At its most basic Alchemy is the craft of taking raw plants, harvesting them, and turning them into usable goods. Alchemy is mechanically divided into two categories. Alchemists purchase Crafting Points (CP) which is the raw ability to create goods. Alchemists also purchase skill tiers which is their understanding of Alchemy and ability to create increasingly complex substances.
These are bought independently of each other so it is entirely possible to have someone have a research specialist with Tier 5 Alchemist but does not have enough production to make more than the most simple of substances. It also allows for someone to have very high PP and low tier which would be more like a factory worker or commercial Alchemist who can turn out extremely high quantities of basic substances.
An Alchemist's Tale
“Come here, boy! Oh I know you think this place dark and smells bad, and you don’t know why your mother handed you off to me. That sulfur you smell? Demon root. It’s dark because it’s a potion of the Hunter’s Skin that would make you all but invisible, but the ingredients hate the light and refuse to work till I make it dim for them. That bubbling cauldron next to you? Essence of the Golem. Gives a man or woman the strength of the Stone itself – don’t touch! Right now it would tear your arm clean off and consume it as a snack. Hrmm… your mother said you were smart, I hope for your sake she didn’t lie to me, boy. I’m getting old and it is time to find an apprentice and if you don’t blow yourself up in the few years, I might, MIGHT, teach you the secrets I have pried from plants and herbs, blood and bone, to place a piece of the old magic in a bottle. Wizards and their kind, Bah! Flashy claptrap. No staying power. Can’t sell a spell if they aren’t there, but I – I can pour courage on command, sell it by the flask, charge what the fool “heroes” can pay. That’s the real magic. What’s that – just money? Hahaha, *coughs*, haha. Boy, magic may make the sun rise, but money makes the world go round. Now, let’s see if you survive longer than the last one.”
Cost Summary
| Tier | XP | Title | CP Cost | CP Range | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Toiler | 2XP ea | 1-10 | The Toiler works the basics of Herbs as they are, thus preparing basic healing droughts and needed poisons for pesticides more often than for human use. Toilers also know the basic of harvesting the Herbs needed for the work they do. Even without the Gardening skill they are allowed to pick herbs. |
| 2 | 10 | Brewer | 3XP ea | 11-20 | As magic has begun to return, plants are among the first to gain new magical properties as they are part of the living world of Altera. Brewers learn to condense these magics down into creating magical Protectives along with better healing and faster acting poisons. |
| 3 | 15 | Distiller | 4XP ea | 21-30 | Applying the principles of distillation yet again increase the potency of both Healing and Protectives but allows the Alchemist the ability to make vials of magic so potent that they can be placed in clay pots and thrown at the enemy to deliver magical effects upon breaking. |
| 4 | 20 | Philter | 5XP ea | 31-40 | Beyond mere purification and increased potency, the true Alchemist has begun to enhance the formulas with the proper mixture of other Herbs and substances. This allows for a new array of effects and potency. |
| 5 | 20 | Master | 5XP ea | 41-50 | Herbs are part of life as are humans. The magic that flows through humans and the magic that flows through herbs are not that different and one can enhance the other. Master Alchemists deal with very powerful brews as well as magic that goes to the very nature of humans’ connection with this world. |
Alchemy Categories
- Blade Poison: Must be applied to a edged weapon or arrow. 1 Minute of focus to apply each dose. Must have tier 1 Alchemy to apply.
- Contact Poison: Must be applied to a surface or item. Contact poisons must be phys-repped with a thin coating of Vaseline or other obvious substance. There are highly exotic recipes and herbs that may allow a contact poison to be phys-repped by the tag only but those must be discovered in-play. Must have tier 3 Alchemy to apply.
- Draught: A drinkable liquid that can be taken directly from a vial or mixed into a small amount of liquid. See rules for mixing substances below. Must have tier 1 Alchemy to mix. No Alchemy required to take directly from the vial.
- Salve: A poultice or ointment that can be applied to treat a specific condition. Requires tier 1 Alchemy and 1 minute to apply.
- Thrown: A recipe that is in a specially crafted vial designed to break on impact. Must have small ranged (Thrown) and Alchemy 1 to use.
Alchemy Types
- Enhancement: Provides some benefit or protection
- Healing: Heals or otherwise treats a specific condition
- Poison: Causes a negative condition to the target
- Recreational: Taken by some for a debatable good time.
- Wounding: Causes direct immediate harm to the target
- Other: Some things just don’t fit neatly into a category.
Alchemy Recipes
Alchemy recipes are in-play items that can be copied with Alchemy CP. Each recipe has a description of the substance, ways it can be applied, CP cost, monetary cost in copper, and a list of in-play Herbs that can offset the cost if they are used. Using Herbs in this manner consumes the Herbs in the process. The Herb tags must be turned into Plot at the time of production.
Each recipe has the substance name, the tier requirement, the type of substance created, PP, monetary cost, effect, and the suggested recipe. The recipe does not need to be followed and these can all be made without Herbs however the Herbs make it cheaper as stated above. When a substance has multiple types the CP (Crafting Points) and monetary parts will be listed as xx/xx/xx with the amounts in the order listed under the recipe. If a recipe item is listed as rare it must be present to make the recipe.
Production Chart
| Name | Type | MU | CP | Qty | Effect | Recipe1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death’s Bite | Blade (B), Poison | 6 | 3 | 1 | Natural Blood Poison | Nightshade (2) |
| Disease | Blade (B), Poison | 2 | 1 | 3 | Natural Disease | Blushing Violet (1) |
| Forgiving Oil | Salve (S), Healing | 3 | 1 | 4 | Natural Stabilize | Gilled Frond (3) |
| Gentle Rest | Ingested (I), Poison | 3 | 1 | 1 | Sleep | Blushing Violet (2), Sapstick Reed (1) |
| Hobble | Blade (B), Poison | 3 | 2 | 2 | Natural Hobble | Sapstick Reed (1), Blushing Violet (1) |
| Instant Brawler | Draught (D), Enhancement | 3 | 1 | 4 | Strength +1 Immediate Use | Blushing Violet (1), Tarmeren (2) |
| Lantern Oil | Recreational | 3 | 1 | 10 | Burns in a lantern to produce light, 1 hour | Sapstick Reed(3) |
| Liquid Pain | Acid (A), Thrown | 2 | 2 | 1 | Acid Shard 1 | Tarmeren (2), Night Shade(1) |
| Liquid Resolve | Draught (D), Recreational | 2 | 1 | 3 | Intoxicant | Ember Eyes (1), Tarmeren (1) |
| Liquid Soma | Draught (D), Recreational | 5 | 3 | 4 | Players taking Soma should consult a Marshal | Rare: Soma (5) |
| Ox Hide | Draught (D), Enhancement | 4 | 4 | 1 | Vigor 1, Does not self-stack, does stack with other Vigor effects. Lasts until end of day. | Rare: Lotus Petal, Ember Eyes (1) , Sapstick Reed (3) , |
| Pain’s Relief | Draught (D), Healing | 4 | 1 | 2 | Natural Rapid Recovery | Gilled Frond(2), Blushin Violet(2) |
| Pain’s Respite | Draught (D), Healing | 4 | 2 | 1 | Natural Heal Wound 1 | Sapstick Reed(1), Gilled Frond(3) |
- MU: The material cost of components and supplies in copper pieces.
- CP: Crafting Points
- Rare: This ingredient must be provided at production.
- 1 Can be used in place of MU (Material Units)
Herbs
Herbs
Herbs in Altera Awakens are represented by artificial plants, along with an item tag. If an artificial plant is found, it may be harvested by characters possessing at least 1 level of Druid, 1 level of Alchemy, or 1 level of Gardening. Once harvested, the artificial plant may be turned in at Production for a random herb tag. If an artificial plant is discovered with a tag attached, it is that specific herb. In all cases, the artificial plant should be turned into Production as soon as is convenient, to keep the phys-reps in circulation. Herb tags found by themselves with no associated phys-rep (such as in a treasure chest, or a bandit’s pouch) may be picked up by any character, though they will not be able to identify the herb as anything more than “some plant that might be valuable”.
Herbs in Altera Awakens have magical and mundane properties usable by Alchemists and Druids. See those skills for more information on the specific uses.
Herb tags are always double sided. The name of the Herb will be on both sides and on the left of the tag.
One side will have information related to Druid properties of the various plants. This will list the mystical or physical correspondences such as vines, thorns, beauty, itching, soothing, hardy, etc. How different herbs interact with each other must be discovered in play. The qualities of plants known to all Druids are Hardy, Soothing, Vine, Evergreen, Thorns, and Rapid Growth.
On the reverse side is the herbs the Alchemy information such as healing, poison, salve, draught, recreational, etc. How these various properties interact with Alchemy must be discovered in play.
Each of these will also have a numerical value next to them 1-10 reflecting how much potency they have for that given aspect. That number is always representative of how many coppers can be offset in a proper recipe. How different Herbs interact with each other must be discovered in-play. Any specific Herb can only be used for one type of cost reduction even if it has multiple needed properties. Additional Herb always stack with each other.
Common Herbs can be bought with starting money at their component value.
Example Herbs & Plants
These are herbs that will reliably be found around each game to some degree.
| Name | Alchemy | Druid | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilled Frond | Healing, Salves | Evergreen, Soothing | A frond plant with blue tinted leaves. |
| Sapstick Reed | Poisons, Enhancements | Hardy, Soothing | A tall grass |
| Ember Eyes | Recreational, Contact Poison | Vine, Evergreen | A vine with small red flowers |
| Blushing Violet | Poisons, Enhancement | Rapid Growth, Thorns | A small flowering shrub |
| Tarmeren | Acids, Draughts | Thorns, Hardy | A small thorny seed pod |
| Soma | Thorns, Hardy | Unknown | Rare |
| Lotus Petal | Enhancements | Unknown | Rare |
| Night Shade | Poisons, Acids | Unknown | Rare |