I am building a alchemist and I have decided on almost everything but archetypes, I know I want to use Vivisectionist and one other and I have narrowed that list down to Preservationist, Beastmorph, and homunculist. So it seems to break down like this Preservationist to give me some temporary flanking buddy's who can also take some damage for the team. Then there is Beastmorph which just makes me more awesome at melee plus adds some utility abilities. Then there is homunculist which falls some where in the middle as I would use the familiar as melee partner with that new mauler archetype.
For some background my party is made up of me, a gunslinger, and a rouge so useless she may as well not exist, I am joking about that but it does feel that way sometimes. My last character was a summoning sorcerer the problem was that any smart enemy would just rush past are not existent front line and attack me so I couldn't summon anything. So I built this new character with that in mind and made him more melee oriented but we still need someone who can do magics so an alchemist seemed a good choice it was that or a magus and a alchemist seemed like he would be better at skills.
The last thing I need help with isn't so much about the alchemist but about skills. I am planing to pick up a knowledge skill but I only have enough traits for one. I was thinking religion as that could help with outsiders as well as cultist and the like. Someone else suggested history as it could be used as a for almost anything not sure about that but that's what they said.
Well anyways thanks for any advice you might have for me it is much appreciated.
PS: forgot to mention this is a level 3 character.
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I would avoid Homunculist; trading away your mutagen is painful for a melee-focused alchemist and Preservationist is a better way to get melee support.
The last thing I need help with isn't so much about the alchemist but about skills. I am planing to pick up a knowledge skill but I only have enough traits for one. I was thinking religion as that could help with outsiders as well as cultist and the like. Someone else suggested history as it could be used as a for almost anything not sure about that but that's what they said.
History could be used for almost anything if your GM is permissive, but it's not supposed to be and it certainly wouldn't give you as much detail as the other knowledge skills. For example, I might tell a character with Knowledge (history) that the civilization that built the tomb they're currently exploring is known for using mummified grave guardians, but wouldn't tell them what the strengths and weaknesses mummies are. Knowledge (religion) gives you information on undead - Knowledge (planes) is for outsiders. Unless you expect to fight a lot of outsiders then (religion) is probably slightly more useful than (planes), though you could stand to put a few ranks in cross-class Knowledge skills as you level up.
Combining Homunculist with the Tumor Familiar discovery could get you two Mauler familiars.
Yeah I know about tumor familiar and regardless of what I do I am going to take it but like Errant said Homunculist gets me another familiar to flank with. Anyways thanks for all the input I think I will go beastmorph as my last character was a summoner and I want something different.
Actually I have changed my mind I am going to use the preservationist archetype because upon further investigation I decided beastmorph doesn't give you that much. My reasoning behind this is that the main thing you want beastmorph for is pounce and you don't get that until level 10 and at that same level you get beast shape 2 which also gives pounce so all that beastmorph really does is save me a standard action because I don't have to use beast shape and at higher levels when I am under a ploymorph effect most of the time beastmorph offers no real benefit. Or at least that's what I think, though I still feel I am missing some thing as everyone speaks highly of the beastmorph archetype so what is it that beasmorph gives that I am missing?
EDIT: Unless do Beastmorph's abilities stack on top of whatever you ploymorph into as I could you give a pounce and rake to any creature you turn into?
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I think it does stack. It says you get abilities from the list of the polymorph spells, but never says it functions like the polymorph spells or that it's a polymorph effect. EDIT: This looks like an ability to add physical features rather than itself being a polymorph effect. See polymorph rules: "You also lose any class features that depend upon form, but those that allow you to add features (such as sorcerers that can grow claws) still function."
Even if it doesn't, Beastmorph has a few advantages vs polymorph:
1) Compared to Beast Shape, you retain the ability to use your normal gear including weapons and armour.
2) You can mix and match the abilities you get, for example taking fly and scent at level 6, or pounce and trip at level 10, instead of having to find a form that gives you the exact abilities you want.
3) Since it keys off your essentially unlimited use mutagen it saves you extract slots and space in your formula book. That could be very useful if you find there's a lot of demand on your extracts due to being the only character capable of buffing and healing the party.
Getting back mutagen is also a single discovery tho.
Forgotten about that. That makes Homunculist much more attractive compared to just getting a Tumor Familiar, thanks to experimentation.
There are all so good makes my decision even harder.
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Yeah, too many good choices suck.
Try to think of it this way: you can't go wrong.
Honestly since you were leaning towards Beastmorph before deciding it didn't give you too much, and now you realize it gives you more than you thought... go Beastmorph. You'll be strong in melee, have a Tumour Familiar to flank with (on top of presumably the rogue), and will be able to save your extracts for utility or buffing others if necessary.
Beastmorph is rad as hell, and since you like it, go for it.
I shall go with beastmorph! Thank you for the advice, you are all the best.
Fair enough, but do consider a couple things. The Experimentation class feature of the Homunculist allows access to some decent evolutions. Reach allows your familiar to threaten in base form and grants a 10 foot reach when in Battle Form. This can make for a decent reach build, particularly when paired with a fortuitous amulet of mighty fists.
With your extracts, you may buff yourself and your mauler to be a highly effective team. Take the infusion discovery pronto.
Remeber that battle form grants a +2 to strength in addition to their strength modifiers for changing size. From tiny to medium appears to be a +8 str increase.
Well there is some conflicting data on that some people say to use the polymorph size chart and some say to use the universal monster rules one so I am not sure on the actual numbers.
When in doubt, use the most conservative ruling. Even then it's a decent adjustment combined with the maulers ability score increases.
EDIT: Were I GMing, I would certainly rule in line with the polymorph reading. At third alchemist level, this would give a fox familiar a 16 str in battle form. (Base strength 9, +4 size increase from tiny to small, +2 Battle form, +1 Increased Strength).