@d4: D&D Deep Dive you could have taken the "replicate magic item" infusion and done "spellwrought tattoo, 1st level" (technically you create a needle that makes the tattoo) which allows you to tattoo someone with ANY 1st level spell that they can cast once. So you could cast bless without spending a spell slot AND wouldn't have to multiclass into cleric. I just found out about spellwrought tattoos and I'm in love with them. I made a warforged artificer named "needles" who specializes in tattoos.
@@jakobchaney6819 yeah I’ve talked about that on the channel before - seems like a lot of people don’t allow it so tend to steer clear of the tactic, personally, but if it’s allowed at your table, go for it!
@@DnDDeepDive Seems a bit silly to me to worry about an Alchemist of all things becoming too powerful with clever uses of items. I'd be stretching whatever I can reasonably give them since I'd love to see them make such a weak subclass work! But that's just me.
@b.b.927 I agree. I've had maxed-out characters in the past. They were devastating, but could also be boring. Learning how to stay alive, while using only what I have, and still contributing to the team taxes my brain, but that is what makes me a better player.
To whomever it may concern : this guy is optimizing an alchemist for you, you have to join the channel at this point. RAW the subclass is beyond frustrating but still, he's doing it and for the second time I might add. This is bravery right there. Thanks Colby :p
For the single level dip of Cleric I want to give a shout out to the Order Domain. Whenever you cast a leveled spell on an ally, they can use their reaction to make an attack. I've had an Alchemist build on the backburner for a while and that was my plan for getting bless. Gotta say though I like the idea of bouncing somebody back up with a Healing Word and they get to smack the person that downed them, too!
I think if a char starts as 5 levels alchemist and then go blade singer or eldrich knight! alchemists seems like a strong cantrip blaster in a wizard multiclass! + the support spells added to a wizard is great!
Homunculous servant + replicate magic item (bag of holding) and make 2. Give it hands so it can carry both to the BBEG, and put one bag in the other. 🤓
One spell I would recommend for the spell storing item would be vortex warp. Having the homunculus use the item gives you a more powerful "misty step" that you can also use on allies.
Thank you Colby, I got into mini painting few months ago, this led to watching D&D session, and it got me interested in the game itself. Yesterday I finished my 2nd session in my life, and I already have 20+ builds, bulk of them was inspired by your concepts and guides, or those guides let me optimize my own concept a bit better. Creating new characters is a new hobby of mine on its own now.
Interested to see this one! I love the flavor of the Alchemist, but everyone I've ever seen make a build has been like "well we're going to start with one level of fighter and use a greatsword," and I love that this concept leans more into the magical, alchemical, and crafting interests.
I love this build. I've used this as a template for my travelling doctor/snake oil selling gnome and it's the greatest fun I've had with any character so far in my time playing dnd
MY GUY! My last character was a Alchemist Clockwork Soul. Wonderful and fun combination of support and world exploring combined. Glad to see it in a build.
Finaly a Alchemist build! Great vid! I've be theorycrafting with 5 levels Alchemist with a Wizard Evocer and 2 levels fighter, for the action surge! BTW, multiclass arctificer spell slot progression is rounded up, unlike paladins and rangers! I think i wouldn't take any cleric levels, because I could get Bless by taking the "fey touched" feat! but the "life cleric" healing seems great! My favorit spells with an "alchemist" is "chill touch", "fire bolt", "toll the dead", "burning hands", "scorching ray" and "wither and bloom"! and then fireball, action surge another fireball! I think that the "Artificer initiate" feat is needed, to alow the "Alchemical Savant" to be used with any spell too, cause the feature only works if "alchemist supplies" are used as a "focus"! The "repeating shot" infusion can let you get around the shield in one hand and a hand crossbow in the other! the weapon is always preloaded before shooting with this infusion! it combos great with "crossbow expert" feat!
This sounds like a fun support character. When compared to the other artificer subclasses, yeah alchemist feels rather weaker. Especially when you can smite with some of the other artificers or have a suit that requires you to juice up one stat that does almost everything. I’m a big fan of the pathfinder 1e alchemist, especially the gun chemist. I’m excited to see when you get to a Pathfinder 2E alchemist build and see how you’ll flavor it.
Re Thief Rogue's Fast Hands, lots of objects say you can use an action to interact with them-it's the "use an object" action because they're nonmagical objects-and nothing says the Experimental Elixir is magical. Three levels is a heavy investment, though, and there's a simpler solution now: be a Hadozee and use Dexterous Feet. This also has the benefit of working while your hands are full.
An artificer with fast hands could be very interesting. Alchemy jug infusion gives oil and poison which is convenient. The healer feat gets a big boost. A handful of interesting items like bear trap and caltrops provide area control. And you could put the crafting bonuses to work making alchemists fire which pairs with the oil from earlier. I think spell storing item even works with fast hands according to sage advice.
I really appreciate your builds and how you run through different concepts. I do this a lot. I love an artificer and appreciate you see the value in a lot of abilities that are commonly overlooked or ignored.
Great to see you make the most of a challenging subclass again. I’m sure alchemist has a fantasy/concept appeal for many and you’ve shown one way to make it more fun.
First video Im watching after the dnd shorts colab. I honestly have no idea how you explain every effect that I dont know and then dont explain everyone I do know, like action surge. I know its probly just based on excluding pretty iconic things... but still. Feels very skillful to be so good at it.
I'm still in the preamble but I really hope you know that you can put enhanced arcane focus on Alchemist supplies (this is the only artisans tools you can do this to because Alchemist supplies includes a glass stirring rod, this RAW counts as a rod/staff/wand for the requirements)
@@keibzy4855 I also found a homebrew that makes it a bit easier to use 1: experimental elixir is proficiency bonus times per day instead of every limited times 2: they have an alchemical homunculus that they control with their bonus action (it also happens to be the only way to RAW administer a potion to someone while they're awake
@@connormcconnell7805 I made a list of the problem the subclass has and proficiency per day potions was a solution for the scarcity problem of having too little and be random, can you pass me that subclass? Or at least the name so I can convince my dm?
I have a plan for an elven Artificer/Dao Genie WL. - abuse Trance to get multiple short rests as rest of the party sleeps, using Pact Slots to pop out more elixirs. - Focus on Firebolt as the one cantrip that benefits from both Alchemical Savant and Dao bludgeoning bonus on attacks. - They get a free, extra-dimensional (al)chemistry lab. There's also the option of a Life Cleric dip to boost healing.
Had the same “mobile lab” idea with my build, except I was an efreeti warlock, using the extra fire damage to trigger Alchemical Savant when I Eldritch Blast (since each blast gets the AS damage bonus due to how spell damage works). Also, I went reborn lineage for even more SR spam.
@@elcuban27 You can use alchemists supplies as a focus for Eldritch Blast? The choice of Efreet is brilliant. Even if Eldritch Blast doesn't work, this would work on Shocking Grasp, Ray of Frost, Magic Stone etc. The Dao multiclass might work better with an Artillerist using a Ballista cannon and Crusher feat, combined with Eldritch Blast and invocations for pushing.
Just finished the preamble. So, basically what you're saying is, if my roleplay ever starts to go flat and I wanna mix things up in AND out of combat, I should watch this Alchemist video and drink it all in. Got it!
Because of the sage advice compendium the fast hands rogue tech should work as spell storing item has the same wording as elixirs and spell storing item which is confirmed to use the use a object action. I used this to make plaque knight from the shovel knight series. Love your builds as always keep up the great work. Always nice to see build for build for underused subclasses.
I found this out when playing as an alchemist in Dungeon of the Mad Mage, alchemists can also use the Homunculus Servant infusion to administer the experimental elixir to themselves or other allies as a bonus action. In their description, they can be ordered as a bonus action to do any action, not just the ones in it's stat block. You could also use the tiny servant spell in the same way, although it would cost a third level spell. Maybe if you took sorcerer levels or the metamagic adept feat, you could extend their duration to 16 hours and cast the spell before a long rest
There is a problem rules wise, you can feed others the potion only if they are incapacitated, they can drink themselves, but it is intentionally made that you could not use Unseen servant to do a BA of potion chugging.
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That image of artificer with shield and one handed ranged weapon (pistol ideally ofc) just always gives me this tactical police squad vibe and I love it :D
Solid Alchemist build, love the professor concept. Only time I've dipped into Alchemist was for an athlete character I made to be a Bugbear basketball player. Started as an Open Hand monk dipped into artificer for Returning Weapon so I could have a reskinned light hammer as a basketball, and Open Hand features to represent juking and breaking ankles in combat lol. Ended up going Alchemist as a play on optimizing his nutrition regiment and everything just fell into place.
Adding the religion aspect is a really fun addition to the character and background. It makes complete sense that in a world where the Gods objectively and demonstrably exist, that a Scientist investigating the boundaries of magic, physics and chemistry would also research the mechanics of faith.
there's this tiny frustrating thing in Alchemist's experimental elixir where it says that you can administer it to another creature *if it is incapacitated*, if it was just a willing creature, you could fit in the Homunculus Servant infusion, and use your bonus action to comand it to administer the elixirs, while you use your main action for other things such as casting bless or doing attack rolls. the sorta good portion of this is that this still works with regular mundane items that have set DCs, so your homunculus can do things such as using caltrops, bear traps, explosives and healing potions (which if you get to level 10 artificer, you can craft much faster and cheaper)
If I were to buff the Alchemist, I'd give them two things. First is PBTPD free random potions, rather than their current amount. It'd be at most 3 more, and given how many fewer spell slots an Alchemist gets, a half-caster without the same combat compensations of a Ranger or Paladin, it seems appropriate. Second would be two cantrips. Artificers have so many tax cantrips that it'd be nice to give two to each subclass: ~ Alchemist: Acid Splash and Shape Water (liquids) ~ Armorer: Resistance and either Shocking Grasp for Infiltrator, Lighting Lure for Guardian (a magical "dodge" and a ranged attack for melee builds or a melee attack for ranged builds) ~ Artillerist: Control Flames and Thunderclap (kaboom) ~ Battlesmith: Message and Guidance (teamwork!)
When it comes to Loki battle maps it reminds me of a board game that I played when I was a kid based on the movie The Labyrinth with David Bowie. This board game consisted of nine squares each containing a 9 Square grid. Each Square had a pin in Center so that you can lift it up and rotate it and then place it back down. You could also lift two squares at the same time and swap out their positions. Like that of the ever-changing endless hallway of a labyrinth with moving parts you would find yourself Within eyeline of the exit but then gets lifted on a moving platform back into the center of the maze.
I haven't had the chance to play an Artificer past lvl 4 but I am in a campaign where as part of the rewards for a dungeon we were all given a magic Item that had a ribbon effect tied to our character class and the ability to Attune to two additional Items. This is beyond amazing. As an 18 lvl Sorcerer I currently have 3 conventional attunement Items (robes of the Archmagi, Staff of Power, and+3 Blood well vial) I also have two HB magic items. (Modified Staff of the Magi with all the at will spells 100 charges instead of 50 but no spells attached, instead you attune 5 of the spells you know and for charges equal to 1+spell lvl you can cast the spell. If you use 10% of the remaining charges you roll a D20 on a 5 or lower the staff Deattune the spell used and anything cast from it in the next minute you roll again if it is a 5 or lass again the Staff explodes using the sam's mechanics as breaking the staff of the Magi, I also have a tattoo of level it mechanically gives you an additional lvl. If you Deattune from the tattoo it is destroyed) the tattoo was a monkey's paw free Wish that The party was given and that was the best 'everyone benefits' idea we came up with. I can say that while we have a lot of magic toys so your mileage may vary but with a 24 CHA sorcerer and these items (the modified Staff is a +3 SotM type mechanic) my Sorcerer has a DC 26 save and a +23 Spell Attack where it would be a DC 21 and a +13 without not to mention everything else the item do.
"Came for alchemy, got a fighter; confused" This was one of the top comments on Treantmonk's video on Alchemists from a few years ago, and I feel sums up my experience with this video too.
You may have already made this build but I made a character in a horror campaign that was also a horror. It was a hexblade/conquest paladin that would use the hexblade curse to give them disadvantage of wis save to scare them, then it went into absolute pound town I then took the battlemaster feat for tripping strike (or could use thundering smite I just have absolutely abysmal luck and need as many options as possible) since they don't have movement and thus can't get up from being prone elvin accuracy becomes an absolutely monster of a feat plus the crit on 19-20 from hexblade curse means you absolutely chunk single targets.
I love the build, but I really don’t think it really uses the Alchemist abilities and is just “Hand Crossbow Sharpshooter” guy. I played an Alchemist and I found that their Alchemical Savant ability worked really well with Green Flame Blade. My character used daggers (flavored as surgical knives) and his attacks dealt 1d4 + 1d8 (from GFB) + Dex + Int. I didn’t optimize him at all, but with this combo, you can build an Alchemist that does 1 really strong attack each turn. Multiclass into Thief Rogue for the BA elixir (The elixir is not a magic item so they fall under the “Use an Item” action and not the “Use a magic item” action) and sneak attack, and War Cleric for Martial Weapons and Heavy Armor and a +10 to hit if you miss, and take Great Weapon Master and you are set. If you grab a reach weapon, you can drink the Flying Elixir so you can stab your opponents from above and a lot of creatures won’t be able to attack back. Edit: I just remembered that you technically can’t use Reach and GFB due to the spell having a 5ft range, so the flying option isn’t as strong as I thought. Also, you need to be holding your alchemist supplies and all Heavy Weapons are 2 handed. You could play a Loxodon or Thrikreen and bypass this. Thrikreen would also allow you to hold a Elixir, so it might be the best race option.
Get you a familiar to administer your elixirs for you in combat. Spellwrought tattoo infusion can do this RAW, but a homunculus works just fine. Artificers don't get hand crossbow proficiency, but they do get firearm proficiency. Inventing guns saves you having to dip fighter and delay your progression, and it also saves you a feat. As an alchemist with the repeating shot infusion, you have the most in-game justification to invent magic gunpowder. Also, every alchemist should be dipping Warlock. Short rest spell slots on an alchemist is very strong because you get tons of elixirs basically for free. Spend your morning taking back to back short rests to prepare as many elixirs as you want. Playing an elf with a 2 level warlock dip would get you 8 free elixirs of your choice before the rest of the party even wakes up.
Seriously, alchemist is so fun. The alter self potion is effectively a get out of jail free card for a problematic rogue or other mischief maker (I'm looking at you, Bard...) I did get to go thief rogue but paired my artificer with conjuration wiz and poisoner to conjure and apply poisons each round. As an alchemist, I can cast spells like green flame blade to add int to dmg and drink/give potions as a bonus action. Might not be the strongest (sometimes feels very weak ...) But fun to play. So worth it!
I did a build with this concept with the divine patron warlock. I would cast a battlefield control spell and damage and use healing light as needed to bring people up. Also having spells like lesser restoration known just in case. Often times it would be concentration battlefield control spell (or max level flaming spheres), then eldritch blasts and then using my other slot for, dispel magic, lesser or greater restoration, or sometimes just dimension dooring an ally out of trouble.
I've got an alchemist character that I'm looking forward to playing at some point. I've never really been interested in multi-classing, so I'd be going straight artificer. The only issues I have with the class are how few infusions you can have active (though that's lessened if the DM gives out some of the ones I would be making), and how few cantrips they get. To me, an artificer should be a cantrip savant (to really be that utility belt of the party), so 2 cantrips until level 10 really stinks. Especially when there's 6-8 cantrips I really like for thematic reasons. This is why I'm looking forward to One D&D. Getting mending as a gnome plus magic initiate at level 1 & 4 gets me almost all the cantrips I'd want for him by level 4. And the 2 free casts of whichever 1st level spells I choose for the feats doesn't hurt either. If only they could put out a short pdf of general changes to the class in the new One D&D style. It doesn't need to be in the new book, but enough has changed that it's no longer useful to just say it's new enough of a class to stay as it is. Maybe they always have identify/detect magic prepared and can cast it a few times for free without needing the ritual time. Maybe they get a more streamlined way of crafting items beyond just the level 10 boost. Maybe they get a few extra active infusions. At the very least, they could clean up that alchemy supplies as a focus issue mentioned in the video. I'll definitely be asking my DM to just let my regular focus count.
Watching your preamble for this, I want to see an Investigator for Pathffinder from you. If you take the Alchemical Sciences for youe methologie /subclass, you basically become a more martial oriented alchemist with a lot of support capabilites and skills. Also there are some Archetypes, like the Eldtrich Archer, that work well with it and are able to do just insane damage on top of that.
I've wanted to make a Peace Cleric/Alchemist for a while to have the ultimate +d4(s) character ever. Having Bless, Bond, and your potion all stacking so your allies never miss is insane lol. It's like having constant inspiration on your allies. Very excited to see what this build is tho
I went a different route, I use my proficiency with alchemist's tools to make acid and alchemist's fire, and buy as much of it as I can. I then use my bonus action to command my homunculus to either force strike (1d4+PB), use the help action, or if I need extra damage, throw acid, alchemist's fire, or oil. My DM rules that thrown full vials do the standard thrown improvised weapon 1d4+dex damage in addition to their other effects (2d6 acid for acid vial, 1d4 fire every round for alchemist's fire) and that's basically on a bonus action. This frees up your ASI choices for either ASIs or feats, and by 13th level I took 2 ASIs to get INT to 20, Chef (had an odd wisdom score, and plus the extra support healing and temp HP) and magic initiate wizard (toll the dead and chill touch both benefit from Alchemical Savant, and I grabbed find familiar so as not to put my homunculus in too much danger). This one is DM dependent, but I convinced my DM to allow me to make 3 alchemical items using alchemist's supplies per long rest because I have my homunculus and familiar helping me (only 2 if my familiar gets poofed)
I recently had an idea for an Artificer Alchemist: "Aunty" Poppy Foxglove, a Hexblood Alchemist Artificer with the Charlatan background. She's basically a Hag (green hag specifically) in hiding, in disguise as a kindly old lady living as a sort of medicine woman in the slums of a large city. She occasionally will travel out to villages peddling "potions" that are for the most part just some colored water but she uses her skill as an artificer to sometimes add a bit of magic to a potion when demonstrating with a shill to help sell her products.
If you want your game, a more exploding alchemist, add a second type of potion so at level three, along with the long rest potions, you get volatile concoction "when you take the attack action you can throw a vial instead making a ranged wepon attack (basically like making a throw weapon attack) that deals 1d6 + int mod on hit and at the start of each of your turns for a minute. The type of damage it deals is based on what you mixed in the concoction and is a choice between poison, fire, acid, lightning, or necrotic. At 5th level, you can throw an additional vial as part of the same attack action, at 11th you can throw a third, and at 17th level the damage becomes 2d6 + int per vial At level three you can spend 10 gold worth of materials and an action to create int mod + prof bonuse of vials of your choice
I know this isn't optimized but I like having a Wild Magic Barbarian/Alchemist Artificer build. I love playing against type with the smart Barb., then you get the ability to either increase people's hit chance or give back a random 1st-3rd level spell slot. That last part is very useful for every spell caster. Since you won't be casting when you are fighting you can just give yourself a spell slot back and cash it in for an other elixir. Or you can do a Warlock/Artificer so you can cash in your Warlock spells for elixirs. Hey Colby what about doing a Tiny Servant Build or maybe a double build with Tiny Servant and Crusader's Mantle? The mantle would double the Tinies damage.
I wish the Alchemist had focused on the elixirs more than adding random buffs to healing and thematic damage spells. It seems like the subclass is trying to decide what it wants to do. That said a fun multiclass interaction with Alchemist is 6 levels of Divination wizard. Recovering free spell slots when you cast divination spells means more elixirs to make!
Speaking of Crossbow Expert, I like that it does offer you some other benefits like attacking with ranged weapons/spells at close range, so it's definitely not a total dud at level 1. You could firebolt someone up close rather than relying on a weapon, as if your artificer already has some specialization in ranged weapons like the concept, and then brings their crossbow online later.
Honestly if this were me, that Cleric dip kinda speaks to the historical concept of alchemy, the bit where they aren't actually turning lead into gold, but using it as a metaphor for a spiritual journey. Y'know, the professor takes a bunch of experimental potions and suddenly starts talking like Alejandro Jodorowski in The Holy Mountain.
A player in my party plays a kenku alchemist, and our DM buffed them by giving them a heavy crossbow that deals "alchemist" damage instead as an infusion, which combos well with the level 5 ability to make them a more solid sustained damage dealer
I was expecting you to do something similar to a coffee lock when I saw it was an alchemist build. A single level dip into Warlock gives you the level 1 spell slot that recovers on a short rest. So you can get several elixirs using the level 1 slot and then short resting between the long rests, which makes the elixirs expire.
My favorite version is the Thief Rogue Alchemist that uses Fast Hands to not only use Elixirs, but also throw Oil, which by extension increases the damage dealt by fire spells.
At level 1 the artificer may not be proficient with hand cross bows but they will still be proficient in simple weapons and a light crossbow and because the way damage works it is still better to use that than a cantrip. Best cantrip damage is 1d10 or 5.5 on hit with fireball vs Light crossbow being 1d8+ dex, with a 16 in dex that is 7.5 average on a hit. So even if we can't attack multiple times the cross bow is still better than cantrips until we can add intelligence to our cantrips, and this works better for the story of us practicing to get better with that other crossbow we are working on.
I've got a challenge for you, getting a group together and have a few new players so I've got multiple sessions 0's planned to give them some experience along with some seasoned ones to bring back up to speed. I know that D&D isn't the best platform for PVP but one of them is a lvl 20 battle royal and it's not your usual style to just go straight to 20 but I would like to see what you come up with. The challenge is the highest DPR build possible limited only by thematics assuming max rolled stats. As long as you can come up with a story for it, you can have any multi-class, any item, any feat, etc.. Ex. If you want to be a 650 year old gnome who has read all the manuals and tomes 6 times to have all abilities scores at 30 you can
I love alchemists and I’m always glad to see more alchemist love from others… can’t wait to play my Alchemist 17 Life Cleric 1 Stars Druid 2 (which is basically a minimum of 17 + 1d4 + 1d8 on every healing word)
For the level of cleric, I do like the Order suggestion that someone mentioned in the comments. However given the polymath/professor concept, I was thinking of Knowledge cleric. It wouldn't do anything for damage/support optimization but fits the concept well and gives some skill expertise.
I have a charter idea from awhile ago that used a Flask-lock pistol. The basic I ended up working very similar to Pathfinder's where I would make or be given alchemical recipes that I then can shoot using my pistol.
An alternative is playing a thief rogue with the tavern brawler feat. Then brew a bunch of potions with alchemist supplies and throw them with your action and bonus action (use an object). You might have to be strength based because of how tavern brawler works, but you could probably convince your dm.
I have a build for a one shot that I've been waiting to use. He's an alchemist artificer Orc called Steve Orkle. A nerdy orc who, when drinking the alter self potion, turns into Stefan Orkle, his suave alter ego.
Great videos! Do you think, as of today, that the "Yin" is still the best (DPR-wise) way to go for the Hexblade? I'm a huge fan of your characters and want to try the best "main Hexblade possible".. are you going to do an updated video about it? Also using your write-ups i'm trying to figure it out but both the hexblade and the Yin are written before taking in consideration the nerfs to Ruin Knight if i'm not mistaken, so it will be great an updated version :) Thank you for you work!
I think the Alchemist Savant feature should benefit from whatever spellcasting focus the alchemist can use, which would extend to an item that is benefiting from being infused. Flavour wise the Alchemist is using the crossbow to shoot their allies better. That to me is hilarious "Crossbows hurt people!" "No all the time, here let me demonstrate."
Hello there, Colby! I was looking in your Tank Comparation, looking for the best non-magical tank. What would you think would be your best non-magical tank build? I was looking into it, and think it’s the Monk Tank. He is the best one who doesn’t have spells, according to the numbers, I think. Would you agree? The Magical part I consider is if they have a spell list. And besides the heals from the monk, I don’t think the build has any magic. And I don’t think the Mount and Blade would be as good if no one in the party wants to play with you the combo. So, according to this reasoning, the monk tank would be the best by numbers of RTD, would you agree? Or do you think there is a better one? Thank you for your attention.
Wanted to post it here since it's 5e related, so hoping you'll see it. On your Reddit, D&D Daily's post for The One Stat Wonder. Basically, the idea was, could you build a character that was built just around one single stat with a second decent one and the rest all be garbage (ie. if you rolled terribly, would it be a throwaway character or still viable)? The loose theory concept ended up being that it's plausible if you use a dhampir rune knight as a base, but not much beyond that. The comments on that video wondered if moon druid and barbarian, or even artificer, would help further. I'm curious to know what your spreadsheets would say is the best way to go about that. Also, I don't think you've done a dhampir yet.
What do y'all think of this house rule: Roll Initiative (Action) then take a Bonus Action and Reaction as part of this "Setup Round", potentially allowing for spells and abilities to be used before combat starts
Finally subscribing! I didn't actually realize I hadn't subscribed yet 😅 I have an alchemist character. I really wish they were actually good, so I appreciate the optimization effort.
I love it! Really good work again. I would love to see a kind of lockdown charakter. Someone that uses the aktions, reaktion etc to hold enemys close and disturb them in there movement. Like a 7 LVL Chavalier/Fighter plus 7 LVLs in Vengence/Paladin. Keep up the amazing work
Instead of a hand cross bow, another dm and I created a full alchemist artificer and used a Sling, since it is a simple weapon. Which rather than throwing stone, throw bulbous glass bottles filled with spells that detonated on impact. With the right spell list you simple infuse the glass bottles with the magic an throw them via sling or not. It also allowed you to store bottled spells that you could hand out. including healing spells or say fireballs
27:50 I was gonna yell at you for this one, but then I listened more carefully and stumbled upon the difference between using an object and activating an item. The DMG specifically states that Fast Hands cannot be used for activating an item.
Optimizing an alchemist is difficulty:deadly. Well done.
It helps if it’s only *mostly* an alchemist 😉
@d4: D&D Deep Dive you could have taken the "replicate magic item" infusion and done "spellwrought tattoo, 1st level" (technically you create a needle that makes the tattoo) which allows you to tattoo someone with ANY 1st level spell that they can cast once. So you could cast bless without spending a spell slot AND wouldn't have to multiclass into cleric. I just found out about spellwrought tattoos and I'm in love with them. I made a warforged artificer named "needles" who specializes in tattoos.
@@jakobchaney6819 yeah I’ve talked about that on the channel before - seems like a lot of people don’t allow it so tend to steer clear of the tactic, personally, but if it’s allowed at your table, go for it!
@@DnDDeepDive Seems a bit silly to me to worry about an Alchemist of all things becoming too powerful with clever uses of items. I'd be stretching whatever I can reasonably give them since I'd love to see them make such a weak subclass work! But that's just me.
@b.b.927 I agree.
I've had maxed-out characters in the past.
They were devastating, but could also be boring.
Learning how to stay alive, while using only what I have, and still contributing to the team taxes my brain, but that is what makes me a better player.
To whomever it may concern : this guy is optimizing an alchemist for you, you have to join the channel at this point. RAW the subclass is beyond frustrating but still, he's doing it and for the second time I might add. This is bravery right there. Thanks Colby :p
Hes made another alchemist build??? Where
@@frostleaf7833 I'll tell you if you join the channel 😄 just kidding episode 55 and 125 💪 but still 🫵 join the channel 🫵😄
@@frostleaf7833 I mention in the vid but I’ve only dipped a couple of times - the Combat Medic and the Cantrip Blaster :)
@@DnDDeepDive the combat medic was so fun to play with
For the single level dip of Cleric I want to give a shout out to the Order Domain. Whenever you cast a leveled spell on an ally, they can use their reaction to make an attack. I've had an Alchemist build on the backburner for a while and that was my plan for getting bless. Gotta say though I like the idea of bouncing somebody back up with a Healing Word and they get to smack the person that downed them, too!
The Alchemist: D&D Build #131
Level 1:(see above) [artificer 1, race & feat]
Level 2:(see above) [fighter 1 & fighting-style]
Level 3:(@15:37) [artificer 2 & infusions]
Level 4:(@17:34) [artificer 3 & sub-class]
Level 5:(@21:59) [artificer 4 & ASI]
Level 6:(@23:06) [cleric 1 & sub-class]
Level 7:(see above) [fighter 2]
Level 8:(@31:47) [fighter 3 & sub-class]
Level 9:(@34:57) [fighter 4 & ASI]
Level 10:(see above) [artificer 5]
Level 11:(@39:53) [fighter 5]
Level 12:(@40:35) [artificer 6 & infusions]
Level 13:(@42:27) [artificer 7]
Level 14:(see above) [artificer 8 & ASI]
Level 15:(@45:11) [artificer 9]
Level 16:(@46:42) [artificer 10 & infusions]
Level 17:(@48:14) [artificer 11]
An Alchemist, you brave soul.
I will consider it a success if there is any good reason at all for the Alchemist subclass to be on the build, as opposed to something else.
“Alchemist” and “optimize” don’t usually go into the same sentence, but as a player of one from 1st through 8th level, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I think if a char starts as 5 levels alchemist and then go blade singer or eldrich knight! alchemists seems like a strong cantrip blaster in a wizard multiclass! + the support spells added to a wizard is great!
Homunculous servant + replicate magic item (bag of holding) and make 2.
Give it hands so it can carry both to the BBEG, and put one bag in the other. 🤓
The *Astral Traveller* Background is another strong choice. Automatically grants you the Magical Initiate: Cleric feat.
I can really tell that you’ve been sharpening the image in this video, Colby! Keep up the excellent content!
One spell I would recommend for the spell storing item would be vortex warp. Having the homunculus use the item gives you a more powerful "misty step" that you can also use on allies.
Thank you Colby, I got into mini painting few months ago, this led to watching D&D session, and it got me interested in the game itself. Yesterday I finished my 2nd session in my life, and I already have 20+ builds, bulk of them was inspired by your concepts and guides, or those guides let me optimize my own concept a bit better. Creating new characters is a new hobby of mine on its own now.
Interested to see this one! I love the flavor of the Alchemist, but everyone I've ever seen make a build has been like "well we're going to start with one level of fighter and use a greatsword," and I love that this concept leans more into the magical, alchemical, and crafting interests.
I love this build. I've used this as a template for my travelling doctor/snake oil selling gnome and it's the greatest fun I've had with any character so far in my time playing dnd
Level 1 - Artificer 1 : See above
Level 2 - Fighter 1 : See above
Level 3 - Artificer 2 : 15:37
Level 4 - Artificer 3 : 17:34 (Alchemist subclass)
Level 5 - Artificer 4 : 21:59
Level 6 - Cleric 1 : 23:07 (Life Domain subclass)
Level 7 - Fighter 2 : See above
Level 8 - Fighter 3 : 31:48 (Psi Warrior subclass)
Level 9 - Fighter 4 : 34:56
Level 10 - Artificer 5 : See above
Level 11 - Fighter 5 : 39:53
Level 12 - Artificer 6 : 40:35
Level 13 - Artificer 7 : 42:27
Level 14 - Artificer 8 : See above
Level 15 - Artificer 9 : 45:11
Level 16 - Artificer 10 : 46:43
Level 17 - Artificer 11 : 48:14
I recently went back and watched some of your older content and your presence in front of a camera has improved so much! Keep up the good work!
It is so clear that Colby gets the utmost pleasure from these videos. He loves it so much. We love you for doing what you do Colby❤️
MY GUY! My last character was a Alchemist Clockwork Soul. Wonderful and fun combination of support and world exploring combined. Glad to see it in a build.
Finaly a Alchemist build! Great vid!
I've be theorycrafting with 5 levels Alchemist with a Wizard Evocer and 2 levels fighter, for the action surge! BTW, multiclass arctificer spell slot progression is rounded up, unlike paladins and rangers!
I think i wouldn't take any cleric levels, because I could get Bless by taking the "fey touched" feat! but the "life cleric" healing seems great!
My favorit spells with an "alchemist" is "chill touch", "fire bolt", "toll the dead", "burning hands", "scorching ray" and "wither and bloom"! and then fireball, action surge another fireball!
I think that the "Artificer initiate" feat is needed, to alow the "Alchemical Savant" to be used with any spell too, cause the feature only works if "alchemist supplies" are used as a "focus"!
The "repeating shot" infusion can let you get around the shield in one hand and a hand crossbow in the other! the weapon is always preloaded before shooting with this infusion! it combos great with "crossbow expert" feat!
Thank you so much for taking the time to work with this class!!! Well done!!
This sounds like a fun support character. When compared to the other artificer subclasses, yeah alchemist feels rather weaker. Especially when you can smite with some of the other artificers or have a suit that requires you to juice up one stat that does almost everything. I’m a big fan of the pathfinder 1e alchemist, especially the gun chemist. I’m excited to see when you get to a Pathfinder 2E alchemist build and see how you’ll flavor it.
Re Thief Rogue's Fast Hands, lots of objects say you can use an action to interact with them-it's the "use an object" action because they're nonmagical objects-and nothing says the Experimental Elixir is magical.
Three levels is a heavy investment, though, and there's a simpler solution now: be a Hadozee and use Dexterous Feet. This also has the benefit of working while your hands are full.
An artificer with fast hands could be very interesting. Alchemy jug infusion gives oil and poison which is convenient. The healer feat gets a big boost. A handful of interesting items like bear trap and caltrops provide area control. And you could put the crafting bonuses to work making alchemists fire which pairs with the oil from earlier. I think spell storing item even works with fast hands according to sage advice.
Caltrops are underrated as an item
I love Randall's work. We just backed his kickstarter for our future little game master.
I really appreciate your builds and how you run through different concepts. I do this a lot. I love an artificer and appreciate you see the value in a lot of abilities that are commonly overlooked or ignored.
Nice concise intro!!! You’re getting better and better all the time. I’m looking forward to a Pathfinder alchemist build ❤
Potions are very fun to play with, especially with how they can be flavored into other things (no pun intended)
Great to see you make the most of a challenging subclass again. I’m sure alchemist has a fantasy/concept appeal for many and you’ve shown one way to make it more fun.
First video Im watching after the dnd shorts colab. I honestly have no idea how you explain every effect that I dont know and then dont explain everyone I do know, like action surge. I know its probly just based on excluding pretty iconic things... but still. Feels very skillful to be so good at it.
I'm still in the preamble but I really hope you know that you can put enhanced arcane focus on Alchemist supplies (this is the only artisans tools you can do this to because Alchemist supplies includes a glass stirring rod, this RAW counts as a rod/staff/wand for the requirements)
And since it is magical, it shouldn’t break easily. Now if we were to use it as an improvised weapon, what would it be like…?
omg, i never noticed youre right!, maybe with this the alchemist can be more playable
@@keibzy4855 I also found a homebrew that makes it a bit easier to use
1: experimental elixir is proficiency bonus times per day instead of every limited times
2: they have an alchemical homunculus that they control with their bonus action (it also happens to be the only way to RAW administer a potion to someone while they're awake
@@connormcconnell7805 I made a list of the problem the subclass has and proficiency per day potions was a solution for the scarcity problem of having too little and be random, can you pass me that subclass? Or at least the name so I can convince my dm?
@@keibzy4855 I found it in the dndbeyond forum titled "why is alchemist bad"
Scroll down a little until you find the user "IamSposta"
Also, your optimization office is totally dope. I love everything about it; it’s cozy, comfortable and the purple dragon light is just right
I have a plan for an elven Artificer/Dao Genie WL.
- abuse Trance to get multiple short rests as rest of the party sleeps, using Pact Slots to pop out more elixirs.
- Focus on Firebolt as the one cantrip that benefits from both Alchemical Savant and Dao bludgeoning bonus on attacks.
- They get a free, extra-dimensional (al)chemistry lab.
There's also the option of a Life Cleric dip to boost healing.
Had the same “mobile lab” idea with my build, except I was an efreeti warlock, using the extra fire damage to trigger Alchemical Savant when I Eldritch Blast (since each blast gets the AS damage bonus due to how spell damage works). Also, I went reborn lineage for even more SR spam.
@@elcuban27 You can use alchemists supplies as a focus for Eldritch Blast?
The choice of Efreet is brilliant. Even if Eldritch Blast doesn't work, this would work on Shocking Grasp, Ray of Frost, Magic Stone etc.
The Dao multiclass might work better with an Artillerist using a Ballista cannon and Crusher feat, combined with Eldritch Blast and invocations for pushing.
Just finished the preamble. So, basically what you're saying is, if my roleplay ever starts to go flat and I wanna mix things up in AND out of combat, I should watch this Alchemist video and drink it all in.
Got it!
Because of the sage advice compendium the fast hands rogue tech should work as spell storing item has the same wording as elixirs and spell storing item which is confirmed to use the use a object action. I used this to make plaque knight from the shovel knight series. Love your builds as always keep up the great work. Always nice to see build for build for underused subclasses.
The other side of this is that as per sage advice is that fast hands doesn't let you drink potions :(
I actually enjoy that your videos are so long. Very good for listening to at work.
Ah, finally a build based around the Alchemist. Reminds me of my 4th favorite board game, Alchemists ^_^
I found this out when playing as an alchemist in Dungeon of the Mad Mage, alchemists can also use the Homunculus Servant infusion to administer the experimental elixir to themselves or other allies as a bonus action. In their description, they can be ordered as a bonus action to do any action, not just the ones in it's stat block. You could also use the tiny servant spell in the same way, although it would cost a third level spell. Maybe if you took sorcerer levels or the metamagic adept feat, you could extend their duration to 16 hours and cast the spell before a long rest
There is a problem rules wise, you can feed others the potion only if they are incapacitated, they can drink themselves, but it is intentionally made that you could not use Unseen servant to do a BA of potion chugging.
That image of artificer with shield and one handed ranged weapon (pistol ideally ofc) just always gives me this tactical police squad vibe and I love it :D
Love it that you made an Alchemist, thanks! And the dragon lighting is not bad at all
Solid Alchemist build, love the professor concept. Only time I've dipped into Alchemist was for an athlete character I made to be a Bugbear basketball player. Started as an Open Hand monk dipped into artificer for Returning Weapon so I could have a reskinned light hammer as a basketball, and Open Hand features to represent juking and breaking ankles in combat lol. Ended up going Alchemist as a play on optimizing his nutrition regiment and everything just fell into place.
Adding the religion aspect is a really fun addition to the character and background. It makes complete sense that in a world where the Gods objectively and demonstrably exist, that a Scientist investigating the boundaries of magic, physics and chemistry would also research the mechanics of faith.
there's this tiny frustrating thing in Alchemist's experimental elixir where it says that you can administer it to another creature *if it is incapacitated*, if it was just a willing creature, you could fit in the Homunculus Servant infusion, and use your bonus action to comand it to administer the elixirs, while you use your main action for other things such as casting bless or doing attack rolls. the sorta good portion of this is that this still works with regular mundane items that have set DCs, so your homunculus can do things such as using caltrops, bear traps, explosives and healing potions (which if you get to level 10 artificer, you can craft much faster and cheaper)
If I were to buff the Alchemist, I'd give them two things.
First is PBTPD free random potions, rather than their current amount. It'd be at most 3 more, and given how many fewer spell slots an Alchemist gets, a half-caster without the same combat compensations of a Ranger or Paladin, it seems appropriate.
Second would be two cantrips. Artificers have so many tax cantrips that it'd be nice to give two to each subclass:
~ Alchemist: Acid Splash and Shape Water (liquids)
~ Armorer: Resistance and either Shocking Grasp for Infiltrator, Lighting Lure for Guardian (a magical "dodge" and a ranged attack for melee builds or a melee attack for ranged builds)
~ Artillerist: Control Flames and Thunderclap (kaboom)
~ Battlesmith: Message and Guidance (teamwork!)
There is something really funny about the confidence you had when you said “Eliction” 😂
When it comes to Loki battle maps it reminds me of a board game that I played when I was a kid based on the movie The Labyrinth with David Bowie. This board game consisted of nine squares each containing a 9 Square grid. Each Square had a pin in Center so that you can lift it up and rotate it and then place it back down. You could also lift two squares at the same time and swap out their positions. Like that of the ever-changing endless hallway of a labyrinth with moving parts you would find yourself Within eyeline of the exit but then gets lifted on a moving platform back into the center of the maze.
I haven't had the chance to play an Artificer past lvl 4 but I am in a campaign where as part of the rewards for a dungeon we were all given a magic Item that had a ribbon effect tied to our character class and the ability to Attune to two additional Items. This is beyond amazing. As an 18 lvl Sorcerer I currently have 3 conventional attunement Items (robes of the Archmagi, Staff of Power, and+3 Blood well vial) I also have two HB magic items. (Modified Staff of the Magi with all the at will spells 100 charges instead of 50 but no spells attached, instead you attune 5 of the spells you know and for charges equal to 1+spell lvl you can cast the spell. If you use 10% of the remaining charges you roll a D20 on a 5 or lower the staff Deattune the spell used and anything cast from it in the next minute you roll again if it is a 5 or lass again the Staff explodes using the sam's mechanics as breaking the staff of the Magi, I also have a tattoo of level it mechanically gives you an additional lvl. If you Deattune from the tattoo it is destroyed) the tattoo was a monkey's paw free Wish that The party was given and that was the best 'everyone benefits' idea we came up with.
I can say that while we have a lot of magic toys so your mileage may vary but with a 24 CHA sorcerer and these items (the modified Staff is a +3 SotM type mechanic) my Sorcerer has a DC 26 save and a +23 Spell Attack where it would be a DC 21 and a +13 without not to mention everything else the item do.
I was just trying to figure out how to build a character like this! Then I turn on YT, and here Colby has saved me!
"Came for alchemy, got a fighter; confused"
This was one of the top comments on Treantmonk's video on Alchemists from a few years ago, and I feel sums up my experience with this video too.
You may have already made this build but I made a character in a horror campaign that was also a horror. It was a hexblade/conquest paladin that would use the hexblade curse to give them disadvantage of wis save to scare them, then it went into absolute pound town I then took the battlemaster feat for tripping strike (or could use thundering smite I just have absolutely abysmal luck and need as many options as possible) since they don't have movement and thus can't get up from being prone elvin accuracy becomes an absolutely monster of a feat plus the crit on 19-20 from hexblade curse means you absolutely chunk single targets.
Loving the new concise intro! Excited to see how you build an Alchemist as I've been considering making one for a while
I love the build, but I really don’t think it really uses the Alchemist abilities and is just “Hand Crossbow Sharpshooter” guy.
I played an Alchemist and I found that their Alchemical Savant ability worked really well with Green Flame Blade. My character used daggers (flavored as surgical knives) and his attacks dealt 1d4 + 1d8 (from GFB) + Dex + Int. I didn’t optimize him at all, but with this combo, you can build an Alchemist that does 1 really strong attack each turn.
Multiclass into Thief Rogue for the BA elixir (The elixir is not a magic item so they fall under the “Use an Item” action and not the “Use a magic item” action) and sneak attack, and War Cleric for Martial Weapons and Heavy Armor and a +10 to hit if you miss, and take Great Weapon Master and you are set. If you grab a reach weapon, you can drink the Flying Elixir so you can stab your opponents from above and a lot of creatures won’t be able to attack back.
Edit: I just remembered that you technically can’t use Reach and GFB due to the spell having a 5ft range, so the flying option isn’t as strong as I thought.
Also, you need to be holding your alchemist supplies and all Heavy Weapons are 2 handed. You could play a Loxodon or Thrikreen and bypass this. Thrikreen would also allow you to hold a Elixir, so it might be the best race option.
Get you a familiar to administer your elixirs for you in combat. Spellwrought tattoo infusion can do this RAW, but a homunculus works just fine.
Artificers don't get hand crossbow proficiency, but they do get firearm proficiency. Inventing guns saves you having to dip fighter and delay your progression, and it also saves you a feat. As an alchemist with the repeating shot infusion, you have the most in-game justification to invent magic gunpowder.
Also, every alchemist should be dipping Warlock. Short rest spell slots on an alchemist is very strong because you get tons of elixirs basically for free. Spend your morning taking back to back short rests to prepare as many elixirs as you want. Playing an elf with a 2 level warlock dip would get you 8 free elixirs of your choice before the rest of the party even wakes up.
One of my favorite builds in a while! I’m starting a campaign with a party of three that needs a half support half damage dealer, so this is perfect!
Camera looks great this week, Colby. Finally nailed it!!
This one looks like a ton of fun -- the support plus the sustain is right up my alley too.
Seriously, alchemist is so fun. The alter self potion is effectively a get out of jail free card for a problematic rogue or other mischief maker (I'm looking at you, Bard...)
I did get to go thief rogue but paired my artificer with conjuration wiz and poisoner to conjure and apply poisons each round. As an alchemist, I can cast spells like green flame blade to add int to dmg and drink/give potions as a bonus action. Might not be the strongest (sometimes feels very weak ...) But fun to play. So worth it!
I did a build with this concept with the divine patron warlock. I would cast a battlefield control spell and damage and use healing light as needed to bring people up. Also having spells like lesser restoration known just in case. Often times it would be concentration battlefield control spell (or max level flaming spheres), then eldritch blasts and then using my other slot for, dispel magic, lesser or greater restoration, or sometimes just dimension dooring an ally out of trouble.
I've got an alchemist character that I'm looking forward to playing at some point. I've never really been interested in multi-classing, so I'd be going straight artificer. The only issues I have with the class are how few infusions you can have active (though that's lessened if the DM gives out some of the ones I would be making), and how few cantrips they get. To me, an artificer should be a cantrip savant (to really be that utility belt of the party), so 2 cantrips until level 10 really stinks. Especially when there's 6-8 cantrips I really like for thematic reasons.
This is why I'm looking forward to One D&D. Getting mending as a gnome plus magic initiate at level 1 & 4 gets me almost all the cantrips I'd want for him by level 4. And the 2 free casts of whichever 1st level spells I choose for the feats doesn't hurt either.
If only they could put out a short pdf of general changes to the class in the new One D&D style. It doesn't need to be in the new book, but enough has changed that it's no longer useful to just say it's new enough of a class to stay as it is. Maybe they always have identify/detect magic prepared and can cast it a few times for free without needing the ritual time. Maybe they get a more streamlined way of crafting items beyond just the level 10 boost. Maybe they get a few extra active infusions. At the very least, they could clean up that alchemy supplies as a focus issue mentioned in the video. I'll definitely be asking my DM to just let my regular focus count.
Watching your preamble for this, I want to see an Investigator for Pathffinder from you. If you take the Alchemical Sciences for youe methologie /subclass, you basically become a more martial oriented alchemist with a lot of support capabilites and skills. Also there are some Archetypes, like the Eldtrich Archer, that work well with it and are able to do just insane damage on top of that.
Love the office setup with the purple lamp light
Yes! Ive been waiting for an alchemist for some time, most folks ignore them. You are awesome as always Colby.
Got the lighting around you spot on, looks really good. The dragon lamp does look cool. Very nice background light
I've wanted to make a Peace Cleric/Alchemist for a while to have the ultimate +d4(s) character ever. Having Bless, Bond, and your potion all stacking so your allies never miss is insane lol. It's like having constant inspiration on your allies. Very excited to see what this build is tho
I went a different route, I use my proficiency with alchemist's tools to make acid and alchemist's fire, and buy as much of it as I can. I then use my bonus action to command my homunculus to either force strike (1d4+PB), use the help action, or if I need extra damage, throw acid, alchemist's fire, or oil.
My DM rules that thrown full vials do the standard thrown improvised weapon 1d4+dex damage in addition to their other effects (2d6 acid for acid vial, 1d4 fire every round for alchemist's fire) and that's basically on a bonus action.
This frees up your ASI choices for either ASIs or feats, and by 13th level I took 2 ASIs to get INT to 20, Chef (had an odd wisdom score, and plus the extra support healing and temp HP) and magic initiate wizard (toll the dead and chill touch both benefit from Alchemical Savant, and I grabbed find familiar so as not to put my homunculus in too much danger).
This one is DM dependent, but I convinced my DM to allow me to make 3 alchemical items using alchemist's supplies per long rest because I have my homunculus and familiar helping me (only 2 if my familiar gets poofed)
I recently had an idea for an Artificer Alchemist: "Aunty" Poppy Foxglove, a Hexblood Alchemist Artificer with the Charlatan background. She's basically a Hag (green hag specifically) in hiding, in disguise as a kindly old lady living as a sort of medicine woman in the slums of a large city. She occasionally will travel out to villages peddling "potions" that are for the most part just some colored water but she uses her skill as an artificer to sometimes add a bit of magic to a potion when demonstrating with a shill to help sell her products.
I love this build for a plague doctor themed character. If I ever try it in game that's how I would roleplay it. ❤
If you want your game, a more exploding alchemist, add a second type of potion so at level three, along with the long rest potions, you get volatile concoction "when you take the attack action you can throw a vial instead making a ranged wepon attack (basically like making a throw weapon attack) that deals 1d6 + int mod on hit and at the start of each of your turns for a minute.
The type of damage it deals is based on what you mixed in the concoction and is a choice between poison, fire, acid, lightning, or necrotic.
At 5th level, you can throw an additional vial as part of the same attack action, at 11th you can throw a third, and at 17th level the damage becomes 2d6 + int per vial
At level three you can spend 10 gold worth of materials and an action to create int mod + prof bonuse of vials of your choice
I know this isn't optimized but I like having a Wild Magic Barbarian/Alchemist Artificer build. I love playing against type with the smart Barb., then you get the ability to either increase people's hit chance or give back a random 1st-3rd level spell slot. That last part is very useful for every spell caster. Since you won't be casting when you are fighting you can just give yourself a spell slot back and cash it in for an other elixir.
Or you can do a Warlock/Artificer so you can cash in your Warlock spells for elixirs.
Hey Colby what about doing a Tiny Servant Build or maybe a double build with Tiny Servant and Crusader's Mantle? The mantle would double the Tinies damage.
I wish the Alchemist had focused on the elixirs more than adding random buffs to healing and thematic damage spells. It seems like the subclass is trying to decide what it wants to do. That said a fun multiclass interaction with Alchemist is 6 levels of Divination wizard. Recovering free spell slots when you cast divination spells means more elixirs to make!
Speaking of Crossbow Expert, I like that it does offer you some other benefits like attacking with ranged weapons/spells at close range, so it's definitely not a total dud at level 1. You could firebolt someone up close rather than relying on a weapon, as if your artificer already has some specialization in ranged weapons like the concept, and then brings their crossbow online later.
Bamboozled! I saw Alchemist and thought this was going to be a Pathfinder video!
Was really looking forward to see what you thought about the class.
Honestly if this were me, that Cleric dip kinda speaks to the historical concept of alchemy, the bit where they aren't actually turning lead into gold, but using it as a metaphor for a spiritual journey. Y'know, the professor takes a bunch of experimental potions and suddenly starts talking like Alejandro Jodorowski in The Holy Mountain.
A player in my party plays a kenku alchemist, and our DM buffed them by giving them a heavy crossbow that deals "alchemist" damage instead as an infusion, which combos well with the level 5 ability to make them a more solid sustained damage dealer
I was expecting you to do something similar to a coffee lock when I saw it was an alchemist build. A single level dip into Warlock gives you the level 1 spell slot that recovers on a short rest. So you can get several elixirs using the level 1 slot and then short resting between the long rests, which makes the elixirs expire.
My favorite version is the Thief Rogue Alchemist that uses Fast Hands to not only use Elixirs, but also throw Oil, which by extension increases the damage dealt by fire spells.
At level 1 the artificer may not be proficient with hand cross bows but they will still be proficient in simple weapons and a light crossbow and because the way damage works it is still better to use that than a cantrip. Best cantrip damage is 1d10 or 5.5 on hit with fireball vs Light crossbow being 1d8+ dex, with a 16 in dex that is 7.5 average on a hit. So even if we can't attack multiple times the cross bow is still better than cantrips until we can add intelligence to our cantrips, and this works better for the story of us practicing to get better with that other crossbow we are working on.
I've got a challenge for you, getting a group together and have a few new players so I've got multiple sessions 0's planned to give them some experience along with some seasoned ones to bring back up to speed. I know that D&D isn't the best platform for PVP but one of them is a lvl 20 battle royal and it's not your usual style to just go straight to 20 but I would like to see what you come up with. The challenge is the highest DPR build possible limited only by thematics assuming max rolled stats. As long as you can come up with a story for it, you can have any multi-class, any item, any feat, etc.. Ex. If you want to be a 650 year old gnome who has read all the manuals and tomes 6 times to have all abilities scores at 30 you can
I love alchemists and I’m always glad to see more alchemist love from others… can’t wait to play my Alchemist 17 Life Cleric 1 Stars Druid 2 (which is basically a minimum of 17 + 1d4 + 1d8 on every healing word)
The lighting is glorious.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I NEEDED THIS.
Colby is the goat
I would love seeing and listening to you optimizing a Battlesmith+Battlemaster build!!
For the level of cleric, I do like the Order suggestion that someone mentioned in the comments. However given the polymath/professor concept, I was thinking of Knowledge cleric. It wouldn't do anything for damage/support optimization but fits the concept well and gives some skill expertise.
Camera quality is amazing this episode!
Hats off to Colby, you did it!
I have a charter idea from awhile ago that used a Flask-lock pistol. The basic I ended up working very similar to Pathfinder's where I would make or be given alchemical recipes that I then can shoot using my pistol.
An alternative is playing a thief rogue with the tavern brawler feat. Then brew a bunch of potions with alchemist supplies and throw them with your action and bonus action (use an object).
You might have to be strength based because of how tavern brawler works, but you could probably convince your dm.
I have a build for a one shot that I've been waiting to use. He's an alchemist artificer Orc called Steve Orkle. A nerdy orc who, when drinking the alter self potion, turns into Stefan Orkle, his suave alter ego.
I really like the Pathfinder Alchemist class. Tons of options with Discoveries, Archetypes, and even Discovery-like (alchemist-themed) Feats.
Great videos! Do you think, as of today, that the "Yin" is still the best (DPR-wise) way to go for the Hexblade? I'm a huge fan of your characters and want to try the best "main Hexblade possible".. are you going to do an updated video about it? Also using your write-ups i'm trying to figure it out but both the hexblade and the Yin are written before taking in consideration the nerfs to Ruin Knight if i'm not mistaken, so it will be great an updated version :) Thank you for you work!
I think the Alchemist Savant feature should benefit from whatever spellcasting focus the alchemist can use, which would extend to an item that is benefiting from being infused.
Flavour wise the Alchemist is using the crossbow to shoot their allies better. That to me is hilarious
"Crossbows hurt people!"
"No all the time, here let me demonstrate."
Loving the content. Thanks Colby
Hello there, Colby! I was looking in your Tank Comparation, looking for the best non-magical tank. What would you think would be your best non-magical tank build? I was looking into it, and think it’s the Monk Tank. He is the best one who doesn’t have spells, according to the numbers, I think. Would you agree? The Magical part I consider is if they have a spell list. And besides the heals from the monk, I don’t think the build has any magic. And I don’t think the Mount and Blade would be as good if no one in the party wants to play with you the combo. So, according to this reasoning, the monk tank would be the best by numbers of RTD, would you agree? Or do you think there is a better one? Thank you for your attention.
Very creative as always.
Wanted to post it here since it's 5e related, so hoping you'll see it. On your Reddit, D&D Daily's post for The One Stat Wonder. Basically, the idea was, could you build a character that was built just around one single stat with a second decent one and the rest all be garbage (ie. if you rolled terribly, would it be a throwaway character or still viable)? The loose theory concept ended up being that it's plausible if you use a dhampir rune knight as a base, but not much beyond that. The comments on that video wondered if moon druid and barbarian, or even artificer, would help further. I'm curious to know what your spreadsheets would say is the best way to go about that. Also, I don't think you've done a dhampir yet.
Look at that jawline in this lovely crisp HD quality. 10/10... Builds cool too
What do y'all think of this house rule: Roll Initiative (Action) then take a Bonus Action and Reaction as part of this "Setup Round", potentially allowing for spells and abilities to be used before combat starts
Finally subscribing! I didn't actually realize I hadn't subscribed yet 😅
I have an alchemist character. I really wish they were actually good, so I appreciate the optimization effort.
Hey thanks! :)
Oh damn, I’m so excited to see what you’ve come up with!
Hey Colby, here's a fun build concept:
Bloodhunter lycan + Astral self monk
I love it! Really good work again. I would love to see a kind of lockdown charakter. Someone that uses the aktions, reaktion etc to hold enemys close and disturb them in there movement. Like a 7 LVL Chavalier/Fighter plus 7 LVLs in Vengence/Paladin. Keep up the amazing work
Instead of a hand cross bow, another dm and I created a full alchemist artificer and used a Sling, since it is a simple weapon. Which rather than throwing stone, throw bulbous glass bottles filled with spells that detonated on impact. With the right spell list you simple infuse the glass bottles with the magic an throw them via sling or not. It also allowed you to store bottled spells that you could hand out. including healing spells or say fireballs
Okay, but "Fire" is a great song. Bard Dad, hitting it out of the park again!
27:50 I was gonna yell at you for this one, but then I listened more carefully and stumbled upon the difference between using an object and activating an item. The DMG specifically states that Fast Hands cannot be used for activating an item.