Pathfinder RPG: sqrt(13)th Edition

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > Pathfinder RPG: sqrt(13)th Edition

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

I'm doing some character planning for my first foray into Pathfinder for a new campaign I'll be joining and I've homed in on Alchemist as I've always wanted to explore using alchemical items from 3.5 and this class seems the most focused on that as well as being able to grow past it when these items get weaker later on (i still intend to produce and peddle them during adventure downtime as a secondary source of income). As part of a 3 caster(Alchemist, Sorcerer, and Summoner) group with a possible 4th player I mostly intend to use my character's climb speed to stay in unreachable areas to chuck bombs, tanglefoots, or poisoned daggers to contribute. Eventually I'll dole out some heals with Infusions or any CLW wands I stumble across. A major theme I wanted with this character was to craft and after a thorough study of rules it seems crafting times of mundane items is fairly onorous for players. Our DM says to expect a fair amount of downtime in the campaign so I think I can get by fine with this if I build right. I also want to see if the DM will give me benefits for taking a few flavor ranks into Profession(Merchant) to help me reduce material costs of crafting and also improve income from sales. I already have a culture trait specific to the DM's setting that boosts my profits by 20% so I'm guessing he may be receptive if he doesn't feel I'm getting too far ahead of the wealth curve. If anyone has experience with using alchemists or just crafting in general and wants to give advice I invite you to look over my character plan for the first 10 levels and see what you think.

code:

Miang the Alchemist, Roles: Support crafter, wall climbing bomber
10 Point Buy STR 8 DEX 13 CON 10 INT 17 WIS 10 CHA 7
Racials +2 DEX, +2 CHA, - 2 CON
STR 8(-1) DEX 15(+2) CON 8(-1) INT 17(+3) WIS 10(0) CHA 9(-1)
Small DM setting race with climb speed 20 and prehensile tail
Relevant DM Trait: Trade Apprenticeships <-- +20% profit from craft and profession			
PF Traits(4 per DM rules): 
Pragmatic Activator (Magic) <-- UMD with int bonus instead of cha			
Fortified Drinker (Religion) <-- Thematic with character's gluttony aspect and boosts some will saves
Accelerated Drinker (Combat) <-- Prehensile tail helps this greatly
Indomitable Faith (Faith) <-- Boost to low will progression
Level Planner, Alchemist 10
B= Bomb F= Feat D=Discovery
1   B: 1d6+3 4 Bombs,  F: Point Blank Shot
2   B: 1d6+3 5 Bombs,  D: Frost Bomb
3   B: 2d6+3 6 Bombs,  F: Extra Discovery: Tumor Familiar: Valet Greensting Scorpion (+4 init)
4   B: 2d6+4 8 Bombs,  D: Infuse Extract, Ability: 18 Int
5   B: 3d6+4 9 Bombs,  F: Two Weapon Fighting
6   B: 3d6+4 10 Bombs, D: Precise Bombs
7   B: 4d6+4 11 Bombs, F: Rapid Shot
8   B: 4d6+4 12 Bombs, D: Fast Bombs A: 16 Dex
9   B: 5d6+4 13 Bombs, F: Precise Shot
10  B: 5d6+4 14 Bombs, D: Smoke Bomb into Nauseating Bomb asap?

+1 Will from traits, Reflex goes from +2 to +3 at level 8
Lv  F   R   W   |  Extracts: 17(+3) INT, 18(+4) INT at level 4
                |  1  2  3  4  5  6
1   1   4   1   |  2  -  -  -  -  -
2   2   5   1   |  3  -  -  -  -  -
3   2   5   2   |  4  -  -  -  -  -
4   3   6   2   |  4  2  -  -  -  -
5   3   6   3   |  5  3  -  -  -  -
6   4   7   3   |  5  4  -  -  -  -
7   4   7   3   |  5  4  2  -  -  -
8   5   9   3   |  5  5  3  -  -  -
9   5   9   4   |  6  5  4  -  -  -
10  6   10  4   |  6  5  4  2  -  -

Lamebot fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Nov 18, 2022

# ¿ Nov 18, 2022 23:40

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# ¿ May 5, 2024 07:22

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

Ah, I had originally had precise shot at level 6 and precise bombs at 9 but I had read preventing splash on allies was a high priority. Could I swap frost bombs' position with precise shot and get by fine or is the lack of alternate damage types going to bite me in the rear end by then? If so I'll just swap precise bombs with precise shot's spot. Just going human and taking the extra feat would make this so much easier, but I'm not going to do that.

Grenadier isn't an option I want to take either because I want to brew potions. :v:

Alternatively, would playing a bomber alchemist that doesn't go the nova route be viable? Maybe push twf, rapid shot, and fast bombs into later levels and focus on battlefield control to let the summoner eidolon and sorcerer dole out the hurt.

Lamebot fucked around with this message at 02:26 on Nov 19, 2022

# ¿ Nov 19, 2022 01:31

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

Speaking of which, I've settled on the fermenter archetype for my alchemist as my character is supposed to develop into a paragon of gluttony with access to mythic tiers and +2 to all ability scores later on if I maintain non sobriety or regularly indulge in fine food, drink, etc. The archetype has a lot of mitigation against addiction which helps out with this. Even so, does anyone know of a alcohol intoxication rules that aren't so unrealistically punitive? (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/community-creations/drinking-rules) https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/afflictions/drugs/#Addiction) It seems this and the addiction rules were written without considering the other. I feel like this is another thing I'll need to develop with the DM.

Lamebot fucked around with this message at 04:01 on Nov 20, 2022

# ¿ Nov 20, 2022 03:14

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

sugar free jazz posted:

the addiction rules are insanely stupid and I�d say just rp it honestly. It sounds like it�s sorta in character so why not just roll with it?

Yeah I came to this realization and almost deleted the post for being unnecessary. Especially since I've been trying to break free of my habit to minimax and embrace a more casual mindset towards play (and maybe appreciate roleplay more.) As an alchemist I'll have plenty of means with dealing with the downsides by the time it gets extreme. Thank you for the insight.

Lamebot fucked around with this message at 04:43 on Nov 20, 2022

# ¿ Nov 20, 2022 04:26

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

My DM has told me that Prof(Merchant) will net a significant monetary advantage if I commit to maxing it. This is good because I anticipate the food and drug costs my character will accrue will be significant. I've decided to take clever wordplay for diplomacy and plenty of sense motive as well to make a savvy businessman. We already have a face character in our false priest sorcerer so everything's covered otherwise, but I don't want to lean on the veteran PC party member who's a paragon of pride and may demand generous sums from my character to be a face for my business. I know this is very DM and campaign specific: but a max rank diplomacy score with half ranked sense motive and max rank appraise should be good if I'm a knowledgeable but mostly honest (my investigator cohort will be the more ruthless face of my business) trader, right?

I ask all this because I've never leaned into being social with my prior characters. I anticipate a lot of notetaking on all my important interactions.

Lamebot fucked around with this message at 09:40 on Dec 6, 2022

# ¿ Dec 6, 2022 09:18

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

ed:oops

# ¿ Dec 6, 2022 09:21

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

Roadie posted:

Maxing out Appraisal is pointless because the DCs only go up to 30, even for really exotic stuff. And as soon as you've got the money for an item of true appraisal at will, you've got another +5 and can take 10 all the time, so the maximum base bonus you actually need is only +15 to succeed at all Appraise checks forever.

This only changes if you take the Signature Skill feat for it, and you shouldn't because that only gives you the kinds of benefits you can get from cheap low-level magic items too.

Thank you, that should free up some linguistics points and 1 rank skills or me. Agreed on the signature skill. I want to take that feat for perception eventually.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2022 09:32

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

Roadie posted:

"Significant" by what standard? Keep in mind that the expected wealth of, say, a 10th-level PC is 62,000 gp.

If anything it's to try and get ahead of what I think will be a low wealth campaign based on what I experienced in his prior campaign years ago(another player's VoP druid no selling everything while the other party members struggled. I was a 3.5 martial :cry:

). He did lay out some homebrew traits that buff producing wealth via craft and profession plus his suggestion that there will be plenty of adventure downtime and I'm jumping on that with the alchemy craft character I've always wanted to make.

# ¿ Dec 6, 2022 16:46

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# ¿ May 5, 2024 07:22

Lamebot: Sep 8, 2005; ロボ顔菌～♡

I'm currently trying to figure out a good way to hide an object of power for my character in Pathfinder 1e. It doesn't function if hidden on another plane and fully empowers me and my organization if stored in my home. I'm currently planning on having several red herring hiding spots in the home. A few dumb waiters will be in the house, but one will have a door between floors to a secret compartment. I'll also have a normal character sized vault room in my basement for a bulk of my stuff. The real hiding spot will be a lead lined vent that originates from from my alchemy lab/study that doesn't go anywhere except a lead lined compartment, but the kitchen vent will have stacks above the la to throw things off (i'll just vent my crap through a barred open window!). My character is pretty much a climbing master and can shift to tiny so I'll adapt the vent and dumb waiter access to that. One vent will will be above the lab and one above the kitchen. I'm not good at this stuff, point out obvious flaws. I don't expect to stop any prepared incursions from groups with spell casters unless my cohort and followers get them. my PC is small or tiny on a good day and can climb anything.

# ¿ Oct 2, 2023 11:45

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Traditional Games > Pathfinder RPG: sqrt(13)th Edition