Alchemy
How alchemy works:
- You can brew X potions per day for free. They expire, but you can brew more tomorrow.
- Potions have a color: red, green, blue, and yellow.
- Red potions deal with potency: strength, willpower, etc.
- Blue potions are restorative: healing, purging, etc.
- Green potions deal with stabilty and defense.
- Each color is a "slot". Drinking two red potions, two green potions, etc causes a toxicity effect that ends up purging both potions.
- Potions are ranked. Higher-ranked potions not only require a higher-ranked alchemist, but also higher-ranked tools.
- Tools:
- Basic tools: flasks, alembics, etc, allow for distillation, mixing, brewing, etc
- Advanced tools: fractional distillation and magical filters allow for removing toxic byproducts and side effects from more powerful ingredients
- Master tools: rare magical components allow for enhancing the natural properties of herbs and minerals, making new effects possible
Potions
Potions are single-use consumables.
Red
"Red" potions aren't necessarily red in color; it's a label used by alchemists to correspond to the element of fire, which corresponds to potency: strength of body and of mind.
Potion of Strength
This thick, blood-red potion is made from the blood of oxen, and tastes like it. It confers immense physical strength for a brief period.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Sets minimum Strength to 18 for one minute. |
| 2 | 8 | Sets minimum Strength to 24 for one minute. |
| 3 | 14 | Sets minimum Strength to 30 for one minute. |
Potion of Leaping
This 'red' potion is actually a minty white in color, with a chalky, dry texture laced with a strange 'protein' taste. It could be due to the amount of rabbit's fur and mantis legs involved in its creation.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Gain a Jump speed of 12 for one minute. |
| 2 | 7 | Gain a Jump speed of 30 for one minute. |
| 3 | 13 | Gain a Jump speed of 100 for one minute. |
Potion of the Keen Mind
A clear, faintly luminous draught that smells of rosemary and lamp oil and tastes of mint and octopus ink. Alchemists brew it in quiet rooms, since the mixture curdles at loud noises — a warning about how the drinker will feel about interruptions.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Sets minimum Intelligence to 18 for ten minutes. |
| 2 | 8 | Sets minimum Intelligence to 24 for ten minutes. |
| 3 | 14 | Sets minimum Intelligence to 30 for ten minutes. |
Potion of Iron Will
A bitter black draught of oak bark, iron filings, and something roasted. It is unpleasant in a bracing sort of way, and leaves the jaw clenched for an hour afterward.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | For one minute, you are immune to shaken and frightened, and have advantage on Wis saves. |
| 2 | 9 | As rank 1, and you are immune to charm and compulsion effects, and have advantage on all mental saves. Lasts 10 minutes. |
| 3 | 15 | As rank 2, and once during the duration, when you fail a save against a mental effect, the effect instead rebounds upon its source, who saves against it at the same DC. Lasts 1 hour. |
Potion of Fury
An orange-red brew of boar's bile and ghost pepper that steams in the flask and keeps steaming on the way down. While it lasts, you have disadvantage on Int, Wis, and Cha checks, and you must attack the nearest enemy you can see each round if you are able to.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | For 3 rounds, gain 100% melee haste, albeit suffering disadvantage to melee attacks. |
| 2 | 11 | As rank 1, but you also gain +3 Hit Power. |
| 3 | 17 | As rank 2, but you no longer suffer disadvantage to melee attacks, and gain +5 Hit Power. |
Green
"Green" positions aren't necessarily green in color; it's a label used by alchemists to correspond to the element of Earth, which represents cohesion and stability. These potions are excellent for defense, resistance, and grounding.
Potion of Grounding
This green, earthy potion tastes of...it's matcha. You know what matcha tastes like. It's made of earth and grass.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Immune to push/pull/slide effects for one minute (can be overridden with a DC 20 Strength check). |
| 2 | 8 | As rank 1, but DC 25. Also resists unwitting teleportation (max DC 25). Lasts 10 minutes. |
| 3 | 14 | As rank 2, but DC 30, and lasts 1 hour. |
Potion of Stoneskin
This dry, heavy potion is grey with a few lighter and darker grey specs, and tastes like liquid stone.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Gain ablation 10%, max 3 charges, for up to 1 minute. |
| 2 | 11 | Gain ablation 10%, max 4 charges, for up to 1 hour. |
| 3 | 17 | Gain ablation 10%, max 5 charges, for up to 24 hours. |
Potion of Tempering
Powdered slate and metal filings suspended in tree sap. It is gritty, it sets like clay on the tongue, and it tastes of whichever material the alchemist ground into it — which is how most drinkers learn what rank of potion they've been sold.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Gain Hardness 5 (wood) for one minute. |
| 2 | 9 | Gain Hardness 12 (steel) for 10 minutes. |
| 3 | 15 | Gain Hardness 20 (adamantium) for 1 hour. |
Potion of the Unyielding
A thick amber resin, chewy and slow, tasting of pine pitch and very old honey. It is genuinely difficult to swallow, which alchemists insist is rather the point.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | For one minute, you have advantage on saves to end conditions, and you cannot be knocked prone. |
| 2 | 10 | As rank 1, and the first condition applied to you during the duration is negated. Lasts 10 minutes. |
| 3 | 16 | As rank 2, but the first two conditions are negated, and while you suffer any condition you gain advantage on all saves. Lasts 1 hour. |
Potion of Sheltering Clay
A silty red-brown slurry that tastes exactly like a riverbank. Each batch is brewed around a pinch of the very thing it wards against — embers for fire, rime for cold, a scraping of lodestone for lightning — and the damage type is fixed when the potion is made, not when it is drunk.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Gain resist 25% to the chosen damage type for one minute. |
| 2 | 11 | Gain resist 50% to the chosen damage type for 10 minutes. |
| 3 | 17 | Gain resist 50% to the chosen damage type and resist 25% to all other damage for 1 hour. |
Blue
Blue potions correspond to the element of Water, and are naturally fit for restorative purposes (as well as aquatic ones).
Potion of Healing
Surprisingly red in color to some, but undeniably "blue" flavored, this potion tastes surprisingly good, as it's packed with sugars, proteins, vitamins and minerals, which a body will need in abundance to rapidly repair wounds (along with the inherent magic).
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Heal for heavy damage. Occupies blue slot for 1 minute. |
| 2 | 7 | Heal for heavy damage, plus half ongoing for the next 2 rounds. Occupies blue slot for 5 rounds. |
| 3 | 13 | Heal for heavy damage, plus half ongoing for the next 2 rounds. Occupies blue slot for 3 rounds. |
Potion of Purging
Tasting of bismuth, menthol, and alcohol, this noxious, bitter potion does its job well: it convinces your body to rapidly purge toxins.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Upon drinking, and on turn start each round thereafter, roll using the alchemist's bonus against an ongoing toxin's DC. On success, you purge it; on failure, it remains. Lasts up to 10 rounds, occupying the blue slot the whole time (regardless of successful rolls). |
| 2 | 9 | As rank 1, but you roll against each ongoing toxin each round; frees the slot as soon as all toxins are purged. |
| 3 | 15 | As rank 2, but you automatically succeed on one roll per round. |
Potion of Water Breathing
A refreshing potion of oxygenated water, this potion you the ability to breathe underwater.
| Rank | Level | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Gain water breathing for 10 minutes. |
| 2 | 9 | Gain water breathing for 2 hours; also, gain a swim speed equal to your walking speed. |
| 3 | 15 | Gain water breathing for 24 hours, plus swim speed equal to your walking speed, plus immunity to the effects of water pressure. |
Bombs
Bombs are single-use items designed to be detonated, either by concussion, fire, or some other trigger. Their desired effect is produced by a rapid chemical reaction, typically causing a burst effect centered on the bomb.
- thunderstone
- web bomb
- alchemist's fire
- etc
Old Content
Potions
Debilitation
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thunderstone | Stone explodes when thrown or subject to heat, causing intense sound that deafens and stuns |
| 1 | Web | Glob of sticky goo expands when thrown, encasing foes and sticking them in place |
Defense
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Potion of Warmth/Coolness | Potion provides protection from cold/hot extremes, resist cold/fire damage by X% |
| 1 | Shield Bangle | Enchant one or more breakable things (twigs, glass baubles, etc) that you wear; each is a consumable ward that absorbs some of the damage you suffer |
| 2 | Wood Ward | Using a fetish of wood, you repel wooden weapons. Gain resist 50% to damage from any purely wooden weapon. Any other weapon that includes wood has disadvantage to attack rolls against you. |
| 4 | Ironguard | Using a phylactery of iron, you become immune to iron weapons. |
Shaping
- Bottle of Thin Air: this empty bottle, when unstoppered, sucks in all available air in a 15 foot radius in an instant (technically about 8.7 ms at sea level). Thereafter, the bottle's magic keeps environmental air from collapsing into the void, maintaining the vacuum in the area. The bottle's magic is finite, so the radius decreases by 1 square every 2 rounds (3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 1, 0). If allowed to drain fully, it releases the stored air into the environment, which shatters the bottle and causes a loud clap that might pop your ears. If stoppered before fully draining, the bottle contains the air that was sucked in, and the vacuum maintenance fades quickly, causing a burst of wind that is painful, but probably not as painful as the vacuum was. A stoppered vial will release its stored air when shattered or unstoppered.
Utility
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alarm | A bell, whistle, or other noisemaker is enchanted to warn you when a perimeter is violated. |
| 1 | Dust of Detection | Blow dust of various colors which outlines magical auras. The colors describe the type of magic and its effects. |
| 1 | TBD | Salt, when sprinkled into food or drink, turns its color and odor foul if the food is spoiled or poisoned |
| 1 | Locator Spell | Using a phylactery, you can tell the bearing toward the host object or creature while you concentrate. |
| 2 | Arcane Lock | Magically secure a portal or container; alternatively, magically unlock one. |
| 2 | Arcane Concealer | Paste, smeared upon an object, renders it invisible to scrying. |
| 1 | TBD | Salt, when sprinkled into food or drink, turns its color and odor foul if the food is spoiled or poisoned |
| 1 | Idol of Disguise | Phylactery that, when worn, causes onlookers to view you as the person to whom the sympathetic component belongs. Type and size must match. |
| 2 | Glitterdust | Dust lights up a room, sticks to invisible creatures, etc |
| 1 | Speaking Stone | Linked stones help you communicate over distance |
| 1 | TBD | Using a sympathetic component, you can understand the language spoken by a creature |
| 1 | Magical Ink | Write a message in magical ink, then speak the words and it disappears, or takes alternate form (your choice). More words can reveal it, or it can be tied to blood. Can use for drawings, not just letters. |
| 1 | Hearthfire | Enchanted stone sheds warmth like a fire but with no light or smoke |
| 1 | Witchfire | Light a torch or candle with blue flame that doesn't burn, but still lights your way. Those who aren't sympathetically bound to it cannot see its light. |
| 2 | Salt of Purity | Salts, dissolved into food or beverage, un-spoil food and neutralize poison |
Control
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amiable Brew | Potion, when drunk makes the imbiber highly agreeable, improving their attitude to "helpful" with regard to everyone who isn't a known or active threat. |
| 1 | Dream Dust | Sand, when sprinkled in the nose or mouth, causes sudden sleepiness. |
| 2 | Apple of Deepest Slumber | Enchanted fruit causes imbiber to sleep forever, in perfect stasis, until the spell is dispelled. |
Shaping
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Circle of Warding | Simple magical ward blocks magical effects including wholly magical creatures, but not physical matter |
| 1 | Grease | Vial of ultra-slippery grease makes an area very hard to walk upon or even stand upright. Can be set on fire. |
Healing
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Potion of Healing | Heals for medium damage. |
| 1 | Salve of Salvation | Healing salve stabilizes mortal wounds; dying subjects are stabilized. |
| 2 | Potion of Purging | Grants an immediate save against all ongoing poison and disease effects. |
| 3 |