Source: Ultimate Spheres of Power
Forbidden Alchemy
At 1st level, an experimentalist may prepare vials of an alchemical brew that temporarily enhances his mystic and physical potency. An experimentalist may spend an hour to prepare a number of alchemical boosts equal to his casting ability modifier. If additional alchemical boosts are brewed the previous ones become inert. A vial of alchemical boost may be drawn and consumed as a standard action. Once consumed, for the next minute, he increases his caster level by 2 for any sphere effect cast. This applies to variables dependent on a particular casting of an effect (damage, duration, number of targets, etc.), but it does not apply to the caster’s total caster level with that sphere (i.e., it does not determine the strength of a companion from the Conjuration sphere, nor to the total number of Hit Dice of reanimated creatures that may be controlled through the Death sphere). This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level, and by an additional +1 for every 4 levels thereafter to a maximum of +6 at 17th level. Archetypes, favored class bonuses, and other abilities that alter the backlash risk and bonus from forbidden lore may be applied to forbidden alchemy instead.
Each time a sphere effect is used while under the effects of an alchemical boost, the experimentalist has a 10% chance of being nauseated for 1 round and sickened for 1d6 rounds. Once the duration of the alchemical boost expires, the experimentalist is sickened for 1 minute. You incur these penalties even if you are immune to the nauseated and sickened conditions.
Additionally, while under the effects of the alchemical boost, as experimentalist gains the benefit of one Alteration sphere trait that he has knowledge of for the duration of the alchemical boost, using his class level as his caster level. Additional traits are granted at level 5 and every 5 levels thereafter. This is a polymorph effect, but may be retained when under the effects of shapeshift, reducing the number of granted traits by one for each retained trait.
The experimentalist may only benefit from one alchemical boost at a time. Additional uses replace the granted Alteration sphere trait. Previous alchemical boosts retain their normal duration and the experimentalist is still sickened as normal when it expires.
This replaces forbidden lore.
Consumption
At 2nd level, an experimentalist may preserve portions of dead creatures for later consumption, gaining the ability to take the creature’s shape.
Harvesting a sample, usually a portion of the heart or of some notable feature of the creature (chimera’s tail, hydra’s head, etc.), requires 1 minute of work and the remains of a creature that has been dead or destroyed for less than 1 hour.
Upon completion, he chooses one Alteration sphere talent appropriate to either taking the creature’s shape or mimicking its abilities. These samples can be preserved indefinitely, but an experimentalist may only maintain three samples at one time; if additional samples are taken, he chooses which samples expire. More than one sample may be taken from a creature, but each one taken from the same creature must be associated with a different talent.
When preparing his alchemical boosts, an experimentalist may expend a preserved sample to add its effects to the alchemical boosts. Each sample can enhance each alchemical boost prepared and more than one sample may be added to each alchemical boost. While under the effects of the boost, he gains knowledge of chosen Alteration sphere talent and may disguise himself as the specific creature the sample was taken from as if using the Perfect Imitation talent provided he is capable of taking a suitable form.
An experimentalist may benefit from samples taken by other experimentalists after identifying them with a Knowledge check of the kind appropriate to the base creature with a difficulty equal to that required to identify the original creature +5, though doing so counts against his total number of samples maintained. A slain experimentalist’s samples expire 1d4 days after his death.
At 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, the number of samples that an experimentalist may maintain at one time increases by one.
This replaces occult knowledge.
Morphic Adept
At 1st level, an experimentalist gains the Alteration sphere as a bonus magic talent with either the Lycanthropic or Fleshwarper drawback, which can be bought off as normal, but does not gain an additional talent from the drawback. If he already possesses the Alteration sphere, then neither talent nor drawback is gained.
Discoveries
At 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level, an experimentalist gains an alchemist discovery, using his experimentalist level in place of alchemist level for meeting prerequisites and casting ability modifier in place of Intelligence for determining their effects. His experimentalist level stacks with his alchemist level for the purpose of determining effective alchemist level for qualifying for discoveries. At 20th level, he gains a grand discovery.
If using the Spheres of Might system, he may instead gain Alchemy sphere talents.
This replaces invocations and master invoker.
Flexible Research
An experimentalist may choose to further his alchemical studies or apply his knowledge of physiology to deadly effect in place of increasing his arcane knowledge. An experimentalist may choose to gain an additional alchemist discovery or to gain 1d6 sneak attack as the rogue class feature (or unchained rogue, as appropriate to the campaign) in place of his normal bonus feats. Each time a bonus feat is gained an additional discovery may be chosen or his sneak attack can be increased by 1d6.
If using the Spheres of Might system, he may also gain Alchemy sphere talents in place of bonus feats.
This alters bonus feats.
Archived: Original version (from before Ultimate Spheres of Power)