The Transmuter has a special ability called Minor Alchemy that allows it to transform some common substances into others for up to 1 hour. One idea I had was to use this ability to transform cheap substances like wood or iron into silver, and then buying expensive goods with it (while disguised, of course!).
I'm curious to hear what other clever uses people have thought of for this feature.
In a world where minor transmute exists, all transactions in all shops last at least one hour and one minute...
Mostly I've seen people think about using it as a pseudo-fuse for a trap or whatever. Support your deadfall or spring trap with a bit of string transmuted into titanium, when the transmute wears off, now it's string again and breaks dumping your trap onto your target. Cover a pit trap with cloth transmuted into stone. Etc.
The most open-ended part of the ability is that "transmute stone" section. They didn't name a specific kind of stone like they did with the metals. That means you have access to thousands of rock substances. Trapped by iron bars? Transmute them to pumice and just smash them apart! Want to make a sculpture out of solid silver? Transmute a block of silver into soapstone, carve it into the shape you want, then let it revert back to silver! You just crafted a metal art object without a forge( this trick also works if you turn the silver into wood and use woodcarver's tools)! You can get a piece of chalk any time you want, as long as you don't need what you wrote to last more than an hour. You can get flint to start fires and get lodestone to make a compass. As long as your character has reason to know what any of these rocks are( maybe they're a dwarf or were trained by one), there's lots of potential uses for minor alchemy.
Fralex wrote:
thespaceinvader wrote:
I've been planning to ask a similar questions myself. My character's thematic concept is best represented by either transmuter or conjurer, and I prefer the transmuter features--with the sole exception of minor alchemy. Minor conjuration is so much more interesting and useful to me at first glance.
There are good ideas here. Please keep them coming! Sell me on minor alchemy.
FallingIcicle wrote:
Eric888 wrote:
kalil wrote:
Yeah, I wouldn't try to make something as complex as a weapon with the transmutation-carve-revert thing. But for simpler things it's totally viable, and unlike minor conjuration the stuff you make will be perminent.
Not every class feature needs to be weaponized in some way, But there are a few options you could consider. For one thing it can make good improvised weapons if your party gets captured and disarmed. Also I read something about how if you put flintstone into a fire, the uneven heating will cause it to burst into shrapnel. I don't know how long that takes or any other specifics, though. Honestly, just tossing some powdered iron into your opponent's face would be pretty unpleasant for them; they could get blinded by the iron filings in their eyes or inhale some of it, which can't be healthy.
FallingIcicle wrote:
Any art object of value sold to a collector or fence could be required to hold onto it for appraisal and authenticity verification for 24 hours though 
Fralex wrote:
Plaguescarred wrote:
The line in question implies the effect ends after one of the two conditions is met (it does not matter which one). As such, if 1hr passes without losing concentration, you have met the condition for the spell to elapse, and it does.
Kalani wrote:
Yeah, I can see that working. You interpret it to mean that the duration of a transmutation can be either 1 hour or until you lose concentration, and you choose which of those conditions ends the effect whenever you initiate minor alchemy. So you can choose between indefinite duration that takes up your concentration, or an hour-long duration that still allows the usage of concentration spells while it's in effect. Fluff-wise, you either actively send magical energy to the transmuted substance to sustain it, or stuff it full of all the energy you can fit into it and let it run on its own for the hour it takes for the stored energy to be drained.
Kalani wrote:
MechaPilot wrote:
Fralex wrote:
Fralex wrote:
Hmm...it's all a gnome scam to rip-off shopkeepers.
More practically though, I see little reason that the ability of one subclass of wizards to try to sell fake silver objects is likely to inspire special business procedures and security measures in a typical D&D world. If it's a higher magic world with a lot of transmuters running around that would make sense, but in a typical world there is going to be much more of a chance of loss to thieves than an occasional unscrupulous wizard. And when such a wizard's work is discovered, there will probably be wanted posters and other law enforcement responses related to that particular wizard or locale, rather than a kingdom-wide establishment of new business practices. I mean, the thing is, you can use your class abilities to get ill-gotten gains. Any class's abilities. A barbarian going into a rage, smashing display cases and killing guards is at least as effective. And one way or another they are both going to have to run from the law afterwards in most situations. Transmuters might be able to accomplish it more easily and without being detected due to using alter self and minor alchemy on occasion, but it's hardly something that makes them stand out in the theft department (especially compared to rogues).
Sword_of_Spirit wrote: