My Alchemist

[el_kalkylus]

I just gotta give this class an own topic, because I think it's so great. I know most of you think that it's just another pure caster, but it isn't like that. The way I have developed the alchemist, I think it's one of the greatest classes.

As most of you know, a character with alchemist skill can mix potion and sell them expensive, so the alchemist makes money. The 25% bonus in alchemy makes the alchemist get high alchemy skill at very low levels, so you can make money and buy all spell books very early in the game without having to stand around casting knock knock with a bishop, ranger or ninja. Personally, I hate standing around doing any of those "cheats", like casting knock knock, casting cure lesser cnd in the monastery etc, so I don't do it, I pick an alchemist instead.

The alchemist starts with pretty high throwing&sling skill, so it makes a perfect character for throwing powders and potions (when it's not making them). Powders and potions can make life much easier on Dominus. This way the alchemist can be part of ranged combat too (with sling) and be good at it.

What about the spells? In my opinion, the alchemist has the greatest spells. It's a combination of priest spells and mage spells which is useful in any situation you may encounter. I can count alot of favourite spells in all 4 spell books, and most of them are in the alchemy spell book. Think about the cloud spells for example, or the defensive 'body of stone' spell. There are many other spells also worth mentioning.

Now, will there be any spells left for the alchemist to choose from in the end? Well, the alchemist have 35 spells to choose from, and you will probably get 10-15 spells from spell books, so you have 19-24 spell picks throughout the game with an alchemist (you start with 2 spell picks). Usually, I want some of the good spells early in the game (elemental shield, noxious fumes etc) before I can even get them from books, so I have around 22 spell picks. That means I have 22 levels to finnish the game before I run out of spell picks, which is about the time I finnish the game anyway.

I want my alchemist fast, so I concentrate most stat points on intelligence and speed. It's important to get snakespeed early in the game so that it will be higher by the end. Being able to cast elemental shield first is a top priority, and having an alchemist able to cure the other members first in combat is also important. Later, I will give points in dexterity or senses and piety to improve the initiative and increase spell points.

It doesn't hurt that the alchemist has decent hp either. [img]smile.gif[/img]

So what do I end up with? a class that can cast offensive and defensive magic fast, and get good at it fast with the 25% bonus. If magic doesn't bite, just use a wrist rocket and KO some monsters! Money will never be a problem, neither will diseases, and the cloud spells (and other spells) will give monsters a really hard time.

[GenXCub]

Well, one thing to think about regarding speedy alchemists. If he's the one you use to cast Purify Air, it's much more helpful to have him go at the end of the round.

I don't think most people consider pure casters useless, but since this version of Wizardry doesn't let you do the millions of class changes like you could do in 6 and 7, you need to concentrate on characters that are versatile. Bishops will help out with the Dispel undead and remove curse thing. Or, can your Alchemist serve as the party's only spellcaster? If so, great. Tell us more about how you set them up... but you'll have to admit that bishops fill that role without any tweaking.

[el_kalkylus]

Originally posted by GenXCub: Well, one thing to think about regarding speedy alchemists. If he's the one you use to cast Purify Air, it's much more helpful to have him go at the end of the round. I don't think most people consider pure casters useless, but since this version of Wizardry doesn't let you do the millions of class changes like you could do in 6 and 7, you need to concentrate on characters that are versatile. Bishops will help out with the Dispel undead and remove curse thing. Or, can your Alchemist serve as the party's only spellcaster? If so, great. Tell us more about how you set them up... but you'll have to admit that bishops fill that role without any tweaking.

I don't use purify air very often, and anytime is as good as any to use it for me.

I finnish the game pretty early, so having an alchemist can make my party more powerful in the alchemy-aspect, you know? I still like the bishop, and if you want to compare, the bishop is stronger than most classes. They have made the bishop too powerful in this game, but even after have said this, I could choose an alchemist in a party without regrets. You could have another bishop in the party too.

But my point (mostly) was that the alchemist uses powder and sling when it doesn't cast spells. A bishop have too many skills to concentrate on, so it would not be wise to choose a bishop for this kind of task. Also, the alchemist can cast alchemy spells at higher power, always, because it will always be higher level than a bishop, and has the 25% bonus.

If you just want the 25% ability, you could change bishop to alchemist later in the game. That works out fine, you will only be behind 1 or 2 levels in the end than an actual alchemist and have a lot more spells and spell points. But then you haven't taken advantage of the wonderful beginning of the game when the alchemist uses the powders and buys spell books early in the game. Also, when magic doesn't bite, the alchemist will always have the wristrocket and help out with ranged combat. It's not much help, but still, it's a help.

[milotin]

Hmm, I like the alcemist as well but I find any kind of powder or potion too weak after a while. I just throw them for the fun of using it up but I prefer to use my Bishops own magic skill. Besides, a lone alcemist can't offer you all the buffering spells where as a Bishop can.

[el_kalkylus]

Yeah, me too. When the powders aren't so effective any more compared to spells, the alchemist can use sling and spells.

[Gimli]

I think a class with no magic is better suited to be the designated powder/bomb party member, I have my Rogue do it. I wouldn't use a magic user for this as they can just cast spells, and it it's a Bishop they can cast any spell the powders/bombs would produce.

[el_kalkylus]

[ 05-07-2002, 02:40 PM: Message edited by: el_kalkylus ]

[el_kalkylus]

Remember, you can't cast endless of spells. Mana will run out. Besides, in the beginning, the bishop won't be able to cast pandemoneum, concussion etc anyway, they just cast some low level spells at low spell-power to improve skill.

The rouge is well suited for casting potions too. I didn't say that this kind of alchemist is perfect for any party. You feel like everyone has an assignment without need for this kind of alchemist, then so be it. No alchemist for that party.

I am just describing how glad I am of the power of the alchemist, and why it's so good. I have finnished this game about 5 times already, so I have tried almost everything, and I know that this is a great class if you finish the game as early as I use to do, and if you don't use "cheat methods".

[otter]

I made a comparison by running 2 groups through on parallel saves, with 2 tanks and 4 spellcasters. One group had the 4 different pure spellcasters, and the other had 4 Bishops. What convinced me to run only Bishops as spellcasters is that they get noticably more than twice the mana capacity per level because they learn all the spells. By L 24 they can have all spells from all books.
The idea that it's cheating to practise casting spells is absurd. In fact, modern-day stage magicians practise much more than they perform, and lockpickers on either side of the law sit around playing with locks for practise all the time.

[el_kalkylus]

I call it "cheat method". It's allowed in the game, but I don't like to sit around and do those kind of things. I want to go on with the game as fast as possible. These methods make the characters ridiculously powerful. I heard about people changing classes to rouge to improve stealth. They choose an easy monster to train stealth, and they sit around until the stealth is around 80-100, then they change back to bishop or whatever class. Then they probably go to a place in the monastery and cast some cure lesser cnd until water magic is around 100, then go to Arnika and cast some knock knocks until earth magic is 100 and alchemy/wizardry is 100. Then they buy some spell books like magic screen, enchanted blade, etc, and sit around casting these spells until every magic skills are around 100. At level 10 they could have a bishop with 100 skill in almost everything and with 10 extra AC because of stealth. What can stop that party after that? There will be no challenge anymore.

Why do I choose an alchemist over a bishop? Well, probably I already have a bishop in my party and I want to have some class that develops faster and someone to throw powders/potions, and can make potions early in the game so you can afford all the goodies early in the game. If I feel that the alchemist doesn't make much use in that kind of party, I could just change to a ranger and wait for infinity helmet, or perhaps just change to bishop to get more spells.