These items may appear to be quite cheap. Its worth noting that most of them require an alchemist on the site to use for best effect, and that all of them are consumable: they are used once and then they are gone.
More emphasis is placed in this system on how alchemists interact with each other than on the effects an alchemist can make. It's about preparing antidotes, masking attacks, and interacting with the alchemy of your foes in ways other than simply countering the effects
General Properties
Alchemical elixirs are all different, a variety of liquids and powders. It is the act of mixing them that releases their magic, and adding it to a human in many cases is the final mixing. The weight of the elixir is negligible, but most of them need a glass or clay container to hold them -- they seep into or activate on wood or leather. exposing them to open air gives them a limited shelf life -- most will loose potency after about 3 hours of open air. In fact, they have fairly short shelf lives -- roll vs 12 each 24 hours. on a failure, halve the effect amount needed for a dose. On the second failure, the elixir is useless.Each elixir includes how difficult it is to sense with magic. This is a vital part of the elixir. Many of these are meant to be delivered unknowingly to a victim, and just as taste is a major concern when disguising mundane poisons, your magical signature is a major concern when using magical poisons or sneaking into a castle with mystical means. The default assumption is that detect (magic) is a fairly common ability (at least among mages).
Creation
As elixirs tend to have short shelf lives, Alchemists usually carry their ingredients with them. They can make arbitrarily large batches, but few do. Unmixed Alchemist ingredients have a -10 to being sensed with magic -- its just faint. An active Alchemist boiling down his batch has a +10 to being sensed with magic! Most recipes can be finished in 30 minutes and a successful roll. Failure ruins the ingredients.The various potions all use the same group of ingredients. Its suggested that alchemists state how much money they will spend on ingredients. As he makes elixirs, subtract half the cost of the batch from his supplies. Unless he overwhelmingly makes the same elixirs every-time, this should suffice. Stringent GM's may say the last 10% is random and doesn't have everything the alchemist needs. Each $500 of supplies weighs 1 lb. The alchemist will of course need his kit. A basic kit is $500 and weighs 20 lbs.
Invention
This list of elixirs is not comprehensive. GM's and in fact players should feel free and in fact encouraged to create concoctions along these lines. A few guidelines:- Power has a price in how hard it is to mask
- Beneficial Elixirs should always have a drawback
- Think different, not better
- Price is an afterthought to function -- perhaps the least important part of the write up.
Character
This list supports two main types of alchemist: the poisoner and the healer. Both of them use and need different supporting skills, and neither is limited to just saving or taking lives. Healers cannot only save lives but also increase the effectiveness of soldiers, while a poisoner is able to disable or influence others in useful ways.Alchemy: The core skill, Alchemy is used to brew elixirs from scratch, to identify elixirs, and to counter the efforts of other alchemists. Alchemy is very hard because even with the strictest of precautions, different samples of mystic substances have different effects, and balancing them is a fine art. Those who have an innate sense of magic find this much easier, and get a +2 to their Alchemy rolls. This costs no extra points. This is in contrast to the basic set.
Smuggling (Alchemy): Is the art of concealing the magical trace of an elixer in food or drink. See the rules for using Magical Masker. This skill is essential for a poisoner. It has no default to mundane smuggling. It gives no benefit to concealing the taste of the poison or even to getting the ingredients in. For that take cooking or holdout!
Poisons: Is useful for an poisoner style alchemist, and yet not as useful as you might think: Alchemy grants the many of the same abilities for alchemical poisons: identification by taste or effects, safe handling, and creation. It does not grant those abilities with mundane poisons, and as many poisoner alchemists already have most of the skills needed to deliver mundane poisons, it can be useful to know them. Posions does not grant the ability to create alchemical poisons, and antidotes are limited to providing bonuses to resistance rolls.
Esoteric Medicine (Alchemy): You can use alchemical substances to aid in healing. This is in addition to using healing ointment! Its suggested that Esoteric medicine use the TL 6 numbers for healing -- including the notes about anti-biotics! Alchemical substances are used in this process, and an alchemist without supplies should be treated as being without tools. Different ailments use different amounts of materials, but $5 per treatment roll is a decent baseline -- the alchemist himself is likely to charge far more than the simple cost of materials!
Alchemist characters are likely to have more than just their skills. The skill tends to generate wealth and to requires a good deal of wealth to learn . Alchemists are likely to move in high society, either because they were born there or as respected servants of the high-born.
In most campaigns almost everyone should have access to alchemy and competent foes will almost surely use it. Alchemy shines best when its opposed by other alchemists! In some campaigns, access to it will be limited. Simple Alchemy is usually not worth more than a perk. A campaign centered on cloak and dagger maneuvers at dinner parties and other high social events may have it be worth the whole five points though!
Use in the campaign
Simple Alchemy is designed for a setting where magic is common but simple. It changes the way the setting works, but in a way that is confined to the type of activities adventurers participate in. High Alchemy skill is most exciting and useful when it is opposed, not when its given free reign.This list is not comprehensive, and may be added to at a later date (in a different post). I will probably be including it in an adventure published here. I hope you find this useful!
Magical Tools:
Standard tricks of the trade, these powders last much longer than typical elixirs.Magical Marker (+(6 -1/day) magic when working, -4 magic in storage) $10:
These magic powders mix to activate, suddenly becoming a beacon to those who can sense magic. Additionally, telling various magical markers apart is easy unless they were created as part of the same batch or one is intentionally created to mimic one another (requiring an alchemy roll). The resulting powder tends to stick to things -- its virtually impossible to get off without water, and requiring a good 30 second scrubbing of the effected area with soap and warm water to remove.
Magical Masker (-8 magic in storage, see description when working) $25:
This is a whole class of alchemical powders that are meant to conceal and interfere with magical detection. While they do not make masking the magical presence of an alchemical substance easy, they do make it possible. Rolls are made with smuggling(alchemical). The skill consists of knowing which powders counter which signatures and where to apply the masker. If the substance changes its magical detection bonus (when it starts working, for example), a new set of maskers and a new roll is needed.
Antidote (-2 magic in storage, +4 magic when working, +4 taste)
Once again, a whole class of substances, antidotes are made to counter the effects of an ingested alchemical substance. Each substance has its own particular antidote. In fact, many poisoners slip in extra ingredients specifically to counter antidotes. If the poisoner did this, roll a quick contest between the poisoner (using alchemy) and the alchemist preparing the antidote (using esoteric medicine). If the antidote wins, the alchemist has cured the effect, and within a minute the poison or potion will be neutralized. If the alchemist fails by 5 or more, the patient suffers one of the following effects:
Nausea for 1d hours
Drowsiness for 1d hours
Severe Pain for 1d hours
Dazed for 1 hour
Unconsciousness for 3d hours
1d6-2 toxic damage (min 0)
Each failed quick contest takes time and counts as a use of antidote powders: the amount of time depends on the quality of the powders used:
Raw Alchemical Ingredients $50 30 minutes
average $100 5 minutes
fine $250 1 minute
Poisons:
While these elixirs do not all kill, they do have undesirable effects and use poison terminology. if a poison is described as persistent, that means making a single HT roll does not make it go away, but only blocks damage from that cycle.Death Blade (+0 magic when stored, +6 magic while working, +2 -1/day magic afterwards) 100$ :
Follow-up, no delay, HT-2, 1d for 6 persistent one minute cycles, moderate pain for 120 -(HT+1d)*5 minutes on first failure, Severe pain for 25-HT-1d minutes on second failure
A black and sticky venom made to cling to steel until it hits flesh -- and hopefully blood. Death slick lasts for 10 parries or blocks rather than 3 (see Basic page 439), provided the blocking item is not flesh. the moderate pain condition should be applied after the severe pain condition once severe pain has been reached. Only apply the severe pain time once per dose.
Black Oil (-1 magic when stored, +3 magic when working) 1$
Follow up, 10 second delay, HT, 1 damage for 3 persistent one minute cycles
Alchemist's Withering(-4 taste,-2 magic stored, +2 magic while working) 50$
Ingested. 1 day delay. HT-4 resistance, 1d for 7 one day cycles.
Assassins Clock(-1 taste, -2 magic stored, +2 magic while working) 75$
Ingested. 2 day delay*, HT-2 , 6d on failure, 3d on success
Assasins clock can be set to go off at a variety of times between 24 hours and a week. The time is accurate to within 5 minutes (Margin of success on an alchemy roll at -5). Multiple doses, if within an hour of each other, go off simultaneously. If beyond an hour in time difference, they both go off at half strength immediately. The assassins clock is designed to let the assassin make a good getaway. Its also useful for timing the collapse during notable events.
Mind Cloud (+0 taste, -4 magic stored, +0 magic active) $30
Ingested. 1 minute delay, 240 persistent 1 minute cycles, HT-2, 4+(1d)/2 hours.
Mentally stunned to any new information, -4 on rolls to recover from mental stun (including combat surprise), any attempt to remember any information at all requires an IQ roll. Actual IQ-based skill rolls are at -6, and if given a piece of information a will roll is required to not immediately believe it.
Long Night (-2 taste, +2 magic while working, -2 magic in storage) $20:
Ingested, HT, 1 minute delay, 10 persistent 1 minute cycles, unconsciousness for (5d-HT)*5 hours
then HT-4, 10 minute delay, persistent 10 minute cycles for duration, unconsciousness for (5d-HT)*5 hours
Rough jostling can wake up the subject (on a successful HT roll), but they will quickly fall unconscious again as though they had just been hit, but with a -2 for each time they have succumbed to the effect already. do not extend duration if they woke up.
Mage Bane (+2 taste, +6 magic while working, +2 magic in storage) $10
Ingested, HT-5*, 1 minute delay, no cycles, special
An oil with a bitter taste, mage bane disrupts a mages ability to work with magic. Add a +1 to the roll for each 10 character points in advantages representing general magical power: Magery, Magical Power Talents, Ritual Adept, and so forth, +1 for each 25 points of specific magical power (such as an innate attack) but no bonus for any skills.
On failure by 4 or less take -5 to all magical rolls and force an IQ roll on previously automatic abilities for 10 minutes /margin of failure, on failure by 5 or more loose all magic for (1d+3)*10 minutes plus as normal failure for (margin-5)* 10 minutes.
Elixirs
Elixirs strengthen the body that drinks them, making it capable of things it otherwise wouldn't be. This is often rough on the body, and repeated use of an elixir tends to have decreased effects and worse side effects.Healing Ointment (+0 magic when stored, +4 magic when working, +0 magic for 1 day after) $50:
Restores 3d hp over the course of 4 hours. Repeated use is less effective and more taxing on the subject: For each use over the course of 24 hours, it heals 4 less damage and costs the subject 2 FP. Spent FP regenerate at the rate of 1 per day.
Liquid Life (+2 magic stored, +6 magic while working, +2 taste) $10
Grants 5 extra FP, +2 ST, +2 HT, and +1.00 speed (bonus from HT included here), lasts for 2 minutes. If vigorous action is taken during the duration, roll vs. HT (unmodified) or take 1 point of damage in strained muscles. HT roll is at -1 for each time taken in the last 24 hours.
Hero's Draught (+2 magic stored, +6 magic while working, +4 taste) $10
Grants the traits fearlessness 3 and high pain tolerance. Lasts for 1 hour. While the potion gives the impression of toughness, the subject remains as fragile as he ever was. Overconfidence is a frequent but not universal side effect.
Vigil (-3 magic stored, +3 magic while working, +6 taste, +0 until lost FP is returned) $10
The subject does not feel the effects of missed sleep, and in fact struggles to sleep, even should they wish to. A will -5 roll is required to fall asleep for the next 8 hours. the subject may retry after each hour, and each hour past the first gives a +1 to the roll. Vigil allows its users to recover from the effects of mundane missed sleep, as though they slept normally. 24 hours later Vigil inflicts 1 FP per dose that can only be restored by real sleep (at a rate of 1/night) or temporarily by another dose of Vigil. Mixing Vigil with an alchemical powder designed to cause sleep (such as long night) typically neutralizes them both and deals 1d+1 toxic damage 1 minute after ingestion. This can be avoided with either an alchemy or esoteric medicine (alchemy) roll, causing one to override the other.
Potions
Potions act somewhat like poisons, but effect behavior rather than damaging the body. While these elixirs do not kill, they do have undesirable effects and use poison terminology. if a poison is described as persistent, that means making a single roll does not make it go away, but only blocks the effect for that cycle.Love Potion (-2 taste, +4 magic while working, -2 magic in storage) $125:
Ingested, Will, 5 minute delay, persistent 1 hour cycles for 24 hours, Lecherous (6) and -5 to sex appeal vs. one target only.
A classic potion, love potion is quite resistible, but stubborn. Appropriate advantages and disadvantages give plus or minus 1 per 5 character points. Magical essence of the subject of affection (usually hair, saliva, or blood) is required when the potion is brewed. The object of desire must be present for the potion to have any effect: the potion mostly just makes the person attractive to the target.
Emotional Potion (-2 taste, +2 magic while working, -4 magic in storage) $75:
Ingested, Will or CR, 5 minute delay, persistent 1 hour cycles for 24 hours, See Below
There are a wide range of potions that effect the mind. They all produce rather simple effects. Each appropriate disadvantage or advantage gives a +/- 1 to the Control Rating or to the will roll.
Lust (Lecherous CR9 )
Rage (Bad Temper CR 9)
Overconfidence
Fear (cowardice CR 9)
Instant Drunk (+4 taste, +0 magic while working, -4 magic in storage) $20
Ingested, HT-2, 1 minute delay, 3 persistent 1 hour cycles. 1d6+2 hour duration
Drinking this makes one drunk (as the condition). It even works against those immune to normal drunkenness, though they receive a +4 to the roll. normal alchohol consumption does add to the HT roll, but it doesn't leave hangovers or move beyond drunkenness. As such, some folks use this recreationally, but its quite expensive. While it has a strong taste, the taste is not unpleasant -- which means the unwary often don't spit it out upon detection!
No comments:
Post a Comment