Alchemist

General topics, including off-topic discussion, goes here.
User avatar
teaman
Posts: 1707
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:04 pm
Contact:

Re: Alchemist

Post by teaman »

Maybe base it off the cleric class and consider the following:

1. Create a custom spell list that gets rid of any divine sort of spells and swap those out with magic user spells that could be created with a thrown potion. Even some things like Charm Person might be accomplished with fumes.
2. Eliminate the Turn Undead ability, but allow them to use edged weapons.
3. Still keep the spells per day restriction, but instead of praying they spend time in the morning preparing their fresh concoctions. Those things don't keep more than a day like mayonnaise in the sun.
4. Some adventuring hooks might include finding new potion components and rare elements. All the chemical reactions and distilling are done offstage during down time.

Just my thought. Heck, might even try to whip up a class like this myself.
Teaman is the sole proprietor of Sharp Mountain Games at roll20 and DTRPG

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/p ... tain-games
http://drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/8418 ... tain-Games
User avatar
burgerbabylon
Posts: 112
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:04 am

Re: Alchemist

Post by burgerbabylon »

I want to put an alchemist together myself. Just getting into the game so gonna play it a bit before I try to break it but something that might be interesting to incorporate is the health risks. Historically alchemists inhaled allot of toxic fumes because they didn't know any better. Maybe it should come with a constitution penalty or a risk of taking damage every time they create something. Then they never really knew what they had so the effects of new potions and poisons could be unpredictable in game. If they start playing around with gunpowder there's the potential for dealing out some mad damage provided they don't blow themselves up. It'd be a cool specialty class that could get big payoffs but offset with risks. New healing potion? Maybe it's poison. New acid? Maybe you just invented magic steroids and turned a little goblin you threw it at into a incredibly buff troll. New magic resistance potion, great that's exactly what it is, but you gave yourself black lung making it. Etc.

My ideas anyway
User avatar
Dimirag
Posts: 3613
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:24 pm
Location: Buenos Aires (C.A.B.A.), Argentina
Contact:

Re: Alchemist

Post by Dimirag »

There is an alchemist on the core rules, although not a class, but can be used as a starting point for one:

They can create potions the same way as Magic Users do.
A MU must be at least 7th Lvl to be able to create potions.
Success chance = 15% plus 5% per level of the spellcaster, plus the spellcaster's full Intelligence -10% per spell level.
Material required = 50 gp per spell level, per day.
Time required = 1 week plus one day per spell level (or equivalent).
-An Alchemist can do it from 1st Level -

Minor Potions:
At double chances and half cost and time, Alchemist can create Minor Potions that work as regular ones but with halved values (duration, damage, effect, etc)


They can investigate new potions at double cost and time.
-I'm not finding rules for MUs researching potions, maybe they can't (they are stuck with existing potions and formulas).


They can't create magic items, but, they can help a MU in the creation of some of them.
-Alchemists can create alchemical metals and alloys.

Ideas for New Special Abilities
-Mixology: Alchemists, at higher levels alchemist can combine 2 potions into one combining both effects.
-Potion Identification
-Lesser Poison creation: by working with dangerous materials, Alchemist learn to do some poison, but these lack the real lethal power of common poisons.
-Inner Alchemy: Alchemist are able to "hold" in their bodies the effect of a couple of potions after drunk.

I would really like to replace the spellcasting with some special ability (specially if maintaining the spell per day table) that lets them being useful while adventuring.
Last edited by Dimirag on Thu Sep 19, 2019 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
Drawing portfolio: https://www.instagram.com/m.serena_dimirag/
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12453
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: Alchemist

Post by Solomoriah »

An Alchemist should be able to produce potions having 1st level effects at 1st level, 2nd level effects at 3rd level, and so on. The GM would have to rule on the "level" of a potion that does not reproduce a known spell. OR, you could provide "potion lists" like the spell lists of magic-users. Researching a potion then becomes a simple matter of researching a spell.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
Zanobious
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2019 7:34 am
Contact:

Adventuring Alchemist/ Crafter

Post by Zanobious »

So i created a character recently who has the Secondary Skill Crafting, Leather (from the Secondary Skills supplement on the Download section). One can assume that the tools required for this can be quite bulky and would require a mule or a cart to move it around the known world. Now, there is a 75% probability that the items would be seperated from the character due to having to "enter the small entrance in the cave wall, climb the cliff side wall, etc..."
SOOOOO.... I have the Basic kit that i use for travelling, which is still bulky, but only 25% so of the complete kit and can be carried in a backpack. He has the complete kit in his home town which he uses as a base of operations. He uses his forraies to gather supplies and materials for his various projects.

Anyways. Thanks for reading! Hope this gives you some ideas!
Take heart! NO not that one, thats the dwarves! Its a figure of speech!
User avatar
Dimirag
Posts: 3613
Joined: Thu Oct 06, 2011 1:24 pm
Location: Buenos Aires (C.A.B.A.), Argentina
Contact:

Re: Alchemist

Post by Dimirag »

I'm slowly (reeeaaally slowly) working on this class...

For the moment it works like this:

The class works different alchemical products (potion, poisons, metals, acids, oozes, and whatever the GM thinks), each product is knows as a "family" and each specific product has its own spell-like formula.

It has 2 main areas: Adventuring and Downtime

It has 4 skill most of which works while on Downtime

Analyze: Used while adventuring to know what an unknown product can do. Its has a chance of success, unless an alchemy kit is used (each kit contains an amount of uses) or the formula is known.

Produce: The creation of products, requires a sample or knowing the formula. Has a chance of success unless the sample has a spell-like level equal or less than half the alchemist's level round up.

Divide: The alchemist can divide a product into smaller quantities which results in lesser effects. Has a chance of success.

Combine: The alchemist has a chance of combining two or more products of the same family resulting in a product with all the effects united.

On the adventuring side is where I'm having issues. The class, as is it now, probably could work for a quasi-class, leaving the adventuring side to the primary class.

Now, in order to be a full class, the alchemist should be viable, not requiring external consumables, one way is to let the alchemist cast spells with transmutation/transmogrification effects, as a sub-magic user it's not out of place, but I'm not sure it gives the right feeling...
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
Drawing portfolio: https://www.instagram.com/m.serena_dimirag/
User avatar
Evil Ben
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2022 8:23 pm

Re: Alchemist

Post by Evil Ben »

Dragon Magazine #2, pages 29 and 30, from August 1976, presented an Alchemist class. The following information is take from (but not directly copied from) that article. If anyone wants a copy of that issue, you might try ebay, Paizo's website (they hold the copyright for the old Dragon Magazines), or acquire the Dragon Magazine 25th Anniversary CDs, probably from ebay.

Prime Wis (both WIS and INT must be 12 or higher)

May use one handed weapons (magic swords excluded) (?).

Use Cleric advancements, save as Fighters. d6 HD.

+2 saves vs poisons and nonmagical paralysis.

May use any potion, but only magic items all classes may use.

Best AC is 5 (15) for some reason. This was written for OD&D.
It doesn't specify what armor an alchemist could use. My guess is the armor can only be up to 5 (15), but DEX mods can take it beyond this. However, interpret as you like. :twisted:

Skipping psionics... :roll:


Abilities: Detect poison, neutralize poison

Neutralize paralysis caused by creature up to twice alchemist's level
(does not affect paralysis caused by magic items for some reason)

Identify potions (this skill used to identify acids as well)

Level specific abilities:
L1 Read languages 80% (one chance per item per week)
Prepare poisons and drugs (drugs can incapacitate, not cause damage)
Prepare a potion of delusion

L3 prepare potions and acids. Potions take 200gp and 1 week per level to prepare.
(Might want to tweak this to be less time consuming).

L5 prepare Blade Venom (whatever that is. will try to find)

L7 read magic as a thief

L9 prepare potions from samples, and increases research into sampled potion by 40% (GM may want to play with this).

Poisons brewed may be up to the alchemist's level in strength and cost 50gp and one day.

Drugs save as poisons a -2 and cost twice as much as poisons. Victim is unconscious for at least four hours, gets a resurrection/constitution save to wake up per hour. (I'd change this to a recurring save vs poison every hour).

Acids are produced by the gallon and cause 1d6 damage per level. Costs 100gp and one day per level to produce. Level equal to alchemist's level.

Researching potions use same system as magic users researching spells.


The skill and potion chart presented is like this:
Detect Neutralize Neutralize ID Potions
L Poison Poison Paralysis Potion 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 20 10 15 5
2 25 15 20 10
3 30 20 25 20 1
4 35 25 30 25 2
5 45 35 40 35 2 1
6 55 45 45 45 2 2
7 60 50 55 50 3 2 1
8 65 55 65 60 4 2 2
9 75 65 75 75 4 3 2 1
10 85 75 85 80 5 3 3 2
11 95 85 95 85 5 4 3 2 1
12 100 90 100 95 6 4 4 2 2
13 100 95 100 100 6 5 4 3 2 1
14 100 100 100 100 7 5 5 3 3 1
15 100 100 100 100 7 6 5 4 3 2
16 100 100 100 100 8 6 6 4 4 2
17 100 100 100 100 8 7 6 5 4 3
18 100 100 100 100 9 7 7 5 5 3
19 100 100 100 100 9 8 7 6 5 4
20 100 100 100 100 10 8 8 6 6 4

Potions at each level are as follows
(#) equals number of packets, pellets or potions produced if greater than one.
L1
Heroism
Giant Strength
Animal Control
Water Breathing
Healing (Cure Light Wounds?)
Purification Powder (10)
Flash Pellets (5)
Dust of Sneezing (10)
Oil of Slipperiness
Tanglefoot Pills (2)

L2
Speed
Levitation
Growth
Diminution
Human Control
Plant Control
Dust of Appearance (10)
Dust of Paralyzation (10)

L3
Superheroism
Polymorph (type of creature declared at potion production)
Fire resistance
Extra Healing (Cure Serious wounds?)
Fly
Clairvoyance
Clairaudience
Dust of sneezing and choking (15)

L4
Invulnerability
Undead Control
Giant Control (type declared at potion production)
Immunity to Lycanthropy
Homunculi Creation

L5
Dragon Control (type declared at potion production)
Gaseous Form
Treasure Finding
Dust of Disappearance (20)
Oil of Etherealness
Cloning Culture

L6
Longevity
Cure Disease
Regeneration
Mind Damp

Explanations
Dust of Sneezing. Save at -2, nonfatal, causes [sneezing] for 2d4 melee rounds.

Flash Pellets. Throw against a hard surface, causes blindness 90% against unwary victims for 2d4 melee rounds

Purification Powder. Purifies unfit food (rotten) into something that can be consumed. Does not neutralize poison or drugs.

Tanglefoot pill. Creates a 10' x 10' area filled with rubbery tentacles that take three rounds for man sized (medium) creatures to traverse. Giants take one round. Lasts for one hour.

Dust of Paralyzation. Save a -2, lasts for one hour

Immunity to Lycanthropy. Protects use for one month. 1% chance of contracting lycanthropy from potion.

Mind Damp. User is immune to psionics, ESP, crystal balls for one week. User may not use these during that time as well.

Other Alchemist abilities:
May decide which potion comes out of a Jug of Alchemy or Beaker of Plentiful Potions
May use Manual of Golems.
The Grimoire of Archaic Alchemy will advance the alchemist one level, add 10k xp to a magic user, and cost a cleric 5d6 dmg and 7k xp. Other classes take 2d10 dmg.
Philosopher Stone. Alchemist may use it to cure disease once per day for free as long as there's a charge. My use it to transmute lead into gold or silver (50-50). Alchemist immune to disease while carrying a philosopher stone. The stone is immune to heat (even dragon breath). Will disintegrate once last charge used.

Poisons. If the strength of the poison is 3 levels higher than the victim's, the poison will kill the victim on a failed save. (probably an OD&D rule. Adjust for Basic Fantasy).

If a poison is <half the victim's level it will SLOW the victim on a failed save, with saves every hour to overcome.

Poison levels accumulate (say a spider has level 3 poison and bites a level 5 fighter. If the spider bites the fighter three times the poison level goes 3,6,9. At the L9 save the fighter will die if he fails his poison save.
Poison reduces at 2 days per level. So a poisoned victim of a level 4 poison would take 8 days for the poison to dissipate. A cleric can (optionally) remove the level of poison equal to his level. These are removed immediately. (Doesn't say how, though)

Blade Venom. A coating for your edged weapon. Costs 200gp and one week to prepare. Save vs poison or die in three rounds. Coating lasts for three hits, three arrows, and 24 hours once coated.
No good story began with a glass of milk :twisted:
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12453
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: Alchemist

Post by Solomoriah »

Wow. OD&D "NPC" classes were weird. (Or did they make the "NPC only" handwave yet in 1976?)
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
leon
Posts: 292
Joined: Sat May 21, 2022 2:28 pm
Location: Martinez, CA
Contact:

Re: Alchemist

Post by leon »

Alternatively, you can do alchemy as a magic item. I've got a Manual of Alchemy that a Magic User or Thief can use to brew potions. Since each potion requires a specific ingredient, it can produce some fun events in the game. The first time the PCs ran in to hill giants, they were really stoked to be able to brew potions of growth. And the thief runs around with empty bottles.
I solemnly swear to fulfill the game master's oath to the best of my ability and judgment.

EmptyZ Campaign Blog: emptyz.com/blog
Personal Blog: leonatkinson.com
User avatar
Boggo
Posts: 1381
Joined: Thu Oct 27, 2022 7:17 pm

Re: Alchemist

Post by Boggo »

Solomoriah wrote: Sat Dec 24, 2022 3:38 pm Wow. OD&D "NPC" classes were weird. (Or did they make the "NPC only" handwave yet in 1976?)
Well that wasn't part of D&D it was someones homebrew class that got picked up by Dragon, there were a LOT of kinda insane classes in Dragon over the years :D

And I don't think the "NPC ONLY" class thing was officially a thing until 3e


Just as my 2c worth, why would an alchemist be a spellcaster? 99% of things known about Alchemists IRL they never claimed to be able to cast spells, just make potions...
No matter where you go...there you are
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 44 guests