Reducing mundane craft prices?

[Malvanis]

Hi GITP

Ina third party source book labeled mercenaries there is a class presented called alchemist. This class makes non magical elixirs that duplicate spell effects. The price for creating them is caster level x spell level x 25gp. that's a little steep for higher level elixirs. The creation process is based off of craft (alchemy). Could you guys list some methods that I could use to lower this price? Thanks.

[kreenlover]

Apprentice Feat : DMG II
reduces all crafting costs by 10%

[ericgrau]

I'd be more worried about the several weeks of crafting time per item which is only used once. Even if you manage to cut the cost in half, that's still a lot of weeks. I'd look for ways to reduce crafting time too, such as fabricate. Or if the DCs aren't too high then build a workshop and leadership up an army of employees.

Since they are nonmagical, another trick would be to get and antimagic field and find some key buff to give yourself and/or party members. Like flight, large size and a reach weapon to attack out of reach, impervious to magical ranged attacks and mocking the low damage of most mundane ranged attacks. You don't need to do all of it; you can bring a flying ally along to provide either the AMF or the reach weapon + respectable damage.

[Diovid]

Besides the Apprentice (Craftsman) feat kreenlover mentioned, there's the feat Craft Expertise (dragon magazine #339) which doubles the progress you make in a day or week.

Other than that any method of increasing your craft (alchemy) check helps.

[Malvanis]

The craft time for elixirs is set at 1 day per elixir level. Thanks for that feat. ny other methods?

[ericgrau]

Extraordinary Artisan, Eberron Campaign Setting, 25% all items. It doesn't say magical or not in the rules text, though it does in the fluff description. It says "any item" but the intent might be any magic item regardless of type. Still, that may be good enough reason for your DM to say elixirs are one of those types.

Exceptional Artisan says the same thing but for -25% crafting time.

[Gavinfoxx]

apply magical artisan (FRCS I think) to Extraordinary Artisan...

Also read this:

http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=7274.0

[Malvanis]

Thanks for the link! What does magical artisan do?