Alchemy for Runequest

Alchemy

Alchemy is a mysterious art most often practiced by the secretive Alchemists Guild. This guild is often hard to find, though its potions and poisons are often more easily found by those in need. It does not give away its secrets easily, preferring to sell the results, not the formulae or knowledge of the art. Some thief and healer cults have limited access to alchemic formulae and are equally protective, with the exception of the healers.

Base Alchemy Skills

These are the base skills for alchemy

Alchemical Lore

Knowledge, Base 00%

This skill is sometimes simply known as Alchemy and describes the knowledge of general Alchemical techniques applicable to all fields of Alchemy. It can be used to decide what equipment might be needed for a particular process. Usually it is used to boost the chance of success of producing a potion or to carry out research. In all cases, the correct Alchemical equipment must be available in order to use Alchemical Lore, so in the wastes of Prax with a few blades of grass the skill is useless.

Taste Analysis

Perception Base 00%

This skill is used to identify alchemical potions and other substances by means of tasting or smelling a very small, harmless amount of the sample.

1. It cannot be increased through experience, it must be taught or researched.
2. The user can only identify substances that he has previously encountered, otherwise he can only hazard an educated guess at what the substance is. If he succeeds in the skill and has not met the substance before the GM must tell him that it is probably a particular substance, but he is not sure. It is up to the GM or to other PCs, if they are doing the training, to determine what substances have been encountered. Most training will cover standard potions, poisons and substances as those are the most frequently encountered.
3. The user can only identify the potency of the substance within a certain range, giving an idea of the strength of the potion. A normal roll will give the potency as week (1-6), medium (7-13) or strong (>14), a special success in bands of 3 (1-3, 4-6, 7-9, etc) and a critical should give the exact potency.
4. A fumble with the skill means that the user is affected by the potion - he swallowed the Hydra Venom or the Impotency Potion.

Alchemy Crafting skills

The crafting skills are general manufacturing processes and don’t imply any knowledge of any specific formula. The character must also have a formula to work from to create the desired potion etc. Additionally, the formula needs to be for the appropriate formulation. i.e. a formula for a potion can’t be used to create a powder.

Craft: Alchemic Potion

Knowledge Base 00%

This skill is used to create any formula in liquid potion of non-magical nature. The liquid could be in used in a number of ways to deliver the potion to have an effect.

Craft: Alchemic Powder

Knowledge Base 00%

This allows the user to create a formula in powder or dust form. Powders can be mixed into liquids or sprinkled on food or blown into the air to create their effect.

Craft: Alchemic Paste

Knowledge Base 00%

A paste formula must be applied to a surface to have an effect. This can be a weapon in the case of blade venom or skin in the case of a healing salve.

Formula

A formula is a series of instructions, often memorised or written down, that allow a practitioner to create a potion or powder or paste to produce a specific effect. Some formulae have fixed effects e.g. smoke bomb and others have grades of effect or potency (POT) e.g. poisons, acids, healing potions etc. Each formula will be for a specified POT of effect. These formulae are often very closely guarded secrets and only available to initiates of specific cults or to members of Alchemy guilds. If available, the cost of a formula is often very high, treat the multiplier for the formulae as a minimum for a trusted friend.

Note, that whist in here only one posions and healing potions have been listed there are also formulae that deal with the opposite effect. i.e. antidotes and damaging potions and potions to cause diseases. It can be expected that the healer cults will know of any curative potion whilst the alchemists will know both good and bad sides of any effect. The cost of the opposite effect is always the same as the original.

Costs of Potions and Formulae

Fixed Effect Skill Ingredients Cost / Dose Source Thunder Lung Dust 20L Lanbril Visibility Dust 30L Lanbril Scent-Stop Dust 10L Lanbril Stink Dust 10L Lanbril Smoke Bombs (Powder) 20L Lanbril Smoke Bombs (Globe) 100L Lanbril Flares 15L Lanbril

Variable Effect Skill Ingredients Cost / POT Source Animal Venom 4L Alchemists, Lanbril Herbal Poison 4L Alchemists, Lanbril Mineral Poison 4L Alchemists, Lanbril Blade Venom (Paste) 10L Alchemists, Lanbril Acid 6L Alchemists, Lanbril Alkali 6L Alchemists Healing Potion 20L Healers Cure Disease 20L Healers Sleep 20L Lanbril

Formulation Costs Formulation Ingredient Multiplier Liquid x1 Paste x1.5 Powder x2 Pills x3

Other Costs Cost In Cult Multiplier Dose Yes x2 Dose No x10 Formula Yes x40 Formula No x200

Costs for complete potions are dependent on the buyer’s relationship to the seller and the exact formulation required. Note that some formulae are only available in one form, these are indicated in the tables above, and the cost of the formulation is already included.

Note that all multipliers are cumulative.

e.g. A Globe Smoke Bomb would cost 100L to make and would sell for 200L to fellow cultists and 1,000L to non-cultists and the formula would cost 4,000L to cultists and at least 20,000L to non-cultists.

A mineral poison, POT 12, pill would cost 48L to make and would sell for 96 or 480L, the formula would be 1,920 or 9,600L for cultists and non-cultists respectively.