AKA: Engineer, Machinist, Chemist, Item Master
Overview
With the Alchemist job, your character gains the ability to expertly manipulate items, and to seemingly produce them out of nothing. Alchemists are most potent in defensive abilities, having strong defenses and an array of healing and recovery powers. Given their weapon of choice and their use of tools, they are primarily a long-range job, though they can shift into the front row without much difficulty. They tend toward a support role because of their ability to produce healing items and effects easily, but their mix abilities and mastery of grenade-type items yield some very potent attacks that should factor into any alchemist's strategy.
Playing an Alchemist
#1: Keep items around!
Your main job powers benefit you the most when your party is well-stocked with items of various types. In fact, without items, most of your abilities just plain won't function. This can get expensive in terms of gil, so keep in mind methods to acquire items that don't use gil, and ways to get more gil. You have a Luck bonus, so try to keep some around for treasure rolls at the end of combat. Having a Thief or Gambler in the party, or as a sub-job for yourself, can further boost your luck and treasure rolls. Keep in mind that your Transmute attack can also keep you stocked with items, though it is a bit trickier to use.
#2: Know your Capabilities!
As an Alchemist, your dependence on items gives you a great level of versatility, adding effects to items you use on a regular basis with Prescribe, and mixing them together for your Mix limit. This versatility also comes with complexity, however: you need to be able to predict what a Prescribe ability or a Mix formula will do before you use it. To a certain extent, you can go from what you already have: if your party has found a certain item, you can see what it does when Prescribed, and you can look for useful Formulas that include the item. If you try things the other way around (knowing the Prescription and Formula lists, and then looking to fill them) you might get overwhelmed with options quickly, and then perhaps frustrated when the right item doesn't materialize. Instead of building a combo, work with what you have at the time, whatever that might be. No matter what it is, you can get some use out of it!
#3: Support your party!
As a dispenser of potions and medicines, a large portion of your abilities are healing in nature. While you might lack the direct magickal healing might of the Devout, you have a tremendous versatility in the ways in which you heal and enhance your party. Your Stash abilities keep medicines, potions, and even ethers at the ready for you. Outside of stashes, Recover provides you with potent healing and recovery options.
Advancement
Thematically, you could try taking feats or sub-jobs related to the Mystic or Machinist jobs. The former gives you mastery over transformation, allowing you to use powers like Frog and Zombie more easily than through your normal Mix abilities. The latter allows you to consolidate your mastery of Tools. When looking at other jobs, keep in mind that your Chemist ability gains power along with your weapon power or magick power, so if you choose a job that increases any of those values, all items you use will become more potent. It's also true that the Rifles you use, while slow, make for some formidable ranged attacks, given that they ignore an enemy's defenses (if they hit). Finally, keep in mind the advice above: with a sub-job like Thief or Gambler, keeping items in stock won't be as big of a struggle. You may be fairly slow as an Alchemist, but being that you're next to the Scholar on the Job Tree, you're only a few steps away from the speediest jobs in the game, which can benefit you by making your attacks more frequent, and your pockets thicker.
Alchemist Base Statistics
Base Stats | |
---|---|
HP | 20 |
MP | 20 |
Weapon | 1d8 |
Spell | 1d8 |
+1 Willpower, +1 Luck | |
Proficiencies | |
Weapon | Guns |
Armor | Plate |
Job Tree | Astrologer or Mystic |
Skill | Alchemy |
When picking a tribe or archetype, keep the following in mind:
- Vigor is not that useful for you, as a ranged job whose primary mode of attack does not get modified by Vigor. You can afford to take a hit here, assuming you are not planning on moving on to more melee-oriented jobs later.
- Agility is only moderately useful for you. Most of your abilities have a Charge Time, and having a high Agility might help offset that delay, but even with a high Agility, you will still be quite slow. A high Agility can offset a penalty, but you may be better off just eating the penalty and focusing on another base stat, rather than trying to be "average".
- Vitality is moderately useful for you. As a slow job, with some potent abilities, you may be taking a lot of physical hits. However, you are primarily a ranged job, so even with a low Vitality, you should not be taking much damage.
- Intelligence is, generally speaking, more useful than Vigor for you. Because your Chemist trait is based on Weapon Power or Spell Power, it might seem at first gloss to be a wash. However, given that you can't apply Vigor to most of your non-item attacks anyway, investing in Intelligence will give you a greater payoff. With this stat being high, you may also get skewed toward magical jobs in general, so if you're planning on taking a more physical path, keep this stat moderate, and just make sure you have another job that benefits a lot from a high Vigor.
- Mind is very useful for you, since your armor doesn't protect you against magic very well. With a respectable Mind, and some useful Accessories, you might not notice the pain. If your Mind is low, you might find yourself sitting in the Front Row, despite having effective ranged attacks, especially at higher levels when your Plate armor will exceed the Stamina penalty for being in the Front Row.
- Spirit may be one of the more useful base stats for you, on par with Intelligence. This is mostly because it adds to your Luck for Treasure Rolls, which benefit you in gil and items. You are quite dependent on items (and, thus indirectly, gil) in order to make the most out of your job. You already have an inherent bonus to Spirit, but suddenly finding yourself without a potion or grenade to use is probably more frustrating than finding yourself out of MP, since items don't come back on their own. Even if you are fine with a lower Spirit, you probably don't want a Spirit penalty, since that would hit you where it hurts the most. As an added benefit, the other uses of your Luck pool can help you deal significant damage with your base attack (given that it ignores Stamina), and can wriggle you out of a tough spot when afflicted with statuses (which lets you deliver much-needed medicine to the rest of your party).
Alchemist Archetypes
The Plucky Scientist
Optimistic and hopeful about her experiments, the Plucky Scientist is weighted for mental scores.
Vigor | -2 |
---|---|
Agility | +0 |
Vitality | -1 |
Intelligence | +1 |
Mind | +0 |
Spirit | +2 |
The Mad Scientist
The mad scientist takes a darker path, disregarding wisdom in favor of unleashed brilliance.
Vigor | -1 |
---|---|
Agility | +0 |
Vitality | -1 |
Intelligence | +2 |
Mind | -2 |
Spirit | +2 |
The Addict
Addicted to their own potions and tonics, the Addict is tough, but unstable.
Vigor | -1 |
---|---|
Agility | -1 |
Vitality | +1 |
Intelligence | +2 |
Mind | -2 |
Spirit | +1 |
Alchemist Combat Menu
Attack | |
---|---|
Guns | Transmute |
Defend | |
Defend | Maintenance |
Alchemy | |
Alchemy | Mix |
Items | |
Use Item | Change Equipment |
Move | |
Change Row | Action Ability |
Alchemist Base Abilities
These are the abilities you have when Alchemist is set as your primary job.
Base Abilities | |||
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Attack | Transmute | Instant KO | If the enemy is in Crisis, you slay the enemy, and gain the item reward from that target. This deals no damage. |
Defense | Maintenance | Defend action | You restore any equipment that is non-functioning to a functioning state. |
Trait | Chemist | Passive | You may use your Weapon Power or Spell Power in place of an item's Battle Power. If the item targets a party, halve the result (see sidebar |
Limit | Mix | 3 Limit Points | Combine 4 items to create a super-item (see sidebar) |
Sidebar: Chemist
Chemist, unlike most traits, will automatically increase in power as you level up.
Level 5 | Chemist LV 2 | Use Double Weapon Power or Double Spell Power in place of an item's Battle Power. If the item targets a party, just use Weapon Power or Spell Power. |
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Level 9 | Chemist LV 3 | Use Triple Weapon Power or Triple Spell Power in place of an item's Battle Power. If the item targets a party, just use Double Weapon Power or Double Spell Power. |
Sidebar: Mix
When you use the Mix limit break, one of two things can happen. The first is that you use four items, at once, each at x4 Battle Power (for instance, each Potion used recovers 40 HP instead of 10). This doesn't have much of an effect on medicines, but they can still be used all at once (getting rid of several statuses, or the statuses on several party members). You must have the items in your possession to be able to do it, and the items are consumed in the Limit. If you have less than 4 items, you can simply use whatever you have left.
The second thing that can happen is that you use a formula. Formula are used by Alchemists to achieve unique results with their Mix. An Alchemist has access to one formula for every Alchemist level they have. They may know others, stored in a tome somewhere, but they can only access one per Alchemist level at a time (Alchemists who know more can swap out which ones they know for the ones they have access to during an extended rest). When they activate their Mix, they can use specific combinations of specific items to achieve a unique effect. As with the normal Mix results, they must have the items in their possession, and the items are consumed. Unlike the normal Mix results, if you don't supply the correct items, you don't get the desired effect — the items are simply used as if this were a normal Mix limit.
A plethora of "default" formulas are listed below. The GM may invent their own, or may introduce new formulas, as treasure, or may even allow you to develop new formulas yourself. The GM may also choose to not use formulas at all. By default, you begin with one formula, and you acquire one more each time you gain a level. You are well advised to take formulas within the range of items that you are likely to find: if you take a formula requiring phoenix downs and holy water at level 1, you may not get to use it for some time.
Formulas are useful in that they provide the Alchemist many, many different options for the use of their LP. They also might be a little potent, even for Limit Breaks, as they require a greater cost (gil and item supply, rather than just LP).
Alchemy
The job abilities of Alchemists are called, in general, "Alchemy." Characters taking Alchemist as a sub-job can choose one of the four Alchemy skill sets to use.
Alchemy | |
---|---|
Stash | Use free items |
Prescribe | Add effects to items you use |
Tools | Use inventions |
Recover | Heal without using MP |
Alchemy: Stash
Using Stash raids your secret hiding spot for an item. This essentially gives you a "free item." Items used from the Stash ability don't apply any secondary effects — no feats or job abilities (such as Chemist) apply. However, you don't need to have any stock of the item, and using an item from Stash does not decrease the stock.
Stash works differently from most job abilities in that you gain a new Stashed item at each job level. You can choose any non-elixir item on the default list that is within or below your level range (for instance, you cannot select a Hi-Potion as your Stash unless you are at least level 5) each time you gain a level. It is up to you which items to stash, though common stashed items are Potions, Ethers, Grenades, Phoenix Downs, and Medicines — in other words, support items.
Each stashed item has a Charge Time applied to it, according to the list below:
Levels 1-4 | |
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Medicine | |
Antidote | Charge 1 |
Eye Drops | Charge 2 |
Smelling Salts | Charge 2 |
Potions & Ethers | |
Potion | Charge 0 |
Ether | Charge 5 |
Grenades & Elementals | |
Grenade | Charge 0 |
Bomb Fragment | Charge 2 |
Wrath of Zeus | Charge 2 |
Arctic Wind | Charge 2 |
Levels 5-8 | |
Medicine | |
Cornucopia | Charge 1 |
Echo Herbs | Charge 2 |
Bandage | Charge 3 |
Potions & Ethers | |
Hi-Potion | Charge 0 |
Ether Dry | Charge 5 |
Grenades & Elementals | |
Potato Masher | Charge 0 |
Bomb Core | Charge 2 |
Wrath of the Gods | Charge 2 |
Antarctic Wind | Charge 2 |
Levels 9-12 | |
Medicine | |
Maiden's Kiss | Charge 2 |
Phoenix Down | Charge 5 |
Chronos Tear | Charge 3 |
Golden Needle | Charge 5 |
Holy Water | Charge 5 |
Potions & Ethers | |
X-Potion | Charge 0 |
Turbo Ether | Charge 5 |
Grenades & Elementals | |
Pineapple Bomb | Charge 0 |
Earth Bell | Charge 3 |
Alchemy: Prescribe
Prescribe allows the Alchemist to add an effect to an item that they use. The item is still used, but it has an extra "performance enhancer" applied to it, via the use of MP. The list below shows how the various items can be upgraded (and the MP costs for upgrading them).
Prescribe | |||
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All Prescribe abilities have a Charge Time of 4. | |||
Levels 1-4 | |||
Medicine | |||
(Antidote + 10 MP) | Water of Life | Removes Poison, and bestows Regen. | |
(Eye Drops + 10 MP) | Magic Mirror | Removes Umbra, and bestows Blink. | |
(Smelling Salts + 10 MP) | Bacchus's Wine | Removes Confusion, and bestows Berserk | |
Potions & Ethers | |||
(Potion + 10 MP) | Hero Drink | Heals 10 HP and bestows Brave | |
(Ether + 10 MP) | Sacred Wine | Recovers 10 MP and bestows Faith | |
Grenades & Elementals | |||
(Grenade + 10 MP) | Sleeping Powder | Deals 10 physical damage and inflicts Sleep | |
(Bomb Fragment + 9 MP) | Smoke Bomb | Deals 10 fire damage and inflicts Umbra | |
(Wrath of Zeus + 13 MP) | Lamia's Kiss | Deals 10 lightning damage and inflicts Confuse | |
(Arctic Wind + 7 MP) | Poison Mist | Deals 10 shadow damage and inflicts Poison | |
Levels 5-8 | |||
Medicine | |||
(Cornucopia + 19 MP) | Goliath Tonic | Removes Mini and bestows Bubble | |
(Echo Herbs + 21 MP) | Mage Herbs | Removes Seal and bestows Refresh | |
(Bandage + 19 MP) | Energy Drink | Removes Disable and Immobilize and bestows Haste | |
Potions & Ethers | |||
(Hi-Potion + 17 MP) | Mega Potion | Heals 20 HP for all allies | |
(Ether Dry + 17 MP) | Mega Ether | Recovers 20 MP for all allies | |
Grenades & Elementals | |||
(Potato Masher + 21 MP) | Chaos Grenade | Deals 20 physical damage and inflicts Charm | |
(Bomb Core + 15 MP) | Vaporizer | Deals 20 fire damage and inflicts Mini | |
(Wrath of the Gods + 19 MP) | Sealing Thunder | Deals 20 lightning damage and inflicts Seal | |
(Antarctic Wind + 19 MP) | Frostbite | Deals 20 ice damage and inflicts Disable | |
Levels 9-12 | |||
Medicine | |||
(Maiden's Kiss + 25 MP) | Angel's Kiss | Removes Frog and bestows Reraise | |
(Phoenix Down + 30 MP) | Mega Phoenix | Removes KO for all allies | |
(Chronos Tear + 23 MP) | Chronos Sorrow | Removes Stop & Slow for all allies | |
(Golden Needle + 27 MP) | Stoneskin | Removes Petrify and bestows Invincible | |
(Holy Water + 23 MP) | Anointing Oil | Removes Zombie and bestows Holy Eater | |
Potions & Ethers | |||
(X-Potion + 25 MP) | Hyper Potion | Heals 30 HP for all allies | |
(Turbo Ether + 25 MP) | Hyper Ether | Recovers 30 MP for all allies | |
Grenades & Elementals | |||
(Pineapple Bomb + 27 MP) | Gold Hourglass | Deals 30 physical damage and inflicts Stop | |
(Earth Bell + 23 MP) | Quicksand | Deals 15 earth damage and inflicts Doom on all enemies |
Alchemy: Tools
An alchemist is also a master inventor, and can use a variety of tools. They craft the following tools automatically, but can certainly find more.
Tools | |||
---|---|---|---|
Level 2 | Autocrossbow | Delay 3 | Deals 5 damage to all enemies |
Level 6 | Drill | Delay 4 | Deals 20 damage to an enemy, ignoring STA |
Level 10 | Chainsaw | Delay 5 | Roll 1d20. On 1-15, Chainsaw deals 30 damage to an enemy. On 16-20, Chainsaw inflicts Death instead. |
Alchemy: Recover
The "recover" suite of abilities uses an alchemists' talents of medicine and life energy to unleash the basic healing capability of everyone. Something like a miracle, simply by laying their hands on an afflicted individual, the Alchemist can weave their internal chemistry and augment their immune system.
Recover | |||
---|---|---|---|
Level 4 | Aqua Vitae | Charge 2 | Heals Spell Power HP. |
Level 8 | Panacea | Charge 3 | Removes one ailment. |
Level 12 | Philosopher's Stone | Charge 4 | Revives a KO'd party member. |
Level Summary
Level 1 | Prescribe (1-4), Stash (1-4), Formula |
Level 2 | Autocrossbow, Stash (1-4), Formula |
Level 3 | Stash (1-4), Formula |
Level 4 | Aqua Vitae, Stash (1-4), Formula |
Level 5 | Prescribe (5-8), Stash (5-8), Formula |
Level 6 | Drill, Stash (5-8), Formula |
Level 7 | Stash (5-8), Formula |
Level 8 | Panacea, Stash (5-8), Formula |
Level 9 | Prescribe (9-12), Stash (9-12), Formula |
Level 10 | Chainsaw, Stash (9-12), Formula |
Level 11 | Stash (9-12), Formula |
Level 12 | Philosopher's Stone, Stash (9-12), Formula |
Alchemist Elite Abilities
After level 12, you may gain the opportunity to take some Elite powers. You must have 12 levels of Alchemist, and have Alchemist as your base job to use these powers.
Elite Stash
Stashed Remedy/Stashed Elixir | Charge 5 | You can choose to stash Remedies or Elixirs (but not both). |
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Elite Prescribe
Prescribed Remedy/Prescribed Elixir | 37 MP | The prescribed item affects the entire party. |
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Elite Recover
Magic Pill | Charge 5 | Revives from KO and recovers all HP |
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Air Anchor
The Elite Tools ability causes an enemy to die if they do anything.
Air Anchor | If the target enemy performs any action, they receive Death. |
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Alchemists Out of Combat
Alchemy Skill
Alchemy Skill | 1d20 + Level + Intelligence |
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Use the Alchemist skill to test your knowledge of chemicals, items, tools, mekanika, and equipment, or to craft items. |
Exploration
Alchemists can decimate potential hazards with their Demolitions ability.
Endurance = HP | ||
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Move 1d12 | Alchemy: Vehicle | Penalties placed on your Move are reduced by 6. |
You rely on mekanika for transportation over your own two legs | ||
Survive 1d4 | Alchemy: Food Pill | The next damage to your Endurance is reduced by 2 |
An entire meal in a pill! Though it is rather bland… | ||
Special 1 TP | Alchemy: Demolitions | A party member's next Move increases by +5. |
When there's a mountain in your way…blow it up! | ||
Items | Items | Use an Exploration item. |
Basic survival gear. |
Conversation
Charisma = MP | ||
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Talk 1d8 | Alchemy: Logic | The next Argument made by the other takes a -4 penalty. |
You carefully explain the coherent train of thought you used. | ||
Listen 1d8 | Alchemy: Test | The next damage to your Charisma is reduced by 4 |
You subject the speaker to a test of cold, rational scientific evidence. | ||
Special 1 TP | Alchemy: Proof | The other cannot make an Argument this round. |
You prove that the enemy's argument is entirely invalid. It takes them a while to figure out a new one. | ||
Items | Items | Use a Conversation item. |
Basic diplomatic gear. |
Alchemist Feats
To gain any of these feats, you must have the prerequisite number of levels in Alchemist. Alchemist feats enhance or alter Alchemist abilities, and allow a broader manipulation of items, matching the theme of the Alchemist job.
Feat: Distribute
Distribute helps you use potions, grenades, and other items against a group, instead of individually.
Distribute | |
---|---|
Prerequisite: Alchemist Level 1 | Ability |
You may opt to use any item that restores, heals, or damages against a party instead of an individual. Halve the Battle Power of the item when it is used in this way. |
Feat: Blue Use
Blue Use allows Alchemists to gain blue magic from items enemies leave behind.
Blue Use | |
---|---|
Prerequisite: Learn from Experience, Alchemist Level 1 | Option |
You can use a piece of loot from an enemy in order to learn that enemy's blue magic. |
Feat: X-Item
You can use items on the whole party in the time it takes most to use an item on one.
X-Item | |
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Prerequisite: Alchemist Level 5 | Ability |
When using an item, you may use one of the item for each party member. For instance, if using a Potion in a party of 4, you can use 4 potions, all at once (but not 4 potions on one person) |
Feat: Upgrade
You can add items to your weapon to enhance your attacks.
Upgrade | |
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Prerequisite: Alchemist Level 5 | Ability |
When making a normal attack, you can choose to use an item that deals damage at the same time. The item only affects one target (even if it would normally affect all enemies). The attack has the elemental properties of the item. |
Feat: Invention
You gain extra tools.
Invention | |||
---|---|---|---|
Prerequisite: Alchemist Level 2 | Ability | ||
You gain the following additional tools. | |||
Invention | |||
Level 2 | Noiseblaster | Delay 5 | Inflicts Confuse on all enemies. |
Level 6 | Bio Blaster | Delay 4 | Deals 10 Shadow damage and inflicts Poison on all enemies. |
Level 10 | Flash | Delay 3 | Deals 20 Holy damage and inflicts Umbra on all enemies. |
Elite | Debilitator | Delay 2 | Roll 1d4. 1 = Fire, 2 = Ice, 3 = Thunder, 4 = All 3. The target enemy gains a weakness to the specified element. |
Feat: Auto-Potion
This feat allows you to recover from damage instantly, without spending your own time applying a potion.
Feat: Quick-Draw
Quick-draw allows you to change equipment on the fly much faster than normal, making it easy to switch between different equipment pieces with different advantages.
Quick-Draw | |
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Prerequisite: Alchemist Level 1 | Feat |
Your Charge Time for the Change Equipment command is 1. |
Feat: Midas Touch
This alters your Transmutation attack.
Midas Touch | |
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Prerequisite: Alchemist Level 1 | Feat, Option |
When using the Alchemists's Transmutation attack, instead of turning the creature into its item award, you may turn the creature into its Gil award. |