Alchemist

Generally iconoclastic in nature, alchemists seek to gain their power through mixtures and tinctures, relying on only their own intellect and experience. Though not supernatural, their methods and effects are no less wondrous and alchemists produce concoctions that are both versatile and potent. Not all alchemists choose the adventuring life, but they are always a welcome addition for their versatility. Though many prefer to fight from a distance or support their allies, they are more than capable of holding their own in melee.

Creating An Alchemist

Alchemists thrive on knowledge and exploration. Most alchemists are driven by the need to discover new formulations and concoctions, to find that esoteric ingredient. Adventure is often a means to an end. Some of your days may be spent pouring over dusty tomes or experimenting with various concoctions. You are not merely content with drinking a newly found potion. You must understand it. Deconstruct it.

When creating an alchemist, work with your GM to decide their origin. Where are they from? How did they learn their trade? Did they study at the College of Apothecaries in the confederacy? Or were they apprentice to a master alchemist? Are you a mad scientist or a disciplined researcher? Ask yourself why did you leave the safety of a laboratory to venture into the world? What made you an adventurer?

Quick Build

You can make an alchemist quickly by following these suggestions.

First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. Second, choose a background such as sage.

Level	Proficiency Bonus	Features	Concoctions Known
1	+2	Volatile flask, alchemy notebook	0
2	+2	Science of alchemy, alchemical concoctions	2
3	+2	Panacea, alchemist subclass feature	2
4	+2	Ability score improvement	2
5	+3	Chemical exposure	3
6	+3	Alchemist subclass feature	3
7	+3	Reusable reagents	3
8	+3	Ability score improvement	4
9	+4	–	4
10	+4	Alchemist subclass feature	4
11	+4	Chemical generalist	5
12	+4	Ability score improvement	5
13	+5	–	5
14	+5	Alchemist subclass feature	6
15	+5	Spellbane salve	6
16	+5	Ability score improvement	6
17	+6	–	7
18	+6	Alchemical immunity	7
19	+6	Ability score improvement	7
20	+6	Notebook of Excellence	8

Class Features

As an alchemist, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points

• Hit Dice: 1d8 per alchemist level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per alchemist level after 1st

Proficiencies

• Armor: Light armor
• Weapons: Simple weapons
• Tools: Alchemist kit
• Saving Throws: Constitution, Intelligence
• Skills: Choose two from Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, and Sleight of Hand

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• any simple weapon
• (a) scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
• Alchemist’s Supplies
• Leather armor and a dagger

Science of Alchemy

By the time you’ve reached 2nd level, you’ve learned to use all kinds of mixtures and substances you create to your advantage. Their effectiveness is reliant on the vast knowledge required to memorize the effects of reagents and how to best combine them with the right techniques. As such, Intelligence determines the saving throw DC of your alchemical concoctions and alchemist class features.

Saving throw DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

Alchemical Concoctions

Through research and personal experimentation, you have learned to create specialized concoctions that grant effects both useful and fantastical.

At 2nd level, you learn to create two concoctions of your choice. When you gain certain alchemist levels, you gain the ability to create additional concoctions of your choice, as shown in the Concoction Known column of the Alchemist table. At the end of a long rest, you produce one of each chosen concoction. Preparing your concoctions takes time. During the long rest, you must spend at least 10 minutes per concoction. Some concoctions also have a component cost.

Additionally, when you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can choose one of the concoctions you know and replace it with another concoction that you could learn at that level.

Concoctions

Alchemists can create the following concoctions depending on their alchemist level. For example, you must have two levels in alchemist in order to create level 2 concoctions, five levels in the alchemist class to create level 5 concoctions, and so forth and so on.

Level 2 Concoctions

• Brightscream Packet. As an action, a creature can throw this concoction at a point up to 60 feet, creating a flash of light accompanied by a sharp, ringing sound in a 10 feet radius around it. Any creature in the area of effect it must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be blinded and deafened for 1 minute (if it has these senses). At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can make a Constitution saving throw to end the effect.
• Healing Salve. As an action, a creature can apply this salve to itself or another creature within 5 feet of it. It regains 2d8 + your Alchemist level as hit points.
• Iron-Eater Flask. As an action, a creature can splash this concoction on a target within 5 feet of it, biting through 2 inches of any nonmagical metal it touches and causing it to corrode. If the target is a creature, their nonmagical metal weapons and armor take a permanent and cumulative -1 to their attack and damage rolls and armor class unless it succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw. Weapons and armor are destroyed when their modifiers drop to -5.
• Quicksilver Flask. As an action, a creature can drink or administer this concoction. The imbibing creature gains 5 extra feet of movement speed and jump three times its normal distance for 1 hour. Though they can’t jump farther than their remaining movement speed would allow.
• Oil of Adhesiveness and Slipperiness. As an action, a creature can throw this flask up to 30 feet, creating a puddle of an oily, white substance in a 20 feet square where it lands. Choose whether it is in adhesive or slippery form when it is thrown. When you choose adhesive any creature that enters the puddle or starts its turn there must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be restrained until the start of its next turn. When you choose slippery, any creature that enters the puddle or starts its turn there must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
• Owl’s Eye Drops. As an action, a creature can drink or administer this concoction, the imbibing creature gains darkvision up to 60 feet for 8 hours, if it already has darkvision, it is increased by 60 feet instead.
• Volatile Catalyst. As an action, a creature can spray this concoction on a creature within 5 feet of it. For the next minute, it takes another damage die when hit by your Volatile Flask’s chosen damage type.

Level 5 Concoctions

• Elixir of Endowment. As an action, a creature can drink or administer this concoction. Choose Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. For the next hour, the imbibing creature has advantage on ability checks using the chosen ability score.
• Elixir of Defense. As an action, a creature can drink or administer this concoction. Choose Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma. For the next hour, the imbibing creature has advantage on saving throws using the chosen ability score.
• Elixir of Freedom. A creature can use its action to drink or administer this concoction. For the next hour, the target’s movement is unaffected by difficult terrain, and spells and other magical effects can neither reduce the target’s speed nor cause the target to be paralyzed or restrained.
• Potion of Vaya. The imbibing creature regains a spell slot of up to 3rd level or a use of its Channel Divinity (if it has access to both the creature can choose which).

Level 10 Concoctions

• Potion of Fortitude. As an action, a creature can drink or administer this concoction. For the next hour, whenever the imbibing creature is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, it drops to 1 hit point instead. This effect ends after it is triggered.
• Poison of Deformation. As an action, a creature can splash this concoction on a creature within 5 feet of it that is not a construct. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or their body begins to deform, either swelling or becoming emaciated(chosen when the concoction is used). If swelling was chosen, the creature increases in size by one category and gains vulnerability to piercing damage. If thinning was chosen, the creature gains vulnerability to bludgeoning damage. If the target has resistance to nonmagical physical damage, the vulnerability instead must be dealt with magical attacks.
• Potion of Invisibility. A creature can use its action to drink or administer this concoction. The imbibing creature becomes invisible for 10 x your Intelligence modifier in minutes. Anything the creature is wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on the creature’s person.

Level 15 Concoctions

• Empowering Mixture. As an action, a creature can drink or administer this concoction. For 1 minute, they can add a 1d6 to their attack rolls and saving throws.
• Tincture of Life. A creature can administer this concoction to a target that has died within the last day. That creature must roll a d20, on a 10 or higher it returns to life with 1 hit point. This spell can’t return to life a creature that has died of old age nor can it restore missing body parts. And, returning to life is an ordeal. The target has disadvantage on ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws until it finishes a long rest. The tincture is created with rare reagents and costs 750 gp.
• Flask of Impunity. A creature can use its action to drink or administer this concoction. For the next minute, whenever the imbibing creature takes acid, fire, lightning, cold or thunder damage it can use its reaction to gain immunity to one of the listed types until the start of its next turn, after which the effect ends.

Volatile Flask

At 1st level, you can produce a volatile mixture of chemicals that cause damage of different types: acid, fire or poison. Before you use the mixture, choose the damage type you will inflict. As an action, you make a ranged weapon attack using your Intelligence and proficiency modifier, throwing a volatile flask to a target up to 30 feet from you, shattering it and dealing 1d8 of the chosen damage type.

The flask’s damage increases to 2d8 when you reach 5th level in this class, 3d8 at 11th level and 4d8 at 17th level.

Alchemy Notebook

Every Alchemist carries with them a notebook, this can be a tome or a collection of hastily scribbled notes. In this notebook you have recipes for potions, elixirs, and other compounds. In addition, you can use your alchemist’s notebook to collect deconstructed recipes of potions, elixirs, and poisons you find on your journey.

Basic Recipes

Substance	Cost
Acid	10 gp
Alchemist’s Fire	25 gp
Basic Poison	50 gp
Potion of Healing	25 gp

Deconstructing Recipes

Rarity	DC	Time	Material	Cost
Common	5	4 hours	50 gp
Uncommon	10	8 hours	100 gp
Rare	15	3 days	250 gp
Very Rare	20	7 days	2,500 gp
Legendary	25	14 days	25,000 gp

Basic Recipes

At the end of a long rest you can quickly create an amount of basic alchemical substances equal to your proficiency bonus. Consult the Basic Recipes table below for a list of substances you can make and the required cost, which represents the cost of reagents and material used in the manufacturing process.

Deconstructing Recipes

At 1st level, when you find a new potion or elixir, you can deconstruct it and learn how to make it yourself.

The difficulty, time and cost for deconstructing a potion depends on the rarity of the potion you are trying to understand and recreate.

The cost represents the material used during the experimental process. When you attempt to deconstruct a potion, make an Intelligence check with your alchemist’s toolkit against the DC listed in the Deconstructing Recipes table. On a success, you are able to add the recipe to your notebook. When a recipe is in your notebook you can create it at a quarter of the required time and cost.

On a failure, you are unable to determine the nature of the underlying formula. The materials used in the experiment are lost, but the original concoction remains. of course, you can repeat the experiment, but you have to start from the beginning, spending the required amount of time and material cost.

Alchemy Discipline

At 3rd level, you choose an alchemy discipline that becomes your course of study.

Choose Apothecary, Battle Chemist, or Imbiber. The discipline you choose grants you features at 3rd level, 6th level, 10th level, and 14th level.

Most alchemists are generalists often working independently. Over time, however, different traditions and schools of thought have emerged.

Panacea

At 3rd level, you can handily deal with most ailments. As an action, you can produce and administer a salve to a creature you can touch, ending either a disease effect or one of the following conditions: blinded, deafened, paralyzed or poisoned.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Chemical Exposure

At 5th level, you are experienced in dealing with chemicals of a certain type and know how to best defend against its harmful effects. When you first gain access to this feature, choose between acid or fire. You gain resistance to damage of that type.

Reusable Reagents

At 7th level, you have learned to optimally use your spare brewing reagents. When you finish a short rest, choose one expended concoction, refreshing it and making it available for use once again.

This ability refreshes when you finish a long rest.

Increased Exposure

At 11th level, you gain resistance to the damage type you didn’t gain from the Chemical Exposure feature.

Spellbane Salve

At 15th level, you have learned to create a fluorescent salve that can disrupt the flow of Vaya. As an action, you can end one spell effect on a creature (including yourself) that you can touch. You can use this feature an amount of times equal to your proficiency bonus.

This ability refreshes when you finish a long rest.

Alchemical Immunity

At 18th level, your body has become so accustomed to toxins that they have become an afterthought to your immune system. You become immune to poison damage and to disease.

Notebook of Excellence

At 20th level, you have mastered the creation of any potion or poison written in your Alchemy Notebook. You are automatically successful at the deconstruction of recipes and can deconstruct and create them at half the listed cost and time.