I can't wrap my head around what this is supposed to mean:
Experimental Elixir
3rd-level Alchemist feature
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can magically produce an experimental elixir 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 Elixir 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 reach certain levels in this class, you can make more elixirs at the end of a long rest: two at 6th level and three at 15th level. Roll for each elixir’s effect separately. Each elixir requires its own flask.
If that bolded paragraph wasn't there, this feature would be easy to understand (and, clearly suck): one potion per long rest at level 3, two at level 6, and three at level 15. And those potions are random until you drink them. But does the bolded portion....
let you create more and store more (e.g., have one random and several specific potions in your backpack at once)? Or,
create more only after using up the random one you created (e.g., at level 3 you can only have one potion, which is either the random one you made during a long rest or another one that you made to replace it later)?
I'm thinking its #1, but I wasn't really following the artificer during playtesting so I'm not sure if there's some other context that indicates its really #2?
It's #1. You can have 1-3 random ones, and then as many non-random ones as you like by expending spell slots. The elixirs you make don't scale with the slot - a level 1 slot and a level 5 slot make the same elixir. Old elixirs don't have to be drunk to make more.
The bolded part allows you to create additional potions at a cost (spell slots). You can create these non-random potions whenever you want, not only at the end of a long rest.
You can create them whenever, not just after the random ones get used. So technically speaking it’s #1, but you don’t have to make them at the end of a long rest and carry them around. (Only the random ones have to happen at the end of a long rest.) It only takes an action to make one, so if you don’t need to do it during combat you can hold off and make whatever elixirs you need on the spot. (That way you don’t have to worry about making things you don’t need and wasting the spell slots.)
It's such an awkward feature... you can't even just burn down your leftover slots at the end of the day to make potions for tomorrow, because they'll expire after that night's long rest. So other than.... converting all 4 of your 1st level slots to potions at the start of the day, really a struggle to find what effects on that list are worth a second level slot, and almost certainly won't be something you're trying to do mid-battle.
But dunking on the subclass aside, thanks for the clarification :)
It's such an awkward feature... you can't even just burn down your leftover slots at the end of the day to make potions for tomorrow, because they'll expire after that night's long rest. So other than.... converting all 4 of your 1st level slots to potions at the start of the day, really a struggle to find what effects on that list are worth a second level slot, and almost certainly won't be something you're trying to do mid-battle.
But dunking on the subclass aside, thanks for the clarification :)
Someone on the Artificer forum was saying they have a homebrew at their table where a slot makes a number of elixirs equal to its level, effectively letting you upcast the elixir using the standard formula of additional targets. They said it worked out pretty ok for them, and if anything their DM was considering a second buff as the campaign progressed to a higher tier.
I'd think the better fix would be to give them a syringe gun or something, because the action economy tax appears to me to be the main reason this subclass is unplayable. "Convert spell slots into slightly-stronger-than-level-1 spells..... that your recipients need to spend their entire Action to consume, and I sure hope they have a hand free!" is a losing proposition no matter how good the potion is, because it offloads the alchemist's support role onto the striker, tank, etc. without giving the alchemist any tools to pick up their slack on roles where they aren't doing their job.
I'd think the better fix would be to give them a syringe gun or something, because the action economy tax appears to me to be the main reason this subclass is unplayable. "Convert spell slots into slightly-stronger-than-level-1 spells..... that your recipients need to spend their entire Action to consume, and I sure hope they have a hand free!" is a losing proposition no matter how good the potion is, because it offloads the alchemist's support role onto the striker, tank, etc. without giving the alchemist any tools to pick up their slack on roles where they aren't doing their job.
The subclass isn't great, but it's not like it's hard for an Artificer to have minions - and a homonculus servant can fly - to apply potions to your party members. The action economy on that still isn't fabulous, because the elixirs are weak, but at least it doesn't have to consume a PC action. You could even pre-program [spell]Tiny Servant[/s] to forcefeed all potions they'd handed to the PCs they're riding, assuming your DM hasn't banned letting hat-shaped Tiny Servants ride your head using the mounting rules.
Your servant would only be able to administer to Incapacitated allies, and doing so would require you to give up your own bonus action as well to order them to do so, so… no, the action economy really is that bad.
Your servant would only be able to administer to Incapacitated allies, and doing so would require you to give up your own bonus action as well to order them to do so, so… no, the action economy really is that bad.
I've never, not once, had a DM rule a PC couldn't act as if incapacitated to allow a potion to be administered to them.
I've never had a DM require a grapple check to carry an unconscious body or subjected the movement to the grapple drag rules, but I've had DMs not allow party members to simply grab and carry each other without grapple checks or drag rules.
If you've got a permissive DM, that's great, but "As an action, a creature can drink the elixir or administer it to an incapacitatedor willing creature." would have been easy enough to write if that's what the intent was.
It's such an awkward feature... you can't even just burn down your leftover slots at the end of the day to make potions for tomorrow, because they'll expire after that night's long rest. So other than.... converting all 4 of your 1st level slots to potions at the start of the day, really a struggle to find what effects on that list are worth a second level slot, and almost certainly won't be something you're trying to do mid-battle.
But dunking on the subclass aside, thanks for the clarification :)
This is what I did to fix it as a houserule:
Experimental Elixirs
3rd-level Alchemist feature
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 I also gave them a 3rd level feature that gives them a better Homunculus Servant too. It has the following Special Trait and additional Actions (and I replaced the regular attack with the acid spit from the UA version too):
Alchemical Homunculus
3rd-level Alchemist feature
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
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 Tiny and weigh no more than 1 lb. each. The pouch can contain a number of these items equal to your proficiency bonus.
Actions
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.
Well, truth be told my full Homebrew “FIFY” Alchemist is a bit more elaborate than just this, but this was what I did to fix Experimental Elixirs and work with WotC’s version.
I can't wrap my head around what this is supposed to mean:
If that bolded paragraph wasn't there, this feature would be easy to understand (and, clearly suck): one potion per long rest at level 3, two at level 6, and three at level 15. And those potions are random until you drink them. But does the bolded portion....
I'm thinking its #1, but I wasn't really following the artificer during playtesting so I'm not sure if there's some other context that indicates its really #2?
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
It's #1. You can have 1-3 random ones, and then as many non-random ones as you like by expending spell slots. The elixirs you make don't scale with the slot - a level 1 slot and a level 5 slot make the same elixir. Old elixirs don't have to be drunk to make more.
The bolded part allows you to create additional potions at a cost (spell slots). You can create these non-random potions whenever you want, not only at the end of a long rest.
You can create them whenever, not just after the random ones get used. So technically speaking it’s #1, but you don’t have to make them at the end of a long rest and carry them around. (Only the random ones have to happen at the end of a long rest.) It only takes an action to make one, so if you don’t need to do it during combat you can hold off and make whatever elixirs you need on the spot. (That way you don’t have to worry about making things you don’t need and wasting the spell slots.)
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It's such an awkward feature... you can't even just burn down your leftover slots at the end of the day to make potions for tomorrow, because they'll expire after that night's long rest. So other than.... converting all 4 of your 1st level slots to potions at the start of the day, really a struggle to find what effects on that list are worth a second level slot, and almost certainly won't be something you're trying to do mid-battle.
But dunking on the subclass aside, thanks for the clarification :)
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Someone on the Artificer forum was saying they have a homebrew at their table where a slot makes a number of elixirs equal to its level, effectively letting you upcast the elixir using the standard formula of additional targets. They said it worked out pretty ok for them, and if anything their DM was considering a second buff as the campaign progressed to a higher tier.
I'd think the better fix would be to give them a syringe gun or something, because the action economy tax appears to me to be the main reason this subclass is unplayable. "Convert spell slots into slightly-stronger-than-level-1 spells..... that your recipients need to spend their entire Action to consume, and I sure hope they have a hand free!" is a losing proposition no matter how good the potion is, because it offloads the alchemist's support role onto the striker, tank, etc. without giving the alchemist any tools to pick up their slack on roles where they aren't doing their job.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
The subclass isn't great, but it's not like it's hard for an Artificer to have minions - and a homonculus servant can fly - to apply potions to your party members. The action economy on that still isn't fabulous, because the elixirs are weak, but at least it doesn't have to consume a PC action. You could even pre-program [spell]Tiny Servant[/s] to forcefeed all potions they'd handed to the PCs they're riding, assuming your DM hasn't banned letting hat-shaped Tiny Servants ride your head using the mounting rules.
Your servant would only be able to administer to Incapacitated allies, and doing so would require you to give up your own bonus action as well to order them to do so, so… no, the action economy really is that bad.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
I've never, not once, had a DM rule a PC couldn't act as if incapacitated to allow a potion to be administered to them.
I've never had a DM require a grapple check to carry an unconscious body or subjected the movement to the grapple drag rules, but I've had DMs not allow party members to simply grab and carry each other without grapple checks or drag rules.
If you've got a permissive DM, that's great, but "As an action, a creature can drink the elixir or administer it to an incapacitated or willing creature." would have been easy enough to write if that's what the intent was.
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
This is what I did to fix it as a houserule:
And I also gave them a 3rd level feature that gives them a better Homunculus Servant too. It has the following Special Trait and additional Actions (and I replaced the regular attack with the acid spit from the UA version too):
Well, truth be told my full Homebrew “FIFY” Alchemist is a bit more elaborate than just this, but this was what I did to fix Experimental Elixirs and work with WotC’s version.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting