#half-elf alchemist

[petti-fog]

Here’s Taya Frazor, half-elf alchemist! Who knew repeating crossbows were a real thing? (Though not quite like this)

[npc-guy]

Half-Elf Alchemist

Welcome back, everyone. Sorry for the drought. I’ve got some downtime this week so I’ll try and get another post in by Saturday. Also, for those of you that didn’t see the last NPC post, The Daily NPC has surpassed 1000 followers. Yowza! At the time of this posting, the follower count is 1671. Thank you all for following my ramblings!

Now, I’m still planning on doing something in honor of this milestone, maybe some more character stats like I did in the past. I have since found a better format for that, so it’ll be much more easily usable. Might actually go back and edit those posts with this better format, now that I think about it. Well, anyways, once I have something special for you all you will of course know. But today’s post is all about one race/class combo: the half-elf alchemist!

So, what can we expect from these people? Well, a quick reminder is that the alchemist is the master of potions, mutations, and bombs. They don’t cast sling spells, but they can absolutely be a magical powerhouse. By enhancing physical or mental attributes, acting as an area of effect damage dealer, passing out healing potions left and right, or offering a variety of tactical or problem-solving abilities, the alchemist can hold their own in combat. Outside of it, they can act as an excellent non-traditional supplier of healing potions, a mysterious researcher, basically any variety of non-casting magic practitioners.

I can see half-elves pursuing this class for a few different reasons, the foremost being it's non-traditional aspect. Elves can have long lines of wizards, sorcerers, druid, or clerics. All are well-understood and respectable practices in most worlds. But the alchemist is almost always a new field, a place for pioneers who aren't as flashy or venerated but still capable of achieving remarkable things. For half-elves who want to reject elven tradition but have some magical punch, this is an excellent choice. Alternatively, they may use it as a way to deal with or improve relations with people around them in a human/non-elf majority society. The racist jerkholes might think again if this alchemist is pouring a healing potion down their throat… or keep back after having a bomb go off in their face.

Lucette Deforest

The elves of the gleaming cities expand ever further into the forests, annexing the human arbor-towns and outlawing their druidic practices. Lucette, half-elf daughter of a prominent elf nobleman, has been sneaking out for years to see her maternal grandmother in secret, and has started to pick up things about how she makes healing potions to aid her community. Her father would be outraged, especially since he got her enrolled in a prestigious arcane academy (which he’s still not happy she’s failing in already). But little does he know, Lucette has actually developed a new branch of study, one where potions take precedent, and she can even make exploding urns in the span of seconds.

Afua Pretorius

Alchemy is rarely practiced outside of the lairs of sorcerers or the various temples. So Afua’s caravan is a particularly surprising source of various potions. The enterprising half-elf figured out that there was a demand for magical healing and other imbibed effects that the established providers were not taking advantage of, so he decided to become a supplier to the people’s demand. Of course, the mages and clerics have taken a dislike to this intrusion on their territory. To their disbelief, Afua has proven he is neither unregistered sorcerer nor a rogue cleric. So far, there is no legal precedent for being an alchemist, but Afua’s hastily growing wealth will likely influence how that develops.

Kim An

After a long career as a court alchemist, An had hoped to retire in a peaceful farming region and work on philosophy and poetry. Instead, they are on the run from the religious zealots plunging the country into civil war. Cashing in their considerable retirement fund just in time, An has employed a number of mercenaries to guard themselves and their family. Being able to create healing potions and things like bull’s strength potions helps to keep these sell-swords employed and alive, hopefully long enough to get them all out of the kingdom. And when battle does threaten their safety, An shows their true mettle with thunder bombs, invisibility, flight, and even transformations into beasts and elementals.