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I decided to pull these out into their own thread.
Basically, the Alchemist *needs* to be able to commit to their bit, and there's no good way to enable that. Just doing the Familiar: Dex + Independent has been a *huge* breath of fresh air for my Alch, and that's something anyone can do. I'm actually prepping healing elixirs now, which has made me realize how little I was using the class's core features in combat.
The action cost *needs* to be addressed.
This would actually give the Alch the niche of item-monkey, because right now anyone can use the Alch's items just as well, and some can do it better.
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The Alchemist's Grape:
1-H | Bulk: 1 | attack: N/A
This slightly-infused cluster of attach points can hold up to 7 Alchemical items of L bulk.
By holding the stem at the ready, if the Alchemist has a free hand, they are able to Activate or throw any of the attached items as if they were in hand.
Returning or attaching a single item to the Grape can be done w/ a 1-Action Interact.
The Grape's thread-thin connections prevent it from being worn or stowed in a container without unloading it.
If the Grape is dropped or otherwise falls to the ground, make a DC 11 check. On failure, one attached item is harmlessly destroyed at random.
(un)loading the Grape is a 2-H, 3 action interact activity, and all items to be loaded must be within reach.
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7 items because I think between bombs, elixirs, ect, an Alch could reasonably use all 7 and deck out during a fight. While the Grape is 1-H, any holding/wielding done by that 2nd hand blocks the Grape from being used.
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Another key thing I'd do is (eventually) delete Quick Bomber. But first, offer Quick Draw straight up, and add this as the L1 replacement for QwkBmr:
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Knuckle Pinch:
With a bit of training, you have become able to hold items between your fingers for use at a moment's notice.
So long as they are items of L bulk that can be activated or used in 1-H, each of your hands can now carry two without issue.
When you become an Expert in Alchemy, this becomes 3, at Master it becomes 4, ect.
Any time you draw, pick up, or otherwise actively put such an item in your hand, you can fill the hand to its limit at no additional action cost.
This Feat is compatible with Quick Alchemy and it's variants.
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A bomber using both hands would only be able to carry 4 in hand at combat start. Might be fine. Chuck 2 to free up a hand for other stuff, and only need to Draw after 4 bomb strikes.
If the goal is to let Alch's generally be okay keeping 1-H for non-class stuff, it's a bit borderline, might actually want to make this give +2 at the start, IDK.
I have faith that paizo have now understood the action economy issues with items and thus with the alchemist in particular. It shows in their newer class designs, most prominently thaumaturge, and kineticist to some degree (not with items in that case, but more generally with giving good riders to action taxes). So I expect this to be addressed in the Remaster.
For the time being, I prefer to just give alchemists a free Interact or Quick Alchemy per turn – it requires less tracking than with a quick access bandolier (tracking the hands of your familiar with manualDex+Independent is already pretty borderline annoying) and has about the same result with a bit less nova potential.
I'm hoping to avoid any "free" action buffs like that.
That kind of auto-no-downside thing removes decision making and makes everything much more flowcharty.
Even the Dex + Inde Familiar still needs to "load" 1-turn in advance, which takes a lot of mindfulness to not waste when you decide to change your mind.
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Hence the design goal of still needing Draw actions, but they are instead worth 2, 3x the actions, while allowing a greater in-hand capacity (meaning you now have to choose which held item to use).
And the Knuckle Pinch not being limited to Alch items is a serious door for creative ideas. As is, it would work with Wands too.
Right now, I think it's balanced to have non-consumables function, as they stick around to keep your hand occupied after use, leaving 3 options:
---you'll either need a full action eventually stash it, but on a more favorable turn
---keep draw/using that hand but a reduced capacity
---drop it
All three have a significant cost if the Alch wants to try that.
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Oh, one more thing I'd edit about the Feat. Any Draw/ect action can fill *both* hands at no additional cost.
I really like the idea of rewarding/incentivizing an Alchemist to go into a fight fully empty handed, and that might be the only mechanic to help push for that.