Alchemist (3.5e Class)


 * This is the Book of Elements Alchemist. You may be looking for the Mana Alchemist or the Prestige Class Alchemist

Summary::Tome of Element Alchemist Length::12 Minimum Level::1 Base Attack Bonus Progression::Moderate Fortitude Save Progression::Good Reflex Save Progression::Good Will Save Progression::Poor Class Ability::Other Class Ability Progression::Full

Allowed Alignments::Lawful Good Allowed Alignments::Lawful Neutral Allowed Alignments::Lawful Evil Allowed Alignments::Neutral Good Allowed Alignments::Neutral Allowed Alignments::Neutral Evil Allowed Alignments::Chaotic Good Allowed Alignments::Chaotic Neutral Allowed Alignments::Chaotic Evil

==Alchemist== ==Alchemist== ""Sorry. Here, take this potion with every meal, three times daily, and you should be back to your normal self in no time." "Ribbit""

Summary::Alchemists use magic by mixing rare and magical components. They make potions, oils, grenades, and all manner of other items, providing invaluable services to other adventurers.  When drawn to adventure, they apply their unique talents, a combination of esoteric knowledge of magical components and a strong throwing arm, to solve problems, whether with subtle poisons or with a loud bang.

Making an Alchemist
As an Alchemist, your niche is as a supporting magic user. You also have the ability to throw large amounts of alchemical substances at people to damage them, but your primary tool are your spell bombs and resins.

A Note on Skills: Alchemy is listed as a class skill for Alchemists. With a class focused on alchemy, folding it into Craft is a bad idea, especially with Craft reduced to one skill. Also, the abilities it had to identify things in 3.0 come back online. Identifying a magic liquid, such as a potion, takes an hour and a DC 20 Alchemy check, and costs 1 gp for reagents. There is no possibility to misidentify it. Adepts, Wizards, Sorcerers, Beguilers, Dread Necromancers, Summoners, Fire Mages, Snowsouls, and Windseekers all have Alchemy as a class skill. This series will also eventually split Trapping off from Craft.

Races and People: Alchemists arise in practically any race that commonly produces its own goods, and even a few that don't. Alchemists generally live outside of the societies that support them, or in less dense societies, though, due to the dangers of alchemy. A good many Alchemists are gnomes, due to the race's natural talent. Goblins also take naturally to Alchemy and so produce a disproportionate number of Alchemists, and many orc tribes have an Alchemist member, never fully accepted but always needed.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Alchemist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Alchemist is proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.



0th&mdash; Arcane Mark, Light, Mending, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue

1st&mdash; Alarm, Bless Water, Cure Light Wounds, Curse Water, Endure Elements, Enlarge Person, Grease, Inflict Light Wounds, Jump, Magic Weapon, Reduce Person, True Strike

2nd&mdash; Arcane Lock, Bear's Endurance, Blindness/Deafness, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Continual Flame, Cure Moderate Wounds, Darkvision, Eagle's Splendor, False Life, Find Traps, Fox's Cunning, Human Form, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Invisibility, Lesser Restoration, Levitate, Make Whole, Owl's Wisdom, Resist Energy, See Invisibility, Spider Climb

3rd&mdash; Blink, Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Explosive Runes, Fireball, Fly, Gaseous Form, Greater Magic Weapon, Haste, Inflict Serious Wounds, Keen Edge, Lycanthropy, Neutralize Poison, Poison, Protection from Energy, Rage, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Slow, Suggestion, Water Breathing

4th&mdash; Bestow Curse, Cure Critical Wounds, Death Ward, Dimensional Anchor, Fire Shield, Fire Trap, Freedom of Movement, Greater Invisibility, Inflict Critical Wounds, Monstrous Form, Polymorph Self, Restoration, Stoneskin

5th&mdash; Animal Growth, Break Enchantment, Passwall, Polymorph Other, Raise Dead, Spell Resistance, Transmute Mud to Rock, Transmute Rock to Mud

6th&mdash; Animate Objects, Disintegrate, Fiend Form, Flesh to Stone, Greater Dispel Magic, Harm, Heal, Stone to Flesh

7th&mdash; Dragon Form, Ethereal Jaunt, Finger of Death, Regenerate, Sequester, Wind Walk

8th&mdash; Binding, Clone, Dimensional Lock, Iron Body, Polymorph any Object, Protection from Spells, Temporal Stasis

 (su): Given an hour, an Alchemist may brew two Unstable Potions. This works exactly like brewing a normal potion, except that an unstable potion can only be successfully used by the Alchemist, loses its effectiveness after 24 hours, and it can be created out of scavenged materials for free, except for spell component costs. These potions don't count against the eight magic item limit.



 (ex): An Alchemist gains 4 ranks in Alchemy at 1st level, plus one more rank per class level, in addition to his skill points listed above. If this would put him over his maximum number of ranks for his level, any excess skill points are refunded to be put into other skills. When crafting alchemical items, progress is in gold pieces per day.

He can cast any spell on his spell list at will, but only to satisfy prerequisites while crafting items that aren't scrolls and to qualify for prestige classes. An Alchemist has a caster level equal to his class level, and has access to all spell levels up to half of his class level, rounded up.

See the Secret List, below.

In order to use secrets, the alchemist must keep notes and have access to them. These notes are typically about one page per class level per secret (they may be kept separately or together). Unlike a spellbook, an alchemist's notes can be written on normal paper in normal ink, and can be copied freely by any who understand them. If an alchemist loses his notes, he can re-create them with a day's research work per secret.

Understanding another alchemist's notes requires successful skill checks on at least two of the following skills: Alchemy, Decipher Script, Knowledge (Arcana), and Spellcraft, against DC 20 + the level that the alchemist whose notes are being read had when he last had those notes. If he fails, the alchemist must gain a level before trying again. Once this is done, the alchemist using the notes gains a +2 competence bonus to saves against the writer's alchemical items and spells per secret taken. This bonus lasts one week, and can be regained by reviewing the stolen notes for one hour/secret (no skill check); it does not apply if the writer is at least four levels higher than he was when he wrote the stolen notes.

Additionally, an alchemist can use another's notes (if understood) to create potions. The alchemist using the other's notes may craft as though he knew most of the spells that those Secrets granted to the other alchemist, to a limit of his own level. If the note writer is higher level than the alchemist using the notes, then the notes may be used to grant every spell except for the highest-level spell in that secret that the note-user would have access to. If the note writer is lower-level, then it grants access to every spell in that secret that the writer had access to, except for those of the highest level among them.



Bomb: A Bomb is a flask of liquid that contains a spell effect with at least close range. The spell must have an area or an effect, not a target. Preparing and throwing the bomb is a standard action, like using a potion; it is a grenadelike weapon with a range increment of 10 feet. The spell takes effect as though the thrower cast it, targeted where it lands. A spell with a target line allowing more than one target within a certain distance of eachother can also be made into a bomb. In that case, all targets must be within half of the target-to-target distance of where the Bomb breaks, but the Alchemist can still pick targets separately of throwing the Bomb. A Bomb of up to a 3rd-level spell is priced as a potion.

Weapon Resin: A Weapon Resin is a vial of liquid that can be applied to any melee weapon, manufactured or natural, including thrown weapons. It contains a spell with a range of Touch or greater. When it is applied, the spell charge becomes held by the creature or weapon it is applied to; it may be delivered with a melee touch attack or a melee attack, as normal.

Bombs and Resins follow all the same rules for crafting as Potions do, including prerequisites, time and cost to create, etc.

The Alchemist may brew Bombs and Weapon Resins as his Unstable Potions. When he uses Bombs and Weapon Resins (regardless of their manufacture), they use his intelligence, not the minimum, to set their save DC.

Such items can be crafted from common materials for no cost (except for spell components, if any). He may have up to three such items at any one time, and none may contain spells of his highest available spell level. Only he may use these items; they do not work in the hands of any other. A full set of these items can be crafted in eight hours, only two of which require active work (one hour each at the beginning and end), so they can be worked on, left to sit overnight, and finished. He may craft two additional such items of any spell level available to him, but if he does so, for each one that exists, he can craft one fewer Unstable Potion. These potions don't count against the eight magic item limit. Unstable Potions can be crafted at the same time as items made For Personal Use.

This requires the normal casting time and access to an alchemical lab as a focus.

 (ex): When an Alchemist of at least 4th level uses an alchemical item that he made as a grenadelike weapon, he inflicts bonus damage as listed on the table above. Additionally, he may craft one additional potion, resin, or bomb per day (above the normal one allowed by the Brew Potion feat) per bonus die. This has all of the other normal costs.

When he does so, he may designate the spell's additional targets (he must always be targeted). The potion must contain a spell that has multiple targets in the first place for him to use this ability on it, and he is constrained by the same targeting limitations as the spell. If the potion is Unstable or made For Personal Use, it doesn't count against anyone's eight item limit.

He may single-use liquid wondrous items as though he had the Craft Wondrous Item feat (he must meet all other prerequisites). Such items include all Elixirs, Sovereign Glue, and Universal Solvent

Their components may not be purchased for gold or created with Wish, although they may be purchased for very weak souls, very small amounts of Concentration or Hope, or in large quantities for Raw Chaos. Otherwise they follow standard pricing. Such items may be crafted For Personal Use or made unstable, in which case their parts are free.

Once he has created the stone (which takes a day and access to alchemical supplies, but has no associated cost), he no longer suffers penalties for aging (bonuses still accrue), will never die of old age, and may use the stone to to convert lead into gold, worth up to 10 gp times the cube of the Alchemist's caster level as a full day's work. A Philosopher's Stone is nonfunctional in any hands other than those of an Alchemist of at least 8th level. However, stones have been known to, when stolen by a character of at least 7th level, transmute that character into an 8th-level Alchemist using the level gain and/or rebuild rules.



He may also reconstruct his notes for all secrets without laboratory experimentation given a day.

This is useable once per day, and he may not transmute lead into gold on the same day. Any wish must be paid for, and, of the free wishes, he may only emulate spells, wish for power, or wish for transport.

===Alchemist Secret List:=== Secret of Deception: 1st - Disguise Self. 2nd - Alter Self. 3rd - Illusory Script. 5th - Persistant Image. 6th - Permanent Image. 7th - Simulacrum. 8th - Screen. The item created for Illusory Script is properly called Ink of Illusory Script. It behaves as expected for an oil, except that it must be applied with a pen. Self-targeted spells known due to the Secret of Deception may be made into potions despite their range. Creating a simulacrum counts as crafting (the Alchemist need not first bind the Simulacrum spell into a potion, then create one).

Secret of Emotion:: 1st - Charm Person. 2nd - Detect Thoughts. 3rd - Rage, Suggestion. 4th - Charm Monster. 5th - Dominate Person. 6th - Geas. 8th - Antipathy, Sympathy. 9th - Dominate Monster.

Secret of the Eyes: 1st - Detect Snares and Pits. 2nd - Detect Thoughts. 3rd - Arcane Sight. 4th - Detect Scrying, Scrying*. 6th - True Seeing. 7th - Greater Arcane Sight. 9th - Foresight Alchemists who know the Secret of the Eyes may cast Scrying once per day when not crafting at 7th level, plus once per day per two additional levels (once per day for an Alchemist of at least 11th level if they only have notes to use). This behaves as the arcane spell. Alchemical items of Scrying are typically useless, but can be created.

Secret of Flame: 1st - Lesser Fire Breath. 2nd - Flaming Sphere. 4th - Wall of Fire. 5th - Fire Breath. 6th - Cloudkill. 7th - Waves of Exhaustion. 9th - Greater Fire Breath.

Secret of Hallucination: 1st - Hypnotism. 2nd - Hideous Laughter. 4th - Confusion. 5th - Mind Fog. 6th - Feeblemind. 7th - Insanity. 8th - Irresistible Dance. 9th - Weird.

Secret of Ice: 1st - Polar Ray. 2nd - Glitterdust. 3rd - Cone of Cold. 4th - Ice Storm. 5th - Wall of Ice. 7th - Delayed Blast Coldball, Simulacrum (see Deception). 9th - Frozen Stillness.

Secret of Light: 0 - Flare. 2nd - Color Spray. 3rd - Daylight. 4th - Invisibility Purge. 6th - Undeath to Death. 7th - Sunbeam. 8th - Sunburst. 9th - Prismatic Sphere. Prismatic Sphere can be made into a potion; it behaves as though the imbiber cast the spell.

Secret of Lightning: 1st - Shocking Grasp. 2nd - Shocking Ray. 3rd - Lightning Bolt. 5th - Call Lightning Storm. 6th - Chain Lightning. 7th - Control Weather. 9th - Storm of Vengeance. Alchemists can create Potions of Call Lightning Storm. They behave as though the imbiber cast the spell (they do not target the imbiber).

Secret of Mist: 1st - Fog Cloud. 3rd - Stinking Cloud. 4th - Solid Fog. 5th - Cloudkill. 6th - Acid Fog. 8th - Incendiary Cloud.

Secret of Mortality: 1st - Ray of Enfeeblement. 2nd - Ghoul Touch. 3rd - Ray of Exhaustion. 4th - Enervation. 5th - Waves of Fatigue. 6th - Eyebite. 7th - Waves of Exhaustion. 9th - Energy Drain.

Secret of Plants: 1st - Entangle. 2nd - Barkskin. 3rd - Diminish Plants, Plant Growth. 4th - Antiplant Shell. 6th - Ironwood. 7th - Transmute Metal to Wood. 9th - Shambler.

Secret of Protection: 1st - Protection from Chaos/Protection from Evil/Protection from Good/Protection from Law. 2nd - Protection from Arrows. 3rd - Magic Circle against Chaos/Magic Circle against Evil/Magic Circle against Good/Magic Circle against Law. 4th - Lesser Globe of Invulnerability. 5th - Spell Immunity. 6th - Globe of Invulnerability. 7th - Spell Turning. 8th - Mind Blank. Magic Circle cannot be made into a bomb; Oil of Magic Circle can be made, and must be painted onto the ground. That can still make a mobile circle, though.

Secret of Shadow: 1st - Cause Fear. 2nd - Blur. 3rd - Deeper Darkness. 4th - Shadow Conjuration. 5th - Shadow Evocation. 6th - Shadow Walk. 7th - Greater Shadow Conjuration. 8th - Greater Shadow Evocation. 9th - Shades.

Secret of Summoning: Nth - Summon Monster N. 2nd - Summon Swarm. 4th - Dismissal. 5th - Lesser Planar Binding. 6th - Planar Binding. 7th - Banishment. 8th - Greater Planar Binding.

Secret of Unlife: 1st - Chill Touch. 2nd - Command Undead. 3rd - Animate Dead. 4th - Desecrate. 6th - Create Undead. 8th - Create Greater Undead. 9th - Soul Bind.

Secret of Winds: 1st - Longstrider. 2nd - Gust of Wind. 3rd - Wind Wall. 4th - Air Walk. 6th - Control Winds. 8th - Whirlwind. 9th - Wail of the Banshee.

&rarr; Elementals with Class