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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 9276630" data-attributes="member: 2067">Having played an Alchemist artificer from LV 3-13, I think my XP might be relevant. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> If you're looking for a fix that isn't too radical, the best way to do it is to pump up their potion powers. All artificers are half-casters (so spells aren't your main firepower) with a class feature that is their bread and butter for determining their actions in combat. You got your gun, your rocket punch, or your robot cat.Alchemists have their elixirs. They get one potion per day for free, and can create more by spending a spell slot (which also lets them choose the effect).The effects of the elixirs are kind of underwhelming in terms of "things you spend your action to do in a fight." The main advantage is that you can front-load these (when you get this specialty at 3rd level, you can give your tank +1 AC, give your rogue +1d4 on attack rolls that stacks with bless, and save one for healing in a pinch, and that's your spells for the day...plus you have one extra potion you rolled for). But, this isn't an interesting thing to do with your action that says "I am an alchemist!" If you do this, you do all your interesting things before the fight starts, and are left doing basic attacks and cantrips in the fight. I bet we can get that distribution better. Also, it doesn't make a lot of tactical sense to spend anything more than a 1st-level slot on these.I'd do the following things:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Alchemists can use their experimental elixirs more quickly. They can do it as a bonus action, or as a reaction to an ally within 5 feet of them taking damage.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Alchemists can use their experimental elixirs at range. Maybe, within 30 feet. They spray it or sprinkle it or throw a needle laced with it or huck a sack filled with it. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Make at least one "damage option" elixir. Have it deal 1d6 poison, necrotic, or acid damage (or more if we don't vibe with the "bonus action" use), and you can apply it to your weapon or another person's weapon and carry that bonus damage around for their next attack.</li> </ul>You could consider even more experimental elixir abilities, you could consider adding upgrades if you spent higher level slots to make more, etc., but I think these three changes alone would make it more dynamic. As it is, my character would typically run in and give a buff to a PC with their action that was then more or less immediately forgotten, or they'd buff themselves and then spend the fight casting poison spray. With these tweaks, I'd be looking for ways to quickly work using my elixirs into my turn. I pass by an ally, slap their back with a poultice, they get a mini-bless, I still take my turn (which might just be casting poison spray, but at least I did something that felt alchemist-y as well!).</blockquote>

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