Making a potion themed character, input pls

[UnjustCustos]

I'm thinking that for the theme of my next character it is going to be a caster who is all about distilled magic. Any and all info would be welcome. Thinking of taking the Master Alchemist PRC from Faerun. I thought I remembered something about drinking potions and storing them in the body but can't find it. If anyone knows that, or any info you think would help the character I would greatly appreciate. For those of you who are familiar with the Dead Witch Walking series I'm wanting to recreate demon magic. Thank you in advance.

[Lonely Tylenol]

The Alchemist Savant prestige class (Magic of Eberron, p. 54) is a must for this. At least two levels of it. Two levels grants you the Brew Spellvial option, which allows you the capacity to create potions of spells up to third level that can be used as thrown weapons with targeted spells. These have the dual benefits of being the only way to store offensive spells in potions (allowing you to "cast" Combust, Shivering Touch and other classics as thrown weapons), but also being able to prepare "potions" of Buff Spell X, Y, or Z that can be "cast" on an ally as a ranged touch attack in a pinch. This is pretty much the only way to "cast" iterative spells, and it's costly, but it gets you a LOT of bang for your buck. Four levels in the prestige class gets you alchemical mixtures, which allow you to mix alchemist's fire and other such liquids with contact and injury poisons, as well as your spellvials, which actually gives you a cool use of mundane alchemy. Finally, Brew Universal Potion at fifth level gives you the ability to create a "potion" that does not have a spell in it, which allows you to cast the spell of your choosing into the potion (or oil) at a later date. Basically, this works kind of like scrolls in that it expands your spells per day repertoire by preparing a lot of these in your downtime, and then just filling them when you have a situation that demands it, only they're more expensive, limited by spell level, and don't require a UMD check for your Fighter to use.

If these abilities combine favorably with the Master Alchemist prestige class, obviously you will want to snatch up as many of them as possible; indeed, that's a 20-level build unto itself right there. Of course, ask your DM to be sure.

If you do go the Alchemist Savant route (or even just use mundane alchemy liberally), I recommend picking up a Potion Cannon, which is a custom magic item of command word Launch Item (either held or equipped, probably as a glove or bracer) for 900gp as an equipped item (1,800gp as a held item). These hand cannons will deny you iterative attacks, but give you an effective range of 110ft. without any range increment penalties for all your alchemical items and spellvials (multiplying the cost by caster level gives you an extra 10ft. for every caster level above one, but a CL1 item should be all you need), so you can deliver spellvials of Combust from over 100 feet away, as well as alchemist's fire, thunderstones, tanglefoot bags, eggshell grenades, grappling hooks, sunrods... Somewhere I made a longer list of all the useful items you can blast out with this thing. I'll see if I can find it some time. Anyway, the point is that this thing is incredibly diverse in its use for a dedicated alchemist, and is undoubtedly something you want in your collection for any mundane alchemy/spellvial user. Dirt cheap, too. :smallbiggrin:

[Immabozo]

I thought I remembered something about drinking potions and storing them in the body but can't find it.

Blood magus PrC from Complete Arcane, I believe. You also can carve scrolls into your own flesh, haha and do a lot of other gruesome stuff. I do not think this fit flavor-wise with you, but I personally am looking forward to trying the class.

[UnjustCustos]

Thanks for the Intel. Now I just need to see how getting the costs down. Never really made items as a character so I guess the crafting handbook will be needed. I hope potions can get the alignment only discount.

[Juntao112]

You may want to look at the Quick Potion spell from the SpC.

[Mystral]

Maybe ask your DM if something can be done with the Pathfinder Class Alchemist, that seems to really fit your bill.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist

[prufock]

There is also the Delay Potion feat, which allows you to drink a potion but not activate it for a few hours. Only one potion allowed to be delayed at a time.

EDIT: Complete Mage.

[Answerer]

Being a Strongheart Halfling is perfect for this: Small is good, a bonus feat is better, and you qualify for the Shape Splash feat, which is excellent. Grenadier, sadly, is pretty bad.

[UnjustCustos]

There is also the Delay Potion feat, which allows you to drink a potion but not activate it for a few hours. Only one potion allowed to be delayed at a time.

EDIT: Complete Mage.

That was it. Thank you. Shame though it is that limited. Or DM allows non official things if we work at I may have to work on making that more permanent with a larger pool. Or just doing a reduction with the potions and making them into candies, haha.

[mattie_p]

Don't forget this:


Potion Belt, Masterwork
Price: 60 GP
Weight: 1#
(Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting p. 97)
Once per round, you can retrieve a potion as a free action. Holds up to 10 potions. While this item should really be worn rather than kept in the haversack, I'm mentioning it here just in case you weren't aware of it before.
Also might want quickdraw, so you can use potions as iteratives (assuming +11 BAB or higher) if you go the Alchemist Savant route.

Courtesy of Shax's Indispensible Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8235865&postcount=1)

[ahenobarbi]

Umm... did you look at Artificer it's great for a character that wants to focus on creating magic items?

[Answerer]

Don't forget this:


Also might want quickdraw, so you can use potions as iteratives (assuming +11 BAB or higher) if you go the Alchemist Savant route.

Courtesy of Shax's Indispensible Haversack (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8235865&postcount=1)
Shouldn't that be BAB +6 or higher?

[UnjustCustos]

Umm... did you look at Artificer it's great for a character that wants to focus on creating magic items?

I know of its existence but it seems like so much would be wasted if I just want the character to focus on potions. Though now thinking about it I may go that route so I can make the launch item gloves and mix the potion belt with that weapon enchantment that gives crossbows an endless magazine for bolts.

[mattie_p]

Shouldn't that be BAB +6 or higher?

Depends, utility is lower at just +6. You get one free action draw anyway, sometimes you might not want to burn two potions, you might want to move (or use a move action in the round), etc. At +11 is when (I feel) it would be truly effective.

[ahenobarbi]

I know of its existence but it seems like so much would be wasted if I just want the character to focus on potions. Though now thinking about it I may go that route so I can make the launch item gloves and mix the potion belt with that weapon enchantment that gives crossbows an endless magazine for bolts.

You will "waste" more going full caster(IMO). And artificer can make potions of spells coming from any list. And gets the crafting reserve so you will not spend so much XP on potions.

[Answerer]

I know of its existence but it seems like so much would be wasted if I just want the character to focus on potions. Though now thinking about it I may go that route so I can make the launch item gloves and mix the potion belt with that weapon enchantment that gives crossbows an endless magazine for bolts.
You need spells or infusions to qualify for the prestige classes you want, so one way or another you're talking about having a very-powerful class. Ultimately, Artificer gives you a bunch of relevant bonus feats for free, allows access to all the spells, and is certainly a closer fluff match. My own character of this sort was certainly an Artificer/Alchemist Savant/Master Alchemist. Do note that you need your DM to allow Infusions to enter Master Alchemist, since it is pre-Eberron, but most DMs shouldn't have much problem with that.

Basically, I agree with this:

You will "waste" more going full caster(IMO). And artificer can make potions of spells coming from any list. And gets the crafting reserve so you will not spend so much XP on potions.

[UnjustCustos]

All right, you guys sold me. For a Artificer Alchemist what build am I looking at? How many levels of each?

[Toy Killer]

I recommend picking up a Potion Cannon, which is a custom magic item of command word Launch Item (either held or equipped, probably as a glove or bracer) for 900gp as an equipped item (1,800gp as a held item).

Consider this idea thoroughly stolen. Thank you.

true commoner's railgun. why stop at alchemical and potions? Caltrops, poisons, marbles, Familiars? :smallbiggrin:

Oh yes, thoroughly stolen indeed.

[Spuddles]

Rapid shot and two weapon fighting will let you cast more spells/round than is sensible.

Since you only have to make touch attacks/hit ac 5 squares, twf might not actually be worth investing in as this is a rare case where the penalties won't matter, esp. with artificer BAB and a decent dex.

There is a feat in FR that lowers the base price of a specific crafting deat to 75%. There is a feat in Eberron that lowers the base price of all crafting by 25%. Due to stacking rules, these effects are muliplicative, so reduce crafting cost by 3/4 x 3/4, or 9/16, which is a smidge over half price.

In order to have enough potions to rain firey death on your enemies, you'll wanr a dedicated wright or 3 and an enveloping pit. Eneveloping pit is a portabl hole on steroids for like a sixth of the price. See MIC.

[Answerer]

All right, you guys sold me. For a Artificer Alchemist what build am I looking at? How many levels of each?
Artificer 5/Alchemist Savant 5/Master Alchemist 10 IIRC. I seem to remember the three classes filling up exactly 20 levels, which is cool. You might take a few levels of Master Alchemist before finishing Alchemist Savant to keep your max potion spell level up.

[UnjustCustos]

In order to have enough potions to rain firey death on your enemies, you'll wanr a dedicated wright or 3 and an enveloping pit. Eneveloping pit is a portabl hole on steroids for like a sixth of the price. See MIC.
Oh, I k ow that item well. Ten of those, the SBG, and a ten by ten hut helped me build a TARDIS. But thanks for the rest. Since Launch Item doesn't require a to-hit (arguably) two-weapon fighting would be awesome


Artificer 5/Alchemist Savant 5/Master Alchemist 10 IIRC. I seem to remember the three classes filling up exactly 20 levels, which is cool. You might take a few levels of Master Alchemist before finishing Alchemist Savant to keep your max potion spell level up.
Thank you. Now lets see if I can make it that far, ha.

[Answerer]

Don't worry, my own only went from like Artificer 3 to Artificer 5/Alchemist Savant 2, IIRC. Still, personally, I tend to like to plan characters as if they were going all the way to 20, even though I've never once had one do so.

[Arcanist]

*snip*

...Did you just make a caster gun? :smallconfused:

[Randomguy]

Name him Koakmasheen. :smallbiggrin:

Oh, and the Quick Potion spell might be relevant to your interests. You can cast it on a vial of water and then cast a spell into the vial, turning it into a potion. The quick potion only lasts a few hours, though.

[The Viscount]

Flux Adept from Dragon Compendium also has a similar ability to use potions in the blood, if I recall correctly, though it's not quite as good as blood magus.

[thethird]

Another item that you probably wan to have around is Gemma's Cauldron from expedition to undermountain to brew potions in half the time, it should work with the master alchemist faster brewing, and probably with the alchemist savant version, by the way it would be great if those were to stack.

Overall it is a good build Artificer 5 / Alchemist savant 5 / Master Alchemist 10

You loose the craft reserve (although you keep retain essence, so it is not a big loss) and some important class features (metamagic ones mostly) but you keep all the infusions, and gain the possibility to make potions/spell vials of every spell in the game.

That seems like a fair trade to me.

Ps. Get a dedicated wright and an alchemist lab in a portable hole for your adventures.

Ps2. The potion belt was already mentioned, but you can also find a potion bracer in Sharn, City of Towers.

Ps3. Could you potentially make a potion thrower that is activated when you "attack" with it?

[Lonely Tylenol]

Consider this idea thoroughly stolen. Thank you.

true commoner's railgun. why stop at alchemical and potions? Caltrops, poisons, marbles, Familiars? :smallbiggrin:

Oh yes, thoroughly stolen indeed.

I already do use this to launch caltrops, [contact and inhaled] poisons (though alchemical mixtures both obviate the use of poisons with vials, and add "injury" to the mix), and marbles, a well as a number of other things (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14355460&postcount=47). I'm pretty sure you can't launch a familiar, as most are Diminutive or Tiny size, and you can only launch Fine-sized objects.

Still, it is pretty awesome. :smallbiggrin:


...Did you just make a caster gun? :smallconfused:

It's more like an alchemy gun until you mix in spellvials. :smallamused:

But yes, I totally did. :smallbiggrin:

[Spuddles]

Note that shrink item will let you launch things like puddles of lava, swimming pools, boiling pitch, barrels of oil, etc.

[Lonely Tylenol]

Note that shrink item will let you launch things like puddles of lava, swimming pools, boiling pitch, barrels of oil, etc.

Assuming they can be suitably contained, yes.

It gets a little complicated in this case, as you now need to have a seventh-level caster actively shrinking items, while this item and most basic (alchemical) ammunition can be otherwise made by a first-level caster and used by an untrained yokel to reasonable effect.

But yes, you can totally shoot lava with it.

[thethird]

Now...

This reminds me of Glen Cook's The Black Company... and it has some great implications and applications. I'm going to build something around this, tomorrow though, it's a bit late in this latitude.

[UnjustCustos]

Had an idea but it looks like it won't work. Wanted to put walls in spell vials and throw four and lock people in boxes. Gah, back to the drawing board.

[Talionis]

Admittedly the tactical feat Mad Alchemist from PH2, requires Grenadier feat from same and not too many good uses, but one of the abilities allows you to throw Thunderstones to break the concentration of casters. This ability runs on your Alchemy craft skill and can potentially allow you to lockdown an opposing caster.

If memory serves Blood Magus has an ability to store a potion...