Flowers of Antimony (Glogtober '24 Challenge 2: Collaboration)

08 Oct, 2024

This post was made in collaboration with Whimsical Mountain, and was heavily inspired by Shadow and Fae's alchemist (provided the base mechanic), Slugs and Silver's alchemist (most of the actual concoctions were modified from here), and Thaumcraft (the essences themselves).

Alchemy

Alchemy is a specialized set of knowledge that requires time to learn. To use alchemy you need either an appropriate class feature or skill that unlocks it for you. Unless otherwise stated, a starting alchemist knows how to gather every essence but cognition from magical creatures, plants and minerals. Starting alchemists start with the first recipe of their chosen tradition and roll a 1d6, rerolling ones for the second recipe they know. New recipes are as simple to get as any closely kept trade secret, by apprenticeship, theft or experimentation. Check with your GM on the costs and opportunities associated with each.

Gathering

An alchemist can spend 10 minutes to gather a number of reagents (1/3 B) from a magical creature equal to its HD, or one Reagent from a magical plant or mineral. Each source has an affinity for one or more alchemical essences, and the alchemist is free to choose from this list which essence each Reagent belongs to.

Some especially powerful and powerful sources can provide Reagents that contain multiple essences.

The essence of cognition can be found in the souls of intelligent beings, but to gather it is forbidden. Alchemists are assumed not to know how to gather it by default, but can learn from secret tomes, hidden masters, or terrible experimentation. ##The Essences There are seven essences, six of which have opposing pairs. Each living thing has a balance of all seven within them. The alchemist as such is only able to capture the most potent expressions of essence the world provides. Without the divine touch, any concoction made with opposing essences becomes unstable.

Earth: The essence of the soil, stubbornness and the roots that hold firm. Opposed by air.

Water: The essence of flow, tranquility, and deep dark things. Opposed by fire.

Air: The essence of the sky, lightness, and laughter. Opposed by earth.

Fire: The essence of energy, passion, creation and destruction in equal measure. Opposed by water.

Perdition: The essence of decay, chaos and howling in the distance. Opposed by order.

Order: The essence of structure, beauty and that which lasts. Opposed by perdition.

Cognition: The essence of thought. The taboo essence, for it’s impossible to gather without making someone lesser. Opposed by nothing.

Concocting

Over the course of 10 minutes, you may use a number of reagents [R] up to your level+1 to create a potion (1/3 B, Thrown 30’) following a recipe you know. The potency of each recipe is scaled off of the amount of reagents [R] used, and usually has requirements to be met (e.g. required essences, mundane components). Often, the addition of a particular essence or other component can modify the result further. Concoctions that use reagents of opposing essences are considered Unstable, and roll on the Unpleasant Mishap table when used or disturbed by excess temperature shifts or motion. Rare reagents and a downtime action may allow you to create new recipes with Referee approval.

Unpleasant Mishaps

Roll 2d6 upon using the concoction or if it is suddenly disturbed.

Concoction does absolutely nothing.
Effective [R]/2 and any negative effects are inverted into positive ones.
Effective [R] - 2
Effect applies, but on a considerable delay
Effective [R] - 1
Normal Effect
Effective [R] + 1
Effect applies, much earlier than expected.
Effective [R] + 2
Effective [R] * 2 and any positive effects are inverted into negative ones.
Concoction transforms into an ooze with [R] HD.

Scribing

Some words are spelt correctly only when the proper ink is used. To scribe a spell you need an ink concocted with potency 2, modified as follows.

-1 for each of the ink’s essences that match the spell’s essences.

+1 for each of the ink’s essences that do not match the spell’s essence.

+2 if the spell is notably rare or powerful.

Additionally, inks with essences opposing a spell can not be used to scribe that spell, unless that spell contains opposing essences.

Crafting

Instead of quickly brewed into a consumables, reagents can be used in the construction of permanent items with downtime, but that is beyond the scope of this post.

High Alchemy

High alchemy is what most folk think of when they hear “alchemy.” It is the practice of concocting in labs, of salts and metal, vitriol and acid. They sit in lofty towers searching for lofty goals, from the alkahest and lesser transmutations to the philosopher’s stone itself. To enter this field takes intense study, willingness to deal with burns and poisons on a daily basis, and often wealth and/or connections. Accomplished practitioners are often found employed by nobility to provide whatever concoctions suit their fancy, or to search tirelessly for the means of immortality and infinite wealth. Despite their selfish motivations, the funding from these nobles is what allows alchemists to search for the greatest of works, panaceas and immortality and perfect transmutation. Some unambitious fools think these goals are too lofty, that alchemy should focus on using what it has to solve the problems of the now, but this is far too dismissive of the potential this practice has.

Recipes

Alchemists are assumed to be able to distill Aqua Vitae (concentrated ethanol) given a fire, a portable distilling apparatus, and anything alcoholic (strength determines how much you get out of it, a bottle of wine gets you one use). Note that while you can distill spirits, you do not necessarily know how to make them taste good.

Enhanced Distillation - Requirements: Fire, order for 3+ [R]. Rather than taking the hours that a distillation would ordinarily require, you can distill a substance in only ten minutes. This allows for easy access to Aqua vitae, distilled water, and other such substances. Note that distilled water is actually unhealthy to drink, just boil it instead. If [R] is at least 3, you can distill more esoteric substances, such as concentrated magic from enchanted items or bottled dragonfire from a dragon’s throat glands.
Oil of Vitriol - Requirements: perdition, water for 3+ [R]. Can be created in downtime with no essences, instead spending gold on reagents. Can deal 1d6+[R] damage if splashed upon a target, dealing a continuous [R] damage every round thereafter until washed or [R] rounds have passed. Alternatively, can dissolve metals other than silver and gold. Given a minute, one vial can wreck a lock or iron bar. Can also make the variants Aqua Fortis (can dissolve silver, but damage is d4 instead of d6 and smells foul when used) and Aqua Regia (can dissolve silver and gold, requires a dose each of Aqua Fortis and Oil of Vitriol in place of the first reagent).
Noxious Pot - Requirements: Air, Fire for 3+ [R]. Requires a fuse, which can be set from near-immediate to about a minute. Emits a hideous stench once opened, filling a room or an [R]5 foot radius for [R]2 rounds unless blown away by wind. All present must save or flee immediately, taking a -[R] penalty to all non-save rolls even on a success as long as they remain in the room. Creatures that do not breathe are immune.
Celestial Perfume - Requirements: Air, water for 3+ [R]. When sprayed on oneself, this perfume wards against foul miasma and toxins while simultaneously enhancing others’ perception of the user. Grants +[R] to reaction rolls and saves vs poison and disease for [R]*3 hours, or until sufficiently drenched. The bonus also applies to curses and other detrimental magic (though not direct damaging magic) if order is included. Sufficiently powerful supernatural creatures (dragons, greater demons, angels) are immune. Fae are too, but most consider the perfume a sign of excellent taste so the reaction bonus applies anyway.
Oil of Elemental Proofing - Requirements: the opposed essence to the damage type being protected against. When applied to something, reduces all appropriate elemental damage taken by [R]*3 for [R] hours.
Theriac - Requirements: earth, order for 3+ [R], an onion. The necessary essences, along with more mundane (and sometimes poisonous) ingredients, are stuffed between the layers of the onion and boiled. Upon consumption, the user is unable to act for a round as toxins and illness are purged from their body. They heal [R]d3 HP and may immediately make [R] saves against poison or disease affecting them, removing the ailment if any one of the saves succeeds.
The Great Petard - Requirements: Fire, perdition for 3+ [R]. Must be made in a strong (metal or thick glass) container. Upon lighting a fuse (can be set for anywhere from near-immediate to up to a minute), stand back, as the container will detonate violently for [R]d6 damage in an [R]*5 foot radius. If properly braced, it is very effective at demolishing structures (double the d6s). For one [R], can blast down a sturdy wooden door. At four [R], can destroy a castle gate.
Sword of St. Germain - Requirements: Order, other based on improvements. Produces a thin metal star etched with potent symbols, which is to be installed under the grip of an unenchanted blade. Upon invocation, the blade becomes a +1 weapon for [R]*4 hours for the alchemist alone. Additional properties are gained based on other essences used:

Earth: an additional +1 to hit and damage.
Water: +1 attack per round, does not stack with other sources.
Air: +2 to AC (counts as dodging if that matters).
Fire: +1d6 fire damage.
Perdition: can be applied to already magic weapons.
Cognition: no longer limited to the alchemist.

Alkahest - Requirements: Order, water, a dosage each of Aqua regia and Aqua vitae. Acts as Aqua Regia, but does base d8 damage and can also dissolve any adhesives and soften anything it’s poured over. Also dissolves quite literally anything fully submerged in it. Dissolves things without affecting fundamental properties; if you distill the alkahest then anything dissolved in it will be left behind unchanged and the solvent is fully recoverable. A vital component of the greatest of alchemical works.
Killing Miasma - Requirements: Air, perdition, a well-sealed glass bottle. Upon breaking, this horrible liquid swiftly vaporizes into a cloud of fatal fumes, filling a room or an [R]5 foot radius for [R]2 rounds. All inside the cloud take [R] damage per round, and after a number of rounds in the cloud equal to their HD, must save or die outright.
Homunculus - Requirements: Cognition, other essences as description, a drop of the alchemist’s blood, clay. Creates an incredibly hideous creature with a random detrimental mutation, capable of speaking the alchemist’s native tongue, loyal as long as it’s not actively mistreated. Not particularly bright, but still sapient. Lives 1d6 hours/a week/~3 months/[R] years, depending on [R]. Has [R] HP, armor as unarmored, and a d4 natural attack. Gains other traits based on essences involved:

Earth: Has [R]*3 HP and armor as leather+shield.
Water: has hands capable of proper manual dexterity, including tool and weapon use.
Air: can fly, somewhat clumsily, using batlike wings.
Fire: Inner Fire, has 1 MD that can cast a spell the alchemist knows or a random pyromancy spell. If killed when the MD is unspent, can choose to explode for 1d6+[R] damage to everything adjacent to it.
Perdition: natural attack upgrades to either d6 with two attacks, d6 ranged, or d6 with a save vs weakness poison.
Order: not hideous, does not have a mutation. The alchemist can choose exactly how it looks.

Metallic Transmutation - Requirements: A dose of Alkahest, a small amount (one coin is sufficient) of the metal to be created, earth. Simple yet powerful, pouring this draught over any metal will transform it into whatever metal you dissolved in the initial alkahest, up to a pound’s worth. If transmuting a metal into gold, requires an additional essence of order, otherwise it will create fool’s gold instead.

Common reagents

Hoopoe stone: Strange multicolored rocks found in the nests of these orange, crested birds. Paradoxically, they can be rendered into an essence of earth or air.
Oozes: While often oozes are found in dungeons, they are also created by reckless use of alchemical essences. Too much alchemical waste in one place can create oozes, which take on the properties of the failed recipe or simply of the majority essence involved. Alchemical oozes can be salvaged for some of the essence that created them.
Volcanic Salts: While most alchemical salts are relatively easy to access with the right processes, some only form under extreme circumstances. These minerals, found only in places of high volcanic activity, are an excellent source of fire and perdition.
Existing concoctions: Unlike backwater witchcraft, alchemy focuses on refinement, and many concoctions utilize other alchemical substances in their creation. Aqua Vitae and Oil of Vitriol are both prime examples of this, with sufficient quantities of Aqua Vitae being vital for many concoctions while Oil of Vitriol can substitute for essence of Perdition in sufficient quantities. Other examples exist, of course, but these two are the primary examples on the given (woefully incomplete) list.
Parts of Great Beasts: Ordinary animals rarely have the essence for proper concoctions. Only great beasts will suffice. The fat of whales grants cognition and water, the scales of crocodiles bestow earth and water, hearts of lions and tigers provide air and fire.
Quicksilver: The shining Liquid Metal, capable of being refined into water, order, or perdition essences in enough quantities. Note that concoctions made with quicksilver tend to carry long-term toxic effects, short term if consumed. No, you cannot put it in your theriac. Ask again and you will be assigned to glassware cleaning duty for the next month.