Strongarm Alchemist (Monk / Alchemist combo)

[Sehnder]

I was thinking of trying something a little bit different for my next PFS character, and thought that a combination monk alchemist may be fun. Conceptwise the idea would be to be a frontline brawler who can supplement his abilities with some alchemy for big fights.

Ragechemist 4- Disocovery: Feral Mutagen
Monk 8- Not sure on what compliments the theme well.

Stats:
Str: 15
Dex: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 14
Con: 14
Cha: 7

My first question is whether or not this character concept is even viable or if it would be horrendously ineffective (the stats are spread pretty thin as you can tell). Second question would be what a good monk compliment would be to the ragechemist. It seems like overall the ragechemist should only go up to level 2 for rage mutagen or level 4 for feral mutagen, and I am having trouble deciding on what the best use of the other 8-10 levels is. Thanks for any insights!

[Karu the Bold Strider]

What is the benefit that you are trying to get from the Monk levels? Your Wisdom is pretty low, so you would get a better AC from a Chain Shirt. If you go Feral Mutagen, you would be using natural attacks over unarmed attacks.

Unsure what the point of the monk levels is.

[Karu the Bold Strider]

If was pressed into making an Alchemist/Monk for PFS, maybe something like this:

Ragechemist 6
Master of Many Styles Monk 2
Unarmed Fighter 2

Tiefling or Tengu for Claw Attacks (Tengus also pick up a free Bite)

Tengu
Strength: 16 Intelligence: 14
Dexterity: 12 Wisdom: 14
Constitution: 12 Charisma: 8

Alc 1: Feat: Weapon Focus(Claws)
Alc 2: Discovery: Infusion
MoMS 3: Feat: Feral Combat Training(Claws); Free Feat: Dragon Style
MoMS 4: +Str; Free Feat: Dragon Ferocity
Alc 5: Feat: Weapon Focus(Bite)
Alc 6: Discovery: Enhance Potion
UF 7: Feat: Feral Combat Training(Bite); Free Feat: Boar Style
UF 8: +Str; Free Feat: Up to you, I suggest Iron Will
Alc 9: Feat: Power Attack
Alc 10: Discovery: Extend Potion

Items to buy: Belt of Strength and/or Constitution; Headband of Intelligence and/or Wisdom; Amulet of Mighty Fists; Chain Shirt +X; Ring of Protection; etc.

Weapon Focus gives you better +hit and qualifies you for Feral Combat Training, which lets your claw and bite attacks deal damage as unarmed (1d6 versus 1d3). Additionally, you can use Dragon Style and Boar Style feats with feral combat natural attacks. Power Attack gets bumped up to +3 to damage per four levels with Dragon Ferocity. Boar Style adds a significant amount of bleed damage every round. The discoveries are focused around using Alchemical Allocation and potions to buff yourself and not consume the potion. Infusion will let you buff others with your extracts.

By level 10 with Mutagen and Belt of Strength +4, you can be doing three attacks for +17 to hit / 1d6+13 (first attack does 1d6+18 damage). With Power Attack this goes to +15 to hit / 1d6+19(24). If you hit with two attacks on one person, then add 2d6 bleed damage.

Consider traits that give +1 to Will Saves and Accelerated Drinker for drinking potions in the same round as Alchemical Allocation.

I wouldn't get Feral Mutagen. Feral Combat Training gets your claws up to 1d6 permanently and the increase on your bite from 1d6 to 1d8 is negligible.

[N. Jolly]

DON'T DO A RAGE CHEMIST! YOU WILL BE COMA'D!

Two levels is the most you'd want to go in monk, caster levels are WAY better at anything Monk levels would do.

Check out my guide for advice on how to go hardcore.

[Scott Wilhelm]

I have a character that has levels in Monk and Alchemist. She is a Master of Many Styles. She has Snake Fang, which gives her an attack of opportunity every time she is attacked and missed.

She is a Grappler, and she will grow a tentacle, soon.

She will take Feral Combat Training for the tentacle, which means she will be able to take her attacks of opportunity with the tentacle, and then she will be able to use the Grab ability to initiate grapples. She wears armor with +1 armor spikes, so after hitting her opponent for 1d6+3 damage, she then grapples and damages them for 1d6+4 damage as part of the same action. So she will do 2d6+7/attack, with 4 attacks/round, 6 attacks if she takes a Dex Mutagen, 2d6+11 if she takes a St Mutagen.

She is a Drunken Master, so she can pop extracts and mutagens without provoking attacks of opportunity.

She can apply True Strike to her Grapple checks, so she can give herself a +20 on her first grapple check. She just reached level 4 Monk, and started the Quinngong archetype, and can use True Strike as a Ki Power. So she can run up to her opponent and cast true strike on herself, then the next round Initiate a Grapple as a Standard Action, True Strike herself again as a Ki Power Swift action, then Tie up her opponent as a Move action.

She has 2 levels in Cavalier in the Order of the Penitent, and so has the Expert Captor ability, and does not take a -10 to Tie Up opponents she hasn't pinned. She also has Paired Opportunist and the Tactician ability, so 1/day, whenever she gets an AoO, all her allies can get one, too.

I want her to get to level 4 alchemist. Her 2nd discovery will be a Crab Tumor Familiar who will give her another +2 on her Grapple checks. She will get Alchemal Allocation and a potion of Shield Other. The Cancer Cancer will use Shield other on Olga, and all the damage she takes will be split 50/50. The damage the Familiar will take will be mitigated by its Fast Healing 5.

[Samasboy1]

And here I was thinking the thread was going to be about making a PF Alex Louis Armstrong, the "Strong Arm Alchemist" from Full Metal Alchemist.

And I agree, never go Ragechemist.