Alchemist – D&D 5e Artificer Subclass Guide (2014)

Brew up liquid life and death with this alchemical artificer subclass.

At a glance

Alchemist features

Tool proficiency – Lv3

You gain proficiency in alchemist’s tools. This is a practical buff allowing you mostly to be able to create the elixirs the subclass relies on so much.

Alchemist spells – Lv3

How it works

Gain the following as prepared spells at the appropriate levels:

Artificer Level	Alchemist Spells
3rd	Healing word, ray of sickness
5th	Flaming sphere, Melf’s acid arrow
9th	Gaseous form, mass healing word
13th	Blight, death ward
17th	Cloudkill, raise dead

Tactics

• Alchemists get some great healing spells in their repertoire. Primarily here, you’re the emergency healer. You use healing word when an ally hits 0HP or mass healing word when multiple allies need this.
• Later features will round out your healing further.
• Gaseous form is a top utility spell and great for investigating.
• Sadly, the damage dealing options are a little uninspired. Ray of sickness is comparatively low damage, and while it can cause the poisoned condition, this is only for a turn. Flaming sphere is very easy for enemies to avoid its damage. Melf’s acid arrow is average damage for its level, but takes 2 turns to manage that whereas blight is slightly higher damage than a fireball, but will only affect one target, and is a level higher.
• While it’s good to have damage dealing options which are widely missing in the core artificer class, when compared to the artillerist, the alchemist gets considerably poorer damage dealing spells.

Experimental elixir – Lv3

How it works

Create a random elixir each day that provides a buff. You can create additional elixirs each day as you gain levels or can expend a spell slot to do so.

Tactics

• This is a tricky one. In theory, all these elixirs are beneficial and handy to have available, but their randomness makes it hard to fashion the elixir you want available. For example, say you know you’ll need flight for an adventuring day, but you happen to not roll a 5 that day, you have the capabilities to solve a problem, but not the luck.
• The other challenge here comes in the form of the action economy required to use these elixirs. An action is a steep price in the thick of combat. For instance, if you want to use the boldness elixir, you really need to be using that during combat, but must waste most of your first round setting yourself up with the enhancements.
• This is less of an issue for something like flight which can easily be used outside of combat or ahead of it.
• Many tables homebrew rules to allow potions to be consumed as a bonus action (something I highly recommend) which solves this problem and makes the alchemist’s signature feature far more effective. But rules as written, this feature can be awkward in practice.

Alchemical savant – Lv5

How it works

Add a bonus to one roll you make when casting a spell to either increase healing or damage. This increase is equal to your intelligence modifier.

Tactics

• Depending on your level and focus for ability score improvements, this should usually be a bonus of 3-5 per roll.
• It’s a solid buff and for a cantrip like firebolt as an example, will increase average damage from about 11 at this level, to 15.
• Note that the increase is to one roll of the spell. This means something like Tasha’s caustic brew or Melf’s acid arrow, which cause damage on consecutive turns, will still only add to a single roll of the spell, not the rolls on subsequent turns.
• However, the bonus to the roll can be applied to multiple creatures if the same roll is made for healing/damage. This is the case for something like mass healing word, granting up to an additional 30 hit points! Acid splash can have a more limited effect like this against 2 targets.
• Sadly, artificers aren’t blessed with many AoE damage spells, and some of those that are, like sword burst and thunderclap, don’t have the correct damage type to be affected by this.

Restorative reagents – Lv9

How it works

Whenever someone drinks one of your experimental elixirs, they gain 2d6 + your intelligence modifier in temporary hit points. You can also cast lesser restoration without using a spell slot a number of times equal to your intelligence modifier.

Tactics

• A great way to always make your elixirs even more worthwhile being used.
• Temporary hit points don’t stack so it’s worth spreading the uses around the party rather than hoarding them for yourself.
• Lesser restoration isn’t always needed, but is really useful when it is. 4-5 uses of this per long rest should be plenty and makes you the go to supplier of condition removal.

Chemical mastery – Lv15

How it works

Gain resistance to acid and poison damage and immunity to the poisoned condition. You can also cast greater restoration and heal once per long rest without using a spell slot.

Tactics

• Extra resilience is always useful.
• You also now have a powerful healing spell, making you useful for mid combat healing, not just recovery of downed allies.
• Remember that heal will also benefit from a small boost equal to your intelligence modifier from alchemical savant.

How good is the alchemist subclass?

The alchemist is primarily a healer and a buffer. Healing is decent, but until you hit level 15, you mainly only want to be providing healing to recover downed allies. It’s an important option in a party, and a regular supply of temporary hit points sweetens the deal making the alchemist a solid healer. Generally, however, I’d argue that healing spells are a bit too weak in 5e.

The alchemist’s core feature is problematic though. Random elixirs make it hard for you to be strategic and the requirement of an action can make some elixirs a little obsolete. If you’re playing at a table that allows potions to be consumed as a bonus action, this is improved considerably though.

Sadly, as a damage dealer, alchemists fall far short. If you’re not healing or buffing, you’ll generally feel underpowered trying to deal damage, even with a damage boost at level 5. You’re actually better off casting control spells like web than attempting to damage foes all that much, which can be frustrating. This is especially the case for a subclass that you’d hope would be creating bottled explosions and corrosive reagents.

With all of this, and despite some interesting features, I think the alchemist falls short, especially when using rules as written for elixir consumption.

2/5

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Optimising an alchemist

Alchemists are healers and buffers first and foremost. They rely on spellcasting more than any other artificer subclass and utilise intelligence across multiple subclass features, as well as their spellcasting.

You’ll want to build heavily into this to get the most out of the subclass. And below I’ve given you a load of advice on how to create an optimal build.

Ability scores

Recommended options

Intelligence: Your most important ability score by far. This will enhance your spellcasting, your extra healing and damage from alchemical savant and the number of free uses of lesser restoration you get.

Dexterity: You won’t have access to heavy armor so you’ll want this to be at least 14 to take full advantage of medium armor. By level 5, cantrips will definitely be your most effective standard attack making a dexterity above 14, quickly obsolete.

Constitution: Great for maintaining concentration on spells and increasing your hit points. Intelligence remains a priority and then any spare ability points can go here.

Options to avoid

Strength: You have no need for this.

Wisdom: You have little need for this.

Charisma: You’re not built for face skills, leave this for bards, paladins and other charisma-centric classes.

Ability score	Point Buy	Standard Array
Strength	8	8
Dexterity	14	14
Constitution	15	13
Intelligence	15	15
Wisdom	10	12
Charisma	8	10

Skills

Recommended options

Arcana: Solid knowledge skill and as a rare, intelligence based class, one of the best options for specialising in this.

History: Another decent knowledge skills to take advantage of your intelligence.

Investigation: Investigating things will often come up and it’s also an intelligence based skill.

Nature: Decent enough knowledge skill and uses intelligence which you’ll be strong in.

Perception: Not a great ability score for an artificer, but perception is useful for everyone in the party.

Sleight of hand: You should have a decent dexterity and with thieves’ tools proficiency, you can make a strong burglar option when the party is absent of a rogue.

Options to avoid

Medicine: Just grab a healing potion, cure wounds or something like magic initiate to get healing word.

Races

I’d consider a race that enhances the following kinds of features for an alchemist:

• Spellcasting: As natural spellcasters, any kind of spellcasting enhancements or innate spells are only going to help round out your capabilities and give you more options. If you can grab some damage dealing spells, especially those that deal acid, fire, necrotic or poison damage, this will be particularly useful.
• Intelligence-based: Some races will specify certain ability scores you increase. If that’s the case, you’ll want to prioritise an intelligence increase followed by dexterity and constitution.
• Safety: You don’t need loads of resilience as an alchemist as you’ll mainly be hanging out of danger. However, some safety features to help you remain out of danger aren’t a bad thing. Things like teleportation and flight are great ways to achieve this.

Recommended races

The races of D&D 5e have gone through various iterations. Below I’ve recommended races that work well with an alchemist using the most recently published version from D&D 5e (2014).

• Astral Elf – Teleport as a bonus action is great for getting you out of danger. Proficiency in perception is useful. Sadly sacred flame is likely to go unused from level 5 onwards.
• Autognome – 2 extra tool proficiencies, easy healing outside of combat, lots of resilience features and built for success stacks nicely with flash of genius. Autognomes feel almost built for artificers (literally) and their abilities work nicely together.
• Eladrin – Fey step is very handy for teleporting away from danger while trance gives you a couple of extra proficiencies which you can use to fashion yourself into more of a replacement rogue if needed. All very handy for an alchemist.
• Fairy – The big draw here is flight. Get up high and blast away from a distance. Faerie fire is really good too, and enlarge/reduce is decent for some extra spell options.
• High Elf – +2 to dexterity and +1 to intelligence suit an alchemist quite nicely. Proficiency in perception is always useful and a free cantrip from the wizard’s spell list is handy as you get minimal spell options and can choose an appropriate damage type (toll the dead is a good option for necrotic damage).
• Goblin – Nimble escape is great for keeping an alchemist safe with disengage or hide as a bonus action. Fury of the small is also great as you get extra damage on attacks or spells when attacking something of a size larger than yourself (which most creatures are), and you’ll likely be making a decent number of spell attacks.
• Shadar-Kai – Blessing of the Raven Queen lets you teleport out of trouble and gives you resistance to all damage for a turn. Proficiency in perception and a different weapon or tool proficiency each day are handy too.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds are great for adding a bit of flavour to a character and providing some small skill perks, gear and minor abilities. Generally for an alchemist, you’ll want to focus on intelligence based skills and extra tool proficiencies (as the tool king). With that in mind, below are some of the better background options for you:

• Acolyte – Decent skill proficiencies in insights and religion, 2 languages and perks at temples (like free healing).
• Clan Crafter – History and insight are good skill options for an artificer. You’ll also get proficiency in a type of artisan’s tools and you get an extra language. Plus it’s very thematically appropriate.
• Faction Agent – Insight and the choice of another skill make a great choice of proficiencies. You also get 2 languages and affiliation with a powerful organisation.
• Far Traveler – Insight, perception and a language are decent for an artificer, though you’ll likely rarely use persuasion as artillerists are rarely the best option for a party spokesman. You get proficiency in an instrument too for what it’s worth.
• Sage – Arcana and history are good skill proficiencies for an artillerist and you get 2 languages too.

Feats

When taking an ability score increase or using a variant Human, you can gain access to feats, taking one instead of the ability score increase. Some DMs will also give you a feat when you create your character for added flavour. Just check with your DM that they allow feats.

Feats can add powerful options to a character, but it’s important you pick feats that will complement an alchemist’s skillset nicely. Below I’ve pulled out some of the best options for an alchemist:

• Fey Touched – Increase your intelligence by +1 and get misty step and another 1st level spell with a free use every long rest. Misty step is a great spell for alchemists to get out of danger (and isn’t on the artificer spell list). It works especially well for alchemists who don’t have such heavy burdens on their bonus actions as other artificers. On that note, hex could be a good option for your optional spell if you plan on using spell attacks a fair bit.
• Lucky – Making 3 rerolls a day is powerful for any class!
• Magic Initiate – Get 2 cantrips and a 1st level spell from any spell list. Great for getting top cantrips from other classes like toll the dead.
• Metamagic Adept – Enhance your spells with the metamagic ability from the sorceror class.
• Medium Armor Master – +1 AC if you have at least 16 dexterity (when wearing medium armor) and no disadvantage on stealth checks when in medium armor. A great option for a class that relies heavily on medium armor to make sure they’re not too vulnerable.
• Shadow touched – Not quite as good as fey touched as you can get invisibility through your class list, but a couple of extra prepared spells and free castings remains useful for an artificer.
• Skill Expert – Better at even more skills is great.
• Skilled – 3 more skills to be proficient in is also great.
• Spell Sniper – Double spell range for attack spells, can ignore cover for spells attacks and an extra cantrip. All very handy for an alchemist that might rely on spells for damage dealing and wants to stay out of danger.

Weapons

Once you hit level 5, spells, including cantrips, will be more powerful than weapon attacks. Before this point, you might want to consider a ranged weapon if your dexterity is high enough to make this better than your spellcasting. You might also want a weapon or 2 for rare times when you can’t use spells.

For these times, I’d recommend the following weapons:

• Pistol – Your highest damage, one-handed, ranged weapon. Wield it alongside your spellcasting focus. If you’re going for full hands, then you’ll need the repeating shot infusion, though I’d swap for a different infusion once you hit level 5.
• Hand Crossbow – Decent ranged option that only requires one hand so you can wield your spellcasting focus in your other hand. Again, you’ll need the repeating shot infusion for this combination (which you can then swap out once you hit level 5).
• Dagger – Can be used for ranged and melee attacks giving you attacks of opportunity but only does d4 damage.
• Just a shield – You might decide that most of the time, you’d rather just cast spells and have the extra protection of a shield. Especially by level 5, this is probably your best option.

Armor

You likely won’t want to invest so heavily in dexterity that light armor is worthwhile. This means going for medium armor. You’ll probably want to start with scale mail and upgrade to half plate once you’re able to.

Alchemists don’t have that many hit points so having a shield (even if it occupies one of your hands) is often worthwhile and the repeating shot infusion can help handle ammunition at early levels when wielding a pistol or a hand crossbow.

Once you hit level 5, you can add your intelligence modifier to some of your spell attacks and cantrips increase in power. This takes your basic spell damage beyond what a firearm can do anyway and a shield becomes an obvious option alongside your spellcasting focus.

Other class guides

Not sure an alchemist is for you. Why not check out one of our other class guides for more inspiration.