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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Alchemy, Reworked



Grod_The_Giant
2015-07-09, 04:38 PM
I'll open with a disclaimer: there's nothing wrong with the Alchemist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist) as written. Not really. It and its cousin, the Investigator, are well-balanced tier 3 classes. (And the latter numbers among my all-time favorite 3.x characters). There are a few things that bug me about the classes, though:

I don't like how limited the Alchemist's bombs are-- you get too few/day for me to really feel comfortable specializing in them, especially if you invest in Rapid Bombs and similar abilities to get reliable damage.
Bombs and Mutagen seem like too much, even if they really aren't.
Weird semi-functional support for poisons-- you can almost make them reliable, but not quite.
Potions and Extracts being technically different things just seems untidy, somehow.
The Investigator having the exact same extract list as the Alchemist strikes me as lazy design.
Too many different "free inspiration with X skills" discoveries, none of which quite seem worth it.
Int-to-everything functionality being hidden behind traits, archetypes, and feats is irritating

But most of all... alchemy feels too much like magic. While there are a few edge cases, 95% of the time playing my Investigator feels pretty much like playing a standard spellbook caster.

So with that in mind, here's my proposal for a new alchemy subsystem mechanic, which will hopefully feel a little bit more distinct.

Alchemy: Wizards find their power in old books, sorcerers in their blood, clerics in their gods. As an Alchemist, your power is found in a bottle. Alchemists are masters of brewing, capable of creating far stronger potions far more easily than any other magician. To differentiate between their own concoctions and the crude imitations churned out by mere wizards, they term their own potions "extracts."

An Alchemist create an extract of any spell in his formula book (which functions in exactly the same manner as a wizard's spellbook). Doing so takes one minute/spell level, and requires an expenditure of raw materials, as described on the table below. Once created, an extract lasts for twenty-four hours or until drunk-- although an Alchemist may rejuvenate an extract at any point while it is in his possession, re-setting the timer. Doing so requires one minute per extract, but takes no valuable resources.

Extracts are are considered to have a caster level equal to the Alchemist's class level. Each extract normally makes a single dose; however, if the spell normally has multiple targets, the Alchemist may pay 120% the normal cost of the extract to brew a number of doses equal to the number of targets-- a batch, in their parlance. For example, a 6th level Alchemist could pay 375gp to create a single extract of haste, or 450gp to create a batch of six doses. These doses may be consumed at different times by different creatures, but the same creature cannot be affected by more than one dose from a given batch. If they attempt to drink a second dose from the same batch, they are instead nauseated for 1d4 rounds per level of the extract.



Extract Level
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th


Cost for a single dose
25gp
150gp
375gp
700gp
1125gp
1650gp
2275gp

[/tr]
Cost for a batch
30gp
180gp
450gp
840gp
1350gp
1980 gp
2730gp
[/tr]


Alchemy Lab: Alchemists are inveterate scroungers. No Alchemist will willingly go out and buy ingredients, not when the natural world has so many readily available. An Alchemist may be assumed to have a certain amount of raw materials, as described on the table below. This reserve "refills" after eight hours of rest, after which time circumstances have changed and the alchemist awakes with new inspiration for where to find materials*.

Any extracts currently brewed count against this reserve, and continue to do so until drunk, allowed to expire, or otherwise disposed of-- after which the Alchemist may refill his lab as normal. If his lab is tapped out, an Alchemist can continue to create extracts, but must purchase the components instead of scrounging them up.



Level
Maximum Extract Level
Alchemy Lab
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th


1st
1
50
2








2nd
1
75
3








3rd
2
400
4
2







4th
2
550
4
3







5th
2
700
4
4







6th
3
1450
4
4
2






7th
3
1825
4
4
3






8th
3
2200
4
4
4






9th
4
3600
4
4
4
2





10th
4
4300
4
4
4
3





11th
4
5000
4
4
4
4





12th
5
7250
4
4
4
4
2




13th
5
8375
4
4
4
4
3




14th
5
9500
4
4
4
4
4




15th
6
12800
4
4
4
4
4
2



16th
6
14450
4
4
4
4
4
3



17th
6
16100
4
4
4
4
4
4



18th
7
20650
4
4
4
4
4
4
2


19th
7
22925
4
4
4
4
4
4
3


20th
7
25200
4
4
4
4
4
4
4


Note: The values in the alchemist's lab column translate to the listed values of spells/day

Salvage Potion: An Alchemist may improve an existing potion. By taking one minute to tweak the potion's chemical makeup, he may improve its caster level to be equal to his Alchemist level. Doing so costs one-half of the cost of an extract of the potion's level, a cost which may be paid from his Alchemist's Lab reserve. Alternately, he may decoct it, adding half the potion's market value to his Alchemist's Lab reserve.

*It's an abstraction, but I'm not entirely sure how to change it without making the reservoir too easy to refill.