Topic: Flexibilizing alchemy

[Dark Schneider]

Alchemy spells usually are not rolled, it can be boring to roll all the process, so the dice rolls are simply skipped and directly the PPs are substracted.

But, low level characters can't use their alchemy, simply because to create the 1st item you need spell levels 3-5.

So, I propose to allow the casting of 5 levels over caster level without SCSM, for the reason top, it is boring and annoying. Why 5 levels?, because in the casting table we see that we have a 'jump' in modifier beyond 5 (caster level-spell level=-5).

This could allow alchemist not to wait until the exact level to create an item, examples: lvl 2 alc. creates a wand, lvl 3 alc. creates its first magical armor, and you can create items with lvl 10 spells with lvl 15 alc. ('emb.X' is lvl 20).

It can be, again, boring and annoying for alchemist to wait until the level needed to cast the alchemy spells normally, and that makes few players interested in alchemy.

[Cormac Doyle]

From my personal POV, I state that Alchemy is only performed via ritual ... any spell user given the right learning opportunity may develop the necessary ritual skills (one per Alchemist spell list).

The Ritual rules allow for overcasting, and for multiple casters ... but have some heinous failure results too

As to the Alchemist Profession ... I scrap it.

yes I know that this is not "cannon" ... but its a lot more fun!

[munchy]

We never really had a true alchemist in our parties so far. A Tarot Mage was the highest of feelings but he also prefered to use rituals as they allowed to create more powerful item than would have been possible at his level.
I wouldn't change the rules to make it easier or more powerful as magic items are quite powerful as the are.

[yammahoper]

Allow your alchenist to cast spells at a level effective to the level he knows the spell list to.  With some thought into the character design, there should be no problem all base list at level 5 with talent law, or 4 list 6th level using the normal hobby ranks/level dev.

lynn

[mocking bird]

Never played an alchemist class but did have a fighter with two alchemist lists.  Overcasting really wasn't a problem considering you can prep up to the 9+ column every time.  For the dice rolling, just programmed my calculator to figure out how many rolls I failed during a 9 month creation process.

[Dark Schneider]

For the dice rolling, just programmed my calculator to figure out how many rolls I failed during a 9 month creation process.

And then roll that number of spell fumbles, it is not?, yes, that is another solution, using statistic.

About alchemy rituals, I am not much agree with that, because with only 1 ritual you can cast most alchemy spells (enchant permanent and variable rituals), so they should be limited in any manner, if not, who wants to learn the spell lists?.

A pure alchemist is usually not used, the alchemist characters are mainly created by TPs, you can download the TP alchemist from the ICE Vault, and is great. But, again, who wants to make a TP if you can easily (and cheaper) do it by rituals?.

We have a good solution for 1 part of the process:

- We divide the alchemy process in 2 parts: 1 is the base item creation, 'work' and 'make' spells type. The other is the enchantment process, 'armor, general, charge, etc.' spell type.
- The 1st part requires 'laboratory' working, so you need the tools and the 8 hours time working.
- The 2nd part only requires casting the spells on item daily, until finished. If you don't cast the spells 1 day, you must substract it to the time you are enchanting the item, it can't be less than 0.

So, once you have the base item, you can go to adventures while enchant the item, only with less PPs per day as you need to cast the alchemy spells, and if you need all your PPs, you can save them, but adding time to alchemy process.

This is optimal for potioners, as they can create all base items (potions) as they can in resting time (pause between adventures), and easily carry and enchant them while adventuring, in a short time (x0.25 modifier to time).

This is a good excuse to learn the spells, as usually a group can't lost the time everyday for rituals.

- Maybe the other reason to learn the spells is that for rituals you need to search for many 'influences' to cast rituals, 1 per day, as usually you can only use 1 skill as influence per item type (attunement, runes, etc., but not both).