Mad Bomber
Half-Orc Alchemist (Grenadier)
Bombs, bombs, and more bombs. Bombs to kill enemies, bombs to stun enemies, bombs to make enemies fall down. The Mad Bombers focuses on throwing as many bombs as effectively as possible, and will take the half-orc favored class bonus of ½ more bomb damage per level.
Feats/Discoveries
2: Precise Bombs from Grenadier Archetype, Smoke Bomb
3: Precise Shot
4: Stink Bomb
5: Rapid Shot
6: Tanglefoot Bomb
7: Two-Weapon Fighting
8: Fast Bombs
9: Weapon Focus: Bombs
10: Confusion Bomb
11: Improved Critical: Bombs
12: Infusion
13: Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
14: Blinding Bomb
15: Greater Two-Weapon Fighting
16: Greater Mutagen
17: Extra Bombs
18: Grand Mutagen
19: Extra Bombs
20: Elemental Mutagen, Explosive Bomb, True Mutagen
Attributes
Intelligence is important for bombs and alchemist goodies, Dex is important for throwing. Con is important for staying alive, while Strength and Charisma are two clear dump stats. Int>Dex>Con>Wis>Str>Cha
15 Point Buy
STR: 7
DEX: 16
CON: 12
INT: 18 (16+2)
WIS: 11
CHA: 7
20 Point Buy
STR: 7
DEX: 17
CON: 12
INT: 19 (17+2)
WIS: 10
CHA: 7
25 Point Buy
STR: 7
DEX: 17
CON: 12
INT: 20 (18+2)
WIS: 11
CHA: 7
Attribute increases: Get Dex and Int to even numbers, then boost Int. If you are going for greater two weapon fighting, you want 19 Dex by level 15.
Traits
Reactionary: +2 InitiativeFate's Favored: +1 Luck bonuses. In combination with Sacred Tattoo, this trait equals an additional +1 to all saves!
Take the alternate racial trait “Sacred Tattoo” to get +1 luck bonus to all saving throws at the expense of orcish ferocity. With Fate's Favored, it's awesome!
Suggested Gear
Anything with a luck bonus, such as jingasa of the fortunate soldier, is also going to be golden due to the Fate's Favored trait.
Spells
What the Build Looks Like at...
Level 1: HP: 9, AC 17. Throws one bomb at +6 touch for d6+5 damage.
Level 4: HP: 27, AC 19. Throws one bomb at +11 touch for 2d6+7 damage. 9 bombs a day
Level 8: HP: 51, AC 20. Throws four bombs at +9/+9/+9/+4 touch for 4d6+9 damage. 13 bombs a day, DC 19. Can make bombs entangle and glue, or have a radius of 10 feet.
Level 12: HP: 75, AC 20. Throws four bombs at +14/+14/+14/+9 touch for 6d6+11 damage (19-20/x2). 17 bombs a day, DC 22. Can make bombs entangle and glue, confuse, blind or have a radius of 10 feet. (DPR 88 against average CR 12 creature)
Level 16: HP: 131, AC 22. Throws seven bombs at +18/+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8 touch for 8d6+14 damage (19-20/x2). 22 bombs a day, DC 24. Can make bombs entangle and glue, confuse, blind, deal extra damage to undead and other creepsters, or have a radius of 10 feet.
Level 20: HP: 203, AC 27. Throws seven bombs at +22/+22/+22/+17/+17/+15/+5 touch for 10d6+15 damage (19-20/x2). 25 bombs a day, DC 25. Can make bombs entangle and glue, confuse, blind, deal extra damage to undead and other creepsters, nauseate, or have a radius of 10 feet.
Tactics
Get in there and Bomb! Use a variety of different kinds of bomb to drop different status ailments on dudes. Try not to blow your load all at once, don't go nova until boss fights.
Guide to the Builds
Comprehensive Guide to the Guides
so where are you getting 4 bombs at lvl 8?
ReplyDeleteTwo Weapon fighting and Rapid shot, in conjunction with the Fast Bombs Discovery.
DeleteThis would actually allow for an extra bomb a day with the Channel Vigor extract giving you haste.
ReplyDeleteYou are missing Fate's Favored to get +1 to all your saves, since your Sacred Tattoo is a luck bonus. If you take that trait, you may want to buy a jingasa of the fortunate soldier later for some extra AC since you would get another AC from that, since it is a luck bonus. Alchemists can get stratospheric AC without really trying too hard. Also don't forget a buckler for +1 AC and no actual drawback. Buy as much INT as you can, but toss the rest of your money into AC and saves..
ReplyDeleteGood points! Added
DeleteAt level 8 how do you get +9 damage?
ReplyDelete+4 from the half orc favored class trait, +5 from 20 intelligence.
DeleteIs this missing the +1 from point blank shot?
DeleteA grenadier also gets a martial weapon proficiency at level one. I'm guessing a bow would be best?
ReplyDeleteYup, longbow would probably be best!
Deletebut wouldn't you get the -2 penalty for having low strength score?
DeleteHuh, I suppose you would. Good call!
DeleteI don't know if it is the best but I'd use Chakram
DeleteI think you can use the light crossbow (although it has lower range than a bow) and it will obtain similar or better results than the crossbow (due to low stregth) and you have the proficiency for being alchemist. Maybe it will be "better" to select something like a rapier in the case you need to do melee combat, which has Critical 18–20/x2 and you can use it with Weapon Finesse feat to apply dex modifier instead of str.
DeleteAt level 8, how do you get +11/+11/+11/+6 ?
ReplyDeleteShouldn't it be +8/+8/+8/+3? 6(BAB)+5(MOD DEX. while using the Mutagen)+1(Point Blank Shot)-2(Rapid Shot)-2(Two-Weapon Fighting)= +8
ReplyDeleteI think you might be right! Adjusted.
DeleteShouldn't it be 1 more. Don't you get +1 from the Throw Anything feat?
DeleteRight, that helps. Thanks!
DeleteI just rolled an Alchemist and really only put a 15 in Dex because the amount of bonuses you get is insane. Firebug, Point-Blank Shot, Throw Anything gives you 3 itself and if you keep the 17 Dex in your build you're looking at +6 at level 1. You need to roll a 6 to hit average touch AC.
DeleteYup, touch AC is nuts. Alchemists FTW.
DeleteI dont understand how you're getting two discoveries at level 2. Can someone explain?
ReplyDeletePrecise bombs is from the Grenadier archetype.
DeleteHow are you using Grenadier as a Half-Orc?
ReplyDeleteSorry, it completed my post before I was done. I only find Grenadier as a Hobgoblin Archetype to Alchemist
DeleteHere you go: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/archetypes/paizo---alchemist-archetypes/grenadier For some reason, they named two archetypes the same thing.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteInfusion discovery at level 12.
DeleteSo what's your take on the DC for breaking the glued condition from a tanglefoot bomb? The primary save is pretty obviously against the standard bomb DC (10 + 1/2 level + INT) but what about breaking out from the goo?
ReplyDeleteFlat out DC 17 as mentioned under tanglefoot bag or standard bomb DC as well?
I'd go 10 + 1/2 + Int.
DeleteFirst of all I would like to thank you the effort and dedication to prepare this guide. I am finding it very useful. I would like to make a build for a tiefling alchemist focused in bombs (which has the same favored class option than the half-orc) and I have some questions that I would like to ask you:
ReplyDelete1- Why do you spen so much discoveries on mutagen discoveries? It s true that you have a burst on attack rolls and you have a lot of attacks with a lot of penalties for using Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved TWF and Greater TWF, but if you focus on your bombs, you need also another elemental energy to change the fire damage, because you can easily find someone with fire immunity or reduction. Maybe it wll be also competitive to delete one feat from TWF or mutagen discovery to be able to use Frost Bomb, Thorny Bomb or similar. Is the same reason to prefer True Mutagen instead if Awakened Intelligence?
2- Why you don't consider to choose Tumor familiar in order to have a familiar (armadillo for +1 AC, hedgehog for +2 will save or scorpion for +4 initiative)?
3- Why you don't consider to choose Preserve Organs and Mummification discoveries like in Mortar Build? Is because you should sacrifice TWF feats/mutagen discoveries?
4- Why you choose Smoke Bomb and Stink Bomb instead of Frost Bomb and Thorny Bomb or Curse Bomb for example?
5- Why you don't choose Firebug and Focused Burn traits to this build? It will have higher focus on bombs attack rolls and damage.
Thank you very much in advance and excuse me for the length of the post
Those are all viable options! Primarily, the focus is on offense rather than defense. I'd suggest looking at the Alchemist Guide on this site for an analysis of all of those feature.
DeleteGreat guide, I just had a quick question. For level 1, wouldn't it be +6 touch (+3 base dex +2 dex mutagen +1 point blank shot) and 1d6+5 (+4 int +1 Point blank shot on direct hit target).
ReplyDeleteHmm, that sounds right!
DeleteVery Interesting guide ! However why does the third attack get the +6 BBA bonus instead of the +1 BBA of a regular secondary attack ? (same question about the BBA bonus application for the 3rd bomb throw of each hand at level 15+)
ReplyDeleteRapid shot and two weapon fighting both give attacks at full BAB.
Delete