Proposal: Swift Alchemy

I think the time period is too short. It's almost as good as the 18th level ability but acquired at 2nd level. For example, a 3rd level alchemist would normally take 1-6 days to create an alchemical item. Swift alchemy, by RAW, would drop that to 1-3 days. In comparison, 20 minutes (decreasing to 5 min., then 1 min.) just seems too short to me (a character taking a day out of the adventure to craft could end up with a case of alchemical fire).

I haven't run the numbers for an 8th level alchemist but since the rules don't accommodate construction times less than one day I would prefer the time for LPF Swift Alchemy be set at 4 hours/2 hours/1 hour. I would listen to reasons for decreasing that time.

For now, NO.

GlassEye said:

I think the time period is too short. It's almost as good as the 18th level ability but acquired at 2nd level. For example, a 3rd level alchemist would normally take 1-6 days to create an alchemical item. Swift alchemy, by RAW, would drop that to 1-3 days. In comparison, 20 minutes (decreasing to 5 min., then 1 min.) just seems too short to me (a character taking a day out of the adventure to craft could end up with a case of alchemical fire).

I haven't run the numbers for an 8th level alchemist but since the rules don't accommodate construction times less than one day I would prefer the time for LPF Swift Alchemy be set at 4 hours/2 hours/1 hour. I would listen to reasons for decreasing that time.

For now, NO.

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I disagree with you, GE. There's a world of difference between a 1 minute crafting and a 1 round crafting. You simply can't do the first one in combat. The difference between 5 minutes and 1 minute is almost never going to be significant.

As far as the actual crafting goes, I don't see it as unbalancing in any way. What this basically does is allow an alchemist to do some very limited shopping in mid-adventure. He's already paid for whatever he makes (actually, he's probably more than paid for whatever he makes, given that failure wastes the reagents), and he's already carting are whatever encumbrance worth of materials he's going to use. So there's nothing that an alchemist is getting out of this than convenience and flexibility.

In World of Warcraft terms, you're allowing a character with the engineering skill to have a portable mailbox. I do not think it's game-breaking. To be honest, I don't think it's even particularly game-changing to any significant degree.

The difference between 3 days and 20 minutes seems pretty significant to me but you are probably right that it is not very game-changing. I do like the feel restoring the crafting aspect gives to the alchemist class. I'll consider further; when the other judges weigh in my negative vote might be moot anyway.