From opening paragraphs: Subclasses present a new way of augmenting your character into a specific role beyond that of a normal character class or by obtaining prestige class levels. Alchemists are innovators who explore the boundaries that hold basic chemicals together. They search for understanding that lead to manipulation of the very elements they explore. Whereas most of their colleagues and peers rely on only the arcane to fuel their knowledge, alchemists are the first scientists to understand the why and how of arcana and the natural world.