Alchemist
Legacy
Source Core Rulebook pg. 66 4.0
There’s no sight more beautiful to you than a strange brew bubbling in a beaker, and you consume your ingenious elixirs with abandon. You’re fascinated by uncovering the secrets of science and the natural world, and you’re constantly experimenting in your lab or on the go with inventive concoctions for every eventuality. You are fearless in the face of risk, hurling explosive or toxic creations at your foes. Your unique path toward greatness is lined with alchemical brews that push your mind and body to their limits.
Key Attribute: ds At 1st level, your class gives you an ability boost to ds Hit Points: 8 plus your Constitution modifier You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.Key Terms
You’ll see the following key terms in many alchemist abilities.
Additive: Feats with the additive trait allow you to spend actions to add special substances to bombs or elixirs. You can add only one additive to a single alchemical item, and attempting to add another spoils the item. You can typically use actions with the additive trait only when you’re creating an infused alchemical item, and some can be used only with the Quick Alchemy action. The additive trait is always followed by a level, such as additive 2. An additive adds its level to the level of the alchemical item you’re modifying; the result is the new level of the mixture. The mixture’s item level must be no higher than your advanced alchemy level.
Infused: You created an alchemical item with the infused trait using your infused reagents, and it has a limited time before it becomes inert. Any nonpermanent effects from your infused alchemical items, with the exception of afflictions such as slow-acting poisons, end when you make your daily preparations again.
Roleplaying the Alchemist
During Combat Encounters…
You lob bombs at your foes, harry your enemies, and support the rest of your party with potent elixirs. At higher levels, your mutagens warp your body into a resilient and powerful weapon.
During Social Encounters…
You provide knowledge and experience about alchemical items and related secrets, such as poisons and diseases.
While Exploring…
You keep an eye out for trouble with your bombs at the ready, while giving advice on all things alchemical and mysterious. In Downtime… You experiment in an alchemical lab, brewing elixirs, making bombs, and furthering your alchemical knowledge.
You Might…
Enjoy tinkering with strange formulas and alchemical reagents, often with a single-minded dedication and recklessness that gives others pause. Get a kick out of wreaking havoc with the alchemical concoctions you’ve made, and enjoy watching things burn, dissolve, freeze, and jolt. Endlessly experiment to discover new, more potent alchemical tools.
Others Probably…
Think you’re some kind of sorcerer or an eccentric wizard and don’t understand that you don’t cast spells; spellcasters who clumsily dabble in alchemy only heighten this misconception. Don’t understand your zeal for alchemy, creativity, and invention. Assume that if you haven’t caused a catastrophe with your experimentations, you inevitably will.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.
Perception
- Trained in Perception
Saving Throws
- Expert in Fortitude
- Expert in Reflex
- Trained in Will
Skills
- Trained in Crafting
- Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 3 plus your - Intelligence modifier
Attacks
- Trained in simple weapons
- Trained in alchemical bombs
- Trained in unarmed attacks
Defenses
- Trained in medium armor
- Trained in light armor
- Trained in unarmored defense
Class DC
- Trained in alchemist class DC
Class Features
You gain these features as an Alchemist. Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels at which you gain them next to the features’ names.
Ancestry and Background
In addition to the abilities provided by your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background, as described in Chapter 2.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.
Alchemy
You understand the complex interactions of natural and unnatural substances and can concoct alchemical items to meet your needs. You can do this using normal reagents and the Craft activity, or you can use special infused reagents that allow you to craft temporary items quickly and at no cost. Over time, you can create more and more alchemical items for free, and since each of them becomes more and more powerful, you advance in power dramatically, leaving behind those who don’t understand your strange science.
You gain the Alchemical Crafting feat, even if you don’t meet that feat’s prerequisites, and you gain the four common 1st-level alchemical formulas granted by that feat. Alchemical Items can be found here. You can use this feat to create alchemical items as long as you have the items’ formulas in your formula book.
Infused Reagents
You infuse reagents with your own alchemical essence, allowing you to create alchemical items at no cost. Each day during your daily preparations, you gain a number of batches of infused reagents equal to your level + your Intelligence modifier. You can use these reagents for either advanced alchemy or Quick Alchemy, described below. Together, these infused reagents have light Bulk.
As soon as you make your next daily preparations, your infused reagents from the previous day’s preparations are instantly destroyed, and nonpermanent effects of your previous day’s infused items immediately end. While infused reagents are physical objects, they can’t be duplicated, preserved, or created in any way other than your daily preparations. Any such artificial reagents lack the infusion and are useless for advanced alchemy or Quick Alchemy.
Advanced Alchemy
During your daily preparations, after producing new infused reagents, you can spend batches of those infused reagents to create infused alchemical items. You don’t need to attempt a Crafting check to do this, and you ignore both the number of days typically required to create the items and any alchemical reagent requirements. Your advanced alchemy level is equal to your level. For each batch of infused reagents you spend, choose an alchemical item of your advanced alchemy level or lower that’s in your formula book, and make a batch of two of that item. These items have the infused trait and remain potent for 24 hours or until your next daily preparations, whichever comes first.
If you need a specific alchemical item on the fly, you can use your infused reagents to quickly create it with the Quick Alchemy action.
Quick Alchemy
Formula Book
An alchemist keeps meticulous records of the formulas for every item they can create. You start with a standard formula book worth 10 sp or less for free. The formula book contains the formulas for two common 1st-level alchemical items of your choice, in addition to those you gained from Alchemical Crafting and your research field. Alchemical Items can be found here.
Each time you gain a level, you can add the formulas for two common alchemical items to your formula book. These new formulas can be for any level of item you can create. You learn these formulas automatically, but it’s also possible to find or buy additional formulas in settlements or from other alchemists, or to invent them with the Inventor feat.
Sample Formula Book
You can choose any 1st-level common alchemical items for your formula book, but the list below contains a good selection of starter formulas. A beginner’s book with these formulas called The Fundamentals of Alchemy has become popular among mainstream alchemists by staying away from controversial topics like mutagens, though it has drawn criticism from fringe alchemists for guiding fledgling alchemists away from more innovative experiments.
Alchemical Item Formulas: Lesser acid flask, lesser alchemist’s fire, lesser antidote, lesser antiplague, lesser cheetah’s elixir, lesser elixir of life, lesser tanglefoot bag, lesser smokestick.
Research Field
Your inquiries into the alchemical nature of the universe have led you to focus on a particular field of research. You might have a degree from a scientific institute, correspond with other researchers in your field, or work as a genius loner. Choose a field of research.
Your research field adds a number of formulas to your formula book; these are your signature items. When using a batch of infused reagents to create your signature items using advanced alchemy, you create three items instead of two. Each time you gain a level, you can swap one of your signature items with another formula in your formula book. This new signature item must be on your research field’s list of possible signature items.
Research fields can be found here.
Alchemist Feats
At 1st level and every even-numbered level thereafter, you gain an alchemist class feat.
Skill Feats Level 2
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. Skill feats can be found in Chapter 5 and have the skill trait. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.
General Feats Level 3
At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat. General feats are listed in Chapter 5.
Skill Increases Level 3
At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase either to increase your proficiency rank to trained in one skill you’re untrained in, or to increase your proficiency rank in one skill in which you’re already trained to expert.
At 7th level, you can use skill increases to increase your proficiency rank to master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to increase your proficiency rank to legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.
Ability Boosts Level 5
At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it’s already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18.
Ancestry Feats Level 5
In addition to the ancestry feat you started with, you gain an ancestry feat at 5th level and every 4 levels thereafter. The list of ancestry feats available to you can be found in your ancestry’s entry in Chapter 2.
Field Discovery Level 5
You learn a special discovery depending on your field.
See specific research fields for more information.
Powerful Alchemy Level 5
Alchemical items you create on the fly are particularly potent. When you use Quick Alchemy to create an infused alchemical item that allows a saving throw, you can change its DC to your class DC.
Alchemical Weapon Expertise Level 7
You’ve trained to more effectively wield the weapons you find in your lab. Your proficiency ranks for simple weapons, unarmed attacks, and alchemical bombs increase to expert.
Iron Will Level 7
Your mental defenses are an iron fortress. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to expert.
Perpetual Infusions Level 7
You have learned how to create perpetual alchemical infusions that can provide a near-infinite supply of certain simple items. You gain the ability to create two 1st-level alchemical items using Quick Alchemy without spending a batch of infused reagents. The items you can select depend on your research field and must be in your formula book.
See specific research fields for more information.
Alchemical Expertise Level 9
Constant practice has increased the effectiveness of your concoctions. Your proficiency rank for your alchemist class DC increases to expert.
Alertness Level 9
You remain alert to threats around you. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to expert.
Double Brew Level 9
You know your formulas so well that you can concoct two items at once. When using the Quick Alchemy action, instead of spending one batch of infused reagents to create a single item, you can spend up to two batches of infused reagents to make up to two alchemical items as described in that action. These items do not have to be the same.
Juggernaut Level 11
Your body has become accustomed to physical hazards and resistant to pathogens and ailments. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Fortitude save, you get a critical success instead.
Perpetual Potency Level 11
Your perpetual infusions improve, allowing you to use Quick Alchemy to create more powerful items with no cost. The items you can select depend on your research field and must be in your formula book.
See specific research fields for more information.
Greater Field Discovery Level 13
You learn an incredible discovery that advances your understanding of your field.
See specific research fields for more information.
Medium Armor Expertise Level 13
You’ve learned how to dodge while wearing medium, light or no armor. Your proficiency ranks for medium armor, light armor, and unarmored defense increase to expert.
Weapon Specialization Level 13
You’ve learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master, and to 4 if you’re legendary.
Alchemical Alacrity Level 15
Your comfort in concocting items is such that you can create three at a time. When using the Quick Alchemy action, you can spend up to three batches of infused reagents to make up to three alchemical items as described in that action. These items do not have to be the same, and you automatically stow one of these new items as you create them.
Evasion Level 15
You’ve learned to move quickly to avoid explosions, dragon’s breath, and worse. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Reflex save, you get a critical success instead.
Alchemical Mastery Level 17
Your alchemical concoctions are incredibly effective. Your proficiency rank for your alchemist class DC increases to master.
Perpetual Perfection Level 17
You have perfected your perpetual infusions, allowing you to use Quick Alchemy to create even more powerful items at no cost. The items you can select depend on your research field and must be in your formula book.
See specific research fields for more information.
Medium Armor Mastery Level 19
Your skill with armor improves, increasing your ability to dodge blows. Your proficiency ranks for medium armor, light armor, and unarmored defense increase to master.