Alchemists Stone - Page 2

BesucherXia · #11 June 4th, 2009, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quantum_mechani

in some extreme cases (late game post Armageddon, la Rl'yeh or Ermor) gold alchemy can be quite significant.

Second that. Thats why it should never be left to Ermor/Rly.

Zargen · #12 June 4th, 2009, 03:58 AM

I find the alchemist stone to be of some use when I'm playing nation with absolutely no need for fire/earth gems. And when you start gathering up a bunch of them from random magic sites and from random caches you get from a good role on luck, it gives that little extra bang for your buck when alchemitizing them.

Agema · #13 June 4th, 2009, 06:31 AM

Absolutely no need for gems? Surely such a thing is near-impossible. If you don't have the mages to use the gems, save up and start empowering or (if in MP) trade them for more useful ones.

What could make the alchemist stone quite handy is if it allowed you to convert non-astral pearls directly to other non-astrals at a rate of 2:1, instead of the normal two-step transformation converting to pearls and then to another gem type at 4:1.

Micah · #14 June 4th, 2009, 12:05 PM

QM is right, I would have said that it was worthless before playing in artifacts, but I've gotten quite a bit of mileage out of it, both for myself and for others (taking a cut of the margin.) Not a normal situation, for sure, but it does have a niche.

Executor · #15 June 4th, 2009, 12:34 PM

It's a very good artf. in some situations.
Example game Timewarp. Untherdark, no income, several hundred gems income. Alchemise, buy needed mages, put PD.
I only wish I was the one is possession of it.

MaxWilson · #16 June 4th, 2009, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zargen

I find the alchemist stone to be of some use when I'm playing nation with absolutely no need for fire/earth gems. And when you start gathering up a bunch of them from random magic sites and from random caches you get from a good role on luck, it gives that little extra bang for your buck when alchemitizing them.

Is there any such thing as a nation with no need for fire/earth gems? If I've got 80 fire gems and 80 earth gems in the bank, would I rather have:

1.) 2000 gold from alchemy, or double that with the stone, or
2.) A mage empowered to F1E1 in addition to his usual paths, and 3 Fire Brands + 3 Shields of Gleaming Gold?

I think forging the stone probably requires F1E1 anyway, so in practice you're choosing between 2000 gold (if you have no F/E) or 8 Fire Brands + 8 Shields of Gleaming Gold (don't need to empower).

-Max

Executor · #17 June 4th, 2009, 02:55 PM

Lingchih · #18 June 4th, 2009, 10:08 PM

Well, to be honest, I have one game where it has been sitting in my inventory for like 20 turns, and has never been used. I can see a situation where I could want to use it though. It is a niche artifact.

Tolkien · #19 June 4th, 2009, 10:22 PM

Does the (Master) Alchemist-Alchemist Stone effects stack?

archaeolept · #20 June 5th, 2009, 04:56 PM

the effects stack. Each adds 50% to the gold return; not doubling it, as several posters stated.

an alchemist w/ the stone will yield you 30 gp for a fire gem, i believe. Possibly worthwhile for a normal nation, other than certain niche situations like LA Ermor.

basically, it is pretty useless. Often I've forged it and then not used it at all. Or, in other games, it just remains unforged.