The author really likes her male MCs to be very wishy washy and in their own heads a lot. Makes them come off as a bit creepy sometimes, I think unintentionally. That being said, the manga was fine as a light fluff you’d read a bit of here and there. A whole anime episode of it is like trying to make a bunch of cotton candy your dinner. Fluffy and sweet but it gets old well before you’re done.
I’m running a Abomination Vaults game, currently on the 6th floor. It’s been tons of fun! It really rekindled my love for DMing. We’re running with Free archetype and Automatic Bonus Progression.
I would not use ABP again, at least not for a game like AV. Devalues a lot of the loot and makes more work for me to come up with fun replacements.
I’m also playing an Alchemist in a Kingmaker campaign. I played a Chiurgeon Alchemist specifically because I know people say they’re underpowered and difficult and I like a challenge. I feel like a powerful healer and a vital part of the team, but I also understand where a lot of the complaints come from. I could pull off 90% of what I do as a Sorcerer or Druid and spend a lot less time worrying about formulas, consumables, tracking who’s been battle medicined… Very fun character but also not one I would recommend to anyone not up for a challenge.
As a fun side note, because my character is a little rough, more than a little morally grey, and makes frequent use of Risky Surgery, we’ve been roleplaying that not only does he use the Crafting skill to treat wounds, but crafting tools and techniques as well. The party fighter has stated he’s less afraid of owlbears and trolls tanking him apart than he is of my character staple-gunning him back together.
The original DE is still one of my favorite games of all time. It’s truly a masterpiece.