From: Christopher W. Johnson (johnson@ssvax1.dnet.loral.com)
Date: Wed 30 Jan 1991 - 09:56:33 EET
I've been receiving this mailing list for about 3 weeks now (mid Jan)
and have just recently received the archives of back issues. One of the
items missing from RQ III has been the Alchemy system. A couple of
people have asked about a system, so I dug out a project I have had on
the back burner for 3 years and tightened up a few rules.
This system has been lightly play tested (I've only been able to play about once every 3-4 months) and I welcome any comments and/or suggestions.
Note: This started with the original RQ II Alchemy rules. The pricing structure in our world has a weeks room and board at 25p for an average Inn.
Please email any responses to me and I'll post a summary.
Here goes nothing...
Alchemy is the skill of creating healing potions, poisons and their antidotes, acids, and magic potions. Alchemy skills are very secret and are regulated by the Alchemy Guild. Guild members are not allowed to teach or show alchemy skills to any one outside the guild. Members who break this policy are known to die horrible deaths. Membership is for life. To join you need to pay a one time guild fee of 5000p, have a sponsor in good standing and be apprenticed for at least 7 years. After your apprenticeship, to stay in good standing, a yearly guild fee of 500p is paid to your home guild. Associate membership may be maintained with a yearly fee of 100p. Associate membership allows you to maintain an active status. Most guilds require an associate membership before allowing you to rent labs or sell potions in their area of control. Associate memberships may be obtained from local guilds for 10-50p depending upon the relationship of your home guild and the local guild.
Lapsed membership may be brought up to date by paying a late fee of 150p per year of unpaid dues. This will bring the member up to associate membership level. They must still pay the current year's dues if they wish to become full (or good standing) members.
Background
Skills: Throw x2, Bargain x1, Speak Own Language x2, Read/Write Own
Language x3, Speak Other Language x1, Read/Write Other Language
x1, Craft glass x3, Taste Analysis x3, Plant Lore x3, Mineral
Lore x3, Animal Lore x3, Devise x3, Enchant x2 or Ceremony x2,
Alchemy(1) x5, Recipes(2) x9 (Divide as desired), Fist Attack
x1, Dagger Attack x1, Dodge x2
(1) Alchemy is a Knowledge based skill raisable only through
training and research.
(2) Recipes are Manipulation based skills and are raisable
through experience and training.
Recipes: 1d3 upon acceptance. 1d2-1 common recipe per year (if
available)
Equipment: 100p/year in alchemy equipment, 120p in potions or material
(Divide as desired), 3d10 pennies in coin, writing equipment,
notebook for recipes, heavy leather apron and gloves (2pt
protection for chest, abdomen, thighs, and hands), linen and
wool clothing, knife, small chest for equipment, firemaker and
tinder.
Potion Creation
The success chance of correctly creating a potion is:
success % = Alchemy % + Recipe % - Potency Penalty %
The Potency Table lists the potency penalty at the various lab levels.
A critical success doubles the potency of the potion without increasing the cost or time required. Fumbles are rolled on the fumble table.
The amount that an alchemist can make in one batch is:
Alchemy % + Recipe %
-------------------- = Total points in batch
10 - Lab Level
The time needed to create a batch is:
1 day per point of highest potency
Lab Usage
An Alchemist in good standing may rent alchemy labs from the guild or another alchemist for:
75 + 10x(Lab Level) p/day
An Alchemist that has only active status will pay 2x as much.
Every day working in a lab the alchemist has a cumulative chance of breaking equipment equal to:
2500
Breakage % /day = --------------- %
Alchemy % x DEX
Roll once at the end of the time spent for each batch. If breakage occurs, make a LUC roll and the amount broken is (multiple of LUC roll)xd100 in pennies. A LUC roll of 01 is a crit. Roll LUC again and the fee is (multiple of LUC roll) xd10 in pennies. A LUC roll of 00 is a fumble. Roll LUC again and the fee is (multiple of LUC roll)xd1000 in pennies.
Lab Costs
The cost of equipping an alchemy lab in silver pennies is shown in the Lab Cost Table. This is only the cost for the equipment needed to run the lab. The cost of the building is extra. These costs are in large city prices (not all large cities have the manufacturing available to make alchemy equipment). The equipment will cost more (2x to 5x the price) if purchased in small cities or towns. The type of equipment needed is virtually nonexistent in small towns or rural areas and if found would easily cost 5x to 10x the large city prices.
Alchemists may also try to make their own equipment. The procedure is, first a Craft Glass skill must be made to make a piece of equipment, then the craftsman must roll under their Alchemy skill to see if it is good enough to be used for alchemy. If successful, the piece is worth the craftsman's Alchemy skill in pennies. This may be performed once per day. Larger more complex pieces may be made by taking longer. Roll the Craft Glass skill each day, if you fail the piece is ruined and you must start over. After a number of days crafting the glass, roll the craftsman's Alchemy skill. If successful, the piece is worth the craftsman's Alchemy skill times the number of days spent crafting the piece in pennies.
The day-to-day running expenses are also shown in the Lab Cost Table. These expenses occur when ever the lab is being used, and are already figured in with the rental.
For game purposes the level of a lab is based on the value (at place of manufacture or large city price) of the equipment it contains. If breakage reduces the value of equipment to a lower level, then the lab operates at the lower level until the broken equipment is replaced.
Availability of Labs
The availability of labs in any given city is found by rolling on the availability table. Keep rolling for a given lab level until there are no more labs. Example: there is a 50% chance of 1 level 1 lab in a Large City, and a 50% chance for there being a 2nd level 1 lab.
LAB LEVEL Selling
Potency 0 1 2 3 4 Multiplier
1 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 1
2 20% 16% 12% 8% 4% 3
3 45% 36% 27% 18% 9% 6
4 80% 64% 48% 32% 16% 10
5 125% 100% 75% 50% 25% 15
6 180% 144% 108% 72% 36% 21
7 245% 196% 147% 98% 49% 28
8 320% 256% 192% 128% 64% 36
9 405% 324% 243% 162% 81% 45
10 500% 400% 300% 200% 100% 55
11 605% 484% 363% 242% 121% 66
12 720% 576% 432% 288% 144% 78
13 845% 676% 507% 338% 169% 91
14 980% 784% 588% 392% 196% 105
15 1125% 900% 675% 450% 225% 120
N 5N^2 4N^2 3N^2 2N^2 N^2 N(N+1)/2
Potency Penalties and Selling multipliers
Lab Lab Daily
Level Equipment Expense
0 0-1999 5
1 2000-5999 10
2 6000-11999 15
3 12000-19999 20
4 20000+ 25
Lab costs in pennies.
LAB LEVEL
Location 1 2 3 4
Large City 50% 35% 20% 10%
Small City 35% 20% 10% 5%
Town 20% 10% 5% 1%
Small Town 10% 5% 1% 1%
Rural Area 5% 1% 1% 1%
Availability of Labs
Selling Potions
An alchemist makes his money by selling potions. The higher the potency of the potion, the higher the cost it brings. This reflects the extra effort the alchemist needs to put into higher Potency potions. To find what the standard rate for a potion is, multiply the selling price of the potion by the selling multiplier of its Potency. (ie. Heal 1 = 50p, Heal 2 = 150p, ... Heal 6 = 1050p)
Magic Potions
Alchemists also can make magical potions. These potions contain both the magic points needed to throw the spell and the knowledge of how to cast it once at the normal strike rank. In addition to their cost, the ingredients must be enchanted.
Enchantment
The enchantment needed for the material is not a permanent enchantment, so no permanent POW loss is needed when performed. The time required to perform this type of enchantment is 1 day/point in the batch. At the end of the time, the enchanter needs to roll under his enchantment skill (ceremony can be added to help this chance). If he is successful, the material may now be used to create magical potions. If the enchantment is a critical success, the POT of the material is doubled at no extra cost in time or POT penalty. If the enchantment is fumbled, all the material is ruined. If the enchantment failed, only the time spent enchanting is lost; the material is still OK.
Apothecaries that regularly cater to alchemists, usually carry pre-enchanted material for 3x the normal cost.
Making Magical Potions
To make a magical potion, the alchemist needs the help of a person who knows a spell (this may be himself). First the alchemist brews a potion of the appropriate type (spirit, sorcery, ...) with enchanted material. When done, the potion is now ready to receive a spell. The spell must be cast into the potion twice. The first casting sets the potion to the particular spell. The second casting stores the spell in the potion. The castings may be performed by two different people, but they must be the same spell. See Shelf Life of Potions for the time constraint.
Magic restorative potions need no spell to work. They are simply a storage holder for magic points. The only stipulation is that both the setting and storing of magic points be from the same person. That person then becomes the only person that can use the potion.
Shelf Life of Potions and Material
Normal alchemy material has a shelf life of 2 seasons (20 weeks). Each season after the first two, the material has a 50% chance of losing its potency. Material that has lost its potency is useless.
Enchanted material has a shelf life of one season (10 weeks). Each season after the first, the enchanted material has a 50% chance of losing its enchantment. Material that has lost its enchantment simply needs to be re-enchanted to be usable again. This material also falls under Normal material shelf life for its potency. Roll separately for enchantment and potency.
Normal non-magical potions (Only Divine, Spirit, Sorcery, and Magic Restorative potions are considered to be magical) have a shelf life of 2 seasons (20 weeks). Every 2 weeks after the first 20, the potion has a cumulative POT% chance of spoiling. Roll once per 2 week period.
A magical potion that has been brewed, but not set, has a shelf life of one week. Every week past the first, there is a cumulative POT% chance of the potion's enchantment breaking down. Roll once per week. If the enchantment breaks down, the potion is useless.
After a magical potion is set from the first casting, the second casting needs to take place within 24 hours. Every 24 hours that pass after the first casting, has a cumulative POT% chance of the enchantment breaking down. Roll once per day. If the enchantment breaks down, the potion is useless.
A magical potion that has been set and filled, has a shelf life of 1 season (10 weeks). Every week past the first 10, there is a cumulative POT% chance of the potion spoiling. Roll once per week.
If a potion spoils, roll d100 and consult the spoilage table.
Material Selling
Name Cost/point Price Notes
Abortive 1p 5p Potency is matched against the CON of
the recipient plus the number of weeks
pregnant minus 10. If it overcomes, the
abortion is successful. In either case
the recipient is bed ridden and sick to
her stomach for Potency days.
Acid* 15p 100p Damage from Acid is its POT. Each round
the POT lowers by one. When the POT
reaches 0 the Acid is gone.
Blade Venom* 50p 500p 2x POT is matched against CON. Damage is
done to hit points of location hit and
occurs 1 second later.
Contraceptive 1c 5c Acts as a low grade poison. Every 5 POT
lowers CON by 1 (regainable afterwards).
Each point of POT lowers the chance of
pregnancy by 5%. Each dose lasts a week.
Fertility 5c 25c Each point of POT adds 5% to the chance
of getting pregnant. Each dose lasts a
week.
Fire* 20p 200p Fire equal to POT xd3 when burned. Each
round the POT lowers by one. When the
POT reaches 0 the fire has burned out.
Healing 10p 50p Heals 1 hit point per point of POT.
Magic Potions: Allows creation of spell potions. All
require double POW to create.
Divine 50p 500p Each point of POT will hold 1 point of a
divine spell.
Spirit 10p 100p Each point of POT will hold 1 point of a
spirit magic spell.
Sorcery 10p 100p Each point of POT will hold 1 point of a
sorcery spell.
Magic Point 10p 100p Restores 1 Magic Point per point of POT,
Restorative up to a Max of 2x normal Magic points.
Simple Poisons:
Poison-1 10p 75p Match 2x POT to CON. If the poison
overcomes the CON, it does full damage
(2x POT). Otherwise the poison does half
damage. Damage is to total HP and occurs
30 seconds after injection.
Poison-d3 30p 225p Same as Poison-1 except damage is POT xd3.
Poison-d4 60p 450p Same as Poison-1 except damage is POT xd4.
Poison-d6 100p 750p Same as Poison-1 except damage is POT xd6.
Complex Poisons:
Poison-1 30p 225p Match POT to false CON. If the poison
overcomes the CON, it does full damage
(2x POT). Otherwise the poison does half
damage. Damage is to total HP and occurs
30 seconds after injection.
Poison-d3 90p 675p Same as Poison-1 except damage is POT xd3.
Poison-d4 180p 1350p Same as Poison-1 except damage is POT xd4.
Poison-d6 300p 2250p Same as Poison-1 except damage is POT xd6.
Antidotes:
Antidote-1 x1 x1 An Antidote will cancel the damage done
by the potion up to the level of the
antidote. The level of this antidote is
its POT.
Antidote-2 x1.5 x1.5 Same as Antidote-1 except level is POT x2.
Antidote-3 x2 x2 Same as Antidote-1 except level is POT x3.
Antidote-4 x2.5 x2.5 Same as Antidote-1 except level is POT x4.
Antidote-5 x3 x3 Same as Antidote-1 except level is POT x5.
Antidote-6 x3.5 x3.5 Same as Antidote-1 except level is POT x6.
Recovery 2p 10p Each point of POT adds 1 to the natural
recovery of hit points. Only the
strongest potion taken will add to the
hit points recovered. (2 recovery 1's
will only add 1 to the hit points
recovered. Each dose lasts a week.
Restorative 7p 35p Restores 5 Fatigue per point of POT, up
to Max of 2x normal fatigue.
Sleep 3p 15p Match 2x POT to CON. If it overcomes the
CON, victim falls asleep for POT x10
minutes. Otherwise the victim is drowsy
and must roll CON x3 or fall asleep for
POT minutes.
Snooze 7p 35p Match 2x POT to CON. If it overcomes the
CON, victim falls asleep for POT hours
Otherwise the victim is drowsy and must
roll CON x3 or fall asleep for POT x5
minutes.
Vigor 5p 25p Each point of POT adds 1 to CON to
fight off natural (non-spirit) diseases.
Only the strongest potion adds to the
CON. Each dose lasts long enough to help
one CON roll.
*=Triple Fumble Chance
D100 Results
01-05 Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd10
06-10 Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd100
11-15 Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd1000
16-20 Potion failed and you don't know it!
21-25 Potion failed and you don't know it!
Poison: It also turned into a Healing potion equal to POT x1/2 of
potion.
Acid/Fire: It also turned into an armor enhancing potion of POT
equal to POT x1/2 of potion.
Other: It also turned into a Simple Poison of POT equal to
POT x1/2 of potion.
26-30 Potion failed and you don't know it!
Poison: It also turned into a Healing potion equal to the POT of
potion.
Acid/Fire: It also turned into an armor enhancing potion of POT
equal to the POT of potion.
Other: It also turned into a Simple Poison of POT equal to the
POT of potion.
31-33 Potion failed and you don't know it!
Poison: It also turned into a Healing potion equal to POT x2 of
potion.
Acid/Fire: It also turned into an armor enhancing potion of POT
equal to POT x2 of potion.
Other: It also turned into a Simple Poison of POT equal to POT
x2 of potion.
34-35 Potion failed and you don't know it!
Poison: It also turned into a Healing potion equal to POT x3 of
potion.
Acid/Fire: It also turned into an armor enhancing potion of POT
equal to POT x3 of potion.
Other: It also turned into a Simple Poison of POT equal to POT
x3 of potion.
36-40 Explosion! d4 damage to 1 location. Automatic Breakage of
(multiple of LUC roll) xd10
41-43 Explosion! d6 damage to 1 location. Automatic Breakage of
(multiple of LUC roll) xd100
44-45 Explosion! d8 damage to 1 location. Automatic Breakage of
(multiple of LUC roll) xd1000
46-50 Explosion! d4 damage to d3 locations. Roll damage for each
location. Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd10
51-53 Explosion! d6 damage to d3 locations. Roll damage for each
location. Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd100
54-55 Explosion! d8 damage to d3 locations. Roll damage for each
location. Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd1000
56-60 Explosion! d4 damage to d6 locations. Roll damage for each
location. Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd10
61-63 Explosion! d6 damage to d6 locations. Roll damage for each
location. Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd100
64-65 Explosion! d8 damage to d6 locations. Roll damage for each
location. Automatic Breakage of (multiple of LUC roll) xd1000
66-70 Potion functions normally but also causes total amnesia for
28-CON hours.
71-73 Potion functions normally but also causes total amnesia for
28-CON days.
74-75 Potion functions normally but also causes total amnesia for
28-CON weeks.
76-80 Potion functions normally but also causes total blindness for
28-CON hours.
81-83 Potion functions normally but also causes total blindness for
28-CON days.
84-85 Potion functions normally but also causes total blindness for
28-CON weeks.
86-90 Potion functions normally but also causes total deafness for
28-CON hours.
91-93 Potion functions normally but also causes total deafness for
28-CON days.
94-95 Potion functions normally but also causes total deafness for
28-CON weeks.
96-98 Blow it: Roll twice on this table and apply both results.
99-00 Blow it badly: Roll three times on this table and apply all
three results.
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Spoiled Potion Table
D100 Result
01-50 Nothing happens when drunk.
51-60 Turns to Simple poison. POT damage.
61-66 Turns to Simple poison. POT x2 damage.
67-70 Turns to Simple poison. POT x3 damage.
71-75 Magical: Functions normally, but takes POT worth of magic points
when cast.
Other: Functions normally, but takes POT x2 worth of fatigue
points when drunk.
76-80 Magical: Functions normally, but takes POT x2 worth of magic
points when cast.
Other: Functions normally, but takes POT x4 worth of fatigue
points when drunk.
81-85 Magical: Functions normally, but takes POT x3 worth of magic
points when cast.
Other: Functions normally, but takes POT x6 worth of fatigue
points when drunk.
86-90 Explosion!
d6 damage to everything in a 1 meter radius.
91-94 Explosion!
2d6 damage to everything in a 1 meter radius.
d6 damage in 1-2 meter radius.
95-98 Explosion!
3d6 damage to everything in a 1 meter radius.
2d6 damage in 1-2 meter radius.
d6 damage in 2-3 meter radius.
99-00 Be creative.
Permanent enhancement for 2x perm POW cost.
Turns hair different color.
Turns teeth/fingernails different color.
Makes teeth/fingernails fall out.
Turns teeth/fingernails to a precious metal.
Grow tail, horns, forked tongue, ...
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Poisons
For ease of gaming purposes, there are two types of poisons: natural and brewed. Natural poisons are found and used in their original state and require no further processing to use. Natural poison is also the poison found in most poisonous animals. Brewed poisons are synthetic or concentrated natural poisons and come it two varieties: simple and complex.
Brewed simple poisons are concentrated forms of poisons and attack the CON with twice their brewed potency. (ie. A POT 4 brewed poison will attack the CON of its victim with a potency of 8, while a natural poison of POT 4 will attack with a potency of 4.) They have a delay of 30 seconds, duration of 10 seconds, variable potency, and are plant, animal, or mineral base.
Brewed complex poisons are very concentrated forms of poisons and attack false CON with their brewed potency. (ie. A POT 4 complex poison will attack the false CON of its victim with a potency of 4.) They have a delay of 30 seconds, duration of 10 seconds, variable potency, and are plant, animal, mineral, or synthetic base.
How Poisons work
The potency of a poison is matched against the CON of the poisoned individual on a resistance table. If the poison overcomes the individual's CON, then the full DAM is done directly to the individual's total hit points over the duration. If the poison does not overcome the CON, then it has a lessened effect-usually this means that half the poison's DAM is done to the total hit points.
Some poisons are made to react so violently with the body that no CON roll is made for normal characters. If a character has a false CON versus poisons, he may make a roll of the false CON versus the POT of the poison. If the poison overcomes the false CON, the victim takes full damage, otherwise the poison has lessened effect (check recipe). In either case, the false CON helps fight the effects of the poison. Any damage to hit points done by a poison is reduced by the characters false CON. There are spells that help against poisons. These spells usually add a temporary false CON to help fight off the effects of a poison. Treat a character under the effects of one of these spells like a character with a false CON versus poisons.
Poison damage is always damage to the total hit points of the adventurer unless otherwise stated in the recipe and is not healable by normal Healing spells and potions.
If an adventurer takes two doses of a poison, he resists versus each one separately: two doses of a POT 5 poison is not the same as one dose of POT 10 poison.
Blade Venom
This is a special type of poison, made for use on a weapon. It is expensive and dangerous (Triple fumble chance) to make. Damage taken from blade venom acts only against the hit location affected as with weapon damage. If the CON attack of the blade venom does not work, the poison will have 1/2 effect.
Blade venom has a delay of 1 second and a duration of 10 seconds. To negate the effect of blade venom, an antidote must already have been taken.
Blade venom must be carefully applied. It takes 10 seconds to apply to an arrow point, 25 seconds for a spear point, and 60 seconds for a sword. At the above speeds, a character must make a roll of DEX x5 on d100 to have successfully coated the weapon. A roll of 96-00 indicates that the character cut himself and got blade venom in the cut. If he takes 3 times the above periods he can do it safely and only a roll of 00 indicates a cut. One dose of blade venom will coat 5 arrows, 2 spear points, or 1 sword or axe blade.
Blade venom is a highly volatile liquid and will have lost its potency by the end of 15 minutes. In combat, blade venom will stay on the weapon for 3 strikes against armor, or for 1 penetration. If even 1 point of damage is done to the target through its armor, the blade venom will go into the wound and no longer be on the weapon.
Simple Systemic Poisons
This is often found in animal stings (scorpions, spiders, manticores). The effects are not immediate, and for game purposes can be said to take effect 30 seconds after injection.
The various types of systemic poisons are:
MANTICORE VENOM-The type of poison injected by manticores,
scorpion men, scorpions, and other insects. POISON GAS-The poison breathed by dream dragons and walktapi. WYVERN VENOM-Injected by a wyvern's sting, snake's bite, and
other reptiles.
SPIDER VENOM-From the bites of spiders, whether large or small.
JELLYFISH VENOM-From the stings of jellyfish, stingrays and
other fish.
HERBAL POISON-Made from poisonous plants.
MINERAL POISON-Made from non-organic materials.
Ingredients for herbal and mineral poisons are generally available, but the others usually have to be quested for, since they and their antidotes require a base of the appropriate poison.
Antidotes
The making of agents counter-active to a specific substance. The cost of making the antidote is the based on the cost of making the substance it is the antidote for. Antidotes last for 2 hours after being taken.
A specific level 4 antidote would counteract 4 points of the appropriate poison. Unless the antidote must counteract a magical substance, no magic points are needed to make an antidote.
The Use of Antidotes
An antidote given to a poisoned, but not yet dead, character within 10 minutes will cancel the damage done by the poison up to the level of the antidote. The antidote must normally be specific to the poisoning. For example, manticore poison will not be alleviated by snake bite antidote no matter how potent the antidote is.
However, some antidotes are 1/2 effective (always round up) against other certain poisons. These are:
Spider Venom Mineral Antidote Wyvern Venom Gas Antidote Manticore Venom Spider Antidote Poison Gas Wyvern or Mineral Antidote Jellyfish Venom Manticore Antidote ----------------------------------------------------------------------
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