I REALLY want to like the Alchemist. but when compared to the other subclasses it is not even on the same level. Here is a pair of quick homebrew ideas.
"Chemical Stimulants - Time spent creating potions and elixirs has had a profound and positive effect on the body of the Alchemist. Spell slots are regained during a Short or Long rest for the use of creating Elixir"
Ok, the idea behind this is simple. Giving them a way to make more elixirs. When compared to the Artillerist, who also can use spell slots to create additional Eldritch Cannon that last an hour, or the Battle Smith full healing the Steel Defender, giving the Alchemist a way to make more elixirs does not seem too out of place or OP. There are a number of builds that dip into warlock just to get the pack magic to do this same thing. Because it also is limited to the creation of Elixirs the Alchemist, spell casting is not affected.
"Expanded Elixir List - Now including offensive concoctions"
There is not an elixir that is offensive or affects enemies. So I added two more (roll a 1d8 for randomness)
"7) Pyro-Elixir. When this vile is thrown (20 ft) and smashes, it catches on fire and magically produces the effects of the Pyrotechnics spell. You pick one of the effects when you create a vile."
The idea for this one is to make a simple smoke bomb that can be used offensively (blind) or defence (smoke) effects.
"8) Enhanced Alchemist Fire - This vile when thrown will smash and ignite, doing 2d8 damage of the damage type chosen in its creation in a 5ft radius. Pick from acid, fire, necrotic, or poison damage. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. Alchemical Savant will increase its damage. "
Molitov cocktail time. It's adaptive, scalable, but at a cost. If you build the Alchemist to be bomb-throwing Bada$$ then they are also not making Elixirs for buff or healing. It's a trade-off (and maybe even a carrot on the stick scenario). However, it does give this subclass a much-needed offensive capability in combat. Thematic? Sure. Why cant a vile be of burning acid, toxic smoke, or a biohazard.
Final thoughts with this homebrew
"A level 3 Alchemist can have 7 Elixirs on hand." Yes, After a long rest (+1), If they use all their spell slots for Elixirs (+3) and later within the 24 hours takes a short rest and again uses the 3 recover slots for elixirs. Yes, one could have a great number, but at the cost of all your spell slots. And on a heavy adventuring day, 7 healing potions is not much for a party of 5, or 70 min of flight is the same as the Fly spell (kinda). This becomes an internal game of balance of Spell slots and Elixirs. Even a level 20 could only make 31. (That is only 31x 2d4+5 healing (403hp divided by your group of 5: 80hp on average) or 2d8+5 damage. (651 max if every attack hits within 24hour, Or I can spam a 4d10+5 firebolt every round)). Not too OP for a sub-class that is sub-par.
For Chemical Stimulants I think, rather than creating this secondary spell slot resource, I think just changing the base Experimental Elixir to 1: allowing you to choose which elixirs you create by default, and 2: creating fresh experimental Elixirs at the end of a short or long rest; would accomplish roughly the same effect without giving you this awkward additional resource to manage. You'd still have the option to spend spell slots for creating specific Elixirs on the fly, but this would be a much simpler way to compensate for how unreliable the Experimental Elixir can be.
I do like the idea of having some offensive options with potions, but it does run into a problem that they don't scale up the way the other Elixirs do at level 9, which adds the Restorative Reagents feature to add a temp HP boost to every Elixir of 2d6+INT, as opposed to Alchemical Savant which only gives a boost of +INT. I think there are two ways to address this... either alter Restorative Agents to add language for adding damage to offensive potions, or change the potions so that they're still consumed by the user... like swapping Alchemist Fire for something more akin to a Potion of Fire Breathing. I get the impression that you want the flavor of more of a molotov cocktail, but a lot of the design of Experimental Elixirs seems to be built under the assumption that they're potions that will be consumed by friendly creatures.
For Chemical Stimulants I think, rather than creating this secondary spell slot resource, I think just changing the base Experimental Elixir to 1: allowing you to choose which elixirs you create by default, and 2: creating fresh experimental Elixirs at the end of a short or long rest; would accomplish roughly the same effect without giving you this awkward additional resource to manage. You'd still have the option to spend spell slots for creating specific Elixirs on the fly, but this would be a much simpler way to compensate for how unreliable the Experimental Elixir can be.
It always felt slightly backward to me that the elixirs you can prepare ahead of time were unknown and random while the ones you prepare on the fly were of your choice. Shouldn't it be the other way around? That the ones you Macgyver together with a handful of leaves and a wish are random?
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Canto alla vita alla sua bellezza ad ogni sua ferita ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
For Chemical Stimulants I think, rather than creating this secondary spell slot resource, I think just changing the base Experimental Elixir to 1: allowing you to choose which elixirs you create by default, and 2: creating fresh experimental Elixirs at the end of a short or long rest; would accomplish roughly the same effect without giving you this awkward additional resource to manage. You'd still have the option to spend spell slots for creating specific Elixirs on the fly, but this would be a much simpler way to compensate for how unreliable the Experimental Elixir can be.
It always felt slightly backward to me that the elixirs you can prepare ahead of time were unknown and random while the ones you prepare on the fly were of your choice. Shouldn't it be the other way around? That the ones you Macgyver together with a handful of leaves and a wish are random?
I can get the logic to them being random in the sense that you're using leftovers from the fridge or getting the last dregs out from nearly empty potion bottles or repurposing cleaning supplies stored under the kitchen sink. Granted being able to do this with results that are always beneficial to the drinker is downright miraculous but that would be a (thematically) justified randomness.
And none of the above evokes the feeling of an actual legitimate experiment though. Throwing random shit into a pot to see what happens is a valid experiment... if its repeatable. However with the mechanic being abstracted to a 1d6 roll it doesn't allow the same repeated results unless you also expend additional resources (spell slots).
But the 1d6 would work for an accidental elixir... except there you run into the issue of it being weird how your alchemical accidents are always beneficial and don't consume resources... etc. Conversely, the wild magic sorceror's d100 table has tons of things that can happen both harmful and beneficial.
So the thematic problem of experimental elixir is it's oversimplified and at once too random and not random enough. It's halfway between two theoretically interesting mechanics and then gets assassinated by a poorly thought out action economy where other creatures have to decide if they want to use their action to use your class feature instead of an action to user their own and 90% of the time will choose their own class features because it's what's more familiar and typically the better in the moment use of their action.
I don't disagree with these ideas, I even liked them enough to incorporate the simpler, easy to change ideas into a personal use copy, but as I got thinking about it more and more... I think the solution is even easier. Increase the number of elixirs made. By a lot. Int mod+PB is what I was thinking. And the "ingested" to "contact" change as well.
For Chemical Stimulants I think, rather than creating this secondary spell slot resource, I think just changing the base Experimental Elixir to 1: allowing you to choose which elixirs you create by default, and 2: creating fresh experimental Elixirs at the end of a short or long rest; would accomplish roughly the same effect without giving you this awkward additional resource to manage. You'd still have the option to spend spell slots for creating specific Elixirs on the fly, but this would be a much simpler way to compensate for how unreliable the Experimental Elixir can be.
It always felt slightly backward to me that the elixirs you can prepare ahead of time were unknown and random while the ones you prepare on the fly were of your choice. Shouldn't it be the other way around? That the ones you Macgyver together with a handful of leaves and a wish are random?
I can get the logic to them being random in the sense that you're using leftovers from the fridge or getting the last dregs out from nearly empty potion bottles or repurposing cleaning supplies stored under the kitchen sink. Granted being able to do this with results that are always beneficial to the drinker is downright miraculous but that would be a (thematically) justified randomness.
And none of the above evokes the feeling of an actual legitimate experiment though. Throwing random shit into a pot to see what happens is a valid experiment... if its repeatable. However with the mechanic being abstracted to a 1d6 roll it doesn't allow the same repeated results unless you also expend additional resources (spell slots).
But the 1d6 would work for an accidental elixir... except there you run into the issue of it being weird how your alchemical accidents are always beneficial and don't consume resources... etc. Conversely, the wild magic sorceror's d100 table has tons of things that can happen both harmful and beneficial.
So the thematic problem of experimental elixir is it's oversimplified and at once too random and not random enough. It's halfway between two theoretically interesting mechanics and then gets assassinated by a poorly thought out action economy where other creatures have to decide if they want to use their action to use your class feature instead of an action to user their own and 90% of the time will choose their own class features because it's what's more familiar and typically the better in the moment use of their action.
Yeah, drinking the elixirs needs to be a BAction for them to be used during combat. I also agree that there should be some kind of table similar to Wild Magic Sorc's for the Alchemist's experiments, just not anything so debilitating as a Fireball on the party.
I'd like to throw my homebrew Alchemist rework in here for people to see, use and make comments on. I fixes problems like over dependency on spell slots and the action economy while also giving much more combat impact and flavor to the character.
I REALLY want to like the Alchemist. but when compared to the other subclasses it is not even on the same level. Here is a pair of quick homebrew ideas.
"Chemical Stimulants - Time spent creating potions and elixirs has had a profound and positive effect on the body of the Alchemist. Spell slots are regained during a Short or Long rest for the use of creating Elixir"
Ok, the idea behind this is simple. Giving them a way to make more elixirs. When compared to the Artillerist, who also can use spell slots to create additional Eldritch Cannon that last an hour, or the Battle Smith full healing the Steel Defender, giving the Alchemist a way to make more elixirs does not seem too out of place or OP. There are a number of builds that dip into warlock just to get the pack magic to do this same thing. Because it also is limited to the creation of Elixirs the Alchemist, spell casting is not affected.
"Expanded Elixir List - Now including offensive concoctions"
There is not an elixir that is offensive or affects enemies. So I added two more (roll a 1d8 for randomness)
"7) Pyro-Elixir. When this vile is thrown (20 ft) and smashes, it catches on fire and magically produces the effects of the Pyrotechnics spell. You pick one of the effects when you create a vile."
The idea for this one is to make a simple smoke bomb that can be used offensively (blind) or defence (smoke) effects.
"8) Enhanced Alchemist Fire - This vile when thrown will smash and ignite, doing 2d8 damage of the damage type chosen in its creation in a 5ft radius. Pick from acid, fire, necrotic, or poison damage. On a hit, the target takes 1d8 damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a DC 10 Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. Alchemical Savant will increase its damage. "
Molitov cocktail time. It's adaptive, scalable, but at a cost. If you build the Alchemist to be bomb-throwing Bada$$ then they are also not making Elixirs for buff or healing. It's a trade-off (and maybe even a carrot on the stick scenario). However, it does give this subclass a much-needed offensive capability in combat. Thematic? Sure. Why cant a vile be of burning acid, toxic smoke, or a biohazard.
Final thoughts with this homebrew
"A level 3 Alchemist can have 7 Elixirs on hand." Yes, After a long rest (+1), If they use all their spell slots for Elixirs (+3) and later within the 24 hours takes a short rest and again uses the 3 recover slots for elixirs. Yes, one could have a great number, but at the cost of all your spell slots. And on a heavy adventuring day, 7 healing potions is not much for a party of 5, or 70 min of flight is the same as the Fly spell (kinda). This becomes an internal game of balance of Spell slots and Elixirs. Even a level 20 could only make 31. (That is only 31x 2d4+5 healing (403hp divided by your group of 5: 80hp on average) or 2d8+5 damage. (651 max if every attack hits within 24hour, Or I can spam a 4d10+5 firebolt every round)). Not too OP for a sub-class that is sub-par.
any ways.........
For Chemical Stimulants I think, rather than creating this secondary spell slot resource, I think just changing the base Experimental Elixir to 1: allowing you to choose which elixirs you create by default, and 2: creating fresh experimental Elixirs at the end of a short or long rest; would accomplish roughly the same effect without giving you this awkward additional resource to manage. You'd still have the option to spend spell slots for creating specific Elixirs on the fly, but this would be a much simpler way to compensate for how unreliable the Experimental Elixir can be.
I do like the idea of having some offensive options with potions, but it does run into a problem that they don't scale up the way the other Elixirs do at level 9, which adds the Restorative Reagents feature to add a temp HP boost to every Elixir of 2d6+INT, as opposed to Alchemical Savant which only gives a boost of +INT. I think there are two ways to address this... either alter Restorative Agents to add language for adding damage to offensive potions, or change the potions so that they're still consumed by the user... like swapping Alchemist Fire for something more akin to a Potion of Fire Breathing. I get the impression that you want the flavor of more of a molotov cocktail, but a lot of the design of Experimental Elixirs seems to be built under the assumption that they're potions that will be consumed by friendly creatures.
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It always felt slightly backward to me that the elixirs you can prepare ahead of time were unknown and random while the ones you prepare on the fly were of your choice. Shouldn't it be the other way around? That the ones you Macgyver together with a handful of leaves and a wish are random?
Canto alla vita
alla sua bellezza
ad ogni sua ferita
ogni sua carezza!
I sing to life and to its tragic beauty
To pain and to strife, but all that dances through me
The rise and the fall, I've lived through it all!
Dump the whole 'random' from the elixir.
Then since elixirs should be at least equal to the other sub-class features, increase their effectiveness (healing, damage, duration, etc).
I can get the logic to them being random in the sense that you're using leftovers from the fridge or getting the last dregs out from nearly empty potion bottles or repurposing cleaning supplies stored under the kitchen sink. Granted being able to do this with results that are always beneficial to the drinker is downright miraculous but that would be a (thematically) justified randomness.
And none of the above evokes the feeling of an actual legitimate experiment though. Throwing random shit into a pot to see what happens is a valid experiment... if its repeatable. However with the mechanic being abstracted to a 1d6 roll it doesn't allow the same repeated results unless you also expend additional resources (spell slots).
But the 1d6 would work for an accidental elixir... except there you run into the issue of it being weird how your alchemical accidents are always beneficial and don't consume resources... etc. Conversely, the wild magic sorceror's d100 table has tons of things that can happen both harmful and beneficial.
So the thematic problem of experimental elixir is it's oversimplified and at once too random and not random enough. It's halfway between two theoretically interesting mechanics and then gets assassinated by a poorly thought out action economy where other creatures have to decide if they want to use their action to use your class feature instead of an action to user their own and 90% of the time will choose their own class features because it's what's more familiar and typically the better in the moment use of their action.
I don't disagree with these ideas, I even liked them enough to incorporate the simpler, easy to change ideas into a personal use copy, but as I got thinking about it more and more... I think the solution is even easier. Increase the number of elixirs made. By a lot. Int mod+PB is what I was thinking. And the "ingested" to "contact" change as well.
Yeah, drinking the elixirs needs to be a BAction for them to be used during combat. I also agree that there should be some kind of table similar to Wild Magic Sorc's for the Alchemist's experiments, just not anything so debilitating as a Fireball on the party.
I'd like to throw my homebrew Alchemist rework in here for people to see, use and make comments on. I fixes problems like over dependency on spell slots and the action economy while also giving much more combat impact and flavor to the character.
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/1g8iinh/fixing_the_alchemist_nearly_full_rework/
I'd love to hear people's thoughts on my ideas!