D&D 3E/3.5 3.5 Craft (Alchemy)

[TrizzlWizzl]

I rather like Alchemy being a stand alone skill. Craft (alchemy) would take a bit of the wizardly mistique out of the skill, but we'll wait and see what they do.

 

[IceBear]

As someone else posted, it'll just be as simple as looking at the previous information and seeing if Alchemy was a class skill or not.

There could also be a special note in the Craft(Alchemy) section stating that it is restricted to certain classes too.

IceBear

 

[AuraSeer]

IMO, Alchemy always should have been a Craft skill. Its purpose is creating items of value; its description even refers to the Craft description. If there's no difference in practice, why should there be any difference in the rules?

If you don't want fighters taking Craft (alchemy) in your campaign, you don't have to allow it. Just as you needn't allow that fighter to take Craft (gemcutting), or the wizard to take Craft (blacksmithing), or the monk to take Profession (siege engineering).

Trying to make the rules enforce campaign flavor smacks of DM laziness, especially in a system that is not game-world specific. It's your campaign, so the look and feel is your responsibility.

 

[Pickaxe]

IMO, Alchemy always should have been a Craft skill. Its purpose is creating items of value; its description even refers to the Craft description. If there's no difference in practice, why should there be any difference in the rules?

But Alchemy also has other uses, particularly identifying potions. Is that something every class should be equally able to do?

--Axe

 

[Saeviomagy]

Yes? What's the problem, really? Either magic IS required to identify the potion, or it's not. If it's not (ie - it's a function of the alchemy skill, and not a spell), then there's no reason why anybody shouldn't be able to do it.

 

[MerakSpielman]

The ranger can identify potions! It's broken I say! Overpowered! Now my wizard is useless!

If you want to blow your fighter/ranger/barbarian's few skill points on Alchemy, I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

The ranger can identify potions! It's broken I say! Overpowered! Now my wizard is useless!

If you want to blow your fighter/ranger/barbarian's few skill points on Alchemy, I see no reason why you shouldn't be allowed.

Yes but should your fighter-ranger-barbarian get to spend them at class skill costs. Why bother having class skills at all, why not just make all skills cost 1 point each so any fighter can spend his points on what he wants so he can buy pick pocket and pick locks as class skills.

 

[MerakSpielman]

You could give fighters every skill as a class skill. It still wouldn't matter much. They just don't get enough points to matter.

 

[AuraSeer]

But Alchemy also has other uses, particularly identifying potions. Is that something every class should be equally able to do?

Why not? It doesn't require any magical ability, just knowledge of recipes. You mix together a grain of saltpeter with a fragment of newt's nipple, add a tiny drop of the test liquid, and if it turns purple it's a potion of cure light wounds (or whatever). With a little practice, any high school freshman can do it.

In any case, we don't even know that Craft (alchemy) will keep the extra uses that the Alchemy skill has. Maybe in 3.5E you'll need the Brew Potion feat in order to identify potions. A change like that would make a certain amount of sense; an alchemist doesn't create magic potions, so it's not obvious that he should be able to tell them apart.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I have a printout of random tastes/odors/appearances for all standard DMG potions. A player who keeps careful notes could learn to identify them that way.

So far, none of my players has kept such careful notes.