Editing Alchemist (section)

==AD&D==
[[File:Alchemist 2e.jpg|right|300px]]
The alchemist appeared in [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] as a specialist option for the [[wizard]], debuting in "Player's Option: Skills & Powers" before being reprinted in "Player's Option: Spells & Magic". Thematically, they are described as a scientist-wizard, similar to yet distinct from the [[Artificer]] - alongside its fellow Skills & Powers specializations, the [[Geometer]], [[Shadow Magic|Shadow Mage]] and [[Song Mage]], it was classified as a "Thaumaturgical Specialist" in Spells & Magic, gaining kindred in the form of the [[Artificer]] and the [[Wild Magic|Wild Mage]], but losing the [[Shadow Magic|Shadow Mage]] as a sibling; it was rebranded as an "Effect Specialization" in this book.

Functionally, they're a [[Transmuter]] who trades the bonus potency with transmutation spells for the ability to brew potions.

Mechanically, this specialist wizard has the following traits:
::Minimum Ability Requirements: Intelligence 15, Dexterity 14
::Permitted Races: [[Human]], [[Half-Elf]], [[Gnome]]
::Prohibited Schools: [[Illusionist|Illusion]], [[Necromancer|Necromancy]]
::An alchemist can memorize 1 additional Alchemy School spell per spell level.
::An alchemist receives a +15% bonus to learning spells from the School of Alchemy, and a -15% penalty to learning spells from any other school.
::An alchemist automatically learns a spell from the School of Alchemy whenever he reaches a new spell level.
::When attempting to create a new School of Alchemy spell, the alchemist treats its spell level as being one level lower.
::Lab-Bound: An alchemist starts play with an alchemical laboratory, which requires 50 gold pieces a month to represent stocks of reagents, replaced equipment, and so forth. Building a new laboratory costs 1,000gp per character level. Without access to their lab, an alchemist cannot memorize their bonus daily spells, conduct research, make potions, or add new spells to their spellbook.
::Potion Brewer: From 6th level onwards, an alchemist can learn formulae for magic potions. This uses the mechanics for researching a spell, treating the potions level as equal to its XP value divided by 100. Research time is 2 weeks per effective spell level, and it costs 500gp per effective level. The alchemist must pass a Learn Spells check to learn a potion formula, and the number of potion formulae an alchemist can learn is the same number as their maximum spells per level score; it is also affected by Intelligence, rising or falling in the same way. Once an alchemist has learned a potion formula, they can brew doses of the formula at will, but this requires the expenditure of 3d6*100 gold pieces and a week's work in the lab for each dose - not to mention they need to pass a Learn Spells check to successfully brew it. In "Spells & Magic", the alchemist is stated to gain a +1% bonus per character level to this "brew potion check".
::Reagent Focus: When an alchemist casts spells labeled "School of Alchemy", they have no verbal components.

School of Alchemy Spells (from "Spells & Magic"):
* Affect Normal Fires (1st)
* Fire Burst (1st)
* Grease (1st)
* Metamorphose Liquids (1st)
* Patternweave (1st)
* Protection from Evil/Protection from Good (1st)
* Fool's Gold (2nd)
* Glitterdust (2nd)
* Melf's Acid Arrow (2nd)
* Pyrotechnics (2nd)
* Sense Shifting (2nd)
* Stinking Cloud (2nd)
* Alamir's Fundamental Breakdown (3rd)
* Flame Arrow (3rd)
* Melf's Minute Meteors (3rd)
* Protection from Evil, 10' Radius/Protection from Good, 10' Radius (3rd)
* Solvent of Corrosion (3rd)
* Enchanted Weapon (4th)
* Fire Charm (4th)
* Fire Trap (4th)
* Vitriolic Sphere (4th)
* Cloudkill (5th)
* Fabricate (5th)
* Rusting Grasp (5th)
* Transmute Rock to Mud/Transmute Mud to Rock (5th)
* Vile Venom (5th)
* Death Fog (6th)
* Glassee (6th)
* Stone to Flesh/Flesh to Stone (6th)
* Transmute Water to Dust/Improved Create Water (6th)
* Acid Storm (7th)
* Hatch the Stone from the Egg (7th)
* Neutralize Gas (7th)
* Statue (7th)
* Glassteel (8th)
* Incendiary Cloud (8th)
* Crystalbrittle (9th)
* Glorious Transmutation (9th)

===Eremite===
Since [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]] had a tendency to reinvent the wheel, an alternative take on the Alchemist kit surfaced in the [[Ravenloft]] setting when [[Champions of the Mists]] introduced the '''Eremite''', which is even described in its own flavor-text as a cross between an alchemist and a [[druid]]. Unlike the aforementioned alchemist kit, eremites don't get a traditional school of magic-based restriction to their spellcasting, and function largely like standard wizards, save for the fact they brew potions instead of memorizing text from their spellbook and for the following mechanical traits:
::Available Races: Human, Half-Elf and Half-Vistani
::Ability Score Requirements: [[Intelligence]] 15, [[Constitution]] 12
::Bonus Proficiency: Herbalism
::Potion Master: An eremite has a 5% chance per level (maximum 75%) to recognize a traditional D&D potion on sight.
::Eremite Spellcasting:
* Eremites can only learn spells that have a range of "0" or "Touch".
* All spells cast by an eremite have a "casting time" of 1d4+2, representing the fact that you're just chugging a potion (or splashing it on someone).
* An eremite can give a prepared potion to an ally, who can then "cast that spell" on themselves by drinking the elixir. This lets eremites ignore the usual targeting restrictions on spells like "Gaze Reflection".
* Once an eremite "spell potion" is opened, it must be used in that same round, or it goes inert.
* Eremite spell potions have a limited shelf-life; if they have level-based effects (such as the damage of a Burning Hands potion), they lose 1 level's worth of potency per week until they become useless, whilst otherwise they just go inert 1 week after being brewed. Shelf-life can be extended for 1 week per casting of the Freshness cantrip.
* Eremite spell potions have the same potion compatibility issues and "potential for breakage when hit" problems as standard D&D potions.
* Eremites can only store their potions in containers made of natural materials, such as glass or clay; use anything else, and there's a 25% chance the potion spoils and is wasted.