More than a little. That would be a MASSIVE buff.
What do you mean always a +1?
Being able to use bombs that have their own item bonus equivalent to level appropriate weapon runes, or a mutagen that can give an item bonus 1 higher than that, alongside a permanently active status bonus that scales from +1 to +3 is more than a +1 bonus over the normal rules.
That is not true. The higher level versions state that both bonuses go up.
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Incorrect.The item attack bonus to bombs from alchemist goggles are always +1 regardless of the version. Only the item bonus to crafting goes up.What do you mean always a +1?
Being able to use bombs that have their own item bonus equivalent to level appropriate weapon runes, or a mutagen that can give an item bonus 1 higher than that, alongside a permanently active status bonus that scales from +1 to +3 is more than a +1 bonus over the normal rules.
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0Invested, Magical, Transmutation
Usage worn eyepiece
These brass goggles are engraved with flame patterns and have thick, heavy lenses. While worn, they give you a +1 item bonus to Crafting checks to Craft alchemical items and a +1 item bonus to attack rolls with alchemical bombs. You can also ignore lesser cover when making Strikes with alchemical bombs.
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0
Price 100 gp
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0
Price 1,400 gp
The item bonuses are both +2.
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0
Price 15,000 gp
The item bonuses are both +3.
Items give item bonuses, while spells and other buffs give Status bonuses: Honestly, making this a Status bonus would probably be a significant downgrade since bombs don't get fundamental runes.
Items give item bonuses, while spells and other buffs give Status bonuses: Honestly, making this a Status bonus would probably be a significant downgrade since bombs don't get fundamental runes.Incorrect.The item attack bonus to bombs from alchemist goggles are always +1 regardless of the version. Only the item bonus to crafting goes up.What do you mean always a +1?
Being able to use bombs that have their own item bonus equivalent to level appropriate weapon runes, or a mutagen that can give an item bonus 1 higher than that, alongside a permanently active status bonus that scales from +1 to +3 is more than a +1 bonus over the normal rules.
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0Invested, Magical, Transmutation
Usage worn eyepieceThese brass goggles are engraved with flame patterns and have thick, heavy lenses. While worn, they give you a +1 item bonus to Crafting checks to Craft alchemical items and a +1 item bonus to attack rolls with alchemical bombs. You can also ignore lesser cover when making Strikes with alchemical bombs.
Alchemist Goggles [Item 4]
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0
Price 100 gpAlchemist Goggles (Greater) [Item 11]
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0
Price 1,400 gp
The item bonuses are both +2.Alchemist Goggles (Major) [Item 17]
Source Core Rulebook pg. 605 4.0
Price 15,000 gp
The item bonuses are both +3.
Bombs get Item bonus to hit built into the higher level versions. They don't need fundamental runes.
I added precision damage to alchemist goggles: d4 to lesser, d6 to regular, and d8 to greater. Otherwise they are worthless. I'm not sure what they were thinking with Alchemist Goggles. An item bonus to hit for an item that already has an item bonus to hit that doesn't stack is obviously a "someone overlooked this problem" situation. Hopefully this is on their fix list.
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They're very useful for Alchemists.
Someone just using the occasional bomb will probably always use the highest level they can get, and probably not often enough for the bonus to be worth it.
An Alchemist specializing in bombs will need to mix in lower-level ones now and then.
This enemy is vulnerable to fire, and I haven't upgraded my Alchemist's Fire recipe yet.
I ran out of/want to conserve my best bombs, so I'm going to use some Perpetual ones which are lower level.
I want to use my Admixture feats, which means I can't use my highest-level bombs.
Both B and C.
They're very useful for Alchemists.
Someone just using the occasional bomb will probably always use the highest level they can get, and probably not often enough for the bonus to be worth it.
An Alchemist specializing in bombs will need to mix in lower-level ones now and then.
This enemy is vulnerable to fire, and I haven't upgraded my Alchemist's Fire recipe yet.
I ran out of/want to conserve my best bombs, so I'm going to use some Perpetual ones which are lower level.
I want to use my Admixture feats, which means I can't use my highest-level bombs.
Both B and C.
I have run two alchemists as a DM. I have not seen the Alchemist run out of bombs past the low levels. High level alchemists never run out of bombs. The goggles are useless for them.
There is always someone arguing some niche case which almost never comes up for an item that is badly designed. This is a badly designed item that needs a fix. I made it better so the alchemist player felt like having one. If a class's main reason for wanting this item is "I ran out of my strongest bomb, so I have to rely on my weaker bombs and these goggles keep the item bonus to hit up to par with my strongest bombs so my even weaker bombs from Perpetual Infusions are certainly going to do worse damage leads to the self-doubting question...why am I even here?"
If that is the line of thinking, that item is not great. Bombers should never run out of their strongest bombs during battle past the low levels.
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I have run two alchemists as a DM. I have not seen the Alchemist run out of bombs past the low levels. High level alchemists never run out of bombs. The goggles are useless for them.There is always someone arguing some niche case which almost never comes up for an item that is badly designed. This is a badly designed item that needs a fix. I made it better so the alchemist player felt like having one. If a class's main reason for wanting this item is "I ran out of my strongest bomb, so I have to rely on my weaker bombs and these goggles keep the item bonus to hit up to par with my strongest bombs so my even weaker bombs from Perpetual Infusions are certainly going to do worse damage leads to the self-doubting question...why am I even here?"
If that is the line of thinking, that item is not great. Bombers should never run out of their strongest bombs during battle past the low levels.
I don't think it hurts to buff this item, but I would argue that ignoring lesser cover is its main advantage, not the item bonus. It essentially allows you to have +1 (on top of the bomb's item bonus) in the common situation that there is an ally or enemy between you and your target.
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I don't think it hurts to buff this item, but I would argue that ignoring lesser cover is its main advantage, not the item bonus. It essentially allows you to have +1 (on top of the bomb's item bonus) in the common situation that there is an ally or enemy between you and your target.
I have run two alchemists as a DM. I have not seen the Alchemist run out of bombs past the low levels. High level alchemists never run out of bombs. The goggles are useless for them.There is always someone arguing some niche case which almost never comes up for an item that is badly designed. This is a badly designed item that needs a fix. I made it better so the alchemist player felt like having one. If a class's main reason for wanting this item is "I ran out of my strongest bomb, so I have to rely on my weaker bombs and these goggles keep the item bonus to hit up to par with my strongest bombs so my even weaker bombs from Perpetual Infusions are certainly going to do worse damage leads to the self-doubting question...why am I even here?"
If that is the line of thinking, that item is not great. Bombers should never run out of their strongest bombs during battle past the low levels.
The alchemist rarely deals with lesser cover.
Problems alchemists deal with:
1. Never getting above Expert for their bombs.
2. Already weak bomb damage with their most powerful bombs, much less having to rely on Perpetual Infusion bombs which makes them feel terrible unless they're doing it to exploit a weakness. If they're doing that, they don't even care if they hit as long as they don't critically fail so the splash damage hits and activates the weakness as it will do more damage than the direct hit of the bomb.
Alchemists can be nifty in a group, but not as main damage dealers save in very specific circumstances if a weakness is being exploited. Otherwise they feel kind of bad with the low hit roll and relatively low bomb damage.
My player was so disappointed with Alchemist Goggles as they did nothing for him in 90% or more of the fights. Alchemists don't normally need to make crafting checks. Lesser cover is pretty rare. As they progress they rarely run out of bombs. He did not want to buy this worthless item that never did anything for him. So I spruced it up some because I wanted Alchemist Goggles to be useful to an alchemist. Felt right.
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Having played two Bombers so far (one to L11, the other is currently L3) I will say that having an ally in between myself and the target (hence, the target having lesser cover) is a very common situation. It's why my L11 guy still has Alchemist Goggles. I'll be getting rid of them once he takes Uncanny Bombs at L12.