Master Alchemist

Master Alchemist — D&D 3.5e

Requirements

• Skills: Craft (alchemy) 8 ranks; Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks; Spellcraft 5 ranks
• Feat: Brew Potion
• Spells: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells
• Master Formula: Successfully create or stabilise an unusual magical or alchemical compound under circumstances where failure carries meaningful cost or danger

Class Skills

Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Profession (apothecary) (Wis), Search (Int) and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency

A Master Alchemist gains no new weapon, armour or shield proficiencies.

Class Progression

Spellcasting

At 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th level, the Master Alchemist gains new spells per day and increased caster level as if they had also gained a level in one arcane spellcasting class they belonged to before entering this prestige class. No other class features from that class are gained.

Alchemical Reserve (Ex)

The Master Alchemist gains daily Alchemical Reserve uses equal to 3 + Intelligence modifier, minimum 1. Spending a use is part of using the relevant item and requires no separate action.

Concentrated Dose

When the Master Alchemist drinks or administers a potion or Field Elixir that restores hit points, spend one Reserve use to increase the hit points restored by twice the Master Alchemist class level. This does not increase damage dealt to creatures harmed by positive energy.

Potent Reagent

When the Master Alchemist personally uses a nonmagical alchemical item that allows a saving throw, spend one Reserve use before the save is rolled to increase that item’s save DC by +2.

Precise Mixture

After directly hitting a creature with an alchemical splash weapon that deals hit-point damage, spend one Reserve use to deal additional damage of the same type equal to the Master Alchemist class level. This bonus does not increase splash damage.

Apothecary’s Discipline (Ex)

The Master Alchemist gains a +2 competence bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks and may take 10 on Craft (alchemy) checks even when stress or distraction would normally prevent doing so.

The Master Alchemist also gains a +2 competence bonus on Fortitude saves against poisons and harmful ingested or inhaled alchemical substances.

Field Elixir (Su)

At 2nd level, once per day, the Master Alchemist may spend 10 uninterrupted minutes preparing a temporary Field Elixir.

The Master Alchemist expends one prepared arcane spell or unused arcane spell slot capable of producing a spell of 3rd level or lower that could normally be made into a potion. The resulting Field Elixir reproduces that spell at the Master Alchemist’s normal caster level.

The Field Elixir requires no permanent crafting expenditure because it expires after 24 hours or when the Master Alchemist next prepares spells or refreshes daily spell slots, whichever comes first. Only one Field Elixir may exist at a time.

A Field Elixir cannot be sold as a permanent magic item, used as a crafting prerequisite, copied to teach a spell or preserved past its expiry. Drinking it follows the normal potion rules.

Reagent Mastery (Ex)

At 3rd level, after 1 minute of examination, the Master Alchemist may identify an unknown nonmagical alchemical substance with Craft (alchemy). Typical DCs are 15 for common items, 20 for unusual or dangerous compounds and 25 or higher for unique or deliberately disguised formulae.

When the Master Alchemist personally crafts a nonmagical alchemical item with a fixed saving-throw DC, increase that DC by +1. Market price, raw-material cost and creation time remain unchanged.

Reactive Antidote (Ex)

At 4th level, when the Master Alchemist fails a Fortitude saving throw against a poison or harmful ingested or inhaled alchemical substance, they may spend one Alchemical Reserve use as an immediate action to reroll the saving throw. The second result must be accepted.

Grand Catalyst (Ex)

At 5th level, Concentrated Dose restores additional hit points equal to three times the Master Alchemist class level; Potent Reagent increases an item’s save DC by +3; and Precise Mixture deals additional direct-hit damage equal to twice the Master Alchemist class level.

Master Distillation (Su)

At 5th level, the Master Alchemist may prepare up to two Field Elixirs per day and may have two in existence at one time.

A Field Elixir may now contain an eligible 4th-level arcane spell despite the ordinary potion spell-level limit. The spell must still be suitable for a drinkable or applied single-use effect and cannot have a range of personal.

A 4th-level Field Elixir remains temporary, consumes a real 4th-level prepared spell or spell slot and cannot be sold or used to bypass permanent magic-item creation rules.

Master Alchemist — Pathfinder 1e

Requirements

• Skills: Craft (alchemy) 5 ranks; Knowledge (arcana) 5 ranks; Spellcraft 5 ranks
• Feat: Brew Potion
• Magic: Ability to cast 3rd-level arcane spells or prepare 3rd-level alchemist extracts
• Master Formula: Successfully create or stabilise an unusual magical or alchemical compound under meaningful pressure or danger

Class Skills

Appraise (Int), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (apothecary) (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency

A Master Alchemist gains no new weapon, armour or shield proficiencies.

Class Progression

Favored Class: Prestige-class levels do not receive favored-class bonuses.

Magic Progression

A character who qualified with an arcane spellcasting class advances that class at 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th level, gaining spells per day, spells known where applicable and caster level, but no other class features.

A character who qualified using the Pathfinder alchemist class advances only extract progression at those levels: extracts per day, maximum extract level, formula access and effective alchemist level for extract effects. Master Alchemist levels do not advance bombs, mutagen, discoveries, poison use or other alchemist class features.

Alchemical Reserve (Ex)

The Master Alchemist has daily Reserve uses equal to 3 + Intelligence modifier, minimum 1.

Concentrated Dose: add twice class level to hit points restored by a potion or Field Elixir personally drunk or administered.

Potent Reagent: increase by +2 the saving-throw DC of a nonmagical alchemical item personally used.

Precise Mixture: after a direct hit with an alchemical splash weapon that deals hit-point damage, add damage of the same type equal to class level to the direct target only.

Apothecary’s Discipline (Ex)

Gain +2 competence on Craft (alchemy), take 10 on Craft (alchemy) under stress, and gain +2 competence on Fortitude saves against poisons and harmful ingested or inhaled alchemical substances.

Field Elixir (Su)

Once per day, after 10 uninterrupted minutes, expend a qualifying prepared arcane spell, arcane spell slot or unused extract slot of 3rd level or lower to create one temporary Field Elixir.

A Field Elixir expires after 24 hours or the next daily preparation/refresh, whichever comes first. Only one may exist at a time. It cannot be sold, stockpiled or used to bypass magic-item creation rules.

Reagent Mastery (Ex)

After 1 minute of examination, identify nonmagical alchemical substances with Craft (alchemy). When personally crafting a nonmagical alchemical item with a fixed saving-throw DC, increase that DC by +1 without changing cost, price or crafting time.

Reactive Antidote (Ex)

When failing a Fortitude save against poison or a harmful ingested or inhaled alchemical substance, spend one Reserve use as an immediate action to reroll. The second result must be accepted.

Grand Catalyst (Ex)

At 5th level, Concentrated Dose adds three times class level; Potent Reagent adds +3 DC; and Precise Mixture adds twice class level to the direct target’s damage.

Master Distillation (Su)

Prepare up to two Field Elixirs per day and maintain two simultaneously. An eligible Field Elixir may contain a 4th-level spell or extract despite the normal 3rd-level potion limit.

The preparation remains temporary and consumes a real spell or extract slot. Permanent potion crafting continues to use the normal Pathfinder costs and limits.

Laboratories in the World

Master Alchemists are found in wizard colleges, royal laboratories, physicians’ guilds, mining towns, artificer workshops, apothecaries, military supply houses and independent travelling laboratories.

Their methods belong to a magical late-medieval world of furnaces, alembics, mortars, retorts, mineral salts, botanical extracts and arcane notation—not modern industrial chemistry.

Adventure Hooks

The Blue Precipitate

A common healing draught begins leaving a blue crystalline residue inside patients’ veins. The recipe has not changed.

The Impossible Solvent

A stolen formula dissolves magical seals without harming the doors they protect. Three vaults have already been opened.

The Empty Crucible

A laboratory explodes, but every volatile ingredient is still sealed and accounted for.

The Counterfeit Elixir

Expensive bottles bearing a respected alchemist’s mark contain harmless coloured water—except one batch that contains something much worse.

The Living Reagent

A newly discovered mineral reacts to spoken spell components and appears to learn which spells are cast near it.

The Last Distillation

A dying master left a formula that can be completed only during a rare astronomical event, but half the instructions are deliberately misleading.

Related Classes

Master Alchemist suits an existing arcane spellcaster or Pathfinder alchemist who wants temporary elixirs, stronger reagents and alchemical field tools without a crafting-economy exploit.

Artificer is the broader magical-device specialist.

Explore More

• Prestige Classes
• Creating Magic Items
• Artificer

Sources and Rules Provenance

The former version of this page credits Shadowfoot of the Wizards Community forums. This rebuilt Master Alchemist is original campaign material and does not reproduce the inherited Alchemic Focus system, custom item lists, Alchemancy spell list, homunculus progression, permanent crafting discounts, expanded permanent potion levels or Grand Transmutation.

D&D 3.5e and Pathfinder 1e terminology is used for rules compatibility. Permanent magic-item creation continues to use the normal costs and timing of the relevant edition.