DC Casting Alchemist Apothecary

[slarden]

I am still working on my alchemist past lifes, but I am seeing great potential in Alchemist. I really wanted to make an arcane warrior type build that focused on both casting and martial dps. The problem I run into is that the legendary set bonuses are so strong and throwing requires so many feats. I want to revisit hybrid at some point, but this is what I've come up with so far with pure casting with party healing as a secondary focus- focused on transmutation first but I might also take spell focus conjuration to twist in 2 more conjuration DC from draconic.

I am starting out with a basic template for now and if the build proves to be a solid solo build at level 30 after my alchemist lifes I'll update the build with many more details. I have no doubt a caster alchemist will be a solid build for party play, but the lack of MRR is a problem for soloing. I do have 20% force absorb in my int artifact necklace which helps and evasion - but not sure if I'll get one shot with a 70MRR - will report back in a few weeks.

Race: Gnome

Int
----------
Base:20
Level Ups: 7
Tome: 8
Completionist: 2
Racial Lifes: 2
Racial Completionist: 2
Enhancement Bonus: 22
Insight Bonus: 10
Quality Bonus: 5
Exceptional Bonus: 1
Profane Bonus: 2
Festival Bonus: 2
Artifact Bonus: 3
Reaper Helm Bonus: 2
Apothecary Enhancements: 2
Harper Tree Enhancements: 4
Falconry Enhancements: 1
Apothecary Capstone: 4
Sentient Filigree: 6
Reaper Enhancements: 5
Magister Destiny 4:
Destiny Twists: 2
Ship Buffs: 2
Yugo Potions: 2
Remnant Potions: 2
Total: 122

Transmutation DC

Base: 10
Spell Level: 6
Int Bonus: 56
Focus Feats: 3
Past Lifes Alchemist: 3
Past Life Wizard: 1
Embolden: 2
Scion of the Plane of Earth: 2
Enhancement Bonus: 7
Insightful Bonus: 4
Quality Bonus: 2
Profane Bonus: 2
Augment Bonus: 2
Artifact Bonus: 4
Sentient Bonus: 4
Reaper Enhancements: 4
Magister Cores: 5
Transmutation Specialist: 3
Master of Transmutation: 3
Master Apothecary: 2
Apothecary Cores: 3 (3 from Verdanite)

Total: 130 (127 when not verdanite)

Alchemical Spellcasting Feat - Verdanite reaction: 5 (5 from Verdanite for first 12 seconds - should be sustainable with some practice)

Total: 135

Feats:
1) Maximize
3) Empower (for leveling - might change it later)
4A) Quicken
6) Completionist
8A) Accelerate
9) Spell Focus Transmutation
12) Past Life Wizard
12A) Liquid Courage (int for will saves)
15) Heighten
16A) Liquid Luck (evasion)
18) Greater Spell Focus Transmutation
20) Toxic Tonic (poison immunity)
21) Epic Spell Focus Transmutation
24) Embolden
26) TBD
27) TBD
28) Mass Frog
29) Arcane Pulse
30) TBD
30L) Scion of the Plane of Earth

Not focusing on spell pen but I think there are enough non-spell pen cc spells not to worry about it - with gear I am still looking at a solid spell pen that will even get past drow but won't be no-fail against drow.

For soloing I like ruin and greater ruin for sure @ 27/30. For group play I like enlarge and possibly burst of glacial wrath. If content changes I might focus more on spell pen. The caster level feats are interesting but I don't want to be bothered with constantly worrying about the colors although I need verdanite for 3 transmutation DC so my thinking on that might change. Also, keeping 2 cheap spells on hotbar can quickly activate it.

Dissolve instakill dc can be much higher as its based on heal skill (despite using wisdom for stat) and color spray has daze so dissolve synergizes nice with gnome. The short cool down on turn to frog is amazing- love it.

For elements I like cold/electric because it synergizes well with the cc. Can heal the party if needed - really like the utility of this class so far!

Overall DC potential is quite a bit higher than a warlock and even higher than wizard/favored soul when verdanite is active. I suspect I'll keep my character randowl at cap as an alchemist once I finish his alchemist lifes.

Please note: focus here is on play at level 30 not leveling although leveling with an alchemist isn't bad after the first few levels.

I give the anti-caster/ranged crowd and "anti-anything-new crowd" 2 weeks before they start spamming anti-alchemist nerf posts.