Brewing Potions

Potion brewing is a unique art form that is different from crafting magical items. Depending on your background, you may approach the brewing of potions from an alchemical standpoint or an herbalism standpoint and proficiency in tools of either can be used for the brewing process. A number of factors should be considered when attempting to brew potions.

1. Recipe. To brew a potion, one must have a recipe for that potion. Alternatively, spellcasters may be able to brew a potion without a recipe if they know a spell that creates that effect and if it can be applied to others (for example, a potion of healing could be created using a cure wounds spell, a potion of bless could be used using a bless spell, etc). These potions have a limited shelf life and a spellcaster can only maintain the potency of three such potions per spellcasting level at a time. Acquiring a recipe for a potion may prove difficult, depending on the potion, as alchemists and potion-makers are very possessive of their recipes and unlikely to give them up easily. Potion recipes may also be handed down within schools of magic, alchemical guilds, covens, or passed down between family members as an heirloom.
2. Components. Once one has possession of a particular recipe for a potion, you must collect the ingredient components needed for brewing the potion. These goods can be collected by foraging, defeating monstrous creatures for components, or purchased at any vendor that sells such things. The difficulty in acquiring the components varies on the complexity of the potion itself.
3. Brewing. Finally, there are many things that can go wrong with the brewing process itself. Potion brewing requires full attention -- it is not something that can be left while you go adventuring -- as often the ingredients are volatile and could lead to disastrous effects if left unattended.

It is not possible to “skip ahead” in the brewing process, nor is it possible to skip any of the above considerations with the exception of a spellcaster using their arcane knowledge to imbue a potion with a spell rather than through the mixing of ingredients. (Imbuing potions is described more fully later.)

Recipes

Potion recipes are most frequently handed down through the generations without monetary transactions. Still, it may be possible to acquire a copy of a potion recipe from one who knows or deals in such things with the right amount of convincing (and coin). Once acquired, however, recipes can be used indefinitely (so long as you keep them safe).

Recpie table

Potion rarity	DC	Avg cost*
Common	10	25gp
Uncommon	15	100gp
Rare	18	2,000gp
Very Rare	20	10,000gp
Legendary	25	50,000gp

* This cost is approximate and intended to serve as a guide as no formal system for buying and selling potion recipes exist and they are not commonly for sale.

Components

Acquiring potion ingredients and material components is often an arduous and time consuming process which frequently results in abject failure or time wasted if the ingredients are difficult to find. This can be mitigated by purchasing potion ingredients separately, but that increases the cost of the potion making process.

Component foraging table

Potion rarity	DC (to find*)	CR**	Cost
Common	8	1 - 3	25gp
Uncommon	12	4 - 8	100gp
Rare	18	9 - 12	1,000gp
Very Rare	20	13 - 18	10,000gp
Legendary	25	19 - 24	50,000gp

* This DC applies both to foraging checks as well as Intelligence (Investigation) checks to find a supplier.
** See the Encounters while foraging table.

Brewing

Once a recipe is acquired and the ingredients have been procured, the last step is the brewing process itself. Potions may have a range of complications based on the complexity of the potion recipe, which tends to increase relative to the rarity of the potion being brewed. To brew a potion, one must be proficient in either Herbalism Kit or Alchemist’s Tools or the DC is increased by 5.

Brewing Table

Potion rarity	Base DC	DC (with Herbalism Kit or Alchemist's Tools)
Common	15	10
Uncommon	20	15
Rare	23	18
Very Rare	25	20
Legendary	30	25

Complications

A failed brew may simply ruin the materials, or may result in a more explosive reaction. On a brewing check that fails by 5 or more, roll on the brewing complications table below.

Complications table

d6	Complication
1	Potion explodes, all components and tools destroyed, brewer takes 2d6 + rarity modifier* acid damage, 50% chance recipe was destroyed.
2	Potion boils over, ingredients and components are lost, brewer takes 1d6 + rarity modifier acid damage, 20% chance recipe was destroyed.
3	Container holding the brewing potion cracks, all potion spills below dealing 1d6 + rarity modifier acid damage to anything below the brewing apparatus.
4	Potion was mixed incorrectly. Instead of the intended purpose, potion deals 3d6 + rarity modifier poison damage when consumed. DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) to identify the problem.
5	Potion seems flat and gives off a strange smell. In addition to the intended purpose, potion deals 1d6 + rarity modifier poison damage when consumed. DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) to identify the problem.
6	No obvious complication, but potion is ineffective. DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) to identify the problem.

* See rarity modifier table below.

Rarity modifier

Potion rarity	Rarity modifier
Common	0
Uncommon	1d6
Rare	2d6
Very Rare	4d6
Legendary	8d6

Imbuing Potions

Potions can be imbued with magical assistance only by those with the spellcaster ability and knowledge of a related spell. Potions that are imbued are made with a common base liquid component and combined with the material components of the spell (if applicable) which are consumed by the brewing process. The spellcaster performs a ritual casting of the spell which lasts 8 hours to imbue a potion with the desired magical effect.

The same process is still followed for imbued potions, however, since all imbued potions use a common base ingredient into which magical components and arcane power are added, the rarity of those components is considered Common. Since potions that are imbued by magic, a recipe is not required, but imbued potions lose their potency after a period of time based on the level of the spell.

Brewing the potion is still a tenuous process and subject to failure, especially for more complex (higher spell level) potions. Failing a brewing check on an imbued potion by 5 or more still results in having to roll on the brewing complications table.

Imbued Potion Table

Spell level	Brewing DC	Potion potency (in days)
1	10	1d4 + 1
2	10	2d4 + 1
3	12	1d6 + 2
4	12	2d6 + 2
5	15	3d6 + 2
6	15	4d6 + 2
7	15	4d8 + 2
8	18	5d8
9	18	6d10