Alchemist, Epic (Epic Class)

The epic alchemist is an unrivalled master of concoctions, brewing alchemical items with a speed and potency unimaginable to lesser minds. Their bombs are as destructive as any wizard's evocation while their mutagens can produce truly terrifying abominations.

**Extracts (Su)**: An alchemist's epic levels are included when determining their caster level. They continue to gain more extracts per day as they increase in level. See Epic Spellcasting for the number of extracts gained per level.

**Discovery (Su)**: Epic alchemists no longer gain Discoveries automatically as they increase in level. They can still gain additional Discoveries using the non-epic feat Extra Discovery.

**Bomb (Su)**: An epic alchemist's bomb damage continues to increase by +1d6 damage every odd-numbered level.

**Epic Alchemy (Ex)**: Beginning at 21st level, an epic alchemist gains the ability to enhance normal alchemical items with secret techniques acquired throughout their career. They select any three normal alchemical items they can produce and then apply one enhancement from the list below to each item. Some of the enhancements can only apply to certain items, which are denoted with parenthesis in their description:

* Boosted: The damage increases, becoming equal to the alchemist's Bomb class ability of their level – 10.
* Distilled: The DC is now equal to 10 + 1/2 the alchemist's class level + their Intelligence modifier.
* Explosive: The radius of effect doubles for both primary and splash effects.
* Incalescent (alchemist's fire, tar ball, or unstable accelerant): The item now burns with an implacable flame, damaging the primary target for a number of rounds equal to the Alchemist's Intelligence modifier.
* Marinade (armor ointment, bladeguard, sunderblock, or weapon blanch [adamantine, cold iron, ghost salt, or silver]): Regular exposure makes the effects permanent. If applied to an item once per day for 10 days, that item will gain the benefits permanently. No single item can benefit from the effects of more than one alchemical marinade.
* Perfect (antiplague, antitoxin, mellowroot, soothe syrup, stillgut, or twitch tonic): When consumed, it renders the target immune to the condition it normally grants a bonus against. The enhanced effect lasts for half the original duration, then it provides the normal effects for the rest of the duration.
* Vitriolic (alchemical solvent, bone paste, quick-freeze oil, smog smoke pellet, stonechipper salve, or tanglefoot bag): Coated with a caustic concoction, in addition to its regular function, this item also inflicts acid damage equal to the alchemist's Bomb class ability of their level – 20 for a number of rounds equal to the Alchemist's Intelligence modifier if the target fails their saving throw.
* Voltaic (flash powder, tanglefoot bag, or thunderstone): Delivers a violent shock to the victims upon first activating. If they fail their saving throw, they are Paralyzed for a number of rounds equal to the alchemist's Intelligence modifier. Once per round, they can attempt a new save to break the effect, but the DC of this new save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the alchemist's class level + their Intelligence modifier.

Brewing these enhanced versions takes the same amount of time, but the DC increases by +10 and they cost twice as much. The alchemist can select the same item more than once to learn multiple versions, but when they initially gain this ability, they cannot stack multiple enhancements on a single preparation of the item.

At 22 nd level and every level thereafter, the alchemist selects an additional enhanced alchemical item to add to their repertoire.

Beginning at 25th level, the alchemist can begin enhancing items they have already been improved, adding a second enhancement to the recipe. The alchemical item cannot have the same enhancement applied to it more than once while the DC and cost increases stack, becoming a total of +20 to the DC and costing three times as much (since two doublings equal a tripling in Pathfinder). Selecting this option allows the alchemist to make either enhanced version of the recipe or the doubled version. At 30th level and every five levels, the alchemist can add one additional enhancement to a recipe, with the DC and creation cost continuing to increase.

*Special:* Alchemical items enhanced with this ability can also be boosted with the Augmented Alchemy epic feat, but interact in different ways. Boosted items have their damage increased to the alchemist's level – 6 and Vitriolic items to the alchemist's level – 18. Explosive items have their radius tripled, if they don't qualify for a different benefit.

**Bonus Class Feat**: Epic alchemists gain a bonus class feat as described in the Universal Class Features section of this chapter at 22nd level and an additional bonus class feat every three levels (25th, 28th, 31st, etc.). These class feats can be selected from Alchemical, Item Creation, Magic, or Metamagic feats.