Need Feats for an Alchemist Villain

[Madokar]

So I'm putting together a campaign. One of the main villains of the narrative is an Alchemist from the Cult of Haagenti. He has the Oenopion Researcher and Vivisectionist Archetypes. His overall role in the campaign is to develop a mutagen that affects multiple people and species simultaneously and to produce mooks via fleshwarping, golems, and anthropomorphic awakened animals.

His discoveries are Feral Mutagen, Infusion, Promethean Disciple, Alchemical Simulacrum, Doppelganger Simulacrum, Greater Mutagen, Greater Alchemical Simulacrum, Grand Mutagen, and Chameleon.

However, I have no idea what his feats should be. Right now, it's totally bogged down with Extra Discovery. The only concrete feats outside of Extra Discovery are Fleshwarper, Demon Grafter, and Power Attack. He's human (for now), and his racial bonus feat is Skill Focus (UMD).

[Geddy2112]

I would consider getting the tumor familiar, preserve organs, and mummification discoveries, even if you are using extra feats to get these. You don't want your BBEG getting killed with a lucky crit or a save or suck spell. What level is the build(or how many feats)? There is a good guide to the alchemist (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hChbcEsEfQsR7NkwKlzO-GLYtrOtxlkGHpRQgKKZ5gc/edit) that covers feats and is worth a read.

If you are going power attack, cornagun smash is decent unless all of your PC's are immune to fear.

[Madokar]

I would consider getting the tumor familiar, preserve organs, and mummification discoveries, even if you are using extra feats to get these. You don't want your BBEG getting killed with a lucky crit or a save or suck spell. What level is the build(or how many feats)? There is a good guide to the alchemist (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hChbcEsEfQsR7NkwKlzO-GLYtrOtxlkGHpRQgKKZ5gc/edit) that covers feats and is worth a read.

If you are going power attack, cornagun smash is decent unless all of your PC's are immune to fear.

I see him around lvl. 18. And he's not the big bad. He's the brains of the cult, but not it's leader. That would be the Antipaladin. Nice list of feats, though. Thanks for the resource!

[ElFi]

Add in Die For Your Master to go along with the aforementioned discoveries, and maybe Craft Construct so he can make his own golem bodyguards. Extend Spell (the rules are hazy as to whether metamagic can be used on extracts, but I'd allow it) paired with Greater Invisibility would make for an absolutely terrifying combat encounter as the invisible mad scientist tears apart the party with sneak attacks and feral-mutagen claws. Extend Spell in general is great for alchemists, due to how buff-heavy their fighting style tends to be.

Beyond that, it kinda depends on what kind of alchemist you're going for here. The discovery list suggests a Master Hyde build, but what would battles with this guy look like? Does he fight alongside his minions, or hang back and sling crowd control into the fray? Is he a face-smasher or a bit more cunning?

[Madokar]

Add in Die For Your Master to go along with the aforementioned discoveries, and maybe Craft Construct so he can make his own golem bodyguards. Extend Spell (the rules are hazy as to whether metamagic can be used on extracts, but I'd allow it) paired with Greater Invisibility would make for an absolutely terrifying combat encounter as the invisible mad scientist tears apart the party with sneak attacks and feral-mutagen claws. Extend Spell in general is great for alchemists, due to how buff-heavy their fighting style tends to be.

Beyond that, it kinda depends on what kind of alchemist you're going for here. The discovery list suggests a Master Hyde build, but what would battles with this guy look like? Does he fight alongside his minions, or hang back and sling crowd control into the fray? Is he a face-smasher or a bit more cunning?

He already gets Craft Construct from the Promethean Disciple Discovery. So that's covered. Extend Spell is iffy. Extra Discoveries can be used to gain Extend Potion, but that doesn't apply to Extracts as I see it. Though I could change my mind later on.

Due to his Sneak Attack ability from the Vivisectionist Archetype, he'd benefit the most from fighting alongside minions. He has a ton of powerful natural attacks due to him using his Doppelganger Simulacrum to apply some Fleshgrafts to himself after he's perfected the procedure. He has a stinger tail that does 1d6 piercing damage with a poison effect 3/day, and burrowing claws that deal 1d8 slashing damage. There's also his poison fangs, which gives his bite attack a poison effect 3/day. He has a carapace that grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Natural Armour. This is all BEFORE he drinks his mutagen, which grants alchemist enhancements. Except for the claws and bite attack. He uses which ever damage die is highest. He's used a Scroll of Permanancy to make his Enlarge Person Extract last forever, and he tops it off with a dose of Transformation as he enters combat.

After all the fleshgrafting, I'm going to have his type switch to Aberration (augmented human). He's also performed enough operations and experiments on prisoners and slaves that he's found a way to apply fleshgrafts that don't apply a penalty. Which is why he underwent the procedure himself.

[Ellrin]

Metamagic explicitly doesn't work with alchemy, I think it's in one of the FAQs. That said, alchemists can get Greater Invisibility forever with the Eternal Potion discovery and a potion-making summoner buddy(/slave) of 7th level or higher.

You can make a really good reach build with an alchemist, as well--with access to the Monstrous Physique line of spells, they can turn into forms with 10'+ reach, add the fluid form and/or long arm extracts for up to another 15', and get all this on forms with 6 natural attacks (the 4-armed gargoyle, calikang, and gegenees probably being the best first party forms for this). With the Combine Extracts discovery or some admixture vials and poisoner's gloves, you can get all these extracts and potions downed in the space of two rounds tops, one if you forego the eternal potion and just use your own greater invisibility extract.

Then while the party is focused on the minions, you walk in with 6+ attacks and just go nuts sneak attacking anything that has the temerity to move. Add in high Dex and Combat Reflexes to turn yourself into a blender.

Of course, if somebody casts antimagic field while you're in the middle of the party's heavy hitters, you could be right screwed.

[ATHATH]

Metamagic explicitly doesn't work with alchemy, I think it's in one of the FAQs. That said, alchemists can get Greater Invisibility forever with the Eternal Potion discovery and a potion-making summoner buddy(/slave) of 7th level or higher.

You can make a really good reach build with an alchemist, as well--with access to the Monstrous Physique line of spells, they can turn into forms with 10'+ reach, add the fluid form and/or long arm extracts for up to another 15', and get all this on forms with 6 natural attacks (the 4-armed gargoyle, calikang, and gegenees probably being the best first party forms for this). With the Combine Extracts discovery or some admixture vials and poisoner's gloves, you can get all these extracts and potions downed in the space of two rounds tops, one if your forego the eternal potion and just use your own greater invisibility extract.

Then while the party is focused on the minions, you walk in with 6+ attacks and just go nuts sneak attacking anything that has the temerity to move. Add in high Dex and Combat Reflexes to turn yourself into a blender.

Of course, if somebody casts antimagic field while you're in the middle of the party's heavy hitters, you could be right screwed.
Isn't there an archetype for the alchemist that gives them access to the Beast Shape line of spells (or something similar to them) as extracts? Can you stack the benefits of Monstrous Physique line of spells on top of that?

[ElFi]

Isn't there an archetype for the alchemist that gives them access to the Beast Shape line of spells (or something similar to them) as extracts? Can you stack the benefits of Monstrous Physique line of spells on top of that?

Beastform archetype, but they've already got two archetypes stacked on the class right now. Any more might be pushing it. And no, I'm pretty sure polymorph effects such as the Beast Shape and Monstrous Physique lines don't stack with each other, which was one of the major nerfs made to transmutation spells in the jump from 3.5 to PF.

And to add to the above, an Improved Familiar with poisoner's gloves will definitely speed up any extract-buffing by quite a bit (whether or not a monkey familiar can use poisoner's gloves is unknown, but I believe the writers have confirmed that certain Improved familiars can).

[Madokar]

How would he get a familiar outside of the Tumour Familiar Discovery?

[eldskald]

How would he get a familiar outside of the Tumour Familiar Discovery?

Homunculist archetype. You would need to get mutagen as a discovery, though.


And to add to the above, an Improved Familiar with poisoner's gloves will definitely speed up any extract-buffing by quite a bit (whether or not a monkey familiar can use poisoner's gloves is unknown, but I believe the writers have confirmed that certain Improved familiars can).

Extra Item Slot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/extra-item-slot) works with any familiar of any shape. Let that viper use those gloves =P

[Madokar]

Homunculist archetype. You would need to get mutagen as a discovery, though.



Extra Item Slot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/extra-item-slot) works with any familiar of any shape. Let that viper use those gloves =P

I don't think I'll tack on another Archetype solely to get a class feature I wasn't planning on using.

[Ellrin]

I don't think I'll tack on another Archetype solely to get a class feature I wasn't planning on using.

There are other ways to get familiars, of course. Variant Multiclassing is a decent option, especially if you're not sure what else to do with your feats--you can VMC Sorcerer to get the arcane bloodline (3rd level), VMC Wizard to get a familiar (3rd level), VMC Magus and take the familiar arcana (7th level), or VMC Witch to get a familiar (3rd level). I'd say Wizard (since you also get school powers) and Magus (since you get two other arcana and an arcane pool) are your most powerful options there, and you're already Int-based so there's ability synergy built in.

You can also level dip any class that would give you a familiar at first level, which is a pretty similar selection to VMC. I know there are certain archetypes and domains that give access to familiars at first level for less obvious classes, as well--I know Druids can take the Eagle domain to get a hawk familiar, for instance, which should qualify you to grab Improved Familiar.

Then there's feats--you need Skill Focus in a Knowledge skill and Cha 13 to qualify, but Eldritch Heritage (Arcane Bloodline) will get you a familiar, as well. Iron Will and Familiar Bond will get you there, as well, but you miss out on many of the better features of having a familiar.

[Madokar]

There are other ways to get familiars, of course. Variant Multiclassing is a decent option, especially if you're not sure what else to do with your feats--you can VMC Sorcerer to get the arcane bloodline (3rd level), VMC Wizard to get a familiar (3rd level), VMC Magus and take the familiar arcana (7th level), or VMC Witch to get a familiar (3rd level). I'd say Wizard (since you also get school powers) and Magus (since you get two other arcana and an arcane pool) are your most powerful options there, and you're already Int-based so there's ability synergy built in.

You can also level dip any class that would give you a familiar at first level, which is a pretty similar selection to VMC. I know there are certain archetypes and domains that give access to familiars at first level for less obvious classes, as well--I know Druids can take the Eagle domain to get a hawk familiar, for instance, which should qualify you to grab Improved Familiar.

Then there's feats--you need Skill Focus in a Knowledge skill and Cha 13 to qualify, but Eldritch Heritage (Arcane Bloodline) will get you a familiar, as well. Iron Will and Familiar Bond will get you there, as well, but you miss out on many of the better features of having a familiar.

It just seems like it would be too much work to get something I wasn't planning on using. A familiar also feels like it goes against what I feel he would fight in combat. I'm not looking to min-max him. If there is a chink in his build that the PCs can exploit, all the better. He serves a narrative purpose, and he needs to die at some point in the campaign.

[Ellrin]

It just seems like it would be too much work to get something I wasn't planning on using. A familiar also feels like it goes against what I feel he would fight in combat. I'm not looking to min-max him. If there is a chink in his build that the PCs can exploit, all the better. He serves a narrative purpose, and he needs to die at some point in the campaign.

That's fair, you don't even need a familiar for the strategy I suggested earlier. Just thought I'd point out the other possibilities, since the subject had been brought up.