Introduction
As i keep reworking the D&D5e’s crafting systems the next one on the list ended up being the Alchemist’s kit.
There were many issues i encountered in the making of this system hence why it’s late.
So, in opposition to the other systems i have made, the creation of potions, balms, bombs and poisons leaves more to player creativity and a bit of a wilder mind to do with this system as they please.
As always, if you want to see more of my reworks, take the time to subscribe, it’s free, and i try to post twice a week.
Alchemist’s tools
The crafting generally does not require a lot of setup needing only a covered place where to mix and prepare the product. However there is a benefit in having a proper room made simply for the art of alchemy, as it will allow for the creation of multiple products for the same amount of resources.
Additionally this system is made to be relatively vague, allowing for much more freedom in the creating of potions or other alchemical products alongside the DM.
But to give some guidance as to the effects of certain ingredients, i have made a simple system that is like the other crafting systems and doesn’t require much arguing with the DM.
The time to make a product varies but is generally 1 hour unless said otherwise by some recipes/ingredients.
Purpose
The alchemist can quickly become the backbone of any good adventuring party.
Potions, poisons, weapon coatings and all the many other possibilities can make the difference between certain death and a successful encounter.
Here creativity is key and it is recommended to the DM to sprinkle the information into the campaign about what recipe and reagent do what rather than give everything at once.
Let the player experiment and find out how the system works through recipes or experiments.
The benefits of the alchemist vary wildly, for instance they could use a poison using Sal volatile against a dragon to force it to waste it’s breath attack.
The tools
Alchemist's tools are an intelligence based tool that focuses on the crafting of potions, elixirs, bombs and pastes that can be used by adventurers during their travel.
For this, they need bottles, vials and small boxes to house both their reagents and compounds aswell as ways to heat and mix them to create the products.
To make an alchemical product the alchemist needs 1 base compound, up to two reagents and can include a catalyst.
Quality
As the other systems the crafting of alchemical products is governed by a Quality system which will define how good the end result is.
However this system won’t be based on a simple DC like the others, rather the DCs are calculated by the ingredients and the situation.
Starting at a DC 10 + ingredient modifiers + situation modifier.
If the DC isn’t met, the product will be of lower quality, or wasted if failed by 5 or more.
A product of a lower quality is less effective at what it’s supposed to do, with either a lower dice face for healing or damage, a lower range or a lower duration.
If the DC is met by 5 or more, the product will be of higher quality. Which will make the dice face higher, have a longer duration or have higher range.
Additionally, the DC of the product (the save to resist a poison, or check to see through a thick fog) is the roll the alchemist made in it’s crafting.1
Crafting and materials
When it comes to creating an alchemical product, there are 3 moving parts to keep in mind :
- Base compound : The base of the product and what determines the main behavior of the result. (if it is a potion, a weapon coating or a balm)
- Reagents : The ingredients that determines what the result does, the alchemist can use up to two per product.
- Catalyst : An addon at the end that either applies a simple modifier to the end result or allows for a special effect with unique recipes.
Base compounds are always purchased in bulk. They have 4 uses, meaning they can make up to 4 products until completely used.
A critical success (or 10 over the DC) on the crafting will spare a use of the compound.
The reagents and catalysts are single use only, meaning that the better the workshop, the more an alchemist can get from their ingredients :
- “Alchemy on the go” will produce only 1 product and the DC is higher (+3)
- “A poor workshop” will make one product
- “An average workshop” will make 2
- “A good workshop” will make 2 and the DC is lower (-2)
- “A master workshop” will make 3 and the DC is lower (-2)
Dice Face and amount
To make a relatively simple guideline i have decided to make a few simple tables to help in the making of alchemical products.
This determines how much a potion heals, how much damage a poison deals and what is the best way to use one product or another.
The dice face relies on a prefix added in the description of the ingredient :
When it comes to the amount of dice used, it depends on the way the product is administered. (once again this is a general guideline and can be changed)
When it comes to balancing all of these effects in both the dice face and amount, can be changed according to the rarity of the material or with what other reagents the ingredient is paired with.
(for instance adding red vitriol to arsenic would improve the strength of the poison, even more so with the right catalyst. This of course comes with the option of giving that poison a special effect with the poisoned condition)
Something that helps the value of this system is Specialized poisons.
Understanding poison resistance and immunities as applying to magical or standard poisons not only improves the value of crafted poisons but also opens the door to the creation of a specialized poison against a creature or creature type, with recipes needing to be researched or bought from another alchemist.
Maybe using silver powder with arsenic and some ferment of Iron makes a powerful poison against cursed creatures that have a weakness to silver.
Or maybe using Antimony makes a poison that damages the abilities of a fire elemental.
Base Compounds
The base compound is what holds everything together, it gives the product it’s purpose.
Some serve the same purpose but are cheaper and pose the risk of an adverse effect if mixed with the wrong reagents.
When bought, 1 compound has 4 uses, meaning it can do 4 products until used up completely.
(My campaign uses Fairs (f) as the main coin which is an exact equivalent to silver. So aqua vitae is 15 gold)
The base throwing range is 30ft, applying time is 10 minutes, the gas radius is 10ft and last 4 turns, a coating can be used for 4 hits or ammunitions, a balm/applied sludge lasts 10 minutes or until removed with an action.
Drinking an acidic liquid isn’t recommended but can be done, dealing 2d4 acid damage with aqua fortis and 2d6 with aqua regia.
Drinking Oleum poisons the drinker for 1 hour and monster blood can have an additional effect depending on the monster which can create more unique potions.
Reagents
Reagents are the core of the effect, they are what will guide the end product and one is needed per crafting. (if the alchemist is making 3 potions at once in a master workshop they'll only need one ingredient)
Reagents are separated into 4 categories : Vitriols, salts, minerals and herbs.
Vitriols
A vitriol is a dust that comes from other alchemical works. They are expensive and predictable as to their effects. They can all serve as a pigment, except for the sweet vitriol.
Salts
Salts have generally weak and niche effects and are often used in addition to another reagent to improve or stabilize potential side effects.
A vomiting agent removes the poisoned condition if it came from being drunk or waste an enemy’s turn. The acid neutralizer allows the usage of other compounds, same for the acidifier.
Minerals
Added as either shavings or powders, minerals have a wide variety of uses, they need to be used with an acidic compound to dissolve it into the product.
Herbs
Herbs are simple reagents, they tend to have two effects and are cheap but 1lb is needed per crafting. Making them the heaviest reagents to travel with. Additionally they need to be treated, dried or pressed to be used. Taking one additional hour of preparation. 1lb of materials leads to 1 reagent.
When it comes to effects, Calming can give an extra hit dice in short rests or can help remove a fear effect if potent enough and Addictive forces a wisdom saving throw of DC-10 or start needing to take more.
Monster parts
Due to the amount of monsters i can't give a list of what one would do, but keeping in mind the monsters' abilities, you can easily create your own.
Like giant's blood or nails creating giant strength potions or a quickling's blood for speed potions.
Catalysts
Catalysts are addons that modify, change or add to the effect. Special recipes have a catalyst to differentiate them from what would otherwise be a "normal" product.
This is also an invitation to play with interpretation, delaying an effect can mean many things, from making it happen later, to making it happen in stages.
”Binding effect with the blood” can mean the benefit of a potion lasts longer or that a poison is more potent.
Basically, go wild.
Special recipes
When making this system i wanted to allow my players to create weird potions from simple descriptions of what the ingredients do.
Or start with an idea in mind and go from there.
”How could i make a potion of speed using this system ?”
Well, with Aqua regia, lead, salt of tartar and ferment of platinum.
Aqua regia to use the lead, salt of tartar to make it drinkable and ferment of platinum to reverse the lethargy. (but the potion makes you faster AND dumber for 10 minutes)
To help inspire, i made a few recipes, working with ideas and going backwards to what would fit best as ingredients.
Alchemist’s Fire
- Effect : 1d4 fire damage per round for 3 rounds; sticks to surfaces.
- Base : Oleum
- Reagent : Sulfur
- Catalyst : Calcination Dust
Smoke bomb
- Effect : Creates a 20ft smoke cloud, obscures vision for 1 min.
- Base : Smoke Tincture
- Reagent : Sal ammoniac, any pigment
- Catalyst : Sublimation Dust
Paste of the salamander
- Effect : Applied to armor or clothing. Grants resistance to fire for 1 hour.
- Base : Oleum
- Reagent : Antimony, Tin salt
- Catalyst : Hermetic Binder
Caltrop bile
- Effect : Moving through the 10ft square of Bile will cause 1d4 damage per 5ft of movement and count as difficult terrain
- Base : Black Bile
- Reagent : Iron
Hangman’s poison
- Effect : If drunk, the creature must make a Constitution save or take (10d4+50) poison damage.
- Base : Aqua Regia
- Reagent : Arsenic, Hemlock
- Catalyst : Arcane Ferment
- Note : Creating it is dangerous, needing a master workshop and dealing (10d4) poison damage to the alchemist on a failure.
Red queen
- Effect : Heals 4d4 HP, then grants 1d4 temporary HP per turn for 1 minute. gives Haste for 3 turns. But once both the effects run out, the creature will take 2 points of exhaustion.
- Base : Aqua Vitae
- Reagent : Red Vitriol, foxglove
- Catalyst : Ferment of platinum
Oil of sharpness
- Effect : When applied to a weapon, it becomes +1
- Base : Oleum
- Reagent : iron
Conclusion
This system is one i really like but had a lot of troubles with. The biggest issue is that it’s usefulness depends on both the DM and the player’s agreements on what can be done using it.
But even with the “basic” system it can create powerful potions and still be as wild as the special recipes.
From healing mists to flashbangs, from fear toxins to cloud fire. The potential is almost endless without even starting to play with custom effects made by a DM.
The biggest issue with the base DnD5e system was the lack of wonder and experimentation that would normally be the alchemist’s whole thing.
With this, your players can become the balls of chaos they’ve always wanted to be.
And if you’re the game master, why not use these too ?
What would you make with this ?
If an idea comes to mind, do share it in the comments !
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For example: rolling 23 on the crafting means a DC 23 constitution save to resist that poison.