Alchemist

As a student of alchemy, you are able to learn concoctions through careful study, research, and experimentation. To perform alchemical research, there are four basic steps:

1. Choose a topic

Choose a concoction that costs equal to, or less than, your catalyst limit.

2. Research and experimentation

To conduct research and experiments, you need access to your formula book, inks, any material components required by the concoction, and a relatively stable environment to experiment. This process uses 5 catalyst, takes 8 hours (which can be done as a downtime activity), and costs 50 sp for each catalyst cost of the concoction. This represents attempting to cast the concoction several times with different environments, materials, or targets to learn how it works.

For every hour of research and experimentation, make an Alchemy check. You must be proficient with Alchemy if the concoction costs 2 or more catalysts. The Difficulty is 18 + 2 × the concoction’s catalyst cost. For every additional 5 sp for each catalyst cost of the concoction that you spend every hour by hiring assistants, buying equipment, buying materials to test on, etc, you gain a +1 bonus to this check (up to your catalyst limit).

Add 5 to the difficulty if the concoction is from a theme you don’t know or if the concoction costs 2 or more catalyst and you don’t know a number of concoctions from the concoction’s theme equal to the concoction’s catalyst cost minus 1.

On a success, the time counts toward your research. If you have completed the time to research the concoction, you can transcribe the concoction into your formula book, which costs 50 sp for each catalyst cost of the concoction. You can learn a number of concoctions from a theme you don’t know up to your catalyst limit + 1.

On a failure, the time is wasted. If you fail by 4 or less, you gain a research credit. If you fail by 5 or more, you are unable to try again for 24 hours and roll a d20 and compare the result to the complications table.

3. Determine complications

Roll a d6. If you roll less than or equal to the catalyst cost of the concoction then there is a complication. Roll a d20 and compare the result to the complications table.

Research Credits

During your experiments you may make some advancements and during your adventures you may find research notes made by other alchemists. These research credits can help you during your experimentation. When you make a research check, you can spend a research credit to add 2d4 to the result.

During your adventures you could discover a formula recorded on a scroll in an alchemist’s formula book, in a dusty tome in an ancient library, or you could discover a concoction that is already made. While you have the concoction or concoction formula accessible, you can gain the benefits of a research credit to learn that concoction without spending a research credit. A concoction that is already made is only partially sufficient to learn from so research credits from it are partial credits which add 1d4 to the result instead of 2d4. If you learn the concoction, the original concoction formula or concoction dims as the energy contained in it is absorbed.

You can create alchemical concoctions.

You have a limited well of energy that you can draw on to protect yourself from harm. As an action, you can spend up to half your Health Dice (minimum 1). For each Health Die spent in this way, roll the die and add your Constitution. You can decide to spend an additional Health Die after each roll. You regain health equal to the total.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Choose one theme, the gold and time you must spend to copy concoctions from this theme into your formula book is halved.

On a short rest you can choose a number of concoctions you know up to half your Aptitude Bonus (min 1) and replace each of them with another concoction in your formula book from a theme you know, which must cost equal to, or less than, your catalyst limit. On a long rest you can choose and replace a number of concoctions equal to your Aptitude Bonus.

You can craft alchemical items twice as quickly as normal. For example, if it normally takes a non-alchemist 2 days to craft an alchemical item, you can craft the same item in a day.

You can call a concoction to mind that suits your needs. On your turn with your formula book in hand, you can create a concoction that is in your formula book as if you know it. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

You can use this feature twice between rests starting at 13th level.

From repeated exposure to dangerous toxic substances and constant experimentation using yourself as the test subject, you develop a resistance to poisons. You have resistance to acid and poison damage and advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.

You can spend 8 hours creating an alchemist’s stone that stores alchemical energy. You can benefit from the stone yourself or give it to another creature. A creature gains a benefit of your choice as long as the stone is in the creature’s possession. When you create the stone, choose the benefit from the following options:

• Darkvision out to a range of 10 meters. If the creature already has darkvision, its range increases by 10 meters.
• An increase to speed of 2 meters while the creature is unencumbered.
• Capability, or proficiency if they are already capable, in Fortitude saving throws.
• Resistance to acid, cold, concussion, fire, or lightning damage (your choice whenever you choose this benefit).

Each time you expend catalysts to use a concoction, you can change the effect of your stone if the stone is on your person. If you create a new alchemist’s stone, the previous one ceases to function.

A feat represents an area of expertise that gives a character special aptitudes. It embodies training, experience, and abilities beyond what a class provides.

You gain a feat of your choice from the general feats or from a theme you know.

You gain additional feats at 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, and 20th level.

When you gain a level, you can choose one of the feats you know and replace it with another feat that you could have learned when the replaced feat was chosen.

You can temporarily alter the physical properties of one nonmagical object, changing it from one substance into another. You perform a special alchemical procedure on one object composed entirely of wood, stone (but not a gemstone), iron, copper, or silver, transforming it into a different one of those materials.

For each 10 minutes you spend performing the procedure, you can transform up to half a cubic meter of material. After 1 hour, the material reverts to its original substance.

Increase two abilities of your choice by 1 and one of your lowest two abilities by 1. If multiple abilities are tied for one of your lowest abilities, you can choose any of them. As normal, you can’t increase an ability above 5 using this feature.

Increase your abilities again at 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

Choose a skill to become capable with. At 5th level or higher, you can become proficient if you choose a skill you are already capable with.

At 3rd level you also choose a Weapons skill to improve.

At 5th level you choose three skills to improve instead of one and also choose two Weapons skills to improve.

At 7th level you also choose a Weapons skill to improve.

You can only become proficient with simple weapons and weapons from the Crossbow weapon group.

Reminder

There are some limits for what can be done with two actions. See Actions in combat section.

You can use two actions on your turn instead of one.

Choose Fortitude, Reflex, or Will saving throws to become capable with, or proficient if you are already capable.

Choose another saving throw at 10th level.

You can create a contraption that can automatically apply a reservoir of liquid to each bolt you fire from a crossbow. As two actions, you can attach or remove the contraption to or from a crossbow. Choose one theme you know to determine the damage type the liquid deals:

• Acid. acid damage.
• Fire. fire damage.
• Ice. cold damage.
• Light. radiant damage.
• Poison. poison damage.

Each bolt fired from the crossbow deals extra 1d4 damage of the chosen type.

The damage increases to 1d6 at 13th level and to 2d6 at 17th level.

Your research has led you to uncover the very secrets of immortality. You cease aging naturally, and you can’t be aged magically.

You have unlocked hidden secrets in your Alchemist’s Stone. As an action, you can use the stone to cause one of the following effects.

Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Your Intelligence increases by 2. Your maximum for this ability is now 7.