< ys & si y —_— y m EALC HEMIST SUalene DEVELOPED CLASS WITH UNIQUE MECHANICS AND FOUR COMPLETE ARCHETYPES, De Ree Are Rm h a alaeGuviLp DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. ‘Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild All other original text in this work is copyright 2016 by Cody Faulk and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Original artwork is used with permission of the artists, and is credited as follows: Cover Art: "Dwarven Alchemist" by Closing Art: "Plague Medic” by Marina Karakatsani (Snook) http:/snook-Sdeviantart com/art/Plague-Medie-192503338, ‘Images have been cropped for size, and ttle information for this project was added to the cover image, ‘The Alchemist- Version L12ALCHEMIST A drow crouches quietly in a small dark room with an array of bottles, pouches, and small crossbow bolls spread out before him on an impromptu table. With great care, he dips the bolts into several substances and places them into a carefully crafted leather bracer strapped to his forearm, Packing away his things and drawing his hand crossbow, he quafis a small vial of clear liquid and fades into invisibility, then slips into the hallway: Far atthe ene, he spots the guard and raises the first envenomed missile to deliver silent death. ‘Axes rise and fall as screams fill the air and travelers are butchered like livestock. Jn the back of a caravan wagon, a halfling sees a band of orcs killing his friends as he anxiously rings his hands, seemingly conflicted about what todo. Steeling himself, he smears a cold greasy paste onto his neck and feels a sheath of frost cover his body from head to toe Blowing out a sigh, he trips the trigger in his mind and wills his grim, alter ego to take control as his entire body violently shifts and contorts, Vicious claws and teeth rapidly grow out of his small features. With a sneer, the monstrous figure leaps out of the wagon and sinks its fangs into a passing orc. A half elf speaks quictly to his friends as he hands them each a val of ruddy liquid. He bids them all to drink, and each of his companions seems to swell with vigor and confidence for the battle ahead. As the paladin prepares to kick in the oor, the half elf quaffs a mixture of his own, then sets his jaw as his skin transforms into something dark and tough lke tree bark. ‘A human charges headlong across a bloody battlefield screaming defiance at her enemies. An empty vial tumbles free of her fingers as she moves with supernatural speed across the chaos. She perches atop a small rise and spies four enemy soldiers in the trench beneath her. With deft hands, she mixes and then throws a cluster of bombs at them. She runs off to another part ofthe battle even before the thunderous reports of the explosions stop echoing through the trench. Alchemists are scientists who research and study to ‘understand the world around them. They use their training to create alchemical creations like smoke sticks, alchemists fire, acids, and sundry other useful items. Alchemists are also individuals who understand that conventional science and magic are not two diametrically opposed forces, but rather two sides of the same coin in many ways. By combining them, alchemists are able to create strange and wonderful effects to ‘empower the mind and bods: Their scope does not end there, however, as alchemists also frequently experiment with potent destructive machinations, ScHOLARSHIP AND DiscovERY Generally speaking, an alchemist is part student, part adventurer, and part mad scientist, They seek to understand the world and how it works by using their prolific intellects to ‘conduct experiments and study the results. While wizards do study magic and treat t as an academic pursuit, alchemists are, on the whole, more interested in understanding the nature of the world, the multiverse, and reality itself than magic in the abstract, Whereas a wizard may study magic out ‘ofa desire to understand the essence of magic, alchemists tend to focus on the interaction of the many variables that conspire in any given situation, ‘oan alchemist, magic is just one factor in the grand. ‘equation that makes up realty, and it is no more or less important than flesh and blood, steel and stone, or even sentient thought. With that in mind, alchemists use all ofthe tools at their disposal, magic included, to hunt down new discoveries about the forces which keep existence in motion. HANDS ON EXPERIENCE Scholars, students, and researchers typically do not evoke the image of an adventurer when one thinks of them. In all practicality though, there is only so much that can be learned ina classroom. Most alchemists have some degree of formal ‘raining, perhaps from a school or a personal mentor, but ‘there comes a time when even the most stalwart bookworm realizes that their studies cannot effectively advance without ‘experience in the real world The world outside of the classroom isa varied and often dangerous place full of apparent randomness. While the controlled conditions of a sterile laboratory are often helpful for conducting ‘experiments, most alchemists reach a point where they ‘welcome this unpredictability in order to broaden their horizons. Every situation one encounters while out adventuring forces one to look ata situation while in different states of mind and from new perspectives. Each crisis is an ‘opportunity to learn some new secret that is just waiting for ‘some visionary or pioneer to stumble upon it. The laboratory ‘cannot produce the same opportunities for greatness that a life of adventuring ean, and so itis understandable why many alchemists take up the mantle of the adventurer as they attempt to further their educations, CREATING AN ALCHEMIST When you ereate an alchemist character, probably the first piece ofthe puzzle that makes up your character's identity is determining where they got their start as an alchemist, Atchemy is a fairly esoteric pursuit, and its practice is not 'ypically common knowledge. Whereas science and magic both have their places in most societies, itis somewhat rare thatthe two are systematically integrated together Did your character attend a school of some sort which imparted the secrets of alchemy? Or did you perhaps have access to a private tutor provided by your wealthy family? Or maybe you befriended a local hermit near your village who had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. In any case, knowing how you got your start down the path of the alchemist is critical to your character's background. What was your relationship like with your teacher(s)? Are you still in contact with them? Perhaps you work for them, Perhaps you were cast out by them. How does that ‘relationship affect who you are, what you are doing, and why you are doing it? The next important question is, what is your character's ‘motivation to study alchemy? What ist that you hope to discover or learn from your eareer of study and ‘experimentation? Is there a particular goal you're after, or is the pursuit of hnowledge alone enough for you? In any case, ‘what is it that drove you out into the world and life of adventure? What ist that you want to learn so badly that you are willing to risk life, limb, or worse just to catch a glimpse ‘of it? Or do you just welcome the challenge as something to test your skills against?