Fine, your free one is random but all of the effects are great! Just chug this down before a battle (if the battle is predictable). Also, you can expend a spell slot and choose an effect. This completely overrides cure wounds in terms of after combat healing. Additionally, you get more free elixirs as you level up. Even the random potions are good, as the experimental effects are all good.
Restorative Regents: An extra 2d6 temporary hit points when someone drinks your potion. If tHP = HP, like before a battle where everyone's wounded, then this is like expending a 1st level spell slot and trumping a 3rd level cure wounds. Also, 5 free lesser restorations per long rest. Great!
Chemical Mastery: Free resistances to common damage types. Immunity to an extremely common and terrible condition. Finally, and this is the biggest part, a 6th level spell (!!) as a half caster, and a free greater restoration once per long rest.
I don't see how any of this is worse than other artificer subclasses, it's just more focused on healing and supporting, but it still gets combat buffs (+5 damage for your acid arrow, fire bolt, blight...)
Up front disclaimer: I say all of this out of love for the Alchemist. It's still my favorite Artificer subclass. That said, I reserve the right to be dissatisfied with it.
Experimental Elixir: The big ole' can-o-worms. Have to separate this into parts
The 1d6:The randomness is unjustified mechanically and flavor-wise is unsatisfying as a representation of the results of daily experimentation. I've made posts with alternate ideas of how Experimental Elixir could and should have been designed much better (spoilered since it's not directly related):
Here's my proposed system hopefully rephrased to be more understandable.
- You have a list of 6 known options for your Experimental Elixir. - For your free uses of the elixir you can just choose which option you want. - After a long rest you can choose to experiment by rolling on a larger table to produce an elixir you don't currently know how to make. - After producing that elixir you can choose whether or not to replace one of your known options with that new elixir.
Over-reliance on spell slots for a Half Caster subclass:Beyond my gripes with "experimenting" not being able to choose means if you need a specific elixir for the first time in a day the Alchemist needs to spend a spell slot. This is something the Artillerist doesn't need to do until the 2nd time they need their Eldritch Cannon. This is something the Battle Smith doesn't need to do until their Steel Defender dies. This is something Armorer never has to do for their 3rd level subclass feature, ever. Couple this with most elixirs only lasting for 10 minutes you're getting less mileage out of your single free elixir than the other subclasses at this level (unless you roll swiftness, and have a convenient need for swiftness). Even the Eldritch Cannon lasts one full hour.
The Action Economy issue: You danced around this by stating "chug this down before a battle (if the battle is predictable)" and you're right. Before a battle is the ideal time for most of those elixirs (besides Healing) but that relies on the tenuous scenario of battles being predictable. I don't have any statistics on hand here but my guess is most battles are unexpected, and then you're in a race with the DM to chug an elixir before they say "Roll for initiative" and that's even if they let you get away with sneaking actions before rolling initiative. Beyond that having to take an action to drink an elixir means your 3rd level subclass feature competes with the other player's actions for spotlight on what they want to do on their turn. And that's even if your party members remember that they're carrying one of your elixirs. I hear tell of players often forgetting that they're carrying potions in their bags, and I'm not the type who finds nagging other players about how they should spend their turn appealing.
Perhaps your DM is lenient on this and allows drinking elixirs as a bonus action, perhaps your DM allows administering elixirs to other (not incapacitated) creatures as an action. Neither of those options are RAW and RAW are what most people who criticize the Alchemist base their opinions on, because DMs vary by what they will and won't allow.
Half Caster/Half Vending Machine: Experimental Elixir is the feature that's ostensibly supposed to make you the "potions guy" but the feature feels more like the "I have potions guy." You're not necessarily any better at making actual potions* than any other Artificer nor are you making any better potions* or upgrading existing potions*, or searching for the elixir or life, etc. Instead you can whip up a quick potion to ensure that at nearly any moment of any day you can have a potion and maybe even someone might drink it. And with handing out elixirs being your primary class feature at 3rd level it can feel like your role is to be a vending machine. So for a lot of folks' fantasies, etc. It falls flat of what they had hoped for when wanting to make an Alchemist.
*i.e. Potions that don't vanish at the end of a long rest.
Alchemical Savant: It's largely fine. I'm forever annoyed that the Alchemist's expanded spells don't offer much in terms of quality AOE spells to take advantage of spreading out the boost of adding INT to one die roll of a spell to multiple targets. But at the end of the day Alchemists didn't get Fireball because that's the Artillerist's shtick. Give the Alchemist access to the spell Vitriolic Sphere (not on the Artificer list) and I'd be a very happy camper.
But for spells the Alchemist has official access to...
It wonderfully boosts Mass Healing Word. Acid Splash can extend that bonus to two targets... for the scenario when two enemies happen to be standing side by side (I assume not common). It's questionable whether or not it can be spread to multiple targets with Cloudkill as it's damage occurs in separate dice rolls occurring on each affected target's turn (i.e. not mechanically simultaneous, not a single dice roll).
Alchemical Savant would be better with better spells but as is it is a decent feature.
Restorative Reagents: Aside from being a bit boring this is a fine feature. (I'd rather each elixir get its own unique upgrade instead of everything getting 2d6 temp HP). Not having to prepare Lesser Restoration as a spell is handy.
Chemical Mastery: This is a good feature. No complaints. Honestly I've never seen anyone complain about Chemical Mastery.
Additional Quirks: Really leaning into Alchemist's Supplies: All artificers rely on tools for casting at 1st level and for some of their subclass features, but the Alchemist relies on Alchemist's Supplies for ALL of their subclass features. Experimental Elixir, Alchemical Savant, Restorative Reagents, and Chemical Mastery (though just the spells) all get shut down without Alchemist's Supplies. This isn't necessarily a problem per se... but it's notable.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can magically produce a number of experimental elixirsequal to your Proficiency bonus, each in an empty flask you touch. Roll on the Experimental Elixir table for the elixir's effect, which is triggered when someone drinks the elixir. As an action, a creature can drink the elixir or administer it to an incapacitated creature.
You can create additional experimental elixirs by expending a spell slot of 1st level or higher for each one. When you do so, you use your action to create the elixir in an empty flask you touch, and you choose the elixir's effect from the Experimental Elixirs table.
Creating an experimental elixir requires you to have alchemist's supplies on your person, and any elixir you create with this feature lasts until it is drunk or until the end of your next long rest. When you use this feature to create experimental elixirs at the end of a long rest, for each one you can make, you can instead choose to maintain an experimental elixir you have made previously using this feature.
And here is how I solved the action economy problems:
Alchemical Homunculus
3rd-level Alchemist feature
When you choose this specialist, you learn intricate methods for magically creating a special alchemical homunculus that serves you. You learn ancient methods for magically creating a special homunculus that is formed using alchemical substances to infuse a gem with life and form. The item you infuse serves as the creature's heart, around which the creature's body instantly forms. Whenever you finish a long rest and your alchemist's supplies are with you, you can form this homunculus in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you. If you already have a homunculus from this feature, the first one immediately dies.
The homunculus is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands. See this creature's game statistics in the Alchemical Homunculus stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places.
In combat, the homunculus shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are Incapacitated, the homunculus can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
The homunculus regains 2d6 hit points if the Mending spell is cast on it. If it has died within the last hour, you can use your alchemist's supplies as an action to revive it, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The homunculus returns to life with all its hit points restored. One hour after it dies, it vanishes, leaving its heart in its space. If you die, your Homunculus stays alive as long as the infusion remains.
ALCHEMICAL HOMUNCULUS
Tiny construct
Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 1 + your Intelligence modifier + your artificer level (the homunculus has a number of Hit Dice [d4s] equal to your artificer level)
Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus
Evasion. If the homunculus is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails. It can’t use this trait if it’s Incapacitated.
Homunculus’ Pouch. The alchemical homunculus has a small pouch in which it can carry potions, alchemical substances, or other tiny objects. Carried items must be sized Tiny or smaller and weigh no more than 1 lb. each. The pouch can contain a number of these items equal to your proficiency bonus.
Actions
Acidic Spittle.Ranged Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, range 30 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d6 + PB acid damage.
Administer Potion or Elixir. The Alchemical Homunculus can administer any 1 potion or experimental elixir it is carrying to a willing or incapacitated creature within 5 ft. of it that you can see.
Throw Alchemical Substance. The homunculus can throw any nonmagical alchemical substance listed as basic equipment such as a Flask of Alchemist's Fire, a Vial of Acid, or a Tangler Grenade; or any other Tiny or smaller item weighing no more than 1 lb. that can be thrown as an improvised weapon, such as a flask of holy water or flask of oil.
Reactions
Channel Magic. The homunculus delivers a spell you cast that has a range of touch. The homunculus must be within 120 feet of you.
The alchemist is bad because all artificer subclasses were designed to make effective use of their bonus action.
this includes the alchemist when it was in UA.
the people who completed surveys for that UA left horrible remarks regarding the homunculus. I believe they did so because of knee jerk reactions from YouTube creators. That time period what’s when I first noticed certain creators actually opening up the playtest feedback forms, filling them out, and encouraging people to do the same.
WOTC responded by taking the homunculus away from the alchemist and making the homunculus an infusion.
WOTC didn’t fill the mechanical vacuum it left, and so the alchemist has no effective bonus action and must pay an infusion tax to get its originally designed bonus action economy back.
The alchemist is bad because all artificer subclasses were designed to make effective use of their bonus action.
this includes the alchemist when it was in UA.
the people who completed surveys for that UA left horrible remarks regarding the homunculus. I believe they did so because of knee jerk reactions from YouTube creators. That time period what’s when I first noticed certain creators actually opening up the playtest feedback forms, filling them out, and encouraging people to do the same.
WOTC responded by taking the homunculus away from the alchemist and making the homunculus an infusion.
WOTC didn’t fill the mechanical vacuum it left, and so the alchemist has no effective bonus action and must pay an infusion tax to get its originally designed bonus action economy back.
That’s why I added the Alchemical Homunculus back into the subclass when I fixed it.
IMO It really suffers for the lack of spell progression or scaling effects.
Now for the positive. The Alchemist really doubles down on the Artificers role as a jack of all trades, master of none. They can act as the investigator, the trap disarmer, the healer/restoration character, and the utility caster. All at the same time! In addition, if your campaign/DM is operating with Logistics or resources or equipment maintenance as a part of the gameplay the Alchemist is really going to be invaluable. (Go ahead and ask any army on the move how important logistics are.)
In the right group, it's actually amazing how busy you'll be. BUT if the group has a Cleric, or a Wizard, or a Rogue who are far more focused on those individual roles then the Alchemist then you're bound to see a swift drop in the Artificer/Alchemists identity. In larger groups or groups with those specialists then the Artificer might want to look at Armorer or Battlesmith for something more self-focused.
Elixirs take an action to make. This means that not knowing a combat is coming ahead of time is really bad. You either need to guess what elixir you will need, and who will need them so you can make them ahead of time and distribute them. Or you can hold off hoping you see combat ahead of time and can accurately assess what elixir will be needed and have the ally use them beforehand.
Another thing I don't think was mentioned is that you can't even use the wand infusion with alchemist savant, since one requires a wand as the focus and one uses alchemist tools as the focus.
I get why people like the flavor of alchemist but mechanically the subclass is hot garbage and should have been reworked with the other stuff in Tasha's.
So, what I'm getting from #8 is that since elixirs take actions to make, they aren't practical in combat. Fair, and they also take an action to consume and force feeding isn't allowed. They're still the best for after combat healing, though. There are also some elixirs which are just straight up good, like +1 AC or healing. Besides, the other things are things like a free greater restoration, a 6th level spell (and one of the best ones out there, if I do say so myself), free damage, and other bonuses that help.
So, what I'm getting from #8 is that since elixirs take actions to make, they aren't practical in combat. Fair, and they also take an action to consume and force feeding isn't allowed. They're still the best for after combat healing, though. There are also some elixirs which are just straight up good, like +1 AC or healing. Besides, the other things are things like a free greater restoration, a 6th level spell (and one of the best ones out there, if I do say so myself), free damage, and other bonuses that help.
They are only better than casting cure wounds by an average of 1/2hp I believe?
For out of combat healing a battle smith (or anything else) with aura of vitality is going to be better.
Even just casting cure wounds is going to be better than the elixir after you hit 5 since "alchemist savant" only works on spells....
The other flasks are nice, but only if you know what you will need ahead of time, and can drink them before a battle starts. If you want to make them ahead of time to use them in situation you don't see coming in advance you need to; 1) decide on what flasks would be needed, 2) decide who should hold them to use, 3) have them burn an action in combat to use it.
Yeah, the other stuff is nice, they don't even begin to make up for all of the shortcomings. They're not even particularly great compared to other 15th lv abilities, and other classes got them 4 or 5 levels ago, and can use the spell slot for other things that aren't as situational.
You could take hypnotic pattern, and stall for time in order to make potions and pass them out. Maybe halfway through a dungeon you think you know what's coming? The flight is only useful if you need to get up somewhere, but if you need to get up somewhere it's probably not in the middle of a battle. (throwing around ideas)
You could take hypnotic pattern, and stall for time in order to make potions and pass them out. Maybe halfway through a dungeon you think you know what's coming? The flight is only useful if you need to get up somewhere, but if you need to get up somewhere it's probably not in the middle of a battle. (throwing around ideas)
Only works if everything in the combat is in the radius of a single hypnotic and and every single one of them fail.
I'm not saying that the Alchemist is useless or unplayable, but it is unquestionably one of the most mechanically weak subclasses. A lot of the mechanics kind of trip over themselves like the fact that you can't use the wand infusions on your alchemist tools to buff your spell casting. The healing flask is only slightly better than cure wounds, and flasks are burdened by requieing 2 actions to activate, one to make and one to drink. On top of that most of the flasks are not impressive and offer little advantage over lv 1 spells -Healing vs cure wounds: =1/2 hp healing? -Swiftness vs long strider : Same -Boldness vs Bless: only 1vs3 allies, no concentration. -Flight: This one is great, but like you said the 10ft speed makes it mostly a utility spell. -Transformation: Cool utility flask, but extremely limited application
Healing vs cure wounds: =1/2 hp healing? Wrong. Cure wounds is 1d8+int. Flask is 2d6+int. Cure wounds is 4.5+int. Flask is 7+int. Actually, it's 1.5 hp healing, and more consistency.
Swiftness vs longstrider: Same, but you don't need to take longstrider.
Boldness: Fair, but no concentration.
Flight: Exactly what you said.
Transformation: Yes, alter self is a little off sometimes but maybe give it to your owl familiar so it can be helpful, other than that changing appearance and underwater breathing is pretty good.
It's 2d4+int for flask Cure wounds is: 4.5+int Flask is: 5+int Crazy thing is after level 5 (and until level 9 i suppose) Cure wounds is actually a much better use of a lv 1 slot since it's 4.5+2xInt since Alchemical Savant adds int to spells, but not flasks.
The 2d6+int is from a 9th level feature that adds temp hp.
You could take hypnotic pattern, and stall for time in order to make potions and pass them out. Maybe halfway through a dungeon you think you know what's coming? The flight is only useful if you need to get up somewhere, but if you need to get up somewhere it's probably not in the middle of a battle. (throwing around ideas)
Unfortunately, Hypnotic Pattern is not a spell the alchemist has access to (without multiclassing at least 5 levels), so another caster in the party would need to take hypnotic pattern for this strategy. Armorers are the only artificer subclass with access to hypnotic pattern as it's part of their expanded spells.
I feel like it is fun, having any feature that relies on luck is a yes on my part. The spells also are great in my opinion. The only factor that sets me off is the flavor for spells, hard for me to imagine some times
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
The problem with the subclass is that Artificer is a half caster, but this class+subclass does nothing to make up for that.
Other half casters are getting multi attack, bonus action attacks and utility baked in that doesn't require the use of their limited spell slots.
Alchmist trips over itself, you still have very few spell slots, but you need to use them to make flasks, and your level 5 feature doesn't effect flasks. You also can't use a wand infusion with alchemist savant because it requires alchemist tools as the focus.
Alchemist is suppose to be a support/utility role but if you've ever seen one played side by side with a competently played cleric/druid/wizard you will see how completely outclassed they are.
I will say that in just straight up damage one thing that people tend to overlook is that Alchemists can use the Homunculus to weaponize their bonus action, which actually makes them decent from levels 2-4. If you can hold a cast of magic stones for the homunculus to take and use for when combat start up you are actually going to be doing some good damage.
This does take up an infusion and a cantrip but for those 3 levels you will actually be out damaging most other characters and you can make people think twice about alchemist.
Granted, this isn't impressive at level 5, any other artificer could do this, and arguably do it better but still.
I'd like to throw my homebrew Alchemist rework out there for people to take a look at, use and perhaps leave a comment on. It fixes a lot of gripes I've seen from comments around a lot of different forums. It uses some ideas from this IamSposta in this thread as well.
Experimental Elixir:
Fine, your free one is random but all of the effects are great! Just chug this down before a battle (if the battle is predictable). Also, you can expend a spell slot and choose an effect. This completely overrides cure wounds in terms of after combat healing. Additionally, you get more free elixirs as you level up. Even the random potions are good, as the experimental effects are all good.
Alchemical Savant: Free damage, free healing. It's amazing.
Restorative Regents: An extra 2d6 temporary hit points when someone drinks your potion. If tHP = HP, like before a battle where everyone's wounded, then this is like expending a 1st level spell slot and trumping a 3rd level cure wounds. Also, 5 free lesser restorations per long rest. Great!
Chemical Mastery: Free resistances to common damage types. Immunity to an extremely common and terrible condition. Finally, and this is the biggest part, a 6th level spell (!!) as a half caster, and a free greater restoration once per long rest.
I don't see how any of this is worse than other artificer subclasses, it's just more focused on healing and supporting, but it still gets combat buffs (+5 damage for your acid arrow, fire bolt, blight...)
DMing:
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Playing:
None sadly.
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian
Up front disclaimer: I say all of this out of love for the Alchemist. It's still my favorite Artificer subclass.
That said, I reserve the right to be dissatisfied with it.
Experimental Elixir:
The big ole' can-o-worms. Have to separate this into parts
The 1d6: The randomness is unjustified mechanically and flavor-wise is unsatisfying as a representation of the results of daily experimentation. I've made posts with alternate ideas of how Experimental Elixir could and should have been designed much better (spoilered since it's not directly related):
A concept of Experimental Elixir as working like infusions but for consumable magic items.
A concept of Experimental Elixir working similar to now but with a changing subset of options due to experimention. Making your "experiments" actually matter.
(Quoted instead of linked cause it's posted within a lot of other discussion.)
Over-reliance on spell slots for a Half Caster subclass: Beyond my gripes with "experimenting" not being able to choose means if you need a specific elixir for the first time in a day the Alchemist needs to spend a spell slot. This is something the Artillerist doesn't need to do until the 2nd time they need their Eldritch Cannon. This is something the Battle Smith doesn't need to do until their Steel Defender dies. This is something Armorer never has to do for their 3rd level subclass feature, ever. Couple this with most elixirs only lasting for 10 minutes you're getting less mileage out of your single free elixir than the other subclasses at this level (unless you roll swiftness, and have a convenient need for swiftness). Even the Eldritch Cannon lasts one full hour.
The Action Economy issue: You danced around this by stating "chug this down before a battle (if the battle is predictable)" and you're right. Before a battle is the ideal time for most of those elixirs (besides Healing) but that relies on the tenuous scenario of battles being predictable. I don't have any statistics on hand here but my guess is most battles are unexpected, and then you're in a race with the DM to chug an elixir before they say "Roll for initiative" and that's even if they let you get away with sneaking actions before rolling initiative. Beyond that having to take an action to drink an elixir means your 3rd level subclass feature competes with the other player's actions for spotlight on what they want to do on their turn. And that's even if your party members remember that they're carrying one of your elixirs. I hear tell of players often forgetting that they're carrying potions in their bags, and I'm not the type who finds nagging other players about how they should spend their turn appealing.
Perhaps your DM is lenient on this and allows drinking elixirs as a bonus action, perhaps your DM allows administering elixirs to other (not incapacitated) creatures as an action. Neither of those options are RAW and RAW are what most people who criticize the Alchemist base their opinions on, because DMs vary by what they will and won't allow.
Half Caster/Half Vending Machine: Experimental Elixir is the feature that's ostensibly supposed to make you the "potions guy" but the feature feels more like the "I have potions guy." You're not necessarily any better at making actual potions* than any other Artificer nor are you making any better potions* or upgrading existing potions*, or searching for the elixir or life, etc. Instead you can whip up a quick potion to ensure that at nearly any moment of any day you can have a potion and maybe even someone might drink it. And with handing out elixirs being your primary class feature at 3rd level it can feel like your role is to be a vending machine. So for a lot of folks' fantasies, etc. It falls flat of what they had hoped for when wanting to make an Alchemist.
*i.e. Potions that don't vanish at the end of a long rest.
Alchemical Savant: It's largely fine. I'm forever annoyed that the Alchemist's expanded spells don't offer much in terms of quality AOE spells to take advantage of spreading out the boost of adding INT to one die roll of a spell to multiple targets. But at the end of the day Alchemists didn't get Fireball because that's the Artillerist's shtick. Give the Alchemist access to the spell Vitriolic Sphere (not on the Artificer list) and I'd be a very happy camper.
But for spells the Alchemist has official access to...
It wonderfully boosts Mass Healing Word. Acid Splash can extend that bonus to two targets... for the scenario when two enemies happen to be standing side by side (I assume not common). It's questionable whether or not it can be spread to multiple targets with Cloudkill as it's damage occurs in separate dice rolls occurring on each affected target's turn (i.e. not mechanically simultaneous, not a single dice roll).
Alchemical Savant would be better with better spells but as is it is a decent feature.
Restorative Reagents: Aside from being a bit boring this is a fine feature. (I'd rather each elixir get its own unique upgrade instead of everything getting 2d6 temp HP). Not having to prepare Lesser Restoration as a spell is handy.
Chemical Mastery: This is a good feature. No complaints. Honestly I've never seen anyone complain about Chemical Mastery.
Additional Quirks:
Really leaning into Alchemist's Supplies: All artificers rely on tools for casting at 1st level and for some of their subclass features, but the Alchemist relies on Alchemist's Supplies for ALL of their subclass features. Experimental Elixir, Alchemical Savant, Restorative Reagents, and Chemical Mastery (though just the spells) all get shut down without Alchemist's Supplies. This isn't necessarily a problem per se... but it's notable.
I see your points, I guess. I really love how it makes cure wounds useless, though.
DMing:
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Playing:
None sadly.
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian
This is how I fixed Experimental Elixirs:
And here is how I solved the action economy problems:
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
The alchemist is bad because all artificer subclasses were designed to make effective use of their bonus action.
this includes the alchemist when it was in UA.
the people who completed surveys for that UA left horrible remarks regarding the homunculus. I believe they did so because of knee jerk reactions from YouTube creators. That time period what’s when I first noticed certain creators actually opening up the playtest feedback forms, filling them out, and encouraging people to do the same.
WOTC responded by taking the homunculus away from the alchemist and making the homunculus an infusion.
WOTC didn’t fill the mechanical vacuum it left, and so the alchemist has no effective bonus action and must pay an infusion tax to get its originally designed bonus action economy back.
That’s why I added the Alchemical Homunculus back into the subclass when I fixed it.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
I think the alchemist is a damn fine subclass.
For a Wizard.
IMO It really suffers for the lack of spell progression or scaling effects.
Now for the positive. The Alchemist really doubles down on the Artificers role as a jack of all trades, master of none. They can act as the investigator, the trap disarmer, the healer/restoration character, and the utility caster. All at the same time! In addition, if your campaign/DM is operating with Logistics or resources or equipment maintenance as a part of the gameplay the Alchemist is really going to be invaluable. (Go ahead and ask any army on the move how important logistics are.)
In the right group, it's actually amazing how busy you'll be. BUT if the group has a Cleric, or a Wizard, or a Rogue who are far more focused on those individual roles then the Alchemist then you're bound to see a swift drop in the Artificer/Alchemists identity. In larger groups or groups with those specialists then the Artificer might want to look at Armorer or Battlesmith for something more self-focused.
In addition to all that:
Elixirs take an action to make. This means that not knowing a combat is coming ahead of time is really bad. You either need to guess what elixir you will need, and who will need them so you can make them ahead of time and distribute them. Or you can hold off hoping you see combat ahead of time and can accurately assess what elixir will be needed and have the ally use them beforehand.
Another thing I don't think was mentioned is that you can't even use the wand infusion with alchemist savant, since one requires a wand as the focus and one uses alchemist tools as the focus.
I get why people like the flavor of alchemist but mechanically the subclass is hot garbage and should have been reworked with the other stuff in Tasha's.
Okay...
So, what I'm getting from #8 is that since elixirs take actions to make, they aren't practical in combat. Fair, and they also take an action to consume and force feeding isn't allowed. They're still the best for after combat healing, though. There are also some elixirs which are just straight up good, like +1 AC or healing. Besides, the other things are things like a free greater restoration, a 6th level spell (and one of the best ones out there, if I do say so myself), free damage, and other bonuses that help.
DMing:
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Playing:
None sadly.
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian
They are only better than casting cure wounds by an average of 1/2hp I believe?
For out of combat healing a battle smith (or anything else) with aura of vitality is going to be better.
Even just casting cure wounds is going to be better than the elixir after you hit 5 since "alchemist savant" only works on spells....
The other flasks are nice, but only if you know what you will need ahead of time, and can drink them before a battle starts.
If you want to make them ahead of time to use them in situation you don't see coming in advance you need to; 1) decide on what flasks would be needed, 2) decide who should hold them to use, 3) have them burn an action in combat to use it.
Yeah, the other stuff is nice, they don't even begin to make up for all of the shortcomings. They're not even particularly great compared to other 15th lv abilities, and other classes got them 4 or 5 levels ago, and can use the spell slot for other things that aren't as situational.
Interesting.
You could take hypnotic pattern, and stall for time in order to make potions and pass them out. Maybe halfway through a dungeon you think you know what's coming? The flight is only useful if you need to get up somewhere, but if you need to get up somewhere it's probably not in the middle of a battle. (throwing around ideas)
DMing:
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Playing:
None sadly.
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian
Only works if everything in the combat is in the radius of a single hypnotic and and every single one of them fail.
I'm not saying that the Alchemist is useless or unplayable, but it is unquestionably one of the most mechanically weak subclasses. A lot of the mechanics kind of trip over themselves like the fact that you can't use the wand infusions on your alchemist tools to buff your spell casting. The healing flask is only slightly better than cure wounds, and flasks are burdened by requieing 2 actions to activate, one to make and one to drink.
On top of that most of the flasks are not impressive and offer little advantage over lv 1 spells
-Healing vs cure wounds: =1/2 hp healing?
-Swiftness vs long strider : Same
-Boldness vs Bless: only 1vs3 allies, no concentration.
-Flight: This one is great, but like you said the 10ft speed makes it mostly a utility spell.
-Transformation: Cool utility flask, but extremely limited application
Healing vs cure wounds: =1/2 hp healing? Wrong. Cure wounds is 1d8+int. Flask is 2d6+int. Cure wounds is 4.5+int. Flask is 7+int. Actually, it's 1.5 hp healing, and more consistency.
Swiftness vs longstrider: Same, but you don't need to take longstrider.
Boldness: Fair, but no concentration.
Flight: Exactly what you said.
Transformation: Yes, alter self is a little off sometimes but maybe give it to your owl familiar so it can be helpful, other than that changing appearance and underwater breathing is pretty good.
Underestimating the potions, I see.
DMing:
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Playing:
None sadly.
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian
It's 2d4+int for flask
Cure wounds is: 4.5+int
Flask is: 5+int
Crazy thing is after level 5 (and until level 9 i suppose) Cure wounds is actually a much better use of a lv 1 slot since it's 4.5+2xInt since Alchemical Savant adds int to spells, but not flasks.
The 2d6+int is from a 9th level feature that adds temp hp.
Unfortunately, Hypnotic Pattern is not a spell the alchemist has access to (without multiclassing at least 5 levels), so another caster in the party would need to take hypnotic pattern for this strategy. Armorers are the only artificer subclass with access to hypnotic pattern as it's part of their expanded spells.
I feel like it is fun, having any feature that relies on luck is a yes on my part. The spells also are great in my opinion. The only factor that sets me off is the flavor for spells, hard for me to imagine some times
"Anyone can smith at the cosmic anvil, yet only I can forge a weapon as good as thee."
My Homebrew Please click it, they have my family.
fair.
DMing:
Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
Playing:
None sadly.
Optimization Guides:
Literally Too Angry to Die - A Guide to Optimizing a Barbarian
The problem with the subclass is that Artificer is a half caster, but this class+subclass does nothing to make up for that.
Other half casters are getting multi attack, bonus action attacks and utility baked in that doesn't require the use of their limited spell slots.
Alchmist trips over itself, you still have very few spell slots, but you need to use them to make flasks, and your level 5 feature doesn't effect flasks. You also can't use a wand infusion with alchemist savant because it requires alchemist tools as the focus.
Alchemist is suppose to be a support/utility role but if you've ever seen one played side by side with a competently played cleric/druid/wizard you will see how completely outclassed they are.
I will say that in just straight up damage one thing that people tend to overlook is that Alchemists can use the Homunculus to weaponize their bonus action, which actually makes them decent from levels 2-4. If you can hold a cast of magic stones for the homunculus to take and use for when combat start up you are actually going to be doing some good damage.
This does take up an infusion and a cantrip but for those 3 levels you will actually be out damaging most other characters and you can make people think twice about alchemist.
Granted, this isn't impressive at level 5, any other artificer could do this, and arguably do it better but still.
I'd like to throw my homebrew Alchemist rework out there for people to take a look at, use and perhaps leave a comment on. It fixes a lot of gripes I've seen from comments around a lot of different forums. It uses some ideas from this IamSposta in this thread as well.
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/1g8iinh/fixing_the_alchemist_nearly_full_rework/
It's a little more complex, but it allows lots of fun customization. I'd love to hear peoples thoughts!