Alchemist Class- Pathfinder

[mooseofshadows]

I'm starting a Pathfinder game sometime in January. It's my first time playing pathfinder, but I've played 3.5 for a long time now. I wanted to get some opinions on the Alchemist class. Has anyone played it? Is it a strong/useful class? Is it as fun to play as it looks? Any crippling weaknesses/great strengths? I'm not great at telling how well a class will play out in comparison to others. I'm also kind of curious about the prestige class Master Chymist, and I'm thinking of taking an alchemist in that direction.

tl;dr: What are your thoughts on the alchemist class?

links just in case:

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/a...alchemist.html

http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/a...erChymist.html

[Kilbourne]

Here is a lovely guide to the two main "builds" an Alchemist will generally take, written in a clear style by one of the Pathfinder forums members. It may be a very good place to start.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

I've got one that I'm using for Pathfinder Society play - he's a Jekyll & Hyde type, focused on melee. They can make pretty brutal grapplers, with their easy access to size increases, natural weapons, and strength boosters. They also make great trippers (use fluid form for +10, Lunge for +5, and size increases for +whatever) for many of the same reasons (your Mutagen can give you Dex bonuses to fuel combat reflexes as well).

I haven't tried the bomber route, but bombs do make a good opening move, if you're not engaged in melee yet. I think the real problem of going the bomber route is you have a limited number of bombs per day (whereas my grappler has essentially free access to his mutagen all of the time).

The Master Chymist is pretty cool. Not the strongest PrC (for most builds you're better with straight Alchemist) but I really like the Mutagenic Form (which gives a definite Jekyll/Hyde vibe) from a flavor perspective. It's also good to keep your Mutate ability in reserve, in case you get ambushed and need your mutagen now.

All in all, it's a pretty fun class, not as powerful or versatile as the wizard, but makes a decent skill monkey/brawler. At least in my experience.

[Gnaeus]

Just a couple of things I wanted to point out...

1. Accelerated drinker trait (its in the Chelliax book) lets you drink a potion, or presumably an alchemical infusion, as a move action. If you walk around with a good buff potion in your hand, that is like having a free quickened buff at the beginning of every fight.

2. If 3.5 books are in play, take the Delay Potion feat from complete mage. That lets you drink a potion before you start adventuring, then activate it as a swift action. Yes, thats a second quickened buff at the beginning of each fight.

3. PF craft rules for potions are VERY generous. You can craft for 2 hours per day while adventuring, and conveniently you can brew a level 1 potion in 2 hours. The DC to craft a level 1 potion of a spell you don't know and which may not even be on your list is 11. A level 1 alchemist with a masterwork tool and an 18 int cannot fail that check. You can and should brew a potion every single day, even while adventuring. (You can brew 4 level 1 or 2 level 2 or 3 potions per actual 8 hour day of crafting).

[mooseofshadows]

These are all very helpful. Thanks!