Master Alchemist, “Grand Alchemist of Arcane Elixirs”

“Unlock the Secrets of Potions and Elixirs: Become a Master Alchemist!”

Originally Posted by Shadowfoot of the Wizards Community forums.

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Master Alchemists study the fine line between science and magic, where chemistry and arcana meet. Potions, powders, and compounds are their weapons of choice.

Requirements

To qualify to become an Master Alchemist a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Brew Potion and either Alchemy, Craft Wondrous Item, Knack (Craft [Alchemy]), Magical Artisan (Brew Potion), or Skill Focus (Craft [Alchemy]).

Skills: Craft (alchemy) 9, Knowledge (Arcana) 6, Spellcraft 3.
Spells: The character must be able to cast 3rd-level arcane spells.

Game Rule Information

Alchemists have the following game statistics.
Hit Die: d4.
Class Skills: The alchemist’s class skills are Concentration (Constitution), Craft (Alchemy) (Intelligence), Knowledge (Arcana) (Intelligence), Profession (Wisdom), and Spellcraft (Intelligence).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the alchemist prestige class.
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Alchemists gain no additional proficiency with any weapons or armor.

The Alchemist
Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2	Alchemic Focus, Apothecary’s Hand, Craft Wondrous Substance, Scribe Formula, Studious
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3	Craft Alchemist’s Lacquer, Homunculus	(+1 Spellcasting)
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3	Alchemic Focus, Alchemist’s Eye, Craft Wondrous Ware	(+1 Spellcasting)
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Acquired Resistance +2, Imbibe	(+1 Spellcasting)
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4	Alchemic Focus, Alchemist’s Missile, Brewing Expertise	(+1 Spellcasting)
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Alchemize Spell	(+1 Spellcasting)
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5	Alchemic Focus, Divine Crafting	(+1 Spellcasting)
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6	Acquired Resistance +4	(+1 Spellcasting)
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6	Alchemic Focus, Alchemic Specialization, Craft Servant, Greater Alchemist’s Missile	(+1 Spellcasting)
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7	Brewing Mastery, The Grand Transmutation,	(+1 Spellcasting)

Alchemic Focus [1st/3rd/5th/7th/9th level]

The alchemist can Craft greater versions of many alchemical substances. At 1st level and every other level, he selects one of the following substances – he can now create a greater version of the selected item, worth 150% of the item’s regular market value and carrying the enhancement noted below. Greater versions do not require additional time to create, but any required Craft (alchemy) check DC is increased by +3. In addition, he now pays only 75% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs normally associated with crafting a standard version of the item in which he has Alchemic Focus, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat.

Greater alchemical items are:

Acid: Greater acid is more corrosive than normal, dealing an additional +2 points of damage.

Alchemical Silver: Greater alchemical silver does not suffer the penalty to damage rolls that alchemical silver does; it has 12 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 10.

Alchemist’s Fire: Greater alchemist’s fire – hotter, more intense than normal – deals an additional +1 point of damage each round, and the Reflex save DC increases by +1.

Alchemist’s Lacquer: Items coated with greater alchemist’s lacquer (see Craft Alchemist’s Lacquer) are even more unbreakable than before, receiving an additional +2 bonus to its AC and +4 bonus to its break DC.

Alchemist’s Missile: Greater alchemist’s missiles (see Alchemist’s Missile class feature) are more potent than before, dealing an additional +1 point of damage.

Antitoxin: Greater antitoxin provides improved protection against poison. The bonus to saves against poison increases by an additional +2, and the protection lasts 4 hours, with the save bonus decreases by –1 each hour after the first.

Brown Mold Oil: Greater brown mold oil is colder than normal, dealing an addition +2 points of damage and increasing the save by +2.

Oil of Nausea: Greater oil of nausea is more repulsive than before. The save DC is increase by +2 and the effect lasts for 1d8 rounds.

Poison-Friend Pod: Creatures subject to a greater poison-friend pod are more vulnerable to poison, suffering an additional –2 penalty to saves against poison, which lasts for one hour. The save DC is also increased is increased by +2.

Shadow Haze Dust: Greater shadow haze dust is more blinding than normal. Its save DC is increased by +3, and creatures who fail the save suffer a -9 penalty on all Spot checks.

Shadow Veil: Greater shadow veil affects a 15ft radius and affects magical fires as a dispel magic spell cast at the alchemist’s level.

Smokestick: A greater smokestick burns for 4 rounds, and the resulting smoke is dissipated by moderate or stronger winds in 4 rounds, as fog cloud.

Sunrod: A greater sunrod burns brighter and longer, illuminating for 12 hours and providing shadowy illumination if a 90-foot radius.

Tanglefoot bag: Goo resulting from a greater tanglefoot bag is stickier and harder than normal. The DC of the Reflex save and any subsequent skill checks is increased by +2, 20 points of damage must be dealt to the goo to free a trapped target, and the goo lasts for 2d6 rounds.

Thunderstone: A greater thunderstone is louder, more deafening than normal. It affects creatures in a 10 foot radius, the DC of the Fortitude save is increased by +2, and a creature that fails the save is deafened for 1d4 hours.

Item Notes: A list of each item’s source is located at the end of this class.

Apothecary’s Hand: The alchemist never accidentally poisons or injures himself when handling toxins and acids of any sort. The alchemist can enhance Apothecary’s Hand with the Poison Proficiency feat.

Craft Wondrous Substance: Aided by his knowledge of alchemy and potioncraft, he can Craft magical compounds with ease. He is considered to have the Craft Wondrous Item feat for the purposes of crafting candles, dusts, elixirs, glues, incenses, oils, ointments, pigments, salves, silversheen, solvents, unguents, and similar substances.

If the alchemist already has the Craft Wondrous Item feat, he now pays only 75% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs normally associated with crafting these substances, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat.

Scribe Formula: He knows the magical formulae for certain spells. The alchemist is considered to have the Scribe Scroll feat for the purposes of scribing spells from the Alchemancy spell list (see Spellcasting).

If he already has the Scribe Scroll feat, he now pays only 75% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs normally associated with scribing these spells, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat.

Studious: The science of alchemy requires continuous experimentation and study. At each level, the alchemist must raise his ranks in the Craft (alchemy) skill by 1.

Craft Alchemist’s Lacquer [2nd level]: He can coat his vials and bottles in a special resin that strengthens and fortifies them against breakage. Alchemist’s lacquer can only be applied to clay, porcelain, glass, and similar substances. Crafting and applying 10 doses of the substance takes 1 hour and access to an alchemist’s lab.

While protected by alchemist’s lacquer, the affected object has its AC increased by +2 and its break DC increased by +4. A single dose can coat one vial, while two doses are required to coat bottles and similar objects, with larger containers requiring appropriately more doses. The effects of the lacquer last 24 hours per dose applied; objects can be coated with multiple doses to lengthen duration, but the lacquer crumbles to fine dust after 5 days, regardless of the number of doses applied.

Alchemist’s lacquer requires a Craft (alchemy) check (DC 15), but only a 3rd-level or higher alchemist can Craft this particular substance.

Alchemist’s lacquer increases an objects market price by 50% per dose applied.

Homunculus [2nd level]: With blood, clay, and time, the alchemist can create a homunculus to serve him as a familiar. He follows the normal procedure for crafting a homunculus; however, the alchemist need not have the Craft Construct feat and may substitute a single Craft (alchemy) check for the Craft checks normally associated with crafting a homunculus. Once created, the homunculus otherwise serves the alchemist as an Improved Familiar.

The homunculus’s abilities are based on the alchemist’s level. If he already has the Familiar class feature, his alchemist levels stack with levels in the class granting Familiar for the purposes of the homunculus’s abilities, granted the alchemist has no familiar or dismisses his familiar. Doing so precludes the alchemist from calling a replacement familiar until his homunculus is also killed or dismissed.

Spellcasting [2nd/3rd/4th/6th/7th/8th/10th level]: At the indicated levels, the alchemist gains spellcasting ability as if he also gained a level in whatever class met the Spells requirement of this prestige class.

In addition, the alchemist adds the Alchemancy spell list below to the spell list of the class that met the Spells requirement of this prestige class, up to a spell level equal to half his alchemist level + any Intelligence bonus and up to the maximum spell level allowed for that calls. For example, a wiz 8/alch 2 with an Intelligence of 19 adds all 4th-level and lower Alchemancy spells to his wizard spell list; with his next point of Intelligence or two levels of alchemist, he adds 5th-level Alchemancy spells.

Alchemists with a Spells Known advancement may, at every even-numbered alchemist level, switch any Spell Known for any spell of equal level from the Alchemancy spell list, such as a sorcerer exchanging tongues for poison.

The Alchemancy spell list is as follows:

• 0 Level: acid splash, create water, detect poison, heat water, mending, preserve organ, purify food and drink, stench, stick

• 1st Level: anticipate peril, burning hands, continual flame, corrosive grasp, drug resistance, extract drug, fool’s gold, grease, Horrible Taste, identify, Improved Create Water, Ironguts, lesser acid orb, nether trail, obscuring mist, pyrotechnics, Raging Flame, Remove Scent, Silvered Weapon, Slow Burn, Sticky Saddle, Wall of Smoke, water burst
• 2nd Level: addiction, anarchic water, axiomatic water, Befoul water, Beget Bogun, bless water, blight fire, Breath of the Jungle, Cold Fire, curse water, delay poison, detect metals and minerals, durability, energize potion, Filter, flaming sphere, fog cloud, freezeblood, glitterdust, Gold Finder, goodberry, Inky Cloud, acid arrow, acid Breath, Saltray, soften earth and stone, stonemantle, web
• 3rd Level: Augment Object, Babau Slime, Beast Shape I, Bottle of Smoke, corrosion Arrow, Darsson’s potion, Detect Metal and Minerals, Diamondsteel, diminish plants, Distilled Joy, flame arrow, flame blade, Flashburst, gaseous form, plant growth, poison, quench, Spider Poison, stinking cloud, Undead Anatomy I, Venomous Vapor
• 4th Level: acid orb, Beast Shape II, celebration, Corporeal Instability, Crystalskin, Metal Melt, Greenfire, Miasma, neutralize poison, rusting grasp, Sandform, stoneskin, wall of fire
• 5th Level:Beast Shape III, blight, cloudkill, fabricate, Kiss of Death, mind fog, Toxic Weapon, Slime Wave, Stone Metamorphosis, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud, Undead Anatomy II, wall of ooze
• 6th Level: acid fog, Acid Storm, analyze dweomer ,Beast Shape IV, Crumble, glasstrike, flesh to stone, hardening, ironwood, Mandragora, caustic mire, solid fog, stone to flesh, Undead Anatomy III
• 7th Level: blood to water, contagious fog, Gold Finger, maximize venom, greater stone metamorphosis, Sleep of Ages, statue, transmute metal to wood
• 8th Level: Befoul, clone, gemini’s twin, incendiary cloud, iron body, mage’s disjunction, transmute rock to lava

Spell Notes: When casting any spell with a divine focus, the alchemist can substitute a pinch of gem powder worth 1gp in value; such spells have a minimum casting time of 1 full round. New spells and a list of each spell’s source are located at the end of this class.

Alchemist’s Eye [3rd level]: The alchemist receives a bonus to all Spellcraft checks to identify potions, wondrous substances, and wondrous ware equal to 2 + half his alchemist level.

Craft Wondrous Ware [3rd level]: The alchemist can Craft magical containers and utensils – the tools of his trade. He is considered to have the Craft Wondrous Item feat for the purposes of crafting bottles, bowls, braziers, censers, decanters, flasks, spoons, and similar ware.

If the alchemist already has the Craft Wondrous Item feat, he now pays only 75% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs normally associated with crafting these items, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat.

Acquired Resistance [4th/8th level]: Years working with strange and magical compounds has left the alchemist resistant to their effects. He receives a +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves against spells on the Alchemancy spell list and all spells effects that are ingested or inhaled, such as poisoned food, smoke, and baleful potions. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level.

Imbibe [4th level]: The alchemist learns to drink potions with ease and speed. He may drink a potion as a standard action that provokes no attack of opportunity or as a move action that does provoke an attack of opportunity.

Alchemist’s Missile [5th level]: By quickly packing together certain compounds, the alchemist can create a missile that impacts with a burst of fire or acid. It requires a full attack action to retrieve the necessary components and launch the missile; if not thrown the round made, the missile crumbles back into its individual components. The missile has a range increment of 10 feet. Upon impact with a target, the missile deals 1d4 points of fire damage or 1d4 points of acid damage, depending on the components used. On the round following the impact, the target suffers an additional 1 point of damage.

To create a fiery missile, the alchemist must use a bit of wax, a pinch of sulfur, and the blood of a creature with the Fire subtype; against protections and resistances, fiery missiles are treated as alchemist’s fire. To create an acidic missile, the alchemist must use a bit of wax, a pinch of rust, and the blood of a creature with an acid special attack, such as an ankheg or ochre jelly; against protections and resistances, acidic missiles are treated as normal acid. Alchemist’s Missile is an extraordinary ability.

Brewing Expertise [5th level]: The alchemist pays only 75% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs associated with brewing standard potions, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat. In addition, he can now Brew Potions of 4th level spells at the normal costs.

Alchemize Spell [6th level]: Using material components, he can cast powerful spells. When casting any Transmutation or Creation spell or any spell with the Acid descriptor that has a material component, the spell DC increases by +1, or by +2 if the spell appears on the Alchemancy spell list. An alchemized spell takes up a spell slot 1 level higher than the spell’s actual level. For all intents and purposes, Alchemize Spell is a metamagic effect.

Divine Crafting [7th level]: For the purposes of crafting potions, servants (see Craft Servant class feature), wondrous substances, wondrous wares, the alchemist is considered to have access to the cleric and druid spell lists solely for the purpose of item completion while crafting these items.

Craft Servant [9th level]: He can animate certain substances to do his bidding. The alchemist is considered to have the Craft Construct feat for the purposes of creating clay golems, flesh golems, and homunculi, even if he does not otherwise qualify for the feat.

If the alchemist already has the Craft Construct feat, he now pays only 75% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs normally associated with crafting these constructs, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat.

Greater Alchemist’s Missile [9th level]: The alchemist’s impromptu missiles are more potent. His Alchemist’s Missiles now do 1d6 points of damage on the first round and 1d3 points of damage on the second round.

Alchemic Specialization [9th level]: He can Craft even more potent versions of many alchemical items. At 9th level and every 4 levels thereafter, when the alchemist receives the Alchemic Focus class feature, he can choose to instead specialize in one of the following alchemical items in which he already enjoys Alchemic Focus.

He can now create a masterful version of the selected item, worth 300% of the item’s regular market value and carrying the enhancement noted below, In addition, he now pays only 50% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs normally associated with crafting a standard version of the chosen item, and 75% when crafting a greater version, which does not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat.

Masterful versions do not require additional time to create, but any required Craft (alchemy) check DC is increased by +6. The enhancements of Alchemic Specialization do not stack with the Alchemic Focus class feature. Masterful alchemical items are:

• Acid: Masterful acid is more corrosive than normal, dealing an additional +4 points of damage, and dealing +2 points of damage on the following round.
• Alchemical Silver: Masterful alchemical silver does not suffer the penalty to damage rolls that alchemical silver does; it has 14 hit points per inch of thickness and a hardness of 12. Against creatures vulnerability to silver, such as fey and lycanthrope, it does an additional +2 points of damage.
• Alchemist’s Fire: Masterful alchemist’s fire is even hotter, more intense than normal. It deals an additional +2 points of damage each round, and the Reflex save DC increases by +2. In addition, the fire continues to burn for an additional round on all creatures affected if they fail their Reflex saves; creatures caught in the splash suffer 2 points of damage on the second round if they fail their save (DC 21), while the targeted creature suffers 1d2+2 points of damage on the third round.
• Alchemist’s Lacquer: Items coated with masterful alchemist’s lacquer (see Craft Alchemist’s Lacquer) are even more unbreakable than before, receiving an additional +4 bonus to its AC and +8 bonus to its break DC.
• Alchemist’s Missile: Masterful alchemist’s missiles are even more potent than before, dealing an additional +2 points of damage.
• Antitoxin: Masterful antitoxin provides even greater protection against toxins, granting immunity to nonmagical poisons and increasing the bonus to saves against magical poisons by an additional +3. These benefits last four hours.
• Brown Mold Oil: Masterful brown mold oil is even colder than normal, dealing an addition +4 points og damage and increasing the save by +4.
• Oil of Nausea: Masterful oil of nausea is even more repulsive than before. The save DC is increase by +4 and the effect lasts for 2d6 rounds.
• Poison-Friend Pod: Creatures subject to a masterful poison-friend pod are more vulnerable to poison, suffering an additional –4 penalty to saves against poison, which lasts for one hour. The save DC is also increased is increased by +4, and the radius of the effect increases to 15ft.
• Shadow Haze Dust: Masterful shadow haze dust is even more blinding than normal. Its save DC is increased by +6, and creatures who fail the save suffer a –12 penalty on all Spot checks. The dust now affects a 15ft radius.
• Shadow Veil: Masterful shadow veil affects a 15ft radius and affects magical fires as a greater dispel magic spell cast at the alchemist’s spellcaster level.
• Smokestick: The smoke created by a masterful smokestick last 4 rounds, and the resulting smoke is dissipated by moderate or stronger winds in 4 rounds, as fog cloud. In addition, it has the effect of stinking cloud for the first 4 rounds of its existence for those who fail a Fortitude save (DC 21).
• Sunrod: A masterful sunrod burns even brighter than before, clearing illumination a 60ft a radius and providing shadowy illumination is a 120ft radius. For the purposes of depressing magical darkness and affecting creatures sensitive to light, a masterful sunrod is treated as daylight.
• tanglefoot bag: Goo resulting from a masterful tanglefoot bag is even stickier and harder than normal. The DC of the Reflex save and any subsequent skill checks is increased by +4, 25 points of damage must be dealt to the goo to free a trapped target, and the goo lasts for 2d8 rounds.
• thunderstone: A masterful thunderstone is louder, more deafening than normal. It affects creatures in a 20 foot radius, the DC of the Fortitude save is increased by +3, and a creature that fails the save is deafened for 2d4 hours; those who fail the save by 10 or more are deafened permanently and must make an additional Fortitude save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Brewing Mastery [10th level]: The alchemist pays only 50% of the normal experience point, time, and monetary costs associated with brewing standard potions and 75% of the normal costs associated with brewing potions of 4th level spells, which do not stack with the benefits of the Magical Artisan feat. In addition, he can now Brew Potions of 5th level spells at the normal costs.

The Grand Transmutation [10th level]: The alchemist discovers the secret for turning metal into gold. With Grand Transmutation, the alchemist can transmute platinum, copper, or silver into an equal amount of gold. This transmutation requires 1 hour of uninterrupted work for every 1000gp worth of metal transmuted, and the alchemist can only transmute 1000gp worth of metal per alchemist level each week.

The Grand Transmutation is inherently unpredictable. For every 1000gp worth of metal the alchemist changes to gold, he rolls percentile die. A result of 1% to 25% means the transmutation lasts only 1d6 hours, the gold radiating faint transmutation magic and reverting to its original metal at the end of that time; a result of 26% to 50% means the transmutation lasts only 1d6 days, the gold radiating faint transmutation magic and reverting to its original metal at the end of that time; and a result of 51% to 100% means the transmutation is permanent, true gold.

The alchemist adds his ranks in Craft (alchemy) to the roll. If the source metal is platinum, the alchemist adds 20% to the roll; if the source metal is Copper, the alchemist subtracts 20% from the roll.

The Grand Transmutation drains 1xp for every 100gp worth of metal transmuted, regardless of the permanency of the resulting gold. It is a spell-like ability.

Epic Alchemist

The epic-level alchemist continues his Hit Die, skill point, caster level, Alchemic Focus, Alchemic Specialization, Alchemist’s Eye, Grand Transmutation, Homunculus, and Studious progressions. He continues his Spellcasting progression at every alchemist level except every 4th level (11th, 12th, 14th, 15th, etc.), until reaching 20th-level caster in the class that met the Spells requirement of this prestige class. In addition, he receives bonus feats at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter (13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, etc).