Requirements: Novice, Smarts d6+
Whether secreted away in a smoky basement laboratory or gleefully experimenting in a well-respected school of magic, the alchemist is often regarded as being just as unstable, unpredictable, and dangerous as the concoctions he brews. While some creators of alchemical items content themselves with sedentary lives as merchants, providing tindertwigs and smokesticks, the true alchemist answers a deeper calling.
Rather than casting spells like a sorcerer or wizard, an alchemist captures arcane essences within strange liquids and extracts, infusing mysterious concoctions with spell-like abilities, combustible energy, and transformative mutagens.
Alchemical Identification: An alchemist can use Alchemy to identify a potion as if using detect arcana.
Arcane Background (Alchemist): Alchemists use Alchemy as their arcane skill. This gives them 10 Power Points and two powers from the list below.
Available Powers: Arcane protection, boost/lower Trait, burst, damage field, darksight, deflection, detect/conceal arcana, disguise, environmental protection, fly, growth/shrink, healing, invisibility, intangibility, magic jar, monster's gift, monstrous shape change, protection, relief, shape change, speak language, speed, wall walker, warrior's gift.
Armor Interference (Light): While wearing medium or heavy armor or using medium or heavy shields, the character's Alchemy rolls suffer a -4 penalty. The hero cannot use other abilities granted by this Edge or any Edge that has this Edge as a Requirement.
Bombs and Mutagens: Alchemists may create bombs and mutagens with their chemicals and reagents. See page 40.
Extracts: Potions are permanent magic items such as those listed in the Magic Items chapter of Pathfinder for Savage Worlds. Extracts are temporary concoctions imbued with powers and use the creator's Alchemy skill. They behave like spells, and can be dispelled by effects like dispel.
Extracts are prepared "off camera," requiring an hour's time, the alchemist's formulae book, and an alchemist's kit. The alchemist doesn't spend any Power Points until he activates the power. Without his formulae book, he may cast as usual but cannot refresh his "supplies" (his Power Points do not recharge).
All of the alchemist's powers except burst and damage field with a Range greater than Touch must take the Range Limitation (since extracts must be consumed or applied to be used). The Power Point cost is reduced as usual. The templates for burst and damage field (with the Area of Effect modifiers) emanate from the character who imbibed the extract, but the alchemist still makes the arcane skill roll.
Requirements: Seasoned, Alchemist
The alchemist has a revelation. Select one Discovery from those listed below. This Edge may be taken once per Rank.
Requirements: Veteran, Alchemist
The alchemist makes a great advance in his knowledge of science and chemistry. He can choose an Advanced Discovery from the list below. This Edge may be taken once per Rank.
Requirements: Heroic, Alchemist
The alchemist makes a Grand Discovery, choosing any one of the abilities listed below. The promise of a Grand Discovery is the life-long goal of most alchemist's dangerous experiments and hard work.
Alchemists can swiftly mix jars and vials of volatile chemicals from their alchemist's kits and turn them into hasty explosives.
Creating an alchemist's bomb and throwing it is a limited action that costs 2 Power Points and uses the Alchemy skill. Alchemical bombs have a Range of 10" (20 yards) and cause 2d6 Damage in a Small Blast Template. The alchemist can spend +1 Power Point to increase the damage to 3d6 and +1 Power Point to change his bomb to a Medium Blast Template.
An alchemist's bombs are an extension of their own personal magic and must be used instantly—they cannot be stored or given to others. They aren't powers, and can't use the Selective Power Modifier (although they can use other Power Modifiers, such as Lingering Damage)—allies must beware getting caught in the splash zone!
A Critical Failure when creating a bomb means the alchemist has run out of volatile chemicals and cannot use this ability again until he refreshes his supplies (in a shop, a few hours gathering ingredients and a Survival roll, etc.).
Mutagens alter the alchemist's form, increasing his physique for one hour at the cost of mental impairment.
Brewing a mutagen costs an hour's work and 2 Power Points but no arcane skill roll. The Power Points are stored and don't replenish until the mutagen is consumed or destroyed. An alchemist may only have one active mutagen in existence at a time.
Choose one of the three options below when the mutagen is created. Drinking it (an action) has the listed effect and also hardens the imbiber's skin, increasing Toughness by +1.
Strength: +2 to Strength and melee damage rolls but -2 on Academics, Common Knowledge, Occult, Repair, Science, and arcane skill rolls.
Agility: Opponents subtract 1 when making direct attacks against the alchemist. The alchemist subtracts 2 from Healing, Notice, Survival, and Taunt rolls.
Vigor: +2 to Vigor rolls but -2 to Battle, Gambling, Performance, and Persuasion rolls.
Every alchemist searches for new scientific principles they can use to further their own knowledge. A character may choose one of these truths each time he takes the Discovery Edge.
The alchemist has learned how to preserve a sample of oozes in a sealed bottle. The alchemist may throw the bottle at a space within 6" (12 yards), releasing the ooze, which reconstitutes and attacks the closest creature. The ooze is not under the alchemist’s control, but goes on his Action Card. The ooze remains for five rounds, and decays into powder when the duration expires. Creating a bottled ooze requires a sample of a recently deceased Ooze and an investment of Power Points equal to its starting Wounds (including Size) +1.
The alchemist gains the ability to create a cognatogen, a mutagen-like mixture that heightens one mental attribute at the expense of a physical one. Otherwise, this ability works just like the Mutagens ability (including the Toughness bonus). Anytime the alchemist prepares a mutagen, he may instead prepare a cognatogen. All limitations of mutagens apply to cognatogens as if they were the same substance—an alchemist can only maintain one mutagen or cognatogen at a time.
Smarts: Grants a +1 bonus on Academics, Battle, Common Knowledge, and Occult rolls but causes a -2 penalty to Strength rolls.
Spirit: Grants a +1 bonus to Spirit, Intimidation, and Persuasion rolls but causes a -1 penalty to Vigor rolls.
Once per day, the alchemist can dilute any one potion or elixir (not extract or mutagen), creating two doses from one. Diluting a potion costs gp equal to one-quarter of the potion’s market value. A potion that has been diluted cannot be diluted again.
The alchemist can double the Duration of any potion, extract, or his own mutagen effect with a Duration greater than Instant.
The alchemist can spend +1 Power Point to create and throw a bomb as an action instead of a limited action.
Whenever the alchemist imbibes a mutagen, he grows claws and fangs, gaining the claw and bite natural weapons (Str+d6), and a +2 bonus on Intimidation rolls.
True alchemists yearn for the greater advancements in knowledge, to better the world or lord their genius over their peers!
Once per day when the alchemist creates his extracts, he can place two formulae into one extract. When the extract is consumed, both formulae take effect. This lets the alchemist cast both powers with the same action and Alchemy roll.
The alchemist can set a bomb so that it explodes up to ten rounds after he creates it. The creator may also reclaim the bomb, recovering its Power Points and preventing its detonation.
A delayed bomb detonates immediately if anyone else touches or moves it without a successful Thievery check.
An alchemist cannot have more than one delayed bomb at once. If he creates another, the previous bomb becomes inert. Dispel can neutralize a delayed bomb, as can a successful Thievery check (at -2 if it was created with a raise).
The alchemist has discovered a cure for aging, and from this point forward suffers no penalties due to his age. This removes any penalties caused by the Elderly Hindrance.
The crafter can create alchemical items with almost supernatural speed. He may create any alchemical item with an Alchemy roll and a limited action.
The alchemist learns how to preserve and protect his vital organs, reducing the bonus damage one die type.
The alchemist gains batlike, birdlike, or insectlike functional wings, allowing him to fly as per fly for up to 10 minutes per day. These minutes do not need to be consecutive, but they must be spent in one-minute increments. An alchemist can select this discovery multiple times.
The ultimate feat for any brew master is making a Grand Discovery the world will talk about for generations to come!
Once per day, the alchemist can brew an elixir of life. This special concoction costs 25,000 gp to create and takes one hour of work. When administered by the alchemist who brewed it, it restores life to a dead creature as per resurrection, using the character's Alchemy roll.
Alternatively, the alchemist may drink the elixir of life himself, rising as if resurrected if slain within five days of consumption!
If an alchemist drinks a potion with a non-instant Duration, he can choose to make the effect permanent or until he chooses to make another potion effect permanent. The effects of the potion can still be stopped with dispel.
The alchemist’s flesh responds to damage with shocking speed— he gains the Fast Regeneration ability.
The alchemist has mastered preserving flesh and applied this knowledge to his own body, turning himself into an undead-like creature. After learning this discovery, the alchemist must perform a 30-day regimen of a special diet, rigorous exercise, and drinking a mildly poisonous alchemical tea. At the end of this regimen, he falls unconscious for 24 hours, then awakens as a “living mummy.” The alchemist’s Type does not change, but he gains Immunity: Cold, nonlethal damage, Stun, and slumber.
The alchemist learns how to create a philosopher’s stone, and can do so once per month at no cost. Creating a philosopher’s stone takes one day of work (see a description of the philosopher's stone below).
This rare substance appears to be an ordinary piece of sooty, blackish rock. If the stone is broken open (Hardness 14) however, a cavity is revealed at the stone’s heart. The cavity is lined with a magical type of quicksilver that enables anyone with at least a d6 in Academics to transmute base metals (iron and lead) into silver and gold. A single philosopher’s stone can turn up to 5,000 pounds of iron into silver (worth 25,000 gp), or up to 1,000 pounds of lead into gold (worth 50,000 gp). The quicksilver becomes unstable once the stone is opened and loses its potency within 24 hours, so all transmutations must take place within that period.
The quicksilver found in the center of the stone may also be put to another use. If mixed with any healing potion while the substance is still potent, it creates a special oil of life that acts as resurrection for any dead body it’s sprinkled on.
Weight: 3 lbs.
Destruction: The philosopher’s stone can be destroyed by being placed in the heel of a titan’s boot for at least one entire week.