Alchemist (Pathfinder)

Pathfinder Alchemists were introduced in the Advanced Player's Guide. They are basically a mad scientist character class. They cackle, they drink mutagen and turn into the Hulk, they make construct-soldiers out of dead bodies, they cast spells by chugging potions, you get the idea. Alchemists are solidly tier 3, capable of doing a few things very good (damage, skill monkey) and still contributing when those things aren't useful through their wide variety of extracts. One pair of discoveries gives Alchemists access to the Simulacrum spell, which is broken enough on its own (Making a clone of a high level beat stick that follows your commands is the least creative way to break it.) they become tier 1 if taken.

Mechanically, Alchemists get three tricks. The first are alchemical bombs, which are splash weapons that they can prepare a certain number of per day. The second are infusions, which are bottles of magic that are prepared like Wizard spells but drunk like potions. The third is mutagen, which, mechanically, trades buffing one of your physical stats at the expense of your mental stat, and too much stat damage will cause sudden reversion. Complimenting these is the pick of a "discovery" at every even level, many of which are really good. Alchemist builds are put into two categories. The first is the "Jekyll" build, which focuses on party support while using bombs to kill things and control the battlefield. The alternative is the "Hyde" build, which focuses on using its alchemy to buff up and smash enemies, with most taking the Vivisectionist archetype to trade their bombs for sneak attack.

Alchemists are a lot of fun, since they get Throw Anything as a power and have lots of unique bombs they can make, and actually make "incredible discoveries!" as they level up, ranging from growing new limbs and tumors that fall off and act as familiars to learning how to cheat and bottle spells they shouldn't theoretically have. There's nothing else in the game quite like them, and it makes them unique and interesting. Unfortunately, all those powers aren't terribly focused, which is a downer. If you want to build a decent alchemist, pick one or two of their mechanics and leave the third by the wayside. Oh, and everyone will hate you if you don't take the discovery which lets other people use your infusions, which you should do anyway, because what else are you going to do with that enlarge person potion? Wade into melee? My 30+ AC, 3 Nat attacks a round, and +12 to Hit suggest that that is a good idea as long as the mutagen holds.

Also, they're very selfish casters that need to take a discovery just to let other people imbibe their spell-potions (though this does let them use Personal range spells on others and cast using the actions of other party members, which is nice), and without cantrips they can only identify potions without spending spell slots. As a result, they aren't the best solo-casters in a party full of melee beatsticks.

If you want a hilariously awesome class that does things you haven't necessarily seen before in the d20 system, pick this guy. If you want something a little more geared towards optimized mechanical play? I'm sure they'll have another overpowered wizard prestige class/archetype/pile of new spells ready for you in the next splatbook, you damn munchkin-robot.

The Classes of Pathfinder 1st Edition
Core Classes:	Barbarian - Bard - Cleric - Druid - Fighter - Monk Paladin - Ranger - Rogue - Sorcerer - Wizard
Advanced Player's Guide:	Alchemist - Antipaladin - Cavalier Inquisitor - Oracle - Summoner - Witch
Advanced Class Guide:	Arcanist - Bloodrager - Brawler - Hunter - Investigator Shaman - Skald - Slayer - Swashbuckler - Warpriest
Occult Adventures:	Kineticist - Medium - Mesmerist Occultist - Psychic - Spiritualist
Ultimate X:	Gunslinger - Magus - Ninja - Samurai - Shifter - Vigilante

Second Edition

Due to their popularity, they were included in the video game Kingmaker and the core book of the second edition of Pathfinder. While this rewrite has gone a ways in making the Alchemist more than just a spellcaster with a jankier way of supporting allies and makes it easier to focus on a particular field. However, this has come at the cost of being even more dependent of crafting things. These alchemical items are split between bombs, elixirs (curatives and other items that mirror low-level spells), and mutagens (which are a lot more diverse than merely Hulking Out).

Alchemists can focus on one of these particular alchemical categories, which enable them to create more of that particular category of item and eventually learn to create infinite numbers of a certain low-level item (though this locks you to only two particular items from a limited list) as well as some other perks. However, since you can't dip specializations, that means that Mutagens aren't a catch-all for you if you don't focus on them to reduce the drawbacks, and allies partaking in them will suffer the full effects of them. Elixirs have two fixed items you can produce infinite numbers of while offering little in return besides being the medic. Bombs are perhaps the least addled by the specializations, as the benefits let you either overlook splash damage to make them direct damage or make their blasts bigger, but it takes a good while before you can claim infinite firebombs.

The Classes of Pathfinder 2nd Edition
Core Classes:	Alchemist - Barbarian - Bard - Champion - Cleric - Druid Fighter - Monk - Ranger - Rogue - Sorcerer - Wizard
Advanced Player's Guide:	Investigator - Oracle - Swashbuckler - Witch
Secrets of Magic:	Magus - Summoner
Guns and Gears:	Gunslinger - Inventor
Dark Archive:	Psychic - Thaumaturge
Other:	Archetypes