Alchemist Archetype

Lithomancer

Art Source:​https://www.artstation.com/ioanamuresan

Author: AlphaLuke

Lithomancers are masters of imbuing precious and

semi-precious stones with magical power. Like alchemists, they
use magic siphoned from their own magical auras to invest
power into the stones they use.

Lithomancy (Su):​ Lithomancers are masters of replicating the effects of mundane alchemical
substances such as alchemist’s fire and smokesticks using invested stones. They can also
fashion magical baubles in which they can store spell effects which work, for all intents and
purposes, like potions. In effect, a lithomancer prepares their spells by investing magic into a
number of baubles, and then “casts” their spells by activating the bauble. When a lithomancer
creates a bauble or bomb, they invest the stone with a tiny fraction of their own magical
power—this enables the creation of powerful effects, but also binds the effects to the creator.

A lithomancer may use Craft (engineering) in place of Craft (alchemy) to craft an alchemical
item but not a poison. The lithomancer must use a gemstone or semi-precious stone as a
material component to craft an “alchemical” item in this way. These gemstones do not change
the creation cost to craft the item.

When using Craft (engineering) to create an alchemical item, a lithomancer gains a competence
bonus equal to their class level on the Craft (engineering) check. In addition, a lithomancer can
use Craft (engineering) to identify construct or clockwork creations as if using​ ​technomancy​.
They must hold the item for 1 round to make such a check.

Lithomancers do not gain the ability to identify potions as if using ​detect magic​.

A lithomancer can create three special types of magical items—baubles, bombs, and banks.
Bombs are explosive splash weapons, and banks are transformative gemstones that the
lithomancer activates to enhance their physical abilities—both of these are detailed in their own
sections below.

Baubles function as extracts and banks function as mutagens (and cognatogens) for all effects
related to existing rules.

Baubles are the most varied of the three. In many ways, they behave like spells in crystalline
form, and as such their effects can be dispelled by effects like ​dispel magic​ using the
lithomancer’s level as the caster level.
Baubles function in all ways like extracts. A lithomancer can create only a certain number of
baubles of each level per day. Their base daily allotment of baubles is given on Table 2–1
(Extracts). In addition, they receives bonus baubles per day if they has a high Intelligence score,
in the same way a wizard receives bonus spells per day.

When an lithomancer activates a bauble, they invest the crystalline lattice of the stone used in
the bauble with magic siphoned from their own magical aura. A bauble immediately becomes
inert if it leaves the lithomancer’s possession, reactivating as soon as it returns to their
keeping—a lithomancer cannot normally pass out their baubles for allies to use (but see the
“infusion” discovery below). A bauble, once created, remains potent for 1 day before losing its
magic, so a lithomancer must re-prepare their baubles every day. Imbuing a bauble takes 1
minute of work—most lithomancers prepare many baubles at the start of the day or just before
going on an adventure, but it’s not uncommon for a lithomancer to keep some (or even all) of
their daily bauble slots open so that they can prepare baubles in the field as needed.

Although the lithomancer doesn’t actually cast spells, they do have a ​formulae list​ that
determines what baubles they can create. A lithomancer can utilize spell-trigger items if the
spell appears on their formulae list, but not spell-completion items (unless they use Use Magic
Device to do so). A bauble is “cast” by holding it in hand and willing the magic out of it, but
otherwise uses the same action as imbibing a potion—the effects of a bauble exactly duplicate
the spell upon which its formula is based, save that the spell always affects only the activating
lithomancer. A lithomancer can draw and activate a bauble as a standard action. The
lithomancer uses their level as the caster level to determine any effect based on caster level.

Creating baubles consumes raw materials, but the cost of these materials is
insignificant—comparable to the valueless material components of most spells. If a spell
normally has a costly material component, that component is expended during the activation of
that particular bauble. Baubles cannot be made from spells that have focus requirements
(lithomancer baubles that duplicate divine spells never have a divine focus requirement).

A lithomancer can prepare a bauble of any formula they know. To learn or use a bauble, a
lithomancer must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the bauble’s level. The
Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a lithomancer’s bauble is 10 + the bauble level + the
lithomancer’s Intelligence modifier.

A lithomancer may know any number of formulae. They store their formulae in a special tome
called a formula book. They must refer to this book whenever they prepare a bauble but not
when they activate it. A lithomancer begins play with two 1st-level formulae of their choice, plus
a number of additional formulae equal to their Intelligence modifier. At each new lithomancer
level, they gain one new formula of any level that they can create. A lithomancer can also add
formulae to their book just like a wizard adds spells to their spellbook, using the same costs,
pages, and time requirements. A lithomancer can study a wizard’s spellbook to learn any
formula that is equivalent to a spell the spellbook contains. A wizard, however, cannot learn
spells from a formula book. A lithomancer does not need to decipher arcane writings before
copying them.

This ability alters mutagen (and cognatogen) and alters and replaces alchemy.

Bomb (Su):​ This ability functions exactly like the Alchemist ability of the same name, but
instead of mixing volatile chemicals, the lithomancer tosses invested gemstones which explode
on impact.

This ability alters bomb.

Craft Crystal Capacitor (Ex):​ At 1st level, lithomancers receive ​Brew Potion​ as a bonus feat.
These “potions” take the form of single use, transferable crystals that can store spells of up to
3rd level. These, in all other ways, behave exactly like potions. The lithomancer does not need
to meet the prerequisites for this feat.

This ability alters Brew Potion.

Bank (Su):​ At 1st level, a lithomancer discovers how to create a bank. A bank is a stone
invested with a small amount of physical power compounded over a long period of time,
eventually totaling a large amount of physical ability that can be released in a short burst. A
lithomancer can activate a bank in order to heighten their physical prowess at the cost of their
personality. It takes 1 hour to fully invest a bank, and once invested, it remains potent until used.
A lithomancer can only maintain one bank at a time—if they invest a second, any existing bank
becomes inert. As with a bauble or bomb, a bank that is not in a lithomancer’s possession
becomes inert until a lithomancer picks it up again.

When a lithomancer invests a bank, they select one physical ability score—either Strength,
Dexterity, or Constitution. It’s a standard action to activate a bank. Upon being activated, the
bank causes the lithomancer to grow bulkier and more bestial, granting them a +2 natural armor
bonus and a +4 alchemical bonus to the selected ability score for 10 minutes per alchemist
level. In addition, while the bank is in effect, the lithomancer takes a –2 penalty to one of their
mental ability scores. If the bank enhances their Strength, it applies a penalty to their
Intelligence. If it enhances their Dexterity, it applies a penalty to their Wisdom. If it enhances
their Constitution, it applies a penalty to their Charisma.

A non-lithomancer who activates a bank must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 the
alchemist’s level + the alchemist’s Intelligence modifier) or become nauseated for 1 hour—a
non-lithomancer can never gain the benefit of a bank, but a lithomancer can gain the effects of
another lithomancer’s bank if they activate it. (Although if the other lithomancer creates a
different bank, the effects of the “stolen” bank immediately cease.) The effects of a bank do not
stack. Whenever a lithomancer activates a bank, the effects of any previous bank immediately
end.

This ability alters and replaces mutagen.

Crystalline Familiar (Ex):​ At 2nd level, a lithomancer gains an​ ​ioun wyrd​ as a familiar. This
functions as the familiar option of the wizard’s arcane bond class feature, with the lithomancer’s
effective wizard level equal to their alchemist level. If a lithomancer would gain a familiar
through another class, those levels stack for purposes of determining the familiar’s abilities.

At 3rd level, if the lithomancer has the infusion discovery, an ioun wyrd familiar can deliver the
effect of a lithomancer’s baubles with a range of touch for them. At 7th level, an ioun wyrd can
communicate with constructs.

With 1 minute of work and a successful DC 15 Craft (engineering) check, a lithomancer can
restore 1d4 hit points to their ioun wyrd familiar. At 4th level, a lithomancer can restore 1d6 hit
points to their familiar in this same way. This amount increases to an additional 1d6 hit points
every 4 levels thereafter (2d6 at 8th level, 3d6 at 12th level, 4d6 at 16th level, and 5d6 at 20th
level).

If a lithomancer’s ioun wyrd familiar is lost or dies, it can be replaced 1 week later using precious
gemstones and reagents that cost 200 gp per alchemist level. The creation takes 8 hours to
complete. The lithomancer does not need to meet the prerequisites construction requirements
to craft a new ioun wyrd when creating a new familiar.

This ability replaces poison resistance, poison immunity, poison use, & swift poisoning.

Poison Novice:​ A lithomancer is not specially trained with poisons, and so does not decrease
the amount of time they take to apply a poison to a weapon. A lithomancer may not choose the
following discoveries: celestial poisons, concentrate poison, deadly excretions, designer poison,
elemental destabilizers, enduring toxin, malignant poison, nauseating flesh, poison conversion,
precise poison, or sticky poison.

This ability alters discoveries, swift alchemy, and instant alchemy.

Ioun Affinity (Ex):​ At 3rd level the lithomancer gains​ ​Ioun Resonance​ as a bonus feat,
representing their link to the magical gemstones in their possession. The lithomancer does not
need to meet the prerequisites for this feat.

Gemcraft Prodigy (Ex):​ At 4th level, the lithomancer gains ​Master Craftsman​ as a bonus feat.
The lithomancer does not need to meet the prerequisites for this feat.

This replaces the Discovery gained at 4th level.

Personal Resonance (Su):​ Starting at 6th level, a lithomancer can harmonize their body’s
energies with that of the ioun stones in their possession. At 6th level they gain the resonant
powers of two active ioun stones in their possession; they are treated as holding a wayfinder for
the purpose of using any resonant powers. As a standard action, they can switch which two ioun
stones are granting their resonance powers. At 11th level they can gain the resonance powers
of up to four active ioun stones in their possession.