Concept Class: Alchemist

This is just an idea I'm throwing around, and with the implementation of Ritualist Ashes (a unique new spell type), I was thinking "Well, what about potions?", and the idea of The Alchemist came shortly after.

Basically the way the potions work, you cast the spell (or in this case create the potion), and your character ends up holding a potion as an item once the cast time is up. There are then different ways to use the potion. Some spells could involve dropping it for an effect (like Rit ashes), or targetting a friend or foe to apply it's effects on them.

I think with this in mind, the type of character the Alchemist becomes is obviously more of a support type. However, the Alchemist could also have elemental spells, weapon/armor enchantments, invention-type skills such as bombs and explosive powders, and even health-sacrificing spells. This puts the Alchemist squarely between a Ritualist, Elementalist and Necromancer, respectively.

Skills in [Energy Cost/Cast Time/Recharge] format...

Attributes:

Inventions - Skills in this line deal with using chemical configurations and other technological improvements to turn the tide of battle.

Sample Skills:
Destruction Dust (Skill) - Target Foe is struck for 5...41 Fire Damage and is Blinded for 3...9 seconds. This skill has half the normal range. [-/15/2/20]
Reinforced Armor (Enchantment Spell) - For 10...20 seconds, target Touched Ally gains +20 Armor. [10/3/30]
Razor-Tipped Arrows (Weapon Spell) - For 8...18 seconds, target Touched Ally's arrows deal +3...9 extra damage and have Armor Penatration of 20%. [5/2/30]
Serrated Edge (Weapon Spell) - For 5...10 seconds, when target Touched Ally deals Slashing damage to a foe, that foe suffers Bleeding, Crippled, and Deep Wound for 5...17 seconds. [5/2/30]
Black Widow Bomb (Hex Spell) - After 3 seconds, target Touched Foe is struck for 15...75 Fire Damage and all adjacent foes are struck for 4...23 Piercing Damage. [15/1/10]

Potions - Skills in this line are potions you mix on the fly, then use either against your foes or to aid your allies.

Sample Skills:
Rejuvination Potion (Potion Spell) - Sacrifice 10% Health. Target Ally gets +40...80 health and +5...10 energy. [10/2/10]
Maddening Ale (Potion Spell) - Target Ally gets +1...12 hits of Adrenaline, but for 10...3 seconds, each spell you cast causes Exhaustion. [10/2/15]
Melandru's Blessing (Potion Spell) - Drop Potion to grow a Vine of Melandru at your location. The Vine of Melandru gives all Allies in it's area +2 Health Regeneration and +1 Energy Regeneration for 10...24 seconds. [10/2/60]
Elixir of Soul Reaping (Potion Spell) - For 30...60 seconds, target Ally gains +1...12 Energy each time a creature in the area dies. [15/3/45] (Was thinking having an Elixir for each Primary Class Attribute, to emulate it's effects)

Transmutations - Skills in this line are direct manipulations of elements, transforming one element into another or into something else entirely.

Sample Skills:
Swords Into Plowshares (Hex Spell) - For 5...10 seconds, target Foe's weapon becomes a Garden Hoe (Piercing Damage 3-5, no mods). They cannot switch or change weapons while this hex is active. [15/1/60]
Revenge of the Dead (Spell) - Exploit a corpse nearest target Foe to deal 20...125 Piercing Damage to all nearby foes. [10/1/15]
Wax Blood (Hex Spell) - If target foe is Bleeding, that Condition ends and is replaced with Weakness and Poison for the same duration. (50% Failure with Transmutations 4 or lower) [5/1/15]
Fire and Ice (Enchantment Spell) - For 10...24 seconds, all party members that deal Fire or Ice Damage will deal both types. [10/3/30]

Theory [Primary] - Each rank in Theory increases the effectiveness of all Alchemist skills by 5% (Example: Rank 10 of Theory will add 50% more damage to a skill that increases it's damage per rank, or 50% more healing to a healing skill, 50% more time for any skill that increases it's time of effect, etc.)

Sample Skills: (probably none here, just an inherent effect)

Base Max Armor: 60/+2 Energy Regen

My main concern here is how... "realistic" it would be to have someone creating potions on the fly in the middle of battle. I suppose you could already be carrying them, but then cooldown timers wouldn't make sense.

"Swords Into Plowshares (Hex Spell) - For 5...10 seconds, target Foe's weapon becomes a Garden Hoe (Piercing Damage 3-5, no mods). They cannot switch or change weapons while this hex is active. [15/1/60]"

o_O

seem fair. And I cann't say no to a Alchemist.

But to be able to hold only to one potion at time seem kinda weak. And The primary just don't seem very attractive (as its usage are too wide, yet too limited)

You know, you're right. I was trying too hard to make them like Rit ashes that it didn't even occur to me that it really didn't make 'realistic' sense.

hmm... Wonder how it could be reworked to be able to possibly make potions ahead of time, not involve carrying just one at a time, but also not be cheesy/overpowered in implementation.

Then again, maybe the recharge reflects the actual making of the potion for the next use. Perhaps you start out recharging and have a less than 1 second cast time on all of them. Making instant-use potions with slow recharge times (creating potions in the background).

What if there was a special rule dealing with holding potions. Something like this: While holding a weapon/off-hand or two-handed weapon, you can only have one potion skill max recharged at any given point in time (ready to go potion). If you have a free hand, you can have 3 potion skills max recharged. Then you could throw in special off-hand items just for the Alchemist that act as a bag/carrying device, and you could have up to your full bar of potion skills recharged.

With this, Theory could have an effect similar to Fast Casting, except dealing with recharge times instead of cast times. That could be much more attractive, I think.

I dunno, any other ideas?

I think this is a great idea, but the potions shouldn't be "madE" it should be a spell, and i looks liike you give them a potion or w/e

Transmutations is a horrible atrribute IMO right now, the skills need to be more ... creative and useful. It's kind of like necro skills/un needed crap, and the swords into plowshares isjust.... a HORRIBLE blinding flash.

But overall, this would be very nice.

He should carry around a bag, and when he activates a potion he pulls it out, not mix it together.

This doesn't explain 10 second cooldown timers

Would casting time be him looking in the bag? Thats actually kinda funnny, yet plausible.

WHERE DID I LEAVE THAT MADDENING ALE! GAH!

I'd personally rather not see A.Net follow an anime TV trend.

Personally I'd be worried that when he tried to rez a party member he would accidentally lose an arm and a leg.