UrsielHauke
2011-08-12, 10:17 PM
In the game I am to be running in the near future, the world has evolved from a standard medieval setting to a quasi-technological Renascence reminiscent of the Steampunk genre. While I do not intend to employ anything too extreme (trains of any kind are completely out of the question), airships, steam-and-pipe golems (Still fabricated with magic), and guns (As written in ultimate combat, both early and advanced firearms) do exist within the setting, at various degrees of frequency. Similarly, alchemy is becoming a more prominent profession as access to the materials and training needed are becoming more commonplace.
The Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide offers an option for an Alchemist base class, and though I find it quite intriguing, balance issues plague the class: The mutagen ability, which allows an alchemist to consume a transformative catalyst elixir in order to gain enhanced physical abilities (In layman's terms, +4 to STR, DEX, or CON, -2 to INT [if STR], WIS, [if DEX] or CHA [if CON], and +4 natural armor for 10 min/ class level, with enhancement to these abilities at later levels through class features and alchemical discoveries) is incredibly unbalancing to the game; common sense and playtesting of this ability at various stages of leveling reinforce this point. Possible archetypes selected may provide alternative class features that are even more unbalancing, such as a Cognotagen- a mutagen that enhances mental ability scores.
There for, I am asking you, Playground, to come up with a suitable alternative for the Mutagen class feature, and possibly others if requisite to the design or if they might be remotely interesting.
I apologize for my verbosity as I am sure many of you are familiar with the class.
Now, go forth, put on your mad scientist goggles and lab coat, and Homebrew!
The Pathfinder Advanced Player's Guide offers an option for an Alchemist base class, and though I find it quite intriguing, balance issues plague the class: The mutagen ability, which allows an alchemist to consume a transformative catalyst elixir in order to gain enhanced physical abilities (In layman's terms, +4 to STR, DEX, or CON, -2 to INT [if STR], WIS, [if DEX] or CHA [if CON], and +4 natural armor for 10 min/ class level, with enhancement to these abilities at later levels through class features and alchemical discoveries) is incredibly unbalancing to the game; common sense and playtesting of this ability at various stages of leveling reinforce this point. Possible archetypes selected may provide alternative class features that are even more unbalancing, such as a Cognotagen- a mutagen that enhances mental ability scores.
There for, I am asking you, Playground, to come up with a suitable alternative for the Mutagen class feature, and possibly others if requisite to the design or if they might be remotely interesting.
I apologize for my verbosity as I am sure many of you are familiar with the class.
Now, go forth, put on your mad scientist goggles and lab coat, and Homebrew!