Phytochemist

Phytochemists are artificers who study the hidden chemistry of living plants and fungi. Where traditional alchemists rely on minerals and volatile reagents, phytochemists cultivate gardens of rare botanical specimens, carefully extracting their compounds and refining them into potent formulas.

Their laboratories often resemble greenhouses more than workshops, filled with hydroponic trays, cultivated mycelial networks, and carefully preserved plant cultures. Through study and experimentation, a phytochemist learns to harness the remarkable biochemical properties of living organisms, transforming leaves, spores, and roots into powerful extracts.

A phytochemist maintains a codex of botanical recipes that replicate magical effects. Some formulas produce restorative tonics and nutrient-rich berries, while others distill toxins, stimulants, or growth catalysts derived from exotic flora. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, these living compounds can heal wounds, enhance the body’s capabilities, or unleash devastating biological reactions.

Many phytochemists travel widely in search of new organisms to study, cataloguing unfamiliar plants and cultivating rare specimens from distant environments. Each new discovery offers the possibility of a new formula, expanding the ever-growing body of botanical knowledge contained within their research journals.

Botanical Magic

Your study of botanical compounds and fungal chemistry allows you to reproduce many effects normally associated with natural magic.

Beginning at 3rd level, you add the Ranger and Druid spell lists to the spells you can prepare as an artificer. These spells count as artificer spells for you.

When you prepare spells after a long rest, you may choose spells from the Artificer, Druid or Ranger spell list, provided the spell is of a level you can cast.

These spells represent botanical extracts, cultivated fungi, spores, and other phytochemical preparations developed through your research.

Phytochemical Codex

Beginning at 3rd level, you maintain a detailed research journal cataloguing plants, fungi, and their chemical properties. This codex also contains a growing collection of phytochemical recipes that allow you to create potent botanical preparations.

Your codex begins with 10 recipes of your choice from the Phytochemist Recipe List. Each recipe replicates the effect of a spell.

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you add one additional recipe to your codex.

These recipes do not count against your prepared spells and cannot be cast directly.

When you finish a long rest, you may prepare a number of recipes equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum one). Preparing a recipe creates a single-use botanical preparation such as a potion, berry cluster, salve, spore capsule, or chemical extract.

A creature can consume or activate the preparation using the same casting time as the spell it replicates (typically an action or bonus action), producing the spell’s effect as if you had cast it.

If the spell requires concentration, the creature using the preparation must maintain the concentration.

Most preparations lose their potency when you finish your next long rest, though some more stable preparations such as distilled potions may last longer at the DM’s discretion.

Phytochemical Savant

Beginning at 5th level, your mastery of plant chemistry and fungal compounds improves the potency of your preparations.

Whenever a creature regains hit points from one of your phytochemical preparations, that creature regains additional hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).

In addition, when a creature uses one of your preparations that grants temporary hit points, the creature gains additional temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier.

These benefits apply only to preparations created using your Phytochemical Codex, not to spells you cast normally.

Stabilized Preparations

At 5th level, you refine the preservation techniques used in your phytochemical mixtures.

Preparations you create using your Phytochemical Codex remain stable for longer periods. A preparation you create no longer expires at the start of your next long rest. Instead, it remains usable until the end of your next long rest.

This stability represents improved distillation methods, fungal stabilizers, and carefully preserved botanical compounds that prevent your mixtures from degrading too quickly.

Field Application

Beginning at 5th level, your familiarity with your phytochemical compounds allows you to administer them with practiced efficiency.

When you use a phytochemical preparation that you created using your Phytochemical Codex, you can activate the preparation as a bonus action, regardless of the spell’s normal casting time.

You must be personally carrying the preparation, and this benefit does not apply if another creature uses the preparation. This feature does not affect spells you cast normally.

Refined Process

Beginning at 9th level, your continued research and experimentation allow you to refine the cultivation and preparation of your botanical compounds.

When you finish a long rest, you can prepare a number of phytochemical preparations equal to your Intelligence modifier + 2 (minimum of one) using your Phytochemical Codex.

In addition, when you finish a short rest, you may create up to two phytochemical preparations from recipes in your codex, provided you have access to your botanical tools and the necessary materials.

These preparations follow the normal rules for phytochemical preparations described in your Phytochemical Codex feature.

Experimental Synthesis

Beginning at 15th level, your mastery of botanical chemistry allows you to push your phytochemical preparations beyond their normal limits through experimental synthesis.

When creating phytochemical preparations using your Phytochemical Codex, you may attempt to push the reaction beyond safe parameters. You can do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of one) per long rest.

When you use Experimental Synthesis, choose one of the following options:

Accelerated Production.
You attempt to create one additional phytochemical preparation beyond the number you can normally prepare.

Whenever you attempt this, you must make an Intelligence (Nature) check. The DC equals 15 + the spell level of the preparation being created.

Potent Compound.
When creating a phytochemical preparation that replicates a spell that can be cast at a higher level, you may increase the spell’s level by any number of levels.

For each level you increase the spell beyond its base level, the Experimental Synthesis check DC increases by 2.

If the resulting spell level exceeds the highest spell level you can normally cast, the DC increases by an additional 2.

On a success, the preparation is created normally.

On a failure, the preparation fails and its materials are wasted. In addition, roll 1d6 on the Unstable Reaction Table to determine the consequences.

---

 

d6	Unstable Reaction
1	Toxic Reaction. The preparation releases a burst of harmful fumes or spores. You take 2d6 poison damage. You must also succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC or be poisoned for 1 hour.
2	Chemical Burnout. The strain of forcing the reaction leaves you physically drained. You gain one level of exhaustion.
3	Hidden Failure. The preparation appears successful but has actually failed. Unless you succeed on a DC 20 Intelligence (Nature) check, you do not realize the mixture is inert until someone attempts to use it.
4	Strange Mutation. The preparation undergoes an unusual botanical mutation. The compound changes appearance (odd coloration, fungal growth, glowing spores, etc.), and when used it produces a harmless but strange side effect determined by the DM.
5	Backfire. The preparation activates prematurely and affects you instead of the intended user or target, potentially producing dangerous or chaotic consequences depending on the effect of the preparation.
6	Blinding Spores. A cloud of irritating spores erupts from the mixture. You are blinded for 5 minutes. You can repeat a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC at the end of each minute to end the effect early.

 

---