Good potions for alchemist abilities discussion

[felinoel]

So as an alchemist I have a few things to use for fun for potions, I have the ability to use a potion but spit it up to reuse it again later, I have the potion tattoo spell, and I can get the eternal potion ability later.

What are some good potions to use with these abilities, let's discuss!

[Extra Anchovies]

For a Feral Mutagen or other natural-weapons build, Greater Magic Fang is good. Other long-duration potions that you'd want every day are also nice, such as Superior Resistance. Good ones for Eternal Potion are rounds/level buffs, such as Greater Invisibility or Divine Power.

[felinoel]

Oh I went the bomb/spellslinger route for my alchemist, not the Mr. Hyde route.

[Fouredged Sword]

Invisibility is really good if you are making ranged touch attacks. Shoot and scoot and they cant pinpoint your square.

[stack]

Grab high faster level potions of scaling spells to use over and over with alchemical allocation. Barkskin is nice if you get the full benefit and only buy it once.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

If you went bombs, you probably picked up Fast Bombs. Why not a potion of Haste?

[felinoel]

Invisibility is really good if you are making ranged touch attacks. Shoot and scoot and they cant pinpoint your square.Doesn't that end when you attack?


Grab high faster level potions of scaling spells to use over and over with alchemical allocation. Barkskin is nice if you get the full benefit and only buy it once.I was considering barkskin or just ironskin really.


If you went bombs, you probably picked up Fast Bombs. Why not a potion of Haste?No Fast Bombs yet, I know it is terrible but my party forced me to take Precise Bombs and then I took Infusion because I got a tumor familiar.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Well, Fast Bombs you can't actually take until you HAVE extra attacks, so that can wait. Haste is good for other reasons, though.

[Extra Anchovies]

Fast Bombs is, IMO, not actually that great. It's just an encouragement to burn through bombs. When do you ever really need to throw three or four per round?

Really, the most effective use of bombs is debuffs. Rocket Bombs (or explosive bomb for non-Goblins) + Stink Bomb/Blinding Bomb/Grease Bomb/Poison Bomb/Inferno Bomb = yes. Add on Scrap Bomb and Precise Bombs for more fun.

[felinoel]

Fast Bombs is, IMO, not actually that great. It's just an encouragement to burn through bombs. When do you ever really need to throw three or four per round?

Really, the most effective use of bombs is debuffs. Rocket Bombs (or explosive bomb for non-Goblins) + Stink Bomb/Blinding Bomb/Grease Bomb/Poison Bomb/Inferno Bomb = yes. Add on Scrap Bomb and Precise Bombs for more fun.
I actually took the fumigant alchemist archetype so I use bombs for applying poison most of the time.

[Extra Anchovies]

I actually took the fumigant alchemist archetype so I use bombs for applying poison most of the time.

Ooooh, that's a fun-looking archetype, I must play it sometime. Gas mask = good.

[DreganHiregard]

I'd recommend seeing if you can make potions above the normal limit, because higher level potions becomne a huuuuge advantage. I ran a game where I houseruled potions of any level, and I saw one of my players bought a potion of "Giant size" that 3.5 wujen spell that can make you up to colossal. That was a really fun game and there were a ton of great antics.

Other things to check are if you can use elixirs. The magic item compendium has dragonbreath elixer's that deal huge damage but are single use. Recycling those can be a mega boost in power.

If only Pathfinder content you have fewer options, but at the same time there's nothing wrong with classics like mage armor, and if you need it even the more expensive healing potions can be worthwhile. Other than that I recommend just buying a ton of niche stuff and then deciding what you need in each situation, basically being able to have the solution for any problem at once.

[Ninjaxenomorph]

The limit on levels isn't so bad, but remember: there is no CL limit on potions.

[Abd al-Azrad]

Make friends with a Summoner. Their reduced-level spell list is ripe for cheesy potion abuse.

I recommend a potion of Stoneskin at the highest Summoner CL possible. Expensive, sure (so keep it in a lead-lined iron flask!) but with Alchemical Allocation, you can save the 250gp material component of casting it every time. Always have DR 10/Adamantine.

[felinoel]

Make friends with a Summoner. Their reduced-level spell list is ripe for cheesy potion abuse.

I recommend a potion of Stoneskin at the highest Summoner CL possible. Expensive, sure (so keep it in a lead-lined iron flask!) but with Alchemical Allocation, you can save the 250gp material component of casting it every time. Always have DR 10/Adamantine.Ha, there is a Summoner in the party.