Metatronic Alchemy

Metatronic Alchemy

Standard alchemy rules from GURPS Magic look okay, but they seem to be inconsistent with the rest of the system. There are no guidelines on how to create new elixirs and how to price them, and the vanilla pricing seems to assume a TL 3 setting. I have tried sorcerous alchemy from GURPS Thaumatology – Sorcery, but the elixirs end up being unreasonably expensive for one-use items. Thus, I decided to work out a way to base alchemy around Metatronic Generators from Pyramid #3-46. A similar approach to scrolls is described in Metatronic Scrolls.

First, let us assume that the standard potion’s effect lasts 1 hour. GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1 – Adventurers says that potions can be targeted at a -7 penalty, so a potion’s SM is around -7 or -6. Let us assume that a potion is a Mini sized (SM-6) object that weighs 0.3 lbs. and has Bulk -3.

Second, each potion or other alchemical item must have a point cost that will help us calculate its price. Pyramid #3-46 provides several meta-enhancements that represent different item types, but none of them fit for potions and such. We have to create new ones.

Grenade

+25%

Many grenades have a fuse time and affect an area, but this meta-enchantment does not assume this. Grenades can be thrown STx3.5 yards. A grenade weighs 0.5 lb., has SM-6 and Bulk -3. This is a Mini item.

Statistics: Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; Increased Range, x3.5, +20%; Muscle-Powered Range, -10%.

Ointment

-45%

A cream or jelly. If touched, it sinks into the skin, taking immediate effect – a dose of ointment on a weapon or doorknob only affects the first person to touch it. It usually takes 8 seconds to apply an ointment to an object or person. Lasts a week if exposed to air; neutralized by water. A flask with an ointment weighs 0.5 lb., has SM-6 and Bulk -3. This is a Mini item.

Statistics: Contact Agent, -30%; Extended Duration, 30x, +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%; Terminal Condition, Water, -10%.

Pastille

+155%

A thumbnail-sized tablet, kept in a sealed vial. When lit, it instantly flashes into flame and begins to fill an area 2 yards across (for a larger radius, add +50% to the cost per doubling) and 8 feet high with smoke. Indoors, this smoke lingers about a minute; outdoors, it disperses within about 10 seconds. Anyone within the affected area suffers the elixir’s effects in 2d seconds. To avoid the smoke’s effects, hold your breath (see Holding Your Breath, p. B351). An unburnt pastille lasts a month if exposed to air, but is destroyed instantly upon contact with water. A pastille can be thrown STx3.5 yards. A pastille weighs 0.03 lb., has SM-8 and Bulk -1. This is a Tiny item.

Statistics: Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Drifting, +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Extended Duration on Persistent, 10x, +40%; Increased 1/2D, x10, +15%; Increased Range, x3.5, +20%; Muscle-Powered Range, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Disperses quickly outdoors, -5%; Onset, 2d seconds, -5%; Respiratory Agent, +50%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%; Trigger, Fire, -10%.

Potion

-25%

A potion must be ingested to take effect. Once in hand, it takes a Ready maneuver to open the vial, another to drink. One dose of potion affects one man-sized creature instantly. Potions lose their power in a day if left open or mixed with other things. A typical potion’s effect lasts 1 hour, but this can be changed. A potion weighs 0.5 lb., has SM-6 and Bulk -3. This is a Mini item.

Statistics: Blood Agent, -40%; Extended Duration, 30x, +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%.

Powder

-65%

Solid form. A powder must be eaten in food, or dissolved in drink, to be effective; it takes effect in 2d minutes. Typically, it takes 4 seconds to properly mix it. Powders can last a long time; there is only a 50% chance per year that a given powder loses its power while exposed to air. Powders mixed with food or drink last a month. A typical powder’s effect lasts 1 hour, but this can be changed. A dose of powder weighs 0.1 lb., has SM-8 and Bulk -1. This is a Tiny item.

Statistics: Accessibility, Must be mixed with food or drink, -20%; Blood Agent, -40%; Extended Duration, 30x, +60%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Onset, 2d minutes, -10%; Takes Extra Time 2, -20%.

There may be other elixir forms with their own meta-enchantments.

Let us try to imitate some elixirs from GURPS Magic.

Potion of Strength

This brown-orange potion adds 1d to the user’s ST. This increases encumbrance, weapon damage, etc., appropriately, but does not give extra HP.

Duration: 1 hour.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $1,050 (singular); $380 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $840 (singular); $305 (5-batched).

Recipe: $105; 7 days; defaults to Alchemy-4.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Potion of Strength, +280%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [35]. Notes: «Potion of Strength» is ST+4 (Does not increase HP, -20%; Magical, -10%) [28]. The bonus was converted to 1d as per p. B269.

The dollar cost equals to $3,000 x point cost divided by 5, because the item can only be used once. This assumes TL 8. To determine cost at TLs other than TL8, divide cost by $20,000 (the suggested average starting wealth of a TL8 setting), then multiply that number by the starting wealth for the campaign’s TL (p. B27).

Thus, at TL 3, the potion will cost $150 x 35 / 5 = $1,050. This is the retail price, the production cost usually will be twice lower - $525 in this case. The price in GURPS Magic is $250/$500 (for common magic and rare magic settings, respectively).

Invention rules on p. B473 imply that materials should cost around 20% of the production cost. Glancing at the material prices for elixirs in GURPS Magic, we see that it usually is indeed around that value. For this potion, material cost will be $105. Everything else ($420) is labor.

Before calculating the brewing time, let us consider potion batching. An alchemist can create a batch of elixirs at the same time, as this significantly reduces the brewing time. For simplicity, the GM can assume that NPC alchemists work in batches of five. This increases the material cost fivefold, but the labor cost stays the same. The batch’s production and retail costs are multiplied by 1.8. For this example, this gives us a production cost of $945 and a retail price of $1,890. Thus, a single potion sold by an NPC alchemist working in batches of five will cost $378 (let us round it up to $380).

                How long does the brewing take, if we are not using the times from GURPS Magic? Let us assume that a TL 3 alchemist has a wage of $2,000. This will allow him to lead a lifestyle somewhere between Comfortable and Wealthy. Knowing the wage, the labor cost, and the number of workdays in a typical month (22), we can calculate how many elixirs of a particular CP cost the alchemist must brew to earn the wage. Using this number, we can deduce how much time brewing should take. This gives us a linear progression – (22*Labor Cost/Wage), rounding up. I feel like powerful elixirs should take longer to brew, so let us add a quadratic progression – (CP²/200), rounding up. This gives us a quite similar progression in the middle CP band, but the weaker elixirs are brewed faster, while stronger ones take a longer time. I would use the quadratic progression, but other GMs are free to use whatever they want. For simplicity, so you do not have to calculate the brewing time every time, you can use the following table, and if the point cost falls in an interval between two point costs on the table, use the higher one. Thus, for a 23-point potion, use brewing time as for a 25-point potion.

Those who prefer exact numbers, can use the following formula: Cost ($; batched 5) = CP x 10.8.
Complex alchemical items should impose a penalty, as every alchemical item is a technique that defaults off the Alchemy skill. A penalty of -1 per 10 points of item’s point cost sounds reasonable. In our example, the potion will have an Alchemy-4 default. A formulary is recommended!

                For Invention rules, let us consider this progression for Complexity:

Alchemical Item’s Point Cost	Complexity
0-20	Simple
21-50	Average
51-70	Complex
71+	Amazing

                Thus, for our example we would use the Average Complexity.

Herb Lore: Alchemy is not the only way of creating elixirs. Herbalists gather special herbs and fungi to brew remedies. The description of the Herb Lore skill and the herbalism section in GURPS Magic suggests making herbal concoctions cost half as much as their alchemical equivalents do, but the discount should be no more than $100. Since an herbalist can gather the materials in the wild with several Naturalist rolls, for simplicity’s sake I suggest simply subtracting the materials cost from the total price (before doubling for retail price). To get an elixir’s retail price in its herbal form, multiply its retail price by 0.8. This applies both to singular and batched elixirs, as gathering more herbs requires the herbalist to spend more time away from the brewing process. This also makes pricing more simple. Herbalists should be limited by the available herbs in the local area and should not be able to brew unthematic elixirs. For example, a potion of healing is fine, but an ointment that transmutes copper into gold is not.

EXAMPLES

Let us create some more potions for a traditional TL 3 fantasy, basing them on the potions from GURPS Magic. For TL 4 double the costs. Our Potion of Strength is repeated for convenience.

Alchemical Grenade

This alchemical grenade can be thrown (range is STx3.5). It deals 4d burning damage. The target takes damage normally; anything nearby receives “collateral damage” equal to basic damage divided (3 x the distance in yards from the blast).

Duration: Instantaneous.

Form: Grenade.

Cost: $990 (singular); $355 (5-batched).

Recipe: $99; 6 days; defaults to Alchemy-4.

Statistics: Burning Attack 4d (Explosion 1, +50%; Grenade, +25%; Magical, -10%) [33].

Ointment of Regeneration

This light green salve accelerates the healing processes in the subject’s body, making him regenerate 1 HP per hour.

Duration: 5 hours.

Form: Ointment.

Cost: $900 (singular); $325 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $720 (singular); $260 (5-batched).

Recipe: $90; 5 days; defaults to Alchemy-3.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Ointment of Regeneration, +230%; Extended Duration, 100x, +20%; Magical, -10%; Ointment, -45%) [30]. Notes: «Ointment of Regeneration» is Regeneration (Regular; Magical, -10%) [23]. Extended Duration costs only 20%, because the Ointment meta-enhancement already includes Extended Duration, 30x, +60%.

Ointment of Rust

This green-brown ointment corrodes metal when applied. It deals 1 corrosion damage per second to the object. Useful for removing locks.

Duration: 10 seconds.

Form: Ointment.

Cost: $840 (singular); $305 (5-batched).

Recipe: $84; 4 days; defaults to Alchemy-3.

Statistics: Corrosion Attack 1 (Accessibility, Only on metal, -20%; Cyclic, 9 cycles, 1 second, can be washed off, +900%; Magical, -10%; Melee Attack, Reach C, Cannot Parry, -35%; Takes Extra Time 3, -30%) [28].

Pastille of Dragonslaying

The smoke from this pastille does 5d toxic damage to any reptile, including dragons, when inhaled.

Duration: 1 minute.

Form: Pastille.

Cost: $1,230 (singular); $445 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $984 (singular); $355 (5-batched).

Recipe: $123; 9 days; defaults to Alchemy-5.

Statistics: Toxic Attack 5d (Accessibility, Only on reptiles, -40%; Magical, -10%; Pastille, +155%) [41].

Potion of Foolishness

This dark purple potion decreases the imbiber’s IQ by 3, if he fails an HT roll to resist. This affects skills, Per, and Will too.

Duration: 1 hour.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $300 (singular); $110 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $240 (singular); $85 (5-batched).

Recipe: $30; 1 day; defaults to Alchemy-1.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Attribute Penalty, IQ-3, +30%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [10].

  

Potion of Healing

This red potion heals 1d HP, if the imbiber makes a successful HT roll. If imbibed more than once per day by a given subject, apply a cumulative -3 per successful healing on that subject. This penalty accumulates until a full day has passed since the most recent healing. This only works for humans and all “similar” races (elves, orcs, dwarves, halflings, etc.), but this potion can be made to affect, for example, animals. Such a potion will not be able to affect humanoids.

Duration: Instantaneous.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $420 (singular); $150 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $336 (singular); $120 (5-batched).

Recipe: $42; 1 day; defaults to Alchemy-2.

Statistics: Healing (Based on HT, +20%; Blood Agent, -40%; Cannot restore crippled limbs, -10%; Capped, 2 FP, -25%; Injuries Only, -20%; Magical, -10%; Reduced Fatigue Cost 2, +40%; Takes Extra Time 1, -10%) [14]. Notes: Since the potion is considered to be the “caster”, we do not apply Affects Self, +50% here. Also, because this ability is not based on Affliction, we only take parts of the Potion meta-enhancement.

Potion of Strength

This brown-orange potion adds 1d to the user’s ST. This increases encumbrance, weapon damage, etc., appropriately, but does not give extra HP.

Duration: 1 hour.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $1,050 (singular); $380 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $840 (singular); $305 (5-batched).

Recipe: $105; 7 days; defaults to Alchemy-4.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Potion of Strength, +280%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [35]. Notes: «Potion of Strength» is ST+4 (Does not increase HP, -20%; Magical, -10%) [28]. The bonus was converted to 1d as per p. B269.

Powder of Sleep

This white powder when mixed with food or drink makes the subject fall asleep in 2d minutes after consuming, if he fails an HT roll to resist. He will sleep at least for 1 hour, after which he will be able to be woken up normally. Some societies ban the use of this potion, but it is used as an insomnia remedy in others.

Duration: 1 hour.

Form: Powder.

Cost: $540 (singular); $195 (5-batched).

Cost (Herbal): $432 (singular); $155 (5-batched).

Recipe: $54; 2 days; defaults to Alchemy-2.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Magical, -10%; Powder, -65%; Sleep, +150%) [18].

Sleep Grenade

This alchemical grenade can be thrown (range is STx3.5). It has a 2 second fuse time, after which it explodes, creating a cloud of sleep gas in a 4-yard radius. The cloud persists for 10 seconds and may drift with the wind. Any creature that inhales the gas makes an HT roll to resist. Should it fail, it falls asleep for 3 minutes. It can be woken up normally after 3 minutes have passed.

Duration: 10 seconds; sleep lasts 3 minutes.

Form: Grenade.

Cost: $1,440 (singular); $520 (5-batched).

Recipe: $144; 12 days; defaults to Alchemy-5.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Area Effect, 4 yards, +100%; Delay, Fixed, 2 seconds, +0%; Drifting, +20%; Fixed Duration, +0%; Grenade, +25%; Magical, -10%; Persistent, +40%; Respiratory Agent, +50%; Sleep, +150%) [48].