```metadata
title: Alchemy
description: >-
Crafting homebrew system that focuses on using ingredients gathered from slain
creatures, gemstones found or purchased and time to make potions and
alchemical products. It gives players the freedom to design the effect of
those products and the DM the ability to balance it with the appropriate cost.
tags:
- ''
systems:
- 5e
renderer: legacy
theme: 5ePHB
```
# Alchemy
##### proficiency with alchemy supplies required
Your alchemy supplies include salts, sulfur, mercury and the equipment necessery to create alchemical items. It also includes your alchemy formula notebook where you write down recipes for alchemical processes. Because of the dangerous and unstable nature of these processes, you can only complete alchemical processes in a secure room such as an inn or preferably a laboratory.
### Researching Formulas
Between game sessions, you can research one new alchemical formula each time. You may improve or modify a previous formula, or come up with a whole new idea. This can be as detailed as "a healing potion that heals 3d10 hit points" or as vague as "any alchemical item". The DM will provide you with the details of that formula during the next session. The DM will assign a cost of reagents and time appropriate for the requested effects. You may also request details of the cost or batch time, allowing the DM to use the alchemical item's effects to balance out the formula.
If you request detailed effects in addition to specific costs and time, and the DM considers it an unbalanced request, you may lose your chance to learn a new formula until after the next session.
### Alchemical Formulas
Alchemical formulas are recipes for crafting alchemical items. There is no crafting check for alchemical processes, instead there are a variety of variables and elements that can affect the outcome of an alchemical process. Each formula will have three elements to it.
##### Reagents
This is the ingredient cost of producing the alchemical item. The quantity and type of reagents will depend on the specific formula and the resulting item.
##### Time
Each alchemical process will take a certain number of days to complete. Exactly how long will be affected by variables during the process itself, but each formula will have a maximum process time.
##### Quantity
The exact number of alchemical items produced by the process will depend on variables during the process itself. However, each formula will list the maximum number of items created.
```
```
### Harversting Reagents
There are five types of reagents that are required for alchemical processes. They are refined from ingredients of slain creatures and monsters on your adventures.
| Reagent | Ingredient Samples |
|:----|:-------------|
| Essences | ectoplasm, elemental substances, etc. |
| Extracts | plant matter, organic tissue, etc. |
| Matter | hides, silk, feathers, etc. |
| Powders | bones, chitin, claws, scales, fangs, etc. |
| Secretions | blood, saliva, mucus, venoms, acid, etc. |
The process of turning ingredients into reagents happens automatically once the ingredient is harvested. Harvesting the ingredient in a usable form will usually involve some form of skill check depending on the monster. Exactly which type of reagent is acquired can be negotiated with the DM, based on the type of ingredient or body part. If you need Secretions, and you just killed a rock elemental, find a creative way to convince the DM you can get some form of secretion from it.
However, if neither you nor the DM wants to think about what kind of reagent or ingredient can be harvest, simply use the table below to harvest reagents.
| Reagent | | Creature Type |
|:----|:---:|:---|
| Essences |- | Celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, undead |
| Extracts |- |Beast, dragon, fey, monstrosity, plant |
| Matter |- |Beast, dragon, fey, fiend, giant, humanoid, plant, undead |
| Powders |- |Beast, constructs, dragon, monstrosity |
| Secretions |- |Aberration, beast, dragon, fiend, ooze, undead |
\page
### Transmutation Crystals
You have a formula, the required reagents, some downtime and maybe even some willing assistants to help you. The next vital step is crafting a transmutation crystal.
It takes 1 day to create a transmutation crystal from a gemstone. You cannot do anything else that day. For every assistant you have, you can sacrifice another gemstone to make an additional crystal at the same time.
The chosen gemstone will be destroyed in the process, and represents the only unavoidable financial cost of the alchemical process. The value of the gemstone dictates the type of crystal created.
| Crystal | Dice Type | Gemstone Value |
|:----:|:-------------:|:----:|
| Minor Crystal | d4 | 10gp |
| Lesser Crystal | d6 | 50gp |
| Major Crystal | d8 | 100gp |
| Greater Crystal | d10 | 500gp |
| Grand Crystal | d12 | 1000gp |
| Supreme Crystal | d20 | 5000gp |
Crystals are created using a metal catalyst. Each type of metal gives a different advantage to the finished crystal.
| | |
|:----:|:-------------:|
| Iron | Advantage on durability checks|
| Copper | Advantage on quantity checks |
| Silver | Advantage on quickness checks |
| Gold | Advantage on the longetivity check |
Every crystal made will last for a certain number of days. Roll the crystal's die and multiply the result by three to determine **longetivity**. Write down the expiration day for the crystal.
### The Alchemical Process
To begin an alchemical process batch, the crystal needs to survive a **durability check**. Roll the crystal's die, on a 1 the crystal shatters. Another crystal will need to be used to proceed with the batch.
Every batch then needs a **quantity check**, roll the crystal's die. That is the amount of the items that will be created at the end of the process if all goes well. The maximum quantity of the formula is still the overall limitation of the batch.
Every batch also needs a **quickness check**, roll the crystal's die. Subtract that number from the formula's process time. Every batch will need at least one day to complete.
Someone will need to monitor the batch each day of the process. A trusted or paid assistant is capable of this.
### Alchemical Items
The possibility of items that can be created are almost limitless. You as an alchemist can dream up any potential item that you want to create, and the DM will simply impose limits through the reagent cost and process time. However, below are some sample categories of alchemical items.
#### Potions
Potions usually take only an action to drink, and provide some magical bonus or effect immediatly.
* Potion of Healing: 1 Action, regain 2d4 + 2 hit points | 1x Essences, 1x Extracts | Time: 5 days | Quantity: 4 items |
* Potion of Water Breathing: 1 Action, breathe underwater, lasts 1 hour | 2x Secretions | Time: 7 days | Quantity: 6 items
#### Bombs
Bombs encompass objects that you can throw or attack an enemy with. A vial of acid, while not technically a bomb, would likely fall in this category.
* Vial of Acid: 1 Action, Melee, Range 20/60 feet, One Target, 2d6 acid damage | 1x Secretions | Time: 4 days | Quantity: 2 items
* Alchemist's Fire: 1 Action, Range 20/60 feet, One Target, 1d4 fire damage each turn | 1x Secretions, 1x Matter | Time: 6 days | Quantity: 6 items
#### Elixirs
Elixirs tend to incorporate longer term benefits and effects, or substantial changes to those who drink them. Keep in mind, you can request a negative effect with an elixir to counter a high reagent cost or process time. Negotiate with your DM.
* Lead Elixir: 1 Action, Resistance to Melee, Speed Halved, lasts 30 seconds | 2x Powders | Time: 5 days | Quantity: 2 items
### Laboratories and Assistants
As you gain wealth, you may want to consider pursuing a more permanent and secure alchemy setup. Brewing potions and elixirs out of inns is just not secure in the long term.
If you decide to purchase or rent a location to make a laboratoy from, the actual cost of investment can be discussed between yourself and the DM. The more you invest into laboratory equipment such as alembics, retorts, sand baths, snow globes will further lower the chance of a malfunction during a batch.
And in order to run this laboratory, you may want to hire servants and apprentices to keep an eye on long term alchemical processes when you are absent. Perhaps you may want to contract an experienced alchemist to handle several batches while you are off adventuring.