Alchemy and Affiliations (serparate q's)

[dvvega]

Q1.
I was just reading the Craft skill to check the Craft(Alchemy) specifics. It states in the little table that you need to be a spellcaster to create Alchemical items (Alchemist's Fire, Sunrod, etc).

Nowhere are the "components" of such items listed, but I would assume that spells are required, otherwise why bother with the whole spellcaster required business.

In addition does this mean I could have a character that cannot cast spells but is a spellcaster such as a Ranger or a Paladin, but can Craft(Alchemy)?

Anyone have any ideas on this rule? Other than house ruling that Alchemists do not need spell casting ability, why is this restriction there?

Q2.
Are affiliations in the PHB2 the same as Organisations in the Complete books? In essence do they behave the same etc?

TIA,
D

 

[Infiniti2000]

Requiring spellcaster to make things with craft (alchemy) is one of those changes that was never explained and makes no sense. For example, anyone can take ranks in craft (alchemy), but only those who are spellcasters can make something? No spells are required, so why spellcaster? Anyway, most people I know and have read about ignore the spellcaster requirement or rewrite every single Expert alchemist out there to be a sorcerer of some sort.

 

[dvvega]

Regarding Craft(Alchemy) pretty much what I thought as well. Okay ... so its one of those editing errors perhaps. Maybe they originally wanted spellcasters to make the items but found that playtesters didn't care much for it.

As to the Affiliations v. Organisations. Anyone have an idea on that?

TIA
D