Apothecary (3.5e NPC Class)

Author: Ganteka Future (talk) Date Created: 23 February 2015 Status: Tentative Completion Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Apothecary

The apothecary makes alchemical items, brews potions, serves as a healer and occasionally sells poisons in the back room if you're into that sort of thing. They often make a fair bit of coinage, but most of it goes into overhead for a shop and the cost of living. They usually multi-class into expert after 6th level.

While the apothecary has fair combat potential for a lower balance range game, it's basically "Down Time Economy: The Class" and really isn't intended for adventuring PCs, though it may work for some styles of games.

Abilities: Intelligence is primary for apothecaries as it fuels their skill points and is the key ability for crafting.

Starting Age: Moderate.

Table: The Apothecary

Hit Die: d6

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Spell Component	Alchemical Resistance
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Crafty, Spell Component	0	+0
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Alchemical Resistance, Alternative Methods, Identification (magic items)	1st	+1
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Batch Production (4)	1st	+2
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Identification (curses & drawbacks)	2nd	+3
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Master's Laboratory	2nd	+4
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Batch Production (6), Identification (artifacts)	3rd	+5
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (nature) (Int), Psicraft (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Psionic Device (Cha).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the apothecary.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Apothecaries are proficient with light armor and simple weapons. They often have to gather materials in dangerous places (or from dangerous beasties) and have some capacity to protect themselves.

Crafty (Ex): A 1st level apothecary starts with an alchemist's lab which provides a +2 circumstance bonus on Craft (alchemy) skill checks. In addition, an apothecary simplifies everything down to the essentials and multi-use tools. The lab only weighs 5 pounds (instead of 40). She may gather and purchase new tools for a new lab for only 50 gp, though non-apothecaries won't be able to use such a sparse set for the bonus.

Her crafting in this way is done by the hour. To craft an alchemical item, she must gather raw materials worth 1/3rd the market cost and make a check for an hour's work. If the check result equals the DC to craft the item, the item is completed. If the DC isn't met, write down the result as progress. When working on the project again, add any previous results to your next check until the result equals or exceeds the DC. Any exceeded result amount may be put forth as effort on another project so long as the materials are available.

To get raw materials, you can purchase generic "raw materials" from other apothecaries or you may gather materials from a wild source, making either a Knowledge (nature) or Survival skill check to represent 1 hour of gathering. Your result is equal to the gp value of the raw materials you gather, depleting that area of resources until renewable sources refresh themselves over time.

Certain special raw materials may only be used toward the creation of certain items.

She may use her ranks in Craft (alchemy) to create poisons as well. The DC to craft a poison with her alchemist's lab is twice that of the DC of the poison itself. She still needs 1/3rd the cost of the poison in raw materials. Some poisons may require special raw material ingredients.

She may use her ranks in Craft (alchemy) to create healer's kits as well. The DC to craft this kit with her alchemist's lab is 20 (2 per use of the kit). She still needs 1/3rd the cost of the kit in raw materials.

Spell Component: A 1st level apothecary gains Brew Potion as a bonus feat. She may brew potions with her alchemist's lab. The DC to craft a potion in this way is DC 30 + double the spell's level. She still needs 1/3rd the cost of the potion to brew potions in this way and is limited by what level spells she has or may replicate.

At 1st level, she can replicate all 0-level spells (for the purpose of potion component requirements) using raw materials instead.

At 2nd, 4th and 6th apothecary levels, she gains access to the next level of spells to replicate for her potions.

She gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Use Magic Device for any spell she replicates in this manner.

Alchemical Resistance (Ex): A 2nd level apothecary gains the associated bonus on the table as an alchemical bonus on saves against diseases (but not magical diseases) and poisons. Her ingredients and concoctions have infused themselves with her over constant exposure.

Identification (Ex): A 2nd level apothecary may spend 30 gp in raw materials and 10 minutes to replicate the effects of identify as an extraordinary ability. This determines all magic properties of a single magic item, including how to activate those functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any). At 4th level, she also identifies any curses or drawbacks on the item. At 6th level, she also may identify if it is an artifact.

Additionally, she may double-roll all Appraise skill checks, taking the better of the two die results for her check. Her laboratory now functions as a masterwork tool for Appraise checks for her, so long as it is available.

Alternative Methods (Ex): A 2nd level apothecary may deal nonlethal damage with any of her physical attacks without penalty to her attack roll. She is trained in poison use and never risks accidentally poisoning herself when applying or wielding poison weapons. She may apply a poison as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

Batch Production (Ex): A 3rd level apothecary may instead choose to spend the full market cost in raw materials when making an item with her alchemist's lab to make a batch of 4. However, the produced items have to be tended for another hour (no check) before they're ready to use.

At 6th level, at the same cost, she can make a 6-pack instead of a 4-pack.

Master's Laboratory (Ex): A 5th level apothecary gains a +4 circumstance bonus from her alchemist's lab (instead of +2) for her Craft (alchemy) and Appraise checks.

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