
5. Tossed into an Abyssal prison our hero crafts a makeshift alchemy lab and creates a new mutagen to aid in the escape attempt.
The mutagen on the prime material changes to state 3.If this is accurate, a level one class ability is able to communicate across planes. This may be unique in Pathfinder. It also creates an unblock-able means of sending secure, if quite limited messages.
It's actually in the book.
A non-alchemist who drinks a mutagen must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the alchemist's level + the alchemist's Intelligence modifier) or become nauseated for 1 hour - a non-alchemist can never gain the benefit of a mutagen, but an alchemist can gain the effects of another alchemist's mutagen if he drinks it. (Although if the other alchemist creates a different mutagen, the effects of the "stolen" mutagen immediately cease.) The effects of a mutagen do not stack. Whenever an alchemist drinks a mutagen, the effects of any previous mutagen immediately end.
That allows the instantaneous communication problem.
How is that a problem? Light can do the same thing, though the duration is a bit more limited it also doesn't consume a valuable resource.
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I like this ruling a lot better, and the familiar is not even necessary. Al creates Mutagen 1, places it in a bag of holding.
Al creates Mutagen 2, Mutagen 1 becomes Inert,
Al Drinks Mutagen 2, then picks up mutagen 1. Mutagen 1 is Viable. Two states of mutagen are stated in RAW Inert, or Not Inert. Useless or "Water" state does not exist. Therefore Once created a Mutagen is a Mutagen is a Mutagen, though it is either Inert or Not Inert.
I believe this is not RAI.