The Cryochemist
Today marks the beginning of Ice Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest. Rather than go the obvious route, with an ice-themed evocation-heavy spellcaster archetype, or a frozen-berserker Nordic archetype, I decided to do something a little more… unexpected.
New Alchemist Archetype
Cryochemist
Cryochemists are alchemists who devote themselves at least in part to the study of cold, and the various chemical and alchemical possibilities that arise in particularly low temperatures. They not only learn how to use the cold as a potent weapon, but can also use it to protect themselves and others from harm.
Bomb (Su): A cryochemist’s bombs use an alchemical ingredient that, when combined with air, creates an intense cold, rather than a burning heat. The cryochemist’s bombs deal cold damage, instead of fire damage. Any effect that would change the type of damage that the cryochemist’s bombs deal (such as the Acid Bomb discovery) cause his bombs to deal half their damage as cold damage and half their damage as the other sort.
This ability modifies the bomb class feature.
Cold Resistance (Su): At 2nd level, a cryochemist gains cold resistance 5. This cold resistance increases to 10 at 5th level and again to 15 at 8th level.
At 10th level, a cryochemist becomes completely immune to cold damage, but also becomes vulnerable to fire damage (suffering 150% as much fire damage as he otherwise would).
This ability replaces the poison resistance class feature.
Shatterskin Bomb (Su): Beginning at 4th level, a cryochemist learns how to create a special kind of bomb, known as a shatterskin bomb. A creature that suffers a direct hit from a bomb made in this way must succeed on a Fortitude save, or his skin and muscles turn brittle and fragile. Until the beginning of the cryochgemist’s next turn, whenever the target suffers any amount of damage to which damage reduction would normally apply, he suffers an additional amount of that damage equal to 1/2 the cryochemist’s alchemist level (rounded down). This ability cannot be used in conjunction with any discoveries that modify bombs.
This ability replaces the discovery gained at 4th level.
Improved Shatterskin Bomb (Su): Beginning at 8th level, a cryochemist’s shatterskin bomb improves. Whenever a creature fails its Fortitude save to resist the cryochemist’s shatterskin bomb by 10 or more, that creature is paralyzed until the beginning of the alchemist’s next turn, in addition to the shatterskin bomb’s normal effect. Because this paralysis is caused by the creature’s body literally freezing solid, it affects even creatures normally immune to paralysis, but it does not affect creatures that are immune to cold. At 14th level, this ability applies to any creature that fails its saving throw by 5 or more, rather than by 10 or more.
This ability replaces the discovery gained at 8th level.
Liquifrost Armor (Su): Beginning at 12th level, a cryochemist learns how to convert his bombs into a substance that protects those it touches from intense heat, rather than inflicting bitter cold upon them. As a standard action, he can create and apply a dose of liquifrost armor that is enough to affect a single creature of Large or smaller size. He can apply it to himself or an adjacent willing creature without difficulty. Applying it to an unwilling adjacent creature requires a melee touch attack, and applying it to any creature that is not adjacent requires a ranged touch attack. Regardless of whether or not the target is willing or adjacent, the liquifrost armor is applied as part of the same standard action used to create it.
A creature affected by a dose of liquifrost armor gains an amount of fire resistance equal to the cryochemist’s alchemist level for a number of rounds equal to his Intelligence modifier.
Each use of this ability uses up one of the cryochemist’s daily uses of his bomb class feature.
This ability replaces the discovery gained at 12th level.
Improved Liquifrost Armor (Su): Beginning at 16th level, whenever the cryochemist uses his liquifrost armor ability, the chemicals harden on the recipient’s skin, forming a sort of armor. This grants the target an armor bonus to AC equal to the cryochemist’s Intelligence modifier. This armor bonus does not stack with any other armor bonus, but does not impose an arcane spell failure chance, or armor check penalty of any kind, nor does it inhibit the target’s speed. The armor bonus lasts for the duration of the liquifrost armor effect.
This ability replaces the discovery gained at 16th level.