Alchemy
Inspiration from AeronDrake and their Wilderness Survival Guide
Throughout the ages, people ahve tried to create mystical effects through the are of alchemy. Whether to heal or hinder, these potions, poisons and substances have been used to heal the sick, weaken foes of give combatants an alchemical advantage.
Alchemy can be done with either a Herbalism Kit, Poisoner's Kit or Alchemist's Supplies. A Herbalism Kit can be used to make potions, a Poisoner's Kit can be used to make poisons that can cause effects through ingestion, inhalation or contact and Alchemist's Supplies are used to make bombs and weapon coatings.
Gathering
The first step to alchemy is by finding ingredients. Ingredients can be any natural resource with a connection to a primal element such as plants, herbs, stones or even parts of creatures. Each ingredient contains a number of essences which can be extracted and used in creations. The essences are:
- Earth (
) - Fire (
) - Water (
) - Air (
) - Life (
) - Darkness (
).
Ingredients can be of different qualities and therefore contain different amounts of essences. They can be:
- Basic ingredients contain 1 essence
- Uncommon ingredients contain 2 essences
- Rare ingredients contain 3 essences
Finding Ingredients
This guide only includes herbs and plants as ingredients. It is up to the DMs discretion to decide what substances contain other essences.
Herbs can be gathered through foraging in the wilderness. This can be done by making an Intelligence (Nature) check as part of the foraging activity while travelling. The total of your Intelligence (Nature) check determines what you can find and how much.
Amount of Ingredients Found
| DC | Amount Found | Max Rarity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - 8 | 1 | Basic |
| 9 - 14 | 1d4 | Basic |
| 15 - 19 | 1d4 | Uncommon |
| >20 | 1d6 | Rare |
The DM then rolls a d20 for each in the respective area table, re-rolling ingredients that are above the maximum rarity.
It is possible for herbs to be cultivated in a garden which can provide a ready source of ingredients. However, to grow herbs with an elemental affinity, you will have to create an environment with an abundance of that element for them to grow properly.
Selling Ingrdients
Ingredients can be bought and sold at markets although rarer ingredients might not be able to be found at conventional shops and you may need to find these ingredients at specialist shops.
| Plant Rarity | Purchase Price | Selling Price |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 5 gp | 2 gp |
| Uncommon | 15 gp | 5 gp |
| Rare | 30 gp | 15 gp |
Crafting
Now you have your ingredients and your tools, you can make some creations.
Basics
- Any creation uses a base and a number of ingredients.
- You can use up to 4 ingredients in one creation.
- The ingredients are any resource which have one or more essences you use to create the mixture (such as blue herbs or a Mandrake root).
- When your ingredients have than 3 essences, you can decide what essences are used for which effect or if they are used at all.
- If an effect with a numerical value is used multiple times, the numerical value is multiplied by the number of times the effect is repeated.
- If an effect with a duration is used multiple times, the duration is multiplied by the number of times the effect is repeated.
- The value of creations equals to the value of the base plus 10gp for each effect.
- The process takes 1 hour for every 5gp the end result is worth.
- All ingredients are consumed at the start of the process.
Herbalism Kit
A Herbalism Kit can be used to make potions. These have 1 dose per phial.
- You will need 10gp worth of mundane ingredients for the base.
- At the end of the process, you must make an intelligence check, using your proficiency if you are proficient in the herbalism kit.
- The creation DC equals 6 + (2 x the number of essences in the ingredients used).
- Only one potion can be in affect at any one time. If another potion is drunk, the user suffers an effect from the mixing potions table in the DMG.
Poisoner's Kit
A Poisoner's kit can be used to make poisons that can be ingested, inhaled or activated on contact (the rules for how to use these are in the Dungeon Master's Guide). There is 1 dose per phial.
Poisons that are inhaled can be throw up to 30 ft. as an action and will take up a 5 ft. cube until the end of your next turn. You can put a poison designed for ingestion on a weapon that does piercing or slashing damage, however it will only last until the end of your next turn or until the weapon hits a creature.
- For a poison that is ingested, you will need 10gp worth of mundane ingredients for the base. The base creation DC is 6.
- For a poison that is inhaled you will need 15 gp worth of mundane ingredients and 1 extra air (
) essence for the base. The base creation DC is 8. - For a poison that will activates on contact, you will need 15gp worth of mundane ingredients and 1 extra earth (
) essence for the base. The base creation DC is 8. - At the end of the process, you must make an intelligence check, using your proficiency if you are proficient with the poisoner's kit.
- The creation DC equals the base creation DC + (2 x the number of essences in the ingredients used)
- If any effects require a saving throw, the DC is 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency with the poisoner's kit.
Alchemist's Supplies
Alchemist's Supplies are used to make bombs and weapon coatings. Bombs have a range of (20/60) and take and action to throw. When thrown, they will explode and affect all targets in a 5 ft. radius sphere. Weapon coatings take an action to apply to 1 weapon or 10 pieces of ammunition and last for 1 minute, affecting any creature hit by an attack with the weapon.
- For a bomb, you will need 10gp worth of mundane materials for the base. The base creation DC is 6.
- For a weapon coating, you will need 20gp worth of materials and 1 extra water (
) essence for the base. The base creation DC is 10. - At the end of the process, you must make an intelligence check, using you proficiency if you are proficient with the alchemist's supplies.
- The creation DC equals the base creation DC + (2 x the number of essences in the ingredients used)
- If any effects require a saving throw, the DC is 8 + your Intelligence modifier + your proficiency with the Alchemist's Supplies.
- Only 1 weapon coating can be on a weapon at any 1 time. If another is applied, both weapon coating effects are nullified.
Example of Creating a Potion
You want to create a potion that when drunk heals a person for 2d4 + 2 hit points, you have proficiency with the herbalism kit and you have 3 ingredients: an ucre bramble (
You are making a potion so you need 10 gp worth of base materials and you decide to use the life essence to make the effects and discard the air essence. You are maing a potion with 2 effects (the heal 1d4+1 hp effect twice) so the value of the potion is 30gp (10 + 10 + 10) so the process takes 6 hours.
The creation DC is 16 (6 + (2 x 5)) because the used ingredients contained 5 essences in total. You can make the check using your intelligence modifier and your proficiency modifier.
Effects
Here is a list of the effects that different combinations of essences make with different kits.
Herbalism Kit
| Essences Required | Effect |
|---|---|
| Heals 1d4 + 1 hit point | |
| For 1 minute, you regain 1 hit point at the end of your turn | |
| Removes 1 disease or the poisoned condition | |
| You gain 1d4 + 1 temporary hit points | |
| You gain resistance to radiant and necrotic damage for 1 minute | |
| When you are next hit by an attack within 1 minute, the attacker automatically takes 1d8 radiant damage | |
| Prevents the negative effects of being in extremely cold weather for 8 hours | |
| For 1 minute, you may add an extra 1d4 to any ability check | |
| You do not need to drink or eat for 24 hours | |
| You gain an extra 10 ft. of movement for 1 minute | |
| When you are next hit by an attack within 1 minute, the attacker automatically takes 1d8 cold damage | |
| Prevents the negative effects of being in extremely hot weather for 8 hours | |
| You gain resistance to bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage for 1 minute (chosen when the potion is made) | |
| You gain resistance to fire, cold or lightning damage for 1 minute (chosen when the potion is made) | |
| When you are next hit by an attack within 1 minute, the attacker automatically takes 1d8 fire damage | |
| Gives advantage on saves against being moved by external forces for 1 minute | |
| You are unaffected by non-magical difficult terrain for 1 minute | |
| You may add 10 to the next Dexterity (Stealth) check you make within 1 minute | |
| You don't need to breath for 1 minute | |
| When you are next hit by an attack within 1 minute, the attacker automatically takes 1d8 lightning damage | |
| When you are next hit by an attack within 1 minute, the attacker automatically takes 1d8 necrotic damage |
Poisoner's Kit
| Essences Required | Effect |
|---|---|
| The target must make a wisdom save or be charmed by you for one minute. They can remake the save every time they see you or one of your allies deal damage to it or one of it's allies | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target gains the sunlight sensitivity feature for 1 round | |
| The target must make a saving throw. On a failure, the target is frightened of you for 1 minute and repeats the saving throw at the end of their turn | |
| The target receives half the amount of hit points from healing effects for 1 round. | |
| A target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall unconscious for 1 hour. The target wakes up if it takes damage or if another creature takes an action to shake it awake | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they have vulnerability to radiant damage for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of their turns | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target is poisoned for 1 hour | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target is under the effect of the zone of truth spell for 10 minutes | |
| The target must make a strength save or have their speed halved. They may repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn until they succeed | |
| The target has disadvantage on its next ability check | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they have vulnerability to cold damage for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of their turns | |
| Target makes a constitution save and takes 1d8 poison damage on a failure or half damage on a success | |
| The target is poisoned for 1 round | |
| The target must make a constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns for 1 minute. On a failure, the target takes 1d4 poison damage. On a success, the condition ends | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they have vulnerability to fire damage for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of their turns | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target suffers 1 level of exhaustion |
| Essences Required | Effect |
|---|---|
| The target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target is blinded for 1 minute and repeats the saving throw at the end of their turn | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they have vulnerability to poison damage for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of their turns | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target is incapacitated for 1 round | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they have vulnerability to lightning damage for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of their turns | |
| The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they have vulnerability to necrotic damage for 1 minute, repeating the saving throw at the end of each of their turns |
Alchemist's Supplies
| Essences Required | Effect |
|---|---|
| Target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 radiant damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| Targets must reduce their next charisma saving throw by 1d4 | |
| Targets do not benefit from invisibility for 1 round | |
| Targets must succeed on a strength saving throw or be restrained for 1 minute. They can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns | |
| Targets must make a dexterity saving throw or be blinded for 1 round | |
| Targets can't take reactions until their next turn | |
| Target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 cold damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| Targets must reduce their next wisdom saving throw by 1d4 | |
| On an impact, the targets are covered with a sticky gel. Any effect that deals fire, cold or lightning damage to them while covered in the gel deals an extra 1d6 of that damage. An affected creature or an adjacent one can spend an action to remove the gel | |
| Targets must reduce their next intelligence saving throw by 1d4 | |
| Target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 acid damage. On a success, they take half damage |
| Essences Required | Effect |
|---|---|
| Target must make a dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 fire damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| The affected area is covered in a thick mist making it heavily obscured for 1 round (If used as a weapon coating, on an attack, a 5 ft. cube centred on you becomes heavily obscured) | |
| Target must make a dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 force damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| Targets must reduce their next strength saving throw by 1d4 | |
| Target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 poison damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| Target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 thunder damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| Targets must reduce their next constitution saving throw by 1d4 | |
| Target must make a dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 lightning damage. On a success, they take half damage | |
| Targets must reduce their next dexterity saving throw by 1d4 | |
| Target must make a constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 1d6 necrotic damage. On a success, they take half damage |
Plants and Herbs by Areas
In the following tables you can see examples of plants and their alchemical essence for various environments.
Arctic
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Blue herb | Common | |
| 6-10 | Drojos ivy | Common | |
| 11-15 | Ucre bramble | Common | |
| 16-18 | White poppy | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Kreet paste | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Angel flower | Rare |
Caves
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Twilight wormwood | Common | |
| 6-10 | Blue herb | Common | |
| 11-15 | Mandrake root | Common | |
| 16-18 | Abyss flower | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Kasuni juice | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Blackleaf Rose | Rare |
Desert
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Drojos ivy | Common | |
| 6-10 | Ellond scrub | Common | |
| 11-15 | Ucre bramble | Common | |
| 16-18 | Dried Ephedra | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Olina petals | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Ebrium fungus | Rare |
Forests
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Twilight wormwood | Common | |
| 6-10 | Drojos ivy | Common | |
| 11-15 | Ellond scrub | Common | |
| 16-18 | Blood herb | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Thunderleaf | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Wisp stems | Rare |
Lakes, rivers and ocean
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Twilight wormwood | Common | |
| 6-10 | Blue herb | Common | |
| 11-15 | Mandrake root | Common | |
| 16-18 | Aniseed sap | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Kreet paste | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Chromatic mud | Rare |
Mountains
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Drojos ivy | Common | |
| 6-10 | Ellond scrub | Common | |
| 11-15 | Mandrake root | Common | |
| 16-18 | Ash chives | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Kasuni juice | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Dragontongue petals | Rare |
Plains
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Ellond scrub | Common | |
| 6-10 | Mandrake root | Common | |
| 11-15 | Ucre bramble | Common | |
| 16-18 | Aniseed sap | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Lunar nectar | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Dragontongue petals | Rare |
Swamps
| 1d20 | Name | Rarity | Essences |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Twilight wormwood | Common | |
| 6-10 | Blue herb | Common | |
| 11-15 | Ucre bramble | Common | |
| 16-18 | Frenn moss | Uncommon | |
| 19 | Ecire laurel | Uncommon | |
| 20 | Spineflower berries | Rare |