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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celtavian" data-source="post: 8065448" data-attributes="member: 5834">I have player playing a goblin alchemist up to lvl 15. I feel the class is better than it is being sold.1. Alchemist is not a premier single target damage dealer. He'll get big hits, but not like the rogue or precision ranger archer. But his damage is like water dripping on stone. It doesn't do the most damage from direct big hits, but it adds up until the stone breaks.Often the goblin alchemist is building up damage:He'll throw 1 fire and 1 acid bomb at a target that allows him to hit a few other targets. So his damage will look something like this:Fire Bomb: 3d8+2 (specialization)+8 splash fire damage with 5 points of persistent fire damage.Acid Bomb: 1+2 (Specialization) bludgeoning +8 acid splash with 3d6 persistent acid damage.Everyone within 15 feet of the target takes 8 splash fire damage and 8 acid splash damage. He can also position to cone this damage.If you have three targets around the main target, you end up with a damage round that is quite good.32 fire splash damage to four targets.32 acid splash damage to four targets15 points direct fire damage on average to main target3 acid damage to main target5 persistent fire on a target3d6 acid damage on a targetSo the alchemist ends up having 82 damage in a round for two actions and 5 PF and around 11 PA going.As a DM it starts off small, then after 3 rounds of this type of damage the enemy is trying to kill the goblin alchemist because he's tearing them down with death by a thousand cuts. Once he gets persistent damage burning on a few targets and is splashing everyone, it gets really annoying.2. Alchemist Elixir provide helpful combat buffs. Goldenmist Elixir provides concealment against all attacks. This reduces damage given the number of attacks quite often, even crits. Each enemy has to roll a 5 or better on a d20 every attack or miss. Cheetah Elixir lasts an hour and boosts everyone's movement by +10 feet greatly enhancing mobility.The goblin himself usually takes Juggernaut Elixir which gives him 30 temporary hit points and a +3 item bonus to fortitude saves with a success being a critical success on a fortitude saving throw. It reduces his will save by 2, but he's often out of battle so doesn't get targeted as much.3. The goblin built up his charisma and took a feat that allows him to use Create a Diversion to hide every round after he throws bombs. He tends to throw two bombs, then Create a Diversion to hide using his Deception skill. He often has to hide after the enemy gets tired of death by a thousand cuts when the lunatic goblin is tossing bombs and doing splash damage even on a miss.Even if you roll a regular miss, the alchemist does his splash damage to everyone in the splash range or he can focus it on the main target.4. Alchemist also has some good out of combat utility. He used Infiltrator Elixir to conduct an undercover investigation alone in a dwarf city. He was able to spend most of his daily reagent uses on these elixirs allowing him to remain undercover most of the day. It was a good show of versatility.As an alchemist you won't be the big, flashy precision ranger archer or rogue damage dealer, but I don't think you'll be weak though you'll have some moments when you're best damage strategy may not work if something is immune or highly resistant. Alchemist is one of those classes where lots of littler perks and damage options add up to a very useful class. For example, our goblin alchemist also tosses electrical bombs that flat foot the target for the whole party. He often gives the rogue a Juggernaut Elixir to boost his hit points. He has lots of little ways of being useful.Our party has never regretted having an alchemist in the group. The player has lots of fun playing a mad bombing goblin.</blockquote>

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