[Base Class] Apothecary

[Purple]

The Apothecary
“A dash of parsley, a hint of oregano, and voilà! A fusion bomb!”

Apothecaries mix stuff up. They can fit into pretty much any setting, since most have people that mix drinks. Even if you don’t have alchemists in your world, you probably have bartenders.

Playing an Apothecary: As an apothecary, you might not have the sheer firepower of a true spellcaster, but given enough time you can seriously take on anything. It all depends on the concoctions you make and the way you combine different ingredients. All ingredients have both positive and negative effects, and to succeed as an apothecary you’ll need to be able to anticipate when and where you’ll be using your brews to make sure they help instead of hinder.

Apothecaries and the Economy (A note for DMs): Apothecaries need ingredients. This is pretty obvious. They can generate them themselves, but a DM needs to make sure that they don’t destroy the world economy by being able to make free stuff from level 1. The easiest way to do this is if you can dissociate wealth from character power in your campaign setting. If this is too drastic of a change or not otherwise not possible, you can use the makeshift ruling that most people don’t really give a hoot about alchemical stuff, since it’s mostly useless crap. So you say it’s worthless and call it a day. This might get a little weird at 5th level when they can find GOLD in the environment, but it’s your campaign. Go ahead and say it’s unrefined gold if it makes you feel any better.

But anyway, the gist of it is that they shouldn’t be able to sell their stuff to break the game. If money is power in your game, don’t let them sell ingredients. If money has nothing to do with power in your game, let them sell stuff and actually get things that people buy with money, like palaces and slaves and shit.

Starting Age: As wizard
Starting Equipment: 6d6 x 10 gp
Alignment: Apothecaries can be any alignment, although lots of them like to pretend to be neutral so they can focus on their ‘art’. If that makes them lawful to you, then go nuts.

Hit Die: d6
Base Attack Bonus: 3/4
Good Saving Throws: Fortitude and Will
Skill Points: 6 + Int
Class Skills: The apothecary’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (all) (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Cha), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Level	Abilities	Ingredients
1st	Alchemy, beginner’s bases, primer ingredients, scavenge	3
2nd	Alchemist’s softball, a nose for limestone	3
3rd	Novice ingredients	3
4th	Basic bases, the most dangerous game	3
5th	Standard ingredients	3
6th	Extra ingredient, steady (hand) under pressure	4
7th	Better bases, impressive ingredients	4
8th	Aftertaste, left-handed stir	4
9th	Double-sized ingredients	4
10th	Brilliant bases, KISS	4
11th	Exciting ingredients	4
12th	Double trouble, extra ingredient	5
13th	Breathtaking bases, fantastic ingredients	5
14th	A dark and stormy night, bibasic concoctions	5
15th	Phenomenal ingredients	5
16th	Bitching bases, left-handed swirl	5
17th	Transcendant ingredients	5
18th	A hint of paprika, extra ingredient	6
19th	Brütal bäses, God’s own ingredients	6
20th	Magnum opus	6

All of the following are class features of the apothecary.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The apothecary is proficient with all light armour and simple weapons. He is not proficient with any medium armour or heavy armour, or shields of any kind.

Alchemy (Su): By taking five minutes, an apothecary can create an alchemical concoction. They can use any ingredients they like to make it that they have in their possession, although at 1st level they can only have three in any one concoction. All concoctions must have one (and only one) base in them as one of the ingredients, which determines the form the concoction takes.

When mixing a concoction, the apothecary makes a Craft (alchemy) check. The DC is determined by adding up the DC of all the ingredients used. If successful, the concoction is properly mixed. If they fail the check, the concoction is ruined in some spectacular way which ruins the ingredients.

A concoction typically weighs about 1 lb when it’s finished, and is administered as a standard action.

As an apothecary advances in level, they have access to additional grades of ingredients and bases. At 1st level, they can only draw from the Primer Ingredients list and the Beginner’s Bases list.

The save DC against a concoction or any of it’s effects is 10 + 1/2 the apothecary’s ranks in Craft (alchemy) while making the concoction + the apothecary’s Int modifier. The duration is a number of rounds equal to the the ranks in Craft (alchemy). A concoction always offers a saving throw to negate it if the target is unwilling.

Some ingredients are denoted as transformational ingredients. They turn someone into something else entirely. You can’t mix two of these in the same concoction, and if someone already transformed by one gets hit with another, the newer transformational effect overrides the previous one. You’re either a minotaur or a pile of goo. You can’t be both at the same time.

Beginner Bases: At level 1, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Beginner bases have a scarcity rating of 1 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 2.

• Air: The concoction takes the form of a gas. When opened, it begins spreading from its container at a rate of 5ft. per round for three rounds. Wind disperses the gas harmlessly. A breathing enemy in the area at the start of their turn can negate the effects of the concoction with a Fortitude save. Anyone immune against inhaled poisons is immune to these concoctions.
• Water: The concoction takes the form of an imbibed potion, which works exactly like a spell effect potion. The target may make a Fortitude save to negate the effects of the concoction. Anyone immune against ingested poisons is immune to these concoctions.
• Sand: The concoction takes the form of a granular substance that can be thrown an adjacent target as an attack action. No attack roll is required, but instead the target may make a Reflex save to negate the effects of the concoction.
• Snake Venom: The concoction takes the form of a poison that can be applied to a piercing, slashing, or bludgeoning weapon. It strikes the target if the poisoned weapon succeeds on an attack roll, even if it deals no damage. After being applied to the weapon, the poison remains potent for five minutes until it becomes inert. A weapon can only have one poison on it at a time. The target may make a Fortitude save to negate the effects of the concoction. Anyone immune against injury poisons is immune to these concoctions.
• Sulfuric Acid: The concoction takes the form of a splash weapon with a range increment of 10ft. It strikes the target with a ranged touch attack, as well as affecting anuone in an adjacent space. The target(s) may make a Fortitude save to negate the effects of the concoction.

Primer Ingredients: At level 1, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Primer ingredients have a scarcity rating of 1 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 4.

• Bark (Earth): Bark grows on their skin. The target gains natural armour of +1 per 3 ranks of Craft (alchemy). They also become vulnerable to fire.
• Coral (Water): The target becomes adapted to underwater living. They become immune to pressure dangers as they dive, they can breathe underwater, and they don’t take any penalties to attack rolls or AC while underwater, even if the weapon normally isn’t suited to such a thing (like a bow). They can no longer breathe above water, and need to hold their breath.
• Garlic (Earth): They seriously stink. The target is treated like garlic for any vampires nearby, but moreover anyone with a sense of smell that even comes within 30ft. of them needs to make a Fortitude save or be nauseated while in the area. If an undead fails this save, they can’t even enter into the zone. Creatures with the scent ability gain a +10 bonus on tracking someone who has been under the effects of this in the last 24 hours.
• Ginger (Earth): Wow. Nobody likes ginger. The target’s breath smells absolutely awful, and they take a -5 penalty on all Charisma-based checks. Even Intimidate, because nobody’s going to take them seriously when they smell like ginger. On the plus side, if anybody swallows them whole while under the influence of ginger, they need to make a Fortitude save or throw them up again and then spend the next round prone and helpless as their gag reflex kicks in. I hate ginger.
• Horsehair (Earth): The target gains cloven feet which lets them gallop like the wind even if it also makes them look a little like the devil. They gain a +5ft. bonus to their base land speed for every 2 ranks in Craft (alchemy). If they step on a caltrop, though, they fall prone and their speed falls by 3/4 instead of half.
• Honey (Water): The target smells super-sweet and people love them. They gain a bonus on all Diplomacy and verbal Bluff checks of +5 for every 3 ranks of Craft (alchemy), and they can cast charm person as a spell-like ability once during the effect with a caster level equal to their character level. They also literally begin to ooze honey out of their pores, which is actually kind of gross and glues them to the ground. They can’t make 5ft. steps.
• Nightshade (Earth): The target falls into a drug-induced haze and take a penalty on saves against sleep of -1 per 2 ranks of Craft (alchemy). They also forget about little details like pain and stuff, and they can ignore the effects of nonlethal damage. Nonlethal damage is still tallied, and if they’re over their limit at the end of it, they still fall unconscious.
• Pearl (Water): The target starts to itch uncontrollably in that one little place in the back that they can never quite seem to reach. They take a -4 penalty on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Constitution-based skill checks, and they provoke attacks of opportunity while maintaining concentration on a spell. The pearl of irritation also makes them understandable fidgety, and they can’t sit still. They gain a corresponding +4 bonus on Reflex saves, and can make their 5ft. step for the round during anybody’s turn.
• Soap (Water): The target becomes almost unnaturally clean, losing any kinds of marks, scars, tattoos, or even arcane identifiers like an arcane mark. If you have at least 12 ranks in Craft (alchemy), this also removes a mark of justice. This is actually an instantaneous effect, so this part of a concoction doesn’t have any duration.
• Straw (Earth): The target is sustained but unsatisfied. On a day where they take in a concoction with straw in it, they don’t need to eat, drink, or sleep, but they’re fatigued until they actually do get some sleep.
• Tooth (Earth): The target transforms into a beast-like version of themselves. They gain a primary natural bite attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage, and an enhancement bonus to Strength and Dexterity of +1 per 2 ranks in Craft (alchemy). This is a transformational ingredient, and can’t be combined in a concoction with any other such ingredients.

Scavenge (Ex): An apothecary can spend an hour scavenging around in the environment and using fancy equipment to distill, purify and otherwise come up with a smorgasboard of alchemical ingredients. He makes a Craft (alchemy) check, and can then buy as many ingredients as he wants as long as their combined scarcity rating is less than or equal to the result. Most apothecaries don’t carry around too many raw ingredients, since it gets pretty heavy most of the time, and rely on what they can find in the environment. In general, each portion of an ingredient weighs 1/2 lb. He can only find ingredients of a grade that he can use at the time.

Alchemist’s Softball (Ex): At level 2, the apothecary’s years in Little League pay off, as he gets better at lobbing projectiles. He adds his Int modifier to ranged attack rolls with splash weapons including concoctions made with an acid base. In addition, he can draw and throw as many in a full attack action as his base attack bonus would normally allow (although this won’t really matter for a few more levels). He takes iterative attack penalties on each consecutive attack as normal.

A Nose for Limestone (Ex): At level 2, the apothecary can also make a Survival check when scavenging for ingredients, and add the result to his Craft (alchemy) check to determine the ingredients he finds with an hour’s work.

Novice Ingredients: At level 3, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Novice ingredients have a scarcity rating of 2 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 5.

• Coffee (Earth/Fire): The target becomes really hyper, repressing fatigue and exhaustion for the duration of the effect. However, they find it hard to focus on things and take a -1 penalty per 4 ranks in Craft (alchemy) on Will saves and Concentration checks.
• Fat (Earth/Fire): The target packs on the blubber, massively increasing their weight. They're treated as if they were a size category larger for the purposes of bull rushes and grapples. At 11 ranks, 16 ranks, and 21 ranks of Craft (alchemy), they're treated as if they were an additional size category larger, although they don't actually take up that much space. They take a corresponding penalty on AC and Hide checks relative to their new pseudo-size.
• Feather (Air): The target becomes as light as a metaphorical feather. They're treated as if they were a size category smaller for bull rushes and grapples. In addition, they automatically take no damage from falls as they float on the air all the way down, and gain a +10 bonus on Jump checks. At 11 ranks, 16 ranks, and 21 ranks of Craft (alchemy) they're treated as an additional size category smaller, although they also gain an additional +10 bonus to Jump each time.
• Fishscale (Water): Lungs turn into gills and hands become fins. The target turns into... a fish. They shrink one size category, and gain a natural swim speed equal to their land speed. They get a secondary natural tail attack that deals 1d6 bludgeoning damage. They can breathe water, and have to hold their breath above it. They gain a -4 penalty to Strength, but gain a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity for every 3 ranks of Craft (alchemy). This is a transformational ingredient.
• Lye (Fire/Water): The target is coated in a viciously corrosive fluid that eats off one temporary effect every round that is clinging to the person, such as web, grease, glitterdust, entangle, black tentacles, and so on. If there is no such effect on them, they instead take 1d6 acid damage for every 3 ranks of Craft (alchemy) each round.
• Moss (Earth/Water): The target starts to grow moss on their skin, which lets them slowly creep up walls like a moss-like human. They gain a climb speed equal to their land speed, and can cling to ceilings as well as walls. Bright lights blind them just like a drow.
• Pumice (Earth/Air): Air starts to bubble up inside of them, and carry them away. The target starts to float away. They float upwards at a rate of 10ft. per round, and can move 5ft. horizontally as a move action. They automatically negate their own weight, and can carry up to 20 lb per rank in Craft (alchemy) besides.
• Root (Earth/Water): Roots grow from their feet into the ground. They get fast healing 1 for every 6 ranks in Craft (alchemy) while on solid earth, but they're treated as if affected by an entangle spell while it happens.
• Sap (Earth/Water): As their blood turns into a sap-like substance, their reactions slow down. They take a -3 penalty to Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, and their initiative score for every 3 ranks of Craft (alchemy). That being said, they gain moderate (50%) fortification against critical hits and precision-based damage.
• Tea (Earth/Water): The target is soothed deeply, and calms down. They lose the effects of any heightened state of emotion, like a rage, a frenzy, confusion, or even something like morale bonuses. This even temporarily calms a permanent effect like insanity for the duration of the concoction's effects.
• Vitreous Humour (Water/Air): The target gains insane myopia, and becomes incredibly far-sighted. They gain a -20 penalty to Spot checks, but gain a cumulative +10 bonus to Spot checks for every 50ft. away they look. They don't take any penalties for range increments with ranged weapons outside of 100ft., although inside that range they take a -4 range penalty to attack rolls, both melee and ranged. If you have at least 13 ranks in Craft (alchemy), they can make sneak attacks, skirmish attacks, and sudden strikes at any distance.

Basic Bases: At level 4, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Basic bases have a scarcity rating of 2 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 4.

• Ethanol
• Helium
• Salt
• Scorpion Venom

NOTE: It’s not immediately obvious, but the whole point of elemental affinities on the ingredients is that later bases cause special metapotion effects when combined with certain elements. Like salt + water makes an Extend Spell effect or some shit. This is not obvious right now because I only have the first tier written out.

The Most Dangerous Game (Ex): At level 4, the apothecary is used to handling incredibly dangerous substances. He never accidentally poisons himself when applying a poison (including a venom-based concoction) to a weapon, he gains a +5 circumstance bonus to saves against poison, and he can draw a venom from his stores and apply it to an adjacent ally’s weapon (or his own) all as a move action.

Standard Ingredients: At level 5, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Standard ingredients have a scarcity rating of 3 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 6.

• Beak (Air):
• Chameleon Skin (Earth):
• Flesh (Earth):
• Gold (Earth):
• Gunpowder (Earth/Fire):
• Ivory (Earth):
• Lead (Earth):
• Leaf (Earth/Fire):
• Limestone (Earth):
• Mandrake (Earth/Water):
• Wool (Earth):

Extra Ingredient: At level 6, level 12, and level 18, the apothecary can use one additional ingredient in his concoctions (up to six at level 18, including the mandatory base). To determine the DC to mix the potion, they add up all of the ingredients’ DCs.

Steady (Hand) Under Pressure (Ex): At level 6, the apothecary can take 10 on the Craft (alchemy) check to mix concoctions, even if stress or distraction would normally prevent him from doing so.

Better Bases: At level 7, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Better bases have a scarcity rating of 3 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 6.

• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Water Vapour

Impressive Ingredients: At level 7, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Impressive ingredients have a scarcity rating of 4 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 7.

• Bone (Earth):
• Brimstone (Earth/Fire):
• Crystal (Earth/Air):
• Ectoplasm (Fire/Air):
• Ginseng (Earth/Water):
• Grease (Fire/Water):
• Methane (Air):
• Moonstone (Earth/Air):
• Oil (Fire/Water):
• Seaweed (Air):
• Silver (Earth):

Aftertaste (Su): At level 8, the apothecary can choose for one of the ingredients of his choice in a concoction to only kick in a round after the rest of the concoction takes effect. This means it starts on the same person’s turn that applied the concoction in the first place.

Left-Handed Stir (Su): At level 8, the apthecary can choose to ignore the affinity of one of the ingredients used in his concoctions.

Double-Sized Ingredients: At level 9, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Double-sized ingredients have a scarcity rating of 5 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 8.

• Butterfly Wing (Earth/Air):
• Clay (Earth/Water):
• Incense (Fire/Air):
• Iron (Earth):
• Magnesium (Earth/Fire):
• Mushroom (Earth/Water):
• Oxygen (Air):
• Sandstone (Earth):

Brilliant Bases: At level 10, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Basic bases have a scarcity rating of 4 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 8.

• Chalk
• Milk
• Neon
• Wyvern Venom

KISS (Su): At level 10, as long as an apothecary only uses two ingredients (including their base) in a concoction, they can mix it in a single full-round action.

Exciting Ingredients: At level 11, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Exciting ingredients have a scarcity rating of 6 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 9.

• Ash (Fire):
• Flower (Earth/Water):
• Krypton (Air):
• Opal (Earth):
• Opium (Earth/Air):
• Pepper (Earth/Fire):
• Psilocybin (Earth/Air):
• Salvinorin (Earth/Water):

Double Trouble (Su): At level 12, whenever an apothecary mixes a concoction, he can make a second indentical concoction with the same five minutes and the same Craft (alchemy) check. He needs seperate ingredients for both.

Breathtaking Bases: At level 13, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Breathtaking bases have a scarcity rating of 5 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 10.

• Soil
• Smoke

Fantastic Ingredients: At level 13, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Exciting ingredients have a scarcity rating of 7 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 10.

• Acorn (Earth/Water):
• Glass (Earth/Fire):
• Ichor (Water/Air):
• Quicksand (Earth/Water):
• Rainwater (Water/Air):
• Sal Ammoniac (Earth/Fire):

A Dark and Stormy Night (Su): At level 14, whenever the apothecary is mixing a concoction in an open-air venue, he can choose to have a thunderstorm occur overhead. The thunderstorm takes 30 seconds (5 rounds) to form and 10 minutes to dissipate after the concoction is finished. Thunderstorms are accompanied by hurricane-level winds, heavy rain and hail, and the normal drop in visibility and random lightning bolts (as described in the PHB). The apothecary is immune to all of the effects of his own storm.

Bibasic Concoctions (Su): At level 14, the apothecary can combine two bases in a single concoction. They pick one of the bases to determine the form the concoction takes, but they can use the individual qualities and special reactions of both bases equally in the finished concoction.

Phenomenal Ingredients: At level 15, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Phenomenal ingredients have a scarcity rating of 8 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 11.

• Jellyfish Skin (Water/Air):
• Liquorice (Earth):
• Mercury (Water/Air):
• Nectar (Earth/Water):
• Plasma (Fire/Air):

Bitching Bases: At level 16, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Bitching bases have a scarcity rating of 6 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 12.

• Lemon Juice
• Syrup
• Xenon

Left-Handed Swirl (Su): At level 16, the apothecary can apply the left-handed stir ability to every ingredient in his concoctions aside from the bases. In addition, he can bestow an additional elemental affinity on the concoction.

Transcendant Ingredients: At level 17, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. Transcendant ingredients have a scarcity rating of 9 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 12.

• Egg (Water/Fire):
• Ink (Water/Earth):
• Meteorite (Fire/Air):
• Mould (Water/Earth):
• Radon (Air):
• Sulfur (Fire/Air):

A Hint of Paprika (Su): At level 18, the apothecary discovers an ancient Chinese secret and no longer is required to use a base in his concoctions, although he still can if he wants. If he doesn’t use a base, the default form of the concoction is as if water was used as the base. There is no increase to the Craft (alchemy) DC from water, however, and it doesn’t take up an ingredient slot in the mix.

Brütal Bäses: At level 19, the apothecary can use these bases with his alchemy. Brütal bäses have a scarcity rating of 7 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 14.

• Argon
• Blood
• Jellyfish Venom

God’s Own Ingredients: At level 19, the apothecary can use these ingredients with his alchemy. God’s own ingredients have a scarcity rating of 10 and a Craft (alchemy) DC of 13.

• Ambrosia (Water/Fire/Air):
• Dry Ice (Earth/Air):
• Feldspar (Earth):
• Quartz (Earth/Air):
• Vibhuti (Fire/Air):

Magnum Opus (Su): At level 20, the apothecary wins D&D. He also becomes immortal to old age, immune to disease and poison, and can turn inanimate objects to gold as a standard action touch attack. He can be resurrected with no XP cost.

[Prak]

The scavenging is interesting...

"We're in the middle of a fucking jungle! Where the hell did you get milk!?"
"Oh, I milked a tiger."
"...."

later:
"Ok, milk in a jungle is... feasible... Where the fuck did you get milk in the god damned desert!?"
"that was a tough one. But I assure you, simple matters of geographical distribution of animals does not stop an alchemist as great as I!"

[Koumei]

I approve of any class that has to go around harvesting opium.

[Prak]

Hell, I approve of any class that suggests a Bartender who makes magic drinks. For that matter, it could be reflavoured to be a magic chef, something I've been pondering for a bit.

[God_of_Awesome]

Having to stat all these extra things, like the ingredients and bases, is exactly what brought my Champion to a screeching halt. That said, if you'd like, I'm willing to give some of them a shot myself.

[Heath Robinson]

I approve of any class that can whip up a mug of tea in 6 seconds. Sure, you're a level 10 badass by that point, but if I could make tea that quickly, I think I'd end in rehab.

[Koumei]

That's a good point, Heath. The only thing keeping me at 3-6 cups per day is that I don't like to stop what I'm doing to go get a refill.

[xXOblivionXx]

A Dark and Stormy Night (Su): At level 14, whenever the apothecary is mixing a concoction in an open-air venure, he can choose to have a thunderstorm occur overhead. The thunderstorm takes 30 seconds (5 rounds) to form and 10 minutes to dissipate after the concoction is finished. Thunderstorms are accompanied by hurricane-level winds, heavy rain and hail, and the normal drop in visibility and random lightning bolts (as described in the PHB). The apothecary is immune to all of the effects of his own storm.

I...I...what?

By the way, I suggest that only the effects of ingredients be fixed and what the ingredient is depends on whether the player can justify it giving that effect.

[Prak]

By the way, I suggest that only the effects of ingredients be fixed and what the ingredient is depends on whether the player can justify it giving that effect.

It sounds really good Oblivion, the problem is that that way lies Mage the Ascension.

[Purple]

Novice (level 3) ingredients are up. I'm glad people like the idea.

I figured that if you can accept most of the stuff in D&D, there should be no problem with assuming that a skilled alchemist can find pretty much anything anywhere in an hour's time.

@God_of_Awesome: I've got notes on what most of the ingredients will do, but if you'd like to make some of your own or you have an idea for one of them, I'd love to hear it and add it to the list.

[xXOblivionXx]

It sounds really good Oblivion, the problem is that that way lies Mage the Ascension.

I...have no idea what Mage the Ascension is.

[Prak]

It has a great concept, but it just doesn't work.
http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=50 ... +ascension

However, I was a bit hasty. You suggested fixed effects, which is a lot better than mage's system.

[Koumei]

I say keep the ingredients. I want the rules to say I need tea and opium!

[God_of_Awesome]

Well, I'll mae some suggestions / guesses. I could get into heavy handed statting + heavy handed unbalancedness but I suppose you already have everything prepared.

Lead: Being heavier is an obvious one but I bet you considered the affects it has on scrying?

Chameleon: Some sort of Hide, Hide In Plain Sight, Invisibility thing.

Bone: Some kind of necromancy affect?

Ectoplasm: Become a ghost?

Silver: Punch out lycans.

Krypton: Kill Superman.


I need to stop volunteering help I can't give.

[Purple]

Yeah, the ingredients are staying. One of the reasons I wanted to make this is was so that there'd be an enormous list of ingredients that you could mix together in fun and weird ways. That's what an alchemist needs to be able to do.

Some of the guesses are pretty good, some are totally off. Krypton's right on the money.

[xXOblivionXx]

Chameleon: Some sort of Hide, Hide In Plain Sight, Invisibility thing.

More like octopus skin, since chameleons don't use there color changing ability for camouflage.

[Guyr Adamantine]

[quote="xXOblivionXx]More like octopus skin, since chameleons don't use there color changing ability for camouflage.[/quote]

[Quantumboost]

More like octopus skin, since chameleons don't use there color changing ability for camouflage.

According to the Wikipedia article, while it isn't the *primary* purpose of their color changing (health and social cues are), some species do actually use it for camouflage.

But octopuses might still be a better choice, because they're more awesome.

Edit: Okay sure why not.

[Koumei]

Octopuses, please. And though it's true that chameleons don't (for the most part) camouflage, the problem is that "Everyone knows they do" (hence it being a QI question, just so Alan loses 10 points).

[AiRaven]

The fact that this class isn't finished makes me sad

[Sunwitch]

My christmas would be complete with this thing in a usable format. :<

[...You Lost Me]

I don't get purple's plan for the extra bases, but was thinking about trying (pitifully) my hand at some of the ingredients. Here are the first three standard ingredients.

• Beak (Air): Turn into a bird, sort of like Fishscale, but in the air now. You shrink 1 size category, get feathery, grow wings and taloned legs (losing your other limbs in the process), and otherwise look like a rather large bird. You gain a fly speed of 60'. You get a claw attack (1d6) and a bite attack (1d8). You also take a -4 penalty to Strength, but gain a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity for every 3 ranks of Craft (alchemy). This is a transformational ingredient.
• Chameleon Skin (Earth): You blend right in to the surroundings. You may hide in plain sight so long as there is vegetation at least 1 size smaller than you or larger within 10'. However, this skin inhibits movement, halving your movement speed.
• Flesh (Earth): If you have wounds, they begin to knit and close, providing 2 HP / rank in Craft (alchemy) every round. If you are healed by this effect but have lost no HP, you begin to grow tumors on your body, providing you with temporary HP equal to the HP that you would not have received because you were at full health. While you have temporary HP from this effect, the tumors provide a -6 penalty to Dexterity and Strength. This penalty cannot bring your Strength or Dextery below 1.

[Ice9]

I like this concept a lot, although filling in all the ingredients and bases won't be easy.

One thing that's odd is common substances (like Quartz) as high-tier ingredients. I don't have any issue with Quartz being powerful or difficult to work with, but being harder to scavenge than Radon or Meteorites is strange. Although it's possible that a little specification - "You need quartz with a perfect crystal structure" and assumed transmutation - "You can refine Radon out of smoke with the right skills" could do it. But there should be a least a cursory mention of that.