Alchemy

[Alibear]

So how am I do design an alchemist and keep it book legal according to 6e?

 

He'll basically have a pool of points which allow him to create a certain number of potions, salves, unguents - whatever out of play and in a lab which As he goes through the scenario he can pull some out and use or give to friends as required.

 

A fantasy version of a utility belt in essence. Before play starts we'll decide how many of which spells he has prepared in his wee jars and on his person.

 

What advantages and limitations do I need to do this? Do I need trigger?

[Rapier]

Re: Alchemy

 

Since you are using FH, that changes things a bit. Are you using Resource Points? Give him PS: Alchemy, KS: Alchemy. The character will use a skill roll and X amount of time to brew a potion (etc). Then just purchase the end result with Resource Points. How much money it costs for materials and how difficult those materials are to find (along with their recipe) is up to you.

 

When you build the power, build it with an OAF and UnRecoverable Charges. Trigger shouldn't be necessary, since the character will need to drink/swallow/rub/throw to activate the power. Extra Time (full phase) for something that needs to be drunk or applied.

[Alibear]

Re: Alchemy

 

I don't think I'm being clear. This will be just like any other magician but his 'spells' will be brewed in a lab and stored in jars until he needs them. Not sure what resource points are mind you. Can you explain please?

 

He'll use an MP probably and have his Alchemy skill to control it. His spells will have a focus and components might be rare or not as the case may be. He'll need usable by others I suppose as he could theoretically pass them to his friends to use. Would there be a problem with using more than one spell at the same time in this manner?

 

His spells will be a 'Healing Salve', 'Potion of Ogre Strength', 'Elixir of Confusion' and the like.

[BubbaDave]

Re: Alchemy

 

So how am I do design an alchemist and keep it book legal according to 6e?

 

He'll basically have a pool of points which allow him to create a certain number of potions, salves, unguents - whatever out of play and in a lab which As he goes through the scenario he can pull some out and use or give to friends as required. [snip]

 

What advantages and limitations do I need to do this? Do I need trigger?

 

In my campaign, I use individual recipes instead of a pool (and alchemists are HIGHLY motivated to find more formulae). I use charges, extra time to the tune of 20 minutes or more, OAF Bulky Fragile (the lab) and Trigger. Because it's a trigger, there's no limitation on how many the alchemist can keep active, so I have to monitor the total number of charges from a game balance standpoint.

[Alibear]

Re: Alchemy

 

So after looking through 6e on my luch break I have come up with this is a list of limitations for the MP Reserve.

 

Requires Alchemy roll -1/2 (roll will be made at time of spell activation not at time of actual alchemy)

Focus: Obvious -1/2, accessible -1/2, fragile -1/4 (spells are store in little glass jars and vials)

 

Charges: 16 -0(to be determined which spells are carried before gameplay begins) takes time to recover and needs rare and/ or expensive ingredients -1/4 and requires Alchemy lab -1/4

 

For a total of 2 1/4.

 

 

All slots will be fixed but I think I'll give the player a large point pool so he can activate 2 or 3 'spells' at a time.

 

 

Does that seem reasonable?

[mayapuppies]

Re: Alchemy

 

Killer Shrike has a great system for potions on his site. Ephemeral Magic Items

[Alibear]

Re: Alchemy

 

About the non recoverable charge thing - how does that work. Surely we can simply rebrew the 'spell' and cast again.

[Alibear]

Re: Alchemy

 

Don't like focus and restrainable together either. Double dipping if ever I saw it.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Alchemy

 

Killer Shrike has a great system for potions on his site. Ephemeral Magic Items

Here are a couple of more defined systems that I've done a little more recently:

 

Alchemist (World of Generica)

Alchemists (Here There Be Monsters

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Alchemy

 

About the non recoverable charge thing - how does that work. Surely we can simply rebrew the 'spell' and cast again.

 

Yes, surely you can rebrew / make a new instance of an Alchemical item, but the one you've already made isnt renewed - the Alchemist makes an entirely new one.

 

The individual Alchemical items are disposable, like softdrinks or batteries, but the Alchemist can make as many disposable "potions" and what not that he has time and materials to support, and freely distribute them.

[Rapier]

Re: Alchemy

 

I don't think I'm being clear. This will be just like any other magician but his 'spells' will be brewed in a lab and stored in jars until he needs them. Not sure what resource points are mind you. Can you explain please?

 

I understand exactly what you are aiming for. Take a look at APG, p 191 or 5E Dark Champions, p150.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Alchemy

 

Don't like focus and restrainable together either. Double dipping if ever I saw it.

 

Yes, I've never been happy with that either.

 

The intent was that the item that contains the alchemical substance is a focus, and actually using it can be restrained. In practice focus isnt really a good lim for "potions" and so forth because if a character "drinks" the potion, it shouldnt matter if the empty container is taken away or broken as they've already internalized the substance but technically using the Foci limitation if the empty container were taken away the power would end.

 

The original fantasy guidelines are very old, written seven or eight years ago, and based on an older 4e version. I very recently revisited the concept for Here There Be Monsters and streamlined the concept a bit. The full description can be found here, but the core power design guidelines are:

 

Alchemical Substance Restrictions

There are a number of restrictions which apply to creating Alchemical substances, as follows.

 

* Power Design:

o Active Point Limit: Alchemists (INT + (KS: Alchemy - 10) * 15)

o Must Have Non-Recoverable Charges

o Must Take the Restrainable (Only To Activate, -1/4) Limitation

o May Not Take the Foci Limitation

o Cannot be Independent

o Cannot be defined as a Power Framework

* Other Requirements:

o Knowledge of the Recipe

o Available raw materials (GM's discretion)

o 1 minute per point of Real Cost of the Power construct the Recipe represents

o A successful KS: Alchemy Skill Roll at -1/10 Real Cost

+ If the required KS: Alchemy Skill Roll is failed, the attempt fails and any raw materials used are wasted.

[Alibear]

Re: Alchemy

 

I see, thanks. I don't think that is gonna work in my campaign. At least I'm going to have to define two types of alchemy, mundane and fantastical. The mundane will be as you envisage but the fantastical not (for me)

 

All magic is basically the same and all interacts with each other and ultimately comes from the same source no matter what the caster thinks, has learned or believes. All the bits that magic different have been learned, by tradition, by training by chance whatever, it doesn't matter that is all window dressing imposed by custom, handed down teacher to pupil over the generations.

 

Fantastical potions will have to be imbued by magic to make them work. The caster will be limited by how he learned magic and by how much magic he can cast. I see this is going to take some thought, a lot more than I though it would, in defining the differences between the two.

 

 

Thanks Shrike, rapier and the rest for your input.

[Alibear]

Re: Alchemy

 

After some thought I reckon Shrike is right. I'll remove focus (but keep fragile) and add restrainable and non recoverable charges.

 

For mundane Alchemy I'll let them use 20 Active points plus 10 for each full two points they make the alchemy by.