Post/Author/DateTime	Post
crimsonwolf 03-25-07, 10:22 PM	okay not sure if should do human or gnome... Wizard5/Alchemist savant 1 taking wizard animal compaino varient therefore giving me a 3rd leevl compaion Scribe Scroll lesser mark of crafting 3rd level feat Grainder 5th level brew potion 6th level Mad Alchimist How deos that all sound?
Nived 03-26-07, 12:27 AM	Recently I created an Alchemical specialist bard. The idea of using acid, alchemist fire and such appealed to me. If you have access to Eberron books (which I assume you will be as Alchemist Savant is from them) you'll be greatly helped. Outside of Grenadier, and Mad Alchemist from the PHBII there isn't much helpful to the concept. Augment Alchemy is an epic feat, when it hardly qualifies. Its not easy to build let me tell you. All in all I came up with this as being an optimized build. Race: Halfling. Feats: Grenadier, Mad Alchemist, Quick Draw, Shape Splash, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot. Gear: Alchemist's Spark, Alchemist's Frost, Acidic Fire, and Noxious Smokesticks, extradimentional holding space. Why Halfling? Because the feat Shape Splash (Races of Eberron) is a halfling racial feat, allowing you to shape the splash of alchemist's weapons. Unless you plan on constantly casting resist energy on your party or getting them perminate resist items your weapon of choice can become a pain in the neck for the tanks. Shape Splash also allows you to do full damage to one adjacent foe in addition to your main target... thus doubling your damage (just not on one foe and bad guys aren't always going to be nice enough to stand next to each other). Halflings also getting a bonus to thrown weapons and a nice dex bonus. With a range incriment of 10 feet you probably wont be throwing them outside of 30 feet often, thus Point Blank Shot gives you an additional plus 1 to attacks and damage which stacks with Grenadier. Quick Draw allows you to whip as many grenades as you have attacks in a round and rapid shot allows you to throw another (in the same manner it works for for daggers and the like). Alchemist's Spark, Alchemist's Frost, and Acidic Fire, are items from the Eberron Campaign setting which function similar to Alchemist's Fire (though the damage and splash are different), and, even if your DM doesn't allow Mad Alchemist to effect them, its a boon to have the different damage types at your disposal These are just my general musings. For your build however you will be forced to go human, because Alchemist Savant requires you ro be from House Cannith, sadly, so Shape Splash is out, its also a less combat focused class so the ranged combat feats might be stretching it. My suggestion then is to try to get the Extrodinary Artisan feat from the Eberron Campaign setting because it will cut down your crafting time. With a 'mad alchemist' build you'll find yourself going through a lot of these grenades, they're a lot more expensive than other forms of ammunition... however you can make them yourself at a fraction of the cost... the tradeoff is time. You can cut that time down by addint 10 to the skill DC of course, but you can also cut it down with E Artisan... if you're DM doesn't give you a lot of downtime it can still soften the blow on your pocketbooks. *Edit I forgot to mention that I find the Bard or the Artificer the best baseclass to go off of. Craft (Alchemy) as a skill requires you to be a spellcaster (as stated in the Player's Handbook under the craft skill), these two classes give you that and still a decent BAB, perhaps more importantly they give you UMD, a nice fallback so you can also use wands and scrolls should you run out of flasks, or just need to fill a niche. While both classes are 'support' characters, alchemy allows you a unique and effective means of combat. Under Optimization conditions the Artificer probably wins out, though I went with Bard because my party needed a 'face' and arcane guy.... but that's beside the point. The Artificer has a few things going for it, while Alchemy doesn't require XP and wont drain off their craft reserve, their crafting will give you a wider selection of wands, potions, and scrolls to suppliment youself. Artificers also gain Craft Humunculous, which would allow you to make a Dedicated Wright, and a Packmate. The Dedicated Wright is a godsend for time pressed alchemists since they can be the ones making your various Grenades while you adventure, the Packmate homunc meanwhile has the ability to hurl them itself, as well as being able to carry potions and such. With the weight of grenades and the builds not lending themselfs to high strength a packmate greatly assists an alchemist by carrying all the extra ammo allowing you to resupply between battles.
crimsonwolf 03-26-07, 02:44 AM	okay honestly it gets intresting... why point blank shot ?? acts like a thrown items most of them anyways but instead of marking ive decided to take exotic wep proficiy in gnome caculus so I can throw taht alchmy fire and acid vial up to 50ft instead of 10ft :D:D Artificer is not open to Me. My DM deonst like that idea of being able to enchant like that. And in truth My chracter has alot more of a druidish feel then a mechianical. Think Herb healer type. if did bard would not be able to get the prc that I need lol and the magic that I could use would be limited to mostly enchaments. What you said was very helpful and ty.
Nived 03-26-07, 02:53 AM	Point Blank Shot is a prereq for Rapid Shot, and like I said gives an additional +1 to attack and damage when you're within 30 feet of your target. Anyway good luck with the build. Alchemy weapons can be a lot of fun, taking a road less taken.
crimsonwolf 03-26-07, 03:17 AM	aye and a road less supported... i hear the might call of... HOUSE RULES