Master Alchemist?

[Uhtred]

So my DM has ruled that the Master Alchemist from Magic of Faerun will indeed progress my Artificer infusions, so I'm looking at that class and wondering: With the Artificer's UMD access to all of the spell lists, what sort of spells CAN'T I bottle? Granted, certain spells will be incredibly expensive to turn into potions, and might take some time to do, but honestly, could I bottle a Wish? I can scribe a SCROLL of Wish, what's stopping me bottling it and selling them for 500,000gp each? I'll also be bottling Heal for the party...could I bottle Harm and throw it as a touch weapon? Trying to get a feel for what my Tier 1 can now do with this class. We'll be getting plenty of "Scrap" magic items for filling up my craft pool, so the fact that only my Infusions progress isn't really a problem, and I can always take the Item Creation feats at their appropriate levels.

[Extra Anchovies]

Why not just take Craft Skull Talisman from Frostburn? They act like potions (you activate them by spending a standard action to crush the talisman), but can store the effects of any spell (up to 9th level) that targets one or more creatures, and unlike potions they can store personal-range spells.

Potion of Wish: can't be done. Brew Potion specifies that "you can create a potion of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know and that targets one or more creatures", and Wish doesn't have a target.

Potion of Harm, thrown as a splash weapon: can't be done. Potions only take affect when drunk, not when applied to a creature's exterior. Also, oils are object-only so you can't make an oil of Harm.

[Uhtred]

But stuff like potions of True Resurrection (costly material component rolled into potion cost?)? Potions of Shapechange or Time Stop?
Also because I did not know skull talismans were a thing until now? That seems...far, far more powerful than a potionmaster.

[Extra Anchovies]

True Resurrection: No. True Resurrection does not meet the "targets one or more creatures" criteria. A dead creature is an object, and does not count as a creature for the purposes of spells and effects. You cannot, for example, target a corpse with Haste.

Shapechange: No. Personal-range spells cannot be made into potions.

Time Stop: No. Personal-range spells cannot be made into potions.

Skull Talismans are indeed a straight upgrade from potions. They can still be prohibitively expensive to craft and use regularly, though.

[Uhtred]

True Resurrection: No. True Resurrection does not meet the "targets one or more creatures" criteria. A dead creature is an object, and does not count as a creature for the purposes of spells and effects. You cannot, for example, target a corpse with Haste.
At that point...could I make an OIL of True Resurrection? Since magical oils only affect objects, as you have pointed out?
Also, IIRC there is a feat in one of the Pathfinder supplements that allows a caster to swap a spell's range from Personal to Touch, at that point I assume it would qualify for potion-ing, since the Cure spells are touch spells and also potions?

[Extra Anchovies]

At that point...could I make an OIL of True Resurrection? Since magical oils only affect objects, as you have pointed out?

...yeah, you could. Just make sure your party members aren't in the room when you do it; rubbing oil on a corpse would raise some awkward questions.


Also, IIRC there is a feat in one of the Pathfinder supplements that allows a caster to swap a spell's range from Personal to Touch, at that point I assume it would qualify for potion-ing, since the Cure spells are touch spells and also potions?

There isn't one that I know of. And I don't know if you can make items of metamagicked spells in Pathfinder.

[Uhtred]

...yeah, you could. Just make sure your party members aren't in the room when you do it; rubbing oil on a corpse would raise some awkward questions.

That means for less expensive Oils of Raise Dead and Resurrection (And, hilariously, Reincarnation for that Back-To-Life-Roulette feeling) and oils of Speak to Dead and the like. Interesting. And with our party...nobody would ask any questions. Everybody dies too often, hence being fixated on potion resurrections. Rubbing oil on one would not be the oddest thing we've done to a corpse. I believe we turned one into a toboggan last session.


There isn't one that I know of. And I don't know if you can make items of metamagicked spells in Pathfinder.
The feat I'm thinking of is the Transfer Spell metamagic feat from "The Visions of the Oracle" splatbook. Our DM lets us make use of third-party supplements as long as he approves them, and we've used stuff by the publisher before. Also I know that as a 3.5 Artificer (Which is the variant I'm playing) I can apply metamagic feats to wands and scrolls; I'll have to see if he'd stretch it to potions, too. Otherwise the Skull Talismans sound like a much easier way to spread around the Artificer love.

[Dondasch]

If you want to throw potions of Harm (and Heal), check out Alchemist Savant from Magic of Eberron. Level 2 gives you Brew Spellvial, which lets you throw the potion, but increases the cost by 50%.
Also of note is Create Alchemical Mixture at 4th level, which lets you combine an alchemical splash weapon with a spellvial, or a poison. This is incredibly nasty, especially if you get access to Creation spells.

Artificer/Alchemist Savant/Master Alchemist is also crazy fun to play. Don't forget to pick up Gremma's Cauldron from Expedition to Undermountain (it halves potion crafting time, allows you to convert scrolls to potions by paying the difference in gp and xp, and allows you to create potions of Cure Light Wounds for 25gp and 0xp. The last can be used with the Artificer ability to suck xp from items to avoid ever spending any of your own xp on crafting). All that, for the incredibly low cost of 5,000gp. Make sure to stock up on cost reduction (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1000) for potions, since you'll be crafting a lot.

[Uhtred]

If you want to throw potions of Harm (and Heal), check out Alchemist Savant from Magic of Eberron. Level 2 gives you Brew Spellvial, which lets you throw the potion, but increases the cost by 50%.
Also of note is Create Alchemical Mixture at 4th level, which lets you combine an alchemical splash weapon with a spellvial, or a poison. This is incredibly nasty, especially if you get access to Creation spells.

Artificer/Alchemist Savant/Master Alchemist is also crazy fun to play. Don't forget to pick up Gremma's Cauldron from Expedition to Undermountain (it halves potion crafting time, allows you to convert scrolls to potions by paying the difference in gp and xp, and allows you to create potions of Cure Light Wounds for 25gp and 0xp. The last can be used with the Artificer ability to suck xp from items to avoid ever spending any of your own xp on crafting). All that, for the incredibly low cost of 5,000gp. Make sure to stock up on cost reduction (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1000) for potions, since you'll be crafting a lot.

...I had no idea that class existed, and I am always nose-deep in Magic of Eberron for homunculus stuff. I might be able to respec tomorrow; If I can I'm definitely swapping out five artificer levels for Alchemist Savant. The Cauldron, also, is a remarkable item that will help reduce my overhead for potionmaking. My character's a merchant, so the Cure Light will be a staple of my line. Maybe I'll sell them to adventurers by the crate in return for endorsements. :) Cheers!

[Dondasch]

...I had no idea that class existed, and I am always nose-deep in Magic of Eberron for homunculus stuff. I might be able to respec tomorrow; If I can I'm definitely swapping out five artificer levels for Alchemist Savant. The Cauldron, also, is a remarkable item that will help reduce my overhead for potionmaking. My character's a merchant, so the Cure Light will be a staple of my line. Maybe I'll sell them to adventurers by the crate in return for endorsements. :) Cheers!

Good luck!

Also, a few items really stand out for Create Alchemical Mixture. The Fiend Folio has Venomous Fire (listed in the Yuan-ti Abomination section), which for 220gp is Alchemist's fire with poision already mixed in. Combine that with the poison Sinmaker's Surprise from Manual of the Planes (found in a sidebar in the Carceri section; expensive but explicitly made from plants so Minor Creation is a go), and you can get a nonmagical item that has the potential to deal 6d6 Con, 3d6 acid, and 2d6 fire damage. That's not including splash damage, which also applies the poisons.
Also of note is Atramen Oil from the Planar Handbook. For a mere 50gp (less if you craft it yourself), you apply a straight up -4 to the Fortitude saves of anything you hit with it. And it's an alchemical splash weapon, so you can mix it into your spellvials no problem.

[Uhtred]

I also imagine a lot of shenanigans with Aboleth mucus; it's been determined in this campaign that Aboleth are pest monsters, so the stuff is available. Nothing says "Screw you" like setting you on fire and removing your ability to breathe air.

[Dondasch]

I also imagine a lot of shenanigans with Aboleth mucus; it's been determined in this campaign that Aboleth are pest monsters, so the stuff is available. Nothing says "Screw you" like setting you on fire and removing your ability to breathe air.

Hmm, is Aboleth Mucus the one from Savage Species (not alchemical or poison, so not compatible but more broken) or the one from the Arms & Equipment Guide (a poison, so combine with Venomous Fire and laugh maniacally).

[Uhtred]

Hmm, is Aboleth Mucus the one from Savage Species (not alchemical or poison, so not compatible but more broken) or the one from the Arms & Equipment Guide (a poison, so combine with Venomous Fire and laugh maniacally).

Rule #487 of Tabletop Gaming: When providing source material for your GM to approve, always give the variant that benefits you the most. (A&EG, for sure. :)) That being said, I actually didn't know there was a second type of Aboleth Mucus.

[Dondasch]

Rule #487 of Tabletop Gaming: When providing source material for your GM to approve, always give the variant that benefits you the most. (A&EG, for sure. :)) That being said, I actually didn't know there was a second type of Aboleth Mucus.

Actually, the Savage Species version is more powerfulbeyond broken. It's a DC 19 Fort save vs being unable to breathe air for three hours (read: dead), with no available immunities or means of healing from it (though not needing to breathe makes its effect pointless). And it's cheap enough that "eventually they'll roll a 1" is an affordable strategy. However, the A&EG version is the one you want in play, simply because you don't want the DM using the SS version on you.