I missed my chance to post this in my survey, and it is too long anyways! This is just my musings of an alchemist redesign - please post your own. ^_^
Objectives a] make the alchemist a cantrip attacker without cloning Potent Cantrips/Agonizing Blast and b] make the alchemist a capable healer without being a full caster.
Alchemist
An Alchemist is an expert at combining exotic reagents to produce mystical effects. Among artificers, members of this subclass are the greatest healers, as well as the ones most adept at wielding dangerous chemicals.
Tools of the Trade
By the time you adopt this specialty at 3rd level, you’re deeply familiar with employing its tools.
Proficiencies. You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies and the herbalism kit. If you already have either proficiency, gain another tool proficiency of your choice instead. You also gain alchemist’s supplies and an herbalism kit for free—the result of tinkering you’ve done as you’ve prepared for this specialization.
Crafting. If you craft a magic item in the potion category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Alchemist Spells
No change - I have a different healing solution in mind.
Alchemical Homunculus
No change - though possibly rule that the homunculus still takes the Dodge action even when you use your Bonus Action to have it do something else too.
Alchemical Compound Cantrips (new feature)
At 6th level, your prowess with alchemy allows you to concoct an alchemical compound that functions like a cantrip (see "The Magic of Artifice"). Whenever you finish a short or long rest and your alchemist's supplies are with you, you may prepare your compound cantrip by choosing a base cantrip and one augmenting cantrip. You may only ever have a single compound cantrip prepared.
Base Cantrip
Choose one cantrip from the following list, to serve as the base cantrip of your compound: acid splash, fire bolt, frostbite, poison spray, ray of frost, thorn whip.
Augmenting Cantrip
Choose one cantrip from the following list and modify the effects of your base cantrip as described:
Acid splash - the range of your base cantrip becomes 60 ft & you can now target two creatures within 5 ft of each other.
Create bonfire - your base cantrip creates a lingering effect filling a 5 ft cube centered on one of it its targets, until the start of your next turn. Any creature moving into the effect for the first time on a turn or ending its turn there must make succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to that dealt by your base cantrip.
Dancing lights - if the base cantrip requires a saving throw, one target of the spell must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from their saving throw (choose which one before any saving throws are made).
Fire bolt - the range of your base cantrip becomes 120 ft & its damage die becomes a d10.
Frost bite - the range of your base cantrip becomes 60 ft & creatures dealt damage by it have disadvantage on the next weapon attack roll they make before the end of their next turn.
Guidance - if the base cantrip requires an attack roll, you can roll a d4 and add it to one attack roll of the spell (choose which one before making any attack rolls).
Light - creatures dealt damage by your base cantrip shed bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, for the next minute. The light can be colored as you like.
Mage hand - the base cantrip may be cast without any somatic or verbal components.
Mending - when you cast the base cantrip, you may specify that it deals non-lethal damage.
Message - the base cantrip ignores half cover and three-quarters cover. The spell doesn't have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners or through openings.
Poison spray - the range of your base cantrip becomes 10 ft & its damage die becomes a d12.
Prestidigitation - after the base cantrip resolves, choose one of the magical prestidigitation effects to occur in a sphere with a radius of 10 ft centred on one target of the spell. If the effect applies to an object, it applies to all appropriate objects within this radius.
Ray of frost - the range of your base cantrip becomes 60 ft & creatures dealt damage by it have their speed reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
Resistance - the base cantrip ignores damage resistance.
Shocking grasp - creatures dealt damage by your base cantrip can't take reactions until the start of their next turn.
Thorn whip - the base cantrip becomes a melee spell attack (this does not affect its range), and Large or smaller creatures dealt damage by it are pulled up to 10 feet closer to you.
Thunderclap - your base cantrip instead targets a point. All creatures within 5 ft of that point must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take damage equal to that dealt by your base cantrip. This spell creates a loud sound at point of impact, that can be heard up to 100 feet away.
Your compound cantrip does not count against your number of cantrips known, and is considered an alchemist cantrip for you.
Alchemical Mastery(complete redesign)
By 6th level, your command of magical chemicals has become masterful, greatly enhancing your healing capabilities. When you cast cure wounds using your alchemist's supplies, instead of rolling dice you use the highest number possible for each die.
In addition, you can cast lesser restoration without expending a spell slot, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once).
Starting at 9th level, you can also cast revivify once without expending a spell slot or providing material components, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Chemical Savant
By 14th level, you have been exposed to so many chemicals and unlocked their secrets that they pose little risk to you, and you can use them to quickly end certain ailments. You gain resistance to acid damage and poison damage, and you are now immune to the poisoned condition.
You can cast greater restoration once without expending a spell slot and without providing the material component, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you can cast raise dead once without expending a spell slot and without providing the material component, providing you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus and do so in a functional laboratory. When casting the spell this way, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You regain the ability to use this feature after 10 days.
I like your changes/addition of the compound cantrip. I was onboard until I got to the 6th level feature, making Cure Wounds a 4th level casting (using point buy for 16 Int and 4th level ASI to reach 18 Int) when the Artificer only has access to 2nd level spells is pretty strong (4d8+4 healing vs 2d8+4 healing); as well as granting them a free 3rd level spell at no cost in the Revivify. I would probably move this into the 14th level feature, although that might overload it to add both of these to it when it already offers Greater Restoration and Raise Dead as two free 5th level spell castings when they only have access to 4th level spells at that point.
An alternative would be the addendum that, "Upon reaching 9th level, you always have Revivify prepared and it does not count against your spells known. Additionally, you may cast this spell once without using a spell slot or providing the material components. Once you have used this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest. Also, anytime you cast Cure Wounds after reaching 9th level you cast it as if it was a 4th level spell unless you use a higher spell slot. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest." This would still give them 4th level Cure Wounds four-five times a day, although this outpaces a full caster's option of using their higher level spell slots to do the same as they only have three 4th level and one 5th level spell slot at this same level. So, maybe change the number of times they can do this to half of their intelligence modifier (rounded up) per long rest with a minimum of one.
I feel this might balance these feature changes against the spell slots available to an Artificer and fill the 9th level gap of not gaining a feature. When they gain access to the 3rd level spell list at the same time, this will give them more options as they will not have to choose Revivify and can instead take another utility option.
Whoops; I didn't consider when the slots actually unlocked, I was too busy looking backwards from max. levels! Shall indeed make some revisions later - thanks.
~ Update ~
Tweaks made:
Changed the cure light wounds buff to auto-max on die rolls - hoping it is balanced by the fact this powerful effect is limited to a single level 1 spell, and it is extremely inefficient compared to spells other classes can access like Prayer of Healing.
Nerfed lesser restoration freebies to one per day.
Bumped the revivify freebie at level 9.
Clarified that the alchemist only ever has a single compound cantrip prepared, consisting of a base and one augmentation.
Whoops; I didn't consider when the slots actually unlocked, I was too busy looking backwards from max. levels! Shall indeed make some revisions later - thanks.
~ Update ~
Tweaks made:
Changed the cure light wounds buff to auto-max on die rolls - hoping it is balanced by the fact this powerful effect is limited to a single level 1 spell, and it is extremely inefficient compared to spells other classes can access like Prayer of Healing.
Nerfed lesser restoration freebies to one per day.
Bumped the revivify freebie at level 9.
Some good changes. At 6th level the Cure Wounds change is 16+Int healing (20) to a single target. Let's compare this to two of the other healers at 6th level with 18 in their casting stat using Cure Wounds with a 2nd level spell slot (2d8+4). Compare this to a Life Domain Cleric doing 9+4+4 (17) healing to an ally and 4 to themselves, averaging 21 total healing; or a Circle of Dreams Druid with 9+wisdom (13) who can also then use their Balm of the Summer Court die pool to dispense another 3d6 (10.5 average rolls) healing and grant 3 temporary hit points, for a total of 26 average healing on their turn.
May seem a bit much for a half caster that isn't expressly focused on healing, but let's now compare it to their 2nd level spell options for healing. As you mentioned already, the Life Domain Cleric would have the option of Prayer of Healing for up to 6(2d8+4) healing to the party and an additional 4 to themselves for an average of 82 total healing at the cost of the 10 minute casting time.
Then there's the monstrosity that the Circle of Dreams Druid has in the spell Healing Spirit. This does 1d6 healing to each target each round (every 6 seconds) and lasts for 1 min. Assuming the same 6 person party size as the Life Cleric, this is 6(10d6) for 210 (35 per target) average healing, during which time they can also perform other spells as long as they maintain concentration on the Healing Spirit.
To me, this change for the Alchemist seems pretty balanced.
The Lesser Restoration reduction draws back on the power of the 6th level feature, considering prior it was limited only by the caster's Intelligence modifier; with the changes you made I'm not sure this was entirely needed as Lesser Restoration is a niche skill, albeit powerful when facing enemies that can dish out status effects regularly.
I like these proposed redesigns, I can see that a lot of thought and imagination went into their conception. Naturally, your Alchemical Compounds Cantrip feature needs some fine-tuning; I'm gonna save my notes about that for a separate post. For now, I'm going to present my arguments for why I believe it's fine to have a free revivify once per day, as per your initial redesign of the Alchemical Mastery feature. Consider once more the Life Domain Cleric. At 6th level, they would always have revivify prepared as a domain spell, and they can cast it a total of 3 times per long rest; granted, they would still need to provide the material components required for each casting. Revivify has but one purpose: to bring back to life a creature who has died, presumably during combat, within a minute prior to the casting of the spell itself. Arguably, if the Life Domain Cleric has done their job properly, they would have spent many, if not all, of their spell slots keeping the party alive during combat and thus couldn't/shouldn't need to cast revivify. That won't always be the case, obviously. But if the Life Domain Cleric can cast revivify anywhere between 0 and 3 times per day, at cost, at the same class level that your Alchemist Artificer can cast it for free between 0 and 1 times per day feels balanced enough to me. Also, it's rather convoluted adding an addendum to a feature that's basically giving you another feature at a level different from the level you got the first feature at (this was a fun sentence to word @_@); it's just simpler to either make a separate class feature at Artificer level 9 that gives you the free revivify per day, or keep the originally-written version of the free revivify in the level 6 feature.
Regarding the free raise dead in the Chemical Savant feature redesign, I think the amount of time in between uses of it should be longer than once per long rest. I realize that sounds contradictory to the things I said about revivify above but raise dead is more powerful, more expensive, and more flexible regarding the condition of the target corpse than revivify is, thus the conditions for casting it for free should reflect that as well. Personally, I think an appropriate amount of the time between free castings of raise dead this way should be ten days.
Full disclosure: I'm heavily biased in these opinions because I ran into a very similar issue when I was creating features for my homebrew flesh-golem-crafter subclass for the artificer (think a subclass that's basically Dr. Frankenstein), and I used similar justifications to allow a limited number of free uses of animate dead in my level 6 feature and basically the same free use of raise dead in my level 14 feature.
Expect my notes on your Alchemical Compound Cantrips feature later today; it's after 2 a.m. my time as of this post, and I clearly need to sleep :P
Yup - my draft version was to have a two-fold bonus for "return to life" spells:
Costs half the amount of materials.
Instead of requiring diamonds, you can deduct the cost from your gp total to represent the expenditure of your alchemical supplies.
However, on reflection, I felt that - for better or worse - besides pets the whole crux of the artificer is to provide goods to the party either 'on loan' (infusions), at a discount (Tools of the Trade) or in the case of the alchemist as a freebie (Alchemical Mastery). On that basis, "return to life" spells seemed a great fit to be freebies:
They are something the alchemist is best qualified for amongst artificer subclasses.
They are costly and the materials potentially have inconveniences associated with them...
... but they are also something that (in many games) people don't actually need so often that it could be considered overpowered.
Hoping that strong cure light wounds + free revivify might create a bit of a paramedic type vibe, as it is tricky to see what other healer role is open to them when they've so few spells.
~ Revisions ~
Putting the number of lesser restorations back to Intelligence modifier - the only intermediate buff I could think of was switching to once per short rest.
Increasing the raise the dead cooldown - it is indeed too spammable as is! I'm thinking the best/most flavorful balance to avoid the terrible consequence of having to decide which party members live & which stay dead is to simultaneously buff it by having this laboratory casting be able to target a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier - can revive both Frankenstein's monster and Bride of Frankenstein with a single flick of the switch!
I put the cooldown at 10 days, in step with the 'expiration date' on raise the dead - let me know if have any different ideas (I was tempted by "on the next full moon") but that was both impractical and rife with problems in settings with multiple moons!
Yup - my draft version was to have a two-fold bonus for "return to life" spells:
Costs half the amount of materials.
Instead of requiring diamonds, you can deduct the cost from your gp total to represent the expenditure of your alchemical supplies.
However, on reflection, I felt that - for better or worse - besides pets the whole crux of the artificer is to provide goods to the party either 'on loan' (infusions), at a discount (Tools of the Trade) or in the case of the alchemist as a freebie (Alchemical Mastery). On that basis, "return to life" spells seemed a great fit to be freebies:
They are something the alchemist is best qualified for amongst artificer subclasses.
They are costly and the materials potentially have inconveniences associated with them...
... but they are also something that (in many games) people don't actually need so often that it could be considered overpowered.
Hoping that strong cure light wounds + free revivify might create a bit of a paramedic type vibe, as it is tricky to see what other healer role is open to them when they've so few spells.
~ Revisions ~
Putting the number of lesser restorations back to Intelligence modifier - the only other buff I could think of was switching to short rest.
Increasing the raise the dead cooldown - it is indeed too spammable as is! I'm thinking the best/most flavorful balance to avoid the terrible consequence of having to decide which party members live & which stay dead is to simultaneously buff it by having this laboratory casting be able to target a number of creatures up to your Intelligence modifier - can revive both Frankenstein's monster and Bride of Frankenstein with a single flick of the switch!
I put the cooldown at 10 days, in step with the 'expiration date' on raise the dead - let me know if have any different ideas (I was tempted by "on the next full moon") but that was both impractical and rife with problems in settings with multiple moons!
Hey, just about to start drafting up my notes about your AlchemComCan feature (too cheesy/confusing? :P) But I wanted to chime in and say that I love your revision to the usage of raise dead in its feature. Perhaps not for free now, however; a mass resurrection ability, even with a lengthy cooldown, feels overpowered especially for free. I think a reasonable compromise is to keep the material cost for one casting of raise dead in it (since technically it is one casting of the spell, just simultaneously targeting multiple corpses :P); this could also include your draft idea of using gp instead of diamonds to cover laboratory costs (that kind of equipment is expensive, after all).
Also, your paramedic vibe comment gave me an idea on what to replace Arcane Armament with as a baseline feature while still keeping the artificer a half-caster and be competitive in combat against full-casters. In the current game, only one class has neither Extra Attack nor access to 3rd-level spell slots at level 5: rogues. Yet they're still very viable in combat because of their sneak attack damage. When you think about it, the average weapon damage die a rogue could use for a sneak attack is 1d6, and at level 5 they're sneak attack damage is +3d6; so with just one successful sneak attack, they're doing on average 4d6 damage per round, equivalent to any martial class successfully hitting twice with a greatsword.
My idea: give artificers something equivalent to the rogue's sneak attack damage as a baseline feature. This may be a dangerous thought, but I'm thinking have that damage also apply to spell damage they inflict; perhaps limit it to just spells that require spell attack rolls, for balance, since the idea of the current artillerist being able to cast a fireball that does 13d6 fire damage immediately at level 9 terrifies me. How does this tie back to your paramedic comment? Make an alchemist feature that utilizes these extra dice for healing! Either as extra rolls in a healing spell, or as a separate healing pool like the Celestial Warlock's Healing Light feature. There's something here in this idea, I can feel it.
Okay, back to drafting my notes almost an hour later lol
Also, it's rather convoluted adding an addendum to a feature that's basically giving you another feature at a level different from the level you got the first feature at (this was a fun sentence to word @_@); it's just simpler to either make a separate class feature at Artificer level 9 that gives you the free revivify per day, or keep the originally-written version of the free revivify in the level 6 feature.
It's not uncommon for a feature to grant additional boons at higher levels whether that is improved die, additional uses or additional spells. Channel Divinity, Magical Secrets and Battlemaster Superiority Dice & Maneuvers are a few examples of this.
I like the direction of this rework with the specialized feel of a healer that is there to patch you up and keep you on your feet in the fight, not just blanket heal.
I like the idea of bonus damage on single target spells that use the alchemist supplies as the focus/casting implement, combine that with the increased cantrip utility and it could be quite strong indeed.
"Additionally, you can cast raise dead once without expending a spell slot, providing you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus and do so in a functional laboratory. When casting the spell this way, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one) and may deduct 500 gp from your inventory in place of the material component (this represents the expenditure of alchemical materials). You regain the ability to use this feature after a long rest."
++ Potential master-of-medicine proposal, replacing the existing features - not a 'sneak heal' one, I'm afraid (need more time to ponder that idea) ++
Alchemical Mastery
By 6th level, your mastery of magical elixirs allows you to adapt your healing to suit any situation. You always have cure wounds prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
When you cast cure wounds using your alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus, make an Intelligence (Medicine) check and apply each of the additional effects for which you met the DC. When you cast cure wounds using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, add 1 to your roll for each slot level above 1st.
DC 15 - Add your Intelligence modifier to the number of hit points regained (minimum of +1).
DC 20 - Cure the target of one disease or neutralize one poison affecting it.
DC 25 - End one effect that charmed, petrified or reduced an ability score of the target.
DC 30 - If the target died within the last minute, it returns to life with 1 hit point and then regains the number of hit points rolled.
Additionally, you gain proficiency in the Medicine skill if you do not already have it. If you are already proficient in it, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Investigation, Nature, Perception, or Persuasion.
Chemical Savant
By 14th level, you have been exposed to so many chemicals and unlocked their secrets that they pose little risk to you, and you can use them to quickly end certain ailments. You gain resistance to acid damage and poison damage, and you are now immune to the poisoned condition.
Additionally, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Medicine.
Hopefully this was worth all of my preamble, and that it translates well. Here's my re-tuned version of @Vorsa's Alchemical Compound Cantrips feature:
Alchemical Compound Cantrips
At 6th level, your prowess with alchemy allows you to concoct an alchemical compound that functions like a cantrip (see "The Magic of Artifice"). Whenever you finish a short or long rest and your alchemist's supplies are with you, you may prepare your compound cantrip by choosing a base cantrip and one augmenting cantrip. You do not need to know the artificer cantrip you choose as the base cantrip; you need to know the artificer cantrip you choose as the augmenting cantrip until you reach level 14 in this class. You may not choose the same artificer cantrip for both the base cantrip and the augmenting cantrip. You can only have one compound cantrip prepared. Your compound cantrip does not count against your number of cantrips known and is considered an alchemist cantrip for you.
Base Cantrip
Choose one cantrip from the following list, to serve as the base cantrip of your compound: acid splash, fire bolt, poison spray, ray of frost, shocking grasp, thorn whip.
Augmenting Cantrip
Choose one artificer cantrip that you know as the augmenting cantrip. The augmenting cantrip must have the same casting time as the base cantrip. Modify the effects of your base cantrip as described:
Acid splash– the type of damage the base cantrip deals is now acid OR the range of your base cantrip becomes 60 ft, the damage die of the base cantrip is decreased by two increments (minimum of d6), & the base cantrip can now target up to two creatures that are within 5 ft of each other.
Dancing lights– the range of your base cantrip becomes 120 ft OR if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a target creature, that creature sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, for the next minute (the light can be colored as you like); if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against more than one target creature, they stop shedding light if they are more than 20 ft from each other.
Fire bolt– the type of damage the base cantrip deals is now fire OR the range of your base cantrip becomes 120 ft & the damage die of the base cantrip increases by one increment (maximum of d10)
Guidance- if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a target creature, that creature has disadvantage on its next ability check.
Light– if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a target creature, that creature sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet, for the next hour. The light can be colored as you like.
Mage hand- the base cantrip may be cast without any somatic components.
Message– the range of the base cantrip becomes 120 ft OR the base cantrip ignores half cover and three-quarters cover, and it doesn't have to follow a straight line and can travel freely around corners or through openings.
Poison spray– the type of damage the base cantrip deals is now poison OR the range of your base cantrip becomes 10 ft & the damage die of the base cantrip increases by two increments (maximum of d12).
Prestidigitation- after the base cantrip resolves, choose one of the magical prestidigitation effects to occur in a sphere with a radius of 10 ft centered on one target of the spell. If the effect applies to an object, it applies to all appropriate objects within this radius.
Ray of frost– the type of damage the base cantrip deals is now cold OR the range of your base cantrip becomes 60 ft & if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a target creature, that creature’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of your next turn.
Resistance– if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a target creature, that creature has disadvantage on its next saving throw.
Shocking grasp– the type of damage the base cantrip deals is now lightning OR the range of the base cantrip becomes Touch, and if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a target creature, that creature can't take reactions until the start of its next turn; if the base cantrip requires a ranged spell attack roll, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a hostile creature who can see you and who isn't incapacitated.
Spare the dying– if the base cantrip reduces a creature to 0 hit points, you can knock the creature out.
Thorn whip– the type of damage the base cantrip deals is now piercing OR the range of your base cantrip becomes 30 ft, the damage die of the base cantrip decreases by one increment (minimum of d6), and if the base cantrip hits or succeeds against a Large or smaller creature, that creature is pulled up to 10 feet closer to you.
Notes:
"I want X cantrip to do Y cantrip's damage or effect instead" is what I believe was the intent of this feature.
I ignored create bonfire, frostbite, and thunderclap on this pass because since this is homebrew content, I wanted to focus first on the spells available from the Basic Rules and Player's Handbook, and those three cantrips are from the Elemental Evil Player's Companion.
When I refer to any changes to a cantrip's damage die, think of it as a sliding scale with d8 as the average die: d4<<>>d6<<>>d8<<>>d10<<>>d12 Example: I want to augment fire bolt with thorn whip, so now fire bolt has a range of 30 ft, does d8 fire damage, and if it hits against a Large or smaller creature, that creature is pulled up to 10 feet closer to me; a fire whip, as it were. Or I want to augment ray of frost with poison spray, so now ray of frost has a range of 10 ft, does d12 cold damage, and on a hit reduces a creature's speed by 10 ft until the start of my next turn ; a spray of frost :P
I tried to make these changes as balanced as possible but naturally I have no way of knowing if they are at this time. I invite the community to chime in.
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I missed my chance to post this in my survey, and it is too long anyways! This is just my musings of an alchemist redesign - please post your own. ^_^
Objectives a] make the alchemist a cantrip attacker without cloning Potent Cantrips/Agonizing Blast and b] make the alchemist a capable healer without being a full caster.
Alchemist
An Alchemist is an expert at combining exotic reagents to produce mystical effects. Among artificers, members of this subclass are the greatest healers, as well as the ones most adept at wielding dangerous chemicals.
Tools of the Trade
By the time you adopt this specialty at 3rd level, you’re deeply familiar with employing its tools.
Proficiencies. You gain proficiency with alchemist’s supplies and the herbalism kit. If you already have either proficiency, gain another tool proficiency of your choice instead. You also gain alchemist’s supplies and an herbalism kit for free—the result of tinkering you’ve done as you’ve prepared for this specialization.
Crafting. If you craft a magic item in the potion category, it takes you a quarter of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold.
Alchemist Spells
No change - I have a different healing solution in mind.
Alchemical Homunculus
No change - though possibly rule that the homunculus still takes the Dodge action even when you use your Bonus Action to have it do something else too.
Alchemical Compound Cantrips (new feature)
At 6th level, your prowess with alchemy allows you to concoct an alchemical compound that functions like a cantrip (see "The Magic of Artifice"). Whenever you finish a short or long rest and your alchemist's supplies are with you, you may prepare your compound cantrip by choosing a base cantrip and one augmenting cantrip. You may only ever have a single compound cantrip prepared.
Base Cantrip
Choose one cantrip from the following list, to serve as the base cantrip of your compound: acid splash, fire bolt, frostbite, poison spray, ray of frost, thorn whip.
Augmenting Cantrip
Choose one cantrip from the following list and modify the effects of your base cantrip as described:
Your compound cantrip does not count against your number of cantrips known, and is considered an alchemist cantrip for you.
Alchemical Mastery (complete redesign)
By 6th level, your command of magical chemicals has become masterful, greatly enhancing your healing capabilities. When you cast cure wounds using your alchemist's supplies, instead of rolling dice you use the highest number possible for each die.
In addition, you can cast lesser restoration without expending a spell slot, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You can do so a number of times per day equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once).
Starting at 9th level, you can also cast revivify once without expending a spell slot or providing material components, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Chemical Savant
By 14th level, you have been exposed to so many chemicals and unlocked their secrets that they pose little risk to you, and you can use them to quickly end certain ailments. You gain resistance to acid damage and poison damage, and you are now immune to the poisoned condition.
You can cast greater restoration once without expending a spell slot and without providing the material component, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.
Additionally, you can cast raise dead once without expending a spell slot and without providing the material component, providing you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus and do so in a functional laboratory. When casting the spell this way, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one). You regain the ability to use this feature after 10 days.
I like your changes/addition of the compound cantrip. I was onboard until I got to the 6th level feature, making Cure Wounds a 4th level casting (using point buy for 16 Int and 4th level ASI to reach 18 Int) when the Artificer only has access to 2nd level spells is pretty strong (4d8+4 healing vs 2d8+4 healing); as well as granting them a free 3rd level spell at no cost in the Revivify. I would probably move this into the 14th level feature, although that might overload it to add both of these to it when it already offers Greater Restoration and Raise Dead as two free 5th level spell castings when they only have access to 4th level spells at that point.
An alternative would be the addendum that, "Upon reaching 9th level, you always have Revivify prepared and it does not count against your spells known. Additionally, you may cast this spell once without using a spell slot or providing the material components. Once you have used this feature, you may not use it again until you finish a long rest. Also, anytime you cast Cure Wounds after reaching 9th level you cast it as if it was a 4th level spell unless you use a higher spell slot. You may use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier per long rest." This would still give them 4th level Cure Wounds four-five times a day, although this outpaces a full caster's option of using their higher level spell slots to do the same as they only have three 4th level and one 5th level spell slot at this same level. So, maybe change the number of times they can do this to half of their intelligence modifier (rounded up) per long rest with a minimum of one.
I feel this might balance these feature changes against the spell slots available to an Artificer and fill the 9th level gap of not gaining a feature. When they gain access to the 3rd level spell list at the same time, this will give them more options as they will not have to choose Revivify and can instead take another utility option.
Whoops; I didn't consider when the slots actually unlocked, I was too busy looking backwards from max. levels! Shall indeed make some revisions later - thanks.
~ Update ~
Tweaks made:
Some good changes. At 6th level the Cure Wounds change is 16+Int healing (20) to a single target. Let's compare this to two of the other healers at 6th level with 18 in their casting stat using Cure Wounds with a 2nd level spell slot (2d8+4). Compare this to a Life Domain Cleric doing 9+4+4 (17) healing to an ally and 4 to themselves, averaging 21 total healing; or a Circle of Dreams Druid with 9+wisdom (13) who can also then use their Balm of the Summer Court die pool to dispense another 3d6 (10.5 average rolls) healing and grant 3 temporary hit points, for a total of 26 average healing on their turn.
May seem a bit much for a half caster that isn't expressly focused on healing, but let's now compare it to their 2nd level spell options for healing. As you mentioned already, the Life Domain Cleric would have the option of Prayer of Healing for up to 6(2d8+4) healing to the party and an additional 4 to themselves for an average of 82 total healing at the cost of the 10 minute casting time.
Then there's the monstrosity that the Circle of Dreams Druid has in the spell Healing Spirit. This does 1d6 healing to each target each round (every 6 seconds) and lasts for 1 min. Assuming the same 6 person party size as the Life Cleric, this is 6(10d6) for 210 (35 per target) average healing, during which time they can also perform other spells as long as they maintain concentration on the Healing Spirit.
To me, this change for the Alchemist seems pretty balanced.
The Lesser Restoration reduction draws back on the power of the 6th level feature, considering prior it was limited only by the caster's Intelligence modifier; with the changes you made I'm not sure this was entirely needed as Lesser Restoration is a niche skill, albeit powerful when facing enemies that can dish out status effects regularly.
I like these proposed redesigns, I can see that a lot of thought and imagination went into their conception. Naturally, your Alchemical Compounds Cantrip feature needs some fine-tuning; I'm gonna save my notes about that for a separate post. For now, I'm going to present my arguments for why I believe it's fine to have a free revivify once per day, as per your initial redesign of the Alchemical Mastery feature. Consider once more the Life Domain Cleric. At 6th level, they would always have revivify prepared as a domain spell, and they can cast it a total of 3 times per long rest; granted, they would still need to provide the material components required for each casting. Revivify has but one purpose: to bring back to life a creature who has died, presumably during combat, within a minute prior to the casting of the spell itself. Arguably, if the Life Domain Cleric has done their job properly, they would have spent many, if not all, of their spell slots keeping the party alive during combat and thus couldn't/shouldn't need to cast revivify. That won't always be the case, obviously. But if the Life Domain Cleric can cast revivify anywhere between 0 and 3 times per day, at cost, at the same class level that your Alchemist Artificer can cast it for free between 0 and 1 times per day feels balanced enough to me. Also, it's rather convoluted adding an addendum to a feature that's basically giving you another feature at a level different from the level you got the first feature at (this was a fun sentence to word @_@); it's just simpler to either make a separate class feature at Artificer level 9 that gives you the free revivify per day, or keep the originally-written version of the free revivify in the level 6 feature.
Regarding the free raise dead in the Chemical Savant feature redesign, I think the amount of time in between uses of it should be longer than once per long rest. I realize that sounds contradictory to the things I said about revivify above but raise dead is more powerful, more expensive, and more flexible regarding the condition of the target corpse than revivify is, thus the conditions for casting it for free should reflect that as well. Personally, I think an appropriate amount of the time between free castings of raise dead this way should be ten days.
Full disclosure: I'm heavily biased in these opinions because I ran into a very similar issue when I was creating features for my homebrew flesh-golem-crafter subclass for the artificer (think a subclass that's basically Dr. Frankenstein), and I used similar justifications to allow a limited number of free uses of animate dead in my level 6 feature and basically the same free use of raise dead in my level 14 feature.
Expect my notes on your Alchemical Compound Cantrips feature later today; it's after 2 a.m. my time as of this post, and I clearly need to sleep :P
Yup - my draft version was to have a two-fold bonus for "return to life" spells:
However, on reflection, I felt that - for better or worse - besides pets the whole crux of the artificer is to provide goods to the party either 'on loan' (infusions), at a discount (Tools of the Trade) or in the case of the alchemist as a freebie (Alchemical Mastery). On that basis, "return to life" spells seemed a great fit to be freebies:
Hoping that strong cure light wounds + free revivify might create a bit of a paramedic type vibe, as it is tricky to see what other healer role is open to them when they've so few spells.
~ Revisions ~
I put the cooldown at 10 days, in step with the 'expiration date' on raise the dead - let me know if have any different ideas (I was tempted by "on the next full moon") but that was both impractical and rife with problems in settings with multiple moons!
Hey, just about to start drafting up my notes about your AlchemComCan feature (too cheesy/confusing? :P) But I wanted to chime in and say that I love your revision to the usage of raise dead in its feature. Perhaps not for free now, however; a mass resurrection ability, even with a lengthy cooldown, feels overpowered especially for free. I think a reasonable compromise is to keep the material cost for one casting of raise dead in it (since technically it is one casting of the spell, just simultaneously targeting multiple corpses :P); this could also include your draft idea of using gp instead of diamonds to cover laboratory costs (that kind of equipment is expensive, after all).
Also, your paramedic vibe comment gave me an idea on what to replace Arcane Armament with as a baseline feature while still keeping the artificer a half-caster and be competitive in combat against full-casters. In the current game, only one class has neither Extra Attack nor access to 3rd-level spell slots at level 5: rogues. Yet they're still very viable in combat because of their sneak attack damage. When you think about it, the average weapon damage die a rogue could use for a sneak attack is 1d6, and at level 5 they're sneak attack damage is +3d6; so with just one successful sneak attack, they're doing on average 4d6 damage per round, equivalent to any martial class successfully hitting twice with a greatsword.
My idea: give artificers something equivalent to the rogue's sneak attack damage as a baseline feature. This may be a dangerous thought, but I'm thinking have that damage also apply to spell damage they inflict; perhaps limit it to just spells that require spell attack rolls, for balance, since the idea of the current artillerist being able to cast a fireball that does 13d6 fire damage immediately at level 9 terrifies me. How does this tie back to your paramedic comment? Make an alchemist feature that utilizes these extra dice for healing! Either as extra rolls in a healing spell, or as a separate healing pool like the Celestial Warlock's Healing Light feature. There's something here in this idea, I can feel it.
Okay, back to drafting my notes almost an hour later lol
It's not uncommon for a feature to grant additional boons at higher levels whether that is improved die, additional uses or additional spells. Channel Divinity, Magical Secrets and Battlemaster Superiority Dice & Maneuvers are a few examples of this.
I like the direction of this rework with the specialized feel of a healer that is there to patch you up and keep you on your feet in the fight, not just blanket heal.
I like the idea of bonus damage on single target spells that use the alchemist supplies as the focus/casting implement, combine that with the increased cantrip utility and it could be quite strong indeed.
Possible revised version, then:
"Additionally, you can cast raise dead once without expending a spell slot, providing you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus and do so in a functional laboratory. When casting the spell this way, you can target a number of creatures equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one) and may deduct 500 gp from your inventory in place of the material component (this represents the expenditure of alchemical materials). You regain the ability to use this feature after a long rest."
++ Potential master-of-medicine proposal, replacing the existing features - not a 'sneak heal' one, I'm afraid (need more time to ponder that idea) ++
Alchemical Mastery
By 6th level, your mastery of magical elixirs allows you to adapt your healing to suit any situation. You always have cure wounds prepared, and it doesn’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
When you cast cure wounds using your alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus, make an Intelligence (Medicine) check and apply each of the additional effects for which you met the DC. When you cast cure wounds using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, add 1 to your roll for each slot level above 1st.
Additionally, you gain proficiency in the Medicine skill if you do not already have it. If you are already proficient in it, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Investigation, Nature, Perception, or Persuasion.
Chemical Savant
By 14th level, you have been exposed to so many chemicals and unlocked their secrets that they pose little risk to you, and you can use them to quickly end certain ailments. You gain resistance to acid damage and poison damage, and you are now immune to the poisoned condition.
Additionally, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses Medicine.
Hopefully this was worth all of my preamble, and that it translates well. Here's my re-tuned version of @Vorsa's Alchemical Compound Cantrips feature:
Alchemical Compound Cantrips
At 6th level, your prowess with alchemy allows you to concoct an alchemical compound that functions like a cantrip (see "The Magic of Artifice"). Whenever you finish a short or long rest and your alchemist's supplies are with you, you may prepare your compound cantrip by choosing a base cantrip and one augmenting cantrip. You do not need to know the artificer cantrip you choose as the base cantrip; you need to know the artificer cantrip you choose as the augmenting cantrip until you reach level 14 in this class. You may not choose the same artificer cantrip for both the base cantrip and the augmenting cantrip. You can only have one compound cantrip prepared. Your compound cantrip does not count against your number of cantrips known and is considered an alchemist cantrip for you.
Base Cantrip
Choose one cantrip from the following list, to serve as the base cantrip of your compound: acid splash, fire bolt, poison spray, ray of frost, shocking grasp, thorn whip.
Augmenting Cantrip
Choose one artificer cantrip that you know as the augmenting cantrip. The augmenting cantrip must have the same casting time as the base cantrip. Modify the effects of your base cantrip as described:
Notes:
d4<<>>d6<<>>d8<<>>d10<<>>d12
Example: I want to augment fire bolt with thorn whip, so now fire bolt has a range of 30 ft, does d8 fire damage, and if it hits against a Large or smaller creature, that creature is pulled up to 10 feet closer to me; a fire whip, as it were. Or I want to augment ray of frost with poison spray, so now ray of frost has a range of 10 ft, does d12 cold damage, and on a hit reduces a creature's speed by 10 ft until the start of my next turn ; a spray of frost :P