Difference between revisions of "Alchemist Skills"

Revision as of 22:26, 30 December 2010

The Alchemist skills cover a range of abilities to both boost his own stats and damage and debilitate his enemies. They are the result of years of research and dedication, and reflect his progress in the Great Work. He is neither a destructive spell-slinger like the Wizard nor a undead dealing, terror-inducing Witch Doctor. Instead, he is calm and precise, manuvering and manipulating his enemies to his advantage. He is stronger than the other spell casters, and can use physical weapons if needed to finish off incapacitated enemies. He also possesses skills that allow him to shape-shift to better benefit him.

The skills have recently been redesigned to conform to the new skill layout of the canonical classes. The former list of skills can be seen at Former Alchemist Skills. Each skill includes a description, next level effects, lore, and known rune effects. Skill costs, casting speeds, and cooldowns are not listed until a resource system is created. More skills are likely to be added while ones may be changed.

Tier 1 Skills

Brimstone

No damage. The Alchemist throws a vial at his feet to release a billowing yellow cloud of sulphur that lingers for a few seconds. Good for escaping a tight situation.

• Description -Releases of cloud of sulfur for X yards that blinds enemies and causes them to flee for Y seconds.
  • Next level - Increases ranged of cloud and duration of blinding/fleeing effect.
• Lore -Not all potions are meant to attack directly. When surrounded by enemies, an alchemist can utilize the foul nature of this fundamental substance of volatility to create a powerful flash and putrid clouds of sulfur that quickly spread through the area. So powerful is the sulfur that it drives enemies away.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Cloud changes into a stream that flows in the direction casted for X yards.
  • 2. Fiery brimstone rains down on selected target to deal X fire damage.
  • 3. The cloud follows the alchemist, leaving a wake of sulfur for X seconds.

Quicksilver

Physical damage. The Alchemist extends a tendril of quicksilver from his hand that quickly solidifies into a spike and pierces any enemies in its way. It then reliquifies and falls to the ground. The casting rate is high and the cooldown time is short, so this is a quick way to attack close-by enemies.

• Description -Extends a spike of liquid metal to damage enemies in its line of effect. Deals X physical damage.
  • Next level -Increases damage.
• Lore -Because of its liquid form, alchemist have long considered quicksilver to be the base form of metal and the fundamental substance of fluidity. An alchemist can send out this quicksilver to strike at enemies with its metallic tendrils.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Increases range and damage of tendril by X%
  • 2. Skill becomes protective circle that automatically attacks nearby enemies X number of times.
  • 3. Skill rains metallic spikes from above onto AoE, enemies are skewed and immobilized for X seconds.
  • 4. Skill becomes ranged; seeks out selected enemy, attacks, and ensnares enemy for X seconds.

Salt Acids

Lightning damage. The Alchemist sprays nearby enemies with acid that shocks them. Afterwards, affected enemies are susceptible to random spasms that shock them again and interrupt their actions. A momentary spasm is all that's needed to escape an enemy for finish him off.

• Description -Sprays enemies with acid while button is held to deal X lightning damage per second. Affected enemies then have Y% chance to spasm, interrupting their currect action, over next 5 seconds.
  • Next level -Increases damage and chance to spasm.
• Lore -Salt is the fundamental substance of stability, energy in its contained form. When combined with other chemicals, salt acids are capable of stinging the flesh of enemies. The strength of the acid is capable of shocking the nerves of enemies and causing random spasms.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Caster and allies can become charged; deals lightning damage to enemies within X yards for Y seconds.
  • 2. Living and slain enemies can become charged; deals lightning damage to other enemies within X yards for Y seconds.

Tier 2 Skills

Black Powder

Fire and Physical damage. The Alchemist ignites volatile powder to send out a conical explosion that burns enemies and knocks them back. Blast enemies back when they crowd in too close.

• Description -Explodes in direction casted to deal X fire and physical damage and deal knockback.
  • Next level -Increases damage and knockback amount.
• Lore -Should an alchemist be in need of force, he can cast a volatile powder that generates powerful explosions. So great is the force of the explosion that it can knock enemies away from the blast.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Lengthens the blast range by X yards.
  • 2. Skill changes to lobbed bomb that explodes after X seconds to damage enemies within Y yards.

Drug of Nepenthe

Cold damage. The Alchemist lobs a potion that shatters to release a swirling, churning cloud of alcoholic fluid that chills and drugs enemies. This one can slow enemies and make their physical attacks less likely to actual hit you.

• Description -Lobs potion at target to deal X cold damage and lower enemies' precision by Y% for Z seconds.
  • Next level -Increases damage and reduction of precision.
• Lore -Having long studied the effects of spirits on drunkards, an alchemist can distill a combination of laudanum and absinthe into a potion that intoxicates his victims. Their thinned blood leaves them cold and sluggish, while their attacks become uncoordinated. It is unlikely that an enemy could land even a single blow while in such a drunken stupor.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Vial hovers over selected enemy and pours its potion onto it, even following it for X seconds.
  • 2. Vial leaves trail of potion during flight, increases ranged of cloud by X yards.
  • 3. Caster and allies' weapons can become imbued, dealing cold damage and precision reduction effect for X seconds.

Noxious Miasma

Poison damage. The Alchemist sends out a small, poisonous cloud that infects enemies with a deadly toxin. The poisoned enemies can infect secondary enemies through contact, though secondary poisonings only last until the original poison duration ends. Most effective when in tight areas where enemies are close to each other to maximize the spread effect of the poison.

• Description -Expel a cloud of gases that deal X poison damage over Y seconds, spreads through contact to enemies within Z yards.
  • Next level -Increases damage and range of infectiousness.
• Lore -Sickness is the result of the miasmas, the bad air, the infects and corrupts living things. An alchemist can bottle this air to release infect enemies when necessary with a poison so potent that other enemies can be infected as well just by being too close.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Caster and allies carry infection, without being harmed, and can pass it to nearby enemies for X seconds.
  • 2. Alchemist force-feeds an enemy the poison, dealing X% more poison damage without the spreading ability.

Tier 3 Skills

Boiling Tar

Fire damage. The Alchemist launches a bottle that explodes in midair and coats an area with sticky, molten tar that burns enemies and slows them down. Not only burns enemies from original contact but slows the movement of enemies in the area of effect -good to slow the advance of an oncoming mob.

• Description -Launch a bottle of tar over an area of X yards that deals Y fire damage and slows enemies by Z%.
  • Next level -Increases area of effect, damage, and slowing effect.
• Lore -Speed is a powerful weapon. By using the natural thickness of this substance, an alchemist can ensnare his foes and at the same time inflict blistering pain. After being slowed or even immobilized by the pitch, an enemy is easily dispatched by other attacks.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Skill changes to laying X number of traps that explode tar in area of effect when enemies approach.
  • 2. Increases the fire damage and decreases the slowing effect by X%, changes to a napalm-like attack.

Metamorphosis Serum

No damage. The Alchemist prepares a special concoction which, when combined with the blood of his enemy, allows him to shapeshift into the form of that enemy. During this time, other monsters are fooled and cease their attacks. Important in those early stages when the alchemist is still fair weak and in near of ways to keep enemies away. This is the first of four shape-shifting skills.

• Description -Strike a nearby enemy and takes its form for X seconds. Other enemies no longer attack.
  • Next level -Increases duration.
• Lore -A knowledgeable alchemist can brew a concoction capable of altering his very shape, allowing him to take on the form of any living creation so long as he has a small portion of its essence. In his new form, his enemies mistake him for one of their own and cease attacking until his formula loses power.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Attacked enemy takes the Alchemist's form and attracts enemy attacks for X seconds.
  • 2. Enemies of the same type as your form become enraged and attack other enemies with X% increases damage.

Wandering Wisp

Cold damage. The Alchemist calls forth a gaseous spirit to drain the warmth from his enemies, chilling them and leaving them less resistant to the elements. Definitely a good skill to focus on an enemy in order to lower its resistances and then follow up with a more damaging skill.

• Description -Summons a wisp spirit to deal X cold damage for Y seconds to an enemy and lower its elemental resistances by Z% for its duration.
  • Next level -Increases damage, duration of wisp, amount of elemental resistance reduction.
• Lore -Wisps appear in legends across the world as mindless, mysterious, gaseous ligths that feed on heat and lead travelers astray. Alchemists can duplicate the natural mixture of gases that create this spirit to summon one of his own to feed on the warmth of this enemies. This throws off the natural equilibrium of the enemies, leaving them more susceptible to the elements.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Casts X number of wisps.
  • 2. Wisp steals X% resource for the Alchemist per second.
  • 3. Summons larger wisp able to attack all enemies in X yards.
  • 4. Wisp homes in on targeted enemy.

Tier 4 Skills

Petrify

Arcane damage. The Alchemist shoots a blast of shimmering sand that binds to an enemy and hardens its body, slowing it down at the cost of making it slightly more resilient to damage for a time. The Stone Curse from Diablo 1 returns in this skill, good for slowing an enemy down at the cost of making it take less damage from attacks.

• Description -Blasts an enemy with sand to turn parts of it to stone; deals X arcane damage, slows it by Y% but reduces the physical damage it takes by 25%, lasts for Z seconds. Slowing effect can be stacked up to 3 times.
  • Next level -Increases the damage, slowing effect, and duration.
• Lore -An alchemist of prodigious skill can solidify the flesh of his enemy with ancient spells, transmuting tissue into solid stone. The hardened enemy struggles to drag his solidified flesh, though the petrified skin does allow the monster to better resist other attacks.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Completely petrified enemies repel other enemies for X yards.
  • 2. Skill changes to stony stare that affects any target directly looked at, lasts X seconds.

Earth Embodiment

Physical damage. The Alchemist calls upon the spirit of the earth gnome to surround him with earth and stone. In this great form, the Alchemist easily resists attacks and smashes multiple enemies in front of him with powerful attacks of his own. The second shape-shifting skill, this allows the alchemist to get his hands dirty as a melee brawler and even a tank.

• • Description -Summons a earth spirit to change your form, increases attack damage and armor by X% for Y seconds.
• Next level -Increases damage, armor, and duration.
• Lore -Only a fool would think the alchemist weak. When the time for pure strength comes, the alchemist can summon the gnome spirit, an earth elemental, to surround him with a body of earth and stone. This lumbering behemoth crushes anything in front of it with little fear of counterattack, for what blade or arrow can overcome a mountain?
• Rune effects
  • 1. Adds AoE attack that damages all enemies within X yards.
  • 2. Adds X damage over Y seconds poison damage.
  • 3. Form doesn't attack multiple enemies, focuses on one with X% increased damage and stun effect for 3 seconds.
  • 4. Increases the armor and maximum life by X%.

Wind Tutelary

Lightning damage. The Alchemist conjures the spirit of the wind sylph stand between him and his enemies as a guard, buffeting attackers with hurricane winds and striking them with lightning. Good for putting some distance between you and the enemy while dealing some damage at the same time.

• Description -Summons a wind spirit in front of you as a guard, deals X lightning damage and knockback, lasts Y seconds.
  • Next level -Increases lightning damage and duration.
• Lore -The battling alchemist can seek the aid of the sylph spirit, an air elemental, to stand before him and deflect the attacks of those wishing to harm him. The sylph is composed of turbulent winds that repels attacks and the attackers themselves while also generating lightning that the spirit hurls at its enemies. None dare stand before this incarnation of the windstorm.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Elemental deals X% more lightning damage without knockback, creates blast of Y% lightning damage upon dispelling.
  • 2. Skill changes to caster being imbued with lightning damage and knockback effect for X seconds, increases speed by Y%.
  • 3. Increases ranged of whirlwind and amount of knockback.
  • 4. Elemental can reflect ranged physical and magical attacks back at attackers.

Life-force Extract

Arcane damage. The Alchemist fires a bolt of magical energy that pulls the life-force out of an enemy and returns it to the alchemist. This does great for hitting distant, evasive enemies and for low-health emergencies.

• 'Description -Fires a magical missile that deals X arcane damage, returns Y% of dealt damage to caster as health.
  • Next level -Increases damage.
• Lore -The spark of life is the essential energy that seperates the living from the dead. As he better understands this energy, an alchemist can craft powerful magic that extracts life from his enemy's core and siphons it back to himself in proportion to the power of the spell.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Skill creates AoE blast that affects multiple enemies.
  • 2. Missile homes in on selected enemy, has X% greater chance of critical strike.

Tier 5 Skills

Combustion

Fire damage. The Alchemist excites the heat and anger within an enemy until he draws out the spirit of the fire salamander to scorch the enemy with its own rage. The enemy continues to burn all over so long as the spirit remains over him, pushing his anger to the point that he attacks his fellow monsters. A fire-and-forget skill that also gives you a temporary ally.

• Description -Summons a fire spirit from enemy by igniting him, deals X fire damage per second for Y seconds, enemy attacks others with X added fire damage.
  • Next level -Increases damage and duration.
• Lore -Our own bodies contain the four elements. The fire is in the warmth of our bodies created by the choleric ichor within. By stirring this ichor to higher levels, the alchemist can raise more and more rage in the enemy until it bursts into flames and releases the salamander spirit, a fire elemental, to torch the monster. In its burning fury, the tortured creature no longer distinguishes between friend and foe, attack all near it.
• Rune effects
  • 1. The enemy leaves a wake of fire as it moves, the elemental explodes upon dispelling to deal X fire damage.
  • 2. An X number of fire elementals leave body when enemy dies, attack other enemies for Y seconds.
  • 3. Skill changes to caster or ally becoming imbued with X% fire damage and aura that deals fire damage per second within Y yards.

Tonic of Sufferance

No damage. The Alchemist sacrifices a percent of his life to create a potion that reduces the damage he takes and the duration of debilitating effects over a period of time.

• Description -Drinks a tonic that reduces damage taken and duration of debuffs by X% for Y seconds at the cost of Z% of health.
  • Next level -Increases duration and reduction of damage taken/debuffs.
• Lore -Devotion to the study of medicines and anatomy enables alchemists to mix a complex tonic capable of invigorating his body, but at the cost of a portion of his own life. Upon making this sacrifice, the Alchemist seems to shrug off attacks more easily and be less afflicted by debilitating effects.
• Rune Effects
  • 1. Creates wave for X yards that shares buff with allies at the same health cost.

Invoke the Deluge

Cold damage. The Alchemist invokes the spirit of the water undine to change his shape into that of icy water, able to surge like a wave past enemies and over obstacles to any desired location until his loses control of the form. This third shape-shifting skill also serves as a movement skill, letting you slip between enemies and over gaps.

• Description -Summons a water spirit to change your form, allows quick unrestricted movement and deals X cold damage to enemies in path for Y seconds.
  • Next level -Increases damage and duration.
• Lore -Ever-changing water is a difficult element to control. Through intense concentration, an alchemist can invoke the undine spirit, a water elemental, out of the moisture in the air and ground to enter into him and change his form to pure water. In this form, he can move freely and uncumbered by obstacles, though his enemies best beware the chilling power of his passing.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Skill changes to single ranged attack that smashes onto target location in a powerful burst of water, deals X additional physical damage.
  • 2. Increases the cold damage by X%, selected enemies are frozen in shell of ice for Y seconds.
  • 3. Skill changes to watery armor that reduced elemental damage take by X and enables Y health regeneration over Z seconds.

Tier 6 Skills

Astral Chaos

No damage. The Alchemist creates a glowing field over an area that drains enemies of their magical energies, negates their special abilities and lowers their resistance to magical attacks. Deadly against magic users, as it hinders casting speed and prevents special abilities such as spells, curses, and teleporting.

• Description -Casts a field that drains resources by X% per seconds, negates special abilites, lowers casting rate, and lowers magical resistance by Y%.
  • Next level -Increases range of field, resource drain, and magical resistance reduction.
• Lore -Chaos is the base, unformed state of existence before any order. Understanding chaos allows an alchemist to affect the Archeus, the astral plane, a veil that seperates this world from the Ethereal Realm. The Ethereal Realm is the highest state of existence from which the fifth element Aether, the element of life, emerges into our world to give energy and life to the world. By unraveling the veil that connects the two realms, the alchemist sends that magical connection into chaos, denying his enemies the use of any magical energies or extraordinary abilities and rendering those enemies vulnerable to his magical attacks.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Restores X% resource per second for each enemy within the field.
  • 2. Field has glowing point in center that pulls nearby enemies towards it, explodes to deal X arcane damage when the field collapses.

Doppelganger

Physical damage. The Alchemist stabs an enemy and uses its blood to create a copy of it that fights for the alchemist against the original enemy. Provides you a distraction that tanks for you and adds a little more damage against an enemy.

• Description -Slashes enemy to create shade of enemy to attack with X% attack damage of original, lasts Y seconds.
  • Next level -Increases percent of original's attack damage, duration.
• Lore -Creating life is one of the long sought-after goals of alchemy. With enough experience, an alchemist can use a small sample of an enemy to create a homonculus, an artificial lifeform, which rapidly grows into a shade of the original monster. However, the alchemist uses his talents to alter the mind of the copy to turn against its original and fight on the side of its master until its life-force is consumed by its exertions.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Shade continues to survive for X seconds after the death of the original.
  • 2. Shade attacks with lightning damage.
  • 3. Shade attacks with arcane damage.
  • 4. Initially shade-creating attack becomes melee AoE slash to affect multiple enemies.

Fuming Oil

Unknown damage. The Alchemist throws a flask full of chemicals so corrosive that they leak out of the container as it travels. The projectile rolls under enemies and will ricochet off of objects and walls. The chemicals consume enemies' weapons and armor to leave them weakened and vulnerable to attack. A heavily damaging skill able the bounce off walls and could be used to block off certain areas.

• Description -Tosses a rolling bottle of deadly acid that deals X unknown damage along path and travels Y yards, lowers enemy attack damage and armor by Z% for W seconds.
  • Next level -Increases damage, reduction of attack damage and armor, and duration.
• Lore -Spirit of Nitre, Muriatic Acid, Vitriol, I have crafted the master solvent. The legendary oil known as Alkahest has long been hailed as the universal solvent, capable of dissolving even incorruptible gold. As a weapon, this supernatural chemical dissolves any metal, leaving any unfortunate victim's weapon dulled and armor corroded. Throw it quickly, for it even eats through its own container once created.
• Rune effect
  • 1. Skill changes to caster and allies becoming imbued with unknown damage, dealing damage and armor reduction effect over X seconds.
  • 2. Skill no longer passes through enemies, explodes in AoE for X yards, pool of acid lingers on ground for Y seconds.
  • 3. Skill has X% chance of multiplying into three bottles that spread out.

Empathy

Physical damage. The Alchemist reaches into the mind of his enemy and links the two together. For every pain that the Alchemist feels, the enemy feels the same pain as if it were inflicted on its flesh. Unlike Diablo 2's Thorns and Iron Maiden, which affect multiple enemies and reflected only the monster's own damage, Empathy affects a single enemy but shares all incoming damage you receive from attacks with that enemy.

• Description -Connects your mind with an enemy's, enemy receives X% of the physical damage you take from all sources, lasts Y seconds.
  • Next level -Increases damage shared and duration.
• Lore -The mind is capable of unimaginable power. An alchemist that can penetrate the mind of his enemy will be able to connect his mind with that of his foe, forcing it to feel every painful blow that the alchemist receives. Even with perfect health, the enemy's mind is convinced that its own flesh is stabbed and torn. Its mind causes the body to act as if the wounds were real.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Skill also reflects elemental and magical damage as well.
  • 2. Skill changes to AoE, able to affect multiple enemies.
  • 3. Enemy under the effect receives X% more damage from its own attacks.
  • 4. Enemy stores damage instead of receiving it, releases damage as wave for X yards to nearby enemies after effect dispels.

Tier 7 Skills

Sacred Molecule

Arcane damage. The Alchemist crafts a glowing molecule of energy in his hands that he detonates in a brillant explosion of light. Magical particles radiate chaotically outward from the blast, penetrating enemies and obstacles. Has a long cooldown, but is great for annihilating all enemies in range with a chance to strike distant enemies with the particles.

• Description -Detonates a sphere of energy to deal X arcane damage for Y yards, particles expand outward and penetrate enemies to deal Z arcane damage.
  • Next level -Increases range and damage of blast and damage of particles.
• Lore -The ultimate manifestion of order is the sacred molecule, in which the energy of chaos is contained and organized into an incredibly powerful structure. It represents the perfect unity of matter and energy, though it is highly unstable in this world. A master alchemist can design this sacred structure as a mark of his understanding and skill. Then, he allows it to shatter and release its magical energies in a magnificient blast that splits the molecule into chaotically radiating particles.
• Rune effects
  • 1. Increases the damage and range of initial blast by X%, decreases number of particles.
  • 2. Multiplies the number of particles by X.
  • 3. Particles home in on nearby enemies.

Transfiguration

No damage. The Alchemist ascends into a higher form of pure energy, increasing the damage of his spells and his resistance to magical damage. The fourth and last shape-shifting skill, any spell-casting alchemist will want this skill because, although it will be costly, it will also boost all spell damage.

• Description -Changes you into an energy being, increases spell damage by X% and magical resistance by Y%, lasts Z seconds.
  • Next level -Increases spell damage, magical resistance, duration of form.
• Lore -The Great Work is the path of the alchemist, the work of obtaining philosophical perfect. The most determined and enlightened scholars can briefly reach into the Ethereal Realm and attain a form of pure infinite energy. In this moment he manifests the full potential of mortal man and becomes a divine being, channeling unfathomable power in his spells.
• Rune effect
  • 1. Increases spells' critical strike damage by X%.

References

Alchemist -main fanclass page.
Former Alchemist Skills -skills from earlier drafts.