Editing Alchemist (section)

==[[Pathfinder]]==
[[File:Damiel.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Damiel, Pathfinder 1e's iconic Alchemist]]
Pathfinder alchemists are basically a mad scientist character class. They cackle, they drink mutagen and turn into the Hulk, they make construct-soldiers out of dead bodies, they cast spells by chugging potions, you get the idea. 

Alchemists are solidly tier 3, capable of doing a few things very good (damage, skill monkey) and still contributing when those things aren't useful through their wide variety of extracts. One pair of discoveries gives Alchemists access to the Simulacrum spell, which is broken enough on its own (making a clone of a high level beat stick that follows your commands is the least creative way to break it) that they become tier 1 if taken.

Mechanically, Alchemists get three tricks. The first are alchemical bombs, which are essentially splash weapons that they can prepare a certain number of per day like spells. The second are extracts, which are bottles of magic that are prepared like Wizard spells but drunk like potions. The third is mutagen, which is basically Mr. Hyde juice; mechanically, it buffs one of your physical stats and natural armor at the expense of your mental stat. Complementing these is the pick of "discoveries", additional alchemical tricks such as changing your bombs to do different types of damage, growing a familiar out of your own flesh, or making your body poisonous, at every even level, many of which are really good. Alchemist builds are put into two categories. The first is the "Jekyll" build, which focuses on party support while using bombs to kill things and control the battlefield, probably with the Mindchemist archetype since they won't be poisoning anyone and don't care about buffing their muscles. The second is the "Hyde" build, which focuses on using its alchemy to buff up and smash enemies, with most taking the Vivisectionist archetype to trade their bombs for sneak attack.

Alchemists are a lot of fun, since they get ''throw anything'' as a power and have lots of unique bombs they can make, and actually make "incredible discoveries!" as they level up, ranging from growing new limbs and tumors that fall off and act as familiars to learning how to cheat and bottle spells they shouldn't theoretically have. There's nothing else in the game quite like them, and it makes them unique and interesting. Unfortunately, all those powers aren't terribly focused, which is a downer. If you want to build a decent alchemist, pick one or two of their mechanics and leave the third by the wayside. Oh, and everyone will hate you if you don't take the discovery which lets other people use your extracts, which you should do anyway, because what else are you going to do with that ''enlarge person'' potion? Wade into melee? My 30+ AC, 3 Nat attacks a round, and +12 to Hit suggest that that is a good idea as long as the mutagen holds.

Also, they're very selfish casters that need to take a discovery just to let other people imbibe their spell-potions, and without cantrips they can only identify potions without spending spell slots.  As a result, they aren't the best solo-casters in a party full of melee beatsticks.

If you want a hilariously awesome class that does things you haven't necessarily seen before in the d20 system, pick this guy. If you want something a little more geared towards optimized mechanical play? I'm sure they'll have another overpowered [[wizard]] prestige class/archetype/pile of new spells ready for you in the next splatbook, you damn [[munchkin]]-robot.

===Pathfinder Second Edition===
[[File:Alchemist PF 2e.png|thumb|right|300px|Fumbus, Pathfinder 2e's iconic Alchemist]]
Second Edition saw the Alchemist promoted to be part of the CRB classes, likely thanks to their popularity. As part of the revamp, they no longer have any access to spells. This means that alchemists are now exclusively crafters of all manner of alchemical items - the same ones you can buy in a shop, but now these items progress like tiered spells (Though it's almost always tiered rather than being an occasional thing). Incidentally, this makes said items more useful for non-Alchemists to buy past level two. Helping them out with this is the limited access to special reagents that allow them to make new items on the fly. This leaves them to suffer in combat, as they are only proficient in light armor, simple weapons, and bombs by default and have these proficiencies progress about as well as a caster's. (This isn't much of an issue, though, as bombs do have splash damage.)

Alchemist subclasses essentially pick one sort of item to focus on: potions, bombs, mutagens, or (as of the APG) poisons. As you progress, each of these subclasses grants you the ability to effectively create infinite quantities of low-level items from their chosen field. Each also gives minor boosts to their chosen items at level 1 and 13 (bombs don't splash on friendlies and eventually expand their splash range; potions let crafting replace medicine for healing checks and eventually let healing potions max out their heals; mutagens allow a single mutagen that was used that day to resurface for a bit and finally allow mutagens to stack; poison makes applying it onto a weapon easier and eventually will enable poisons to stack on weapons). This does, unfortunately, mean that the Alchemist isn't able to craft as well in other fields thanks to these specializations.

This new Alchemist does get a mixed reception, especially from newer players that are not familiar with craftable items list (it doesn't help that they are tucked into a big book and don't have their own dedicated section like spells). The fact that you're hard locked into only one Alchemist item focus misleads from the fact that this is a flexible utility class, even more flexible than a wizard (the spells they prepare for the day are limited by what they copied into their book, while you can also make items from your book at any moment. Also, a GM is more likely to have NPC shop keepers that know alchemy recipes than finding a spellbook). Remember, you're the guy that always well stocked with antivenom, resistance, healing potions, throwing snares, and performance-enhancing drugs, even when taking an extended trip through the [[Abyss]].