The Alchemist: D&D Build #131

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

I am playing an Alchemist/ Spore Druid...
Playing with toxin and poisons had an adverse effect

I keep replaying the video, but can’t seem to figure it out. :(
How’d he manage to get an extra attack with a handcrossbow + shield combo in this build?

Loving the content. Thanks Colby

Currently lvl 5 and ive asked my DM to be able to stick acid vial on my javelin poison sheathe with my dagger i took the str armor so i get a +5 since i have 20 int and à +5 since i do poison or acid so 1d6+5 1d6acid+5 with my stats beeing a+6 no spells casted
My only problem now is action economie ill probably take some class with extra attack dont know wich one yet to lvl up

Has anyone mixed alchemist artificer with 2 levels of the wizard artificer from the old arcana? I looked into that with 3 levels of assassin rogue for a little mobility, possible damage potential and the poison proficiency?

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.

I really like the Pathfinder Alchemist class. Tons of options with Discoveries, Archetypes, and even Discovery-like (alchemist-themed) Feats.

I love this build for a plague doctor themed character. If I ever try it in game that's how I would roleplay it. ❤

My next character is going to be a Wild Magic Barbarian / Alchemist Artificer hybrid. Bolstering Magic means more elixirs, which I can still create and drink while raging. How's that for optimization?

I really enjoy your content and enjoy your channel growing, but I must ask: What in the name of Sune happened to your study/studio? Not everyone is going to agree with me obviously, but I preferred the old style. Less streamer-lighting and displate sponsorship and more Colby, who’s an actual person and seems to have his own taste in many things, including interior design.

Is it possible that the join button is disabled? I cant see it

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.

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)

Another Alchemist build I could see is doing something similar to this but taking Wizard Levels instead of Fighter (maybe it could be another video idea for you?) Alchemist Artificer’s lack AOE damage so throwing in some Wizard levels to get those kind of spells I think would help the subclass out. Maybe even go Bladesinger to make hitting you even harder, get BS’s Extra Attack and get an extra powerful Green-Flame Blade thanks to Alchemical Savant

How do I get the printable copy of this alchemist build

If you want to drink potions as a bonus action, choose the Hadozee race. You do it with your feet.

Sigh it sucks because i don't count a build that requires variant human as a build. It's just so boring.

Artificer's are literally my favourite class and Alchemist's my favourite subclass of Artificer, and no you right they are both underpowered. I've been playing one with a 1 level dip into Blood Cleric from the Tal'Dorei book and 2 levels in evoker wizard. I also have booming blade and a magic scimitar. This leads bad guys into an unfortunate scenario, do they stay and get burnt by my Flaming sphere that's adding my int mod and 2+ spell level in damage or do they move and take 2d8 damage from Booming Blade and then let me hit them again, with Booming Blade. Because I have Warcaster and I'm an asshole, it's especially nice because my flaming sphere doesn't hurt my allies(usually....). Highly recommend the dip if your DM lets you.

I was always disapointed with the dnd Alchemist but now that I have seen how Pathfinder 2e handles the Alchemist its even worse. I always disliked the fact that the Alchemist is a caster when he should be his own thing. But I guess thats a general problem with the artificer.
I never thought someone would make a useable build with it but you did it. Probs for that and keep up the good work.

can you make a pathfinder 2e alchemist too please

Thought on never taking Spare the Dying when you could buy a healers kit? Seems like you could use a better cantrip instead.

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)

When I DMed for an Alchemist, I let them choose between rolling 2 random elixirs and choosing 1. I felt like that gave the Alchemist a slight but much needed boost

Your videos are awesome! Would you, by any chance, have a sample of the text document we get at the $1.99/mo level? Would be awesome to know exactly what we're signing up for. Either way, thank you for all the amazing content!

My GM says I can drink an elixir as a bonus with the rogue levels, how would you build that

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.

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've found the (HB) Mutagen Blood Hunter to be really fun combination with the Alchemist if you'd like to have your character be some sort of nefarious on the run doctor using their understanding of the body and its cardiovascular system or some kind of hemomancy to strengthen themselves or others in combat if your table allows it.

I didn't number crunch and I know Colby doesn't like to include HB for not every table allows it but I've been playing this ex-"cartel" member whos escaped their clutches for a couple of months and really have been enjoying the build. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a really fun but very viable build in there If your DM allows it and would consider giving it a thought. :^ )

Henry Cavill stopped playing Geralt because the show writers openly detest the Witcher books and are deviating heavily from the source material, which is not what Henry signed on to do.

I respect the man’s decision. He cares more about the books’ legacy and doing the story justice than he does about getting his next fat paycheck.

How would you do this build for a level 20 one shot? I really enjoy the content by the way!!

Why not go divine soul sorcerer instead of going cleric? You could get bless and can get quickened spell at later levels if you take a greater level dip and not use your action for bless.

I am planning on making an alchemist build with 3 levels on thief rogue and the rest on alchemist, taking the healer feat and just bonus action healing everyone whenever i want :') im planning on using cantrips for dps and flavoring them as me throwing potions/poisons at people, bless could be smelling salts and etc

Idea for a build.
Hex paladin twist!
(Any warlock) pact of the tomb to get shillaegh with charisma, multiclass into paladin/sorcerer/ect as normal. Opens up a ton of options for warlock subclass and let's you use a shield and PAM since quarterstaffs can act as a spell focus

How did you not just rage quit in the middle of theorizing this, the subclass is so frustratingly unoptimized

Henry not being Geralt anymore breaks my heart.

I wonder...
If you get a free starting feat and can pick a race besides VH, could you go Hadozee so you could down your Boldness potion as a BA?
If so and you get a free starting feat, that race might be a must-have

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.

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.

Miss the bookshelf.

Just my 2 cents, but the lighting is better in the dragon lamp. Very cool! Please keep it.

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!

Not sure if this is available, but I would like to see a chart where each class is listed that was mentioned in each video. That way if I wanted to play a rogue, I could look and see the episodes, then look at that rogue list and add bard, see what’s been done with those two classes.

Fun build, and man was that a tough one! As far as the color I'd say it needs to be a little bit cooler. When you showed the in between mix your tones looked best imho.

Are Artificers really that bad? Seems they can be rather indestructible.
Battlesmith
Plate Armor +2 (Infusion) - 20 AC
Shield +2 (Infusion) - 4 AC
Fighting Style - Defense - 1 AC (Feat: Optional)
Warforged - 1 AC
Ring of Protection (Infusion) - 1 AC + 1 Saving Throw
Cloak of Protection (Infusion) - 1 AC +1 Saving Throw
Haste (Spell)- 2 AC
Shield (Spell)- 5 AC

That puts you at 28 standing AC, then 35 AC while buffed. Which means even some of the toughest monsters would need a 20 to hit you. This is with finding zero magical items.

If you stand next to your pet, the pet can impose disadvantage if the monster attacks you.

Then you also can wear 6 Infusions, which would grant you +6 Saving Throws and +2 Saving Throws for Ring/Cloak, for +8 Saving Throws to make you rather resilient to magic. You also have one more infusion to play with, something like winged boots to fly, belt of giant for 21 str, boots of speed. In addition to that, you can destroy one of your infusions to just not die. You also have access to Absorb Elements for magical attacks.

In terms of damage, you would deal 1d8 + 2 + 5, attacking twice. Then the pet would deal 1d8 +6 damage. You also then have the option to deal an additional 4d6 damage or heal yourself 4d6. In addition, when your pet applies disadvantage he deals another 1d4 +5. Then with haste you can attack again for another 1d8 +2 +5 damage. Averaging roughly 60 damage while being virtually unkillable.

If you wanted to deal a bit more damage, you could also summon a Construct for another 1d8 + 4 + 5 damage twice adding an average of 26 damage.

Order cleric would allow someone u bless to take an extra attack

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.

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!

I might try this and have him be super forgetful, so every time he uses an elixer I'll roll for which one it is so it's always random 😂