Craft (alchemy) now useless for identifying potions?

[Scharlata]

In 3.5, is there any other way to identify potions (correctly) if you don't want to pay 100+ gp for the Identify spell and you don't trust the sampling rules in the DMG p. 229? Identifying a potion via Alchemy (now Craft [alchemy]) is now impossible, or am I missing some rule? By the way, I don't want to pay more than the cost for the Identify spell.

Kind regards

 

[Thanee]

IIRC Spellcraft covers this now.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Vinyafod]

It is now done with Spellcraft. DC 25 to identify a single potion. No retry.

 

[Scharlata]

It is now done with Spellcraft. DC 25 to identify a single potion. No retry.

Thanx very much, both of you.

I was really sleepy.........

 

[warpmind]

The thing that really kills me about Craft(alchemy) is that it becomes a mostly useless skill once you reach a moderate level. The items crafted are useful for a low level character, but once a party has a sufficient repertoire of spells and magic items, the alchemical items become nearly useless. I can only see an economical interest for such a skill (i.e: earning money by selling alchemical items) for a guy of 10+ level.

A gnome Rog5/Wiz7 I've been playing lately happened to have nearly maxed the Craft(Alchemy) ranks upon advancing every level. However the adventure developed in a way that prevented him from having enough time on a lab to do his items. The fact is that he now is a level 12 character and finally has the time, funds and lab to cook his alch's fires, tanglefoot bags or thunderstones because he rather uses his scrolls and spells. I feel like having wasted ranks in this skill.

This Craft should have better items at higher DCs to avoid this.

 

[Will]

I wish either the craft time was shorter, or that higher results had more of an effect on time.

One of the really annoying things is that even with very high Craft skill, it still takes many days to make a freakin' tanglefoot bag. I know that discourages me... I'll just buy the damn things.

Imagine if it only took your level 12 gnome an hour and no lab (taking a penalty) to make a tanglefoot bag. He'd be a bit happier about it, wouldn't he?

 

[warpmind]

Imagine if it only took your level 12 gnome an hour and no lab (taking a penalty) to make a tanglefoot bag. He'd be a bit happier about it, wouldn't he?

That would work fine, Will.
"Me much happier!"

 

[Alchemist]

The thing that really kills me about Craft(alchemy) is that it becomes a mostly useless skill once you reach a moderate level. The items crafted are useful for a low level character, but once a party has a sufficient repertoire of spells and magic items, the alchemical items become nearly useless. I can only see an economical interest for such a skill (i.e: earning money by selling alchemical items) for a guy of 10+ level.

A gnome Rog5/Wiz7 I've been playing lately happened to have nearly maxed the Craft(Alchemy) ranks upon advancing every level. However the adventure developed in a way that prevented him from having enough time on a lab to do his items. The fact is that he now is a level 12 character and finally has the time, funds and lab to cook his alch's fires, tanglefoot bags or thunderstones because he rather uses his scrolls and spells. I feel like having wasted ranks in this skill.

This Craft should have better items at higher DCs to avoid this.

I'm with you on this one. I'm a big fan of alchemy and hate that it has such a limited useful play range and that it is so hard to do. Silly first level wizards can scibe scrolls without fail (with costs, of course) but to make a complex mundane item is brutally hard. I think that alchemical items are too expensive in general. Tanglefoot bags are useful, but 50gp is too much. I'm toying with cutting prices by 2/3 or so and expanding into near-magical goodies, perhaps making alchemy a requirement for creation of potions.

As an aside, I've created and posted a spreadsheet for the calculations associated with crafting, specifically with hiring somebody to do it for you. Just put in the vitals (level, check bonus, check result, weekly wage, item DC and cost) and it spits out how much was made. You can find it in this thread: http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1502349#post1502349

For alchemy in particular, it is generally a losing venture to hire somebody to make stuff for you except for in some limited circumstances. I don't quite understand how they can command such an astronomical wage (1gp/day/level).

The core problem seems to be that alchemical items are just too expensive for the effect, IMHO.

 

[warpmind]

The core problem seems to be that alchemical items are just too expensive for the effect, IMHO.

It's expensive and in addition it takes too long to produce something, but what I 'd have really liked is a way to implement higher DCs in the items effects by rolling against higher Craft difficulties.

What about Alchemist's Fire having +1 Reflex DC for every additional +2 on the Craft check DC? or +1d6 damage per +10 Craft check DC? They're just examples, haven't thought really about the numbers, but I guess it shows the idea.

Nice sheet Alchemist, very useful. Pfarn the gnome thanks you!

 

[borc killer]

You could always make new alchemy items... just make the effects of the standard nastier and harder to over come. a tangle foot bag with double the effect was be very nasty... hell the standard one is already… even at higher level. If the bad guys splat everyone in the part with one in the first round of combat it becomes much less fun for the PCs… just the way I like it

Borc Killer