[PF] Is the Alchemical Zombie Discovery Evil?

[Gorfnod]

Alchemists have the option to choose Alchemical Zombie (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/discoveries/paizo---alchemist-discoveries/alchemical-zombie-su) as one of their discoveries. No where in the ability description does it classify the ability as evil, as with most undead creation abilities, and the only reference to animate dead is to indicate the number of undead you can control. Could a neutral or even good alchemist use this without fear of potentially turning evil?

As a follow-up, when applying the zombie template (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/templates/zombie), can variants of the base template be used by the Alchemist?

Another question has popped in my head, is there any way to increase your effective alchemist level for the purposes of discoveries? I plan on taking Master Chymist at some point but have contemplated getting Elixir of Life (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/discoveries/paizo---alchemist-discoveries/elixir-of-life). Other than only taking 4 levels of Chymist, is there any other way to get this discovery?

[Ravens_cry]

Talk to your DM.
I would say, sure, but I never had much problem with reanimating the dead for neutral or even good purposes.
They are tools, and a tool is not evil; it is what you use it for and the intent behind it that can be.

[Righteous Doggy]

Hey, read Reanimator, its science! Not an act of evil! Now, if you start using those zombies for evil purposes or getting them through evil means... that might pose a problem.

[marcielle]

Unless the alchemical substance actually traps a soul somehow, I'd say it's only slightly worse than, say, striping some people you just killed and leaving them to rot in the open.

[Gorfnod]

As I read it, you aren't actually trapping a soul, just making the body move. As I plan on running him as kind of the mad scientist type anyways this seems like exactly something he would be interested in.

[Ravens_cry]

It's certainly less evil than the vivisectionist ability *shudder*

[tyckspoon]

That's pretty squarely in Ask Your DM territory. Rules-wise, it doesn't actually use Animate Dead, so you don't have the evil implications of that particular spell.. but you're still using the same standard Zombie template that Animate Dead uses, which creates an Always Neutral Evil undead creature that still obeys all the same rules as if you'd made it using Animate Dead instead - your means are different, but the end product is indistinguishable from Animate Dead. If a Zombie is always an Evil being, then using an ability to create one is probably also an Evil act even if it doesn't have a specific [Alignment] descriptor.

[Answerer]

Alternatively, ditch any game that uses such inane and mechanical approaches to alignment, and never look back.

[Ravens_cry]

Alternatively, ditch any game that uses such inane and mechanical approaches to alignment, and never look back.
Rather throwing the baby out with the bathwater, eh?
Even if another system is objectively better, if your friends aren't playing it, it doesn't help you any.