Superhero Classes: Superhuman, Animalman and Telepath

It’s a bird, it’s a dragon, it’s a superhero! Faster than a speeding arrow, more powerful than a rampaging troll, capable of leaping tall castles in a single bound!  Superhero Classes: Superhuman, Animalman and Telepath introduces three new base classes for the superhero fans among us. They remain true to the source material, flexible enough to build nearly any superhero you can think of, and friendly enough to the fantasy landscape to fit into any campaign.

Included in Superhero Classes:

• The Superhuman, a man of mithryl who can fly, wrestle giants, shoot lasers out of his eyes, or anything else you might expect from a superhuman (Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter)
• The Animalman, a superhero who draws inspiration from the animal kingdom and takes their powers for his own (Batman, Antman, Spiderman, Wolverine)
• The Telepath, a superhero who can both dominate his enemies and use telekinesis to physically demolish his foes (Professor X, Jean Grey, Emma Frost)
• A synopsis of what it means to be a superhero adventurer.

$2.99

You can find our full product line here.

Undead Paragon Classes: Skeleton, Zombie and Vampire

Ever wanted to play an undead? Undead Paragon Classes introduces three new 1-20 player classes: the Skeleton, Zombie and Vampire. These classes provide strong, balanced options for undead players while hitting all of the classics of each monster. Undead Paragon Classes also delivers a 0RP racial template, the Rotting Corpse, which can be added to any other race to make it undead. Why play a dwarf when you can play a rotting dwarf?

Included in Undead Paragon Classes:

• The Skeleton, a foot soldier of the undead who wields steel and iron while terrifying the weak.
• The Zombie, an unkillable monstrosity, who gets in close to impart disease, sicken or release insects from his host corpse.
• The Vampire, master of those he summons, those he dominates, and those he creates, though reliant on a constant source of blood to function.
• The Rotting Corpse, a 0RP racial template that can be added to any other race to make them undead.
• 17 new Undead Feats, including as Bloody, Remove Head, and Grave Rider.
• Raise Undead, a new spell that allows for transformation into an undead creature.

$2.99

You can find our full product line here.

Zenith Games Products

Undead Paragon Classes III: Banshee, Ghost & Wraith

Ever wanted to play a wraith?

Welcome to the strange and terrifying world of incorporeal undead.

Undead Paragon Classes III introduces three new 1-20 player classes: the Banshee, Ghost and Wraith. These classes provide strong, balanced options for undead players while hitting all of the classics of each monster. Undead Paragon Classes also delivers a 0RP racial template, the Ectoplasm, which can be added to any other race to make it an incorporeal undead. Why play a dwarf when you can play an ectoplasmic dwarf?

Included in Undead Paragon Classes:

• The Banshee, a sorrowful screamer with powerful (but indiscriminate) area controlling abilities.
• The Ghost, an obsessive spellcaster determined to share his pain with others.
• The Wrath, a creature of pure darkness who dishes out death and destruction to stay in the fight.
• The Ectoplasm, a 0RP racial template that can be added to any other race to make them incorporeal undead.
• 20 Undead and Ectoplasmic Feats, such as Death Speech, Visions of Mortality, and Worked to Death.
• Raise Spirit, a new spell that allows for transformation into an ectoplasm.

 

$2.99

Handbook to the Shadow Plane

Dark, mysterious, and dripping with ominous potential, the Shadow Plane is a favorite of spellcasters and arcane experimenters. Both coterminous and coexistent with the Material Plane, this strange realm provides creatures for summons, energy for spells, and a risky shortcut for canny travelers.

In this tome you will find some secrets of the Shadow Plane unmasked. The Handbook to the Shadow Plane provides new denizens, hooks, and qualities for the Plane of Shadow, including new rules on traveling between layers of shadow, plane-specific encounters, and treasures you might plunder from this mysterious world.

Inside the Handbook to the Shadow Plane, you will find:

• Umbral paths, umbral portals, and the hazards therein.
• The maddening curse of the baleful moon.
• Memory stealing dusk snatchers and Umbral hags.
• Shadow imbuements, umbral elixirs, and umbral compasses.
• Spells such as darken the inner light and shadow puzzle sphere.
• The shadow shaman spirit and the class-transforming shadow psychopomp hex.

Don't leave home without it!

365 Magic Items

Benjamin Medrano has made something incredible with 365 Magic Items.

Inside you’ll find weapons and armor, shields and rings, rods, staves, crowns, and wondrous items of all sorts.

You’ll find magical sets, such as the celestial crescents and set of the fool. You’ll find sets of sin ranging from envy to wrath.

Within are weapons of incredible power, such as bonedrinker, blade of the moon, and the elemental wheel. Alongside them are commoner tools, such as the coin of good fortune and magistrate’s gavel. 

Have a character concept? You’ll find something for it within. Need a campaign-driving MacGuffin? Try the pearl of life or crown of the necromantic lord (or dozens more).

Maybe you’d like an eternity seal to lock away a cursed treasure? Or an ephemeral breastplate for a quick escape? Or a clone amulet for the ultimate backup plan?

You’ll find all that, and hundreds upon hundreds more, within.

Enjoy. 

Seven Bizarre Races

Let’s mix up the playbook.

The races presented within are more than just a collection of minor attribute bonuses and abilities designed to get a bit more damage out of a longsword. These races are unique, vivid, and bizarre in a balanced and instantly recognizable way. They change the game, and present an excellent, fascinating toolkit for players interested in variety.

With these bizarre races, nobody will forget who you are or what you look like. With these races, suddenly your game is new again.

• BUNNYTAURS: Halfling-rabbit centaurs, quick and alert but gripped by instinctual cowardice.

• KINDERCLOAKS: Plump, hooded shadows crafted from primitive magics that turn to petrified smoke in bright light.

• MERRIEPETALS: Revelrous flowers which exude a certain allure which makes them irresistable – or is it the hallucinogenic spores?

• MISBORN: Gangly psychopomp-touched humans with the ability to talk to the dead and see through planes.

• PAINTERLILIES: Two-dimensional sentient paintings, with the ability to meld onto surfaces.

• SHADOWFRIENDS: Frail fey giants created by a child’s wish, disturbing in form but remarkably kind.

• BLESMOLFOLK: Sluggish, pain-immune mole rats, carving out vast labyrinths and dungeons. Blesmolfolk are divided between four distinct racial castes: industrious workers, crafty warriors, conniving consorts, and willful queens.

Maniac Character Class

Exploit your wildest emotions with the powerful maniac!

Maniacs are reckless arcane spellcasters that enter into an altered state of consciousness called rave. While in a rave, these rash enchanters draw upon a set of primal forceful emotions rooted deep in their psyche.

Burning emotions to fuel their magical abilities, maniacs harness powers that other arcane practitioners consider unreliable if not outright dangerous. Often ostracized by society and treated as lunatics by their peers, maniacs seek out extreme situations in which they can explore the full emotional array, drawing them towards a life of adventuring.

Included in the Maniac Character Class:

• The Maniac Character Class, a wild 9th level spellcaster that harnesses emotions as fuel.
• 20 emotional raves for the maniac to exploit.
• 5 maniac archetypes: the affector, fractured soul, fury, korybant, and tempermentalist.
• 7 favored class options, 3 magic items, and 2 maniac specific feats.

101 Cursed Items

Add some challenge into your game with 101 Cursed Items!

101 Cursed Items presents a litany of memorable and engaging curses to use in your game. Each curse and drawback enhances the story and mythos of your campaign, providing additional challenges without seeming unfair.

The curses and drawbacks within range from goofy to punishing to campaign threatening, but they are always fun for both the GM and players, presenting unique complications that must be overcome for the party is to survive.

101 Cursed Items Includes:

• An overview of the cursed item rules, including identifying, crafting, selling, and destroying the objects.
• New optional cursed item rules, such as complex curse removal and degrading magic.
• 101 unique cursed items and drawbacks, such as:
• Backhand of glory, bag of rabid animals, and boots of endless levitation.
• Cape of the waking nightmare, glove of embarrassing revelations, and horn of befouled air.
• Mulemind cords, ring of visibility, and robe of useless items.
• Rod of maximum security, tesseract chime, and serpent sheath.

We Be Leshys

A most unusual adventure for CR 5 leshy characters.

In We Be Leshys, the players control leshys out to protect the Brindlewild Forest. They fight their way out of a deadly trap, struggle against a corrupted friend, save their creator from a dangerous mob, and take on an insane, demon-summoning sorcerer. We Be Leshys includes nine new playable leshys which combine the aspects of a classic adventuring party with true floral flavor.

We Be Leshys is a one-shot adventure that serves as an excellent introduction to Pathfinder or a refreshing break for an experienced group. It is 28 pages long and only $1.99.

Included in We Be Leshys:

• A complex and detailed leshy adventure with high emotional stakes. 
• Six new enemies and NPCs, including rift demons and a (spoiler) corrupted treant. 
• Challenging social encounters and skill challenges to test the breadth of leshy abilities. 
• Rules for adjusting difficulty to accommodate the needs of any group. 
• Nine playable leshy characters, complete with unique abilities and personalities, including Briar, Skunk Cabbage and Vine.

Paragon Hags and Occult Covens

Witches gathered in occult circles. Crones tossing human eyes into a cauldron. Cultists raising kings from the dead.

This is the life of a paragon hag. It is a dark life, overflowing with mysterious power and evil pacts. These stooped crones will do anything for power. Their terror and cruelty are legendary.

Master occult rituals. Transform children into changelings. Broker lopsided deals with mortals.

Become the Hag.

Contained inside Paragon Hags and Occult Covens:

• Rules for forming Occult Covens both as a hag and as a mortal.
• The Hag Race, immortal and twisted beyond repair.
• The Paragon Hag class, complete with fearsome claws, ritual spells, 10 family bloodlines, mastery of occult rituals, and three archetypes.
• 19 New Feats, including Coven Training, Grandmother's Teeth, and Sympathetic Spell.
• 6 New Rituals, including Crone's Walk, Embrace Changeling, and the terrible Exact Price
• 3 New Spells: Hag's Ride, Hag's Touch, and Greater Hag's Touch.
• 3 New Hag Creatures: The Bone Hag, Hearth Hag, and Moon Hag.

101 Spells for the Common Man

Why are there so many spells for flinging flame, but none for harvesting crops?

101 Spells for the Common Man brings arcane power back to the people.

Magic isn’t just for adventurers anymore. As the common folk go about their daily business, a select few augment their efforts using magic. No matter how rare magic is in your world, those working folk who possess the gift make good use of the following spells.

While these spells make life easier for the common man, a clever adventurer can find use for them as well. Rob a bank with silenced work, or create a distraction with awaken instruments. Jot down a confession with recorder’s quill or put a guard to sleep with bed-time story. Remove a watery obstacle with expeditious evaporation or track the passage of time with shadowdial. These spells bring life to your world while providing a fun, creative new toolkit for PCs.

Included in 101 Spells for the Common Man:

• 101 Level 0, 1, and 2 Spells, categorized by class and likely profession.
• The Arcane Worker, a new NPC class who mixes magic and raw skill to make his way in the world.
• 8 magical NPCs to inhabit your world, including the arcane artist and town doctor.
• Spells include abernathy's abacus, illusion of quality, and moneylender's mark, perfect for the successful banker.
• Boil water, create ice, and fortify wine, an excellent pairing with chefs of all levels.
• Create soil, locate stock, and scarecrow, turning a single farmer into a one man operation.
• Bed-time story, schedule, and track child for the parent with too much to manage.
• Enhance voice, perfect pitch, and game field for entertainers and musicians.

Undead Paragon Classes II: Ghoul, Lich and Mummy

Ever wanted to play an undead? Undead Paragon Classes II introduces three new 1-20 player classes: the Ghoul, Lich and Mummy. These classes provide strong, balanced options for undead players while hitting all of the classics of each monster. Undead Paragon Classes also delivers a 0RP racial template, the Rotting Corpse, which can be added to any other race to make it undead. Why play a dwarf when you can play a rotting dwarf?

Included in Undead Paragon Classes:

• The Ghoul, a murderous cannibal who weakens his enemies with disease and paralysis, then feeds on their flesh.
• The Lich, an unbridled necromantic spell caster who burns his own soul in pursuit of greater power, and achieves immortality through a phylactery.
• The Mummy, a blasphemous servant of the divine who slings curses and infects his enemies with horrific rot.
• The Rotting Corpse, a 0RP racial template that can be added to any other race to make them undead (From Undead Paragon Classes I).
• 17 Undead Feats, such as Bloody, Remove Head, and Grave Rider (From Undead Paragon Classes I).
• Raise Undead, a new spell that allows for transformation into an undead creature (From Undead Paragon Classes I).

The Colossal Creatures Bestiary

The best monsters are big. Really, really big.

Within these pages, you will find 81 creatures of colossal size, from CR 1 all the way to CR 26 (as well as a CR 33 and CR 40 monstrosity): straightforward enemies like the bearhemoth and sharknado, nuanced complexities like the draconic abomination and dreamer's nightmare, pushovers like the rusted colossus and pastorix, and megabosses like the tribunal wheel and harbinger of time. You’ll find animals, constructs, dragons, swarms, spellcasters, angels, brain eaters, kaiju, dimension hoppers, living siege weapons, and really big raccoons. In fact, you'll find every type and CR in the game.

Need a colossal creature for an epic battle at any level? You'll find it in the Colossal Creatures Bestiary.

This bestiary contains 82 colossal creatures, including: 

• Dragon Molt: The discarded molt of a great wyrm, animated and given purpose.
• Etherworld Fisher: An ethereal jellyfish who taunts and traps its foes through dimensional rifts.
• Grave Blob: A mobile mass grave with death on his many brains.
• Harbinger of Time: A CR 40 apocalypse-bringer, who grinds the world to dust under the inevitable march of time.
• Kongimus Rex and Dracozilla: The King Kong and Godzilla of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game (forget about that silly tarrasque).
• Tribunal Wheel: A CR 33 judge, jury, and executioner of epic proportions.
• Yuggothian Shambler: A floral weapon of war for the hideous mi-go, complete with laser beams and spore launchers.

You can find more information here!

We Be Dragons

4.8/5 Stars on RPGnow and Paizo

A most unusual adventure for CR 4 dragon characters.

In We Be Dragons, the players control dragon wyrmlings out to avenge the genocide of their families. They struggle to save their adopted father against an assassination attempt, work with humans to locate the killer, and take on both a poaching company and a fallen paladin obsessed with the extinction of all dragons. We Be Dragons includes nine new playable dragons which combine the aspects of a classic adventuring party with true draconic flavor.

We Be Dragons is a one-shot adventure that serves as an excellent introduction to Pathfinder or a refreshing break for an experienced group. It is 24 pages long, fully illustrated, and only $1.99.

Included in We Be Dragons:

• A complex and detailed draconic adventure with high emotional stakes.
• Seven new enemies and NPCs, including poachers and a fallen paladin.
• Challenging social encounters and skill challenges to test the breadth of draconic abilities.
• Rules for adjusting difficulty to accommodate the needs of any group.
• Nine new playable dragon characters, complete with unique abilities and personalities, including Arcane, Corruptor, Harmonic, Radiant, and Iron.

You can find more information here.

Praise for We Be Dragons

• 5/5 "Absolutely amazing... This is an amazing story of fallen paladins and dragons adding their treasure to the very first horde ... Look no further! ... A very well done adventure that I will definitely be running every time I have a new group. Zenith Games, keep up the good work and make more draconic adventures for everyone!" - Jerry A.
• 5/5 "For $1.99 this adventure is a BARGAIN" - Curtisin
• 4.5/5 "What's not to love?!? ... There is so much to love about this adventure. If there was a text book example of how to write an adventure for dragon PCs, this would be it ... The adventure is that good ... Whether run as a one-shot or as an introduction for a dragon-PC themed campaign, players and GMs will find We Be Dragons to be a refreshing break from the normal routine" - Donald Robinson
• "This was a really fun adventure to run and fun for my players as well ... Playing a dragon was a seamless transition. It felt like a breath of fresh air ... both familiar and new in a fun way ... It really was a blast to run ... My players are looking forward to future installments!" - Ryan T.
• "Everyone enjoyed playing dragons and everyone felt like they were playing a dragon ... they would like to play it again sometime ... the challenge was a good one and we really enjoyed the game" - Scott J.
• "It's a fantastic little module at a fantastic price point. Very cool." - Swoosh

Jacob's Tower

Jacob’s Tower is the critically acclaimed 1-13 mega-dungeon for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Regardless of your world, plot, or players, it is easily run in any campaign or as a mega-dungeon.

Jacob's Tower is an adventure for three to six 1st through 13th level PCs using the Pathfinder RPG rules. It is 152 pages long and meticulously play tested—that's 13 different modules for the price of one. These modules can be inserted piecemeal into a campaign or run as an mega-dungeon campaign.

The dungeon is designed to test a party’s versatility and flexibility, utilizing every skill and creature type in the book over every three Levels. It both introduces new players to the wonders of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and gives experienced players a non-traditional setting in which to test their skills.

You can find more information here.

Praise for Jacob's Tower:

"I love this dungeon. It's so cleverly put together, the levels are varied enough to remain interesting whilst still tied together enough to feel cohesive, and I'm super impressed with the seamless integration of a variety of skills into each level. It's inspired me to improve my GMing. I can't say enough good things about this dungeon." —Anonymous 
"Honestly, you made me look good. Fun traps, ghouls, great imagery with the feral animals, a fantastic fight against Posy and a bluffed PC... and with all the DCs spelled out I ran the game like a pro. Got lots of compliments" —David 
"I've been running this, and my players absolutely love how varied it is and how so much comes into play! I'm wondering, do you know anyone else who has made similar things? I can't get enough!" —Anonymous 
"I finally ran this level for my players the other week! And it was amazing. ...Overall, this level was one of the best sessions I've run. Thanks for writing it!" —Anonymous 
"This is a great dungeon! I'm coming from both running it as a GM and playing it as a player, and in both situations I've found it really fun!" —Jack John 
"I just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks / good job on writing up these adventures! ... It was an absolutely enjoyable experience for a DM. :)" —Anonymous 
"I absolutely love Jacob's Tower, it's been amazing to run it for my players and they've been shocked at how they've been using skill checks they didn't even know existed." —ChaosWraith 
"You only want 10 dollars for it all? You da real MVP :P" —Colin MacDonald 

Dragons are Above My Pay Grade!

5/5 Stars on Paizo.com and RPG Now

The module where level 1 characters fight a great wyrm dragon!

A non-linear search for hidden artifacts that culminates in an attack on a huge red dragon, "Dragons are Above My Pay Grade" provides heroes with an electrifying start to their careers. Who doesn’t want to fight a dragon, even if it is above your pay grade?

"Dragons are Above My Pay Grade" is an adventure for three to six 1st level PCs using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game rules. It is 23 pages long, fully illustrated and in color.

You can find more information here.

"Dragons Are above My Pay Grade" features a mining town, a fleshed out island with wild beasts and tropical hazards, a range of mini-dungeons and challenges, and a host of original enemies, spells, poisons, items, and traps. And, of course, the opportunity for a 1st level character to face a red wyrm!

Praise for Dragons are Above My Pay Grade!

5/5
"Dragons are above my pay grade feels like it could be the great beginning of a dragon slaying campaign, giving the players a very nice taste of taking on one of the biggest and baddest beasties in the bestiary. It'd be a great way to jump into things and ask your party 'Hey, you wanna kill a dragon today?'" - N. Jolly

"I found the premise fun, the characters likeable, the new monsters fun and interesting, the names of the kobolds and dragon just unpronounceable enough ("Rowg? Like Smaug? Or is it more like 'rock,' or 'cog?'"), and the humor measured and well-placed...it's a great adventure, the characters are fun and inspired, the concept is great and well-executed" - Simon Barr

Undead Paragon Classes: Skeleton, Zombie and Vampire

Ever wanted to play an undead? Undead Paragon Classes introduces three new 1-20 player classes: the Skeleton, Zombie and Vampire. These classes provide strong, balanced options for undead players while hitting all of the classics of each monster. Undead Paragon Classes also delivers a 0RP racial template, the Rotting Corpse, which can be added to any other race to make it undead. Why play a dwarf when you can play a rotting dwarf?

Included in Undead Paragon Classes:

• The Skeleton, a foot soldier of the undead who wields steel and iron while terrifying the weak.
• The Zombie, an unkillable monstrosity, who gets in close to impart disease, sicken or release insects from his host corpse.
• The Vampire, master of those he summons, those he dominates, and those he creates, though reliant on a constant source of blood to function.
• The Rotting Corpse, a 0RP racial template that can be added to any other race to make them undead.
• 17 new undead feats, such as Remove Head, Wraith-Touched and Grave Rider.
• Raise Undead, a new spell that allows for transformation into an undead creature.

You can find more information here.

Superhero Classes: Superhuman, Animalman and Telepath

It’s a bird, it’s a dragon, it’s a superhero! Faster than a speeding arrow, more powerful than a rampaging troll, capable of leaping tall castles in a single bound!  Superhero Classes: Superhuman, Animalman and Telepath introduces three new base classes for the superhero fans among us. They remain true to the source material, flexible enough to build nearly any superhero you can think of, and friendly enough to the fantasy landscape to fit into any campaign.

Included in Superhero Classes:

• The Superhuman, a man of mithryl who can fly, wrestle giants, shoot lasers out of his eyes, or anything else you might expect from a superhuman (Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter)
• The Animalman, a superhero who draws inspiration from the animal kingdom and takes their powers for his own (Batman, Antman, Spiderman, Wolverine)
• The Telepath, a superhero who can both dominate his enemies and use telekinesis to physically demolish his foes (Professor X, Jean Grey, Emma Frost)
• A synopsis of what it means to be a superhero adventurer.

You can find more information here.

The Gobbler

5/5 Stars on RPGnow

Every year for the past six years, Giblet Turkey Farms and Slaughterhouse has suffered some great tragedy on the eve of Turkey Day.  Gunter and Drumstick Giblet have hired the party to protect their prestigious institution and get to the bottom of these mysterious matters. Through the night the PCs are visited by the Ghost of Turkeys Past, the Ghost of Turkeys Present, and the Ghost of Turkeys Future before coming face to face with the fearsome Gobbler.

Included in “The Gobbler:”

• Six delicious turkey-based enemies
• A bizarre yearly ritual of slaughter in the town of Pilgrim’s Rest
• A mysterious new holiday themed curse
• A new character race, the Awakened Turkey (only with purchase of the pdf)
• Two sticks of butter and a dash of nutmeg

The Gobbler is a Thanksgiving one-shot meant for 3-4 second to fourth level PCs using the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game ruleset.

You can find more information here.

Praise for The Gobbler: A Thanksgiving Tale

5/5 "The Gobber was a great purchase. For only a dollar, you get a genuinely funny campaign that you can play with friends around the holiday . . . I will be looking for any holiday-related things they put out in the future, as it suited the needs I had and more." - Anonymous 

Deck the Halls

For too long, the northern town of Ivanheim has suffered under the curse of Santa Claus. With every passing year, his naughty list grows longer and longer and more and more children are taken away to be processed at his workshop. This year, the people of Ivanheim have moved all their children to the great Smokehall and hired mercenaries to defeat the mad elf once and for all.

Included in Deck the Halls:

• 6 new enemies, including Rudolf, nutcrackers, and Santa himself.
• A strange fey creature, obsessed with purging the world of naughtiness.
• Pop culture references to make you giggle
• Holiday cheer, and goodwill towards men.

Deck the Halls is a Christmas one-shot meant for 3-5 PCs level 2-4.  It takes 2-3 hours to run.

You can find more information here.

Rocket's Red Flare

Celebrate this July 4th with an Independence Day themed module, or throw a firework show in your own adventure!

The PCs have entered into a fireworks show in the independent village of Washingtown. They hope to beat opposing teams and win the star-spangled banner for themselves! Through their perilous journey they navigate complex firework crafting rules, defeat enemies such as freedom eagles and the statue of liberty, and destroy Renedict Barnald, a half-elf who sold his soul to the dark god of fireworks.

Included in Rocket's Red Flare:

• Extensive and awesome rules for crafting your own fireworks using magic or skill, as well as firework descriptions based on your choices.
• The patriotic village of Washington and characters such as Uncle Sam, Renedict Barnald, and Samadam.
• Three new creatures: The Freedom Eagle, the Statue of Biberty, and the Firework Elemental.
• Sparklers, hot dogs, and griffon burgers.
• Did I mention the firework crafting rules? Transform your spells into fireworks!

Rocket's Red Flare is an Independence Day themed one-shot for 3-6 Heroes of Levels five to seven (though it is easily adjusted for a range of levels).

You can find more information here.

Jacob's Tower: How To Run

Jacob’s Tower is the perfect fast paced dungeon crawl for the Pathfinder RPG. Regardless of your world, plot, or players, it is easily run in any campaign or as a megadungeon.

The dungeon is designed to test a party’s versatility and flexibility, utilizing every skill and creature type in the book over every three Levels. It both introduces new players to the wonders of Pathfinder and gives experienced players a non-traditional setting in which to test their skills.

Each Level of Jacob's Tower corresponds to the Average Party level designed to play it. Level 1 is designed for characters of level 1, Level 2 is designed for characters of level 2, Level 3 is designed for characters of level 3, and so on. Each Level can be easily brought into your campaign at the appropriate party level, either for a fun break or a real, plot relevant dungeon.

Alternatively, the entire Tower can be played one Level after another. Such an experience is an excellent chance to blow off some steam and test the player's Pathfinder chops. If you choose to run Jacob's Tower in this way, our heroes gain an addition bit of gold every level to make up for the quick leveling, as indicated at the end of the text.

Regardless of performance or enemies killed, players will receive a set amount of experience points for completing a Level as indicated at the start of the level. Some monsters exist only as deterrents, and the PCs should know they will get the same amount of experience points if they avoid the monster or kill it. However, the treasure that they get is entirely dependent on what they actually pick up.

Adjusting Difficulty: Jacob's Tower is made for an average party of 3 and a half characters. However, all parties are very different, and adjusting difficulty is very easy.

If you have more than four characters, or if your characters are well built, add the advanced template to all enemies.  This is essentially +2 to AC, attack, damage, saves, and DCs.  Additionally, add +2 to all skill checks in the dungeon.  If they are still breezing through encounters, you can add it again, or double the hit points of enemies.

If you are only playing with one or two characters, or your players are still coming to grips with the system, then adjusting is even easier.  Simply play the levels at a higher level than designated.  Start your characters at character level 2 for Level 1, and advance them such that they are consistently one above level at all times.

Nine and the Inter-Dimensional Bar Stop

Between each level, our heroes find themselves transported to a strange, extra-dimensional inn. The Inn is simple, clean, brightly lit, and pleasant, the type of Inn you might find in a quaint mountain village. However, there are no windows to the outside world, and all doors lead in short dimensional hops to other parts of the inn. A single black wooden door in the downstairs bar does not open at all. It leads to level 13 and will not open until our heroes get there.

The downstairs bar is devoid of other patrons, populated only by stools, tables, mugs, and large barrels of delicious beer and wine from around the world (including the characters' favorites). A short flight of stairs leads to a narrow corridor from which branch the characters’ rooms. Each room is simple, but well suited to its occupant. A druid’s room might have a banzai plant, a wizard’s room might have a smattering of old books, and a paladin’s room might have a small alter to his god.

Along the narrow upstairs corridor are thirteen paintings that represent the thirteen levels of Jacob’s Tower. They depict, in order:

(1) A large tan block of stone flanked by torches.

(2) A five headed hydra in a glass cage.

(3) A ghostly figure at the end of a feast laden table.

(4) A cell door with a silver key.

(5) A tall block of obsidian inlaid with purple runes.

(6) An advancing wall with protruding spikes.

(7) A gothic cathedral against a bloody sunset.

(8) A wall of purple shimmering force between two black pillars.

(9) A campfire in a dark forest.

(10) A corpse in a black void.

(11) An ornate chandelier.

(12) A dusty coliseum.

(13) Finally, a portrait of a handsome young man with blonde hair, a razor sharp jaw line, and piercing silver eyes. If asked, Nine will reveal that this is Jacob.

The Inn is filled with dozens of identical winged humans known only as "Nine." Nine is the everyman here, full time bartender, shopkeep, blackmith, entertainment, and conversationalist. Nine will happily buy anything the heroes have, and sell any item they require, generating the products out of thin air. He also provides the characters with rooms to sleep in, free of charge.

Nine is charismatic and pleasant to talk to. Though not a show off, he thoroughly enjoys impressing adventurers with his skills and magical abilities.

Nine is well aware that he is an extra-dimensional, magical construct and is very happy to serve Jacob. Nine is the 9th in a line of similar extra-dimensional magical constructs made by Jacob. Each in turn has been retired and replaced with more efficient models, but through the process of incremental improvements Nine appears to be at the pinnacle of Jacob’s craft.

Nine, and the constructs before him, are powered by the souls of adventurers who have died within the tower. If a PC dies within the tower, some of his ticks and oddities may manifest themselves subtly in Nine.

If asked about Jacob, or the purpose of the tower, Nine will be obtuse. He will explain that Jacob is a pleasant and powerful sorcerer, and though although Nine does not know the true purpose of the tower he can only assume Jacob built it with the best of intentions.

At least, that is the explanation that Nine gives as to his own existence, Jacob, and the tower. The true nature of Nine is revealed in level 13, at the end of Jacob’s Tower.

Shortly before going to sleep each night, our heroes will level up and be able to prepare any spells. They will have dreamless sleep, then wake up on the stairs to the next level.

Level 1: Classic - A warm up romp featuring traps, haunts, undead, animals, and a gambit of lesser used skills.

Level 2: Marble and Glass - The PC's both ambush and get ambushed in semi-traditional fights against the backdrop of riddles and a caged beast far above their pay grade.

Level 3: Corridors and Chasms - A sprawling maze of tight hallways and pits with four ghosts to test of the social skills.

Level 4: Bernard's Prison - Our heroes find themselves locked in a strange prison, and must make their way throughout the level with minimal gear.

Level 5: Runewall - An obsidian maze set in a starry abyss, characters will face a number of magical maladies, such as having their minds switched with fellow adventurers and being teleported to random squares.

Level 6: Gauntlet - A relentless wall of spikes pushes the party through a gauntlet of traps, encounters, enemies, and challenges.  This level is brutal, deadly, and unyielding.  Either our heroes will make it - or they won't.

Level 7: Gothic - A horror themed level set in the massive Hellbrooke cathedral, our heroes must gather gory ingredients for the resurrection of a vampire lord.

Level 8: Planar - An exploration of the different planes and their effects on adventuring, our heroes must hop between planes to brave flame, sea, wild magic, righteous angels, negative energy, and other dangers before fighting four huge elementals.

Level 9: Campfire - A significant departure from the stereotypical dungeon crawl, our heroes must keep a fire burning over a 24 hour period in a large outdoor environment while battling the elements and monsters alike.

Level 10: Resurrection - Stuck inside the corpse of a massive god, our heroes must follow the orders of a desperate spirit to bring his master back to life.

Level 11: Mansion - A Victorian style Mansion filled with ghosts, ghouls, traps and horrifying haunts, this level is sure to unnerve your heroes as they proceed from room to room.

Level 12: Arena - The charismatic but amorphous Ringleader guides our heroes through deadly combats and challenges as they try to win the favor of a deafening crowd.

Level 13: Sorcerer - The final level of Jacob's Tower, Sorcerer, features a three part battle with Jacob himself.  It also describes the rewards upon completion of the dungeon, explains the secret purpose of the tower, and reveals the true identity of Nine.  Level 13 is only available with the purchase of the 1-13 package below.

You may purchase printable and fully illustrated PDFs of the 152 page entire dungeon, including the secret final level only available in the PDF, here for $9.99.

Jacob's Tower, Levels 1 - 13 ($9.99)

Dragons are Above My Pay Grade!

5/5 - N. Jolly
"Definitely worth checking out ... I seriously enjoyed it"

A non-linear search for hidden artifacts that culminates in an attack on a huge red dragon, Dragons are Above My Pay Grade provides heroes with an electrifying start to their careers.  Who doesn’t want to fight a dragon, even if it is above your pay grade?

Dragons are Above My Pay Grade is an adventure for 3 – 6 first level PCs. It is 23 pages long, fully illustrated and in color, and only $3.99.

Sunstone Island seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Idyllic weather, pleasant beaches, docile animals, and, most importantly, a mine absolutely bursting with gold.  Peter Grimples, owner of the Grimples Mining Corporation, was so enthusiastic to exploit these virgin resources that he personally headed the mining colony on this remote island.

The volcano?  Looks pretty quiet.  The tribe of kobolds?  Nothing a group of wide-eyed heroes can’t handle.

That is, until the kobolds resurrect the red dragon Varaug onto the island.  With reinforcements weeks away, suddenly the cheapest heroes money can buy don’t seem quite up to the task.
To combat this sudden and unexpected threat, the heroes must follow in the footsteps of the legendary native A’uapa who slew Varaug many centuries ago.  Following the instructions of a turncoat kobold who would like nothing more than the death of the merciless dragon, the heroes collect the dragon-slaying tools of A’uapa hidden across Sunstone Island.  These poisons, blessings, spells, and weapons are heavily guarded, sequestered in dungeons or protected by kobolds.  As the heroes traverse the island, following clues, unlocking riddles, and completing challenges, their already formidable adversary grows stronger and the colony town that they call home grows weaker.

Can the heroes collect enough dragon-slaying weapons to defeat Varaug before he destroys the mining colony along with any chance of future employment?  How could the party’s first contract go so wrong?

Dragons Are above My Pay Grade features a mining town, a fleshed out island with wild beasts and tropical hazards, a range of mini-dungeons and challenges,  and a host of original enemies, spells, poisons, items, and traps.  And, of course, the opportunity for level 1 character to face a red wyrm!

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Praise for Dragons are Above My Pay Grade!

5/5

"Dragons are above my pay grade feels like it could be the great beginning of a dragon slaying campaign, giving the players a very nice taste of taking on one of the biggest and baddest beasties in the bestiary. It'd be a great way to jump into things and ask your party 'Hey, you wanna kill a dragon today?'" - N. Jolly

"I found the premise fun, the characters likeable, the new monsters fun and interesting, the names of the kobolds and dragon just unpronounceable enough ("Rowg? Like Smaug? Or is it more like 'rock,' or 'cog?'"), and the humor measured and well-placed...it's a great adventure, the characters are fun and inspired, the concept is great and well-executed" - Simon Barr

You can find our full product line here.

Mortar (Alchemist Build)

The Mortar
Hobgoblin Alchemist (Grenadier)
Boom!

Check out the Guide to the Alchemist here

Bombs, bombs, and more bombs. Bombs to kill enemies, bombs to stun enemies, bombs to glue enemies in place. The Mortar focuses on throwing as many bombs as effectively as possible, and will take the hobgoblin favored class bonus of ½ more bombs per level.

The Mortar has a distant secondary role as an archer or tank.  When he runs out of bombs, he either uses his longbow in conjunction with his alchemical weapons ability, or he runs in to take some hits.  Or both.

Feats/Discoveries

1: Point Blank Shot, Longbow Proficiency from Grenadier Archetype

2: Precise Bombs from Grenadier Archetype, Frost Bomb

3: Precise Shot

4: Tanglefoot Bomb

5: Improved Initiative

6: Tumor Familiar (Greensting Scorpion for +4 Initiative)

7: Rapid Shot

8: Fast Bombs

9:  Two-weapon fighting

10: Confusion Bomb

11: Extra Discovery: Blinding Bomb

12: Cursed Bomb

13: Extra Discovery: Preserve Organs

14: Mummification

15: Extra Discovery: Sunlight Bomb

16: Infusion

17: Die for Your Master

18: Force Bomb

19: Iron Will

20: Spontaneous Healing, Healing Touch, Awakened Intelligence

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: 8

DEX: 14 (12+2)

CON: 14 (12+2)

INT: 18

WIS: 8

CHA: 8

20 Point Buy

STR: 8

DEX: 16 (14+2)

CON: 14 (12+2)

INT: 18

WIS: 10

CHA: 8

25 Point Buy

STR: 10

DEX: 16 (14+2)

CON: 16 (14+2)

INT: 18

WIS: 10

CHA: 8

Attribute increases:  Boost Int, all the way.

Traits

Firebug: +1 attack bonus with splash weapons and bombs

Focused Burn: +1 damage per 2d6 with bombs

At every level our alternate favored class bonus should be +1/2 to the number of bombs per day you can create.

Suggested Gear

Obviously we want items that will boost intelligence and dexterity.  We can save money by not spending too much money on weapons.

Importantly, we also want to improve our will save as much as possible.  Anything that boosts our save against mind-effecting, or sleep, or fear will also be helpful.  Spend all that extra money on will-boosting items.

Extracts

Refer to this guide for suggested extracts - We don't have infusion, so anything that buffs our tanking ability or will save helps.

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, and feel free to stick with your highest iterative.

What the Build Looks Like at... 

This assumes a 20 point buy and no magic items. I’m going to assume point blank shot and dexterity mutagen.

Level 1: Attacks at +7 for 1d6+5 damage, so we are already hitting almost everything. 2 level 1 extracts. 5 bombs a day at DC 14.  8 skill points. 10hp, AC 20/14/16.  Saves +4/+6/-2

Level 4: Attacks at +10 for 2d6+6 damage, with the option to go cold damage and staggered or tanglefoot. 10 bombs a day at DC 16, so you'll struggle to use them all. 2 level 1 extracts.  32 skill points. 31hp, AC 20/14/16.  Saves +6/+8/-1.

Level 8: With fast bombs the mortar is now almost fully online.  Attacks at +11/+11/+6 for 4d6+7 damage. 2 level 1 extracts. Bombs can either do cold damage and stagger or tanglefoot. 17 bombs a day at DC 19.  You are going to struggle to use all your bombs. Initiative is suddenly at +12, so we can start (and end), many encounters. 72 skill points. 59hp, AC 20/14/16.  Saves +8/+10/+0.  Will save is still our weak point, but hopefully we can get some magic items to help with that.

Level 12: With TWF and a raft of options, we are fully online.  Attacks at +12/+12/+12/+7 for 6d6+8 damage, but you only need feel compelled to use the +12 options (which are going to hit nearly everything at this level.  Bombs can do cold damage and stagger, tanglefoot, confuse for 12 rounds, blind, or curse. Plenty of options across all saves.  Criticals automatically stagger enemies.  We have 23 bombs a day, with a DC 21 save.  7 level 1 extracts, 6 level 2, 5 level 3, and 4 level 4. 108 skill points.  87 hp, 20/14/16 AC.  +10/+12/+2 saves. (Average DPR is 82, with a nearly 20% chance of an auto stagger)

Level 16: We have just become a lot harder to kill, and we've gained infusion.  Attacks at +15/+15/+15/+10/+5 for 8d6+8 damage (8d6+24 against undead, oozes, and others).  Bombs can do cold damage and stagger, tanglefoot, confuse, blind, or curse.  Criticals automatically stagger enemies. We are immune to cold, nonlethal, paralysis, and sleep, and we have the fortification ability. 7 level 1 extracts, 7 level 2, 6 level 3, 5 level 4, 4 level 5, 2 level 6.  160 skill points. 30 bombs a day with a DC 24.  Throw them with abandon. 115 hp, 20/14/16 AC.  saves +12/+14/+3.

Level 20: And now we are really incredibly difficult to kill.  Attacks at +18/+18/+18/+13/+8 for 10d6+8 damage (10d6+27 against undead, oozes, and others). Bombs can do everything they could before, and we can also do force damage and knock enemies prone.  We can save ourselves from death by sacrificing our familiar, and we can heal 100 hp per day as if we have fast healing 5. 37 bombs a day with DC 27. 7 level 1 extracts, 7 level 2, 7 level 3, 6 level 4, 6 level 5, 6 level 6. 220 skill points.  143 hp.  20/14/16 AC.  Saves +14/+16/+6.

Guide to the Builds

Comprehensive Guide to the Guides

Dissector (Alchemist Build)

Dissector

Human Alchemist (Beastmorph/Vivisectionist)

Slice and dice, rend and bend.  Who needs bombs?

Find more builds here

The vivisectionist alchemist, all hulked out on mutagens and buffs, can make a frightening and terribly effective melee characters.  He can out utility the rogue, lay down a ton of hurt, trip and pounce, and still have plenty of tricks left up his sleeve.

Attributes

Strength > Intelligence > Dexterity/Constitution > Wisdom > Charisma

Strength is our number one concern, followed closely by intelligence. Dexterity and Constitution help keep us alive.  Wisdom gives us a will save, but not much else. Charisma is a comfortable dump stat.

15 Point Buy
Str: 18 (16+2)
Dex: 12
Con: 12
Int: 15
Wis: 8
Cha: 7

20 Point Buy
Str: 18 (16+2)
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 14
Wis: 9
Cha: 7

25 Point Buy
Str: 18 (16+2)
Dex: 14
Con: 14
Int: 16
Wis: 9
Cha: 7

Attribute bonuses go into Strength.  However, make sure that Intelligence keeps pace with your Extract level as well.

Traits

Good old Reactionary and Carefully Hidden give us +2 initiative and +1 Will respectively.

Feats/Discoveries

1: Dodge & Toughness
2: Feral Mutagen
3: Extra Discovery: Tumor Familiar (Turtle for +1 AC)
4: Spontaneous Healing
5: Iron Will
6: Lingering Spirit
7: Power Attack
8: Preserve Organs
9: Die for your Master
10: Mummification
11: Extra Discovery: Crippling Strike
12: Greater Mutagen
13: Improved Initiative
14: Preserve Organs
15: Improved Iron Will
16: Grand Mutagen
17: Combat Reflexes
18: Elixir of Life
19: Weapon Focus (Claw)
20: Preserve Organs, Dilution, True Mutagen

Extracts

We shall be self buffing a lot.  Notable Extracts include: Shield, Enlarge Person, Long Arm, Blur, Displacement, Fly, Channel Vigor, Heroism, Ablative Barrier, Greater Invisibility, Greater False Life,  Freedom of Movement, Overland Flight, Heal, True Seeing, and Giant Form I.

Items

Strength, AC, getting natural attacks, and increasing Will are your highest priorities.  To that end, a belt of strength, strong armor, and a cloak of resistance are great.  Helm of the Mammoth Lord is absolutely key, as it provides a gore attack to add to the natural attack nonsense.

What the Build looks like at...

Keep in mind that the below include mutagen, but do not include any extracts.  At higher levels, extracts such as Greater Invisibility,  Displacement, and Giant form will double the build's damage and survivability.

Level 1: At level 1, the dissector is more tank than anything else.  We attack with a spear at +5 for d8+6 (x3) damage.  1d6 sneak attack.  We wear a chain shirt for 19 AC, and has 14 hp.  Not too bad for a spell caster.  We've also got 7 skill points and saves of 4/4/0.
We can buff with Shield, Enlarge Person, and Long Arm.

Level 4:  With Feral Mutagen, we now attack with a bite at +8 for 1d8+5 (x2) and two claws at +8 for 1d6 + 5.  2d6 sneak attack.  Our AC is 20, and we have 39hp, though it is effectively 49 with spontaneous healing. While mutagened, we have dark vision or scent. We also have a tumor familiar. We have 28 skill points, and our saves are +6/+6/+1.
We can buff with blur.

Level 8:  With power attack, we now attack with bite at +10 for 1d8+10 and two claws at +10 for 1d6 +10.  4d6 sneak attack. 75 hp, though Spontaneous Healing essentially adds 20hp, lingering spirit means we can go down to -24, and preserve organs means we have a 25% chance of negating sneak attack or a crit.  We have 56 skill points, and saves of +8/+8/+4.
Our mutagen can give us swim, flight, and dark vision, among other things.
We can cast 5 level 1s, 5 level 2s, and 2 level 3s.  We have added Displacement, Fly, Channel Vigor, and Heroism to our repertoire.

Level 12:  A lot happened in the last four levels.  Die for your Master means we get yet another lease on life, and Mummification makes us immune to cold, nonlethal, paralysis and sleep.  Our initiative has also increased to +8.
We now attack at +13 for 1d8+13, and two claws at +13 for 1d6 + 13.  We have pounce and trip at +13 CMB.  Sneak attack is 6d6 and two Strength damage from crippling strike.
Our hp is 135, with Spontaneous Healing adding 30hp.  AC is 22. With Lingering Spirit, Mummification, Die for your master, and everything else, it's very, very hard to kill us.
We have 84 skill points and saves of +12/+10/+6
When mutagened, gain +6 Strength and +4 Constitution, and +4 AC. We also gain pounce and trip.  These to factors make us truly incredible.
We can case 6 level 1, 6 level 2, 4 level 3, and 3 level 4.  Greater invisibility is the really good 4th level extract for us, but Greater false life and Freedom of movement are also solid.
DPR with sneak attack against an average CR 12 monster is 40 with two strength damage.

Level 16: Our grand mutagen is now in play.  We attack at +16 for 1d8+16 and two claws at +16 for 1d6+16 each.  Trip, pounce, fly, stuff like that. 8d8 sneak attack and 2 Strength damage, and tripping on +16.
195 hp, 26 AC, and all the previous buffs, in addition to 50% chance to negate crits and sneak attack.
128 skill points, saves of 15/14/6, but once a day re-roll of will.
Extract levels 5 and 6 have opened up Overland Flight, Heal, and True Seeing, but also Giant Form I which should be on whenever we can afford it.  We can cast 6/6/6/4/3/1 extracts.

Level 20:  With true feral, we are attacking at +19 for 1d8+16, and two claws at +20 for 1d6+16.  10d6 sneak attack with 2 Strength damage, trip, pounce, grab, and anything else we want.
We are nigh unkillable.  28 AC, 263 hp (50 more from spontaneous healing), and all the bonuses from before.
160 skill points. Saves at +18/+18/+8, with that Will re-roll.
We can cast extracts at 6/6/6/5/5/5.  Giant Form is on all the time!


Zenith's Guide to the Alchemist
Part I: Introduction, Attributes & Races
Part II: Discoveries
Part III: Feats & Traits
Part IV: Extracts
Part V: Equipment, Multi-Classing & Builds

Zenith's Guide to the Alchemist, Part V: Equipment, Multi-Classing & Builds

Zenith's Guide to the Alchemist

Part V: Equipment, Multi-Classing & Builds

Part I: Introduction, Attributes & Races
Part II: Discoveries
Part III: Feats & Traits
Part IV: Extracts
Part V: Equipment, Multi-Classing & Builds

Equipment

There's a lot of equipment to consider, so I'll just be touching on pieces that disproportionately benefit the alchemist, or pieces that are truly must haves.

Belt
    Belt of Dexterity (****): Dexterity does the most for you, so you may want to take this all the way up to +6. If you really love tanking, then adding some Con or Str does the most for you.


Body
   Any of the standards will do.

Chest
    Sipping Jacket (***): If you love your potions, changing one into a swift action is good.  If you don't love your potions, then don't bother. (5,000gp)
    Vest of Stable Mutation (**): You might want to take this if you choose to get true mutation, but otherwise you aren't going to be tanking Int and throwing bombs at the same time.  There's no need, especially for the cost. Even if you do like using a Strength Mutagen, you might be better off just upgrading your headband of intelligence for this price. (20,000gp)


Eyes
   Any of the standards will do.


Feet
    Boots of Speed (****): Free action haste for up to 10 rounds a day?  Grab these as soon as you get fast bombs. (12,000gp)


Hands
   Poisoner's Gloves (***): A good boon for an infusion build, and decent for everybody else. Once per day, you can use an extract as part of an attack routine.  If you buy two, you can do it twice!  (5,000gp)


Head
    Helm of the Mammoth Lord (****): If you are going the natural attack route, an extra gore attack is shiny. (8,500gp)


Headband
    Headband of Intelligence (****): Intelligence up, all the way.  The attribute does too much for you to really consider anything else.
    Headband of Aerial Agility +2 (***): Or, for only 500gp more, you get a slight bonus to your flying abilities.  Too bad the price scales so horrendously.  While the +2 version is only slightly more expensive than a headband of intelligence, the +4 version is twice as expensive.  Save yourself some gold and go with the normal headband.


Neck
    Cloak of Resistance (****): To help with your Will save, really.


Ring
    Ring of Inner Fortitude, Minor (*): Unfortunately, this doesn't work with Cogs, as it removes any bonuses tied to damage mitigated. Don't bother.


Shoulder
   Any of the standards will do.

Wrist
   Any of the standards will do.

Slotless
     Bombchucker (*****): 12gp to increase the range of your bombs by 10 feet?  Every alchemist should have this, no question.
     Bandolier (****): You can by two of these for 1gp, and they can store up to 16 items for easy access. (5sp)
    Spring Loaded Wrist Sheath (****): At 5 gp a pop, you can retrieve a single stored item as a swift action.  Well worth your time. (5gp)
    Hybridization Funnel (****): Double the effectiveness of your thrown alchemical weapons!   Fun while it lasts, but even this can't save the items from obscurity at high levels. (200gp)
    Boro Bead (****): The extract version of a pearl of power.
    Preserving Flask (****): A less flexible Boro Bead, but it doesn't require an action to use.
    Admixture Vial (****): Drink two extracts at one time!  Wonderful for action economy.  Pick your two favorite buffs and drink them in one turn. (4,000p)
    Formula Alembic (****): It's rare that you will get to use this (perhaps once or twice a campaign), but at only 200gp there's little reason not to carry it around.  You can pick up a bunch of new extracts this way.


Weapon
    Your Primary weapons are bombs, which can get no enhancements.  If you aren't using natural weapons for tanking, then you might want to consider purchasing a nice melee weapon and enchanting it with one of the below.  However, don't spend too much money on it.  This isn't your forte.
    The standard +X are good here, but again don't waste too much money on it.
   Agile (****): If you aren't using natural weapons for tanking, you can dump strength and still do decent damage with weapon finesse and Agile. (+1)

Armor
    A mithral chain shirt has a Max Dexterity Bonus of +6, so that's a good call.  However, if you take the Armor Expert trait, you can wear a Mithral breastplate without any issues.  It's a bit pricey, but well worth it if you are tanking.
   The standard +X are good here.
   Comfort (****): Combine Comfort, Mithral, and Armor Expert, and you can wear some heavy armor without the proficiency (5,000gp).
   Determination (****): I get to come back to life once a day?  Sure, thanks! Stick this on your shield and armor for twice a day. (30,000gp)

Shield
   You should wear a buckler when you have the chance. The downside is nonexistent before you go TWF, and even when you do a -1 to attack is nothing for bombs at that level.
   The standard +X are good here.
   Determination (****): I get to come back to life once a day?  Sure, thanks! Stick this on your shield and armor for twice a day. (30,000gp)

Alchemical Items
    While flavorful, alchemical items lack scaling DCs and so become useless past level 5 or so.  For those few levels, Ghost Retch Jars, Holy Water, Tanglefoot and Tangleburn Bag, Acid are fine.
     Unstable Accelerants, on the other hand, are useful from level 1 to 20.  Grab a ton of these, and increase your bomb damage by +d6 (at least for bombs that deal fire damage).
     Beyond that, all the classics should do.

Multi-Classing

Unless you are a vivisectionist, multi-classing really sucks for the Alchemist.  Everything that makes you better - Bombs, extracts, mutagens - scales with your alchemist level, and no other class gives it to you.  If you are focused on bombs, you want Alchemist straight from level 1 to 20.  That's it.

Fighter (**): If you really want to focus on tanking, then you can take a 1 level dip into Fighter.  This dip gives you a feat and a BAB, but more importantly it gives you proficiency in martial weapons and all armor.  If the fighter has the Unbreakable Archetype then you get Endurance and Die Hard, useful with Lingering Spirit.  If you love combat maneuvers as a tank, then a two level dip into Lore Warden gives you combat expertise.  Still, not recommended.

Monk (**): The other option for tanking is the monk.  Two levels in Monk give you a nice buff to all saves and plenty of feats, particularly with some archetypes (Sohei and Master of Many Styles for example).  Still, losing out on that BAB and delaying everything else really sucks.

Wizard (*): Wizard is at least talking about.  You get a bunch of cantrips and a familiar, and your will save increases.  If you are huge fan of cantrips, then think about it.  But you can do similar things with extracts.

Leave the multi-classing to the martials.  And the vivisectionists.

Builds

There are a range of possible builds for the Alchemist, and you should use these as a starting point

Classic Alchemist (****):  Bombs are your biggest priority, but it doesn't hurt to dabble. You go beastmorph and grab infusion and feral mutagen to stay relevant as a buffer and tank.  You do not neglect Alchemy and crafting, perhaps even creating a poison or two, but bombs are still your go-to.

Mad Bomber (****): Bombs are your one and only priority, and everything you do is focused on more and bigger booms.  Your feats go to Extra Discoveries and Extra Bombs, and you probably want the Grenadier archetype.  You take the whole TWF/Rapid shot/Fast bombs route, and grab PBS and Precise shot to make up for it.  Very little attention is paid to the extract side of things, but you buff yourself when you get the chance. You may find a full build here or here

Bomber Buffer (****): You aren't going to be as good at buffing as a cleric or wizard, but you can certainly chip in.  You take infusion early, wear poisoner gloves, and carry around an admixture vial.  Other than that, you follow the classic bombing route.

Bomber Tank (****): You embrace your subrole of tanking and melee.  You burn through bombs quickly, then mutagen and step into the fray.  Beastmorph and natural attacks take over at this point.  You take all of the mutagen discoveries, as well as many of the ones that increase life and good health, such as mummification and elixir of life.  If you've used your extracts well, then you should be seeing some truly excellent damage.

The Dissector (****): I know we didn't talk about it, but it's worth seeing a build anyway.   Beastmorph and vivisectionist, then buff yourself for some truly excellent damage. Feral mutagen is where you get your natural attacks and pounce, and then this build resembles the bomber tank without the bombs.  Who needs a rogue anyway?  You can find a full build here.

Bow Alchemist (****): What to do when you run out of bombs?  Well, pick up your bow, of course! Be an elf or pick up the bow proficiency with the Grenadier archetype.  You may have to devote some feats to making the bow more effective, but you'll save on needing survivability by staying at range.  Grab a compound bow for the strength benefits you'll get with mutagen and your extracts.

Smokeman (***): You focus more on the smoke bomb line of things:  Inferno, stink, disease, that sort of thing.  You are great at area denial and large groups of enemies, but less strong against bosses.  If you are a goblin, you definitely pick up rocket bombs to further increase your area of effect.

Minion Master (***):  The whole simulacrum tree, that's your business.  Alchemical Zombies too, and certainly the boneshard bomb. It's messy, it's complicated, but you can handle it.  Other than that, bombs away!

Poison Master (**):  Poisons aren't the best thing in the world, but you're determined to make them work.  Poison Conversion, Malignant Poison, Concentrate Poison, and Sticky Poison are all necessary to stay relevant.  Keep in mind, however, that you are going to be putting in hard nights slaving over the alembic (and many discoveries) to achieve similar results as the Mad Bomber.

Cognatogen Junkie (**): Despite my best efforts, you have chosen the cognatogen.  Well, fine.  Your Bomb DCs will be nice and high, and you may have plenty of options when it comes to skills.  However, you better get some way of dealing with that attribute damage.

Zenith's Guide to the Alchemist
Part I: Introduction, Attributes, Races & Archetypes
Part II: Discoveries
Part III: Feats & Traits
Part IV: Extracts
Part V: Equipment, Multi-Classing & Builds