#mutagenist

[dailycharacteroption]

Class Feature Friday: Mutagenist Research Field (PF2 Alchemist Research Field)

(art by vshen on deviantart)

 So far, the various research fields of the Second Edition version of the alchemist class have reflected core aspects of it’s First Editon counterpart. Let me assure you, reader, that for the time being that trend will continue.

Indeed it will, for today we are covering the mutagenist field, which reflects the mutagen of the original alchemist, and how a character could specialize in these to become a melee or ranged powerhouse.

As an alchemical item category in 2e, mutagens are much the same as their 1e counterparts, allowing the imbiber to gain a benefit at the cost of a penalty in some other aspect, but there is now a much larger variety of mutagens available now, some of which reflect certain classic alchemist spells or aspects of certain alchemist-focused prestige classes like Master Chemist, making this research field one of the only ways to emulate those abilities in 2e. (Yes I’m still sore about alchemists no longer being quite as semi-magical in this edition).

In any case, mutagenist alchemists dare to push boundaries and experiment on themselves like any good mad scientist, and no doubt their transformative brews have advanced the understanding of biochemistry, but I imagine that many worry that such power will consume them, or that they will unlock some monstrous other self with their brews.

 Naturally, alchemists that go down this path start by focusing on various forms of mutagen, and naturally they can make more from just one match of ingredients.

They develop such a buildup of these chemicals in their system, however, that with concentration they can cause a resurgence of the last one they drank, albeit only for a minute.

As they grow in mastery, they can make more and more powerful mutagens with basic ingredients.

Their most impressive feature, however, is their knack for brewing mutagens which can blend together without counteracting each other, allowing them to benefit from two at the same time, though other polymorphing effects can still overwrite them and leave them with the debilitating effects.

Feats that work with mutagens, such as Revivifying Mutagen, Feral Mutagen, Elastic Mutagen, Invincible Mutagen, Glib Mutagen, Genius Mutagen, Persistent Mutagen, Mindblank Mutagen, and Perfect Mutagen come to mind, as well as others that improve their mastery over their elixers.

If you plan on going the self-buffing melee route, this field is the perfect way to start, brewing up various self-buffs and keeping multiple ones on at the same time at higher levels. You’ll definitely want to pick up formulas for healing as well though, since being in melee or other situations that mutagenists often find themselves in often requires healing. Also don’t forget that some mutagens are useful for social or skill situations as well!

 Without the master chymist prestige class, it might be tempting to apply the multiple persona aspect to normal alchemists who take this field of study, and that is fine, but I’d also recommend doing some research on dissociative identity disorder and plurality to better understand how to play one without relying on stereotypes, should that be a thing.

Even if you don’t go this route, many mutagens might cause at least some manner of personality change due to the effect they have on the body, so keep that in mind.

  Sightings of a frog-like monster spark rumors of a mutant boggard or even a hezrou demon, but in truth, the source of these sightings is a grippli alchemist named Beepo. The young grippli means no harm, as he is just testing a new mutagenic formula, but the unusual appearance of the form risks him being attacked before he could explain himself.

 The multiversal legal battle of the age has begun! A foolhardy mutagenic alternate personality of an alchemist willingly signed a contract with philostophus, also known as a contract devil, in exchange for alchemical knowledge. However, the normal persona of the alchemist claims no knowledge of this, and has petitioned psychopomps to argue his case. The party is tasked with recovering the original copy of the contract, which the legal team from The Pit have been loath to retrieve.

 Using aquatic mutagens to survive in the depths, the alchemist Rannis has been spending more and more time beneath the sea, studying the creatures he finds down there. However, recently he as grown distant, until he disappears entirely. A look at his journal references hearing “her call”, and studies into how to make the amphibious transformation permanent.

[typelikemad]

Newest addition to my DnD/Pathfinder PCs! This is Rei, a human mutagenist who had the misfortune of her lab blowing up in her face, resulting in uncontrollable mutations that change her physical structure and appearance every few days. She finds the results more fascinating than traumatic, but she’s learned that constantly shifting facial features tend to make others nervous so she often covers up in public. 

+Commissions Open+

[dm-clockwork-dragon]

FInally have something worked out that I think I can make work. Here’s a little Sneak peak of my upcoming Mutagenist Class

[dm-clockwork-dragon]

So to those of you who have been following me, hoping for an update on the Mutagenist, I finally have something to show. If you want to get a sneak preview of what’s to come, The semi-public link is available on my Discord. While not quite playable yet, It includes the Core mechanics, and the subclasses. Currently, I’m using the defilements from my necroficer as stand-in mutations, as many of them will carry over, but I will be adding more.

I Still have a lot of work to do, but the hard part is done!

[cagemasterfantasy]

Alchemist: Mutagenist

The study of alchemy is fundamentally the study of transformation. All Alchemists transmute mundane materials into magical substances (potions, elixirs, and bombs) yet some take it one step further. You have discovered the secrets of the mutagen, the keystone of transmutation, which allows you to transform your very body, gaining supernatural strength or speed, sprouting additional limbs or claws, or thickening your skin into a stony aegis.

Level 3 Bonus Proficiencies: You gain proficiency in your choice of Acrobatics or Athletics.

Level 3 Mutagens: You can take a Bonus Action to inject yourself with a potent transmutative potion known as a Mutagen. You gain one of the following benefits of your choice for 1 minute, or until you take a Bonus Action to inject yourself with a different Mutagen.

Strength. Your Strength score increases by 3, to a maximum of 23. Additionally, you sprout claws, fangs, spines, horns, or a different natural weapon of your choice. You can use this natural weapon to make Unarmed Strikes. You can use your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls of your Unarmed Strikes. When you deal damage with an Unarmed Strike, you can deal damage equal to 1d8 plus your Strength or Dexterity modifier instead of the strike's normal damage. The damage of this strike is Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing damage, as appropriate for the natural weapon.

Dexterity. Your Dexterity score increases by 3, to a maximum of 23. Additionally, your Speed increases by 10 feet.

Constitution. Your Constitution score increases by 3, to a maximum of 23. You gain Temporary Hit Points instead of increasing your Hit Point maximum or current Hit Points. If your Constitution modifier increases by 1, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to your level. If the modifier increases by 2, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to twice your level. These Temporary Hit Points last for the duration of the ability score increase.

Level 6 Shared Mutagen: You can take a Bonus Action and expend 1 Reagent to inject an ally within 5 feet of you with a Mutagen of your choice. A creature can only be under the effect of one Mutagen at a time. Once you have injected another creature with a Mutagen, you can't do so again until the original Mutagen ends.

Level 10 Advanced Mutation: Whenever you inject yourself with a Mutagen, you can also gain one of the following mutations of your choice.

Hyperelastic. Your flesh takes on a rubbery quality, allowing you to bend and stretch with ease. Your reach is 5 feet greater than normal. Additionally, you have Advantage on checks you make to end the Grappled condition or to escape from nonmagical restraints.

Mucilaginous. Your skin secretes a thick, extremely sticky substance that helps you adhere to objects. You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. You also have a Climb Speed equal to your Speed.

Polybrachia. You grow a pair of additional arms. These arms are fully functional and can be used to hold weapons and shields (allowing you to wield two Two-Handed weapons, or four one-handed weapons), perform Somatic components of spells, and perform other actions, though the arms themselves don't grant you any additional actions.

Level 14 Mutated Blood: Choose Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. The chosen ability score increases by 2, and your maximum for this score increases to 22. When a Mutagen is applied to that ability score, its maximum increases to 25. You can change this ability score increase when you finish a Long Rest.

[anxiety-thyme]

Me talking to my spouse: I kind of just want to write fanfiction for my new pathfinder character.

My spouse: …..that’s just fiction????

Me: lies.

The campaign is a post-apocalyptic fantasy setting in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. Characters are small mountain animals surviving in the aftermath of a massive forest fire. The campaign starts in a small village called Riverwatch that is nestled at the top of a waterfall - it is only the hard work of the inhabitants and proximity to water that saved Riverwatch from destruction during the Burning Era (forest fire).

She’s a Bat (goblin) Alchemist named Modest Danger, Mo for short. I would die for her.

Mo is extremely intelligent. She is. She’s probably one of the most intelligent bats you will ever meet despite what the Cauldron she grew up in thinks. They are wrong. What she is is maybe oblivious, a little socially inept, and completely lacking in any common sense. What she is is maybe a bit fucked up from testing one too many Mutagens on herself. And it’s not that she doesn’t know how society is ‘supposed’ to work or how to interact with others, but society is fucked and she can’t be bothered with making herself ‘less batty’ (derogatory) when there are more important things to do.

“Your parents should have named you after your Uncle with how you behave.” Ethyl said, “It’s bad enough that your parents left to protect other villages from the burning when they should have stayed safe here,” mentioning her parents was wholly unnecessary. Even though she’s proud of the work her parents are doing, she’s lonely without them. “they should have never let you apprentice with him when you were younger. Just because he was your mother’s favorite brother doesn’t mean they should have let you anywhere near him. He was always odd and they knew it. And the poisons! Of all of the things for him to study, it had to be poisons! Then letting you run amok in his lab with no care that you were testing Mutagens. Leaving was the best thing he ever did for you. No common sense, that one, and you are just like him.” She meant it as a dig, but Mo thought it was the highest compliment anyone could pay her. Her Uncle Major was one of the best bats she had ever known. Doesn’t change the fact that his absence hurt. She’d always hoped he would take her with him if he ever left. But when her parents followed after him to fight against the burning, they decided that it would be too dangerous for her to go along.

“Thank you.” Mo interjected rubbing under her familiar’s chin and effectively cutting off Ethyl’s tirade. When She got on the topic of Uncle Major, Ethyl could go on for hours. You’d think he’d personally offended her at some point rather than just being a brilliant, if reclusive, alchemist.

.oO0Oo.

Everyone has their limits and Mo is no different. You can only tell someone so many times that keeping their heads stuck in the cave is not going to keep the fire from coming. And you can only hear so many times that spending time on your experiments instead of ‘contributing to society’ before mayyyybeee you set off some explosions. She just needed to let off some steam. Nothing of any importance was hurt.

Anyway, Mo’s Cauldron—no that’s not right they aren’t hers anymore—the Collective decided that she should focus on healing elixirs, something ‘useful’. So she did what any self-respecting Mutagenist would do. She gathered her familiar, drank a Cheetah’s elixir and booked it. She’d go to Riverwatch where people were doing something about the fire and would appreciate how useful her elixirs really are and who aren’t going to ignore the danger headed their way. Maybe she’d find Uncle Major there.

.oO0Oo.

Riverwatch was bleak when Mo arrived. It still is but at least the burning has ended. She spent her first days searching for her uncle but it seemed he and her parents had been deployed somewhere else to fight the fire by the time she got there.

What she did find was a town that had no idea that they could fight the fire so much better than they were. You would think they would know that the firefighters needed better protection than soaking their clothes in the river. Why no one could manage the simplest of tasks she would never understand. So she pushed aside whoever was in charge (she can’t be bothered to remember who it was ) and set to work distilling elixirs. Salamander Elixirs for fire resistance, Darkvision Elixirs for seeing through the smoke, and on and on it goes. In no time at all Mo had completely lost track of everything but mixing new elixirs and convincing townspeople to let her test her new recipes on them. Her only focus became proving that studying Mutagens is a good use of time, that her elixirs can prevent injuries before they happen, that she is useful.

[v-l-d-s]

Mutagenist

The study of alchemy is fundamentally the study of transformation. All alchemists transmute mundane materials into magical substances—potions, elixirs, and bombs—yet some take it one step further. You have discovered the secrets of the mutagen, the keystone of transmutation, which allows you to transform your very body, gaining supernatural strength or speed, sprouting additional limbs or claws, or thickening your skin into a stony aegis.

BONUS PROFICIENCIES Starting when you choose this field of study at 2nd level, you gain proficiency in your choice of the Acrobatics or Athletics skill, as well as with shields.

MUTAGEN Also at 2nd level, you can use your bonus action to inject yourself with a potent transmutative potion known as a mutagen. You gain one of the following benefits of your choice for 1 minute, or until you use your bonus action to inject yourself with a different mutagen: Strength. Your Strength score increases by 3, to a maximum of 20. Additionally, you sprout claws, fangs, spines, horns, or a different natural weapon of your choice. You can use this natural weapon to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. The damage of this attack is bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, as appropriate for the natural weapon. Dexterity. Your Dexterity score increases by 3, to a maximum of 20. Additionally, your walking speed increases by 5 feet. Constitution. Your Constitution score increases by 3, to a maximum of 20. As a result, your current and maximum hit points increase accordingly with your new Constitution score, but when this effect ends, both your current and maximum hit points decrease by the same amount.

SHARED MUTAGEN At 6th level, you’ve created a mutagen formulation generic enough to safely be injected into others. You can use your action and spend a reagent die to inject a willing creature within 5 feet of you with a mutagen of your choice. A creature can only be under the effect of one mutagen at a time. Once you have injected another creature with a mutagen, you can’t do so again until the original mutagen ends.

ADVANCED MUTATION Starting at 10th level, whenever you inject yourself with a mutagen, you can choose one of the following additional mutations: Hyperelastic. Your flesh takes on a rubbery quality, allowing you to bend and stretch with ease. Melee weapons you use are considered to have the Reach property, if they didn’t already have it already. Additionally, you have advantage on ability checks you make to escape grapple or slip binds. Mucilaginous. Your skin secretes a thick, extremely sticky substance, which helps you adhere to objects. You can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving your hands free. You also have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. Additionally, creatures have disadvantage on ability checks made to escape your grapples. Polybrachia. You grow a pair of additional arms. These arms are fully functional and can be used to hold weapons and shields (allowing you to hold 2 two-handed weapons, or 4 one-handed weapons), perform somatic components of spells, and perform other actions, though the arms themselves don’t grant you any additional actions.

MUTATED BLOOD By 18th level, your mutagens have permanently altered your biology. Choose Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. The chosen ability score increases by 2, and and your maximum for this score is now 22. Once you have chosen an ability score, this selection can’t be altered.