Does the investigator recover versatile vials like the alchemist?

[SuperBidi]

I disagree with you on a few points.

Squiggit wrote:

A level 1 premaster investigator had 80% the number of starting reagents of a similarly built alchemist. Post-remaster the investigator has 20 minutes worth of vials at level 1. That's a really huge shift in the amount of relative volume.

But not a change at all in the actual volume. So it is very plausible.

Squiggit wrote:

wherein you're required to read part of the versatile vial entry to know how your mechanics work but you're supposed to avoid reading another part

No, you misinterpret the other interpretation.

Alchemical Sciences states: "During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile vials—alchemical concoctions that can quickly be turned into elixirs and tools— equal to your Intelligence modifier."

And Versatile Vials state: "During your daily preparations, you can create a number of versatile vials up to 2 + your Intelligence modifier, which is also your maximum number of vials. If you're below your maximum number, you can gather reagents from the environment around you. For every 10 minutes you spend in exploration mode, you regain 2 vials; this doesn't prevent you from participating in other exploration activities."

So the sentence in Alchemical Sciences can replace either only the first sentence inside Versatile Vials or the whole paragraph. And I think a lot of people, me included, consider that the whole paragraph is interconnected, that specifying only half of it expecting players to continue using the second half doesn't make sense.

Actually, it's the interpretation that the Investigator recovers VVs every 10 minutes that ask you to mix and match rules in a weird way.

[NorrKnekten]

I dont even think the idea that Investigator regaining vials holds any water from RAW.

As others have stated the Versatile Vial feature is what allows an alchemist to regain Vials, which to mean would mean that unless the feature is specifically given as part of alchemical sciences,then Investigator doesn't share these behaviors.

Similar with Alchemical Archetypes, I don't think the text about regaining vials is a specific restriction but rather a reference or reminder to the fact they lack this feature that lets them regain vials.

If they intended for Investigator to regain vials they would've explicitly written that or added "You gain the versatile vials feature. You can prepare int mod vials per day"