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The Science of Alchemy; Pinning Down the Mechinics
Topic Started: May 5 2013, 03:35 PM (75 Views)
Orion Prax
So I was giving it some thought and I think Alchemy has some great potential. Unfortunately it goes unutilized simply because we don’t know much about it. So to that end I’m creating this topic to discuss how to implement alchemy and create a set of rules governing its use. Now I realize that the builder has many alchemist items ready to be purchase and exactly what they do. However I think the real power of alchemy is being able to cook up items yourself from materials you find.
What we need is to come up with not only recipes for the items one can buy from the shop but also the properties of items one can find. Hopefully we’ll create a backbone that we can build upon to create all kinds of items, and in creative ways.
Figure the basic idea would go like this:
Materials + Process + Container + Time = Yield Item
Materials: Simply put the ingredients needed to create the item. They can be leaves, berries, bug antennas or whatever. We’ll need to sit down and figure out the properties of the most common materials. These will be used up in the process.
Process: What is being done to the materials, are they being crushed, boiled, chewed, baked, sautéed? Figured each of these processes would influence the time needed to create the item (not going to sit down in the heat of battle to boil up an item) and the yield of the item (essentially the more time required the greater the yield)
Container: The casing used the contain the item. Is it a glass vile designed to break easily? A pot meant for a long ranged toss? Or simple and sturdy vile for transport and storage, this will determine HOW the item is used.
Time: Are we crushing berries to be used on an open wound during the heat of battle, or carefully crafting a volatile bomb? Stuff takes time.
Yield Item The end result. Based on a combination of the other factors will create and item that can be used and figure out exactly how it’s used in game.
For example: Assume Raspberries impart fire damage, and Blueberries impart frost damage.
Raspberries + Crushing + Thin Vile + 30mins = Fire Bomb (1d6 damage + ongoing Fire damage, save ends)
Blueberry + Crushing + Thin Vile +30mins = Ice Bomb (1d6 + ongoing Ice damage, save ends)

So while these are simple recipes, thinking you need more then one crushed item to make a bomb. It illustrates the idea that no matter what you crush and place into a thin vile you will end up with a bomb. Swap mix and match to create what you want. Maybe you want to craft something to dip arrows:

Raspberry + Crushed + Small Vile + 2 mins = Fire sap (+1d6 damage to ranged attack + ongoing Fire damage, save ends)

Now I’ll need to undertake the task of listing the properties of EVERYTHING (with the help of the DM) With those in mind you can combine them how you see fit and we’ll be able to reasonably predict the effect you’ll create. Thanks for reading my long post.
Edited by Orion Prax, May 5 2013, 07:57 PM.
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Pyro
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Shaorin Kellistar
I'm excited for this to develop more thoroughly. As an assassin I can see a plethora of practical uses for poisons and other things.
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kevinwang
I'm definitely seeing your thought process for this. The player handbooks and other material lists some rituals, how long they take to complete, what their costs are, and so on. For example, I'll break down the following ritual:
ACIDIC FIRE
Level: 5 (This is the level required to make this item from the component cost/components)
Category: Volatile (This is the type of item made)
Time: 30 minutes (This is how long it takes to make this item)
Component Cost: See below (The entry for component cost at level 5 is 50gp)
Market Price: 200 gp (This is the cost of learning and adding the ritual to your skill sets, or the cost of the one time use scroll)
Key Skill: Arcana or Thievery (no check) (This is the kind of skill check you need to see if it can be successfully made).

So basically, to create the item, you need to have the ritual in your ritual book, or as a scroll, and then you need to buy the components, which costs whatever the component cost lists. The component cost for most alchemy items is scaled by level. Once you have that, the group will wait for you to make the item, as long as the ritual takes, and you make the appropriate skill check. If it succeeds, you get to add the item and deduct the cost of the components. If it fails, you deduct the cost of the components and basically get a pile of alchemical waste.

In essence though, we can definitely be more creative and have different items like seeds, nuts, body parts, etc., have different alchemical properties which allow them to be used in various recipes, and use checks (such as arcana or nature) or have the PCs bite into items (should they fail the aforementioned check) to discover the properties and what the items can be used for.

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All Powerful DM
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Orion Prax
Yeah I was hoping to have the ability to have the store bought stuff available to anyone at a price, but have it possible to make all of it on your one with the right materials. for example the ability listed above. I agree that a skill check would be involved if you are attempting to craft something above and beyond your current level (would keep things balanced/) But I would suggest little to no skill check needed for things that are on level. That would be balanced by the various items you need to collect in order to make it yourself. (for free I may add)
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Pyro
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kevinwang
Orion Prax
May 5 2013, 06:59 PM
Yeah I was hoping to have the ability to have the store bought stuff available to anyone at a price, but have it possible to make all of it on your one with the right materials. for example the ability listed above. I agree that a skill check would be involved if you are attempting to craft something above and beyond your current level (would keep things balanced/) But I would suggest little to no skill check needed for things that are on level. That would be balanced by the various items you need to collect in order to make it yourself. (for free I may add)
Oh, I agree with this call. On level, there really is no skill check needed for most rituals and alchemy tasks. If you're going above and beyond your current level, you'd be able to go up maybe 3 levels, and the checks needed would scale perhaps.
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Orion Prax
Yup and we would also have to consider your alchemy skill. I just worry that I may rob people of there creativity if I outline each item and it's properties. Unless perhaps I open it to discussion with the group maybe?
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