You deal with potion crafting. You are great at making things and are great in the role of support. You might even be the healer of the group with your like-magic potions.

The Alchemist Profession is all about potion research and potion crafting. It is not a profession that focuses on combat or making money. If you want to deal with potions this is the profession for you. 

 

Starting Bonuses and Penalties

You already know that playing as an alchemist grants you an additional 60 character points at character creation as well as a salary of 100 shillings per week. However these are not the only an alchemist receives.

• Alchemists can use up to 2 potions a turn in combat.
• Starts with Mix Potions and Herbal Knowledge at level 1.
• Alchemists always deal 25% less melee damage in battle, except for when using staffs, rods, daggers, projectile weapons, or thrown weapons.

Effects on Weapon Usage

Alchemists are not warriors. They are less effective at any kind of weapon usage, including unarmed combat, and therefore automatically deal 25% less damage in melee combat than other characters would. This penalty only applies to melee weapons, not projectile or thrown weapons. This penalty also does not apply to staffs and rods or daggers. Therefore an alchemist would be wise to wield either a staff, rod, a dagger, a throwing weapon, or a projectile weapon.

Effects on Armor Usage

Alchemists are unable to wear heavy armor. They must stick with light armor. They can wear other armor types if they get the required armor skill, however they will suffer double the evade penalties.

Character Point Rate

Alchemists make potions. They are masters of combining ingredients to make different effects, beneficial or poison.

The Alchemist's character point rate is:

• Mental x 0.01; with an additional +0.25 for every level in First Aide except the first level (total of +0.6 bonus possible). 
• An Alchemist who gets all skills in the First Aid skill chain at level 1 gets to roll a 1d% increased by Mental as a percentage for extra character points.
• An Alchemist who gets all skills in the First Aid skill chain at level 4 gets to roll  2d% increased by Mental as a percentage for extra character points.
• An Alchemist who gets at least 1 level in every alchemist skill gets their End of Session Bonus as extra character points.
• An Alchemist's End of Session Bonus rate is your character point rate increased by 1/2 React. So if your character point rate is 1.5 and your React is 60, you would take 1.5 x 30 to get 45 extra character points at the end of the session. The GM can of course reward extra character points based on role playing. 

Skills

Alchemists specialize in skills that deal with potion usage and crafting. Any of the skills listed below would have their costs decreased by half.

Alchemist Skills Progression 

Alchemist Skills

Alchemist Growth

As you develop and master skills within your alchemist profession, you will become a more capable alchemist. Each set of skills mastered will increase your tier level in your profession, which in turn will provide you with more benefits.

Tier 1: Basic Alchemist

This is the tier level you start out as. The starting bonuses listed earlier apply here.

Tier 2: Novice Alchemist

To reach this tier, you must acquire all of the skills in the Diagnose skill chain at level 1. As a novice alchemist you benefit from the following bonuses:

• Add 10% of React to React as a modifier.
• +10 to SA as a modifier.
• Increase bag storage space by 20%.
• +0.2 to Character Point rate

Tier 3: Skilled Alchemist

To reach this tier, you must acquire all of the skills in the Diagnose skill chain at level 2. As a skilled alchemist you benefit from the following bonuses:

• Add 10% of Speed to React as a modifier.
• +20 to Resist against poisons
• Add 10% of Mental to Mental and SA as modifiers.
• +0.2 to Character Point rate

Tier 4: Master Alchemist

To reach this tier, you must acquire all of the skills in the Diagnose skill chain at level 3. As a master alchemist you benefit from the following bonuses:

• All potions you make now have two uses.
• +20 to Resist against poisons
• Increase bag storage space by 40%.
• Add 10% of React to a main stat of your choice as a modifier
• All created potions are 50% more effective.
• +0.2 to Character Point rate

Combo Professions

With some professions, once you reach a certain point in character development, you can open up a combo profession. This combo profession would allow you to to learn new skills and gain new bonuses along with your main profession. Alchemists can open into the following combo professions: Witch, Arcane Alchemist, and Assassin.

• Witch: Witch is a combo profession of Runic Mage, Cleric, and Alchemist
• Arcane Alchemist: Arcane Alchemist is a combo profession of Runic Mage and Alchemist
• Assassin: Assassin is a combo profession of Hunter, Thief, and Alchemist

Combo Professions is a new profession that grants you new skills and abilities. When you are able to go into a combo profession you continue to follow your main profession and the combo profession in regards to what skills are in profession and profession growth. The other professions that are apart of the combo profession offer no benefit.