Alchemy: Exotic Preparations

Alchemy: Exotic Preparations

In addition to elixirs, GURPS Magic present use three exotic preparations. Alkahest is an universal solvent that is hard to contain. For homunculi refer to the Construct Crafting rules. Philosophers' Stone is an alchemical catalyst. Ordinary acid was included too.

   

Acid

This is ordinary acid created via alchemy. When thrown (range is STx3.5), it deals 1d corrosion damage. Acid is not magical, it’s an exotic alchemical preparation, so it will work even in a no-mana zone.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Form: Grenade.

Cost: $390 (singular); $140 (5-batched).

Recipe: $39; 1 day; defaults to Alchemy-2.

Statistics: Corrosion Attack 1d (Grenade, +25%) [13].

Alkahest

This universal solvent can corrode everything – glass, pure gold, adamant, metal, or flesh. When thrown (range is STx3.5), it deals 2d corrosion damage. For each point of basic damage you inflict, reduce the target’s DR by 1. Alkahest is not magical, it’s an exotic alchemical preparation, so it will work even in a no-mana zone.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Form: Grenade.

Cost: $1,950 (singular); $700 (5-batched).

Recipe: $195; 22 days; defaults to Alchemy-7.

Statistics: Corrosion Attack 2d (Cosmic, Intensified Corrosion, +200%; Grenade, +25%) [65].

  

Philosophers’ Stone

This fabled stone can act as a one-use alchemical catalyst, providing a +6 bonus to any Alchemy roll make to create an elixir. While worn simply in a pocket or incorporated in a piece of jewelry, it provides a +3 bonus to HT against disease and poison and the benefits of the Longevity advantage (p. B66).

If left in contact with a metal object for 1d days, it turns the outer surface to gold, to a depth of 1/16” (no more than 10 lbs. of gold). If the GM does not want the alchemist to gain “free” money from this, he can say that the gold produced is unstable and will revert to its original form after 10 seconds unless the alchemist stabilizes it with his character points – in which case point cost depends on the difference in value. Each point spent stabilizes a quantity worth 10% of the campaign’s average starting wealth. (This is just the tradeoff used for Trading Points for Money, p. B26.) The GM determines the cash value per pound of gold.

Points spent to stabilize matter come from the alchemist’s “Creation Pool,” a number of points set aside for the purpose. He can’t apply any modifiers to these points. Points used to stabilize matter are unavailable until reclaimed – which causes the matter to vanish. If the matter is crafted into an object, the item is unmade when the matter vanishes. If the matter is mixed with other materials (e.g., alloyed), you must separate it to reclaim his points; this can be a tedious process. If it’s destroyed or transformed (e.g., eaten), the alchemist can’t reclaim his points – they’re gone. He can increase your Creation Pool with unspent points at any time.

Duration: Instantaneous (Alchemy bonus), 10 seconds or Permanent (transmutation) or Permanent (resistance and longevity).

Form: Apparatus.

Cost: $2,430 (singular); $875 (5-batched).

Recipe: $243; 37 days; defaults to Alchemy-9.

Statistics: Alchemy Bonus +6 (Apparatus, +0%; Magical, -10%) [11] + Create 1 (Metal to Gold; Always On, -5%; Cosmic, No roll required, +100%; Magical, -10%; Immediate Preparation Required, 1d days, -100%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 1, +20%; Transmutation, +13%; Transmutation Only, -100%) [4 x 5 =20] + Longevity (Apparatus, +0%; Magical, -10%) [2 x 5 = 10] + Resistant to Disease (+3) (Apparatus, +0%; Magical, -10%) [3 x 5 = 15] + Resistant to Poison (+3) (Apparatus, +0%; Magical, -10%) [5 x 5 = 25]. Notes: All advantages, except for the Alchemy Bonus, have their cost multiplied by 5, because they are permanent effects, as opposed to a one-use Alchemy Bonus. This was done to compensate for the cost being divided by 5 for one-use items.