Arcane Chemist or Potion Master
Hit Points
Hit Dice: d8 per Arcane Chemist or Potion Master level
Hit Points at first Level: 8+con
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 5+con or 1d8+con
Proficiences
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Longswords, Rapiers, Simple Weapons, crossbows
Tools: Herbalist tools
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
Skills: Choose two from: Arcana, Religion, Nature, Investigation, History
Overview & Creation
I am experimenting with the name, however, Arcane Chemist is a class that exists in the Shattered Realms. The original name of the class was Potionist, given that the class is focused around the drinking of potions. The template for the Arcane Chemist is built in a similar manner to the Warlock, in that the Arcane Chemist is a rather strange form of a full caster.
The center of the Arcane Chemist class is potions, which allow the Chemist to have multiple concentration based spell effects at once. Since this mechanic tinkers with one of the fundamental rules of 5th edition DND, special attention must be paid to ensure that the potions both make sense lore wise, and that it isn't mechanically broken. To this end, there are limits to the number of potions a Chemist can have at once, and there is instability upon using multiple potions at once.
A thin gnome carrying a variety of chemicals and tinctures is attacked by highwaymen. Fearing them not, the gnome laughs maniacally before quickly drinking two potions. The gnome's unassuming stature increases substantially buffing up with muscles and doubling in size.
An elf mixes chemicals into melted lead. Upon hearing a loud knock on his door, the elf promptly changes into an owl. Armed guards enter the room, but fail to find the mage who was supposedly turning lead into gold.
A hooded orc sneaks into a warlords kitchen and mixes a potion into the warlord's food. Hours later, screams can be heard from the warlord's tent, as the warlord transforms into a frog.
Class Features
Level |
Proficiency
Bonus |
Features |
Cantrips
Known |
Spells
Known |
Potion
Slots |
Potion
Level |
Potion Expertise |
1st |
+2 |
Lesser Potions |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1st |
- |
2nd |
+2 |
Potion Expertise |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1st |
1 |
3rd |
+2 |
Chemist's Specialization |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2nd |
1 |
4th |
+2 |
Ability Score Improvement |
3 |
5 |
2 |
2nd |
1 |
5th |
+3 |
- |
3 |
6 |
2 |
3rd |
2 |
6th |
+3 |
Specialization Feature |
3 |
7 |
2 |
3rd |
2 |
7th |
+3 |
- |
3 |
8 |
2 |
4th |
3 |
8th |
+3 |
Ability Score Improvement |
3 |
9 |
2 |
4th |
3 |
9th |
+4 |
|
3 |
10 |
2 |
5th |
4 |
10th |
+4 |
Specialization Feature |
4 |
10 |
2 |
5th |
4 |
11th |
+4 |
Greater Potion (6th level) |
4 |
11 |
3 |
5th |
4 |
12th |
+4 |
Ability Score Improvement |
4 |
11 |
3 |
5th |
5 |
13th |
+5 |
Greater Potion (7th level) |
4 |
12 |
3 |
5th |
5 |
14th |
+5 |
Specialization Feature |
4 |
12 |
3 |
5th |
5 |
15th |
+5 |
Greater Potion (8th level) |
4 |
13 |
3 |
5th |
6 |
16th |
+5 |
Ability Score Improvement |
4 |
13 |
3 |
5th |
6 |
17th |
+6 |
Greater Potion (9th level) |
4 |
14 |
4 |
5th |
6 |
18th |
+6 |
|
4 |
14 |
4 |
5th |
7 |
19th |
+6 |
Ability Score Improvement |
4 |
15 |
4 |
5th |
7 |
20th |
+6 |
Potion Master |
4 |
15 |
4 |
5th |
7 |
Specialized Recipes
Starting at second level, as denoted in the special ingredients column of the class feature list, the Arcane Chemist gains specialized knowledge of potions and their workings. At each of these level listed in the Potion Expertise Table, you may pick 1 option from the following list as your new potion expertise.
Potion Handler
Directly after rolling initiative, drinking a potion takes a bonus action rather than an action. Additionally, add +2 to initiative rolls.
Stable Interactions
When rolling on the potion interaction table, you may now add your intelligence modifier to the roll.
Predictable Potion effects. (Requires level 15)
When trigger a roll for potion interactions, you may instead choose the effect.
Potion of Expertise.
You gain the ability to produce a potion that increases your skillfulness at certain tasks. Choose one skill. Upon drinking the potion of skill proficiency, you gain expertise in that skill for 8 hours. However, you lose proficiency in one skill you were previously proficient at for 8 hours. You may create a new potion of expertise when you complete a long rest.
Universal Concoction (level 15)
Your potions may now be administered to people other than yourself. (this might be broken, I have to think about this more).
Potion Producer
The time taken to make standard (non class) potions is reduced to 1/8 its normal time, and the cost is reduced by 1/2.
Daily Medicine
Casting the spells
Mage Armor, and
Armor of Agathis at a first level does not require a potion slot.
Illusory Effects
Potions can now cause your body to project illusions of itself. You gain access to the following spells, which you must cast using your potion casting ablity:
Disguise self,
Mirror image,
Blur,
Mislead.
Distant Poisoner (requires Poisoner subclass)
You gain the ability to use mage hand to covertly add a potion to a person's drink. Roll stealth contested by their perception when doing so.
Arcane Signature (requires 10th level and Transmuter subclass)
You may update your signature form to take a creature from the following list: Drake, Azer, Brownbear, Dire Wolf, Giant toad.
Potion Bombs (requires Poisoner subclass)
You gain the ability to use potions aggressively. The following potion bombs may be prepared to throw at creatures, without the use of a spell slot and at 5th level:
Fireball, Cloudkill, Immolate. You may prepare one of each of these potion bombs each long rest.
Weapons of the War Chemist (requires war chemist subclass)
You gain proficiency in all martial weapons. Additionally, you may add your intelligence ability modifier when attacking with a martial weapon.
Chemist's fortitude
You gain 1 hit point per chemist level. Additionally, you gain resistance to poison and acid damage, and immunity to the poisoned condition.
Spellcasting
Potion Making
Arcane Chemists cast spells through potion making, which requires the Chemist to prepare their potions before they start adventuring each day. Potions are are quite unstable and therefor only last for a single day, and must be carefully stored in order to ensure that the potions don't explode during the day. Thus the Chemist can only carry a few of their potions each day, as carrying more risks unfortunate results. Additionally if the potion is based off of a spell the grants multiple options, the Chemist must choose one of the options to use at the beginning of each day.
Multiple Potions
Starting at 2nd level, a Chemist be effected by multiple of their potions at once. When a Chemist drinks a second potion, they must roll a d20, and consult the multiple effects table to see what occurs.
Lesser Potions
Starting at 1st level, the Arcane Chemist gains access to potion making. The Chemist may choose spells from the Arcane Chemist spell list to add to their list of recipes, up to the number listed in the spells known column for the Chemist's level. The Lesser Potions are always created at the level listed in the potion level column, and the Chemist may create a number of potions each short rest up to the number of potion slots they have.
Greater Potions
Starting at level 11, and repeated at levels 13, 15, and 17, the Chemist gains access to a greater potion recipe. When the Chemist reaches these levels, they may pick 1 spell from the list of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells respectively, and learn that spell as a potion recipe. A Chemist can only be under the influence of 1 Greater Potion at once. Additionally, a Chemist can stably cary 1 potion of each greater potion spell level they have, and vice versa. If the Chemist drinks a Greater Potion while on the influence of lesser potions, or vice versa, and the multiple potion effects table indicates that one of the spell effects will end, the ending spell effect is always a Lesser Potion effect rather than a Greater Potion effect.
Potion Interaction Table
Roll (1d20) |
Effect |
1 |
All potion Effects end |
2 |
Most recent Potion does nothing |
3 |
Both potion effects work, Gain one level of exhaustion |
4 |
Both potion effects work, Roll on the Sorcerer wild magic table once. |
5 |
Both potion effects work, Take necrotic damage equal to twice your proficiency bonus.
5 |
6 |
Both potion effects work, Take necrotic damage equal to your proficiency bonus. |
7 |
One potion effect of your choice works as intended |
8 |
One potion effect of your choice works as intended |
9 |
One potion effect of your choice works as intended |
10 |
One potion effect of your choice works as intended |
11 |
One potion effect of your choice works as intended |
12 |
One potion effect of your choice works as intended |
13 |
Most recent two potions work as intended, roll wild magic |
14 |
Most recent two potions work as intended, roll wild magic |
15 |
Most recent two potions work as intended, roll wild magic |
16 |
Most recent two potions work as intended |
17 |
The two most recent two potions work as intended |
18 |
The two most recent two potions work as intended |
19 |
Two potion effects of your choice work as intended |
20 |
All Potions work as intended |
Regardless of the potion interaction, the character takes poison damage equal to the product of all spell levels of interacting potions. This damage cannot be resisted, and overcomes immunity. Thus a character that drinks a fly potion while invisible from the 4th level spell takes 12 damage poision damage. This damage cannot
Potion list
Cantrips
Fire Bolt
Guidance (b)
Mage Hand
Primal Savagery
Resistance (b)
Spare the Dying (h)
Acid Splash
1st level spells
Mage Armor (b)
Armor of Agathis (b)
Cure Wounds (h)
false life (h)
longstrider (t)
2nd level spells
Alter Self (t)
Barkskin (t)
blur
darkvision (t)
dragon's breath (t)
Enhance Ability (t)
lesser restoration (h)
levitate (t)
mirror image
pass without trace (b)
see invisible
3rd level spells
Fly (t)
Haste (t)
Tongues
Remove curse (h)
Blink (t)
4th level spells
deathward (b)
Fire Shield (b)
Greater invisibility (b)
Guardian of Nature (forms subclass only) (b)
Polymorph (t)
Shadow of Moil (b)
StoneShape (b)
5th level spells
Contact Other Plane (?)
Far Step
Greater Restoration (h)
Legend Lore (?)
Mislead (?)
Skill Empowerment (t) (b)
Animate Objects
6th level spells
Contingency
Eyebite
Heal (h)
Investiture of wind (t)
Investiture of earth (t)
Investiture of flame (t)
Investiture of ice (t)
Otherworldly Form (t)
Primordial Ward (p)
Tenser's Transformation (t) (b)
7th level spells
Crown of Stars
Etherealness (b)
Regenerate (t)
Resurrect (h)
Sequester (creature) (t)
8th level spells
Glibness (t)
mind blank (b)
Telepethy (?)
Holy Aura (?)
9th level spells
Invulnerability
Shapechange (t)
Time Stop (t)
True Polymorph (t) (b)
True Resurrection (h)
Power word heal (touch range)
Subclass Options
War Chemist
When you specialize as a War Chemist at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in medium armor, heavy armor and shields.
Starting at 6th level, when you take the attack action on your turn, you can attack twice rather than once.
At 10th level, your honed use of combat buff spells pays dividends. You need not roll on the magic effects table when drinking a potion that creates a second magic effect, given that both potions replicate buff spells.
At 14th level, your use of potions for combat purposes affects your bloodstream. As a reaction when hit with a melee attack, you may spray acidic blood onto any creatures of your choice within 10 feet, dealing 4d8 acid damage.
Transmuter
At 3rd level, you experimentation with transmuting chemicals manifests in an ability to transform into creatures. Choose a creature in the list of creatures that can be conjured with the Find Familiar spell. Using the transmuting chemicals already in your body, you may transform into this creature. You regain this ability on a short rest. You can change the creature you are able to transform into when you gain a level in the chemist class.
At 6th level, attacks dealt in your transmuted form count as magical for the sake of overcoming damage resistance.
At 10th level, your practice transmuting materials eases your ability to create potions. When creating a potion that requires material components, you may instead use an amount of gold equal to half the cost of the material components.
At 14th level, your practice transmuting materials is honed to near precision. When creating a potion that requires material components, you may instead use an amount of gold equal to 1/4 the material cost. Additionally, you may expend a potion slot in order to transmute metals into different types. When doing so, you may transmute an ounce of metal per spell slot metal into any metal that you have previously interacted with, as long as the resulting metal is not innately magical.
Poisoner
At 3rd level, you're experimentation with potions shows the benefit of poisoning people with potion effects. You may apply potions to the foods of other people. If you choose to do so, roll slight of hand if the victim is in the room with you. Regardless of this, roll an arcana check (DC 8+2*potion level) to properly mix the potion into the food.
At 6th level, you gain proficiency in poisoner's tools and herbologists tools. If you are already proficient in these tools, you gain expertise.
At 10th level, your stealthy use of poisons becomes natural to you. The application of poisons into foods no longer counts as casting a spell for the sake of remaining invisible.
At 14th level, your you gain the ability to mix multiple poisons into a creatures's food. You must roll on the potion effects table when you do so, ignoring all parts of the table except whether all potions are effective.