Within this compendium, you will find a diverse range of formulae categorized by their Complexity, offering alchemists of all skill levels the opportunity to craft powerful Concoctions. Each form of Concoction, be it a potent bomb, mystical elixir, aromatic incense, versatile oil, finely ground powder, or soothing salve, is derived from its own distinct formula. Delve into the secrets of alchemy, and learn to harness the transformative power of Alchemical Formulae.
Many Concoctions will allow you to prepare them in a variety of ways. These forms affect how quickly they take effect, how long they last, how many targets are affected, and often how powerful the Concoction is.
Every distinct form of a Concoction requires its own unique formula, separate from that of a similar Concoction in another form. This means that even if two Concoctions share similar effects, mastering one formula will not grant immediate knowledge of the other. For instance, a Sweet Sleep Powder and a Sweet Sleep Incense, while both inducing a peaceful slumber, are derived from different formulae and must be learned independently.
Bombs are small projectiles that can be hurled as a Light Thrown weapon, and therefore require two seconds to throw at a target (assuming the Bomb is already in hand). They are designed to shatter upon impact, releasing their contents. Concoctions that can be created as Bombs will list their primary effect and their splash effect. The primary effect will immediately occur to any creature in the square in which the Bomb lands; the splash effect will be applied to any creature in an adjacent square. A Bomb is thrown at a square, not at a creature. Make a Thrown Weapons skill check against a TN of 10.
Elixirs are liquids, intended to be drunk. They are sometimes called Potions by those who are not Alchemists. Ingesting an Elixir requires two seconds, provided the Elixir is already in hand. When ingested, an Elixir will take affect starting at the beginning of the ingester’s next turn, and will affect only the imbiber. If mixed with any other substance, an Elixir loses all of its potency immediately. Even exposure to air can ruin it, so Elixirs are normally kept in wax-sealed phials. It is important to note that an Elixir cannot be force-fed to another person!
Incense are small sticks that are burned, dispensing the Concoction in a small cloud (Burst 5 centered on the stick of Incense). A stick of incense takes ten minutes to burn, and any person who is within the cloud will be affected after eight minutes of exposure.
Oils are applied to objects, rather than individuals. They require two seconds to employ, but do not take effect until the end of the user’s next turn. Typically, they have no effect if applied to a creature.
Powders can be safely mixed into food and drink, requiring an active Perception skill check against a TN of 16 to detect the presence of the powder. It takes five seconds to add a powder to food or drink. When ingested, a Powder takes a full minute to take effect, and will affect only the person who ingested at least half of it. If the powder is mixed into a food or liquid that multiple people ingest, typically there will be no effect on any of them.
Salves are applied externally, and will affect the person to whom they are applied starting at the end of that person’s next turn. Applying a Salve takes four seconds, assuming that the Salve is already in hand. One major benefit of Salves is that they can be applied to a person who is unable to take an Elixir.
Some Concoctions are available in multiple formulae of increasing Complexity. Rather than list up to five different formulae, such Concoctions will give the effects of an increased Complexity in this section. A formula can be learned at any given Complexity, but each level of Complexity represents a different formula. For example, if you wanted to learn all five Complexities of the Swift Elixir, that would be five separate formulae.