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My goblin alchemist has an 18 int and 5 resonance. During daily preparation she prepares 4 batches (of two potions if I understood this correctly) of alchemist fire. I now have 8 alchemist fires I can throw and have burned 4 of my resonance.
Do my bombs take resonance to use?
Can I hand my bombs off to other group members?
Does it cost them resonance to use them?
What if I prepared one more batch of healing potions? I am now out of resonance. Can i use my own potion to heal myself or do I need to use the rules for overspending resonance to use one?
Thank you. I missed that in the margins. That is extremely helpful.
Actually, upon closer reading this morning, it seems that bombs NEVER cost Resonance to use - it even says as much on page 359 (357 of the PDF).
"Bombs don’t need to be activated in the same way as other alchemical items, but drawing, preparing, and throwing a bomb takes one hand."
Meaning that, during down time, you could craft (or buy) a bunch of bombs and be able to use them whenever you like WITHOUT expending Resonance Points. That said, it also requires you to have a GM that will give you the downtime you need to do so.
Actually, upon closer reading this morning, it seems that bombs NEVER cost Resonance to use - it even says as much on page 359 (357 of the PDF).
"Bombs don’t need to be activated in the same way as other alchemical items, but drawing, preparing, and throwing a bomb takes one hand."Meaning that, during down time, you could craft (or buy) a bunch of bombs and be able to use them whenever you like WITHOUT expending Resonance Points. That said, it also requires you to have a GM that will give you the downtime you need to do so.
an important note for Alchemists in specific...
ANYTHING you make during downtime does not have the infused trait. Meaning. they will not benefit from anything your class gives. no empower bomb etc.The alchemical bombs worth crafting, and handing out to your friends and allies, or yourself, are things like Bottled Lightning or Ice Flasks, Tanglefoot bags. Craft for the effects, not the damage.
Yeah, I realized that later - the only way to change that is with a Feat you get at LEVEL 20! That's just... absurd.
I feel the alchemist should have the ability to draw and grant pre existing alchemical items the infused trait for one turn as a special use of quick alchemy that does not cost resonace to use, and have this available at early levels.
This wouldn't actually increase (or decrease!) Action economy, since draw + infuse as one turn is roughly the same as create in one turn, but is a simple fix that gives a few nice bonuses:
-Allows alchemists to actually feel like a master of alchemy. They'd have the unique power to use any alchemical item on them without spending resonance, albeit with a significant, but not overly punishing hit to action economy
-solves the longevity and resource management problem the alchemst suffers from. Since downtime items are now viable for all of their class features, and without causing resonance points, the alchemist is now rewarded for planning ahead, and no longer have nearly as large a burden on their resonance pool
Oh, my intent for the "draw and infuse for free" part was for it to just be another level one ability thrown onto the class. Making it a feat would, as you said, make it mandatory feat tax for virtually every alchemist.
On the note of feat tax, I'm not overly happy that getting int to damage is feat tax (and level 4 tax at that) and that presice bomb locked behind level 6
I can understand why the devs wanted to make infusion not readily accessible, as it removes a significant assumption of the game (namely, healing items are now spammable for the alchemist), but, in all fairness, if my main class theme and powers are "I'm good at using items", why not actually make them good at using items?
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I definately think that alchemical items need to be reduced to 1/10 of their current price. A single alchemist fire, as written, is 300 times the price of a light crossbow bolt, which is insane. At that price, the cost won't be too horrible, and the craft times will be much better.
Combine this with the ability I mentioned earlier, and the alchemist should be able to stand on its own as a versatile gadgeteer. While there is the cost factor, if the items are priced in silver, the cost becomes fairly manageable.
Actually, upon closer reading this morning, it seems that bombs NEVER cost Resonance to use - it even says as much on page 359 (357 of the PDF).
"Bombs don’t need to be activated in the same way as other alchemical items, but drawing, preparing, and throwing a bomb takes one hand."Meaning that, during down time, you could craft (or buy) a bunch of bombs and be able to use them whenever you like WITHOUT expending Resonance Points. That said, it also requires you to have a GM that will give you the downtime you need to do so.
This is sort of true the downside though is currently you can't empower or use your special feats on things that you have not infused via creation by advanced alchemy or quick alchemy. It is why their level 20 is good but also kinda sad.
UNIVERSAL EMPOWERMENT FEAT 20
Your connection to alchemy is so strong that you
have a connection to all alchemical items, no matter who devised
them. Whenever you use any alchemical item with the bomb trait,
it responds to you as if it were infused and you were the one who
created it. Whenever you use any mutagen, you also treat it as if it
were infused and attuned to you.
So yes at level 20 you could stock up on all the bombs during downtime you want made by anybody and empower them with wild abandon. but until that time if you don't make it during your downtime or using quick alchemy then its a 1st level bomb only.