Latest revision as of 02:46, 27 November 2023

Alchemy

"Magic? Dangerous, fanatical practice. No, my boy, here science prevails over mysticism, and we can do anything they can, but safer." - Vanseer, Elder Alchemist of Hiladrith

Skill Scale Down 2021

This skill has been impacted by the Skill Scale Down. The impact of this for this skill is as follows:

This skill remains.
All knowledge is left as is.
For how to deal with XP, please see the page Skill Scale Down 2021 for links, information, and a player guide.
The scope of this skill has not changed. Please ensure that you take this into account going forward.
The Design skill used to be a separate skill. It is now considered an intrinsic part of the skill in question. This is the case for all craft skills. Please take this into account going forward.

Introduction

The alchemist is focused on isolating, purifying and transferring the already defined enhancing property of one source, into a stable, changeless form within a new receiving resources, materials, potions, consumables, or items. This is done with the intent of using these enhanced resources to craft superior items that contain near or fully magical abilities. The alchemist is not necessarily the one that performs this follow-up craftsmanship, but these early stages are similar to preparations some mundane craftsmen must regularly tend to.

In a way, the application of oil to leather, to make it waterproof, would qualify as alchemy. The craftsperson is taking the quality of water resistance, not naturally found in leather, and using some means of integrating this property into the leather to improve it. But this basic task is performed by the leather worker. As well, a blacksmith will go to extensive effort to blend several metals to achieve a balance of properties that allow optimum performance. This too, would be considered alchemy if it was not more commonly performed by the smith.

The primary difference is the presence of magically-sourced materials and the need of reagents to bolster the efficiency of the many stages of the alchemists efforts. There is often far more than the single step where the empowering agent is added to the receiving material. There may be more than one step simply to isolate or remove the active trait from its original source. Then there may be several steps to modify its character to where it can even BE received by the target material. Then even after it has been imbued into the material, there may be steps needed to ensure that it retains its property permanently, or is able to resist other chemicals that would nullify its benefit later.

It is all these additional factors that constitute the expertise required to be an alchemist. This is especially true of the properties found in exotic and magically charged or created substances. There are innumerable samples of flora, fauna, gas, mineral and liquid that were formed by the powerful effects that came about by a variety of different powers and sources. The alchemist has learned through one process or another how to transfer these properties from one medium, to another.

So the real focus of alchemy is on the knowledge of the reagents involved and how they can be transferred to a specific medium. The characteristics and uses of these reagents are as varied as the locations in which they are found. And more are being discovered every day. But alchemy does not require an initiation into a magic discipline, nor is it done an a single-item scale. Alchemy is the means to enhance a large quantity of material which is then worked by craftsmen to create many items.

An alchemist's method for transference of properties from medium to medium, from reagent to item, is as varied as their walk of life. While there are alchemists who bend their backs over chemistry equipment, or a cauldron, it's just as possible to find a wild alchemist, engaging in arcane ritual and using the phases of the stars and moons to inform their processes. We encourage creativity when it comes to the method one engages in, and here we will set out to try and set limits around that creative process.

Reagent Availability Per Wealth Tier

This section refers to resources which can be easily bought. The rule regarding resources found in the Shoppe applies. Anyone purchasing or attempting to access Tier 8 or above alchemical reagents which are also described or categorised as rare, very rare, etc, must always get approval by your city mod. It will usually require a thread to acquire (although this may be a purchase / haggling thread, not a going out mining one), although the mod may approve acquisition without a thread if there is an existing IC reason which has been written.

Tier 1&2: The PC only has access to reagents that they can gather themselves, e.g. rocks, flowers, animal bones, resin that they harvested from a tree, and perhaps pieces of scrap metal.
Tier 3:4: The PC can afford basic reagents such as milk and glass as well as the most common of chemicals.
Tier 5: The PC has access to all common reagents, including for example Guipy Gel or Moukou Beans.
Tier 6&7: The PC has access to more expensive and uncommon reagents such as Rat Fluff and Naf-rush and may occasionally be able to afford a dose of Still-moka, for example.
Tier 8&9: The PC has access to expensive and uncommon reagents, such as Wringer and Twin-eyes. However see paragraph above re: rare or very rare items.
Tier 10: The PC has access to all reagents which can be bought, excluding blood reagents. However see paragraph above re: rare or very rare items.

Explosives

This field of alchemy is a fairly obvious concept. It's primary challenge is learning the four different forms, and developing them into a stable, potent and applicable form, without blowing yourself up in the process. An alchemist must be Competent before attempting to learn to create these compounds. The explosive capability can be developed in four different mediums.

Powder: This is essentially gunpowder. The aim is to find the exact blend and ratio of elements to achieve optimum destructive capability. This is a very stable medium, but the ratio has to be near exact, or it's force is significantly reduced. Level advancement is what achieves the optimum blend. Packing increases blast yield, but reduces stability. Fire ignition is most effective.

Liquid: Think Nitro-Glycerin. This is a medium with tremendous blasting power, but is highly unstable. It is best that the alchemist keep his experimentation to very small amounts. Level advancement is what achieves increased stability. Friction or impact are equally effective means of ignition. Fire can also cause detonation, but often some of the compound will burn up before actual detonation occurs, resulting in a loss of power.

Gas: Think Natural Gas. Decent destructive force, but difficult to control application without some vessel to enclose it and prevent dilution with air flow. Level advancement achieves the ability to achieve comparative gas weight to make the gas settle at ceiling or floor level without loss of power. Alchemical modification can also neutralize it's odor so it can be used in a room to asphyxiate as well as explode. Fire is the only method of ignition.

Solid: Think Plastique. Achieving the consistency of clay is part of the goal. It requires a great deal of testing to avoid loss of power at the same time. This medium allows custom shaping and an adhesive quality that makes this form ideal for specific blast "shaping". This is a very stable form, and even requires a small exterior charge to ignite detonation. Level advancement is all about achieving malleability while maintaining optimum power. Because this medium requires outside charges to ignite, this can not be the first form of explosive an alchemist learns.

""Explosive Potential:"" When one thinks of explosives, often they think of destructive concussive power that spills out in a gout of flame and shrapnel. For the military minded, that would seem enough, however explosives are entirely capable of transferring elemental and resource properties through the medium of an explosion that covers an entire area. A resource or reagent that contains the dousing power of water can be used to create a water-bomb, that puts out fires. Similarly, a healing herb can be transferred to an explosive medium in order to transfer a healing effect over a large area. The possibilities for explosive effects are as limitless as the potential for reagents.

Potions

Where most uses of alchemy involve the infusion of special or magical properties into otherwise mundane materials, infusing such properties into liquid or another easily comestible form creates potions. This new application becomes available at Competent level. Up until Expert level, potions and comestibles can only infuse enhancements to normal mortal attributes. One can make a potion to make oneself resistant to heat or cold, bring significant improvement to their vision, buoyancy to aid in swimming, thick skin to help deflect weapon strikes, greater strength, speed, agility, etc. Greater degrees of modification can be achieved as the alchemist advances in Competent level. These can bestow actual temporary immunity to some harmful effects, or supernaturally quick healing, or having the enhancements last longer.

At Expert level, the alchemist can learn to glean domain magic reagents for their potions. If not gleaned from extremely dangerous supernatural beasts, which will be very limited in scope, the alchemist can glean capabilities from the blood of a mage. The same Knowledge requirements apply to gaining higher and higher leveled domain abilities as they do for the mages themselves. These potions will not allow the imbiber to actually "cast" these magic spells. But they can trigger the boon effects from such spells as one might cast on oneself. However, this ability falls short of ever being able to glean Revealed level reagent abilities from any Domain.

At Master level, this same boon is gained in regards to Divine magic. Again, Knowledge requirements directly limit the advancement of obtaining higher and higher level Blessing abilities. Champion level blessing abilities will never be able to be gained, regardless of how cooperative the Blessed subject giving up their blood may be. In addition, the Immortal that granted these blessings may not appreciate their devotee making these capabilities available this way, and may enact revenge against both the alchemist and the beneficiary of these blessings for this blasphemy.

The benefits of advancement into Grandmaster level of potion-making is essentially the same as that described in the primary Level Advancement section below.

Potions and comestibles by their nature do not maintain the properties imbued into them permanently, nor do they last in a pristine state forever. We don't want to give strict limits on how long they last, as this should be driven by story. Nor do we wish to say what happens when a potion is starting to go off. Players are asked to be sensible and remember to play this aspect. Typically, it's possible through capstones to extend the freshness of potions and comestibles, even indefinitely. But most other skill levels should adhere to a sliding expiration rate for their potions and comestibles. Anywhere from a few cycles for competent alchemists, to a few arcs for a Master with a little wiggle room should be sensible.

Blood Magic, Divine Magic and Backlash

As has just been stated, Blood magic reagents are best obtained by gleaning these properties from the blood of a practicing mage of the appropriate Domain. Likewise, Divine magic reagents are gained from the blood of one blessed by the appropriate Immortal. Unlike Domain magicians, alchemists risk no Overstepping penalties from using their finished potions or alchemically modified materials. Their products simply have a certain level of capability; and when this capability is spent, the effect ends. This is true of both Domain and Divine magic reagent-infused abilities.

The term for which an item's effects may be maintained without being refueled (whether by the blood of a mage possessing the same domain as was imbued) is typically similar to potions. That's if the use of the items is conservative by comparison. Included below is a chart for the purposes of determining longevity of effects and useage potential of items:

Longevity :: Useage :: Refueling
Permanent :: A few uses per cycle :: No reagents required to refuel.
1-2 Arcs :: Regular use (every other trial) :: a single measure of reagents applied to refuel every arc.
1-2 Cycles :: Constant/Heavy use (Several times a trial every other trial :: A single measure of reagents applied every cycle.

But in the case of carelessness, or simple miscalculation, while processing Domain magic reagents, or while infusing them into potions or materials, Backlash can occur. This is mainly a function of over-stepping what is possible at a given level of Alchemy skill. Knowledge in the reagent that is being applied, or else other supernatural effects that aid in crafting help prevent both the likelihood and the severity of magic Backlash. The level and effect of Backlash depends on the nature and level of the magic ability attempting to be infused. However, so long as an alchemist doesn't attempt more than his skill level would allow, they're generally safe from Backlash.

Now, it must be clarified that there is much more versatility in what can be infused into inanimate materials through alchemical processing than what can be infused into a living body through the use of a potion. For example, a potion can not infuse the triggered capability for a living body to become a Rupturing portal. But at a high enough level, an alchemist with the right knowledge could infuse the ability to generate a portal into a sheet of metal, or the bricks used to build a wall.

Because of this increased capability, there is more potential danger of Backlash with material alchemy than with potions. In the case of aggressive magic, like the kind you would cast against an enemy, the backlash IS that the spell is, in effect, cast on the alchemist. There is also an infliction of Overstepping penalties for those who reach beyond their capability. If the level discrepency is equal to one, the detrimental effect is equal to light Overstepping. If the discrepency is of 2 levels in difference, the Overstepping penalty is medium. If the discrepency reaches 3 levels in difference, the Overstepping penalty is heavy.

The likelihood of a Backlash mishap follows this same general probability and scale as described above. The other effect of a Backlash mishap is the loss of the reagents involved and the possible magic contamination of the target material.

Wells, Ensorcelling, Alchemy and You

Given the nature of crafting, it's conceivable that one might pair the use of alchemical alterations to a medium with Ensorcelling. For ease of reading, here are included several points that will define how ensorcelling and alchemy interact with each other:

Alchemy cannot be used to change the nature of a well.
Alchemically enhanced materials or items can be ensorcelled, if done as part of their crafting process (as per ensorcelling requirements).
Items that have been imbued with blood magic are far more likely to result in backlash if imbued with a well via ensorcelling.
Alchemy cannot be used to transfer properties onto a finished item that was ensorcelled.
Blood magic and ensorcelled spell-crafted items don't mix. If a spell was imbued via blood magic, and a ensorcelled item contains a domain magic spell, the triggering of the mechanism of either would result in immediate and appropriate backlash.

The Reagents

Reagent is simply a material, whether from a living creature, plant, a physical or metaphysical condition or state in the environment or even just a rock, that can be used to transfer a property it possesses to a ready and waiting medium.

As varied as the fauna, flora, and resources of Idalos itself, a reagent can be just about anything or sourced from anywhere. Properties possessed by the reagent are able to replenish and refresh the effects of an artifact that may have extended its useage time and longevity. Even items derived from blood magic may be replenished by ordinary materials, if the domain influences upon those reagents are similar in kind to the influences of that domain magic.

There are several more mundane types of reagents that are not for the impartation of effects, but provide a framework for how these effects are imbued into an item. As always, the alchemist should use their imagination for how these meta-reagents are sourced, but also make sure they make some sort of sense for the effect they're putting into an alchemical framework.

Binder: Used in order to accomplish more than one effect in an item. Think glue or sticky materials for this.
Primer: An activating or catalyst for the effect. This opens the medium or item up to the effect or property that is desired.
Sealant: A reagent used to seal in the effect(s) that are imbued into the material or potion and keep them from washing off or bleeding out uncontrollably.
Inhibitor: A reagent used to limit the amount of times an artifact may be used, or give a potion a time-release potential.
Trigger: A reagent that affects the release mechanism for the artifact or potion. Whether through a mechanical or physical process, or by chemical release. For instance, insect repellant that activates upon the touch of a fly's saliva.
State-Based (ritual or conditional reagent): A state-based reagent that is less about the product of the material world and more about the conditions the reagents or mediums are present in, at the given moment. This can be as simple as a certain form of gas filling the air of a chemist's laboratory, the alignment of the stars, or a ritual dance that the alchemist is engaging in.
Others: There may be other meta-reagents that could be discovered in time. These should either be handled via the CTW or the PSF for individual and complex items or effects.

The Mediums

This is the term for the various differing consistencies of both the sources and receiving materials of both reagents and finished products of Alchemy. Some are more likely to be one than the other, but none are completely exclusive. Some are also more likely than others to be the recipient of certain types of infused abilities. It should be noted that once a material is enhanced with an alchemically-infused property, that same property can not later be removed to be used in a different material. But it can be destroyed.

Powder: Many reagents are purified to a powdered form for easier storage and greater shelf life. While there is virtually nothing built from powder, there are a number of good reasons for alchemical properties to be imbued into powders as a final result of a long process. Explosives are just one. But other aggressive or defensive reactions, magical and otherwise, can be triggered with the flick of a pinch of alchemically enhanced powder.

Metal: The more conventional use of alchemy often finds metal to be its target. Enhancing armor and weapons, as well as building materials is one of the most common uses of alchemy. A sword that will not dull, armor that wards against pain, an iron portcullis that sends electrical attacks at any that ram it; these are just the barest hint of the potential of alchemy. Rarely is metal involved in any step of an alchemical process except as the receiver of transferred properties. But there have been such cases.

Stone: Like metal, stone is most often the recipient of alchemical treatments. Try laying siege to a castle that floats in the middle of a lake and you will come to appreciate the benefits of large-scale alchemy. However, it is often the source of properties as well. Many soils have absorbed ether from freakish events. The stones in the soil where a mighty battle of mages has occurred may well hold surprising capabilities. The Stone Bubbles of the Orm'Del Sea are a perfect example of bizarre powers formed in stone. And wells themselves, the ether-formed stones found in fractures, are as a pure a form of potential power as anything found on Idalos.

Wood: Wooden weapons and construction are common beneficiaries of alchemy. But like stone, wood and plants are frequent sources of properties that can be imbued into other mediums, either as the end result of an enhancement process, or as a means of storing the property for later use, as in the case of powders.

Hide: This term covers basically any external animal product that can carry a desired property. This can be anything from the source of a property, like the chameleon's camouflage ability, to the receiving material, like the leather from a common cow being being enhanced to deflect a sword strike like plate armor. This term also covers things like bowstrings made from gut material, which can be both source and/or receiver of extraordinary properties.

Cloth: Unlike Stone, metal and wood, cloth is never a naturally-occurring material. So it is never the source of an infusible property. It is often the recipient of enhancements however.

Glass: There is a particularly rare source of glass that holds an extraordinary ability that could possibly be imbued into an alternate material. But this is glass that was formed from the sand of the Hotlands during a supernatural event. And the property that this glass holds is really best exploited in its glass form anyway. For the most part, glass is the recipient of alchemical enhancement. But it should be noted that glass is unusually resistant to alchemical processes; which is why so many reagents are kept in glass enclosures.

Liquid: This mostly refers to the liquid receiving alchemical enhancement in the process of potion-making. But it is not uncommon for liquids to carry special properties. This can be anything from the wondrous, sparkling water flowing through a fracture zone, to the less appealing source of say, some supernatural creature's urine. Processes that are nearly identical to potion-making are not that uncommon as an alternate means of storing reagents.

Gas: This is very uncommon, both as a source, and a recipient, of alchemical enhancement. It is exactly what it sounds like, flowing wafts of air-like matter, often colorless, sometimes odorless. There are not many uses besides poison and explosives for this sort of medium. But a truly creative alchemist may try to use it just for the very reason that few would ever suspect it.

Body: This is similar to "Hide" sourcing, in that it refers to special properties gleaned from the bodies of creatures. Unlike "Hide", this refers to internal animal parts, like the capability to "see" air currents, found in the optical systems of an Avriel. Or the psycho-hallucinogenic effects gleaned from the twin brain of the Fogan Salamander. It is a fact of alchemy that living body parts can be neither source nor recipient of alchemical properties. It is the living body's constant process of self-replenishment and repair that denies this. This is also the reason why the benefits of potions are only temporary.

Imbuing properties into a medium

We try not to go overboard with regulating how many properties one can imbue into an alchemical medium or item. However a good rule of thumb is around one or two properties per level of expertise. Which would probably break down as follows:

Novice: 1 property per medium
Competent: 2 properties per medium
Expert: 3 properties per medium
Master: 4 properties per medium
Grandmaster: Capstones may be used to extend the amount of properties one can imbue into items.

Of course, sometimes an item is more complex and involves more than one material. In those cases, different properties can be assigned to these components, however there is a point where the complexity of the item will become too much for even the canniest alchemist to reckon with, and result in some form of backlash, injury, or illness. So for that reason, anyone exceeding the number of materials affected by their current level in a single item, must suffer some form of backlash in the form of injury or illness. This goes especially for items formed from blood magic.

Novice: 1 medium per artifact.
Competent: 2 mediums per artifact.
Expert: 3 mediums per artifact
Master: 4 mediums per artifact
Grandmaster: Capstones may be used to extend the number of materials used in a single artifact.

Duration of Effects and Permanence

In the interests of being less proscriptive in terms of the effects and their duration for alchemy potions or artifacts, there's some level of flexibility to the following durations and limits to alchemy. Material Alchemy and Blood Magic have their own time-frame for potency and requirements when it comes to recharging. This section dictates the persistence and duration of potions largely. Alchemy products by their nature are not permanently potent, but must tend to have their effects regularly refreshed in one way or another. Here's a general breakdown of how long you can expect alchemical effects to last on its subject once consumed:

Potions:

Novice: Unavailable to Novices.
Competent: 15 bits of duration.
Expert: 1 break of duration
Master:: Up to half a trial of duration.

NOVICE (0-25)

Starting out, the alchemist is really still just a chemist. They are only beginning to understand that there are treatments and processes involving exotic and enhanced substances that can result in reagents that carry properties beyond the scope of what would be considered "natural". They risk severe backlashes during this early experimentation which can, however, be considerably reduced by two things: A background of plain "chemistry" to learn basic precautions and signs of an impending, unexpected reaction; and restricting their dabbling to only mildly powerful sources of reagents. By the time the alchemist becomes Competent, they will have learned to apply a single magic effect to three types of mediums, not including liquids. They may also have learned sources of more than one type of reagent effect, but has not learned to blend them. The source of the active reagent must be found in nature, and must be consistent with it's source. For example, one can gain a fire-ward ability from the hide of a Golden Salamander, but not the capability to cause hallucinations on sight.

COMPETENT (26-75)

Now we're getting underway! The alchemist will learn to apply their novice-level magical effect to all types of mediums now. This means they have learned the basics of making potions. A competent alchemist has also discovered methods of blending two magical properties into a single medium. These can result in either a hybrid, single blended property, or just the simple existence of two distinct and different types. Potions however, are limited to one property. They have also been fortunate to survive a learning experience where they discover a whole new kind of property: Explosives! By the time they reach Expert level, the alchemist will have gained the required competence to infuse this capability into one of three types of mediums: Powder, Liquid or Gas. It is not especially efficient, but the alchemist can envision the potential.

EXPERT (76-150)

Now again, it becomes important for basic "chemistry" knowledge to safeguard the alchemist's eager headlong rush into experimentation. There are bound to be accidents, with ever-increasing levels of backlash, that can only be reduced by high levels of chemistry. Without this, the alchemist can expect to suffer penalties equal to medium level "Overstepping" effects, or worse. But given that he takes care, the alchemist will be able apply all they have learned of naturally-sourced reagent properties, including wards, to any listed medium. Potions are the one exception, as they are still limited to only two blended properties. They have maybe had the good fortune of encountering a mage that was desperate for money and discovered Blood Magic Alchemy, allowing the alchemist to learn more than just the "natural" types of alchemical enhancements. They now realize the potential inherent in gleaning new properties from the mage's blood and of infusing some of the capabilities of an entire domain of magic into different mediums. By the time Master level is reached, they will have learned to infuse the properties of one domain's Expert-level capabilities and another at Competent. Their chosen explosive is far more potent now, and they are developing a second medium as well, which can now include Solid.

MASTER (151-250)

The alchemist begins learning to create wards against the types of domain magic they know. There is no longer a risk of toxicity in their natural potions, and they can blend all manners of properties in them. However, the master alchemist is only capable of Competent level domain potions, and only in the one domain they were previously able to infuse Expert level properties from. In all other mediums however, their growth in new domains of magic will branch into two new schools. By the time the alchemist finishes this tier of skill, they can infuse Master level properties of one domain into any medium but liquid, which can only reach Expert. They can likewise infuse Expert level domain properties from their second choice, potions again coming up one level short at Competent. And their two latest domains are able to be infused at Competent , with potions at novice. The alchemist's chosen explosive is now completely stable, and highly destructive and their second choice slightly less on both counts, while the others must be handled with care and are not very efficient.

GRANDMASTER (250)

This is truly a figure capable of godlike proportions. It is not so much that there is any great difference in power between a long-standing Master and a new Grandmaster. It is the fact that there is virtually no limit to the number of domains this individual can eventually learn to infuse into ANY medium, including potions. The Grandmaster alchemist does not begin this tier with any new capabilities, but with the requisite accumulations of appropriate knowledges, and willing sources, this alchemist could learn to infuse Master level domain magic, in any and all combinations, from every school! His only shortcoming is that he can not ever obtain Revealed domain magic from any source, however willing. But the Grandmaster Alchemist makes up for this in the ability to glean Divine Magic from willing, Blessed characters. Again, this will require huge amounts of knowledge for each mark, as well as once again falling short of ever achieving Champion level mark abilities. Potions as well as explosives as well as wards are all capable of being improved to full Mastery with the accumulation of enough knowledge. And though it is doubtful that any individual could ever master everything, a Grandmaster alchemist has surely mastered a great deal.

Credit to Maltruism with Revisions by Pig Boy

Progressing Alchemy

Alchemy Knowledge

The collapsible below has examples of Skill Knowledge for this skill. If you are unsure of what Knowledge is, please check the Knowledge Primer for details. Please remember that our Peer Reviewers will be checking to make sure that your Knowledge claim is appropriate to what you have learned in the thread and ensuring that you are not duplicating knowledge.

A guide to knowledge can be found here (this link takes you to the site) and the person reviewing your thread will do so following the steps laid out in the [Peer Reviewer Guide]. If you wish to use one of these knowledge in your request, please ensure that it is appropriate to your thread.