Vaultbreaker (Alchemist Archetype)
While it is tempting to think of chemical reactions, particularly fiery ones, as being violently explosive, meant to blast multiple targets at once, there are ways that a much more precise blast can open up new opportunities.
Whether they are alchemist turning to crime after falling on hard times, professional thieves with a knack for alchemy, or even specialists trained by adventuring guilds or spy organizations, today’s entry revolves around an alchemist that turns to applied chemistry when breaking into a structure or container.
This archetype blends a little bit of rogue to the alchemist formula, and plays with one of my favorite applied chemistry tools: Thermite.
As so-called vaultbreakers, these alchemists are trained in the ways of stealth, and of recognizing even magical traps to disable them.
They also gain the option to learn a handful of different techniques drawn from the rogue skillset, namely those revolving around agility and mobility.
They also gain a discovery for using shaped bombs to loosen and weaken locking mechanisms before they put their tools to work.
Later on though, they learn how to concoct a variant bomb that burns hot and fast without spreading much at all, melting through objects, including locks or other obstructions. Such thermite mixes are even more potent than those made by other alchemists as well.
If you’re looking for an alchemist that can fill in for a rogue, this archetype might be for you. You do miss out on brewing potions, as well as poison use and extra intelligence damage from bombs, so build accordingly, probably gearing more towards a mix of personal buffs and blasting to make up for the somewhat limited damage of their bombs.
I’d imagine that for these scientists, their analytical nature remains, but it attuned to more worldly manners. Think mature, professional thief, possessing curiosity for the unknown, but also being soft-spoken, curt even, and always ready to break off to avoid detection or deal with a problem, their senses and minds going a mile a minute when focused on their work, regardless of their persona when not so focused.
Kidnapped at a young age, Rakkor is officially considered a “failure” of the “racial uplifting initiative”, a barely-disguised attempt at cultural genocide, but now the lizardfolk has turned his interest in human alchemy against his oppressors, burning holes through vaults containing wealth, travel visas, and stolen ikeshti artifacts.
While not dry enough to be especially vunerable to it, most ghorans avoid fire as it reminds them too much of their original purpose as artificially created creatures. However, when they do use it, they prefer it in concentrated, controlled amounts, making them well-known for preferring thermite to more volatile blasting methods in their mines.
The ultimate blasphemy has occurred. Not only has someone snuck in and defiled the sacred statue of The Saint, melting through it, but it appears there was some hollow chamber inside, where something, no doubt a sacred relic, was stolen. It must be returned, but who could have done so, and what exactly did they take that not even the high priest apparently knows about it?
