GLOGtober '24: Low Alchemy

 For my second glogtober post this year I have 'Collaborate on a post with another person who got this result.' which I am doing with Sylvanas over at the Red Lantern. Together we worked on a set of rules for alchemy that they were already been considering, then we both made some some a set of recipies for it.

Flowers of Antimony

The work of alchemy requires the right Knowledge, to Gather the right reagents, each swelling with the right Essence, that can be Concocted with the right recipe. If you do not choose your reagents carefully, you might suffer an Unpleasent Mishap.

Knowledge

Alchemy is a specialized set of knowledge that requires time to learn. To use alchemy you need either an appropriate class feature or skill that unlocks it for you. Unless otherwise stated, a starting alchemist knows how to gather every essence but Cognition from magical creatures, plants and minerals. Novice alchemists start with the first recipe of their chosen tradition and roll a 1d6, rerolling ones for the second recipe they know. New recipes are as simple to get as any closely kept trade secret, by apprenticeship, theft or experimentation. Check with your GM on the costs and opportunities associated with each.

Gathering

An alchemist can spend 10 minutes to gather a number of reagents (1/3 B) from a magical creature equal to its HD, or one Reagent from a magical plant or mineral. Each source has an affinity for one or more alchemical essences, and the alchemist is free to choose from this list which essence each Reagent belongs to. Some especially powerful and powerful sources can provide Reagents that contain multiple essences. 

The essence of Cognition can be found in the souls of intelligent beings, but to gather it is forbidden. Alchemists are assumed not to know how to gather it by default, but can learn from secret tomes, hidden masters, or terrible experimentation.

Essence

There are seven essences, six of which have opposing pairs. Each living thing has a balance of all seven within them. The alchemist as such is only able to capture the most potent expressions of essence the world provides. Without the divine touch, any concoction made with opposing essences becomes unstable. 

• Earth: The essence of the soil, stubbornness and the roots that hold firm. Opposed by Air.
• Water: The essence of flow, tranquility, and deep dark things. Opposed by Fire.
• Air: The essence of the sky, lightness, and laughter. Opposed by Earth.
• Fire: The essence of energy, passion, creation and destruction in equal measure. Opposed by Water.
• Perdition: The essence of decay, chaos and howling in the distance. Opposed by Order.
• Order: The essence of structure, beauty and that which lasts. Opposed by Perdition.
• Cognition: The essence of thought. The taboo essence, for it’s impossible to gather without making someone lesser. Opposed by nothing.

Concocting

Over the course of 10 minutes, you may use a number of reagents [R] up to your level+1 to create a potion (1/3 B, Thrown 30’) following a recipe you know. The potency of each recipe is scaled off of the amount of reagents [R] used, and usually has requirements to be met (e.g. required essences, mundane components). Often, the addition of a particular essence or other component can modify the result further. 

Concoctions that use reagents of opposing essences are considered Unstable, and roll on the Unpleasant Mishap table when used or disturbed by excess temperature shifts or motion. Rare reagents and a downtime action may allow you to create new recipes with Referee approval.

Unpleasant Mishaps

Roll 2d6 upon using the concoction or if it is suddenly disturbed.

2. Concoction does absolutely nothing.

3. Effective [R]/2 and any negative effects are inverted into positive ones.

4. Effective [R] - 2

5. Effect applies, but on a considerable delay

6. Effective [R] - 1

7. Normal Effect

8. Effective [R] + 1

9. Effect applies, much earlier than expected.

10. Effective [R] + 2

11. Effective [R]*2 and any positive effects are inverted into negative ones.

12. Concoction transforms into an ooze with [R] HD.

Scribing

Some words are spelt correctly only when the proper ink is used. To scribe a spell you need an ink concocted with potency 2, modified as follows.

• -1 for each of the ink’s essences that match the spell’s essences.
• +1 for each of the ink’s essences that do not match the spell’s essence.
• +2 if the spell is notably rare or powerful.

Additionally, inks with essences opposing a spell can not be used to scribe that spell, unless that spell contains opposing essences.

Crafting

Instead of quickly brewed into a consumables, reagents can be used in the construction of permanent items with downtime, but that is beyond the scope of this post.

Low Alchemy

When people think of alchemy they usually do not think of their local herbalists and poultice makers. They think of those men in high towers who burn noxious sludge for the king, or charlatans trying to cheat their way into that former man’s shoes. Not all practitioners seek the Magnum Opus, not everyone is rich and safe enough to wait for their perfect solutions. Someone needs to be fed today, someone needs to be healed before they bleed out, someone needs to die immediately. Less successful practitioners live as simple apothecaries or rarely dust off their grandmother’s book of recipes. More successful practitioners are pushed to the fringe, practicing their craft in secret or hiding out in the woods. Yet they still see plenty of business, however sinister their reputation is, because however glorious the transmutations promised for tomorrow, we need the change today.

Recipes

1. Hearty Stew 

Requirements: [R] quantity of rations, and a bubbling cauldron. 

Cook the ingredients you have into a stew allowing you stretch your rations further with the additional kick from the reagents. For each reagent and ration put in you get enough to feed two people. You also get the following bonuses during the rest where you eat the stew.

• Earth: Hard earth can not disturb your sleep.
• Water: Reroll a healing die of your choice.
• Air: Recover an additional Fatigue.
• Fire: Cold or rain can not ruin your rest.

2. Melancholic Potion 

Requirements: Earth, another Earth for 3+ [R]. 

A brew to bolster the cold and dry humor of black bile in the target. If ingested by a target suffering charm, panic or stress heals [R]d6 HP or grants an additional save with a +[R] bonus, whichever one would be most beneficial. 

Otherwise it brings out the melancholic temperament in the target, making them calm and distracted for the next [R] hours. During this time, they must save to act on extreme emotions but get +[R] against fear.

3. Phlegmatic Potion 

Requirements: Water, another Water for 3+ [R]. 

A brew to bolster the cold and wet humor of phlegm in the target. If ingested by a target suffering from burns, acid or poison heals [R]d6 HP or grants an additional save with a +[R] bonus, whichever one would be most beneficial. 

Otherwise it brings out the phlegmatic temperament in the target, making them lethargic and introspective for the next [R] hours. During this time, they have to save to not fall into a deep sleep when comfortable or bored but recover +[R] HP when resting. If you include poppy seed and have 3+ [R], the sleep is indefinite.

4. Sanguine Potion 

Requirements: Air, another Air for 3+ [R]. 

A brew to bolster the hot and wet humor of blood in the target. If ingested by a target suffering blunt, piercing or stabbing damage it heals [R]d6 HP or grants an additional save with a +[R] bonus, whichever one would be most beneficial. 

Otherwise it brings out the sanguine temperament in the target, making them enthusiastic and talkative for the next [R] hours. During this time they need to make a save to not get charmed by anyone they speak with but get +[R] on reaction rolls. If you include cardamom and have 3+ [R], the target is permanently charmed by the first person they see.

5. Choleric Potion 

Requirements: Fire, another Fire for 3+ [R]. 

A brew to bolster the hot and dry humor of yellow bile in the target. If ingested by a target suffering from slowness, petrification or nausea heals [R]d6 HP or grants an additional save with a +[R] bonus, whichever one would be most beneficial. 

Otherwise it brings out the choleric temperament in the target, making them irritable and alert for the next [R] hours. During this time they need to pass a save not to act impulsively when provoked but get +[R] on initiative rolls.

6. Delicious Syrup 

Requirements: Air, a key reagent that needs to be appetizing to something. 

For the next [R] x 10 minutes, the target smells and tastes delicious to creatures who would happily eat the key reagent. If Perdition is included, the effect is inverted, making the target smell and taste repulsive instead.

7. Slugslick Grease

Requirements: Water, Earth for 3+[R]. 

Create [R] * 5 doses of very slippery lubricant. A single dose covers an area with a diameter of 5 feet. If drunk, negates the effects of anything you ingest for the rest of the day; food, edible poisons and potions have no effect, they pass right through you. 

If [R] is three or greater, it does not dry or wash out for a week.

8. Wedweb Glue 

Requirements: Earth, Order for 3+[R]. 

Creates 5 doses of permanent adhesive that’s effective for binding materials that match the sources of the reagents, and can be separated with a check at a -[R] penalty. A single dose covers an area with a diameter of 5 feet. 

If [R] is three or greater then Sovereign Glue is made. Able to fuse anything to anything, not breakable by anything less than alkahest. 

If Perdition is used then the same reagent the Perdition essence came from dissolves the adhesive. If one of the reagents is hooves then it works on all organic matter, not just those from creatures.

9. Concealing Ointment 

Requirements: Air, Water for 3+[R].

Brew an ointment that masks the scent of [R] individuals or an area of [R]*5 ft in radius until the end of their rest. The target can not be found by the noses of beasts for the duration, unless the creature has an unerring nose in which case they get to make a check to overcome this. 

If Air is substituted with Fire the ointment hides the warmth of your soul instead, protecting from the dead and demonic thing instead of beasts. 

If Air is substituted with Cognition the ointment affects the mind not the senses, making the target seem unimportant background information to outside observers, this doesn’t work on the mindless or the enlightened.

10. Flying Ointment 

Requirements: Water, Air for 3+[R].

The user of this ointment can rub it between their gums and under their eyes to have the boundaries between here and there melt away, allowing them to see spirits for [R] x 10 minutes. Be wary though, if you can see a spirit then they can definitely see you. The drinker gets +[R] on reactions with spirits of aligning essences and -[R] on opposing ones. 

If [R] is three or greater,  the user will project astrally for the duration, leaving their body vulnerable. 

If someone who can see spirits already, they get one MD for the duration, or [R] MD if the ointment has Fire.

11. Bear Shirt 

Requirements: Earth, at least one reagent from a beast.

While traditionally made from the skins of bears, reagents from any beast can be fashioned into a shirt, cloak or mask that grants the aspect of a beast until the user rests. Unfortunately these charms are unstable if different species went into them. 

If [R] is three or less, the alchemist chooses [R] beastly boons that the shirt grants and any number of small cosmetic changes. If a mishap changes [R] total the GM chooses which boons to add or take away.

• The natural weapons of a beast. Claw, fang, horn.
• The special sense of a beast. Night vision, keen scent,echolocation.
• The skin of the beast. Granting armor or elemental resistances it had.
• Transforming a pair of limbs to that of a beast. Arms to wings, feet to hooves or padded paws.
• Gaining a new limb. Tail, tentacle, singular new wing.
• A characteristic flaw or drawback of a beast.

If [R] is greater than three, the GM chooses which of the possible beasts the target transforms into including a chimera at their discretion. A beast’s form constrains the user’s mind, making them unable to perform complex plans while still recognising who their allies are, this drawback is nullified if Cognition is included. 

12. Subtle Poison 

Requirements: Anything can poison if there is enough of it, minimum [R] of 2.

Brew odorless and tasteless poison that makes the victim save or die during their next rest. Casual inspection from a layman will not reveal the poison, but those wise in alchemy, medicine, or murder can make a check to detect it. The poison can also be diluted into [R] * 5 doses of a medicine matching the essences used, such as a contraceptive, anesthesia or laxative. The poison will also have additional effects based on what essences that went into it.

• Earth: The victim’s joints lock in place and their heart stops. If they pass the save then they are merely paralyzed for [R] rounds.
• Water: The victim has their strength drained from sweat, vomit or diarrhea. If they pass their save, they take [R] fatigue instead.
• Air: The victim does not suffer. Unless Fire is also used in which case they only appear to not suffer.
• Fire: The victim contorts in agony as they die. If they pass their save, they only suffer [R]d3 damage.
• Perdition: It’s fast acting, the target makes their save immediately.
• Order: This poison is controlled. Treat failed saves as passed saves that also knock the target unconscious, and passed saves do nothing.

Common Reagents

1. Sage: When harvested during a strong gale, this herb becomes infused with Air essence.
2. Belladonna: Deadly nightshade when harvested under the new moon can grant either Water or Perdition.
3. Fairy Ring Mushrooms: It is known that boundaries hold power. The mushrooms that grow around the edge to the land of faire soak up that power and grow plump and toxic. Collect them for Earth and Perdition essence.
4. Mandragora: This highly potent root is prized in both alchemy and sorcery, the difficulty generally lies not in finding it but in harvesting it safely. When pulled out of the ground it gives out an ear piercing scream that is sure to kill any man. If you know how to do it safely, then they can be a reliable source of Fire essence.
5. Corpse Fat: It’s a grisly thing when a man gets hanged. A ghoulish spectacle meant to dissuade malefactors and right wrongs. Regardless, if you're on good terms with the executioner and not too squamish it can be a rare legal source of Cognition essence.
6. Sacred Spring Water: In the Grey-Black Forests the Judges maintain watch over the holy springs. If you respect their laws then they will grant you their waters. Those sweet and bitter waters have the essences of Water and Order.

Notes

This system is mostly Sylvanas's child, as far as the rules are concerned. As far as the 12 recipies I wrote I'd like to aknowledge Phlox's simple poison rules as a guide for the subtle poison rules, even if I as the freak I am I made these rules more complicated then they need to be, and goblin punch's Alchemy and Oozes from which Slimeslick, Wedweb, Delisious Syrup and Concealing Ointment are all furthlessly stolen fron.