Alchemy: This skill provides the ability to recognize and identify common alchemical substances, potions, and poisons. Success with this skill will allow a character to create an antidote potion for one specific type of poison—if the DM says that this is possible in his campaign.
🧪 Racial Variants #
| Variant | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dwarven | Geological Solvent | Dwarves specialize in the alchemy of earth and stone. They can identify potions by the mineral “aftertaste” and excel at creating acids or solvents designed to eat through metal and rock. |
| Elven | Phyllo-Chemistry | Elves use botanical catalysts. Their “alchemy” looks like high-end tea-making. They can identify substances by scent alone (floral notes) and create antidotes that leave the patient feeling refreshed rather than nauseated. |
| Gnomish | Volatile Reactionism | Gnomes treat alchemy as a high-speed physics experiment. They focus on “fast” chemistry—smoke bombs, flash powder, and rapid-expansion foams. They are +2 to identify explosive or pressurized substances. |
| Lizardfolk | Venom-Vicar | Their alchemy is purely biological. They identify poisons by tasting a microscopic drop on their tongue. They are the only race that can create “live” antidotes using their own modified saliva as a base. |
🗺️ Regional Variants #
- The High-City Apothecary (Metropolitan/Urban)
In the capital, alchemy is a regulated, refined business.
- Specialty: Shelf-Life Extension. They are experts at stabilization. They can identify “counterfeit” or diluted potions with a +4 bonus. On a successful roll, they can combine two half-empty potions of the same type into one full dose without ruining the mixture.
- The Jungle “Witch-Doctor” (Wilderness/Tropical)
In the deep wilds, alchemy is messy, organic, and immediate.
- Specialty: Crude Antidotes. They don’t need a lab. By finding specific local roots and insects, they can create an “emergency” antidote in the field (10 minutes). It grants a second save against the poison, though it usually causes 1d4 damage due to its toxicity.
- The Desert “Salt-Baker” (Arid/Waste)
In the dry wastes, alchemy is about Dehydration and Crystallization.
- Specialty: Powdered Potions. They can identify any substance by its crystalline structure. They are experts at “reducing” potions into powders that are lighter to carry and won’t spoil in the heat, requiring only a drop of water to reactivate.
- The Sewer-Steward (Metropolitan/Underground)
Trained in the filth-ridden underbelly of major cities.
- Specialty: Toxin Mimicry. They specialize in the alchemy of decay—gases and slimes. They can identify any “natural” hazard (like Green Slime or Ooze) as if it were an alchemical substance.
🧪 Creating the Antidote #
As per the rules, creating an antidote is the ultimate application of this skill.
- The Process: To create an antidote for a specific poison, the Alchemist usually needs a sample of the poison or the source (the stinger, the herb, etc.).
- The Check: A failure on the check doesn’t just mean the antidote fails—it might mean the “antidote” is actually a mild sedative, or worse, it accelerates the poison’s effect.
Design Tip: You might allow a character with Food Tasting to assist an Alchemist, giving them a +2 bonus to identify a substance without the Alchemist having to risk a full “tasting” themselves.
