Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
The
VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX
is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Best alchemist build
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Todd Roybark" data-source="post: 8033389" data-attributes="member: 6920677"><p>I DM'd a campaign with an Alchemist in it. The subclass features are alright, but can be easily overshadowed, by group composition. The campaign went to 15th level before stopping due to work constraints from the pandemic, (Half the group are medical personnel).</p><p>Some features of the campaign worked in the Alchemist's favor, some did not.</p><p></p><p>In the Favorable Category: It was an urban campaign, (Waterdeep), with Downtime Activities enabled. Allowing an Artificer to use all of their "Adventuring Day Off" spell slots to create Experimental Elixirs for their Adventuring Day, the next day is nice.</p><p></p><p>I also modified Experimental Elixir to allow potions to be created with Artificer spells equal to the spell slot used.</p><p></p><p>In the Negative column: it was an 8 person group, 4 players were Paladins, one other player was an Arcane Domain Cleric. Spell Slot-less Lesser and Greater Restoration, and Heal while useful, were largely, unnoticed due to the PC group composition.</p><p></p><p>A component free Lesser Restoration at 9th level, lacks oomph, if 4 players could remove disease at 1st level via Lay on Hands, and the Cleric of the Arcane could remove hostile spells with Spell Breaker at 6th level. I will stress, the free spells...especially Heal and Greater Restoration are useful, but Spell Breaker steals their Thunder in a large way.</p><p></p><p><em>Alchemical Savant</em> is great. The fact that it is <em>not</em> limited to artificer spells makes it better than an Artillerist's Arcane Firearm.</p><p></p><p>The player wanted to play something akin to a Pyromancer from Song of Fire and Ice.</p><p>Their race was Tiefling, (I allowed them to swap their ability modifiers thus +2 Int, +1 Cha), I also allowed them to swap Thaumaturgy for Green Flame Blade, because green flame and GRRM Pyromancers are thematically linked.</p><p></p><p>Sprinkle in the Flames of Phlegethos and Elemental Adept feats, and it was a potent fire spell caster, and good with Acid Splash etc.</p><p></p><p>While it took some time and effort to setup, at 1st level, the combination of the Snare spell and the Create Bonfire cantrip is <em>Nasty</em>! Really, Quite Nasty!</p><p>(Especially in the sewers of Waterdeep or any corridor like environment.)</p><p></p><p>In a smaller group, with less or no Paladins or Arcane Clerics, the Alchemist would have shined more.</p><p>Multiple Paladin auras and Flash of Genius, is a <em>tremendous combination</em>, the PC group played like <em>it</em> had Legendary Resistance.</p><p></p><p>My personal opinion is that Alchemist Subclass powers are not balanced for the 3rd level subclass cycle...by the level at which the Alchemist powers come online, they are somewhat diluted. Also the Alchemist should be able to make Sovereign Glue and Universal Solvent....WTF Wizards of the Coast.</p><p></p><p>Now, I will add this caveat...the Alchemist was the first Artificer I saw in play. The Artillerist's Protector Eldritch Cannon, is the single most powerful thing at lower tiers....I have not seen the Prot Cannon in play past 6th level. I suspect the Alchemist's Temp HP from Experimental Elixirs will still hold up, as you can in effect have a stockpile if the campaign routinely features Days Off.</p><p></p><p>If not, the magic sprinkler of temp HP that is the Protector Cannon is just amazing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Todd Roybark, post: 8033389, member: 6920677"] I DM'd a campaign with an Alchemist in it. The subclass features are alright, but can be easily overshadowed, by group composition. The campaign went to 15th level before stopping due to work constraints from the pandemic, (Half the group are medical personnel). Some features of the campaign worked in the Alchemist's favor, some did not. In the Favorable Category: It was an urban campaign, (Waterdeep), with Downtime Activities enabled. Allowing an Artificer to use all of their "Adventuring Day Off" spell slots to create Experimental Elixirs for their Adventuring Day, the next day is nice. I also modified Experimental Elixir to allow potions to be created with Artificer spells equal to the spell slot used. In the Negative column: it was an 8 person group, 4 players were Paladins, one other player was an Arcane Domain Cleric. Spell Slot-less Lesser and Greater Restoration, and Heal while useful, were largely, unnoticed due to the PC group composition. A component free Lesser Restoration at 9th level, lacks oomph, if 4 players could remove disease at 1st level via Lay on Hands, and the Cleric of the Arcane could remove hostile spells with Spell Breaker at 6th level. I will stress, the free spells...especially Heal and Greater Restoration are useful, but Spell Breaker steals their Thunder in a large way. [I]Alchemical Savant[/I] is great. The fact that it is [I]not[/I] limited to artificer spells makes it better than an Artillerist's Arcane Firearm. The player wanted to play something akin to a Pyromancer from Song of Fire and Ice. Their race was Tiefling, (I allowed them to swap their ability modifiers thus +2 Int, +1 Cha), I also allowed them to swap Thaumaturgy for Green Flame Blade, because green flame and GRRM Pyromancers are thematically linked. Sprinkle in the Flames of Phlegethos and Elemental Adept feats, and it was a potent fire spell caster, and good with Acid Splash etc. While it took some time and effort to setup, at 1st level, the combination of the Snare spell and the Create Bonfire cantrip is [I]Nasty[/I]! Really, Quite Nasty! (Especially in the sewers of Waterdeep or any corridor like environment.) In a smaller group, with less or no Paladins or Arcane Clerics, the Alchemist would have shined more. Multiple Paladin auras and Flash of Genius, is a [I]tremendous combination[/I], the PC group played like [I]it[/I] had Legendary Resistance. My personal opinion is that Alchemist Subclass powers are not balanced for the 3rd level subclass cycle...by the level at which the Alchemist powers come online, they are somewhat diluted. Also the Alchemist should be able to make Sovereign Glue and Universal Solvent....WTF Wizards of the Coast. Now, I will add this caveat...the Alchemist was the first Artificer I saw in play. The Artillerist's Protector Eldritch Cannon, is the single most powerful thing at lower tiers....I have not seen the Prot Cannon in play past 6th level. I suspect the Alchemist's Temp HP from Experimental Elixirs will still hold up, as you can in effect have a stockpile if the campaign routinely features Days Off. If not, the magic sprinkler of temp HP that is the Protector Cannon is just amazing. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
Best alchemist build
Top