Alchemical Crafting Instructions

Herbalists can use their skills to create healing potions and antitoxins. By using a poisoner's kit, one may be able to create poisons for enemies to injest or for allies to coat their weapons with. And for those skilled with alchemy tools, one may distill the parts of creatures into their essences, creating potions, tonics, elixers, and more to both hurt their enemies and bolster their allies.

Harvesting

Harvesting a creature’s components must be started within one hour of death. The number of components that can be harvested depends on the size of the creature, per the table below. Each component requires one character working for 10 minutes per component to harvest. At the end of each ten-minute period, the character must make a DC 15 Arcana or Survival Check per component to successfully harvest it.

Harvested Components can be brought back to a laboratory for distillation. Magical components can be used to craft magic items, but do not have any important alchemical properties other than raw potential until they are distilled.

Alchemy Distillation

When you distill down a harvested monster’s components, you choose one of its available vital essences. One vital essence is available for each harvested component. Distilling an essence takes one hour and requires a successful DC 15 Intelligence-based Alchemist’s Supplies check. These can be done via RP in the RP channels.

When distilling an essence from harvested components, a Generic Essence (such as Fire) yields 2 drams of the essence, and a Specific Essence (such as Agility) yields 1 dram.

For example, a huge red dragon may be harvested for up to 12 components. The components may be used to distill the vital essences Azoth, Fire, Armor, Fear, Flight, Perception, and Prowess. Azoth and Fire are generic essences, while the other essences are specific.

Alternate Essences

The following are examples of common creatures and their associated essences. For creatures that are less common (and therefore not on the list), players may use a Research DTA to discover what essences the components contain. DMs may decide on any reasonable essence(s) from these creatures. Essences may also sometimes be found in shops in Springreach by using a Research DTA.

Vital Essences by Category

Sources of Vital Essences

Vital Essences by Monster

Alchemical Crafting

The research requirements for formulas as well as crafting requirements and pricing follow the same rules as crafting other magic items and potions. These rules can be found in the Crafting Magic Items article of the Players Handbook.
The only difference is the components portion - the required components are the Essences.

For the available alchemical crafts, please see the following documents:

Alchemical Crafting Instructions

Harvesting