Potioner
A noxious combination of sweet and foul smells drift from a boiling flask to the nose of a weary gnome. But she doesn’t even notice the smell, concentrating instead on the subtle color changes of the boiling liquid. When the color turns a tad more green than blue, she takes the flask off the open flame and sighs with satisfaction.
An elf charges after her quarry, silver knife drawn. Her veins pump with a yellow and black ichor, and her knife gleams with a translucent purple liquid. With deft precision, she slashes the human’s throat who manages a gasp before the poison silences him forever.
Three adventurers stop by a swirling pool in the center of a marble temple. A halfling unhitches his satchel, and the dull clink of glass is heard as he rummages through it, finally pulling three vials of sea-green liquid. They drink a vial each and dive in.
Solitary Study
Potion brewing is a long and arduous process. Not only must a potioner devote the time necessary to study their craft, but also the time necessary to make each potion. This often means a potioner spends much of their time alone huddled over a cauldron, poring over dusty tomes, or foraging the woodlands for their ingredients. They lack a spellcaster's instant access to conjure or evoke what is necessary in the moment, instead meticulously crafting what may be essential in the future. Such a life does not guarantee excitement.
And yet, there is hardly an adventurer who would go into the dragon’s den without a potion of fire resistance or charge a troll encampment without a hearty sack full of potions of healing. Potioners put in this proper preparation so when the party falls headlong into a trap, they can be ready with solutions.
The Natural and Arcane
Potioners help bridge the worlds of nature and arcana. They study components of plants and animals to draw out their magical essence. One might say they use a person’s body itself as a spellcasting focus for their arcane arts.
Many potioners are just at home studying in the jungles and forests as they are reading scrolls at their potion brewing tables. Alchemy is an arcane practice that requires a hefty dose of physical exploration as much as mental exploration. They specialize in intertwining noumena and phenomena, creating the esoteric out of the perennial. With this understanding of herbs and flora, they can bottle heroism, brew strength, and unleash life.
Creating a Potioner
Consider how and why you took up the art to begin with. Did you seek out this study or were you put into an apprenticeship at a young age? Who taught you alchemy or are you self-taught? Potioners are crafters, scholars, and adventurers. Determine how your character most identifies with each role. Do they prefer the craft, the research, or the exploration? Or maybe they like all three.
Many potioners spend their time crafting and selling their goods, why is yours joining an adventuring party? Are you merely accruing gold and experience before setting up your own shop or research facility or will your life always be spent in the field? Do they like making potions for others? Do they expect anything in return?
Quick Build
You can make a potioner quickly by following these suggestions. First, Intelligence should be your highest ability score, followed by Constitution. If you plan to take Combat as an Auxiliary Study, make Strength or Dexterity your next-best score instead depending on whether you want to focus on melee weapons or on archery (or finesse weapons). Second, choose the sage background.
Optional Rule: Multiclassing
If your group uses the optional rule on multiclassing in the Player's Handbook, here's what you need to know if you choose potioner as one of your classes.
Ability Score Minimum. As a multiclass character, you must have at least an Intelligence score of 13 to take a level in this class or to take a level in another class if you are already a potioner.
Proficiencies Gained. If potioner isn't your initial class, here are the proficiencies you gain when you take your first level as a potioner: herbalism kit and poisoner's kit.
Class Features
As a potioner, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d6 per potioner level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 6 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d6 (or 4) + your Constitution modifier per level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light
- Weapons: Daggers, simple ranged weapons
- Tools: Alchemist's supplies, herbalism kit, poisoner's kit,
- Saving Throws: Intelligence, Constitution
- Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Arcana, History, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Persuasion, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) three daggers or (b) a shortbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
- (a) an explorer’s pack or (b) a scholar’s pack
- Leather armor, a herbalism kit, and a poisoner’s kit
If you forgo this starting equipment, as well as the items offered by your background, you start with 5d4 x 10 gp to buy your equipment.
The Potioner
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Common | Uncommon | Rare | Very Rare | Legendary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Potionmaking | 3 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Identifying Potions and Poisons, Chemical Combat | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Auxiliary Study | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Osmotic Potionmaking | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Chemical Resistance | 4 | 4 | 1 | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Auxiliary Study feature | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Fortified | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 10th | +4 | Fortitude | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 11th | +4 | Natural Production | 4 | 8 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 9 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 13th | +5 | Auxiliary Study feature | 4 | 10 | 5 | 3 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Improved Osmotic Potionmaking | 4 | 11 | 6 | 3 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Maximum Potency | 4 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| 17th | +6 | Auxiliary Study feature | 4 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Superior Natural Production | 4 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Potion Master | 4 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
Potions
1st-level potioner feature
You gain a potions book where you keep all your potion and poison recipes. You start with three common recipes and one uncommon recipe of your choice (the list of potion and poison rarities is detailed at the end of the class description), and already have these four recipes prepared.
Learning New Potions and Poisons
As you gain levels in this class, you learn new potion or poison recipes of your choice to put into your potions book. The Potioner table shows when you learn more potions or poisons of which rarity of your choice to add to your potions book. Once you learn a potion or poison and put it in your potions book, you always know how to make this potion or poison.
Potionmaking
When making a potion or poison from you potions book, you expend an amount of time and money based on the rarity of the potion or poison. You can find these amounts in the Potionmaking Table. You do not need to complete a potion or poison all at once. You may instead devote some time over any number of days to complete it.
If you do not have your potions book when making a potion or poison you have learned, you must succeed on an Intelligence check with your proficiency bonus against the potion’s or poison’s rarity DC on the Potionmaking Table before you begin your work. If you fail you may not attempt to make that potion or poison again until you have finished a short or long rest.
Potionmaking Table
| Potion Rarity | Cost | Time Required | DC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 10 gp | 1 hour | 5 |
| Uncommon | 50 gp | 2 hours | 10 |
| Rare | 200 gp | 4 hours | 15 |
| Very Rare | 1,000 gp | 8 hours | 20 |
| Legendary | 10,000 gp | 24 hours | 25 |
You may also attempt to craft a potion or poison you have not learned and is not in your potions book. This potion or poison can be of any rarity. The time and money costs are doubled for this attempt. When you have fulfilled the time and money costs required, you must make an Intelligence check with your proficiency bonus against the appropriate rarity DC on the Potionmaking Table. On a failure, the potion or poison will have no effect, and you must continue to work on the potion or poison until you meet the normal time requirements (see the Magic Item Crafting Time and Cost section on pg. 129 of Xanathar's Guide to Everything) at which point the potion or poison will be complete.
Crafting potions and poisons in this way is unique to other forms of crafting. You put little of your personal essence into your creations in order to speed up the process. As such, you can make a number of potions or poisons in this way equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier. Once you reach that total you cannot begin to make anymore until a potion or poison of yours is used, or you take 1 minute to make a potion or poison inert of any effects. You may, however, craft a potion or poison using the normal rules for doing so, even if you reach your limit as a potioner.
If a potion or poison has a saving throw DC, you may use your potioner save DC (8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier) instead of the DC listed with the potion or poison.
Potions Book
Your potions book holds both your potion and poison recipes and may have a variety of appearances from an elegant gilt-edged folio to a collection of loosely bound and tattered pages.
You may fully replicate your potions book. The time to do so is 10 minutes per common and uncommon potion or poison, 30 minutes per rare, 1 hour per very rare, and 2 hours per legendary. These times are doubled if you don’t have your original potions book to work off of.
Discerning Potions and Poisons
2nd-level potioner feature
You can more readily identify the craft of others. When you come across a potion that is in your potions book, you immediately know the potion. Otherwise you may spend a minute examining the potion. At the end of the minute, you determine what the potion is.
Additionally, you gain advantage on any check you make to determine if something is poisoned and know immediately if you are subjected to a poison, even if its effects have not taken place yet.
Chemical Combat
2nd-level potioner feature
You may take the Use an Object action as a bonus action, and you add your proficiency bonus to any attack roll you make with acid, alchemist's fire, or oil.
Auxiliary Study
3rd-level potioner feature
You chose an auxiliary study of your choice: Advanced Potions, Combat, or Magic, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your study grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 17th level.
Ability Score Improvement
4th-level potioner feature
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature
Osmotic Potionmaking
5th-level potioner feature
When you finish a long rest, you may put 2 hours to the work of any potion or poison in your potions book.
Chemical Resistance
6th-level potioner feature
Your work on potions and poisons has given you resistance to acid and poison damage. You also have advantage on any saving throw to resist the effects of any poison.
Fortified
9th-level potioner feature
Your potions always bolster those who imbibe them. When a creature drinks a potion you made, it gains temporary hit points equal to half your potioner level.
Fortitude
10th-level potioner feature
Your body has become resolute and able to endure attacks against it such as an green dragon's toxic breath or the shatter spell. You gain proficiency in Constitution checks, and when you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Constitution saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Natural Production
11th-level potioner feature
You are able to alter your body’s biology in order to produce one of your potions. Choose one uncommon potion in your potions book to be a permanent part of your physiology. As a bonus action, you can activate this potion and gain its effects.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Improved Osmotic Potionmaking
14th-level potioner feature
You may now put 4 hours to the work of any potion or poison in your potions book when finishing a long rest, and 1 hour to the work of any potion or poison in your potions book when finishing a short rest.
Maximum Potency
15-level potioner feature
You can capture the most powerful form of a potion for a limited time. For the first 24 hours after making a potion, any dice rolled for that potion is instead the highest number possible for each die. After 24 hours, roll dice as normal.
Improved Natural Production
18th-level potioner feature
You can alter your body to produce an additional potion. Choose one rare potion in your potions book to be a permanent part of your physiology. As a bonus action, you can activate this potion and gain its effects.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can use it again.
Potion Master
20th-level potioner feature
The cost and time required for making potions in your potions book are reduced by half.
Auxiliary Study
While potions are a useful and desired part of adventuring, potionmaking does not provide many skills to survive such excursions. As such you have taken up a second study to supplement or enhance your potionmaking. This auxiliary study may be self taught or learned through a school or tutor. Your field of choice reflects how you wish to employ your brews and concoctions, as these studies both help feed your potionmaking and draw resources from it.
Advanced Potions
Many can learn a craft, but only masters can perfect it. Your honed skills in bottling magic power has risen you to be a master potioneer, extracting the most out of each component and concentrating the full power of the magic involved.
Ally Assistance
3rd-level Advanced Potions feature
You may administer a potion to another creature as a bonus action.
Potion Mixing
3rd-level Advanced Potions feature
You can combine two potions into one with no negative side effects. At the time and cost of both potions added together, you can make one potion that has the effect of two potions of your choice. Crafting this way only counts as one potion for the total potions you can make. Also, you can take 1 hour to combine two already existing potions into one.
Additional Natural Production
7th-level Advanced Potions feature
You are able to alter your body’s biology in order to produce a magical potion. Choose one uncommon potion in your potions book to be a permanent part of your physiology. As a bonus action, you can activate this potion and gain its effects.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again. When you gain Natural Production as a class feature at 11th level, you gain an additional uncommon potion and can activate each potion once between rests.
Potion Proficiency
13th-level Advanced Potions feature
You no longer need to make an Intelligence check when making a potion or poison you have already learned without your potions book. Additionally, you have advantage on the Intelligence check when attempting to make a potion or poison you have not learned and is not already in your potions book, and the money and time costs are not doubled.
Double Dosage
17th-level Advanced Potions feature
Potions you make last twice as long, and any dice needed to roll are doubled.
Combat
Your potionmaking is merely a supplement to your fighting. Your potions are there to grant you speed, strength, or healing in battle. Your prowess in weapons makes you deadly and your magical enhancements make you deadlier. Your physical capabilities also makes it easier to sojourn the wilds to gather material for your potionmaking.
Bonus Proficiencies
3rd-level Combat feature
You gain proficiency with simple melee weapons, martial weapons, medium armor, and shields.
Quick Attack
3rd-level Combat feature
While you are under the effects of one of your potions you can make a single attack as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Poisoned Weapon
7th-level Combat feature
You may permanently apply a basic poison to one melee weapon. After taking 1 hour with it, the weapon is now poisoned and deals an additional 1d4 poison damage. Also, on a successful attack, the target must succeed a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or be poisoned until the start of your next turn.
Once a target succeeds or fails this save, it becomes immune from further attempts to be poisoned in this way for 24 hours.
Making another poisoned melee weapon removes the poison from any previous weapon.
Alchemical Explorer
13th-level Combat feature
Your study of the natural components of your potions and poisons has increased your wilderness training. You can find about 50 gp worth of potions or poisons material for every 1 hour you forage. You also double your proficiency bonus when making an Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check, if you are already proficient in those skills.
Enhanced Attack
17th-level Combat feature
While you are under the effects of one of your potions you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turns.
Magic
Your study in the arcane nature of potionmaking has created a natural bridge into spellcasting. You have obtained a spellbook. Your knowledge of spells and potions work in tandem, each helping you master the other.
Spellcasting
3rd-level Magic feature
You begin to study spells with a spellbook to supplement your potion making. In the Player's Handbook, see chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the wizard spell list.
Cantrips. You learn three cantrips of your choice from the wizard spell list. You learn another wizard cantrip of your choice at 10th level.
Preparing and Casting Spells. You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast. To do so choose a number of wizard spells from your spellbook equal to the Spells Known column of the Magic Spellcasting table. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you're a 7th-level magic potioner, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. Your list of prepared spells can include five spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination, chosen from your spellbook. If you prepare the 1st-level spell longstrider, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of wizard spells requires time spent studying your spellbook and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Spell Slots. The Magic Spellcasting table show show many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell absorb elements and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast absorb elements using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st-Level and Higher. Your spellbook has three 1st-level wizard spells of your choice, two of which you must choose from the abjuration or transmutation spells on the wizard spell list.
Magic Spellcasting
| Potioner Level | Cantrips Known | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 4th | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 5th | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 6th | 2 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 7th | 2 | 5 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 8th | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 9th | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | 3 | 7 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 11th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | 3 | 8 | 4 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | 3 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 14th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 15th | 3 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 17th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 18th | 3 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — |
| 19th | 3 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 20th | 3 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
The Spells Known column of the Magic Spellcasting table shows when you add more wizard spells of 1st level or higher to your spellbook. Each of these spells must be an abjuration or transmutation spell of your choice, and must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
The spells you learn at 8th, 14th, and 20th level can come from any school of magic.
Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the wizard spells you know with another spell of your choice from the wizard spell list. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots, and it must be an abjuration or transmutation spell, unless you’re replacing the spell you gained at 3rd, 8th, 14th, or 20th level from any school of magic.
On your adventures, you might find other spells that you can add to your spellbook (see the “Your Spellbook” sidebar). Spells acquired in this nature must be an abjuration or transmutation spell.
Spellcasting Ability. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn your spells through dedicated study and memorization. You use your Intelligence whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Regain Magic
3rd-level Magic feature
When you make a potion or poison you have made inert of its effects, you may now do so as an action and draw in some of its magic. Making a common potion or poison inert regains you a 1st-level spell slot, an uncommon potion or poison regains you a 2nd-level spell slot or lower, a rare potion or poison regains you a 3rd-level spell slot or lower, and a very rare or legendary potion or poison regains you a 4th-level spell slot or lower.
Spell Bottling
7th-level Magic feature
You can make a potion with the effects of a spell or cantrip you know as if it were a potion in your potions book. It must be a spell in your spellbook with a range of Self or Touch. You must expend a spell slot of the spell's level to complete the potion and must provide any material components required for the casting of the spell. Use the Spell Cost Comparison Table below to know know the time and money costs required for the spell by checking its equivalent rarity with the Potion Making Table.
When a creature consumes the potion, the spell immediately takes effect as if the creature had cast it. If it is a spell with a range of touch, the creature that consumed the potion is the target. If the spell requires concentration, the creature that consumed the potion concentrates on the spell.
Additionally, you may now apply the same time and money cost conversion when crafting spell scrolls.
Spell Cost Comparison Table
| Spell Level | Potion Rarity |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | Common |
| 1st | Uncommon |
| 2nd | Rare |
| 3rd | Very Rare |
| 4th | Legendary |
Arcane Library
13th-level Magic feature
You can store your potions book, spellbook, potions, and poisons in a pocket dimension as an action. You can recall any amount of them as a bonus action.
Ritual Casting
13th-level Magic feature
You can cast a wizard spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell in your spellbook. You don't need to have the spell prepared.
Your Spellbook
The spells that you add to your spellbook as you gain levels reflect the arcane research you conduct on your own, as well as intellectual breakthroughs you have had about the nature of the multiverse. You might find other spells during your adventures. You could discover a spell recorded on a scroll in an evil wizard's chest, for example, or in a dusty tome in an ancient library.
Copying a Spell into the Book. When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a level for which you have spell slots and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.
Copying a spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
Replacing the Book. You can copy a spell from your own spellbook into another book— for example, if you want to make a backup copy of your spellbook. This is just like copying a new spell into your spellbook, but faster and easier, since you understand your own notation and already know how to cast the spell. You need spend only 1 hour and 10 gp for each level of the copied spell.
If you lose your spellbook, you can use the same procedure to transcribe the spells that you have prepared into a new spellbook. Filling out the remainder of your spellbook requires you to find new spells to do so, as normal. For this reason, many wizards keep backup spellbooks in a safe place.
The Book’s Appearance. Your spellbook is a unique compilation of spells, with its own decorative flourishes and margin notes. It might be a plain, functional leather volume that you received as a gift from your master, a finely bound gilt-edged tome you found in an ancient library, or even a loose collection of notes scrounged together after you lost your previous spellbook in a mishap.
All Magics
17th-level Magic feature
You can apply your Potion Making Table in the creation of any magical items. When crafting a magical item, multiply the time cost by 20 and money cost by 5.
A magic item made this way counts towards your total potions and poisons you can have made and can be made inert by you in the same way as a potion or poison.
Potion and Poison List
Common Potions and Poisons
- Potion of Climbing
- Potion of Healing
- Assassin's Blood
- Truth Serum
Uncommon Potions and Poisons
- Oil of Slipperiness
- Philter of Love
- Potion of Animal Friendship
- Potion of Fire Breath
- Potion of Growth
- Potion of Greater Healing
- Potion of Hill Giant Strength
- Potion of Poison
- Potion of Resistance
- Potion of Water Breathing
- Carrion Crawler Mucus
- Drow Poison
- Serpent Venom
- Essence of Ether
- Malice
- Oil of Taggit
- Pale Tincture
Rare Potions and Poisons
- Elixir of Health
- Oil of Etherealness
- Potion of Clairvoyance
- Potion of Diminution
- Potion of Gaseous Form
- Potion of Frost/Stone Giant Strength
- Potion of Fire Giant Strength
- Potion of Superior Healing
- Potion of Heroism
- Potion of Invulnerability
- Burnt Othur Fumes
- Midnight Tears
- Purple Worm Poison
- Torpor
- Wyvern Poison
Very Rare Potions and Poisons
- Oil of Sharpness
- Potion of Flying
- Potion of Cloud Giant Strength
- Potion of Supreme Healing
- Potion of Invisibility
- Potion of Longevity
- Potion of Mind Reading
- Potion of Speed
- Potion of Vitality
Legendary Potions and Poisons
- Potion of Storm Giant Strength