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GFawkes
2011-04-12, 10:28 AM
Chemist

Individually the four elements, like man, are weak. But together they form the mighty fifth element: Boron. --Brother Silence, Dorkness Rising

Some of us got passing grades in Chem. --Redcloak

Prerequsites:
Skills: Craft(Alchemy) 6 Ranks
Spells: Able to cast 3rd level spells, at least one spell able to summon an elemental
Feats: Brew Potion

HD: d6

Proficiences: A Chemist gains no proficiencies.

Skills: (2+INT Modifier Points per Level) Concentration, Craft, Knowledge (All), Spellcraft, Tumble, Use Magic Device

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Abilities|Spellcasting
1|+0|+0|+2|+2|Concoction, For SCIENCE!!, Imbue Mundane|+1 level of pre-existing class
2|+1|+0|+3|+3|Imbue Alchemy|+1 level of pre-existing class
3|+1|+1|+3|+3|Better Elemental|--
4|+2|+1|+4|+4|Imbue Spell|+1 level of pre-existing class
5|+2|+1|+4|+4|Evasion, Expand Splash Radius|--
6|+3|+2|+5|+5|Imbue Poison|+1 level of pre-existing class
7|+3|+2|+5|+5|Efficient Materials|--
8|+4|+2|+6|+6|Imbue Health|+1 level of pre-existing class
9|+4|+3|+6|+6|Better Elemental|--
10|+5|+3|+7|+7|Quick Concoction|+1 level of pre-existing class
[/table]


Concoction: Starting at first level, a Chemist has already begun experimenting. She can create a unique potion known as a concoction. This takes (24-INT Modifier-Chemist Level+WIS Modifier) hours to do, along with (10-Chemist Level) gp worth of material. A chemist can have a total of 2 * (Chemist Level + INT Modifier - WIS Modifier) concoctions at any given point in time. Creating a concoction is a DC 15+ Craft(Alchemy) check.

For SCIENCE!!: A Chemist is always discovering new things. Starting at first level, she adds her chemist level to any check that uses INT as the base skill. However, she also subtracts her WIS Modifier from any such check. It's hard to create military grade explosives when your common sense is yelling not to mix sulfur and charcoal with saltpeter.

Imbue X: A Chemist's concoctions, on their own, are useless. However, a Chemist can imbue certain traits into the concoction. No matter what, though, the total number of imbuements in a concoction has a maximum of (Chemist Level + INT Modifier)

Mundane: A Chemist can use her concoction in place of any common liquid (water, alchohol, ink, etc). This has no effect on the price or DC of a concoction. Any number of Mundane effects can be in any one concoction.

Alchemy: A Chemist can begin expanding on her combinations starting at level 2. She can now imbue the effects of alchemal items (such as antitoxin, tanglefoot, etc) into her concoction. Doing so raises the DC by 1 per Alchemal Imbuement. A Chemist can have as many Alchemal Imbuements as her INT Modifier in any one concoction.

Spell: Remembering her magical roots, a Chemist blends magic into her concoctions. She can imbue the effect of any non-healing spell that either works on contact (such as shocking grasp) or has an area of effect (such as fireball). To do so, the Chemist must have access to the spell components and foci involved, if any. Imbuing a spell increases the Craft DC by the spell's level. A Chemist can imbue up to her Chemist level/3 spells per concoction.

Poison: Most items are dangerous, and a Chemist knows how to utilize this. Starting at 6th level, a Chemist can imbue her concoctions with any poison, even if she doesn't have the materials needed to make that poison. However, this is risky business. Imbuing a poison raises the Craft DC by the poison's save DC. Failure by 4 or less means no further effects were suffered. Failure by 5 or more means that the Chemist has poisoned herself. A Chemist can only imbue one poison per concoction

Health: By limiting and isolating poisons, it is possible to heal instead of harm. A Chemist can imbue any spell with the [heal] tag into her concoctions. If she could not cast healing spells, she can imbue any healing spell that a cleric of half her character level could. Unlike regular healing spells, it will not cause damage to undead. Additionally, a concoction with a healing imbuement need not be drunk to take effect, like a potion of cure light wounds. Adding a healing imbuement raises the Craft DC by 5. Only one healing spell can be imbued per concoction.

Better Elemental: At level 3, then again at level 9, a Chemist chooses one type of elemental other than fire. Any elementals she summons or Wild Shapes into are enhanced as follows

Water: All melee attacks now deal an additional 2d6 acid damage

Air: Being within 10 feet of the elemental now warrants a DC 16 Fortitude Save or be poisoned for 1d4 CON, followed by unconsiousness.

Earth: The elemental gains DR 10/adamantine or magic.

If the Chemist chooses the same element twice, a further enhancement is gained.

Water: The elemental can catch on fire, dealing no damage to itself but dealing 3d6 fire damage to anyone who makes a melee attack.

Air: The elemental will ignite if dealt fire damage, acting as a moving incindiary cloud. This deals no damage to the elemental.

Earth: The elemental deals an additional 4d6 fire damage in melee.

Evasion: One too many concoctions gone bad has taught the Chemist how to move quickly. Any time a Reflex Save for half damage is allowed, a successful save results in no damage being taken.

Expand Splash Radius: When a Chemist throws one of her concoctions, it now affects all creatures within a 15' by 15' area, centered on wherever the concoction landed.

Efficient Materials: When crafting anything other than her own concoctions, a Chemist has the price reduced by 10% for both gp and xp.

Quick Concoction: A Chemist can make a concoction in 5 rounds, ignoring the price. However, this makes it unstable, and it will activate in 3 rounds after creation, even if the chemist still holds it. If a Chemist takes damage while making a Quick Concoction, she must succeed on a Concentration Check (DC= Craft DC) to continue. If she fails this roll, the concoction activates immediately.

Benly
2011-04-12, 01:00 PM
I like the idea, and some of the class features are neat. Unfortunately, having a class that requires third-level spellcasting to get in and keys two of its abilities to spellcasting, but then grants no spellcasting progression is crippling.

I would strongly suggest either giving this class spellcasting progression (7/10 or 8/10 should be okay) or changing the entry requirements and giving it the abiity to cast summoning spells with the concoction ability. Personally, I prefer the latter. ("You fools thought it could not be done! You called me mad, but behold! From these simple constituents, I have created - LIFE!")

Also, there should probably be an option to add personal-range spells to the concoctions, so you can drink your foul mixture and undergo an unnatural transformation.

I would also recommend reducing or removing the cost from lower-powered concoctions as the character levels up - I've just never been a fan of having all your class abilities directly powered by GP. Maybe over the course of experimentation, the chemist is figuring out how to get the less impressive effects just as easily with improvised materials.

GFawkes
2011-04-12, 01:14 PM
Updated to include spell progression and reduced to cost of concoctions.

Benly
2011-04-12, 01:21 PM
3/10 spell progression is not really enough to qualify as spell progression. I think the lowest progression on a published class is 4/10, and that's a class that can be entered without spellcasting at all. On the whole this really feels like a non-spellcasting class that had a spellcasting requirement kind of tacked on in a way.

GFawkes
2011-04-12, 01:58 PM
Consulted with a friend and fixed the spell progression.

Benly
2011-04-12, 02:00 PM
6/10 is more workable, although it should probably be "any pre-existing class" rather than "every pre-existing class". At this point I would consider the class for certain builds, at least.