The major difference between an alchemist and an herborist, is that the herborist can only use plants with specific predetermined effects, while the alchemist can transform all substance (whether herbal, mineral or animal) into very different ones with new effects.
As an example, an herborist could use lime-blossom tea as a sleeping potion, while the alchemist could obtain, from the same substance, a violent poison.
This difference is therefore based on the classic RQ segregation between three kinds of substances: herbal, mineral and animal. The herborist can only work with the first category, while the alchemist mixes generally all three.
New Skill :
Alchemy (Knowledge skill - treated as a Craft - with a base roll of 00%)
Once this skill is basically learnt (1% mini), the alchimist must learn how to make each kind of potion. But this is not a percentage level : he knows or does not know how to make that kind of potion, the level of potency depending only on his overall Alchemy skill. However, in order to be efficient, an alchemist cannot know how to make an unlimited number of potions. the maximum number of potions he may know is limited to his Alchemy skill divided by 10. Beyond such limit, each additional potion he knows reduces his overall Alchemy skill by 10%.
Using the Alchemy skill :
The alchemist must first decide the kind and level of potency of the potion he intends to make. Example of potions categories are given hereunder. For the potency, an alchemist cannot normally try a potency higher than its unmodified alchemy skill divided by 5.
In order to make a higher potency potion, the alchemist has a malus on his alchemy skill as follows : +1POT higher=-5% ; +2POT higher=-10% ; +3POT higher=-25% ; +4POT higher=-50% and so on (for each additional POT higher=-25% additional).
The duration of the preparation is generally one hour per requested POT. However, the alchemist may decide to work quicker, in which case he will have a malus of 5% per hour less, or to take time, in which case he will be granted a bonus of 5% per additonal hour (provided that he cannot more than double his original alchemy skill).
See also my General House Rules on crafts for maximum hours of work per day and additional bonus/malus.
At the end of the duration, the roll of the alchemy skill is made, as modified by all bonus/malus.
- Normal Success : the alchemist has made one dose of that potion wiht the requested potency.
- Special Success : the POT is increased by 1D3.
- Critical Success : the POT is increased by 1D6.
- Failure : no viable potion is made.
- Fumble : the result will be decided by the GM. Some ideas : the potion will have unexpected secondary effects, or the alchemist, during the preparation, will be badly affected by the potion (exposion, burning, ...).
Philters and Magical Potions :
Those potions contain POWER. They are made in the same way as normal ones, but during the process, the alchemist must sacrify 1 POW per dose, and the roll at the end shall be under his Alchemy skill and his Enchantment skill (both modified in the same way with bonus/malus according to spent time and level of potency). It is possible to spend more than 1 POW in the preparation. In this case, the magical potency is increased : 2 POW +3 POT, 3POW +6 POT, 4 POW + 10 POT, ...
The POT of philters are matched against the POW of the victim (or the POT of a counteractinc philter) with a resistance roll. The effects of a philter succesfully matching the POW of the victim cannot be stopped except by a counteracting powered philter wiht a resistance roll.
Examples of Potions :
- Poison : must be specified as mainly animal, herbal or mineral. See standard RQ rules for effects, or look at my Poisons & Antidotes house rules.
- Antidote : must be specified as mainly animal, herbal or mineral. An antidote has only half potency against different kind of poison (example : herbal aniodote against mineral poison). See standard RQ rules for effects., or look at my Poisons & Antidotes house rules.
- Acid : see standard RQ rules for effects.
- Healing : heal general or localised HP. Roll POT vs lost HP : success +1D6, special +2D6, critical +3D6, failure no effect, fumble -1D6.
- Disease Healing : a succesful roll of POTx5% decrease the specified disease by one severity level (two levels if special, complete healing if critical). The lost characteristics points are not directly recovered with those potions.
- Characteristics Recovery : the points are recovered in one hour. Roll POT vs lost points : success +1D6, special +2D6, critical +3D6, failure no effect, fumble -1D6.
- Temporary Characteristics Increase : Roll POT vs current characteristic : success +1D3, special +2D3, critical +3D3, failure no effect, fumble -1D6 permanent. The increase in completed in one hour and last for one day (during which the use of similar potions doubles the risk of fumble).
- Temporary Secondary Characteristics Increase : Roll POT vs current characteristic : success +1D6, special +2D6, critical +3D6, failure no effect, fumble -1D6 permanent. The increase in completed in one hour and last for one day (during which the use of similar potions doubles the risk of fumble).
- Permanent Characteristics Increase : Roll POT vs current characteristic : special +1, critical +1D3, success or failure no effect, fumble -1D6 permanent. The increase in completed in one season (during which the use of similar potions doubles the risk of fumble).
- Characteristics Training Improvement : gives +POT% bonus on the normal training roll for increasing the characteristic.
- Spirit Fighting : make possessing spirit fleeing if the POT succeed in matching the POW of that spirit on the resistance table.
- Catalyst : these various potions give a bonus of POT% in alchemy skill for making other potions.
- Preparations : these special ointments and encens gives POT% bonus for Summoning, First Aid, Treat Poison, Treat Disease, Courtisan, ...
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