Battle Chemist (3.5e Prestige Class)

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Author: Eiji-kun (talk)
Date Created: 9-10-12
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You are a master of potions, able to employ them to great effect. 5 3 Moderate Good Good Poor Other Other

Battle Chemist[edit]

Drink this, it's Aitemu-shi's Crimson Bison, it'll give you wings!
—Rad, Human Chemist, Book of Red Lions

Potions are wondrous things. They come both magical and mundane, and provide so many strange and unique effects. Yet they're also too expensive, difficult to use and consume in battle, and provoke in their use. Some, though, have found ways to employ potions in the midst of combat, making them useful buffers and healers of themselves and allies, provided they have the materials.

Becoming a Battle Chemist[edit]

Entry Requirements
Skills: Craft (Alchemy) 6 ranks.
Special: Must have consumed at least 3 potions before.

Table: The Battle Chemist

Hit Die: d6

Level Base
Attack Bonus
Saving Throws Special
Fort Ref Will
1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Bonus Feat, Bottoms Up (move), Discount Crafting, Enhance Potion, Partial Advancement, Potion Crafter, Throw Potion
2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Advanced Potioncraft, Empowered Potion
3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 Bonus Feat, Bottoms Up (swift), Experienced Brewer
4th +3 +4 +4 +1 Extraordinary Potioncraft, Maximized Potion
5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Auto-Potion, Bonus Feat, Bottoms Up (immediate), Improved Throw Potion

Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level.)
Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis).

Class Features[edit]

All of the following are class features of the Battle Chemist.

Bonus Feat: At 1st, 3rd, and 5th level, a battle chemist can select a bonus feat from the following list: Alchemical Mastery, Augmented AlchemyCE, Brutal ThrowCAdv, Far Shot, GrenadierPHB2, Point Blank Shot, Potion Sipper, Power ThrowCAdv, Quick Draw, Skill Focus (craft), or Skill Focus (spellcraft). The battle chemist does not need to qualify for the feat.

Bottoms Up: The battle chemist gains the Bottoms Up feat as a bonus feat. Unlike the normal feat, the battle chemist can use a potion as a move action at 1st level, a swift action at 3rd level, and an immediate action at 5th level (rather than scaling as the normal feat). Swift and immediate actions never provoke attacks of opportunity, and the battle chemist may choose which actions it will take.

Enhance Potion (Ex): The body of the battle chemist learns to absorb the best benefit from potions as possible. Any potion the battle chemist consumes, and any potion the battle chemist makes themselves, has its caster level increased by their battle chemist class level. For example, a 5th level battle chemist consumes a potion of enlarge person (CL 1). It becomes CL 6 for him, lasting 6 minutes instead of 1. The bonus doesn't stack with itself, so a crafted enlarge person potion at level 5 (CL 6th) is still CL 6 when consumed by the battle chemist, not CL 11.

Discount Crafting: The battle chemist can cook up brews for cheap and with less ingredients. The battle chemist receives a 10% discount on the gold cost of any alchemical item, poison, or potion created per level, to a maximum of a 50% discount at 5th.

Partial Advancement: Battle chemist levels stack with levels in one other pre-existing class of your choice (determined each time you take a level of battle chemist) for the purpose of determining abilities based off class level. For example, you can advance caster level, initiator level, sneak attack, rages per day, and other abilities. You do not gain new abilities granted by your class (including greater and mighty rage), nor do you learn any new maneuvers known or spells known.

Potion Crafter: What's a battle chemist without the ability to brew potions? At 1st level the battle chemist gains Brew Potion even if he does not qualify, and uses his character level as his caster level for brewing potions. He can substitute the spells needed for potions by making a Craft Alchemy check, DC 20 + the duplicated spell's minimum caster level (DC 21 for a 1st level potion, DC 37 for 9th level). The battle chemist can only duplicate spells as if he were a spellcaster of his Craft Alchemy ranks -3, and is still limited to 3rd level spells (until advanced potioncraft). If the check fails, he loses the material components and gp cost, but not the XP cost.

The battle chemist can brew a new type of potion called a bomb. Bombs are potions which hold an offensive spell effect. They duplicate the spell, but require a touch attack (via Throw Potion), it only effects a single target even if it was an area or multiple target spell, and the target gets a saving throw if the spell offers one. Because brewing with a high caster level is expensive, most battle chemist stick to debuff effects which are not caster level dependent. Bombs do not have any splash effect.

Throw Potion: The battle chemist gains Throw Potion as a bonus feat, allowing them to affect others with their potion supply.

If the battle chemist throws with a ranged attack roll rather than a ranged touch attack, he may apply his strength to damage as if it were a thrown weapon. This is typically done with offensive potions (bombs).

Advanced Potioncraft: A 2nd level battle chemist is not limited by mere 3rd level spells. He may craft potions of any level.

Empowered Potion (Ex): At 2nd level, any potions a battle chemist crafts himself are automatically empowered (if applicable) without changing the spell level or cost. However, the craft alchemy check to duplicate any spells needed does rise as if a higher level.

Experienced Brewer: At 3rd level, a battle chemist never loses XP for brewing potions. If you already don't pay costs (such as if you're using pathfinder) you gain an additional bonus feat as per the class feature.

Extraordinary Potioncraft (Ex): A 4th level battle chemist uses science just as much as magic. The effects of any potions they have brewed are considered extraordinary effects, rending them incapable of being dispelled and working within an antimagic field. This does not apply to potions with a permanent effect, or offensive potions (bombs).

Maximized Potion (Ex): At 4th level, any potions a battle chemist crafts himself are automatically maximized (if applicable) without changing the spell level or cost. However, the craft alchemy check to duplicate any spells needed does rise as if a higher level. This stacks with Empowered Potion.

Auto-Potion (Ex): A 5th level chemist can react rapidly to changing events. As a standard action at will, the battle chemist can set up an effect like contingency where he will automatically react and deploy a specific potion up to 5th level in response to a particular event, if able. If he is unable to act, or has no potions left this does not go off. Examples include using a cure light wounds potion when taking hp damage, or shield at the beginning of combat. This is a non-action action, and is expended when triggered. Like contingency it may be accidentally triggered if the terms are too broad, and while it is not magical it is the result of muscle memory and twitch reflexes.

Improved Throw Potion: At 5th level, the battle chemist may now use Throw Potion as an attack action. Bombs still require a standard action.

Campaign Information[edit]

Playing a Battle Chemist[edit]

Combat: The chemist is a support role. While they rarely step into the fray, they are there nearby, keeping allies buffed and healed as well as any spellcaster can.

Advancement: The battle chemist is, in a sense, a throwing weapon expert. It's not far from chucking potions to chucking axes. Consider throwing-focused classes.

Resources: Chemists usually work for scientists and militaries, for they provide a good, and nonmagical source of healing that clerics may not always be there to provide. If given the funds, they can have nearly limitless time they can go without needing to rest for more spells per day.

Battle Chemist in the World[edit]

Huh. It tastes like Coke.
—Yunita, Human Battle Chemist

NPC Reactions: Everyone needs the local brewer. Not only do they make life-saving potions and magical doodads, but they can also brew up the best mead this side of a dwarf.

Battle Chemist Lore[edit]

Characters with ranks in Craft Alchemy can research battle chemists to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Craft Alchemy
DC Result
10 Battle chemists are master of potions, able to brew them, and even throw them with great effect on allies.
15 Battle chemists can down their drinks rapidly, gain additional benefit from them, and craft without many of the costs associated with crafting. Some even can make some of their potions non-magical.
20 Powerful battle chemists can buff and heal whole parties in seconds, and throw out powerful bombs with spells levels far beyond any potion could do.
30 Those that reach this level of success can research specific battle chemists, their whereabouts, motives, items they've made, and other details.

Battle Chemists in the Game[edit]

Sample Encounter: The enemy warcamp is kept hale and hearty by a chemist, who keeps healing the enemies you're hurting.

EL 6: PENDING



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Eiji-kun's Homebrew (5605 Articles)
Eiji-kunv
Article BalanceHigh +
AuthorEiji-kun +
Base Attack Bonus ProgressionModerate +
Class AbilityOther +
Class Ability ProgressionOther +
Fortitude Save ProgressionGood +
Identifier3.5e Prestige Class +
Length5 +
Minimum Level3 +
RatingUnrated +
Reflex Save ProgressionGood +
SkillAppraise +, Concentration +, Craft +, Decipher Script +, Gather Information +, Heal +, Knowledge +, Profession +, Search +, Sleight of Hand +, Spellcraft + and Survival +
Skill Points6 +
SummaryYou are a master of potions, able to employ them to great effect. +
TitleBattle Chemist +
Will Save ProgressionPoor +