So I've been playing quite a bit of the Witcher series lately, and somewhere I heard that the Paizo designers based several aspects of the alchemist class on elements from the video game.
For one, both Witchers and Alchemists heavily rely upon concoctions to boost their fighting prowess, even both using the word "mutagen" for it. Both are quite skilled in melee combat, albeit in the Alchemist's case it requires the right build and tends to focus more on natural attacks than sword styles. Both also rely upon bombs as a ranged/area combat tactic, too.
Is this mostly coincidence, or do the Paizo offices have more than a few Geralt of Rivia fans?
I'm pretty sure neither of them came up with the term "mutagen". I've never thought Alchemists were that similar to the Witcher, I always imagined them more as steam-punk scientists who are accompanying the rest of the adventurers.
Having said that, I'm sure Paizo does have a few Geralt fans, so it could go either way.
It certainly captures some of the Witcher's abilities, but not all of them. (Also Geralt probably starts at level 10+)
For the record, my Geralt cosplay character was a Magus/Alchemist hybrid of some sort (can't remember exactly).
Seems more Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to me,but the witcher fits as well
I expect the Devs drew from more than once source. The Master Chymist pretty much is a Jekyll and Hyde Prestige Class, after all.
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The Witcher, Dr Jekyll, Dr Frankenstein, medieval alchemy....there are many influences.