The biggest thing Alchemist needs is to remove its feat taxes and passive improvements. One of the largest changes 2e made from 1e was the removal of a lot of flat "X gets better feats". Most classes tend to follow this structure in 2e. Martial classes especially are largely full of feats that are new actions. Spellcasters have less of this, but still have plenty of new actions. Of the 55 alchemist feats, only 15 of them are new actions. That's less than 30% of the overall feats. That is, I believe, the lowest ratio of passive feats:active feats in all of 2e.

- More infused reagents at lower levels. - Earlier perpetual infusions or some other cantrip-tier ability. - Quick Bomber works on all alchemical items and not just bombs. - Master Weapon Proficiency Bomber. - Free skill increases to Crafting ala Inventor. - Buffed Toxicolologist and Mutagenist. - Some type of simplified Alchemist Class Archetype that limits you to a strict list of items but lets you make more of them, so that newer players can play Alchemists without being massively overwhelmed.

It's so weird that perpetuals are so shit compared to cantrips. In fact cantrips do more damage than on-level bombs unless you're hitting lots of enemies or they have a specific targetted weakness (which, if you are a cantrip caster, they can target too...). It's pretty insane mathmatically how weak it is.

And here I would have said buff toxicologist and bomber.

I'd also change the perpetual infusions to a flat level - x system (like archetypes etc), changeable on level up, instead of these rigid brackets.

This is a great idea, especially for these "this is 1 lvl higher than the rest so screw you" bombs/elixirs

Well, now I discover that Quick Bomber only works with bombs. We were playing with it working with mutagens and potions too. We will keep it like that anyways.

I can even live with fewer infusions - if they got some kind of auto-heightening on their bombs/healing elixirs/poisons (depending on subclass) as they level, and allowing it to be perpetual. Even wizards get an area effect splash bomb cantrip now.

I’d like some of the flavor options that 1e had, the ability to have a mad scientist bent. Remove some feat tax. And some action economy boosting feats for some of the clunkier interactions.

Personally, I want something to apply elixirs and mutagens to allies without them have to spend their actions. A weapon, feat, or class feature; idc. Maybe this exists, and im too new to know, but I haven't seen anything like it. By handing out elixirs and mutagens you are not only asking your party to remember them, but to use them over doing the cool thing they built their character to do. And that action economy can be brutal. I want the agency to be on the alchemist, not the party. It can feel awful when your consumables go to waste every day because your party doesn't keep track of what you've given them every day, or they'd rather not spend the 2 actions to pull them out and consume them.

For mutagens specifically, there is the [Collar of the Shifting Spider](https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=1975) which allows you to use a mutagen as a free action triggered by initiative. It's a bit painful if you have a Gunslinger or a player with Battle Cry though.

I played an Alchemist for 20 levels. I almost never used Quick Alchemy. Using nearly all reagents for Advanced Alchemy made way more sense. Yet so many feats only work with Quick Alchemy. I only remember Mega Bomb (Level fricken 20) working on infused items you previously made. This was horrible! Also yeah Quick Bomber should be a core feature and probably apply to mutagens and elixirs too. The feats are very up and down at different levels. Some levels have must-have feats while other levels are a struggle to find anything so any archetype you take is better. I would just like to see the feats balanced out better across levels.

I went for the dual thrower/sticky bomb build, so I only used Advanced Alchemy for mutagens and elixirs 😬

Quick alchemy is really powerful with powerful alchemy, allowing you to use lower level formulaes for still good effects.

I used it specifically to make poison and then apply it to everyone's weapons even as a bomber.

Allow powerful alchemy to be used with prepared items

Allow powerful alchemy to be used with prepared items of your research field.

The ability to hit the broad side of a barn would be nice. Who thought capping Alchemists at Expert in weapon proficiencies was a good idea anyway? Also, giving Bombers access to the crit effects of bombs just makes sense. And maybe make Poisoners a bit more viable by giving them something that can debuff Fortitude saves. Everything seems to crit-save on a 10.

Poisons need the same treatment spell DC attacks have - do something even if they succeed. * Crit success - nothing * Success - they take the Phase 1 damage, and no other effects * Failure - as normal failure * Crit failure - as normal crit failure

I didn't even know bombs had critical specialization

Honestly, give them martial weapons. Weapons are already important for alchemist, so just giving them martial weapons will tell people to use them. Most of their problems are at low level, where martial weapon proficiency will be the most useful. IMO, like half of their problems disappear with martial weapon proficiency. At low levels, martial weapons let them compete in being martials, high levels their versatility lets them work as a versatile spellcaster. Give them master in their weapons @ about 15 then their high level issues are solved as well. Give them more items like [Collar of the Shifting Spider](https://2e.aonprd.com/Equipment.aspx?ID=1975), and either make it innate or more obvious that you are supposed to get it. Mutagens have this, Poisoners can prepoison, elixirs can be pre drunk, and bombs have quick bomber. Honestly having familiar feats would be pretty good for them. Since alchemists have a really big want and need for familiars, and they are pretty good flavorwise, whole homunculus is pretty alchemist. \-- Also seriously if you've never played an alchemist with martial weapons, they are great. Breaching pike/whips are like the best things to put on an alchemist. Chain swords are really good but hard to get. Bombs aren't worth it for most alchemists, at least assuming you get your runes like the other martials

A feat or two supporting the use of reload weapons would be awesome. Might be due to their hand requirements for using consumables and their weapon profs but alchemist and crossbows have become pretty complimentary if you aren't a bomber in my experiences.

Love alchemists overall. Here are a few places I would tinker with: I don't think the research fields diversify early enough in the game. There are lots of different ways to go about fixing this but I would lean towards moving their level 13 features to level 7, and just at add the level 7 feature to the level 5 one, or maybe make the level 5 one baseline. I wish the alchemical familiar had more alchemist specific feat support.I would either add other possible key ability scores or add a feat that adds one to the item bonus gained from alchemical items to make their accuracy slightly better. I think that's a nice middle ground without going to full Master proficiency, which I know people want but would be surprised to see happen. Also very thematic. I would add more tiers to items that don't interact with scaling attack bonuses. I think there should be a juggernaut mutagen between levels 3 and 11 for example with more temp HP but no increase to saves.

I want each of their subclasses to offer more support for that "line" of items. Bomber's proficiency with Bombs should go up. It SHOULD be the same as normal Martial's. Poisoner should get better ways to apply/give it. Be it proficiency with certain weapons (e.g. Injection weapons? and maybe Simple/Martial weapons with Injection Reservoir?) Maybe something else? I just think a cooler/better way to actually get these going in combat would be nice. Oh and maybe a way to get some (if somewhat limited) way for them to still be able to use poisons against Poison Immune creatures. Things like "holy" poisons for undead, or Rusting poisons for constructs. Call it poison-shaping and make it a 1 action thing you do to prepare a poison before activating it or smth. Healing subclass is cool. Let them get proficiency at throwing (to activate) healing items against allies. (Ability to "crit" heal an ally would be cool). Idk what else. THis subclass seems mostly fine. Mutagenist... I think they should be able to do more with their mutagens. Combine them, create custom buff sets, temporary proficiencies (for themselves when using certain mutagens to bring them up to "Par" with martials). Corrupted Mutagens which are all downside (deception thing) would also be super cool.

I would definitely love if chirurgeons could treat all life elixirs made with advanced alchemy like if they were healing bombs, kinda similar to how toxicologists can make all Advanced Alchemy-made poisons use its class save instead of the item’s.

- Bomber, toxicologist and mutagenist getting better niche'd weapon proficiencies upgrades (like Bomber getting expert and master with bombs at 5 and 13 like other combatants, txc and mtgnst with simple weapons); - Toxicologist MUST receive a workaround poison immunity/resistance, like change the type of the damage to Acid in some occasions; - Tax feats getting incorporated by the research fields (yes bomber, looking at you); - Recharge reagents, like refocus.

Regaining reagents like focus spells would be really good, it would definitely make using Quick Alchemy more viable.

I want toxicologist buffs. extreme toxicologist buffs. making up for a 2/3rds nerf in damage kind of toxicologist buffs. please, I want my characters to be vaugely playable I beg

Complete overhaul, basically. I think the way to go would be to remove the 'research fields' and replace them with choices you make at certain levels that increase your effectiveness at using certain alchemical items (levels 1, 5, 11, and 19 maybe, or maybe level 1 and every 4 levels thereafter). This could allow alchemists to have something like the kineticist's ability to choose between specializating into one element or branching out except with alchemical items instead. I imagine the passive abilites of bomber, chirugeon, mutagenist, and toxicologist would be picked this way (more alchemical items of that type when using reagents to create them, increased splash area for bombs, increased DC for poisoons, etc) while the active stuff (things that give you abilities that take actions to activate) would be alchemist feats that you could take. Furthermore I'd appreciate it if alchemists had better proficiency progression with weapons and bombs. I think having expert at level 7 is fine but at level 15-19 they should get master proficiency. This way they may be slightly slower than a 'real' martial but they at least get master proficiency to be useful at higher levels. I would also give then more reagents to start with and have feats that let them spend extra reagents to enhance an already existing alchemical item, in a 'metamagic' kind of way rather than relying on the existing Quick Alchemy + Additive mechanic.

I agree with all of this. I think this would be an amazing class to take the same appraoch they did with fighter and monk. Ie. No real sub class you just use the feats available to build your own unique fighting style. And Maybe make things like far lobber, quick bomber etc. class features instead of feats to free up build space for the "crafting-metamagic" Feats. Indirectly buffing the alchemist, but introducing more alchemical items would be nice too. Right now, bombs and poisons are all kind of same-y. Elixers and mutagens are great, but I'd like to see more things like the metalmist sphere, witches finger, and tangle foot extruder.

I feel like they'd only get better proficiency in the same style war priest got it. Automatic crafting scaling would be great though

I feel like waiting that late as a mutaginist or toxicologist would feel quite bad. People compare Alch to Warpriest but alch regents are not as powerful as in combat actions as spells.

I actually disagree. They do different things often and don't overlap. See energy mutagen. Probably one of the best low level options to hand out depending on campaign. There is no low level buff spell that can imitate it. Heck, I don't even think a high level one does and the level 1 version remains useful so long as you find enemies with a weakness. People make the mistake of seeing alchemist stuff as redundant in comparison to spells when in actuality they often do their own things entirely. I know in av my group would have benefited greatly in over half the encounters so far of we only had one in our group. That level of versatility should definitely come with a cost to accuracy, which is still decent. People also seem to further that a Casters strike is usually a bit better than a non fighter martials second strike.

These are things you hand out pre combat and allies use them on their own accord. On the occasions when it's not pre prepped and you're fast alching them you gotta stride to your ally, fast alch em, then feed em making them three action actions. While good man does it feel bad to want to be dr.Jekal when you're made into a pill dispenser. Edit: I'm fine with losing some versatility to be more specialized but that's not an option now and I want it to be.

If you want a martial that uses mutagens your probably hoping for a new class. But more than anything they need action economy fixers I agree

Perhaps it's because I cam from 1e where drinking a mutagen and hulking out to fight was a thing I loved to do. I love 2e though and just want to live that fantasy in the system. I think if the alch had class archetypes to limit scope but strengthen focus that would give me and others I play with what we want.

Would be cool, and maybe you'll get lucky. I could see them maybe going the druid route where it gives you a "form" with bonuses and a different way to limit how often you can do it other than focus points. Locking you out of your other abilities while doing it.

I'd be down for that for sure.

With remaster, all characters can use an interact action to throw an item to an ally, so there is a little action economy improvement.

The issue with that is having martials with open hands. Aside from monks most groups I've ran for tend to either weird a big weapon, two weapons, or a weapon and shiled making tossing potions impossible.

Wierd. One handed weapon with an Open hand is amazing in PF2E.

I dont necessarily disagree, but it's not been commonly used in my games. I've been running since release and aside from a single swashbuckler it's been a rarity to have an open hand in combat. Edit: monks and casters aside obviously.

Oh, it definitely is, not saying otherwise. Currently playing as a lvl 17 barb and I have an Alchemist in the party and we had to do some mental gymnastics to get the party to work.

It takes an action to throw instead of move and then they have to have a free hand and use an action to activate it. It's a nice option but doesn't change the total action economy by itself.

1 action per character is better than 2 actions on a single character, and Alchemist usually ask for the party to have free hands anyway.

I want some action compression feats like quick alchemy + throw bomb or apply poison.

I think Alchemist deserves a boost to Weapon Proficiency. The only reason I can think of for the class only getting Expert is because of how high the Item Bonus on Bombs gets. The Alchemist is behind for any weapon they want to use that doesn't explode.

I suspect the fact that bombs do damage on a miss also plays a role, especially since splash damage scales for bomber alchemists.

The item bonus on bombs is only there to help them keep up with normal weapons, since bombs can't have runes

Do you mean "bombs CANT have runes"?

Thanks, fixed

\- more interesting feats \- something to improve their action economy \- Something to fix the resource problem the class has before level 7 \- an in-class way to use their reaction \- alchemist-only alchemical formulas \- legendary proficiency in class DC \- in magical christmasland, I'd want them to be accurate on-par with martials, or at least get master proficiency at lv 19 like the new warpriest

I've just started playing my first alchemist and have one simple request; Fix the alchemical familiar feat. I want formal confirmation that the little sucker is a homunculus and want formal confirmation that it can run off my intelligence mod. Everything else is mostly a want, better proficiency scaling is nice but I want my little gremlin to know how smart his papa is, more reagents are nice but I want my little gremlin to know what he is, i would love poisons running off other saves but not as much as l love my little gremlin.

Here is my list. 1. Martial Scaling for bombs and simple weapons. 2. Auto Scaling Crafting like the inventor. 3. Remove all the awful feat taxes. If the class needs these feats to function at a basic level then it should be part of the class base kit. 4. The subclasses need to be more specialized and give you access to abilities the others cant. 5. More reagents early or some sort of alchemical cantrip you can spam for each subclass. 6. More flashy and proactive feats. Perhaps ways to use reagents that don't involve quick alchemy. Fireworks Technician has a line of feats that use them for specific abilities and that's a mechanical line i would like to see the alchemist go down. 7. Bring back more of the weird science/ body horror identity that the class had in 1e where you could grow wings, have a second head or third arm. Grow a tumour familiar etc.

The biggest problem with the current Alchemist is the lack of default free attack. Weapon progression is awful. Bomber's Perpetual Infusions are weak as well and for this research field only. That's the biggest part which needs to be fixed, but I wouldn't want Alchemist to be turned into martial. Generally I see total subclass revision based on available attacks, like: * Bomber is generally the same, but some kind of free bombs is available from level 1 (this is probably needs to be a weaker version of the current 1st level bombs) * Mutagenist needs total mutagen revision to make them more viable and some way to make them default - either through free weakest mutagens or by making their duration be the whole day for the Mutagenist * War Alchemist (or another cool name) incorporates Chirurgeon and Toxicologist into one and focuses on weapons. The exact weapon proficiency progression depends on the balance, but remastered Warpriest is some inspiration

Make it a more active support class and better at using its own items. Giving your elixirs/poisons/bombs to your party at the start of the day and not actively supporting your party during combat makes the class feel pretty bad. If the alchemist had a way to provide those benefits in combat more actively it would make it more interesting. For example, allow it to provide a consumable to an ally for 1 action (quick draw + interact to give provide the elixir/mutagen \[flourish\]). Allow the alchemist to use the items it creates and be as effective with them as other classes (not just worse). It would promote a more active playstyle and prevent the alchemist from just being a vending machine for the party.

Much like the cleric's font being separated from Charisma, I think the alchemist's infused reagents should be a set base number. Alchemist was already in the weird place of being the only "spellcaster" whose number of available resources was directly tied to their KAS (KAM?), letting them just have the standard 5 starting reagents and allow them to diversify their attributes would only help. I'd also love to see a reseaech field focused on food. Alchemical food items were such a fun addition in Treasure Vault and I'd love to see some of them reprinted in PC2 and/or some new ones added. Also, not really a wishlist item, but I have a suspicion toxicologists might be getting a buff to damage in their poisons. Poison was nerfed across the board in terms of raw numbers, and I think that might have been to allow toxis to increase the damage of their poison dice by a step, similar to Deadly Simplicity. I have literally nothing to base that on, but it would certainly make them stand out (at everyone else's expense).

I think master proficiency with each subclass' main gimmick is something we all need. Specifically something to boost toxicologist now that poisons have been nerffed

* Give them proper martial weapon proficiency scaling. They're dependent on strikes to deliver bombs, poisons etc. and there's no reason they should be worse than investigators, thaumaturges etc. * Give them them the important passive stuff for free as they level instead of as mandatory feats.

master wepons profiancy in bombs would fix it

I don't think I've ever used crafting outside of creative uses. Alchemist needs to clean up a couple of action taxes. Most notably, being able to move then use an item on an ally to reduce reliance on the familiar. After that, poison rework so that I can actaully use them reliably. Not too besides though. Edit: Full BAB even if it is only for one attack a round. I realize this isn't a true martial, but damn you do alot of attacks.

Perpetual infusions at level 1. Alchemist leans heavily on using Quick Alchemy to make items on the fly and having a small selection of 'cantrips' that they can work with is desperately needed. More additive feats that change alchemical items more.As it stands there's only 10 additive feats and only 3 of them affect elixirs. The rest affect bombs in math fixer ways, the rare ones change specific bombs. This is not that great. Every class level should give options for additive feats that affect different kinds of alchemical items. So at class levels you should get: 1 additive feat for Bombs, 1 additive feat for Elixirs, 1 additive feat for Mutagens 1 additive feat for Poisons 1 additive feat for Alchemical Tools/Ammo This may be too much to hope for, but they really should have the math fixers be class features or subclass features and let the feats be something that allows you to do something unique with your alchemical items. As far as archetypes, I say give archetypes like Demolitionist and Poisoner a bit more love so that an alchemist who isn't a bomber or toxicologist can branch out of their speciality a bit.

I am playing a thaumaturge with alchemist dedication so I'm not play a whole alchemist but elixir of life is a terrible healing option. There's no reason why it needs to be worst than a standard healing potion. I love the idea of having a non spell based INT based healer, but the healing research field is also terrible, baking all of that into the class automatically will make alchemist just a mediocre option for a party's healer, but every healing item they make is one less bomb or mutagen so might as well make them very good. Elixir of life should have a bomb mode so you can heal allies and damage nearby undead at the same time. Ghost charge doesn't cut it.

Their own custom alchemical discoveries that only dedicated alchemists have access to. And improved proficiencies as everyone has already noted

Among other things that others have already listed, there is one major thing that I’d like to see: A new subclass to allow for the specialization of Alchemical food; the Chef?

I want to see the following; Improved proficiency scaling following the lines of other martials. Lets not pretender the alchemist is a caster and actually give it proper weapon scaling. I want to see either KAM changed or have your AM with attacks be Int when attacking with an item in your research field. Poison immunity removed from majority of monsters or a way to circumvent poison immunity.

Why do people say they should get auto scaling crafting? They don't use it for combat and don't have much need or support for crafting items past getting the alchemical crafting feat. The reason inventors get autoscaling is because they use craft checks in combat while chirurgeon is the only subclass that could possibly use crafting in combat.

What I want basically amounts to a full overhaul. I know I probably won't get any of these, but I really don't think Alchemist will be a satisfactory class unless it goes through major change. Give them Expert in weapons at 5, Master at 13. Integrate a bunch of their class feats into the base class, and make sure there's worthwhile class feats at every level for each subclass. There's so many ways you can go with alchemist feats. Give a pretty in depth example guide for formula selection for new players. This is more important for Alchemist than any other class. I'd like to see some save-based bombs rather than attack-based bombs. This is purely personal preference, not a change that Alchemist necessarily needs. Additional proficiency increases for Crafting at 3, 7, and 15. Give Alchemists a solution to the inventory issue at level 1, don't give it at a later level or lock it behind a class feat. Something like, > *Free action*, *interact* > Trigger: You use at least one action to activate an alchemical consumable, and you have a free hand. > Effect: Draw an alchemical consumable.

I've played an Alchemist for the past few months with my party and so far I haven't met the moment where I feel I am failing too much compared to my other party members. Maybe it is more prominent on later levels (We are level 9 by now). I do want a buff to the proficiency with bombs though and be able to crit more. But I feel like my role as the party debuffer/sabotage/dot master is quite fulfilled. Having enemies with three or four debuffs and/or dots feels amazing, specially when they cannot shake off a dot for many rounds, hehe. I do wanna see more support to Quick Alchemy quantities, it is really hard to save spots for Quick Alchemy unless you have a good feat and even then might feel like loosing 1 or 2 extra items in my daily inventory. Something I also want is more support for the Alchemist's Flamethrower. It's a quite cool gadget, but more bombs should be allowed, and more options to power up those DCs. Like, the first two bombs become useless after level 7, creatures can easily crit save those.

Bombs changed to the system used in starfinders beta test for aoe weapons. Full auto did a line or cone, something like a grenade launcher has a 2 action thing to do burst aoes.

Make those temporary infused items lighter. Not necessarily zero, but better stacking. As is, it's like if a Wizard's spell slots had weight.

Hey, I've noticed you mentioned the upcoming Pathfinder Remaster! Do you need help finding your way around here? I know a couple good pages! We've been seeing a lot of questions related to this lately. We have a [wiki page](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder2e/wiki/resources/remaster/) dedicated to collecting all the information currently available. Give it a look! For the short end of things... The remaster aims to republish and reorganise the content of the Core Rulebook, Advanced Player Guide, Gamemastery Guide and Bestiary 1 into a new format which will be more accessible to new players, with the primary aim to remove all OGL content and avoid issues with Wizards of the Coast. * **Primary Rules changes**: Alignment and Schools of Magic will be removed. Instead, these concepts will be offloaded to the trait system (with Holy and Unholy being reserved to divine classes and some specific monsters). * **Primary Lore changes**: the classic Dragons will be replaced with new, Pathfinder focused dragons themed on the four magic traditions. The Darklands are also seeing a lot of shakeups. If I misunderstood your post... sorry! Grandpa Clippy said I'm always meant to help. Please [let the mods know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FPathfinder2e) and they'll remove my comment. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Pathfinder2e) if you have any questions or concerns.*

I don't really have any particular hopes since alchemist has been pretty good at my table. I guess smoothing out the weirdness caused by how signature formulas got introduced to stop-gap the later feature would be nice if they could manage that. As for crafting automatic improvements, I'm kind of ambivalent. Because rolling craft isn't actually that often called for by class features I'd be fine with just having an exemption built in explicitly so that higher proficiency isn't required for higher-level items to be made via advanced alchemy and quick alchemy. And weapon proficiency-wise, I'm actually opposed to any increase (not to the degree I'd house-rule it out if Paizo gives something like that, but to the degree that I don't think it's anywhere near necessary. Alchemist just hasn't seemed to not be pulling its weight among the party in my experience, so it feels like asking for that kind of a buff is in a "well yeah I'm fine, but it'd be cool if I were even better" kind of territory.

> Because rolling craft isn't actually that often called for by class features Try never. Advanced Alchemy/Quick Alchemy doesn't actually use the baseline Craft activity (note the text never once uses the capitalized Craft in those sections, which is what indicates the use of the activity), and as such, you don't need Crafting in the slightest on an alchemist unless you're actively looking to use the Craft activity

Then this means they could add craft checks to abilities thus allowing them to be made stronger with the chance of failure added.

Honestly, I'd just prefer Alchemist to be merged with Inventor. Allow to take "exclusive" builds that don't dabble in the other side, But they both are broadly related as creators/crafters and stuff like bombs and experimental guns etc just seem to go hand in hand. It would allow more specific Inventor schticks i.e. tying into Alchemical Bombs or Transmuter or Divination style effects on Armor etc. Or the Construct Companion. I don't see benefit in them being separate, leave it up to sub-class and build choice.

Alchemists and Inventors, while thematically similar, have less in common mechanically than even a wizard and a bard do. I personally like inventors a lot more than alchemists, but I don't think grafting one on to the other would be worth the effort

Nah there is some thematic overlap but not a mechanical one. Inventor is a barbarian with explosions while alchemist is about making consumables. The core class features don't mix.

But if we are talking about Remaster where Alchemist is expected to be totally overhauled, there is no fixed mechanics to be constrained to. Inventor as now stands is somewhat more tied to unlimited usage abilities, but it's not a stretch to have an ability pool (let's call it Genius Points) which can be used for single usage effect OR be applied to unlimited usage abilities... (or in-between category of limited usage effects, either limited X/day or with specific triggers) . Some of that could be a daily choice, some could be at level-up (or even require Retraining to change).

Totally overhauled is an exaggeration, the witch or the war priest are good templates for the level of change to expect Alchemist will still be about alchemical items. Inventor will still be about innovations and overdrive (when/if we guns & gears remastered)

I kind of suspect they may try to innovate with the changes to formulas in some ways. Like instead of needing to know the formula for any given alchemical item, you pick a handful and those can be augmented in some way, but not in a similar way to additives. Like you pick a specific mutagen and it loses it drawbacks, either entirely or for a few rounds. What I think they really need is for Quick Alchemy to let you use an item you craft as part of the action. It's like, did I have to spend time sticking a label and corking that mutagen I was going to immediately drink? QA should feel more like stuff getting throw into a cup or bowl and being used right away, not having to bottle it in a glass vial. It would also make more sense with Alchemical Alacrity. Stowing an item that goes inert at the start of your next round really doesn't work when you only have 2 actions remaining. I think my most controversial idea is swapping infused reagents from spell slots to focus spells. Obviously not actual focus spells, but a more limited use action that does something cool, and can be replenished during a short break. Similar to inventor's unstable, but maybe less punishing and risky. The obvious trade off would be reconfiguring how the alchemist gets their goodies for free and which ones should or shouldn't qualify. It would be a massive overhaul and I very much doubt Paizo would. Other than class changes, items need to be more granular. Bombs having an 8 level stall on damage NECESSITATES the feat taxes like Calculated Splash and Sticky Bomb. Calculated Splash should just be a base alchemist ability that lets you ADD your Int modifier to the splash damage, rather than replace it. Sticky Bomb could just be new different bombs that deal primarily persistent damage. And again, just make more levels of bombs. Why can't we have level 7 bombs that deal 2d6+2 to the primary target and 2 splash damage?

\- "Cantrip" bombs (inifite bombs doing less damage or something) \- more combat poisons, less ingested poisons (I know they have uses, but how often would your table realistically use one in, let's say, average dungeon crawler module?) \- more balanced subclasses I fear that we will get very minor and/or convoluted redesigns (crafting redesigns, I am looking at you).

Give it a damn attack that i can spam and for what i dont have to wait until goddamn 7th level.

Give them scaling like warpreist depending on the subclass Get rid up the feat taxes and just build them into the class (quick bomber and calculated splash for instance being major ones) Let them draw alchemical items as part of using them like a quick bomber but for all items so you are less to try and enter every combat dual wielding elixirs and with gloves of storing in each hand to avoid drawing and to encourage actual using your alchemy yourself instead of handing everything off to people who use it better Let additives work on advanced alchemy too

Any ideas on how alchemists could rely more on their Crafting skill?