Some Alchemist Advice

[Tscroggs]

I'm planning on building a Pathfinder Alchemist for Pathfinder Society play. And I wanted a bit of advice.

I think I am going to go the bomb specialist route, but a friend has a monstrous Grenadier Alchemist already, and I don't want to copy him.

I was thinking about looking at Oenopion Researcher (Visionary Researcher in some printings) so at the very least others could benefit from my mutagens, but I don't know how the archetype really works out. Could I stack Mutagen Discoveries into an Experimental mutagen?

I'm also at a loss for starting feats, but was looking at Ricochet Splash Weapon and Splash Weapon Mastery (My current build is human for both feats). They seem to stack *really* well, but was wondering if I needed Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot more.

I am totally at a loss for traits. Pragmatic Activator and Accelerated Drinker are my current choices, but that's on my understanding that Accelerated Drinker can be used on extracts. Oh, and could I use a Spring Sheath to put a extract in hand and then drink it as a move action?

[avr]

Accelerated Drinker is very specific and clear. Potions only. Extracts aren't potions. Extracts are basically your daily prepared spells and a spring sheath probably won't make them less than a standard action.

You can certainly stack mutagen discoveries on to experimental mutagen:


If the researcher has discoveries or other abilities that alter or increase the benefits of the mutagen, these apply to the experimental mutagen (though the drinker only gets half the numerical bonus of the mutagen).

Dunno if I'd bother personally but the option is there.

If your friend is going for damage with bombs go for control via bombs, or vice versa. There's room for you both to throw bombs and have different specialties.

Those feats should work fine for you. People IME aren't fond of having their characters hit even by splash damage so you shouldn't normally be throwing bombs into melee at all, therefore Precise Shot is not top priority.

[Tscroggs]

Accelerated Drinker is very specific and clear. Potions only. Extracts aren't potions. Extracts are basically your daily prepared spells and a spring sheath probably won't make them less than a standard action.

Ah thanks. I was picturing extracts more as spells stored in potions than just plain spells. I thought I was being pretty cleaver there.




Those feats should work fine for you. People IME aren't fond of having their characters hit even by splash damage so you shouldn't normally be throwing bombs into melee at all, therefore Precise Shot is not top priority.
Well his character was a grenadier that attached his bombs to arrows by using an extra arm to cut down the action. Getting in his line-of-sight was a great way to catch a bomb or two. Business has since taken him away from regular Society play, but I really don't want to duplicate his powerful character.