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ALCHEMIST - Mage subclass
-------------------------
Ability Requirements: Intelligence 15
Constitution 12
Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite: Intelligence
Races Allowed: Human, Elf, Half-elf,[Optional: Gnome, Halfling]
Hit Dice, THAC0, Experience: as Mage
Saving Throws: as Mage, but see also below
The primary purposes of the Alchemist class are to identify and
process ingredients for potions and oils, to make potions and oils,
and to identify and prepare spell components for their Mage cousins
(optional). Although they are not primarily spell-casters, they
have some limited spell-casting ability (optional rules).
Because spell casting is not the primary purpose of the Alchemist,
he is allowed to wear leather or studded leather armor. However,
if the Alchemist is to cast a spell, he must remove any armor first.
The Alchemist is allowed the standard weapons of the mage class.
[2Ed: The Alchemist gains proficiency slots like Mages.]
The ability of Alchemists to create potions is based on a
combination of the Alchemist's level and the difficulty "level"
of the potion being created.
At 1st level, when an Alchemist leaves his master's laboratory to
start his own career, he will have 1D4+1 potion formulas in
his/her formula book, plus 1 or 2 potions of each type for which
he/she has the formula. (Creation of these potions were the
Alchemist's final exam.)
[Author's note: Keep in mind that the Alchemist has no spells at
1st level, and won't be able to produce potions until he/she
finds the components or earns enough gold to buy components.
Also, if the Alchemist character is going to be an adventurer,
his/her companions won't appreciate having to return to the
Alchemist's lab every time the Alchemist wants to brew some more
potions! So the Alchemist's initial potions (10 at the most) will
eventually be used up and will be replaced quite slowly. Also
there's no guarantee that any of the potions will be useful!]
The class description is divided into these topics:
- definition of potion level
- potion creation rules
- determining success of potion creation
- learning potion formulas
- researching new formulas
- component purification rules
- spell-casting ability (optional)
- other benefits and restrictions
"LEVEL" OF POTION
-----------------
[Author's note: I considered several ways to classify potions
into complexity or difficulty levels, and finally just picked
the simple, straight-forward method given here. If anyone can
think of a better system that isn't totally arbitrary, please
let me know!]
The complexity or relative "level" of the potion to be created
must be set to determine 1) time needed to create the potion; and
2) bonuses or penalties to the Alchemist's chance of success.
For a quick'n'dirty measure (usable with both 1Ed and 2Ed), I chose
to use the experience point value for the potion, listed in the
magic treasure tables in the back of the DM's Guide. The "level"
of the potion is equal to the experience point value of the potion
divided by 100, rounded down. Thus, for example, a potion of animal
control would be a level 2 potion (250/100=2.5 or 2), and a potion
of undead control would be level 6 (600/100=6). With this method,
most potions are of level 2 or 3, but there are many with higher
levels.
POTION CREATION
---------------
Creating a potion requires four things:
- a formula for the potion the alchemist can understand
- all the components for the potion
- the Alchemist's laboratory
- time
[Author's note: I won't try to list components for any potions
here; that's up to the individual DM. The 1Ed DM's Guide suggests
some ingredients for potions; use those or make up your own.]
The time involved to make a potion is determined by this formula:
potion "level" + (1D4 x "level) = number of days
For example, making an Oil of Etherialness would take 6 days for
the level of the potion plus 6D4 days, for a range of 12-30 days.
As the Alchemist goes up in level, he can produce multiple potions
of the same type, without greatly increasing the creation time.
The Alchemist can produce [his level divided by 3] potions of the
same type, provided sufficient components are available (minimum
one potion). For each extra copy of the potion, add 2 days to the
creation time (for additional mixing, quality control, etc.) Thus,
if the Alchemist in the above example was 6th level, he could make
2 potions, but the creation would take from 8-32 days.
After the Alchemist finishes making one type of potion, he must
spend 1 day cleaning his lab equipment before starting work
on another potion type.
[Optional Rule: The Alchemist can produce even more copies of a
potion at higher levels. The Alchemist can create an additional
potion per every 2 experience levels that exceed twice the level
of the potion, rounded down. For example, if a 9th-level Alchemist
was producing potions of fire resistance (potion "level" of 2),
the number of potions the Alchemist could create using this rule
would equal:
[ Alchemist's level - (2 x potion level) ] / 2
= [ 9 - (2 x 2) ] / 2
= [ 9 - 4 ] / 2
= 5 / 2
= 2.5 = 2 (rounded down)
This is *in addition* to the earlier rule for multiple potions,
which would allow the Alchemist to create 3 potions (level 9 / 3
= 3), so for this example, the Alchemist could create a total of
5 potions of fire resistance. Remember that the creation time
would increase by four days for the two extra potions.
This optional rule makes higher-level Alchemists more powerful,
but doesn't significantly affect low-level Alchemists. In fact,
the Alchemist must be 6th level before this rule has any effect
at all!]
POTION CREATION SUCCESS
-----------------------
Potion creation success is calculated from the Alchemist's
level and Intelligence and the potion's level.
To determine if a potion was created successfully, the Alchemist
must make a successful attribute check against his/her
Intelligence. To this attribute check, add 1 for each level of
experience of the Alchemist above the potion's level, or subtract
2 for each level of the potion above the Alchemist's level.
For example, if a 5th-level Alchemist with a 12 Int tries to make
a potion of invisibility (potion level of 2), he must roll a 15
or lower on his Intelligence check to succeed (base 12, with +3
because the Alchemist is 3 levels higher than the potion). If the
same Alchemist attempted to make a potion of giant control (potion
level of 6), he would have to roll a 10 or lower (base 12 with -2
because the potion is 1 level higher than the Alchemist).
Normally, failure of the Intelligence check would either cause
the potion to be noticeably ruined, or else produce a potion of
delusion (DM's option). Each copy of a potion must be checked for
separately.
[Optional Rule: You can give the Alchemist critical successes for
potion making, like doubling the potion's duration if he rolls a 1
on his success check. Also, critical failures would be interesting,
like on two 20s in a row, the Alchemist started a lab fire or
caused an explosion that destroys the potion components and a big
chunk of his equipment, and maybe injuring or killing himself in
the fire or explosion.]
LEARNING POTION FORMULAS
------------------------
The Alchemist, if he obtains a new formula for making a potion,
has a percentile chance of learning to use the formula based on
his Intelligence. The Alchemist uses the "Chance to Learn Spell"
column on the Intelligence table in the Player's Handbook to
determine if he is able to understand the formula. If the
Alchemist fails the roll, he cannot attempt to learn the formula
again until he goes up an experience level.
COMPONENT PURIFICATION
----------------------
Another ability of the Alchemist is to purify components for
potions or spells. When a spell or potion component is gathered
from the wild, it's likely to have some amount of contamination
in it, ranging from something as simple as dirt and dust to
complex contaminants like disease or infection in animal (or
human) blood or body parts.
The creation times for creating potions assumes that the obvious
contaminants have been removed from ingredients, but otherwise
there is a small but significant amount of contamination in them.
This contamination must be removed during the normal creation of
the potion, and accounts for some of the variability in the time
to create a potion.
If the Alchemist desires, he can spend time purifying components
in advance. If a potion is made with pre-purified substances, the
random part of the creation time (i.e., the 1D4 per "level" of
the potion) can be halved, rounding down. This can lead to large
time savings during the creation of potions, especially higher
level ones.
Purifying components can enhance their shelf life. For example,
dragon's blood will fade in power quickly as it decays, but
purifying it would help preserve it (perhaps in a powdered form),
so it could retain its power indefinitely.
A simple rule to determine purification time would be that the
Alchemist can purify enough of a single component in a single day
to create [Alchemist's level+1D3] potions that require the
component. The Alchemist must do this work in an alchemical lab.
Purifying more than one type of component in a single day is
unlikely, because the Alchemist's equipment must all be cleaned
thoroughly to avoid contaminating the next component with traces
of the last one.
[Optional Rule: This purification process can also allow the
Alchemist to produce components for spell casting, which the
Alchemist can use himself, or sell to wizards for profit.]
[Author's note: I would assume this is what low-level and
apprentice Alchemists would do most of the time.]
It's one of the jobs of an alchemist to produce some of the special inks
for writing spells.
SPELL USAGE (OPTIONAL RULE)
---------------------------
Since the Alchemist is a Mage sub-class, and since potions involve
dealing with magical and arcane forces, the Alchemist has limited
spell-casting ability. This ability is sharply limited from
standard Mage spell-casting ability, but can be quite useful to
an Alchemist who chooses to adventure.
The Alchemist may learn spells from any school of magic, but is
limited to spells that are below the 5th level (i.e., spells of
spell levels 1-4).
To determine the number of spells the Alchemist may memorize and
cast per day, use the Wizard's spell progression chart as if the
Alchemist was a mage of half his level, rounded down (i.e., a 7th
level Alchemist would be able to cast two 1st-level spells and
one 2nd-level spell, and a 1st-level Alchemist can cast no spells
at all). Because the Alchemist's understanding of magic is limited,
ignore the columns in the table for spells above 4th level (the
Alchemist can never learn or use these spell levels).
The Alchemist, like a mage, must keep his/her spells in a spell
book, and must make a percentile roll to determine if he/she can
learn a new spell. The Alchemist does not gain any spells
automatically, and must find a spellbook or someone to teach
her/him each spell.
[Optional Rule: At 2nd level, you could grant the Alchemist 1D4
spells, randomly determined, like for the 2Ed Bard class. Also,
instead of using the Mage spell chart, you could further weaken
this ability by using the Bard's spell chart.]
[If you are using a non-standard magic system, simply adjust the
Alchemist's spell-casting ability (spell points or whatever) to
give him/her roughly half the strength of an equivalent-level
standard Mage.]
POTION RESEARCH
---------------
The simplest way to define potion research methods for the
Alchemist is to use the spell research system for magic users.
If an Alchemist completes the research successfully, he will
have a new potion formula that he can enter in his potion book.
[Author's note: Any other suggestions? Some method of letting
the Alchemist analyze an unknown potion and figure out how to
make it himself would also be appropriate, but I have no ideas
on how to do that.]
OTHER BENEFITS AND RESTRICTIONS
-------------------------------
The Alchemist has a base 5% per level chance to identify the
function of any potions she/he may discover when adventuring,
simply by noting color, clarity, smell, taste, etc. (He does
not have to drink the potion to figure out what it is.) The DM
can rule that Alchemists are fooled by potions of delusion just
as characters who drink them. The maximum chance to identify an
unknown potion is 95%.
The Alchemist has a base 50% chance at 1st level to identify
potions for which she/he knows the formula. (This chance is only
50% because there might be many different formulas for obtaining
the same effect - different components, creation techniques, etc.)
This chance also increases 5% per level, to a maximum of 99%.
Because the Alchemist is constantly exposed to dangerous
substances and noxious gases, he/she gains a bonus to saving
throws versus poison, acid, or poisonous gases (like Stinking
Clouds). At 1st level, the Alchemist gains a +1 bonus on his
saving throw vs. these things. This bonus increases by +1 for
each 4 additional levels of experience (i.e., it becomes +2 at
5th level, +3 at 9th level, etc.).
[Author's note: This is the reason for the high Con requisite.]
Because the Alchemist is only partially a spell-caster, he/she
has a permanent -2 penalty on his/her saving throws vs. spells
(except spells that produce acids or poison gases).
To create potions or purify components, the Alchemist must have
access to a fully-equipped laboratory of large size and
complexity. At levels 1-3 (and at DM's option), the Alchemist may
still have access to his master's laboratory. By 4th level,
however, the Alchemist must either create his own lab, or else be
willing to pay other Alchemists to use their labs (since
Alchemists are unlikely to want other people messing up their labs,
the rental cost will likely be high, at least 50 gp/day, plus at
least 50% of the potions or components the Alchemist produces using
the rented lab). The cost of a fully-equipped lab is at least 1,000
gp, plus the cost of a secluded building to house the lab. Also,
whenever the Alchemist uses the lab, you can assume an operating
expense of 1D6 % of the original cost of the lab equipment each
week to cover routine breakage and wearing out of equipment. Fire
or explosions could destroy much or all of the lab.
The Alchemist's laboratory is not portable! The Alchemist must
go to it, cannot easily move it, and certainly cannot carry it
around when adventuring. If an Alchemist must relocate his lab,
he'll need a couple wagons, and there will probably be lots of
damage to delicate equipment hauled over rough roads (which
means additional expense).
If you are using the 2Ed non-weapon proficiency system, the
Alchemist will receive a +1 bonus to his potion creation rolls if
he has the Herbalism proficiency, and also a +1 to his Herbalism
proficiency checks. Also, if the Alchemist has the Healing
proficiency, he will gain +1 on his Healing proficiency checks.
[Author's note: There are lots and lots of things you can do with
this class. One thing that comes to mind is to not allow the
Alchemist to create potions of healing. An Alchemist who knows
Healing could produce primitive medicines for resale, as well as
more magical potions. By considering poisons - manufacturing,
identifying, and neutralizing - you can add a whole new area of
functionality to the class. But further enhancements I will
leave to the DMs out there. If you come up with something good,
please let me know!]
[Author's note: There are many other things you could do with
this class. Some thoughts:
- can Alchemists make potions of healing?
- making/detecting poisons seems related to alchemy,
but would require many new rules
- add non-magical substances, like Greek fire, petroleum
refining, gunpowder, medicines, etc.
- the classics: can the Alchemist turn lead to gold? And
what does the Philosopher's Stone do, if it exists?
Expand at your leisure!]