War Chemist (Warpriest/Alchemist)

While warpriests rely upon the divine energies granted to them by their gods, the war chemist employs both divine might and alchemical knowledge to defeat his opponents. A war chemist can quickly create alchemical substances in the heat of battle, blast his enemies at close range with his bombs, or cast spells to bolster himself and his allies. However, his most potent ability is creating alchemical blanches that enhance his weapons and armor. In a pinch, the war chemist can also create extracts from his spells for personal use or passed to his allies for use at a later time. (Original Concept by Elghinn Lightbringer)

Primary Class: Warpriest.

Secondary Class: Alchemist.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Dice: d8.

Bonus Skills and Ranks: The inspired exalt may select three investigator skills to add to his class skills in addition to the normal warpriest class skills. The inspired exalt gains a number of ranks at each level equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The inspired exalt is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, all alchemical weapons, plus the favored weapon of his deity. He is also proficient withal types of armor (heavy, light, and medium) and with shields (except tower shields). If the inspired exalt worships a deity with unarmed strike as its favored weapon, the inspired exalt gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

Spellcasting: A war chemist casts divine spells drawn from the cleric spell list and the alchemist formulae list. If a spell appears on both the warpriest spell list and alchemist formulae list, the war chemist uses the lower of the two spell levels listed for the spell. A war chemist otherwise learns, prepares, and casts spells as a warpriest of his war chemist level. He also gains bonus spells for a high Wisdom.

Essences (Ex): At 1st level, a war alchemist can prepare a number of essences or basic alchemical substances each day, as noted in the 0-level spell column on Table: War Chemist.

Essences are mundane alchemical substances that are quickly created through divine magic. Like an alchemist’s extracts, when a war chemist creates an essence, he infuses the chemicals and reagents in the essence with magic siphoned from his own divine aura. An essence immediately becomes inert if it leaves the war chemist's possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to his keeping—a war chemist cannot normally pass out his essences for allies to use (but see the “infusion” discovery below). An essence, once created, remains potent for 1 day before becoming inert, so a war chemist must re-prepare his essences every day. Mixing an essence takes 1 minutes of work—most war chemists prepare many essences at the start of the day or just before going on an adventure, but it's not uncommon for a war chemist to keep some (or even all) of his daily essence slots open so that he can prepare essences in the field as needed. Each prepared essence yields one dose of his chosen alchemical substance.

At 1st level, a war mage can create the following initial substances at 1st level: acid, alchemist’s fire, fireworks (fire cracker), fireworks (jumping jenny), fireworks (paper candle), fireworks (star candle), holy water, holy weapon balm, keros oil, pellet grenade (iron).

At 3rd level, a war chemist adds the following alchemical creations to his list: alkali flask, bottled lightning, burst jar, fireworks (banshee ballerina), fireworks (skyrocket), fireworks (spirit), flash powder, liquid ice, pellet grenade (cold iron), pellet grenade (silver), sneezing powder, thunder stone, weapon blanch (cold iron), weapon blanch (silver).

At 5th level, a war chemist adds the following alchemical creations to his list: fireworks (flame fountain), fireworks (starfountain), fuse grenade, ghast retch flask, itching powder, pellet grenade (adamantine), weapon blanch (adamantine).

When used, an essence exactly duplicates the alchemical substance upon which it is based, including effect. Creating essences consumes raw materials, but the cost of these materials is insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If an essence normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the creation of that particular essence. This ability replaces orisons.

War Alchemy (Su): At 1st level, a war chemist gains the alchemist’s alchemy ability. He can use his war alchemy to create mundane alchemical substances, bombs, essences (see Essences), and blanches that he can use against his enemies or to enhance his weapons and armor (see Alchemical Weapon and Alchemical Armor abilities). In addition, war chemist can use Craft (alchemy) to identify weapons and armor as if using detect magic. He must hold the weapon or armor (including shields) for 1 round to make such a check. This ability and weapon blanch replace sacred weapon.

Bonus Feats: This is exactly like the warpriest’s ability of the same name. In addition, a war chemist can select the following alchemist discoveries in place of a bonus feat: acid bomb, anarchic bomb, axiomatic bomb, blinding bomb, cognatogen, concussive bomb, defoliant bomb, delayed bomb, demolition charge, directed bomb, dispelling bomb, ectoplasmic bomb, explosive bomb, explosive missile, fast bombs, fire brand, force bomb, frost bomb, grand cognatogen, grand mutagen, greater cognatogen, greater mutagen, healing bomb, healing touch, holy bombs, immolation bomb, infusion, lingering spirit, madness bomb, mutagen, precise bombs, profane bombs, ranged baptism, shock bomb, spontaneous healing, sticky bomb, strafe bomb, sunlight bomb, tanglefoot bomb, underwater demolition. A war chemist treats his level as his alchemist level for the purpose of qualifying for discoveries. He must meet the prerequisites of any discovery he selects as normal.

Divine Extract (Su): At 3rd level, a war chemist learns to create extracts drawn from the war chemist’s spell list. When preparing his spells, he can create any extract of a prepared spell that appears on the alchemist’s formulae list and uses a spell slot equal to the alchemist’s formula level. The war chemist can choose to create his extracts at the start of the day, or create them in the field as needed by creating an extract of a prepared spell. In either case, mixing an extract takes 1 minute of work.

Like an alchemist, when a war chemist creates an extract, he infuses the concoction with a tiny fraction of his own magical power (from his aura), binding the effects to himself (the creator). At 3rd level, the war chemist can create 1st–level extracts from his spells. Every three levels thereafter, the war chemist can create each subsequent level of extracts from her spells, up to a maximum of 6th–level extracts at 18th level.

A war chemist does not use a formulae book and does not need to reference one to create his extracts. This ability and swift alchemy replaces the bonus feat gained at 3rd level.

Swift Alchemy (Ex): At 3rd level, a war chemist gains the alchemist’s swift alchemy ability.

Channel Bombs (Su): At 4th level, a war chemist can channel the power of his faith to create bombs. This ability functions as the alchemist’s bomb ability, except that a war chemist’s bombs inflict damage equal to his fervor damage dice and splash damage is equal to the bomb’s minimum damage + the war chemist’s Wisdom modifier (if any). Using this ability is a standard action that expends two uses of fervor. At 6th level, the war chemist gains the anarchic bombs, axiomatic bombs, holy bombs, or profane bombs discovery, as determined by his alignment. This ability replaces channel energy.

Weapon Blanch (Su): At 4th level, a war chemist gains the ability to enhance one of his weapons through weapon blanches as a swift action. Applying the blanch grants the weapon a +1 alchemical enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, and is treated as magic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. For every 4 levels beyond 4th, this bonus increases by 1 (to a maximum of +5 at 20th level). If the war chemist has more than one blanched weapon, he can enhance another on the following round by using another swift action. The war chemist can use this ability a number of minutes per day equal to his war chemist level. This duration must be used in 1-minute increments, but they don't need to be consecutive.

These bonuses stack with any existing enhancement bonuses the weapon might have, to a maximum of +5. The war chemist can enhance a weapon with any of the following weapon special abilities: energy, defending, disruption, flaming, frost, keen, and shock. In addition, if the war chemist is chaotic, he can add anarchic and vicious. If he is evil, he can add mighty cleaving and unholy. If he is good, he can add ghost touch and holy. If he is lawful, he can add axiomatic and merciful. If he is neutral (with no other alignment components), he can add spell storing and thundering. Adding any of these special abilities replaces an amount of bonus equal to the special ability's base cost. Duplicate abilities do not stack. The weapon must have at least a +1 alchemical bonus before any other special abilities can be added.

At 7th level, whenever a war chemist applies a weapon blanch, his is also treated as cold iron and silver for the purpose of damage reduction.

At 16th level, whenever a war chemist applies a weapon blanch, his is also treated as adamantine for the purpose of damage reduction.

If multiple weapons are enhanced, each one consumes rounds of use individually. The alchemical bonus and special abilities are determined the first time the ability is used each day, and cannot be changed until the next day. These bonuses do not apply if another creature is wielding the weapon, but they continue to be in effect if the weapon otherwise leaves the war chemist's possession (such as if the weapon is thrown). This ability can be ended as a free action at the start of the war chemist's turn (that round does not count against the total duration, unless the ability is resumed during the same round). If the war chemist uses this ability on a double weapon, the effects apply to only one end of the weapon.

Armor Blanch (Su): At 7th level, a war chemist gains the ability to enhance his armor through armor blanches as a swift action. This blanch grants the armor a +1 alchemical enhancement bonus. For every 3 levels beyond 7th, this bonus increases by 1 (to a maximum of +5 at 19th level). The war chemist can use this ability a number of minutes per day equal to his war chemist level. This duration must be used in 1-minute increments, but they don't need to be consecutive.

These bonuses stack with any existing enhancement bonuses the armor might have, to a maximum of +5. The war chemist can enhance armor any of the following armor special abilities: energy resistance (normal, improved, and greater), fortification (heavy, light, or moderate), glamered, and spell resistance (13, 15, 17, and 19). Adding any of these special abilities replaces an amount of bonus equal to the special ability's base cost. For this purpose, glamered counts as a +1 bonus, energy resistance counts as +2, improved energy resistance counts as +4, and greater energy resistance counts as +5. Duplicate abilities do not stack. The armor must have at least a +1 alchemical bonus before any other special abilities can be added.

At 10th level, whenever a war chemist applies an armor blanch, his armor is treated as being constructed from cold iron and silver. At 19th level, whenever a war chemist applies an armor blanch, his armor is treated as being constructed from adamantine.

The alchemical enhancement bonus and armor special abilities are determined the first time the ability is used each day and cannot be changed until the next day. These bonuses apply only while the war chemist is wearing the armor, and end immediately if the armor is removed or leaves the war chemist's possession. This ability can be ended as a free action at the start of the war chemist's turn. This ability cannot be applied to a shield.

When the war chemist uses this ability, he can also use his weapon blanch ability as a free action by expending one minute of his weapon blanch’s daily duration. This ability replaces sacred armor.

Table: War Chemist