Clerics as Alchemists?

[Mr. R]

Hear me out.  rather than casting spells a cleric has learned to focus their faith and belief into a more portable form.  Sort of like the old Bard Games alchemists.  They used Force of Will to make Agents react in a certain way to make "..potions, inks, dusts, creams, salves, unguents, elixirs, simple explosives, smoke bombs, agents and reagents, glues, poisons...".  Though some potions are universal Cough Healing Cough, some will be distinctive to the deity in question. 

 

So what do you guys think?

 

At worst it explains all those potions in circulation! 

[LoneWolf]

I have actually done something similar.  I really dislike spell casting clerics so look for alternative powers that fit a divine caster better.  For personal powers I usually use something similar to talents but put the limitation religious restrictions on them in addition to any other limitations.   

 

But clerics also need to be able to aid the worshipers of their deity.  To do this most clerics have the ability to create talismans that can be given out to others.  The exact form the talisman takes depends on what the nature of the deity and the power granted.   It could be a medal, weapon or just about any other object including something to be eaten or drank.  The differing Modifier under UBO works really well for this type of thing.   
 

[Mr. R]

2 hours ago, LoneWolf said:

I have actually done something similar.  I really dislike spell casting clerics so look for alternative powers that fit a divine caster better.  For personal powers I usually use something similar to talents but put the limitation religious restrictions on them in addition to any other limitations.   

 

But clerics also need to be able to aid the worshipers of their deity.  To do this most clerics have the ability to create talismans that can be given out to others.  The exact form the talisman takes depends on what the nature of the deity and the power granted.   It could be a medal, weapon or just about any other object including something to be eaten or drank.  The differing Modifier under UBO works really well for this type of thing.   
 

 

 

I like that idea.  Mr. Shrike has rules for making a potion master ... add small icons and talismans to the list.  HMMMM!  I think I may have to toss out all my work I have done so far and remake my clerics.

 

Toubaris (travel, skill, commerce) Potions healing, Potion Endurance, Talisman of glibness (+2 on trading for one day), Talisman of alarm, Oil of movement (rub on shoes get +3 to run and all run is at 0 End)

 

Themis (Law, Protection, Vengeance) Potion of armour, Flask of protection (break it for a 6/6 FW at you location), Oil of vengeance (rub it on you to get a damage shield)

 

Ohhhh I can see some possibilities now.  Lesser potions (up to 20 AP), Potions (21 - 40 AP), Greater potions (41 - 60 AP)  Substitute Oil, Philter, Talisman, Icon, Coin, etc  As long as it has limited uses and defined durations (We need the worshippers to come back again to donate)  

 

Marilea (Plants, Earth, Death/milestones)  Dust of crops (CE field to a fruitful field), Talisman of labour (Healing only to offset Birthing), Loam of Healing (Place over wound to HoT),  Greater Talisman of Alarm (Protects for up to a season).

[LoneWolf]

One of the most useful powers I ever made for a cleric the ability to ritually bless an item.   It used a transformation to make the item holy.   It did not add any extra dice or any other ability but did trigger any vulnerabilities or susceptibilities to holy.    Since it does not add any advantages to the weapon or increase its damage it only needs to be a minor transformation 

 

Bless Item: 1d6 minor transformation Extra Time 1 turn – 1 ¼, Gestures -1/4, Incantations -1/4.  Real cost 2 pts. 

 

It takes about 4 turns to bless a sword.  The items loses the holy property when the user of the item breaks any of the deities' religious restrictions.   
 

[Steve]

Potions can also be carried as Equipment, so it can change the cost of characters a bit. Perhaps some potions only work for the faithful, so they still require a divine Contact roll to work.

 

Perhaps you could have some clerics that make the potions (the lab types) and then have adventuring sorts that carry the potions with them and use them. The adventuring sorts would not require having the potion creation spells, so they can spend their points on other things but are still part of the order. I guess that might make them more like paladins though.

[Mr. R]

9 hours ago, Steve said:

Potions can also be carried as Equipment, so it can change the cost of characters a bit. Perhaps some potions only work for the faithful, so they still require a divine Contact roll to work.

 

 

 

 

Items like this are Temporary Items, with limited (Very limited --- 3 to 4 max) uses.  So they don't really count for character points.  You buy them, you use them.  

 

As far as lab types, Mr Shrike has (I think ) a good system for alchemy that can be modified for my use.

 

http://www.killershrike.com/FantasyHERO/Content/PackageDeals/BasicPackages/AlchemistMaster.aspx

 

Basically each formula is a 1 pt familiarity.  You make a skill roll based on the AP of the ability (Powerful talismans take time)

 

For each separate Power Construct in the Item it takes one hour per 10 Active Points to prepare and enchant the Item

For each separate Power Construct in the Item a Skill Roll with the appropriate Item Creation Skill and a Magic Skill Roll with the appropriate Magic Skill for the Power being added to the Magic Item must both be made with a -1 penalty per 10 Active Points in the Power Construct..

The crafter may opt to take twice as long for each roll, reducing the penalty to -1 per 20 Active Points in the Power Construct.

[Mr. R]

AS an experiment I took one of my NPCs, eliminated the spells and added in the Package for a Master Alchemist.  

 

For a 125 pts character it actually added about 10 points to the cost.  So I think rather than 30 familiarities (formulas) at 1 point each, I'll go for 20.  

 

Also I was thinking of a graded scale for costs depending on how powerful the item:

1 point for potions 1-20 AP

2 points for Potions 21-40 AP

3 Points for Potions 41-60 AP

 

I think I'll cap potions at 60 AP,  as if it is say a Potion of Healing, THAT is pretty powerful!

 

Comments?  Ideas?