# Alchemist Artificer - Quality of Life update ## Preamble ___ The Alchemist subclass is intended to be the support subclass for the Artificer. Although the Artificer is a generally strong support class, the Alchemist seems to be designed to mainly focus on buffing and healing the party. Despite that, some of the wordings of the subclass features feel overly restrictive and the main feature of the subclass "Experimental Elixir" does not scale well with the level progression like the main subclass features of the other artificer subclasses do. This causes the Alchemist to fall behind in terms of overall usefulness. This rework aims to fix the wordings of the features and buff the Experimental Elixir feature to make this subclass feel less restrictive. ___ Every subclass feature that was reworked or added is marked by the respective comment in the title. The altered parts of each feature are written in bold. ___ ## Alchemist ___ An Alchemist is an expert at combining reagents to produce mystical effects. Alchemists use their creations to give life and to leech it away. Alchemy is the oldest of artificer traditions, and its versatility has long been valued during times of war and peace. ___ ### Tool Proficiency *3rd-level Alchemist feature* ___ You gain proficiency with alchemist's supplies. If you already have this proficiency, you gain proficiency with one other type of artisan's tools of your choice. ___ ### Alchemist Spells *3rd-level Alchemist feature* ____ You always have certain spells prepared after you reach particular levels in this class, as shown in the Alchemist Spells table. These spells count as artificer spells for you, but they don't count against the number of artificer spells you prepare. ___ #### Table: Artificer Spells |Artificer Level|Spell| |:-:|:-| |3rd|*healing word*, *ray of sickness*| |5th|*flaming sphere*, *Melf's acid arrow*| |9th|*gaseous form*, *mass healing word*| |13th|*blight*, *death ward*| |17th|*cloudkill*, *raise dead*| \columnbreak ### Experimental Elixir (reworked) *3rd-level Alchemist feature* ___ Whenever you finish a long rest, you can magically produce an *experimental elixir* in an empty flask you touch. Roll on the Experimental Elxir table for the elixir's effect, which is triggered when someone drinks the elixir. **As an action, a creature can drink the elixir or administer it to another creature.** ___ **You can create additional *experimental elixirs* by spending a spell slot of 1st level or higher. You can create a number of elixirs equal to the level of the spell slot you used. When you do so, you use your action to create the elixir in an empty flask you touch, and you choose the elixir's effect for each elixir you create from the Experimental Elixir table. For example, if you spend a 3rd level spell slot, you can create three *experimental elxirs*, each of which can have a different effect.** ___ **Alternativly you can create *experimental elixirs* without spending a spell slot by spending 10 minutes of uninterrupted work to create one elixir. When you do so, choose the elixir's effect from the Experimental Elixir table. You can create elixirs this way a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.** ___ Creating an *experimental elixir* requires you to have alchemist’s supplies on your person, and any elixir you create with this feature lasts until it is drunk or until the end of your next long rest. ___ When you reach certain levels in this class, you can make more elixirs at the end of a long rest: two at 6th level and three at 15th level. Roll for each elixir’s effect separately. Each elixir requires its own flask. ___ #### Table: Experimental Elixir |d6|Effect| |:-:|:-| |1|**Healing.** The drinker regains a number of hit points equal to 2d4 + your Intelligence modifier.| |2|**Swiftness.** The drinker’s walking speed increases by 10 feet for 1 hour.| |3|**Resilience.** The drinker gains a +1 bonus to AC for 10 minutes.| |4|**Boldness.** The drinker can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to every attack roll and saving throw they make for the next minute.| |5|**Flight.** The drinker gains a flying speed of 10 feet for 10 minutes.| |6|**Transformation.** The drinker’s body is transformed as if by the alter self spell. The drinker determines the transformation caused by the spell, the effects of which last for 10 minutes.| \pagebreakNum > #### Comment: > The fact that experimental elixirs can only be administered to incapacitated creatures in RAW feels overly restrictive as opposed to administering them to any creature, regardless of their active condition, which would be a great way to support your group during combat. The fact that using a spell slot above 1st level does not grant you any bonuses to the elixirs created with this feature also feels counter intuitive which is why I added the ability to create more elixirs when a higher spell slot is being used. I also added a way to create more experimental elixirs that would not cost any spell slots. Every other Artificer subclass has a main feature that they can benefit from more reliably and frequently, which is why I added the option to create elixirs in a way that is effectively a ritual spell. This gives the Alchemist more reliable uses out of their main feature without using up the limited spell slots while also making sure that those essentially free elixirs can't be produced in the middle of combat. This ensures that the creation of elixirs is still a deliberate choice that the player needs to think about beforehand without limiting his other options. ___ ### Alchemical Savant (reworked) *5th-level Alchemist feature* ___ You've developed masterful command of magical chemicals, enhancing the healing and damage you create through them. **Whenever you cast a spell, you gain a bonus to the effect of the spell. That effect must restore hit points or be a damage type that deals acid, fire, necrotic, or poison damage, and the bonus equals your Intelligence modifier (minimum of +1).** \columnbreak > #### Comment: > Enforcing to use alchemist's supplies for this feature does not align with the other subclasses which can use infused items and other focuses for their spells. By deleting this requirement, the alchemist should feel more variable and reliable. Additionally, the fact that the intelligence modifier only applies to rolled damage and healing feels overly restrictive and leaves out certain spells that deal a fixed amount of damage or healing like Aid. This will likely not have a great impact on how the subclass works but with the new wording the feature should be more reliable and more in line with other similar subclass features like the "Disciple of Life" feature of the Life Domain Cleric. ### Restorative Reagents *9th-level Alchemist feature* ___ You can incorporate restorative reagents into some of your works: * Whenever a creature drinks an experimental elixir you created, the creature gains temporary hit points equal to 2d6 + your Intelligence modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). * You can cast lesser restoration without expending a spell slot and without preparing the spell, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. You can do so a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. ___ ### Optional: Enhanced Experimental Elixir (added) *9th-level Alchemist feature* ___ As your alchemical experiements grow bolder and more advanced, your *experimental elixirs* become even more potent. ___ Starting from level 9, whenever you create an *experimental elixir* you roll on the Enhanced Experimental Elixir table or you choose one from this table instead of the Experimental Elixir table. \pagebreakNum #### Table: Enhanced Experimental Elixir |d6|Effect| |:-:|:-| |1|**Healing.** The drinker regains a number of hit points equal to 4d4 + your Intelligence modifier.| |2|**Swiftness.** The drinker’s walking speed increases by 30 feet for 1 hour.| |3|**Resilience.** The drinker gains a +2 bonus to AC for 10 minutes.| |4|**Boldness.** The drinker can roll 2d4 and add the number rolled to every attack roll and saving throw they make for the next minute.| |5|**Flight.** The drinker gains a flying speed of 30 feet for 10 minutes.| |6|**Transformation.** The drinker’s body is transformed as if by the alter self spell. The drinker determines the transformation caused by the spell, the effects of which last for 1 hour.| ___ > #### Comment: > At level 9, the main subclass feature of the Artificer subclasses gains a significant buff which usually strengthens the core mechanic of the feature. It seems strange that this is not the case for the Alchemist subclass. Instead of improving the core mechanic, the experimental elixirs gain an extra effect and the player can cast an additional spell for free. The entire feature is okay in general but it does not feel like it goes along with how the other subclasses progress. This is why I added an optional feature that simply enhances the effect of the experimental elixirs. At the DMs discretion, this optional feature can be used instead of the Restorative Reagents feature or be used parallel to the former mentioned feature. ___ ### Chemical Mastery *15th-level Alchemist feature* ___ You have been exposed to so many chemicals that they pose little risk to you, and you can use them to quickly end certain ailments: * You gain resistance to acid damage and poison damage, and you are immune to the poisoned condition. * You can cast greater restoration and heal without expending a spell slot, without preparing the spell, and without material components, provided you use alchemist’s supplies as the spellcasting focus. Once you cast either spell with this feature, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. \columnbreak ### Sources ___ The text was taken from the Alchemist subclass description as it is written on DnDBeyond. The text was altered and some passages were added or deleted as part of the homebrewing work that was put into it. ___ This homebrew work was made with the editor of GM Binder. ___ I'd also like to thank u/goresmash on r/dndhomebrew for your kind feedback.