Here is my attempt to make the Experimental Elixir ability a little more interesting. I love the idea of messing about to make potions, but couldn't wrap my head around the randomness and lack of variety as written. I want to make it clear up front that I didn't nothing to address the action economy issue.
So, using RAW as a base, I updated the following. First, for flavor reasons, I changed the name to Alchemist's Notebook. The idea is that as a character trial-and-error's their way through their evening chemistry set sessions, they are taking notes. So the long rest elixirs start out random, but there is a progression: every time any item on the list is rolled a second* time, you can now choose to make that instead of going random (*this could use some more playtesting - 3 times might be right also, but I guess that depends on campaign length and number of times resting). So at each long rest, you either make something you know how to make, or keep experimenting away. If you ever lose the notebook, every elixir is reduced down a level (known become one roll and one roll become no rolls). You must replace your recipe book before the rolls start accumulating again. A little record keeping, admittedly, but nothing too bad.
Next, I wanted there to be a little more variety and scalability. For starters, you get to make an additional "free" elixir at 9th level, so that by level 15 you can make 4, not three, each long rest. Also, starting at 6th, 9th, and 15th level, there is a new list of experimental elixir's unlocked. These are learned the same way as the original list, with the same ability to become "known" as above. Creating these with magic as per RAW require at least 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level spell slots, respectively. However, getting to roll on these lists and learning the new potions can only be done with a "free" end-of-day roll that corresponds with the level the list was granted. For example, when you hit 6th level, you can roll twice at the end of the day. The new roll/elixir you unlocked at level 6 can be used on the level 3 list or the level 6 list. However, the original free roll/elixir can only be used on the level 3 list. Otherwise, the ability become too strong at higher levels (IMO).
Here are the lists I came up with:
For 6th level, you can make a smoke bomb as per the smoke option of the spell pyrotechnics, you can make an enlarge potion, you can make a reduce potion, you can make an until-the-end-of-your-next-turn" stinking cloud, a 1-minute see invisibility, or fire breath (as per the potion).
For 9th level, you can make a blur potion, a tongues potion (10 minutes), fireworks (hypnotic pattern that only lasts till the end of your next turn), and a misty step potion (thrown at your feet).
For 15th level, an acid bomb as per the spell vitriolic sphere, etherealness until the end of next turn, an invulnerability potion, or an invisibility potion.
Anyways, that's it. Any creative criticism is appreciated.
The 2 biggest problems with Alchemist are 1) the potions are random. No other class or subclass feature has this- except for Wild Mage Sorcerer, and that's kind of its shtick. And 2) the potions don't scale.
If your level 9 and 16 features replace the current features, then ok. If it's in addition to the current features, then that's probably too strong.
For me, I'd change it so that you can just choose from the list. I'd also change it to once per short rest, instead of per long rest- and there'd have to be a caveat that the elixer lasts until it's drunk or until your next Short Rest. (I like your idea of "experimentation resulting in knowledge" idea, but it might be more bookkeeping than some people would like.) I was thinking of keeping it simple by just increasing the potency of the existing potions at higher levels (more healing, faster flight, faster movement, etc.) But I ran into trouble trying to scale up the d4 added to attacks & saves. I thought about scaling the Alter Self into a drinker-only Polymorph? But I think maybe your idea of just expanding the selections is better. Or maybe a combination of the 2- like maybe the Alchemist starts knowing 6 formula chosen from a list? And then at higher levels, more options become available, and the Alchemist can know more formulas? Like 2 more at 9th & 2 more at 15th? It'd still be limited by the number they can prepare per short rest.
As to what potion formukas should be available to choose from? You have some good ideas. I think there could be others, too. It's mainly a support subclass, so more things like healing, damage mitigation, and buffs to movement, attacks, and defense would be good.
Thanks for your response. I'm hoping to use these features in conjunction with the level 9 and 15 features. How would you suggest I reduce the potency of increased/more powerful options to keep the rest intact. I don't want to mess too much with the sub-class. I just want to make this one feature more interesting from an RP and progression standpoint. I just doesn't sit right with me that the potions stay random after using an alchemy set every night from level 3 on, nor that you wouldn't try different things and get better at it. Plus, given the action economy issue, I feel like elixirs could be much stronger without breaking the game.
Your idea on taking potions and using them as templates for a journal was my original idea, but after messing around with it there were a couple of issues. First, how to control power creep at lower levels, and second, because in some campaigns, potions are everywhere and it makes things too easy. I also wasn't sure how to write it into the class because of the sheer number of possible potions. I still would like to somehow utilize the idea, like a higher level feature where starting at a level (9th? 15th?) you can experiment with potions at some success rate and add them to your alchemist's journal - either way, the potion is destroyed.
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Here is my attempt to make the Experimental Elixir ability a little more interesting. I love the idea of messing about to make potions, but couldn't wrap my head around the randomness and lack of variety as written. I want to make it clear up front that I didn't nothing to address the action economy issue.
So, using RAW as a base, I updated the following. First, for flavor reasons, I changed the name to Alchemist's Notebook. The idea is that as a character trial-and-error's their way through their evening chemistry set sessions, they are taking notes. So the long rest elixirs start out random, but there is a progression: every time any item on the list is rolled a second* time, you can now choose to make that instead of going random (*this could use some more playtesting - 3 times might be right also, but I guess that depends on campaign length and number of times resting). So at each long rest, you either make something you know how to make, or keep experimenting away. If you ever lose the notebook, every elixir is reduced down a level (known become one roll and one roll become no rolls). You must replace your recipe book before the rolls start accumulating again. A little record keeping, admittedly, but nothing too bad.
Next, I wanted there to be a little more variety and scalability. For starters, you get to make an additional "free" elixir at 9th level, so that by level 15 you can make 4, not three, each long rest. Also, starting at 6th, 9th, and 15th level, there is a new list of experimental elixir's unlocked. These are learned the same way as the original list, with the same ability to become "known" as above. Creating these with magic as per RAW require at least 2nd, 3rd, or 4th level spell slots, respectively. However, getting to roll on these lists and learning the new potions can only be done with a "free" end-of-day roll that corresponds with the level the list was granted. For example, when you hit 6th level, you can roll twice at the end of the day. The new roll/elixir you unlocked at level 6 can be used on the level 3 list or the level 6 list. However, the original free roll/elixir can only be used on the level 3 list. Otherwise, the ability become too strong at higher levels (IMO).
Here are the lists I came up with:
For 6th level, you can make a smoke bomb as per the smoke option of the spell pyrotechnics, you can make an enlarge potion, you can make a reduce potion, you can make an until-the-end-of-your-next-turn" stinking cloud, a 1-minute see invisibility, or fire breath (as per the potion).
For 9th level, you can make a blur potion, a tongues potion (10 minutes), fireworks (hypnotic pattern that only lasts till the end of your next turn), and a misty step potion (thrown at your feet).
For 15th level, an acid bomb as per the spell vitriolic sphere, etherealness until the end of next turn, an invulnerability potion, or an invisibility potion.
Anyways, that's it. Any creative criticism is appreciated.
The 2 biggest problems with Alchemist are 1) the potions are random. No other class or subclass feature has this- except for Wild Mage Sorcerer, and that's kind of its shtick. And 2) the potions don't scale.
If your level 9 and 16 features replace the current features, then ok. If it's in addition to the current features, then that's probably too strong.
For me, I'd change it so that you can just choose from the list. I'd also change it to once per short rest, instead of per long rest- and there'd have to be a caveat that the elixer lasts until it's drunk or until your next Short Rest. (I like your idea of "experimentation resulting in knowledge" idea, but it might be more bookkeeping than some people would like.) I was thinking of keeping it simple by just increasing the potency of the existing potions at higher levels (more healing, faster flight, faster movement, etc.) But I ran into trouble trying to scale up the d4 added to attacks & saves. I thought about scaling the Alter Self into a drinker-only Polymorph? But I think maybe your idea of just expanding the selections is better. Or maybe a combination of the 2- like maybe the Alchemist starts knowing 6 formula chosen from a list? And then at higher levels, more options become available, and the Alchemist can know more formulas? Like 2 more at 9th & 2 more at 15th? It'd still be limited by the number they can prepare per short rest.
As to what potion formukas should be available to choose from? You have some good ideas. I think there could be others, too. It's mainly a support subclass, so more things like healing, damage mitigation, and buffs to movement, attacks, and defense would be good.
Thanks for your response. I'm hoping to use these features in conjunction with the level 9 and 15 features. How would you suggest I reduce the potency of increased/more powerful options to keep the rest intact. I don't want to mess too much with the sub-class. I just want to make this one feature more interesting from an RP and progression standpoint. I just doesn't sit right with me that the potions stay random after using an alchemy set every night from level 3 on, nor that you wouldn't try different things and get better at it. Plus, given the action economy issue, I feel like elixirs could be much stronger without breaking the game.
Your idea on taking potions and using them as templates for a journal was my original idea, but after messing around with it there were a couple of issues. First, how to control power creep at lower levels, and second, because in some campaigns, potions are everywhere and it makes things too easy. I also wasn't sure how to write it into the class because of the sheer number of possible potions. I still would like to somehow utilize the idea, like a higher level feature where starting at a level (9th? 15th?) you can experiment with potions at some success rate and add them to your alchemist's journal - either way, the potion is destroyed.