Good feats for alchemist

[Foxhound438]

So I'm relatively new to pathfinder (i've played onece before this character) and I've decided to slap together a kobold alchemist. My plan for feats is largely pick up extra discoveries, point blank shot, maybe vital strike or shoot on the run.

So 3 questions

1) does point blank shot actually work with bombs? I was told deadly aim can't apply since it's a ranged touch attack, so I'm not sure whether or not the PBS would.

2) what other feats have synergy with the alchemist if my plan is to almost always throw bombs?

3) not feat related, but I intentionally omitted taking a melee weapon. How can I easily deal with things that want to get in my face? smoke bomb seems like a decent choice, but that's going off of the 5th ed rule where you can't get reaction attacks if you can't see the thing provoking... Here you take an attack as soon as you try to throw a bomb, right?

[Florian]

Every feat that works with spells, works with bombs, like PBS. Feats that specifically work on weapons don't work on bombs, like Power Shot or Multishot. But: Playing a bomber, you´ll most likely carry a bow as a backup weapon, so...

Take a look at this guide, it´s actually quite handy and should explain a lot of things: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hChbcEsEfQsR7NkwKlzO-GLYtrOtxlkGHpRQgKKZ5gc/edit#

[Sayt]

Vital strike is a trap, doubly so on Alchemist, since their damage dice is considered 1d6, and every subsequent d6 is considered bonus damage and is not multipliedby vital strike.

Point blank shot does not have a restriction against touch attacks. Deadly aim is irrelevant to point blank shot, which you can tell because they completely fail to reference each other.

[Geddy2112]

From the alchemist bomb class feature-"Bombs are considered weapons and can be selected using feats such as Point-Blank Shot and Weapon Focus". Point blank shot is explicitly stated here, and since they count as a ranged weapon all ranged weapon feats work here.

For feats-most alchemists can find 1-2 discoveries they want for extra discoveries. As a bomber, you need several different types of bombs to overcome resistance/immunity to damage and for utility/debuff/battlefield control.

Infusion is basically a discovery tax, and worth blowing a feat to get if you don't take it as your first discovery.

The best plan is to not get attacked in melee. If you can, just 5 foot step back and bomb your enemies. I would consider taking precise bombs so you won't get hosed if your allies are in the splash zone. This has an added benefit that you can throw a bomb at somebody right in front of you and exclude yourself from the blast(although you still provoke an AoO from making a bomb)

Use your extracts to buff your defenses and mobility to avoid melee or mitigate it if it happens.

[Firest Kathon]

If you are playing a bomb-oriented alchemist, then Precise Bombs (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/discoveries/paizo-alchemist-discoveries/precise-bombs/) is a discovery you just have to take, because your teammates will be in melee sooner rather than later. For feats, I feel like Point-Blank Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/point-blank-shot-combat-final/) and Precise Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/precise-shot-combat-final/) are required (the former as a prerequisite for the latter) because you will be throwing into melee most of the time.

If your group usually has longer adventuring days and you tend to run out of bombs (or prefer to keep them for big encounters), the alchemist gets something out of Focused Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/focused-shot-combat/) - you have a decent Int anyways, and you do not get iterative attacks until level 8 anyways.

Other than that, have a look at the handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?293307-Chasing-the-Philosopher-s-Stone-N-Jolly-s-guide-to-the-Pathfinder-Alchemist).

[Psyren]

Feats that specifically work on weapons don't work on bombs, like Power Shot or Multishot.

This is false, bombs are considered weapons and you can use weapon feats on them. Deadly Aim is specifically disallowed because bombs are touch attacks, but many of the others (including PBS and Precise Shot) do work.

Manyshot doesn't work because it specifies bows, not because bombs aren't weapons. Not sure what Power Shot is (unless that's a translation of Deadly Aim.)



3) not feat related, but I intentionally omitted taking a melee weapon. How can I easily deal with things that want to get in my face? smoke bomb seems like a decent choice, but that's going off of the 5th ed rule where you can't get reaction attacks if you can't see the thing provoking... Here you take an attack as soon as you try to throw a bomb, right?

For most enemies, a 5-foot step will take you out of the danger zone so you can bomb without provoking. There are also various buffs you can use, like flight or spider climb, to stay away from melee foes. The best answer though is simply to have meatshields - your party primarily, but if you expect the front-line to be light, you can look into taking an archetype like Preservationist to turn your Alchemist into a summoner. Finally, battlefield control and debuffs from your bombs will also give you a layer of security via things like Smoke Bombs, Stink Bombs and Force Bombs.

[Florian]

Infusion is basically a discovery tax, and worth blowing a feat to get if you don't take it as your first discovery.

How Infusion should be rated pretty much hinges on how toe rest of the party looks. Having a cleric and wizard along? Just drop it. You´re the only healer around? Then it´s mandatory.

As we´re speaking about bombs: 2nd - Frost, 4th - Stink, 6th - Void.

[Pugwampy]

Take the Brew Potion feat . :smallbiggrin:

[Psyren]

How Infusion should be rated pretty much hinges on how toe rest of the party looks. Having a cleric and wizard along? Just drop it. You´re the only healer around? Then it´s mandatory.

It's worth noting though that Infusion can provide buffs the wizard and cleric can't - including personal range stuff like Alter Self, Planar Adaptation, and Paragon Surge. Another advantage is that Infusion buffs are quiet (no verbal components to drinking) so if your party comes across some enemies, you can take a round or two to buff up without alerting them.

Another advantage to Infusion is that it uses the target's actions rather than the caster's. If you hand out your infusions before combat, everyone can buff themselves during the surprise round, instead of the caster only being able to get a single spell off.

So even if you have other casters around, Infusion can still be very helpful.

[Foxhound438]

Take the Brew Potion feat . :smallbiggrin:

Ah, thank you! I didn't even think to- wait a second -_-

anyways, thanks for all the advice.

[souridealist]

If you're worried about AOs, would it be worth looking at Dodge and Mobility? Mobility doesn't help against AOs provoked by using a ranged weapon, but it does at least help you get away from anyone who is trying to get up in your face. And IMO Dodge is a feat that's almost always useful if you have the Dexterity to take it.

Can I ask why you chose not to carry a melee weapon? I usually have my casters carry a quarterstaff or a dagger just in case; if nothing else, it lets you cause someone to be flanked. And from an RP standpoint, a quarterstaff is useful as a walking stick and way to prod suspicious objects, and a dagger is good for cutting a lot of things that aren't enemies, such as ropes and steaks, so it never felt weird to me to have a wizard carrying one. That's just my way of doing it, though!

[Psyren]

A dagger is also useful if you get swallowed, need to cut ropes, etc. An adamantine dagger even moreso as you can cut through thinner barriers like doors, bars, boxes/chests etc.

[Foxhound438]

If you're worried about AOs, would it be worth looking at Dodge and Mobility? Mobility doesn't help against AOs provoked by using a ranged weapon, but it does at least help you get away from anyone who is trying to get up in your face. And IMO Dodge is a feat that's almost always useful if you have the Dexterity to take it.

Can I ask why you chose not to carry a melee weapon? I usually have my casters carry a quarterstaff or a dagger just in case; if nothing else, it lets you cause someone to be flanked. And from an RP standpoint, a quarterstaff is useful as a walking stick and way to prod suspicious objects, and a dagger is good for cutting a lot of things that aren't enemies, such as ropes and steaks, so it never felt weird to me to have a wizard carrying one. That's just my way of doing it, though!

the -4 to strength score makes my melee attacks flat useless.