3.5 Alchemist?

[umbergod]

I know that beyond homebrew, or modifying the PF Alchemist, I can't be a baseline alchemist in 3.5. My build in mind would be Transmuter5/Alchemist Savant2/Master Alchemist10/then finish up the savant class.

I am taking the Enhance Ability ACF from UA in place of my familiar. DM has allowed me to fluff it as me drinking a potion to get the effect, as thematically I am an alchemist first, caster second, despite being a 20th caster level transmuter :P

Enough rambling though, what I was wondering is, in strictly 3.0-3.5, is there a better set up for an alchemist type? barring the artificer that is, DM and I both know its too easy to break things with an artificer, and this is likely to be a low t3 campaign.

[Flickerdart]

Wizard is just as much a T1 class as Artificer, so avoiding it for that reason and then using Wizard is kind of ridiculous.

[Tvtyrant]

But the Alchemist prcs kinda suck IMO, so it evens out. You can prc down to tier 3 just fine, while Artificer doesn't really have any other options. You can be fantastic and stay straight Artificer, or you can prc out and suck (nothing even remotely extends its features).

[umbergod]

Wizard is just as much a T1 class as Artificer, so avoiding it for that reason and then using Wizard is kind of ridiculous.

Its easier for me to break things with an artificer via crafting >.> not nearly as much so on a wizard. Most wizards I play fit in well, I dont play t1 power at all so my wizards are never full potential

[Deth Muncher]

Its easier for me to break things with an artificer via crafting >.> not nearly as much so on a wizard. Most wizards I play fit in well, I dont play t1 power at all so my wizards are never full potential

You know, there IS such a thing as a Gentleman's Agreement: Just because you CAN break things doesn't mean you can or should. If your DM is worried about you breaking the game as an Artificer...don't. Understand how artificers wreck the game, and then don't do those things.

It's just as easy to have a Portable Hole full of Unseen Crafters crafting away at your stuff for you as it is to, y'know, NOT have that. Artificer isn't in and of itself a busted class, it's when you start abusing things that things get silly.


That being said. Forgotton Realms has the Master Alchemist PrC, which has full casing progression, allows you to brew potions of up to level 9 spells, and brew two potions per 8hr period instead of one. It's kind of cool.

[umbergod]

You know, there IS such a thing as a Gentleman's Agreement: Just because you CAN break things doesn't mean you can or should. If your DM is worried about you breaking the game as an Artificer...don't. Understand how artificers wreck the game, and then don't do those things.

It's just as easy to have a Portable Hole full of Unseen Crafters crafting away at your stuff for you as it is to, y'know, NOT have that. Artificer isn't in and of itself a busted class, it's when you start abusing things that things get silly.


That being said. Forgotton Realms has the Master Alchemist PrC, which has full casing progression, allows you to brew potions of up to level 9 spells, and brew two potions per 8hr period instead of one. It's kind of cool.

haha yeah, problem is, as is, artificer would outshine the other 2 players just in how versatile i make them via crafting. my set up has all 10 levels of Master Alchemist. I find I'm safer playing a wizard, as I can't be assed to find spell combos that break things XD

[Answerer]

I played a very enjoyable Artificer/Alchemist Savant once. Game died before I got to Master Alchemist.

Anyway, were I to resurrect that character, I've been strongly considering using this homebrew class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245132). It still has Artificer-style Item Creation, which is obviously powerful, but it gets far fewer Bonus Feats. If you don't take any extra Item Creation feats, your versatility should be greatly lessened. Focus on its transmutation abilities, and you should be fine without overshadowing others, I'd think.

[umbergod]

I'm trying to avoid homebrew classes as much as I can. Between the DM and myself, we are patching up official classes and prestige classes, such as the spellsword having far too many dead levels. We changed it so the spellsword only loses 2 caster levels, 1 at level 5 and 1 at 10th, making that prestige much more viable for gish builds in the campaign, or adding more casting oomph to a primarily melee/ranged character's combat ability.