I'll be doing a series of posts on what I think of classes in Pathfinder. I'll focus more on the ones unique to PF rather than the classic ones (fighter, wizard, sorcerer, cleric, druid, rogue, paladin, ranger, monk, bard, barbarian). Those classes have been discussed enough over the years that people generally know how even the ones that are the primary reason why I haven't switched over to 5e. I will also do a few of these on particularly interesting archetypes.
We can start with the alchemist, from the Advanced Player's Guide:
The alchemist's role in the party is an unusual one. Although it has significant combat power if played right, it should not be a primary combatant. Although it has pseudo-spellcasting ability, it cannot function as anything comparable to a wizard, cleric, or druid. Although it gets a decent amount of skill points per level (4+INT, has a lot of abilities dependent on INT, so generally has a good INT score).
Let's go over its main class features right now:
BAB: 3/4, like most support classes
Saves: Fortitude and Reflex
Only proficient in simple weapons and bombs. Proficient in light armor but not shields. Though I have no problem with lightly-armored characters being primary combatants (DEX-based AC is great for dealing with touch attacks), the weapons issue is why I would only build a front-line alchemist in a race with racial weapon proficiency (most likely half-orc, because although real falchions are one-handed, in-game falchions are two-handed, as are greataxes and the class is not proficient with shields).
Alchemy:
This is an interesting ability. Parts of it are useless in PFS (I avoid PFS because it removes a lot of fun stuff) because of the ban on item crafting. However, it allows the class to use Craft (Alchemy) to do things other than craft items: identify a potion. Along with that, it allows the alchemist to create "extracts" that function similarly to spells (up to sixth level), but must be prepared in advance with a shorter preparation time than actual spells, though without the discovery allowing for infusions, they can only be used on the alchemist who made them (infusions can be passed out to other party members: the barbarian can get an Enlarge Person infusion for better barbarianing, for example). The alchemist carries around a formula book, functioning exactly like a spellbook for wizards (he can copy extracts from a spellbook, but wizards cannot copy spells from a formula book). Additionally, the alchemist gains the Brew Potion feat for free (again, useless in PFS) even though he wouldn't typically be able to take the feat without multiclassing due to alchemist not being a spellcasting class and the feat requiring a caster level.
Bombs:
This is definitely what I would focus on if I was to play another alchemist. Splash damage weapon of 1d6 damage for every odd level (same progression as rogues' sneak attack damage) in alchemist is pretty powerful, and the alchemist additionally adds his INT modifier to all splash weapons. Some discoveries modify the bomb: although the standard bomb does fire damage, discoveries allow for every other type of energy damage, though some types of bomb do reduced damage (concussive, for example, is 1d4). Next time I'm GMing PF, there will be an NPC who focuses on using Greater Plague Bomb to try to spread disease wherever he goes. That would make a great villain. I can't see nearly as many ways to make a mad scientist hero.
Mutagen:
This ability works similarly to a barbarian's rage, but longer-lasting (ten minutes per level). It boosts a physical ability score with a penalty to a mental ability score, while boosting natural armor. Its effects get increased by discoveries, eventually making him into a front-line monster (much more literally than the usual sense).
The alchemist is definitely a fun class, though not one of my preferred classes so I don't have any plans to play one. It does suffer a bit by doing too many things alright but nothing particularly well, so you need to focus your discoveries on one particular topic if you want to make a mechanically good alchemist. Another thing that you should definitely seek out is archetypes that benefit your chosen area of focus. Grenadier, for example, goes unsurprisingly well with bombs, for example.
I often play in small groups, so gestalt characters are relatively common. The classes that seem like the best fit for matching with alchemist depend on what the alchemist's focus is. A mutagen alchemist should go for full BAB and martial weapon proficiency. Barbarian makes the most sense for that, as rage seems thematically appropriate for the mutagen. A bomb alchemist can go for that (full BAB is always helpful), but one particular rogue archetype, the Underground Chemist, allows you to do sneak attack damage with splash weapons, essentially allowing two damage rolls for the first bomb thrown.
One thing that you should always keep in mind for this class is that it relies on consumable items that it creates. A particularly strict GM may require you to say that you're preparing whatever items you're preparing instead of letting the party assume that in the same hour that the spellcasters prepare their spells, the alchemist brews a mutagen, in addition to time at the beginning of the day to prepare extracts, while further requiring the alchemist to specifically say that he's making more catalyst vials for his bombs.
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