Alchemy

Alchemy is the ancient and mystical art of concocting potions, elixirs, and tonics through a delicate blend of natural ingredients, mystical energies, and alchemical processes. Practiced by alchemists, this intricate craft involves harnessing the inherent properties of herbs, minerals, and other substances to create potions that range in power and potency, from simple remedies to potent elixirs of great magical significance. At its core, alchemy is a fusion of science, magic, and intuition, requiring both rigorous experimentation and intuitive understanding of the subtle energies at play. Alchemists meticulously combine ingredients, distill essences, and imbue their concoctions with arcane energies through rituals and incantations. The potions created through alchemy serve a myriad of purposes, from healing wounds and ailments to enhancing physical abilities, granting mystical powers, or unlocking hidden truths. Each potion is imbued with unique properties and effects, influenced by the specific ingredients used, the alchemist's skill, and the mystical energies infused during the brewing process. Through the art of alchemy, practitioners seek to unlock the secrets of the universe, harnessing the natural forces of creation to transmute base substances into potent elixirs of transformation, enlightenment, and empowerment.

Rules

Alchemy is a pursuit that demands both wealth and time. Countless individuals dedicate their lives to unraveling its mysteries, yet many struggle to concoct even the simplest of elixirs. However, for those blessed with talent, determination, and a steadfast resolve, the alchemical arts offer the promise of miracles—wonders that can be bottled, sealed, and imbibed through a delicate fusion of magic, artistry, and science. Potions are categorized into tiers of complexity, each requiring a certain level of expertise to craft. To attempt the brewing of a potion, an alchemist must possess skill points equal to the tier level of the desired concoction. Additionally, they must procure the necessary Equipment and ingredients. While most potion ingredients originate from Aeritain or beyond, necessitating their purchase on Ashkrim, the realm is also home to an array of exotic substances ripe for exploration. These newfound ingredients hold untapped potential in the alchemical arts, presenting the opportunity for innovative substitutions or the creation of entirely novel potions previously unimagined.

Ingredients

For simplicity. ingredients are broken into four groups designated by color: red, blue, green, and yellow. Each potion necessitates one or more of these ingredients, which must be provided to undertake the potion's creation. However, these ingredients occupy space and can burden a traveling alchemist. For every 100 gold pieces' worth of a particular ingredient type, one gear slot is allocated. Notably, during a potion creation attempt, the ingredients are depleted irrespective of the attempt's outcome. The acquisition of ingredients poses challenges and often incurs substantial expenses. Among the settlements of Ashkrim, Brindol stands as the premier destination for procuring alchemical ingredients, though such resources may be unearthed in other sizable locales with diligent searching. While the prospect of harvesting one's own ingredients exists in theory, the feasibility varies depending on the circumstances and may even entail risks.

Red Ingredients: Red ingredients are associated with offensive effects and the element of flame. They typically enhance physical prowess, Combat Skills, or inflict damage on enemies, often with fiery properties. These ingredients include rare herbs, minerals, or animal parts known for their aggressive or stimulating properties, as well as substances associated with fire and heat.

Blue Ingredients: Blue ingredients are linked to defensive effects and the element of water. They provide protection, fortification, or calming properties to the imbiber, drawing from the soothing and purifying aspects of water. These ingredients comprise medicinal plants, enchanted minerals, or mystical reagents known for their defensive or restorative qualities, as well as substances associated with water and tranquility.

Green Ingredients: Green ingredients are associated with healing effects and the element of earth. They focus on restoring vitality, promoting growth, and providing stability, drawing from the nurturing and grounding qualities of the earth. These ingredients include rare plants, elemental essences, or mystical reagents known for their rejuvenating or stabilizing properties, as well as substances associated with earth and fertility.

Yellow Ingredients: Yellow ingredients are related to utility effects, particularly those involving movement, and the element of air. They offer various enhancements or abilities outside of Combat, focusing on agility, speed, and freedom of movement, drawing from the dynamic and ethereal aspects of air. These ingredients include rare fungi, magical essences, or alchemical compounds prized for their versatility and lightness, as well as substances associated with air and mobility.

Potion Recipes

An alchemist's repertoire of potion recipes expands with each increase in their Craft: Alchemy skill, determined by their Intelligence modifier plus one. Players select these recipes rather than relying on random rolls. While recipes can be of lower tiers, they cannot exceed the alchemist's current skill level. Additional recipes can be learned from external sources, but success is not guaranteed and requires a learning roll. Failure means waiting until the next skill rank to attempt learning again. Learning a recipe directly from a teacher grants the student advantage on their learning roll. Despite this advantage, the student must still succeed to master the recipe. Unlike recipes automatically learned upon gaining a rank in the Craft: Alchemy skill, those acquired directly from a written source or teacher can surpass the alchemist's current skill level. They can attempt to brew these potions even if their skill is lacking by one level, but they do so at disadvantage when making their craft roll.

Crafting a Potion

Crafting a potion demands one full day for each tier level of the potion. Throughout this period, the alchemist dedicates their time solely to the task, precluding activities like travel, but still allowing for normal, less demanding endeavors. At the culmination of the crafting duration, the alchemist must make a Craft: Alchemy skill check. Success, meeting, or surpassing the DC results in a successfully brewed potion. Conversely, failure on the check renders the potion worthless, squandering the ingredients. The outcome, whether success or failure, is unmistakable to the alchemist. Furthermore, there exists the possibility of remarkable success or failure. A natural roll of 20 empowers the alchemist to select one numerical effect of the potion to double. Conversely, a natural roll of 1 signifies a critical failure, accompanied by some calamitous event such as an explosion damaging Equipment or accidental poisoning of the alchemist.