I've asked a question like this before, but I am always looking for additional feedback on this idea, and for others to see this if they haven't.
The main idea is an alchemist in the group, (or just buying pieces in town) makes a set of 2 bandoliers for each person in the group with a lot of little things to negate or reduce a lot of regular dangers you might come across.
If anyone has other suggestions, please provide them. Of important note: This is stuff you need to have readily available at a momment's notice, so while Curative Myrrh and bandages of rapid recovery are a nice addition, they would go in a pack, not in the 16 slotted spots.
Jak's Attack Pack (Jak is the name of my alchemist)
2x Bandoliers 1GP -lb
Pouch 1 – Air Crystals – 50GP -lb
Standard action to place and start, free action to keep going. 1 min duration. Speaking negates duration.
Air crystals give you fresh air to avoid inhaled poisons, drowning, and nauseating gas effects. Pouch 2 – Ambrosia – 100GP -lb
+2 saves vs negative energy, energy drain, Death effects 1 hour. Include negative levels.
Good pre-game to fight things you know gives negative levels. Pouch 3 – Antiemetic Snuff – 50GP -lb
1 hour, if effect would give you nauseated, roll twice and take the better result.
A pre-game for the noted effect. Pouch 4 – Antiplague – 50GP -lb
+5 fort saves vs disease 1 hour, if already infected, 2 rolls at end day, take better result.
Antiplague and toxin are both great, stacking bonuses to whatever else you may have going as alchemical bonuses. Pouch 5 – Antitoxin – 50GP -lb
+5 fort saves vs poison 1 hour.
Antiplague and toxin are both great, stacking bonuses to whatever else you may have going as alchemical bonuses.
Pouch 6 – Bladeguard – 40GP -lb
Apply as full round 1 2-hand, 2 1hand/light, 50 ammo, immune to rust/oozes 24 hours.
A lenient GM might even let this extend to straight acid damage, and is a nice thing to have either way. Pouch 7 – Stillgut – 50GP -lb
+5 fort vs nausea/sickened 1 hour, if nauseated, can take as a move to receive 2nd save.
For if your Antiemetic snuff fails, or you are surprised. You are only allowed a move action while nauseated, so this can get you back in the game. Pouch 8 – Smelling salts – 25GP -lb
1 save vs spell/effect unconscious/staggered, while dying, awake and staggered, if taking standard, -1HP and lose consciousness again.
REALLY good to get your healer back up on their feet to heal themselves/the group. Pouch 9 – Soul Stimulant – 300GP -lb
-1 negative level for 12 hours.
This could be a life saver if you are unlucky enough to acquire several negative levels, or to boost you up near end of a dungeon where you got negative levels for the boss fight. Pouch 10 – Twitch Tonic – 45GP -lb
+2 saves vs sleep, paralysis, staggered for 1 hour. If already under effects, +1 save with bonus only once per day. Can administer to another as full-round.
Another great one to use pre-game against an enchanter, or to get the barbarian un-sleep'd.
Pouch 11 – Vermin Repellant – 5GP -lb
Swarms smaller then small-size DC 15 fort save to enter square, though all vermin swarms prefer targets NOT coated. 4 hour duration, Creatures with scent can detect from long ranges.
So this is one of those things that is useless until you need it. Then you NEED it. Just be careful, as if you don't leave someone NON coated, they will just resort to usual tactics, instead of forcing them to target the person/people of your choice. Pouch 12 – Potion of heightened Awareness 10min +2 perception/knowledges, dismiss +4 Init 50GP
The duration is great as an extract, and acceptable(if short) for a scout or pregame. Everyone can benefit from knowledge checks before expending it for the initiative bonus. Pouch 13 – Potion of Cure wounds +1d8+1 50GP
This can be upgraded for better potions as they become available, but these are typically your fecal matter has hit the oscillating instrument emergency items. Pouch 14 – Potion of Spiderclimb 10min +20ft climb speed other climbing bonuses, 300GP
Good if the wizard gets dropped into a pit spell, or if you need to climb that sheer, no footholds cliff or castle wall. Pouch 15 – Potion of Invisibility 1 minute invisibility 300GP
Scouting got made easier, or escape.
Pouch 16 -
4 iron Vials 1sp 1lb each
Total cost pre-potions: 766GP
Total cost: 1466GP 4SP
Total cost to make pre-potions: 256GP
Total cost to make: 606GP 4SP
Total Weight: 4lb
Iron vials are for the four potions at the end, so shatter/fall damage/acid/detonate etc is less of an issue. Last pouch is open for personal preference items, like Barbarian's might like Rager's aid or another potion of Cure Light Wounds, possibly an alchemist fire flask, or an impact foam.
And the four potions at the end, especially more expensive potions can ALWAYS benefit from Alchemical allocation if you can get an alchemist or buy lots of those potions.
I can't remember what theyre called right now.. Impact Foam maybe?
But there is an aldchemical item that you can throw while falling, or throw under someone falling, that will reduce fall damage.
And, well personally I've used it to clog up a monster's mouth for a round. but that was GM allowances.
but I got a lot of usage out of those, and air crystals.
I would add:
-Candlerod: 1gp for enough light to read a scroll by, without adding too much light for enemies to find you by. Can be lit as a standard action. 12hr, 1lb. cant be anti-magicked or doused
-Sunrod: 2gp for a torch for 6hrs that can come on as a standard action and cant be anti-magicked or doused.
-Holy Water: 25gp to combat incorporeal undead, or DR resistant foes.
-Snapleaf: 750gp, but gives you invisibility and emergency featherfall. Can be pinned to the kit.
Shard Gel: Emergency caltrops if you need to fall back or slow down an escaping foe.
-Tindertwig: 1d2 rounds of light and ignition for lighting a torch or oil. Could probably just be in a pocket instead of taking up a slot.
-Powder: Early game item made from crushed chalk, help reveal a square with an invisible creature in it, use it to aid in climbing, etc. Can be replaced very quickly though.
Splash weapon: Something to combat swarms and regeneration, Acid, Alchemist fire, etc. Even one can make the difference between life and death in the right circumstances (get them off the wizard enough for them to AOE spell the rest). Acid is my favorite for having multiple uses (melt locks, stop some regeneration's, power component for the wizard, fewer resistant foes), and is cheap.
Bonus: Masterwork Brass Dagger. It is immune to all corrosion and lacks the fragile condition. Excellent thematic alchemists backup weapon as copper instruments were frequently used when working with the mild acids of medieval alchemy.
Candlerod/Sunrod are non-magical, so any Darkness spell suppresses it. But, can't be Dispelled if that's what you mean about "can't be anti-magicked".
Shard Gel vs Caltrops... there are advantages for each. If you have time to prep a defensive location regular caltrops are better, but in the heat of battle Shard Gel is likely more useful. If you have time to prep a defense, Bear Traps are heavy, but really cheap and effective at low levels.
Candlerod/Sunrod are non-magical, so any Darkness spell suppresses it. But, can't be Dispelled if that's what you mean about "can't be anti-magicked".
Shard Gel vs Caltrops... there are advantages for each. If you have time to prep a defensive location regular caltrops are better, but in the heat of battle Shard Gel is likely more useful. If you have time to prep a defense, Bear Traps are heavy, but really cheap and effective at low levels.
I mean they can be used inside antimagic fields, underwater, and can not be dispelled with the dispel effect. Darkness is still a threat, but so is the light cantrip so its a wash there. I think they are fantastic "oh no" gear, as a lot of parties rely soley on light cantrips and never bother with torches.
For a longer set up time, caltrops are better for their duration and cost. For a quick access bandolier kit I think shard gel is more relevant. They have the advantage of being able to be thrown, which is nice.
We have used bear traps in the past, but the weight, need for a solid anchor and long set up makes them just not as useful in all settings. Plus my mad bomber alchemist usually had low STR, so weight is generally a concern. Mr.Hyde builds may differ. They are very effective at low levels though (especially against the party!).
Your rogue might appreciate you having some smoke pellets on you as well. Throw it at their feet to grant them concealment to stealth from to set up a sneak attack.
Surprised no one has mentioned Tanglefoot bags, GM's hate em, players hate to get hit by them. Might fall more in the everyday use item than in the special tool kit though.
There was a fantastically elaborate version of this for D&D 3.5 which I saw on giantitp once. Called something like Zax's packs? If anyone can find it there'd likely be ideas you could use.
Potions of 2nd level spells may be expensive, but placebo effect is one potion to (temporarily) cure a wide variety of conditions.
A potion of vanish made at CL 3 is half the price of a potion of invisibility and may be enough to escape. Either is insufficient for scouting IMO.
Well, this is useful as &*^%. Thank you Kiba Kurokage.
No problem at all! I like sharing some of this with people, because alchemy is such an underrated and underused part of the game, and stacks with just about everything because bonuses it gives are “alchemical” so it stacks with anything else you might have going on, and depending on game, it’s really easy to grab a bunch of this.
Though candlerods and sunrods are a good mention, they wouldn’t go into the pack because the pack is more focused on immediate quick action. “You start combat, and your knowledge check tells you this thing has a DEADLY poison.” “Well, we spend round 1 downing antitoxin.” Kind of deal. Though those items would certainly go in a bag. And could even maybe be justified by having in a handy haversack, or other QuickDraw device like the spring loaded wrist sheaths.
I want to show this to the guy running the Investigator in my one game. We've just made it to 8th level and we often have encounters in the wilderness so swarms happen often. He's complained that having such a high Craft: Alchemy skill is "uselsess" outside of being able to deal with the swarms, so in frustration he took a level of Wizard.
I have to constantly remind him:
1. you have a magic bag that holds nearly an entire alchemy lab inside of it
2. There's rarely an adventuring day that doesn't offer a fair amount of Downtime, even if it's just a few hours during travel and before sleeping for the night.
3. With the crazy-high Craft: Alchemy skill bonus he has, he could be making some of the cheaper alchemical stuff in a matter of hours instead of days. I think I figured once during level 7 that he could roughly craft 1 unit of anything with a DC 20 Craft check costing 10 GP or less every day, no matter where he was in the world
Even at this high level the Druid PC is still using the Light spell and no one's ponied up for a permanent light source. I don't use a lot of Darkness spell using villains but the Druid still gets frustrated that they and the other half-elf with Low Light are solely dependent on her Light.
I facepalm. Investigator 7 = 5 Sunrods/day!
Craft: Alchemy plus a fully stocked traveling Alchemy Lab and GM willing to say "erase the GP for crafting costs; your PC just happened to have the ingredients to make 'X' in their bag of holding" means that his Investigator has the ability to craft minor alchemical stuff ALL the time. It is not useless as these packs can attest. Thanks Special K (squared)!
No problem at all! You can also show him some really fun items, like perfect ice. A 1500GP item you can make for 500GP and does 4d6 cold damage per round for 10 minutes in a 60ft radius, and coats every semi flat surface with icicles treating the area as if covered in caltrops. Toss one in the bosses room and bolt the door shut. Assuming no healing or cold resistance, between 400-2,400 cold damage for this one item(200 if they make every save at min damage, and 3,600 if they take max damage, fail saves, and a water subtype), to everything unfortunate enough to be stuck in it.
Or just show him “master alchemist” as a feat. +2 to craft alchemy, and treat an items GP value as it’s SP for crafting, basically giving you 10x crafting speed. You can turn around and sell items at a competitive rate, undercutting usual prices and still make profit because crafting is 1/3 cost for alchemy items, (as apposed to 1/2 for magical) and make other cool non magical items for suppose or combat, like liquid blades, spirit bane spikes, and adding a hybridization funnel(200GP magic item that combines two alchemical weapons) you can get a good mileage from alchemists fires and acid flasks, or ghast retch flasks... the list goes on and on and on.
It’s also worth mentioning that this setup typically uses 2 spring loaded wrist sheaths for swift action recovery of two important items of your choice. I mainly wanted the setup standardized though, so there is no, “I check through his bandolier for his cure potion” and instead, “all cure potions are in pouch 15” so you can use their own potions for them if they go down without spending extra time searching for them.
I do a similar 'every character kit' system that I use for Pathfinder Society games, where I have a standard list of items I feel are appropriate for every single 1st level character I create.
Whilst it might not be exactly what you're thinking, perhaps you might find it useful for your purposes.
Sack of Powder - 1 cp (1/2 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Invisible enemies at low levels suck. This is a ranged AC 5 attack that outlines them for a mere copper piece.
Chalk - 1 cp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
A cheap way to keep track of your movement in a dungeon, leave messages to others, or draw pretty pictures on walls.
Torch - 1 cp (1 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
You'd be surprised how often an open flame is handy. This also gives you a last-ditch effort weapon for swarms, even if it's only 1 point of damage per hit.
Earplugs - 3 cp (0 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
You get a +2 circumstance bonus to language-dependant spells or abilities whilst wearing these. Useful against enemies that you know will use enchantments, and incredibly cheap for their bonus.
4 Candles - 4 cp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Again, having an open flame handy is more useful than you'd expect.
Inkpen - 1 sp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Don't be an illiterate barbarian. Seriously, even barbarians should carry one of these and be ready to write down important information in character.
3 Oil Flasks - 3 sp (3 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Grease a flight of stairs. Add a fuse and throw it at a swarm. Rub it on yourself to slip out of a tight spot. In a pinch you could also light a lantern with it, I suppose.
Waterproof Bag - 5 sp (1/2 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Five times the cost of a regular sack, but temporarily protects your gear from water damage. Remember to keep your sack of powder, torch and other water sensitive items in this.
Wooden Holy Symbol - 1 gp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
A great litmus test to determine if the NPC is a vampire. Present this strongly at them and see if they recoil.
Grappling Hook - 1 gp (4 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Weighty, but handy to get your rope where it needs to be.
Potion Sponge - 2 gp (0 lbs) [Advanced Race Guide]
Keep one of these loaded with your go-to underwater combat potion and you'll never need to worry about putting ranks into Swim.
Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheath - 5 gp (1 lb) [Adventurer's Armory]
At lower levels keep a dagger handy. At higher levels keep a wand inside. Plus it's just plain cool.
Ink, 1 oz. vial - 8 gp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
For your inkpen, obviously.
Journal - 10 gp (1 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Always keep notes. Write down names of important NPCs, goals for the quest, riddles encountered, copies of maps, everything. Then you get to freely ask the GM to repeat themselves by simply saying "I wrote that down in character, so I check my journal."
50 ft. Silk Rope - 10 gp (5 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Lighter but more expensive than hemp. Worth the cost to keep your weight down. Also great if your character is into kinky stuff. Never leave home without rope!
Smoked Goggles - 10 gp (0 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Makes you all but immune to gaze weapons, plus you can wear your sunglasses at night.
Pathfinder's Kit - 12 gp (22 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
I prefer this kit over many others. You've got your obligatory hobo items like a backpack, bedroll, waterskin, flint and steel and rations, but doesn't load you up on torches and an iron pot like many class kits. You get a signal whistle for when you're in trouble because you split the party since it seemed like a good idea at the time. You get a whetstone for an extra +1 damage on your first hit with a bladed weapon. You get a dagger to put in your spring-loaded wrist sheath.
Total: 60 gp (38 lbs) - Leave your rations and bedroll at camp or on a mount to take 12 lbs off this total
Weapons
--------------
Alchemical Silver Cestus - 25 gp (1 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Your always-on melee threat item. Superior to a spiked gauntlet in pretty much every way. Make sure you do bludgeoning damage, as the piercing would suffer -1 damage penalty due to the material. A cheap means to bypass DR/silver too, if you're in a pinch.
Cold Iron Kunai - 4 gp (2 lbs) [Ranged Tactics Toolbox]
This one serves triple duty as a backup thrown weapon, a DR breaker for fey, demons and the like, plus the item text specifically calls out it can be used as a crowbar or piton without risk of damaging the weapon.
Total: 29 gp (3 lbs)
Pets
-------
Guard Dog - 25 gp [PRPG Core Rulebook]
It's a move action and DC 10 Handle Animal check to command your guard dog to defend you. You don't even need to be trained in the skill for this usage. Simply take 10 on this skill out of combat, or take 20 if you're exceptionally uncharismatic. Having an extra pool of hit points for this cost is great value for money.
Total: 25 gp
Alchemical Items
-----------------------
Tindertwig - 1 gp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
For when you need a fire RFN.
2 Sunrods - 4 gp (2 lb) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Light and vision is king. Unless your whole party has darkvision, carry a few of these and don't be stingy about using them.
Vermin Repellent - 5 gp (0 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Swarms suck at low levels. Vermin repellent isn't perfect, but it might just be enough to convince a swarm to go chew on someone else instead. Worth the cost.
Smokestick - 20 gp (1/2 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Blocks line of sight, but the rules are sketchy about whether you need to light it on fire first or if it self-activates as part of the use. If your GM is finicky about the activation, glue a tindertwig on it and call it a day. It's a handy item that can buy you total concealment against ranged attacks.
Smelling Salts - 25 gp (0 lbs) [Ultimate Equipment]
Okay, you beat the bad guys, but where do you go next? Easy, just grab one that hasn't bled out, stabilize him and then use smelling salts. Intimidate him for information about the bad guy's plans. Does your check fail? Kill him and try the next one. Also a really handy item to have in case the party healer is knocked out.
Holy Water - 25 gp (1 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Okay, it's not really an alchemical item, but it's close enough. It's also a decent way to contribute damage against both undead or evil outsiders, especially if they've got some kind of exotic damage reduction you don't have anything to bypass.
Smog Specialty Smoke Pellet - 40 gp (0 lbs) [Dungeoneer's Handbook]
Remember how much invisibility sucks? This is the sack of flour's big brother. Negate a creature's invisibility for 1d4 rounds if you throw it into their square.
Tanglefoot Bag - 50 gp (4 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Entangled, no save, 2d4 rounds. All you gotta do is hit them with it. Can be a lifesaver at low levels against bosses.
Air Crystals - 50 gp (0 lbs) [Pathfinder Society Field Guide]
Underwater combat sucks, but a bag of these can save your character if they're able to get them out in time. Just make sure you have them in your mouth before you get grappled by the kraken.
Total: 220 gp (7.5 lbs)
Potions
--------------
Potion of Touch of the Sea - 50 gp (0 lbs) [Advanced Player's Guide]
Never worry about water again. Get a 30 ft. swim speed for 1 minute. Keep this in your potion sponge.
Potion of Feather Step - 50 gp (0 lbs) [Advanced Player's Guide]
Difficult terrain can ruin your day. This lets you ignore that for 10 minutes.
Potion of Remove Sickness - 50 gp (0 lbs) [Ultimate Magic]
The bonus to saves isn't nearly as good as the ability to negate the sickened condition for 10 minutes. There's many creatures that can inflict this status, so a counter is always handy to have as a backup.
Potion of Protection from Evil - 50 gp (0 lbs) [PRPG Core Rulebook]
Typically the most common enemy type you'll face, and this one has a bunch of benefits. Deflection and resistance bonuses, prevention of mental domination, and that sweet protection from summoned creatures can shut a summoner down cold.
As a random sidenote. Not "alchemist" persay My alchemist was also a cook though so I'm biased.
Flour is good to have. You can make food out of it, it keeps. If you need to you can throw and smash it to help with invisible monsters.
or I guess if you're GM is feeling froggy. saturation powder burn.
Probably not in the bandolier but I've combo'd with another player with me throwing flour above us, and them smacking it to coat the area.
I'm a big fan of Troll Oil. Having the ability to auto-stabilize during a fight can really come in handy in a pinch, especially if the playing field gets spread out.
I'm a big fan of Troll Oil. Having the ability to auto-stabilize during a fight can really come in handy in a pinch, especially if the playing field gets spread out.
The duration of troll oil is nice, and if you don’t keep your group together for heals(or you don’t have a healer), I can see that being rather valuable.
On an alchemist with Healing bombs and grenadier archetype. I used to have a handxbow that did nonlethal damage that he only carried to shoot allies at a distance with. Was amusing
On an alchemist with Healing bombs and grenadier archetype. I used to have a handxbow that did nonlethal damage that he only carried to shoot allies at a distance with. Was amusing
Sorry for late reply. But I was considering doing a healing bomb at some point, but decided against it. Both thematically and because I wanted to take other discoveries.
Mostly I play in PFS, so I don't really get much time to explain how they work (detracts from Judge Briefing time), so I've come up with this method as it's fast and helps me keep my inventory strait.
I (with several of my alchemist PCs) hand out business cards with a list of items on them, with spots to check off the items as they are used. Each item is detailed on the card, 5 or 6 items per card. Players that game with me have started calling them "party favors". Players give me the card back at games end and I have a list of what got used.
Just before starting a "crawl", I'll instruct everyone to pull the med pack (not the grenade pack, or the other cards) and "drink the first three, and smear the last two over your body." This leads to the expected comments about "lube" and "oiling up" etc. (Anti-toxin, Anti-plague, Sooth Syrup, Alchemical Grease, Vermin Repellent).
But every now and again, it means I get to point out in game, in character "hay T.S., did you count the +5 alchemical bonus on that save?"... Sometimes it saves lives...
And I get to call everyone by the same first name..."T.S., for Test Subject"
As I sometimes do, I'd like to revive this thread for others that haven't seen it, and to post some updates finally!
I have gone through the list and made a few updates on this and some phrasing for it. I not have it split into 3 sections. "Emergency" "Preparation" and "Individual"
Emergency are of course the "Oh crap I need it!" items.
Preparation is self explanatory, taken ideally before or as combat begins to help in the fight.
And Individual is the leftover slots for whatever you want.
I have also included 2 spring loaded wrist sheaths for emergency items of your choice, and gives you 18 total slots to store things, as long as the items in the sheaths are small enough to be justifiably argued. Liquid blade for example is fine, but a tanglefoot bag, PROBABLY not.
Jak's Attack Pack
2x Bandoliers 1GP -lb
~~~~~EMERGENCY~~~~~
Pouch 1 – Potion of Cure light wounds(Or upgraded)50GP 0lb (1lb with iron vial)
Always in the same pouch so allies don't have to search. This can also be made with Cure Moderate(CL3 150GP from a cleric or CL4 200GP as an alchemist) Or Cure Serious (CL5 375GP from a cleric or CL7 525GP as an alchemist).
Pouch 2 – Smelling Salts 25GP 0lb
Gain another save to resist a sleep or staggered spell/effect. It isn't used up on use, and can get the cleric back on their feet enough for a channel or cure if potions are depleted.
Pouch 3 – Impact Foam 25GP 1lb
You can apply it, or more likely, throw it at the ground you are going to meet, and negate 1d6 damage, and turn another 1d6 into nonlethal. 2d6 damage may not seem like a lot, but it can save lives, or just prevent unnecessary damage as your party jumps off low cliffs to escape.
~~~~~Preparation~~~~~
Pouch 4 – Air Crystals 50GP 0lb
Basically, a standard action to use it, then a free action to maintain it for 1 minute as long as you don't speak. This is good for entirely negating or giving yourself more time in a lot of situations, from poison gas traps, demons with nauseating effects, to your full plate paladin being pushed into a lake.
Pouch 5 – Antiplague 50GP 0lb
Gives a +5 vs disease for an hour. A good pre-game to a sewer or other "dirty" fights.
Pouch 6 – Antitoxin 50GP 0lb
A bit more niche then antiplague, but antioxin gives the same bonuses and duration except for poisons. Good for certain poisonous targets, or I guess if you wanna take on the thieves guild. Sadly, poison isn't all that great in pathfinder unless you spec into it, and even then, it's mostly passable from what I've seen. It's still good to NOT be poisoned however.
Pouch 7 – Bladeguard 40GP 0lb
A FANTASTIC option for melee fighters that don't want to have their precious +5 Vorpal Flaming godslaying sword turned to rust in their hands. It makes the weapon or ammo coated in it to me immune to ooze and rust monsters. Some lenient DM's might let you use it on metal armors too and extend the protection to just acid damage immunity. But even with just that, keeping your weapon means you get to keep doing damage.
Pouch 8 – Stillgut 50GP 0lb
While You could also use Antimetic snuff or Soothe Syrup, I picked stillgut over the other two for the pouch because you COULD take the others beforehand, like Antiplague. But the slot was won out because stillgut can be used AFTER you are nauseated as a move action. You Could also drink it beforehand for a +5 bonus, OR after to reroll your save.
Pouch 9 – Vermin Repellant 5GP 0lb
Vermin have to make a DC 15 fort check to enter your square, and while it doesn't work on small sized or larger vermin, if they can pick between targets, they'll ALWAYS pick the other one. So this is good for your squishy characters, or if all the vermin are tiny or smaller, for everyone in the party.
Wrist Sheath 1 - Twitch Tonic 45GP 0lb
Twitch tonic is a full round action to apply, so having it or a cure potion in your wrist sheath is handy, as it is a swift action to retrieve an item from one of these slots. As I already have a cure potion above, I'll include twitch tonic here. This item Can be taken before to give you a +2 vs sleep, paralysis, and staggered for an hour. OR, as when it's in this sheath, after you are affected for another save(even on effects that don't normally give a second save) with that +2 bonus.
Wrist Sheath 2 -
Iron Vials 1sp 1lb each
Total cost: 390 Gold (+11 GP for bandoliers/sheaths, +1SP for each iron vial)
Cost to craft: 130GP
Total Weight: 1lb (+1lb per potion in an iron vial)
~~~~~OTHERS~~~~~
As preparation/individual potions are more individualized, I'll give a list here for a number of good potions to use, but the remaining pouches can be filled with whatever alchemical items or potions you want.
Crafting potions is basically Gold equal to: 25 X Spell Level X Caster level (And the CL has to be the minimum level to cast the spell. So a cleric can make a potion of Cure moderate wounds at CL 3, but an alchemist has to have it at CL 4) And also you can't make potions higher then 3rd level spells.
-Spider climb: A poor man's fly. Basically a potion that lets you climb on walls and ceilings.
-Invisibility: +20 stealth while moving or +40 while still. Plus you are invisible. Lots of good use here, but it DOES end if you attack something.
-Monkeyfish/Touch of the sea: I'd rather fly or spider climb over monkeyfish, but it IS versatile if you are trying to save money/slots. Monkeyfish gives a 10ft Climb and Swim speed. Touch of the sea however, gives you a 30ft swim speed, you can run while swimming, you can take 10 on swim checks, even if you couldn't, and get a +8. All it DOESN'T give, is the ability to breathe water. You could be at -6 swim from ACP and all and take 10 to get a 12 swim result.
-Barkskin: A bonus to natural armor that stacks with all other armors and natural armor. Better as a spell then a potion but still a good choice.
-Magic circle against Evil/Chaos/Law/Good: Depending on your group, but Evil is the MOST likely to be useful. You drink it and give yourself, and all allies in 10ft of you, protection of that type.
-Heroism: getting a +2 to all attacks, saves, and skill checks is a REALLY good effect.
And now we get to the extra optional alchemy items that you can slot into the remaining slots.
-Dead air vial - 200GP 0lb
20ft area is devoid of air 1 minute. Combine with air crystals for best effects as enemies suffocate. If they don't leave the area and don't know to hold their breath, they SHOULD suffocate to death in 3 rounds.
-Gum Rope - 30GP 1lb
A 1 pound temporary 30ft rope. You can usually just carry rope around, but having some extra in such a small package can't really hurt.
-Spiritbane Spike - 300GP 1lb
An interesting item, you cut yourself with it as a move action and take 1d6 damage, it becomes a Ghost touch short sword for 10 minutes. More then enough for most combat. And if you craft it for 100GP, your probably first non-halved damage to ghost enemies.
-Acid/Alchemist fire/Liquid Ice/Bottled lightning - 10/20/40/40GP 1/1/2/1LB
All of these are basically 1d6 thrown splash weapons of different flavors and with a little extra. These are good to bypass early DR(energy damage) and you can either try to hit an enemy directly, or hit the grid intersection of 4 squares for AC 5. Also a great way to start working on, or finishing off, swarms.
-GRENADES! Fuse And Pellet 100GP/Varies 1lb
Grenades are in a weird spot with the grenade feat. But they are still decent to use situationally without it. Fuse grenades do 2d6 bludgeoning, 1d6 fire damage in a 10ft radius after a 1d3 random wait, while Pellets do 1d6 of each fire, piercing, and bludgeoning. And you can make them in different materials to bypass DR.
-Holy water 25GP 1lb
A little off in the other alchemy items, but holy water IS considered a thrown splash alchemical weapon. They are made at cost by the divine spell create holy water, and deal 2d4 to undead or evil outsiders, and can be effective against ghosts.
-Holy weapon Balm 30GP 1/2lb
A weapon coated as a standard action does 2d4 more damage to undead or evil outsiders, and Reflex DC 10 or another 1d4 next round. It only lasts a minute or until a successful hit, so this is better on ammo, as you can coat 10 ammo for the extra damage.
-Liquid Blade 40GP 2lb
A fun backup weapon, or hidden if needed. You can slip 1-2 on these into your wrist sleeves to get a fragile shortsword that can be poisoned ahead of time. After 10 minutes, the blade (and poison) evaporates away, taking all proof with it. Good for rogues or ninjas, or just sneaking weapons into places.
-Shard Gel 25GP 1lb
A splash weapon that deals 1d4 piercing damage on a hit, and coats that 3x3 square in basically caltrops. It only lasts for 5 rounds, or until sonic damage hits it. Basically a good alternative to regular caltrops when trying to lose pursuers.
-Thunderstone/Stormstone - 30/150GP 1lb
The stormstone is an upgraded thunderstone, but basically, it's a flash-bang. Thunderstone is a DC 15 fort save in 10ft radius or deafened for 1 hour.(-4 on initiative, and 20% spell failure change for verbal components). The storm stone also does 1d6 sonic damage, the fort save also 1/2 this damage, and reducing deafened to 1 round, instead of entirely negating it.
Oh man its back awesome.
I'll have to drag ou my notes and write stuff up sometime. i've got a few lists too.
Quick note on the emergency healing potion. Cure light wounds is good for low level. But once you want to get something higher-say moderate CW and such? Instead go for Curative Distillation This is a far better bang for the buck. It even lets you turn the old pack's unused CLW potion into the upgraded by using it in the material. It gives a very solid bang for the buck so to speak. Because you bet the static +# from both effects, so you know the minimum you can get is pretty decent even before dice rolls. You can shenangan this by going Matryoshka on it and layering the old one into the new one every time you get a few levels in and want to upgrade. But that is a fair bit of cheesy borders.
But I think its more cost effective to that than it would be to actually pay for the higher Cure Wounds lines. To a point anyway.
ALl that said I need to re-review the potion rules but I believe you can actively set the CL as long as its min or higher. So for the emergency one I'd probably spend the gold to make them CL5 for the most static bonus.
(fire/ice/etc) Ward Gels I think aren't a bad one to have squirreled awaay in the Utility kit rather than the Emergency kit.
Meditation tea isn't bad to have in the utilty kit. Its a tasty tea-but also helps you break the charmed person who your trying to talk to without them realizing.
Surgical Jelly is also very good for what it does. It wont' come up often but when it does. This is quite valued.
Vapors of easy breath is fantastic emergency "bad air" fixer for you and those around you.
Interestingly. I swear somewhere holy water actually had a craft alchemy DC. can't find it atm though.
But I think its more cost effective to that than it would be to actually pay for the higher Cure Wounds lines. To a point anyway.
Unfortunately, Curative Distillation is Alchemist 2 (so CL 4 minimum, not 3) or Cleric 3 (CL 5 minimum).
Numbers:
Cure Light Wounds(CL 1): 1d8+1 = 5.5 average heal = 50 gp, 9.09 gp per hp
CLW(CL 5): 1d8+5 = 9.5 average heal = 250 gp, 26.31 gp per hp Cure Moderate Wounds(CL 3): 2d8+3 = 12 average heal = 2*3*50 = 300 gp, 25 gp per hp Cure Serious Wounds(CL 5): 3d8 + 5 = 18.5 average heal = 3*5*50 = 750 gp, 40.54 gp per hp
Curative Distillation:
Alchemist(CL4): 1d8+4 = 8.5 average heal = 2*4*50 = 400 gp
W/CL 1 CLW: 14 average heal, 450 gp, 32.14 gp per hp
W/CL 5 CLW: 18 average heal, 650 gp, 36.11 gp per hp
Cleric(CL 5): 1d8+5 = 9.5 average heal = 3*5*50 = 750 gp
W/CL 1 CLW: 15 average heal, 800 gp, 53.33 gp per hp
W/CL 5 CLW: 19 average heal, 1000 gp = 52.63 gp per hp
Curative Distillation regardless of the caster class is not more cost effective than Cure Moderate, not even when using a higher CL Cure Light Wounds(in fact it gets worse for efficiency). It is only more efficient than Cure Serious when its an Alchemist making the potion. It is more healing in a standard action though.
You are right about the real nifty thing about Curative Distillation... you can use it as the material component for another Curative Distillation. So if you wanted to spend a ton of gold, you can get a potion that heals for as much as the 'heal' spell. And if you are an Alchemist you can use Alchemical Allocation to reuse that potion.
We're talking 13 Curative Distillations(alchemist) 400 gp * 13 = 5200 gp for 13d8+52 and 110.5 average (though you'd probably want to tack on a CLW for another 5.5 heal and 50gp).
Cleric version would be 11 Curatives and 1 CLW for 8300 gp and 110 average heal. For comparison if you were actually able to make a potion of a 6th level spell, it would normally cost 3300 gp.
I'll have to drag ou my notes and write stuff up sometime. i've got a few lists too.
Interestingly. I swear somewhere holy water actually had a craft alchemy DC. can't find it atm though.
So, The only thing about those items is that I'm trying specifically to differentiate between Stuff that can go into a backpack, and stuff you may want to have on your person at all times. If you have to drop your bag off in a ship/room/as combat starts, these should be items you keep with you. So things like Surgical jelly is really nice, but something to be kept in the backpack. Also keeping stuff like armor ointment off that requires a bit of time to apply.
As far as Holy Water, it's a divine spell to craft. "Create holy water" And no craft DC. HOWEVER, It may still be affected by Full pouch? As it IS an alchemical weapon, and as a thrown splash weapon, a consumable that SHOULD be full-pouchable.
https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/weapons/alchemical-weapons/
Also, I forgot to mention in my above post. BUT you can get some really fun items to work with alchemical allocation especially with infusion to pass them out. You can craft some real high-tier potions and drink them repeatedly. Or use elixirs, one of my favorites if you don't have a teleporting spell, is the elixir of shadewalking.
https://aonprd.com/MagicWondrousDisplay.aspx?FinalName=Elixir%20of%20Shadew alking
written on mobile plateform. sorry formatting and or lack of grammer or polite speech choices.
Ah yep I misremembered the prices a bit.I think its still worth it though.
It is one bit of a difference in what We're considering for the Healing item for the Emergency Pack thats always at the ready I think. I'm assuming if your using that potion; the situation is very bad. You can't kill whats killing you this round, so you're trying to stall. Or you're healing someone about to die. Or saving your healer so they can heal themselves. Since in other cases its generally better to attack than it is to heal.
So. I'm looking at it as raising the available static HP. to ensure you know how much you'll be healed for. So. I' valuing having that stronger static. So takin the level 4 alchemist-Since in part this was about alchemists originally.
CMW is 2d8+4 for 200. Or I can have a curative distilation of 2d8+8 for 300 (200curative 100 CLW. Both at level 4 caster) So in that emergency I can have a a minimum of 6 or a minimum of 10. For my gold Im happier with the higher min for those emergencies. 100g for 4 hp is a steep cost though. milage on if you value that little bit of extra will very much very. I do, simply because its cheaper than a revive, and I want that action economy cost to have teh highet benefit I can manage. Plus I think of it a bit as a future investment. If I haven't used it by say lv 8 or 10. Then I will likely remake that Curative Distilation again using the previous one. As at those levels the action economy cost is even higher. Well. Also I'd totally use it with Alchemical Allocation elixir a few times for self heals as well. So its a nice investment for my games.
(25xSpell Lv x Caster Level is the price of potions right? Nethys says that anyway, I saw another spot that says 50).
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Full pouch is fantastic. That might be what I was thinking of before. I believe it is very much valid. Its fun with that perfect ice too.
i had a 'hero' character who was mostly melee but took a level in wizard along with the right trait and feat to brew potions that helped him
beside the stuff mentioned above already (like healing\air bubble and such) he had:
- potion of ant haul, for them boulder's you gota move (or the car that is flipped over the baby).
- potion of enlarge person (can also be used with the above to move REALY big boulders. extra str and size increases carrying capacity which increase lifting limit which get tripled with the above etc)
- oil of grease (for\against wrestling and has so many other options as well...)
- potion of jump (jumps higher then...)
- mage armor oil (for pets mostly)
- oil of protection from evil (useful to smear on a compelled target as well)
he also had a spring loaded scroll case with important spells scribed like expeditious retreat, long arm, comprehend languages etc (you can scribe more then one spell to a scroll after all)
i had a 'hero' character who was mostly melee but took a level in wizard along with the right trait and feat to brew potions that helped him
beside the stuff mentioned above already (like healing\air bubble and such) he had:
- potion of ant haul, for them boulder's you gota move (or the car that is flipped over the baby).
- potion of enlarge person (can also be used with the above to move REALY big boulders. extra str and size increases carrying capacity which increase lifting limit which get tripled with the above etc)
- oil of grease (for\against wrestling and has so many other options as well...)
- potion of jump (jumps higher then...)
- mage armor oil (for pets mostly)
- oil of protection from evil (useful to smear on a compelled target as well)
he also had a spring loaded scroll case with important spells scribed like expeditious retreat, long arm, comprehend languages etc (you can scribe more then one spell to a scroll after all)
I never thought about using scrolls. But those are good to add to the roster of potential items. As for the oils and things, I should try to add some of those too to my list of potentials.
I think I focus a bit much on just potions, but it seems potions vs oils are mostly the same, the exception being you can apply an oil to a conscious ally as a standard action. So I think the main difference besides is how you want to roleplay it... Like a potion of grease could make you start sweating a thick oil, while an oil of grease is a quick smearing over skin...
In any case, looking at including more oils in the future, thank you!
oils can also be applied to items, like oil of magic weapon - it has been in published materials more then once (so oil of grease has other options that a potion won't ...)
I know this is really old, but I was making another post referencing it and thought I'd update about how you can, as an alchemist, include Boro beads/Preserving flasks and Alchemical Allocation with certain Elixirs.
Starting off, I was researching this, and people seemed a little confused on Boro Bead vs Preserving Flask. So I'll outline the differences below.
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Preserving Flask: Price 1,000 gp (1st), 4,000 gp (2nd), 9,000 gp (3rd), 16,000 gp (4th), 25,000 gp (5th), 36,000 gp (6th)
DESCRIPTION
This small, durable flask is designed to preserve alchemical extracts indefinitely. An extract stored in a preserving flask remains potent until it is consumed or otherwise removed from the flask.
Preserved extracts count against an alchemist’s extracts per day on the day they are prepared, but not on subsequent days. Each flask is capable of preserving an extract of a particular level. An extract stored in the flask retains duration, caster level, and other properties it had when it was created. The flask works on extracts and infusions, but not mutagens.
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Boro Bead: Price 1,000 gp (1st), 4,000 gp (2nd), 9,000 gp (3rd), 16,000 gp (4th), 25,000 gp (5th), 36,000 gp (6th)
DESCRIPTION
This multicolored, sturdy glass bead is an aid to members of the alchemist class. Once per day on command, a boro bead enables the bearer to recharge any one extract that he had mixed and then consumed that day. The extract is then reconstituted and usable again, just as if it had not been drank. The extract must be of a particular level, depending on the bead. Different beads exist for recalling one extract per day of each level from 1st through 6th. A bead works on an infusion, but not a potion, elixir, bomb, mutagen, or non-magical alchemical material such as antitoxin.
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So as you can see, they both cost the same, and do something kinda similar in effect, giving you more spells per day. HOWEVER, The Flask turns a previous day's Extract/infusion into an effective potion after the first day. It no longer affects your extracts per day, which overrides the infusions "Infusions count against your total per day until used". Which makes them IDEAL for extracts you want to give out to the party on down days, or at the end of the day, and keep your total spells up the next days.
Boro beads however, REPLENISH a spell slot once it is used. This makes them better in the momment, after you have crafted and used your extracts, as Alchemists don't USE their 'spells' until the extracts or infusions are drunk, or destroyed.
In short, TLDR: Preserving flasks are for buffs and infusions you want to pass out for party members to hold onto until they may eventually need to use it. Boro Beads are for immediately replenishing a spell slot.
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Now we get into the reason for the thread revival. Elixirs and Alchemical Allocation. Alchemical Allocation is a second level spell for a few classes, but they SHINE for alchemists, who already deal with extracts/potions/elixirs a lot more then other classes. Basically, Alchemical Allocation would be an infusion you drink, then the next round, drink, and spit a potion/extract/infusion/elixir back into it's bottle to gain it's effect without using the potion. This is GREAT for high level potions, which are usual too expensive to be useful. Grab that CL 15 Barkskin potion if you want, and reuse it as long as you have 2 actions and the second level slots to spare.
Elixirs however, are special, specific magic items like potions, that have very specific effects. Some of which are good, others, not so much. I'm here to talk about my 2 personal favorites, but by all means, check out the elixirs for other options too!
The first is Elixir of shadewalking:
Aura moderate illusion; CL 11th; Slot none; Price 3,500 gp; Weight 1 lb.
DESCRIPTION
Typically kept in a small bone flask, a draught of this potent elixir is enough to catapult the drinker and up to 11 additional creatures the drinker is in contact with at the time of imbibing into the Shadow Plane. Once there, the affected creatures are under the effects of a shadow walk spell and may travel at an effective speed of 50 mph over land for up to 11 hours.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Craft Wondrous Item, shadow walk; Cost 1,750 gp
A little expensive, 3.5 K for a single use. But Alchemical allocation means you can reuse it nearly as much as you like. This is an excellent target for a Boro Bead use, as you can prepare the allocation, drink it and the shadewalk, do your travels, then if needed, use the bead and prepare another extract when you are done. And an 11 hour, 12 creature(no size restriction) fairly safe travel with a speed increase? I think that's pretty decent in games WITH travel.
The other, is a Spirit Rush Elixir:
Price 2,400 gp; Slot none; CL 13th; Weight —; Aura strong transmutation
DESCRIPTION
Inside this elegantly styled bottle is a purple liquid that sparkles.
EFFECTS
For 1 hour after the imbiber drinks this elixir, anytime she would be reduced to 0 hit points or below, the elixir immediately restores 3d8 + 5 hit points. Additionally, the imbiber becomes ethereal for 1 round and is immediately shunted 30 feet away from the source of the damage. While ethereal, the imbiber can move through walls, objects, or barriers in her path; this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. She must end the bonus movement in an unoccupied square. If no such space is available along the trajectory, the elixir heals the imbiber but does not move her away from the source of the damage.
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Cost 1,200 gp; Feats Craft Wondrous Item; Spells cure serious wounds, ethereal jaunt
THIS is the target of your Preserving flask. Give each party member a preserving flask of alchemical allocation, and just buy 1 of these. If you think you are going into a hard fight, Have them each drink the allocation, then the spirit rush, and pass it to the next person. 2,400 gold plus 4,000 Gold per preserving flask pays for itself quickly when spirit rush activates, Healing 3d8+5, and pushing the in danger party member away from the danger to allow back line to try to heal or assist them as needed. Compare that to Raise Dead's 5,000 GP cast each time, or Resurrection's 10,000, plus if you don't have a caster capable, the cost in time and money to find and pay for it to be cast too.
Anyway, that's it for this update, but there are plenty of fun elixirs that buff skills or give darkvision and stuff, I just wanted to share this to make SURE you grab Boro beads and preserving flasks for your kits!
There was a fantastically elaborate version of this for D&D 3.5 which I saw on giantitp once. Called something like Zax's packs? If anyone can find it there'd likely be ideas you could use.
Potions of 2nd level spells may be expensive, but placebo effect is one potion to (temporarily) cure a wide variety of conditions.
A potion of vanish made at CL 3 is half the price of a potion of invisibility and may be enough to escape. Either is insufficient for scouting IMO.
