Gold’s Guide to Chemist

Created by Gold Zephzellian

Summary

Clouds here, clouds there… GAH, HOW DO I ESCAPE? The Chemist suffocates the fields in clouds of death, making it just terrible to traverse in any fashion.

The Chemist is the field control GOD of Ishanekon: World Shapers. They accomplish this with their core feature: Lasting Gas, allowing their Control and Debuff Abilities to remain on the field as debilitating Clouds. This can be truly difficult to avoid if the Chemist plays their cards right, preventing any sort of approach, and making staying within them long term a death sentence. 

That being said, this style has its downsides; it’s pretty unfriendly to melee comps, and they have a bit of a learning curve and an issue with needing certain Greater Talents to use a wider range of Abilities. Fliers and jumpers can also somewhat easily invalidate your clouds.

If you’re okay with that, though, the Chemist will turn the battlefield into a board of death!

Sub-Archetype Statistics

Ease of Use – ★★★☆☆

Offensive Ability – ★★★★★

  • Single Target – ★★☆☆☆
  • AOE – ★★★★☆
  • Disabling – ★★★★★

Defense – ★★★★☆

  • Passive Defense – ★★★★☆
  • Active Defense – ★★★☆☆
  • Healing – ★★★☆☆

Support – ★★★☆☆

  • Offensive Support – ★★★☆☆
  • Defensive Support – ★★★☆☆
  • Miscellaneous Support – ★★☆☆☆

Skills – ★★☆☆☆

  • Social – ★★☆☆☆
  • Physical – ★★★☆☆
  • Mental – ★★★☆☆
Use this Sub-Archetype if you want to…
– If you want to smother the foe in constant control attempts.
– You want to turn the battlefield into a nigh unnavigable hellspace.
– You want surprisingly good AOE damage later.
Consider avoiding this Sub-Archetype if…
– If you have a primarily Melee oriented party. Chemist and melee characters don’t mix…
– You want a bit more flexibility in your Talent choices.
– You’re in a campaign with a lot of fliers or jumpers.

Features

Tier 1 – Lasting Gas

Your Debuff and Control Abilities that can hit multiple targets can cover the chosen area or spaces of the targets for five rounds. Any target that is within that area for the first time in a round is targeted by that Ability if they were not already targeted by the original Ability this turn. A creature targeted two rounds in a row by the same Ability this way has disadvantage on any DR that they have to make against that Ability.

Control and Debuff Abilities you use that can hit multiple enemies can leave a 5 round Cloud. 

Anyone within the Cloud for the first time in a round is afflicted with the Ability if they weren’t targeted by the original Ability once already this turn. 

Being targeted by a Cloud two or more rounds in a row forces Disadvantage on DRs against the Ability.

Hooooo boy, where to begin with Lasting Gas? Well, first off, all of your Control and Debuff Abilities that have the potential to target multiple enemies can create Clouds. These are 5 Round persistent areas that inflict their given Ability on those within, and they do not discriminate. They will target allies, or even YOURSELF if any of you go within them. This kind of makes it difficult to have a melee team with a Chemist. This is a little unfortunate, though there is a way out in Synergies. It also struggles to create space with anything less than a Line or a Cube, as lacking those sorts of Clouds makes it difficult to properly control space. Again, fixable within Synergies.

I started with all the negatives, because holy moly are Clouds STRONG. Firstly, entering a Cloud at all subjects the target to the effects of the Ability. This means any attempt to move through risks being influenced by the Ability. Secondly, staying within the Cloud long term will just make it easier for the Cloud to lock an opponent down, as being influenced by a Cloud twice in a row forces DISADVANTAGE on the DR, if there is one (and there usually is!). That’s brutal, and makes strategies based around pushing enemies through multiple Clouds to MOLLYWHOP them hella viable. 

Overall, despite all of the downsides, Lasting Gas is nothing short of incredible. Enjoy!

Tier 2 – Toxic Fumes

Targets that are within the area affected by your Lasting Gas feature for the first time in a round receive damage equal to your Primary Stat Bonus of a damage type that you choose when you use the Ability that triggers Lasting Gas. That damage ignores the target’s Armor.

Your Clouds now deal your Primary Stat Bonus damage of a damage type you choose on Ability usage (bypassing Armor) the first time they are affected each Round.

…and now your Clouds will slowly kill them too. Sure, why not? Toxic Fumes tacks on a small, but Unarmorable amount of damage of any type of your choice, chosen on the initial Ability cast, whenever a Cloud’s area is violated. That part about choosing a damage type is actually super handy, as it enables you to target enemy weaknesses, dealing just a bit more damage! Sure, Toxic Fumes ain’t fancy, but more damage is more damage, and it’s very effective when it works.

Tier 3 – Unstable Chemicals

You can choose up to three damage types when you trigger Lasting Gas. If any damage of one of the chosen damage types is dealt to a target within the Lasting Gas area, it causes a chain reaction. This damage cannot be from your Toxic Fumes feature. The chain reaction removes the effects of Lasting Gas and deals damage equal to a number of d10 equal to your Tier of a damage type of your choice to any target with that area.

Choose up to three Damage Types when you make a Cloud. If a target within the Cloud takes one of those damage types, the Cloud explodes, dealing [Tier]d10 damage of your choice to any targets within. This removes the Cloud.

Remember when I said you get surprisingly good AOE damage later? This is why. Now, whenever you place a Cloud, you can optionally rig it to explode under appropriate damage types. Combined with a certain tool in Synergies, this damage can get WILD, allowing you to not only control the opponent, but also nuke them too. Sadly, you can’t trigger it yourself on the same action by using Toxic Fumes, but it is still very, very good.

The optional nature of this feature is actually a boon, as it ensures that if you have a Cloud you want to stick around, you don’t have to make it able to explode. That’s nice, and makes this one of the best all-around features on Chemist.

Tier 4 – Dizzying Poison

The movement of any creature that enters an area that is affected by your Lasting Gas feature for the first time in a turn is reduced to 0 m. Their Basic Movement is also reduced by half until the end of the turn.

Your Clouds now reduce the Movement of targets to 0m and cut their speed in half until the end of the turn.

…and here’s another part of why entering Clouds is so scary. Now they set your MOVEMENT TO 0. Dear lord. And your Basic Movement is cut in half too… man, no wonder your Clouds are so obnoxious. Teleportation or otherwise avoiding it through other means of movement can bypass this downside, but most of those don’t allow you to completely ignore a cloud, and it usually costs AP to perform, which might mean you can’t do something else. In short, this turns your Clouds into an AP trap or makes them take the Disadvantage on DRs. Enjoy.

Tier 5 – Stunning Toxins

Any creature you hit with the Unstable Chemicals feature must make a Constitution or Will DR (your choice). On a failure, they are Stunned until the end of their next turn.

Unstable Chemicals now forces a Constitution or Will DR (your choice) to Stun until the end of their next turn.

Now your nukes come with a chance to STUN. Just gross, your Control never ends. Not much to say; enjoy.

Synergies & Tips

Synergies

  • Path of Control: Unsurprisingly really good on Chemist; they really love their Control Abilities, and this gives them a free one to toss around. Combined with Toxic Fumes and Unstable Chemicals, this actually becomes a rock solid damage option later too.
  • Path of Damage: …under the assumption you take one of the Control Damage Ability combo meals. Cold, Curse, and Spirit Eruption fall under this category, as does a good majority of the Grenades. These are all great, and serve up more damage on top of the control aspects.
  • Controlled Destruction: Word of God states that those made unaffected by Controlled Destruction are also immune to the Clouds left by those Abilities! This is the key to a more melee-oriented Chemist, but it’s a bit clunky in some ways. Still, it’s better than nothing, and if you insist on bringing Chemist to a melee comp, this is non-negotiable.
  • Unstable Elements: Here it is! The means of which you have to create your own little damage nuke! Step 1: use a 2AP Control or Debuff and make it as weak as possible, detonating it as any Elemental Damage Type. Secondly, hit them with a relevant 1AP Damage Ability. BAM! Just like that, an extra chunk of damage on top. This can be evil, though needs to be setup properly in order to work, since Toxic Fumes doesn’t count as a source of Ability Damage.
  • Bombardier: The GOAT of Multi-Sub-Archetyping for any Chemist! Being able to convert your multi-target Abilities into cubes is a huge deal for making your Clouds more effective. Going deeper makes those potentially cheaper, and even widens the Abilities you have access to for Clouds at T3! That being said, even just having T1 is enough to be a worthwhile pickup.
  • Blaster: If you’ve already got Cubes covered, Blaster can greatly increase the radius of your Clouds, especially with T2. It’s a hefty investment, but a potentially worthwhile one.
  • Technomage: Surprisingly good for Chemist! The various Enhanced By talents do carry over into your Clouds, and can be real nasty if you combo them right. A worthwhile pickup if you’re looking for a bit more customization.
  • Controller: For more Control Ability focused Chemists, this can be rood. Adds on even more debuffing goodness onto your Clouds, which is just nightmare fuel for your enemies. Great if you’ve got the space!
  • Pushing Effects: Yeah, I’m surprised too! Clouds have no willingness stipulation, meaning pushing enemies into Clouds is a more than valid means of messing them up. Also incredibly good for triggering the Disadvantage upside of Clouds. Of particular note are a few below…
  • Advanced Physical Damage: Requires Physical damage to work, but hooooo boy, does it work! A great means of chaining 2 Clouds together in a no-muss or fuss manner.
  • Enforcer T1: While usually associated more with Attacks, Enforcer actually works just fine with Abilities, and can be quite capable at it. Also has a great Control T2. 
  • Pushing Force: A cube that can Push?!? Yes please! A phenomenal Cloud option that can setup into other Clouds nicely on a failed DR.
  • Physical Infusion: Pushing whenever you hit is a superb deal, and is real straightforward. Physical damage is also rarely resisted, much less immuned, so this is a nice tool to have for multiple purposes.
  • More WP/WP Discounts: You’re Ability focused, and an Ability focus means a need for more WP, especially when starting as a Hybrid. Discounts can help too; scaling doesn’t tend to be as big a factor for Control, but it can be for Debuffs.
  • DR Power: As much as you can get! Landing your DRs is crucial as a Control specialist, and more of that is welcome. This is especially relevant for you, thanks to the Clouds forcing disadvantage if they influence a target for multiple rounds in a row.
  • Self-Destruction Preventer: If you ever enter your own Clouds, this will protect you from taking nearly as much damage. Won’t protect you from Statuses, though.

Tips

  • Remember that Unstable Chemicals is optional to use. This means you don’t need to use it if you don’t want to.

Sub-Archetype Build Showcase

Simple Build

A straightforward Chemist who uses Grenades to cover a lot of space with multiple, devastating Status Effects. Your choice of Dissolving, Freezing, and Shock for the first, with Blinded, Grab, and Tainted tacked on top for fun and profit! You’re bound to get at least one through with how many DRs you’re throwing at a target.

You’ve also got respectable AOE damage despite relying heavily on Path of Damage thanks to a mix of Unstable Elements, Unstable Chemicals, and a 1WP discounted Elemental Flash (Poison). Just setup your initial Grenade toss with a bit of damage, and you are off to the races! Eruptions serve as better overall damage sources when a group of enemies just needs to die, Distracting Presence serves as a useful way to cripple DRs, and Ranged Heal, Multi Shield, and Barrier round out the toolkit. 

Naturally, with Caster Affinity, you’re a bit squishy, so staying in the back is somewhat wise. Not that you’ll have much trouble with your Clouds, though!

Experimental Build

This unusual Chemist is MELEE focused, of all things, making use of Mighty Stomp to generate aftershocks of Proning nastiness that they can easily no-sell thanks to high Armor from Bunker, as well as switching out the Dexterity DR for a Strength DR, which you have Advantage on and a rather realistic chance of succeeding. If you don’t, no worries! Self-Destruction Preventer will always cut the cloud’s damage in half at bare minimum, ensuring the damage isn’t terrible, and you’ve got immunity to Prone from Bunker!

From there, you’ve got Power Strike to hit very hard, Path of Attack to punch things, and a bunch of sweet survivability tools. WP can be a struggle, though, and big attacks tend to punch through the armor very quickly. Also, rather slow, in spite of having Jet Boost, so some careful positioning will be necessary. Still, this build is rather fun, despite being nontraditional. 

Conclusion

Overall, the Chemist is a crowd control monster that can handle a wide range of scenarios really well… so long as their party isn’t melee focused. Thanks for reading! If you have any fun builds that could help show off Chemist more, feel free to send them to me on Discord at goldzephzellian!