[Chalkarts]

I don't have a large library.
I was toying with priorities in Chummer and noticed 2 things, Enchanter and Explorer.

I've been trying to crunch out a good Alchemist for a while and wondered what "Enchanter" was and if it would help.

Is super buffer still the best way to use Preparations?
I recently saw mention of a Mystic adept that self buffed himself with preparations into a monster. 
I'm curious as to what other roles an Alchemist could fill.

[FST_Gemstar]

Enchanter is just a way get some bonuses in making a dedicated enchanter because doing so is typically much less optimal with regular magician priorities. It gives a higher base magic rating and starting enchanting group skills at Magic C, letting the player give higher grades to other priorities at chargen.

Explorers are for a very narrow kind of build, one that allows for excelling at astral combat, but sacraficing other magical aptitude. The only kind of build that I have seen really worth building as an explorer is an Astral Samurai, a narrow magician concept of a combat based character that is good at physical combat and astral combat. However, I still find that builds that are regular magicians still have some advantages (access to counterspelling, spells, spirits, more metamagics, fully functional mentor spirits, broader magical growth potential, etc.).

See regular magician astral samurai, Drop-Out: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6kA-rvHAq-rZmRPZmhGZG9RY0U/view

*Also a good example of a "wizard with 'ware"

[FST_Gemstar]

I also have an Explorer version of Astral Tank, Drop-Out, which actually isn't as bad as I thought. It can be further optimized to fill all limb capacity at character generation.

The Explorer trades away counterspelling, a mentor spirit (which added spellcasting and +2 soak tests), the ability to Detox drug effects away (and levitate), spirits (at least useful as messengers, guards, another pair of astral eyes, decoys, etc.)

for the bonus of:
2 extra edge, binding a weapon focus at charge, Free Metamagics of Sensing and Psychometry (as of Forbidden Arcana) and a Pain Editor (requiring the Restricted Gear Quality). The Pain Editor may be worth it because it is the only piece of 'ware that makes a "tank" build work.

So we get a character that is excellent in melee and ranged physical combat, trading initiative with the ability to tank (actually take hits). Because armor value is so high, almost all attacks come in as stun. Drop-out has 13 stun boxes, but with the Pain Editor, can stay on his feet when those are filled and not suffer wound modifiers, and then stun comes in at /2 damage to physical boxes, so his 14 physical boxes are effectively 28 boxes. It's a lot hitpoints for shadowrun. 


Karma Spent: 24 on PQs, 10 on Agility, 9 on focus binding = 7 Remaining (will pick up Sneaking, Con, Etiquette, Gymnastics, grappling gun, in play with Jack of All Trades).

== Personal Data ==
Street Name: Drop-Out (Explorer)
Movement:6/12 (1m/hit)
Swim:2.5 (1m/hit)
Notoriety: 3
Dwarf
Composure: 13
Judge Intentions: 9
Lift/Carry: 8 (75 kg/50 kg)
Memory: 11
Nuyen:165¥

== Priorities ==
Metatype: B,3
Attributes: D,1
Special: C,2
Skills: E,0
Resources: A,4

== Attributes ==
BOD: 3
AGI: 2 (4 limb average: 8, Dominant arm and two arm average: 9)
REA: 3
STR: 3 (Dominant arm: 11)
CHA: 4
INT: 5
LOG: 1(2)
WIL: 7(9)
EDG: 4
MAG: 1

== Derived Attributes ==
Essence:                                1.00
Initiative:                             8 +1d6 (12 +2d6 when on Cram and Psyche due to the help of Narco)
Astral Initiative:                      10 +3d6 (14 +3d6 on Psyche)
Physical Damage Track:                  14
Stun Damage Track:                      13

== Limits ==

Physical:                               6
Mental:                                 6
Social:                                 6
Astral:                                 6

== Active Skills ==
Assensing: 6                               
Astral Combat: 6 (Combat Knife)           
Automatics: 6 (Machine Pistols)           
Blades: 6 (Knives)                         
Perception: 2 (Visual)   
[Sneaking: 1]
[Con: 1]
[Gymnastics: 1]
[Etiquette: 1]
[Grapple Gun: 1]                 

== Knowledge Skills ==
English                               
Corporate Etiquette: 1                     
Cybertechnology: 1                       
Magical Theory (Street): 2 (Astral World)
Parazoology: 1 (N. America)                 
Security Design: 1 (Magical)               
Street Drugs: 1                           
Underworld (Black Magic)                 

== Contacts ==
;Fixer (Drugs/Biotech)(5, 2)
;Wiz Kid Ganger(1, 1)
;Street Doc(2, 1)

== Qualities ==
Addiction (Mild) (Psyche)
Addiction (Mild) (Cram)
Cyber-Singularity Seeker (+2 Willpower due to having 4 cyberlimbs)
Explorer
Impassive
Jack of All Trades Master of None
Resistance to Pathogens/Toxins
Restricted Gear
Seer
Thermographic Vision
Weak Immune System

==Magic==
Chaos Magic
Drain: Willpower 9 + Intuition 5 =14 (Higher with Psyche and Zen)
Metamagics: Psychometry, Sensing

== Lifestyle ==
Low(Low)1 Month
   + Grid Subscription (Public Grid)

== Cyberware/Bioware ==
Cerebral Booster Rating 1 (alpha)
Datajack (alpha)
Narco
Nephritic screen Rating 1
Obvious Full Arm (AGI 8, STR 3, Physical 4) (Right) (alpha)
   + ArmorRating 2
   + Enhanced AgilityRating 2
   + Customized AgilityRating 6
   + Magnetic System
   + Orientation System
Obvious Full Arm (AGI 9, STR 11, Physical 10) (Left) (used, dominant)
   + ArmorRating 3
   + Customized AgilityRating 6
   + Customized StrengthRating 8
   + Enhanced AgilityRating 3
   + Enhanced StrengthRating 3
   + Telescoping LimbRating 1
Obvious Full Leg (AGI 6, STR 3, Physical 4) (Left)
   + Customized AgilityRating 6
   + ArmorRating 2
   + Built-in Toolkit
   + Skates
   + Hydraulic JacksRating 6
Obvious Full Leg (AGI 6, STR 3, Physical 4) (Right)
   + Customized AgilityRating 6
   + ArmorRating 3
   + Skates
   + Large Smuggling Compartment
   + Hydraulic JacksRating 6
   + Attention Coprocessor
   + Math SPU
   + Magnetic System
Pain Editor
Smartlink (alpha)

== Armor ==
Ares Victory: Big Game Hunter           16
   + Custom Fit
   + Drag Handle
   + Gear Access
   + Gel Packs
   + Liner - Fire Resistance (6)
   + Holster
Ballistic Mask                          +2
   + Gas Mask
Mortimer of London: Berwick Suit         9
   + Concealability
   + Custom Fit
Securetech PPP: Legs Kit                +1
Securetech PPP: Vitals Kit              +1

== Weapons ==
AK-97
   + Gas-Vent 3 System
   + Personalized Grip
   + Sling
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   Pool: 14   Accuracy: 5 (   DV: 10P   AP: -2   RC: 6
Combat Knife
   + Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
   + Personalized Grip
   Pool: 14 (16)   Accuracy: 6 (7)   DV: 7P   AP: -3   RC: 3
Grapple Gun
   Pool: 0   Accuracy: 3   DV: 7S   AP: -2   RC: 3
Ingram Smartgun X
   + Gas-Vent 2 System
   + Personalized Grip
   + Sling
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   + Sound Suppressor
   Pool: 14   Accuracy: 4 (7)   DV: 8P   AP: -   RC: 5
Knife (Survival Kit)
   Pool: 14 (16)   Accuracy: 5   DV: 6P   AP: -1   RC: 3
Remington Suppressor
   + Concealed Quick-Draw Holster
   + Gas-Vent 3 System
   + Personalized Grip
   + Smartgun System, Internal
   + Sound Suppressor
   Pool: 14 (16)   Accuracy: 6 (9)   DV: 7P   AP: -1   RC: 6
Survival Knife
   + Concealable Holster
   + Survival Knife Bonuses
   + Survival Knife Wireless Bonuses
   Pool: 14 (16)   Accuracy: 5   DV: 7P   AP: -1   RC: 3
Unarmed Attack
   Pool: 7   Accuracy: 6   DV: 5S   AP: -   RC: 3

== Commlink ==
Meta Link(ATT: 0,SLZ: 0,DP: 1,FWL: 1)
   + Commlink Functionality[Camera, Micro, Chip Player, Credstick Reader, Earbuds, GPS Guidance System, Micro Trid-Projector, Music Player, RFID Tag Scanner, Shock- and Water-Resistant Case, Touchscreen Display]
Transys Avalon(ATT: 0,SLZ: 0,DP: 6,FWL: 6)
   + Commlink Functionality[Camera, Micro, Chip Player, Credstick Reader, Earbuds, GPS Guidance System, Micro Trid-Projector, Music Player, RFID Tag Scanner, Shock- and Water-Resistant Case, Touchscreen Display]
   + Subvocal Mic
   + Micro-Transceiver
   + Sim Module

== Gear: Equipped ==
Grapple Gun
   + Standard Rope (100m) ×2

== Location: Ammo ==
Ammo: APDS (Machine Pistols) ×15
Ammo: APDS (Submachine Guns) ×16
Ammo: APDS (Assault Rifles) ×24
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Machine Pistols) ×45
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Submachine Guns) ×64
Ammo: Regular Ammo (Assault Rifles) ×76
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Machine Pistols) ×30
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Submachine Guns) ×64
Ammo: Stick-n-Shock (Assault Rifles) ×76

== Location: Biotech/Drugs ==
Biomonitor
Cram ×9
Medkit Rating 6
Novacoke ×9
Psyche ×8
Slap Patch, Stim Patch Rating 6 ×2
Zen ×9

== Location: Electronics ==
Meta Link
   + Commlink Functionality[Camera, Micro; Chip Player; Credstick Reader; Earbuds; GPS Guidance System; Micro Trid-Projector; Music Player; RFID Tag Scanner; Shock- and Water-Resistant Case; Touchscreen Display]
Transys Avalon
   + Commlink Functionality[Camera, Micro; Chip Player; Credstick Reader; Earbuds; GPS Guidance System; Micro Trid-Projector; Music Player; RFID Tag Scanner; Shock- and Water-Resistant Case; Touchscreen Display]
   + Subvocal Mic
   + Micro-Transceiver
   + Sim Module

== Location: ID ==
Certified Credstick, Silver
Fake SIN Rating 4
   + Fake License (Concealed Carry Permit) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Driver's License) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Weapon License) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Augmentation License) Rating 4
   + Fake License (Talismonger License) Rating 4

== Location: Magical ==
Magical Lodge Materials (Chaos Magic) Rating 1
Restraint, Containment Manacles
Weapon Focus (Bonded Foci) (Combat Knife) Rating 3

== Location: Survival ==
Backpack (Good)
Climbing Gear
Restraint, Metal ×5
Survival Kit
   + Lighter
   + Compass
   + Matches
   + Lightweight Thermal Blanket
   + Several Days' Worth of Ration Bars
   + Water Purification Unit

== Vehicles ==
Renault-Fiat Funone               
   + Metahuman Adjustment Rating 1
   + Morphing License Plate
   + Sensor Array Rating 2

[Chalkarts]

A stealth enchanter could be interesting, some improved invis command preps, silence, hush, some detection, maybe a wide sleep spell so he could sneak up on a pack of guards and knock them all out without incident.

[FST_Gemstar]

Enchanting is just clunkier than spellcasting. There is an extra step of pre-making preparations, and lots of preplanning of preps you might need, when things do not often go according to plan.

[easl]

Is super buffer still the best way to use Preparations?
...I'm curious as to what other roles an Alchemist could fill.

I have no great ideas. These are all pretty well-known, but the built-in sustainment of preparations is convenient offensively and outside of combat for any sustained or permanent spell. Ignite, Levitate, Heal, etc. all become 'fire and forget.'  Area combat spell + touch trigger = cheap landmine or, if your GM allows it, explosive-tipped bolt.  Having Alchemy as your go-to skill rather than Spellcasting will also give you a couple extra net successes (on average; assuming a 6 vs. an otherwise 0) on collecting reagents.

But as Gemstar said, you're getting this ability to produce down-time goodies in exchange for less flexibility during action scenes.

[Chalkarts]

Chummer also had something available called
“Awakened” and another called “Apprentice” would anyone mind defining those for me, my google-fu is weak.

[Beta]

awakened can only astrally perceive (no other magic). 

The 'apprentice' (I'm not a fan of the name, this has nothing to do with being an apprentice) is a variant on aspected mages (and is an adaptation of what I think was called a 'shamanic adept' in earlier editions, but they changed the name because any tradition can have them now).  Basically can summon a type of spirit, and cast a category of spells.  Unfortunately the character generation system (which gives skill group points to aspected mages) doesn't supported the Apprentice very well. 

If you want all the details you really should look at getting Forbidden Arcana at some point ...

[Chalkarts]

If you want all the details you really should look at getting Forbidden Arcana at some point ...

That would normally be the play but since that book will be mostly obsolete in 3 months, I’ll save up for the next version.

[Michael Chandra]

Eh, Forbidden Arcana is a real nice one for the Terrors and such. Also, a next version will likely take 4+ years.