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| Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist - Collected Reviews |
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| Sigfried |
 Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:34 pm Post subject: Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist - Collected Reviews |
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Hi folks,
This is simply a collection of reviews for Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist.
These are posted by yours truly and collected from various locations. These reviews are not edited other than formatting so they are readable in this forum.
If you wish to post your own review, you are by all means welcome and encouraged to do so. |
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| Dark Mistress |
| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:26 am Post subject: Secrets of the Alchemist by Open Design |
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This product is 12 pages long. It starts off with a cover and ToC. (2 pages)
Next it jumps into introduction and examining of the Alchemist class. (2 pages)
After that it gets to 30 new feats for the Alchemist class. Many of them can be used by other classes. The complete list with a few examples of what they do. (4 ½ pages)
Accurate Assessment
Advanced Alchemy
Bottoms Up – drink potion as a move action.
Craft Anywhere
Craftsman
Create Wondrous Creature
Extra Extract – get a extra extract
Fast Item Creation
Fire in the Hole
Frugal Crafting
Hardy Brawler
Improved Sleight of Hand
Learn Command
Lighten Weapon
Lighten Weapon, Improved
Mind over Body
Minor Damage Reduction
Modify Mutagen – change the penalty you take from a mutagen.
Opportunity Shot
Organized Inventory
Pack Mule – allows you to carry more.
Practice Makes Perfect
Primeval Fury
Reliable Bombs
Sidestep Charge
Skirmishing
Suicide Bomber – set off all your bombs at once at close range.
Sundering Bomb
Throw and Charge
Weapon Juggle
The final section is on character builds. They are basically advice on how to make builds that focus on certain area's of the class. (2 ½ pages)
Carpet Bomber - focuses on bombs.
Might Mutagen - focuses on mutagens.
Mad Scientist – support role.
It ends with a OGL. (1 page)
Closing Thoughts. This book really takes a look at the alchemist class, gives advice on builds and how to play it. Then offers a slew of new feats that would help the class do it's roll even better. There is no art in the book other than the cover. Most of the feats are well done and either interesting or useful or typically both. Likely Suicide Bomber is the worst feat and I like it. Your character typically kills themselves using the feat but likely kills everything around them. I don't see many taking the feat but I thought it fit the class well regardless. So whats my rating? Well it depends, for those looking for advice how to play the Alchemist it is a 5 star I say. You get advice and new toys. For those wanting more for their alchemist I give it a 4 star. For those not interested in Alchemist I still say it is a 3 star as many of the feats could be used by other characters. The one big knock on this product is the pages look a bit like parchment. Which will neat looking would be brutal on a printer. I feel they really need to offer a print friendly version of this as well when you buy it. |
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| Dark Mistress |
| Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| Added my review to this thread as well. |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:15 am Post subject: Troll in the Corner - 4 of 5 stars |
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Reviewer: Ben
Website: Troll in the Corner
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist by Sigfried Trent offers an in depth look at the Alchemist class as it’s available in the Advanced Player’s guide. Trent introduces 30 new feats designed with Alchemists PCs in mind, as well as a discussion on what the Alchemist can do as a class, and several suggested builds.
I’ve often toyed with the idea of playing an Alchemist and I’m glad that Pathfinder has introduced this as a class for PCs, rather than shady NPCs who sit in shops and charge players lots of money for stuff. If you’re looking to play this class now, or as a GM want to introduce Alchemists into your game, Secrets of the Alchemist is certainly worth taking a look at. Most of the 30 feats are well balanced and will fit nicely into your game (more on this in a bit).
This PDF starts of with an examination of the Alchemist class and what bearing they’ll have on your party. It’s worth the read as Trent has put a lot of thought into this and gives an easy to follow overview of the Alchemist which goes a bit above and beyond what’s covered in the Advanced Players guide. I finished this section knowing how I’d implement a character in a game, rather than having a few interesting but vague ideas about the Alchemist.
Next we come to the 30 new feats designed for Alchemists. Many of these are great feats which will be eminently useful to your party without breaking the game. Here though, lies my only beef with this supplement. A few of these feats seem to be a bit overpowered and may have some serious effects on game balance.
Take for instance Accurate Assessment. This feat allows a player to take a standard action in a combat round and “learn on statistical value of a foe during combat’. That could be the foe’s Strength. Or hit points. Or Will save. To me, this is a bit game breaking on two levels. It first takes the in-game character into the realm of player knowledge. Secondly, it allows players to know things they shouldn’t know.
Another such feat is Lighten Weapon, which allows you to use a weapon one size category larger as if it was your own size, with a -2 penalty to hit.
Trent has specific notes on these two feats as well, in which he gives his reasoning for including them. I can agree with his reasoning but I still think they could be potentially game breaking feats.
The good news is there are tons of excellent feats which will add a lot to your game as an Alchemist. Craft Anywhere is one of my favorites, basically allowing you to double the amount of crafting you can do while adventuring. This calls to mind the distracted tinkerer, always with a hand in something.
After detailing the new feats, there are three character build paths for the Alchemist which I think demonstrate a lot of insight into this character and give players and GMs some very viable paths to follow. The first is the Carpet Bomber, who essentially maximizes the number of bombs that can be thrown and their damage. Next is the Mighty Mutant build, which specializes in Mutagens to create a pretty hefty front line Alchemist tank. The last is the Mad Scientist build, who plays more of a support role but can equip a party with some pretty neat stuff.
I’d certainly recommend picking this up, if you keep an eye on a few of the feats and make sure they’re not too powerful for your game. 4 out of 5 stars. |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:17 am Post subject: Stargazer's World |
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Reviewer: Sunglar
Website: Stargazer's World
Rating: Heartily Recommended
Let me get this out in the clear first. I love the Pathfinder RPG Advanced Players Guide! (If I like it SO much I should do a proper review of it, but I digress.) A an avid Pathfinder RPG fan I was thrilled to get the book, among all the goodies like new feats, spells, rules for existing races and classes, I must admit that the concept of new classes tickled my fancy the most. I know I’m not alone! In my regular weekly campaign three new players had to create new characters and all three went for the flavor of the month and created characters from the Advanced Players Guide.
While the book includes rules for these new classes, some of my players expressed their concern about what new crunch would be available for the new classes. After all we have well over a decade’s worth of material for the base classes that can be converted, but I understand the concern, will there be new toys to play with for the new classes? Well fret no more, the excellent folk at Open Design come to our rescue.
I received a review copy of the PDF for Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist, the first in a monthly series of products supporting the classes in the Advanced Players Guide. This first installment is dedicated to the Alchemist. This is a very interesting class; it combines bomb throwing with potion like spell effects and character buffing mutagens. Upon first reading about the class it gave me a Final Fantasy vibe. I can’t quiet place my finger on why but it just evoked that memory of playing the game all those years ago.
This installment’s author (I have no idea if he will write future supplements in the series) Sigfried Trent puts his experiences as the editor in chief of the Netbook of Feats to good use and provides 30 new feats for the Alchemist. But the book also includes a breakdown of the class and a couple of character builds that flesh out the possibilities inherent in the class.
Let’s discuss the larger portion of the book first, feats. Love them or hate them, feats are an integral part of the D&D 3rd edition experience and by extension of the Pathfinder RPG. They differentiate characters, make them unique and create new tactical opportunities in the game. I must say I love the feats in the book. They are clearly well designed, taking into account the strengths of the class and add new options without being overpowering. The inclusion of commentary explaining rule decisions and expounding on the feat’s application are a great addition. This along with boxed text about some feats shows the care taken when creating these feats.
There are some no brainers here, like feats making it easier and quicker for Alchemists to get to their potions, extracts and mutagens and drinking them. There are some true gems here, like the feat for creating wondrous creatures, and others that enhance the role playing aspect of the “mad scientist, while at the same time having a concrete game effect. There are some feats here that may even be useful to non-alchemists, and an attempt at creating feats that will allow a character to wield larger sized weapons efficiently, Lighten Weapon and Improved Lighten Weapon. I’m not sure if I agree with the implementation. I can see the logic behind it but I may need to try it out at the table and see.
I also wasn’t thrilled with the wood like background on the cover and the border of the page, it looked amateurish. Other than that the layout of the book is clear and functional, the only art is in the cover and a piece of what looks like stock clip art on the next to last page.
Don’t let those gripes mislead you. I found all the feats in the book useful; they work especially well with the three builds at the end of the book, very flavorful. The builds are very good and show very well how different race and feat choices create diverse, effective and exciting versions of the same class.
The examination of the class that opens the book serves as a good overview to set the tone and review its capabilities, a little simple but effective. This book lives up to the hype of being more than just a collection of feats. In its short 12 pages, 9 of them actual rules, the author manages to add depth and options to the class that will add months, if not years, of gaming opportunities for the Alchemist class.
For $3.95, you can’t go wrong with this book. I heartily recommend it and look forward to the next installments. |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:19 am Post subject: Emerson's Bookshelf |
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Reviewer: Robert N Emerson
Website: Emerson's Bookshelf
Rating: Recomended
Disclaimer: The copy used for this review was provided by the folks at Open Design.
One of my favorite things about niche products is that they delve into the minutia of a subject, and do so in an enjoyable fashion while also being economical. And it is in this spirit of what I enjoy that Secrets of the Alchemist — the first in a new PDF series from Open Design that looks into the new classes for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game — does not let down.
Within Sigfried Trent's first solo-offering, not only are we presented a slew of new feats, 30-in-all, but we are also offered a look at the small details of what an alchemist is, with respect to the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. What can they do, what makes them special, and various builds focusing on the different kinds of alchemists that a player character can be. Is an alchemist simply just a brewery of potions? A drinker of draughts? An exploder of things that need to go 'splodie?
Yeah, I typed 'splodie. I'm from the Pacific Northwest, and I have caused things to 'splode once or twice, and enjoyed it every time. Sue me.
For a 12-page PDF, Secrets of the Alchemist covers a lot of ground, including the 30 feats mentioned above, 3 alchemist build suggestions with a brief leveling outline, and an examination of what it is to be an alchemist. Clear, concise, and economical; Not only does this describe Sigfried Trent's work within, but it also accurately describes these offering from Open Design.
Buy yours today, for $3.95 (PDF). |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:49 pm Post subject: Megan Robinson |
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Reviewer: Megan Robinson
Website: Drive Through RPG
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
The alchemist has been knocking around the fringes of fantasy games for ages, generally - if codified at all - as an NPC that your characters can go to for a range of useful items to take on their adventures, with alchemy itself as a sideline skill practised in your 'Craft' spot. Now Paizo's Advanced Player's Guide has brought him out of the workshop to become a playable character in his own right, with skills useful down the dungeon or out on the road, and this product seeks to expand on this and make him an even more attractive option.
The alchemist PC has several notable skills, which are mentioned in the Introduction - he can throw bombs, make and use extracts, brew potions and use poison. However, to hone such a character, he needs appropriate feats and here a grand total of 30 are presented for the budding alchemist to choose from. Many could be taken by any character, espcially one who has taken alchemy as a craft skill sideline to his main class. One that catches the eye is Organised Inventory, which allows the character to extract a non-weapon item as a free action during combat: very useful if you want to make use of something other than a conventional weapon mid-brawl... you hardly want to stand there frisking yourself for what you want. (Consider this, can you place your hand on your car keys right NOW without having to think about where they are?) Most of the feats either improve the alchemist's lab work or enable him to use his special combat skills even better. Suicide Bomber is not, however, recommended unless you really do want to go out in a blaze of glory as it involves walking up to your opponent and letting off every bomb you've got.
Next comes some character builds, with the comment that a bit of thought and planning about how you want your character to develop is well worth it, helping to ensure that you meet the requisites for whatever feat you want to take. Each is provided with level-by-level suggestions for what to develop in order to maximise your potential. The builds are an elf 'carpet bomber' who is particularly good at the explosive aspects of the alchemist class, a half-orc 'mighty mutant' who develops himself, and a human 'mad scientist' who should be fun to play and entertaining for everyone else around the table... he's really better at making things than brawling, but if he does get into a fight people may be surprised at just how well he handles himself!
This is a neat supplement providing tools to enhance alchemist characters and make the most of the possibilities inherent in the ruleset. It may feel rather a calculating approach to some... but remember that just as many people in the real world will take a specific qualification or career move just to further a long-term goal, so may your characters plan their progression through the game, even if they themselves don't quite see it in terms of the feats and stat blocks that we players use to describe them! |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:50 pm Post subject: Ben Gerber from DriveThruRPG.com - 4 of 5 stars |
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Reviewer: Ben Gerber
Website: Drive Through RPG
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Secrets of the Alchemist by Sigfried Trent offers an in depth look at the Alchemist class as it's available in the Advanced Player's guide. Trent introduces 30 new feats designed with Alchemists PCs in mind, as well as a discussion on what the Alchemist can do as a class, and several suggested builds.
I've often toyed with the idea of playing an Alchemist and I'm glad that Pathfinder has introduced this as a class for PCs, rather than shady NPCs who sit in shops and charge players lots of money for stuff. If you're looking to play this class now, or as a GM want to introduce Alchemists into your game, Secrets of the Alchemist is certainly worth taking a look at. Most of the 30 feats are well balanced and will fit nicely into your game (more on this in a bit).
This PDF starts of with an examination of the Alchemist class and what bearing they'll have on your party. It's worth the read as Trent has put a lot of thought into this and gives an easy to follow overview of the Alchemist which goes a bit above and beyond what's covered in the Advanced Players guide. I finished this section knowing how I'd implement a character in a game, rather than having a few interesting but vague ideas about the Alchemist.
Next we come to the 30 new feats designed for Alchemists. Many of these are great feats which will be eminently useful to your party without breaking the game. Here though, lies my only beef with this supplement. A few of these feats seem to be a bit overpowered and may have some serious effects on game balance.
Take for instance Accurate Assessment. This feat allows a player to take a standard action in a combat round and "learn on statistical value of a foe during combat'. That could be the foe's Strength. Or hit points. Or Will save. To me, this is a bit game breaking on two levels. It first takes the in-game character into the realm of player knowledge. Secondly, it allows players to know things they shouldn't know.
Another such feat is Lighten Weapon, which allows you to use a weapon one size category larger as if it was your own size, with a -2 penalty to hit.
Trent has specific notes on these two feats as well, in which he gives his reasoning for including them. I can agree with his reasoning but I still think they could be potentially game breaking feats.
The good news is there are tons of excellent feats which will add a lot to your game as an Alchemist. Craft Anywhere is one of my favorites, basically allowing you to double the amount of crafting you can do while adventuring. This calls to mind the distracted tinkerer, always with a hand in something.
After detailing the new feats, there are three character build paths for the Alchemist which I think demonstrate a lot of insight into this character and give players and GMs some very viable paths to follow. The first is the Carpet Bomber, who essentially maximizes the number of bombs that can be thrown and their damage. Next is the Mighty Mutant build, which specializes in Mutagens to create a pretty hefty front line Alchemist tank. The last is the Mad Scientist build, who plays more of a support role but can equip a party with some pretty neat stuff.
I'd certainly recommend picking this up, if you keep an eye on a few of the feats and make sure they're not too powerful for your game. |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:52 pm Post subject: Shane O'Connor of Drive Through RPG - 5 of 5 stars |
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Reviewer: Shane O'Connor
Website: Drive Through RPG
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Pathfinder’s new alchemist class, published in the recently-released Advanced Player’s Guide, is something of an odd duck. It’s part spellcaster, part bombardier, and part Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. That’s not necessarily a bad combination, but there’s still quite a few hats for it to wear. Inevitably, some of them don’t quite seem to fit as well as they could.
It’s with that thought in mind, I’m guessing, that Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist was written.
Published by Open Design, Secrets of the Alchemist is a short PDF, being only a dozen pages long. It’s fairly light on some of the more technical aspects of a PDF release as well; there are no bookmarks, and notwithstanding the cover, there are no illustrations here either – though, to be entirely accurate, the pages are all given a parchment-style background.
So what does such a short, spartan PDF really bring to your game table? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot. The author of the book, Sigfriend Trent, is the driving force behind the Netbook of Feats, which gives him a lot of insight into feat design and development, and he brings that out in full force here. In fact, the real secret of Secrets of the Alchemist is that a lot of these feats aren’t really alchemist-specific, but can be used by almost anyone. In my Pathfinder group, the alchemist is using this book (having taken the Craft Anywhere feat) and so it the barbarian (taking Lighten Weapon). Don’t misunderstand, a number of these feats can only be used by your alchemist, but far more are fit for several different character archetypes.
Perhaps the best part of this book, however, is the way in which the author invites you behind the proverbial curtain to explain why he made the decisions he did. Almost all of the feats here have a commentary section, usually no more than two or three sentences, explaining the feat’s significance. Being told how Organized Inventory works in conjunction with Quick Draw to let you draw any stored items as a free action is good, but noting how well it works with drinking potions really drives the point home.
The book ends with three specific builds for your alchemist. These are basically optimized character progressions explaining what race you should be and what feats, class abilities, ability scores, (and even a suggested list of formulae) etc. you should take to maximize the effectiveness of that particular build. These builds basically specialize in using your bombs, using mutagens, and crafting. As with the feats, there’s some explanation given for the why’s and how’s of these builds, which is all but essential when you’re giving advice for building a character out to 20th level.
Ultimately, Secrets of the Alchemist is an excellent book whose only real problem is that its name may make people think that its applicability is narrower than it actually is. Presuming you don’t want to play an alchemist, you can still put 75% or so of this book to good use – ignoring the builds and alchemist-specific feats still leaves a goodly chunk of excellent feats on the table, whether you’re a melee fighter, spellcaster, or skill monkey. This book’s advanced feats have the formula for success no matter what your class is. |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:08 pm Post subject: Steven T Helt from paizo.com - 3 of 5 stars |
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Reviewer: Steven T Helt
Website: Paizo
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Please note that a copy of this product was furnished for the purposes of this review.
I was pleased to be asked to review Secrets of the Alchemist, as I am a huge fan of extending player options and customizability. Moreover, I really love the Advanced Players’ Guide for Pathfinder, and I think each of the new classes included in the book are solid gold. After reading the document, putting it aside and reading it again, I decided my review would boil down to two issues: the concept of the simple class expansion, and the specific mechanical information contained within Secrets of the Alchemist.
I think the idea of a simple guide for character builds using the new classes is brilliant. The chance for new feats and other options to choose from while I reconcile my own character concept with the Pathfinder rules is too good to pass up, and the $4 price for the print or .pdf version is completely reasonable. Though I am very picky about the supplements I spend my money on, this is exactly the sort of small purchase that can add hours of fun discussion and character building to a core mechanic. Already, there are two players thinking of playing an alchemist in an upcoming evil game I’ll be involved in. The deeper the support for a brand new character class, the more exciting the prospects for those characters. I fully expect to see a similar treatment from Open Design for other APG classes and maybe even some core classes if they suffer a lack of attention (meaning bards). In this way, brief books like Secrets of the Alchemist are necessary additions to the gaming libraries of both players and game masters.
As for the specific mechanics and other material presented in this first guide, I think of it as part gold and part lead. The feats have a few great choices, among them Fire in the Hole, Hardy Brawler, Organized Inventory, and Practice Makes Perfect. Not only do these feats impact (ha!) the alchemist class, but they are interesting options for other classes also. I think the feats also have some offerings that could have benefited from more playtesting or review. Some (Reliable Bombs, Craftsman) duplicate the effects of already existing feats, while others are poorly balanced by low prerequisites (Minor Damage Reduction, Primeval Fury, Suicide Bomber). The Create Wondrous Creature feat is remarkable in its design: it lets a low-level PC create life forms (instantaneous fireball, or permanent choker or morlock?), it allows a weird change in required caster level at 10th level, and it does not allow an alchemist to create a construct or undead, which makes more sense to me.
While there are parts I liked and didn’t like about the book, perhaps the most remarkable thing to me is what it’s missing. A treatment of the alchemist class seems like it’d be brimming with a variety of mechanical goodies, like new poisons or a poison feat, one or two alternate class features, one or two mundane mechanical items. Probably I am just looking for a more involved product that deserves several editorial passes and demands more of your money, but I think consumer reaction to this line of books will be one of frustrated or satisfied expectations – when I opened Secrets of the Alchemist, I expected lots of neat choices designing a potential PC or villain. I got a list of feats I am unlikely to use (or ever let any of my PCs use, like Create Wondrous Creature or Suicide Bomber), and that’s almost all. I like the idea of building a few sample characters and explaining their options and archetypes, but I’d like more than I got.
In summary, the potential for an exceptional product is there, but a number of things had me wishing for a more thoughtful design. I note this product is a first offering, and I admit I am not privy to the amount of information about the class Open Design might have had prior to print. This book has things I’d recommend every alchemist player or DM take a look at, but some of the feats may require a little DM polish to maximize the fun and balance they bring to |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:12 pm Post subject: The Smitter (mini review) 5 of 5 stars |
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Reviewer: The Smitter
Website: Paizo
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
This book opens up options for the Alchemist some really need and expected. And a few that are a very cool, one that lets you craft your very own monsters. Every one else has done a great job reviewing this product so I am not going to. But I will say, if you play an alchemist you pretty much need this book and if you don't it is still kind of useful and at less then $4 why not people |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:13 pm Post subject: Glutton (mini review) 3 of 5 stars |
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Reviewer: Glutton
Website: Paizo
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Simply put, if your DM allows this supplement expect the power level of your game and especially your alchemist to rise dramatically. Not terribly well thought out feats lead to all kinds of rules shenanigans that will lead to some pretty quick endings to fights. If your group or DM is fine with this, I can recommend this whole-heartedly as the feats themselves are at least enthusiastic, and visually appealing. Knock yourself out. |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:17 pm Post subject: The Vorpal Spork - Unrated mini review |
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Reviewer: The Vorpal Spork
Website: The Vorpal Spork
Rating: Recomended
Advanced Feats: Secrets of the Alchemist by Sigfried Trent is the latest Player Buff-O-Rama product from the fine folks at Open Design. While I have never played an alchemist in a game, I did run through the character creation process to get a better idea of what it would be like. In a word it was Intriguing. I especially liked the Carpet Bomber build. This would certainly be the PC you'd want to go first and soften up the Big Bad and his Boys for you.
Here's what you get:
30 Alchemist Feats, with some that other classes could use as well.
3 example builds- Carpet Bomber, Mighty Mutant, and Mad Scientist
Each feat and build was well thought out and thoroughly explained. I would consult my Game Master before using some of them first though. If you're playing a high level Alchemist in Pathfinder you definitely need this product.
I recieved a free copy of this product for review purposes |
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| R.C, Jr |
| Posted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Sigfried |
| Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 11:59 am Post subject: Mordicai Caeli |
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Reviewer: mordicai caeli
Website: Mordicai
Rating: Recomended
The "Advanced Feats" series by Kobold Quarterly is just the stuff you're looking for, especially if you recently picked up a copy of Pathfinder's Advanced Player's Guide. Each of these dozen(ish) page articles are chock-full of a mix of the sort of "duh" feats that you can't believe haven't been published before, coupled with the "neato" feats that get you to re-examine class features in a new light. Sigfried Trent is the chief editor of The Netbook of Feats, & has a decade of mechanics balancing under his belt, & it shows; these aren't over-powered, but they definitely rank in the "useful" category-- no "Dodge" here. Trent attaches a commentary to eac feat, explaining why it works, how it might be useful, or why it isn't broken-- a level of transparency that any DM can appreciate. Each article ends with a few "Builds," a list of feats for your character to take at each applicable level in order to get the most bang for your buck. Personally, I like my characters to acquire feats organically, as they progress, but seeing a progression-- a chain reaction, so to speak-- is useful.
Secrets of the Alchemist starts off right out of the gate giving me ideas-- the examination of the class just struck a cord, making me visualize an alchemist who drops a poison gas bomb at his own feet to take advantage of his own immunity, & then proceeds to lobs bombs out of that, daring anyone to come try to engage him in melee. Hey, that guy is great, & the "Mighty Mutant" build for maximizing on the alchemist's Mutagens is a great Mister Hyde feat tree. Many of the feats for the alchemist made me think of my former player Gerd, who constantly bemoaned how badly off item creators had it; well, "Craft Anywhere" & its ilk are meant for people like him. I was sort of offended to see "Craftsman"-- just a boring old +2 to a skill feat? I thought things like "Accurate Assessment" & "Lighten Weapon" were weird & could be great character hooks. Something like Suicide Bomber is a cute ability but broken-- as a Dungeon Master it occurs to me only as fodder for "you see a goblin running at you. He seemed to be covered in Yule ornaments..." but I see too much potential for PC abuse, let alone making it a feat. Rules to cover it, yes-- because as the commentary says, your PCs will try it-- but a feat isn't the right spot for those rules.
I think that Secrets of the Alchemist makes me want to play the Alchemist class, but Witch's Brew seems the most useful to the class-- & to any class that resembles it. I don't like classes that are limited by spell list-- in fact, I hate spell lists entirely. They are a bottleneck, & limit fun rather than enable it. That being said, I'm not sure Hexes arn't entirely better than spells-- the downside seems to be that you can't apply metamagic, but who uses metamagic? Apart from a special case Quickened spell, that is. It just reminds me of how superior "Sudden Metamagic" feats were-- much preferred, thank you! Putting that aside, I think the feat tree of most interest are the ones pertaining to familiars & to countermagic-- both of which add a unique feel to the class. Familiars have always been under-exploited & the feats provided go a long way towards making them useful-- both from a mechanical standpoint & from a story perspective. While Secrets of the Alchemist has a great "jerk" power-- "Sundering Bomb"-- Witch's Brew has "Familiar Reincarnation" which is basically "save versus mean DM." The counterspell list goes a long way towards making it a viable character option, rather than what the author calls a "once in a character's lifetime event." I think my favorite feat in the list is "Signature Focus," which provides what is essential "Eschew Materials" for the more expensive spell components-- but does it in a way that is both balanced & flavorful.
Far & away, the best part of these supplements is how useful they might be to a range of characters. Sure, some of the feats are really only applicable to the specific classes-- some modify class features, for instance-- but others are just ripe to be picked up by any class. Want a slew of feats to buff your familiar, Wizards? Check out Witch's Brew. Want to juggle your inventory, item-heavy Rogue? Ah, then Secrets of the Alchemist is right up your alley. They are a tight grouping of neat powers which buff specialty classes, provide options to a wide range of PCs & have a few "snake hands" where unexpected rules blossom-- tattoo magic, damage reduction, using a healer's kit to actually heal damage, making ranged opportunity attack, that kind of thing. Above all it is an interesting series-- maybe you are playing an Inquisitor or a Summoner or some other class...in which case I'd be rubbing my hands together with glee, anticipating one of these bundles.[/url] |
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