Mutagenic Mutatations
It’s hard to write spells for alchemists, because the way that they handle their spells is so restrictive. As a result, as we go throughout the year, the alchemist often winds up further and further behind other classes, and we have to set aside some time to give this class’s spell list a little extra attention. Whenever we do so, I like to try to make spells that are unique to the alchemist, and capture a particularly “alchemical” feel, and that’s exactly what’s going on with today’s spells, which are all alchemist extracts designed to augment and alter mutagens.
MONSTROUS MUTAGEN
School transmutation; Level alchemist 5
Casting Time see text
Components V, S
Range see text
Target see text
Duration see text
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This extract must be mixed into a mutagen when it is prepared, and cannot be used or consumed on its own. When the mutagen that the extract is mixed with is consumed, the creature gains the benefits of this spell, in addition to the normal effects of the mutagen. If the character is not able to benefit from the mutagen for any reason, he is also unable to benefit from this extract. The effects of the extract last for as long as the effects of the mutagen persist.
Your body becomes a twisted combination of man and beast. You remain generally humanoid in appearance, but many of your individual features—head, arms, legs, eyes, and so on—take the shape of those belonging to a specific animal of Small or Medium size that you specify. If the form you specify has any of the following abilities, you gain the listed ability: climb 30 feet, fly 30 feet (average maneuverability), swim 30 feet, darkvision 60 feet, low-light vision, and scent.
Additionally, if the form that you specify has any natural attacks, you gain those natural attacks. They either deal the same amount of damage as the specified form, or, if the specified form is of a size category larger than you are, they deal damage as appropriate for a natural attack of that type for a creature of your size category. You cannot gain more total claw, tentacle, pincer, or slam attacks than you have arms, and for each such attack that you gain, you lose the ability to use the corresponding arm to manipulate or hold objects. Similarly, you cannot gain more total hoof or talon attacks than you have legs, but these have no impact on your ability to move normally.
Finally, your natural armor bonus to AC increases by 2, and the alchemical bonuses granted to your Strength and Dexterity scores by your mutagen both increase by +2.
RAGING MUTAGEN
School enchantment (compulsion) [emotion, mind-affecting]; Level alchemist 4
Casting Time see text
Components V, S
Range see text
Target see text
Duration see text
Saving Throw Will partial; Spell Resistance no
This extract must be mixed into a mutagen when it is prepared, and cannot be used or consumed on its own. When the mutagen that the extract is mixed with is consumed, the creature gains the benefits of this spell, in addition to the normal effects of the mutagen. If the character is not able to benefit from the mutagen for any reason, he is also unable to benefit from this extract. The effects of the extract last for as long as the effects of the mutagen persist.
In addition to the mutagen’s normal effects, the target gains an additional +4 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution, a +2 morale bonus to Will saves, and a -2 penalty to AC. Additionally, when you create this mutagen, you may select a single rage power with no prerequisites. The target gains that rage power. Finally, for the extract’s duration, whenever the target suffers damage, he must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to raging mutagen’s DC) or be compelled to make a melee attack against the source of that damage, if possible, or attempt to move closer to the source of the damage, if that is not possible. This compulsion lasts for 1d6 rounds, but if the target is damaged repeatedly, each time he fails this save, the compulsion’s duration increases by 1d6 rounds. The compulsion remains in effect even if the source of the damage is dead or destroyed. If the target is affected by multiple compulsions of this sort, he can choose which of the creatures that he attacks on any given round, but must attack at least one of them if able.
SCHISMATIC MUTAGEN
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level alchemist 3
Casting Time see text
Components V, S
Range see text
Target see text
Duration see text
Saving Throw Will negates and Will partial, see text; Spell Resistance no
This extract must be mixed into a mutagen when it is prepared, and cannot be used or consumed on its own. When the mutagen that the extract is mixed with is consumed, the creature gains the benefits of this spell, in addition to the normal effects of the mutagen. If the character is not able to benefit from the mutagen for any reason, he is also unable to benefit from this extract. The effects of the extract last for as long as the effects of the mutagen persist.
The target’s alignment changes to match an alignment that you specify at the time that the extract is prepared. While this alignment change is temporary, it is completely real, and spells such as detect evil or holy word will reflect the chosen alignment, rather than the target’s normal alignment. For the most part, this alignment change does not directly dictate the target’s actions, but if the target attempts to perform an action that is directly opposed to the new alignment, he must succeed on a Will save or be unable to perform that action.
If the chosen alignment is the opposite of the target’s normal alignment on either alignment axis (good vs. evil or chaos vs. law), then the target must succeed on a Will save when the extract’s effect ends, or be unable to remember anything that occurred while under the effects of this extract. Any such memories are retained if the target ever uses this extract to gain that alignment again, but once again disappear when the extract’s effects end.