What's the modifier for TWF with splash weapons? -2 with the feat?
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Just my 2 GP, but in my experience, the Alchemist can do awesome damage with their bombs, especially if you are smart with it.
My fiance loves this class and plays them all the time. In one campaign, the players were searching for some goblins and the guy playing the BSF did the BSF thing and tried to single handedly take on the entire goblin village by himself, Leeroy Jenkins style. When he went down after one round, the cleric dragged the BSF into a building and it was my fiance's alchemist who was able to use bombs to wipe out the goblins over a couple rounds (there was a monk there too, but he really just kind of flailed around while trying not to be murdered by goblins). You might say "Well yeah, those are goblins! Of course her bombs killed those! They are weak and don't count." To which I respond "yeah... they are goblins... thats what you fight at level 1." At higher levels, everyone's damage scales appropriately. If your GM is throwing a bunch of guys who can't be killed in one or two attacks, he is throwing too much at you. Probably because you have at least one player who twinked out and does 120 damage at level 1 and threw off the power curve... sorry, bit of a tangent.
Edit: I use a level 1 example because the OP said the damage wasn't good until higher levels. Other examples of both home game and PFS Alchemist awesome could be substituted for higher levels, but not enough time or space. :D
Basically, you shouldn't base your classes usefulness off of another players ability to break the game and instead base it off of your own ability to play smart and useful. Also, a good GM who designs a game to the players strengths helps too. (You know, the whole "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree" thing)
If you fight against large groups of enemies, Alchemist rocks. If you are fighting just one really powerful enemy, bombs are less useful, but you still have all the other alchemists tricks at your disposal. And even then, your bomb is still probably more useful than whatever piece of junk side arm you carry is.
What's the modifier for TWF with splash weapons? -2 with the feat?
Your in the same boat as thrown ranged weapons. Since they aren't listed as being treated as light weapons, you're stuck with the normal -4. That's the RAW.
Now I've seen various DM add to the 'treat as light' list when it makes sense. For instance, it's not a hard sell to get a Shuriken counted as light.
-Except "draw and drink an extract/infusion" is just an alchemist thing. Extracts/infusions are functionally spells. Any casting class can cast spells as a standard action.
-Handing out infusions is a real difference, both in giving out personal spells and in the way it can change the action economy.
It's the infusion part that makes this amazing: other party members can draw and drink an infusion as standard action, which they can't do with a normal potion. And then there are infusions of spells that take longer than a standard action to cast (Enlarge Person, Reduce Person, Lesser Restoration, etc.).
-Anyone who puts points into Craft Alchemy can create Alchemical items at the same cost. Alchemists do have a bonus to it.
Only alchemists can do this in PFS. Update: Ah, this got moved out of the PFS forum. Never mind!
No, that's litterly not RAW, as it's not writen at all. But it is actually writen (in the TWF section in the combat rules) that you should treat Darts and Shurikens as light weapons in regards to TWF and Javelins, Bolas, Net and Sling as one-handed. I'd say that splash weapons are closer to those light thrown weapons than the one-handed.What's the modifier for TWF with splash weapons? -2 with the feat?Your in the same boat as thrown ranged weapons. Since they aren't listed as being treated as light weapons, you're stuck with the normal -4. That's the RAW.
Now I've seen various DM add to the 'treat as light' list when it makes sense. For instance, it's not a hard sell to get a Shuriken counted as light.
It's totally, 100% RAW. You have to have a weapon counted as light to get the 2 point reduction in TWF penalties. I happened to pick an example weapon that already counted light by mistake. My bad, but that doesn't change the fact that the majority of thrown weapons don't say how they are treated in TWF so they get no reduction. Splash weapons are not on your list.
To be clear, I'm talking about weapons like rope dart, throwing shield, boomerang, chakram, hurlbat, hunga munga, Throwing arrow cord, ect. the list you had of TWF ranged weapons hasn't been updated since core. If anything, I'd think splash weapons WOULDN'T count for the simple reason that core had them and didn't add them to that list.
And that's not RAW, that's RAI.
We don't know if it's RAI or not.
We do know that RAW, a weapon must be Light in order to Finesse with it. We also know that there is no text stating that Alchemical Weapons count as Light Weapons for all intents and purposes, or for XYZ, and that there is a precedent (Shuriken, Elven Curved Blade, Rapier, etc.) for things to possess such text in order to break the normal rule. So it is, in fact, a RAW answer.
It's just not a straight-up "You can't do this" like you're used to seeing in regards to RAW answers. Sometimes these things aren't (and shouldn't be) laid out in black and white text. The destination is only half the fun. The journey is the other half.
Feral mutagen claw/claw/bite alchemists have a reputation of being particularly tough, especially at the low levels. This is an option since the mutagen is easy to replace mid-adventuring-day.My concern is late game effectiveness, past 3rd level.
Bite/claw/claw is extremely effevtive until around level 15. Generally, three natural attacks are great until after BAB +10.
And if you can't find some way to get an extra primary natural attack or two by level 15 (which would put the damage in your favor again)... well, that is more your fault. I can think of three natural attacks off the top of my head that I could grab (which is more than enough to be good for the entire 20 levels)
Anyway- yeah. Agreeing with a few people mentioning that bomb is less a damage mechanics (although it can put the terror of Iomodae into a dragon), and mroe a debuff/battlefield control mechanic via the various discoveries. Think of them as individual spells, expanding your spell list and spells per day.
And that's not RAW, that's RAI.
The rules say that to get down to a -2 the requirements are "Off-hand weapon is light and Two-Weapon Fighting feat". Unless your thrown weapon is in the select listing in the TWF section or called out in their description, they aren't light. It's ALL there, written on the page [you know, RAW]. Feel free to go to the section YOU quoted from to confirm.
So splash weapons aren't light weapons or said to count as them for TWF. The only thing to do by RAW is follow the TWF section and use the Two-Weapon Fighting feat minuses of -4 as there is no light off hand weapon.
Eh, still RAI.
You quite clearly don't understand what RAW and RAI means then.
Light offhand weapons get to take 2 off TWF minuses. Splash weapons aren't light or called out as counting as light. That's what's written.
Please point out where I'm factually wrong with actual text quotes if you think this isn't RAW. Point out where splash weapons are counted as light. Point out an exception in the written rules. If not, it is you that are going off intent and ignoring the actual written rules [RAW].
One rule REQUIRES light. Things that aren't light don't qualify. That is reading comprehension. That is RAW.
There is NO need for RAI as there is a rule for weapon that isn't light: -4 TWF penalties. There ARE no holes. Everything is covered.
Let me put it another way. If a new one handed weapon comes out and it isn't listed as finesse, do you count it as a 'hole in the rules' and use RAI? Or do you follow the normal rules for weapons? It's the same for splash weapons.
You got the RAW right from the start of your post. "No, it's not writen that splash weapons aren't light weapons". The RAW is that they aren't light weapons!!!!! Now add to the TWF requirements "Off-hand weapon is light and Two-Weapon Fighting feat". 1+1=2 not RAI.
thejeff: It truly doesn't matter for TWF: It cares about light and not light so the not light of splash weapons is enough. And if it's not TWF, does it matter?
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A maximum of 12 damage, even with iteratives is pretty much pointless at level 10. I mean DR 10/X and higher is not uncommon at those levels. I honestly have no idea how a paladin could deal so little damage at level 10 short of intentional anti-optimizing. I'm genuinely curious how you managed achieve such a low damage. No STR? Flat-lined CHA? No Magic Weapon Bonus? I mean +6 is really really low.
We can agree to disagree.
One handed dual wielding with a 1d8 weapon with a +2 enhancement bonus and an 18 strength. That's pretty normal to me.
An average of 9 damage on 5 attacks works out reasonably well at my game table (which happens to be mostly PFS). I do not intentionally nerf myself, but I feel that it's perfectly fine to make normal characters and I don't have to eek out every point of damage on every attack I can. And you know what, it's perfectly fine and it's typically more fun than "walk in, kill something in a blow, move on to the next fight". If it's not perfectly fine I have Smite Evil and power attack as backups, but those don't usually get used. I also carry appropriate weapons for DR, so that's not usually a problem.
Looking further into the request the answer is yes. Yes you can. With a lot of investment and a lot of patience and taking a few options.
You can sling full round attacks of tangle foot bags if you like.
>LINK ADDED