Alchemy: Dark Alchemy

Alchemy: Dark Alchemy

David L. Pulver wrote the Dark Alchemy article for Pyramid #3-91, describing a new alchemical tradition. These are the last non-converted elixirs from currently released supplements. These elixirs might use the standard Alchemy skill or a new specialty - Alchemy (Dark). I'd prefer it to be the latter. I suggest moving elixirs of Lichdom, Reanimation, and Partial Resurrection to this tradition too.

Artificial Blood

This pale elixir is an artificial substitute for blood. Each dose is equivalent to 2 HP worth of blood. It can nourish creatures that must feed on human blood, such as vampires.

Duration: 1 week.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $60 (singular); $25 (5-batched).

Recipe: $6; 1 day; defaults to Alchemy (Dark)-1.

Statistics: HP+2 (Accessibility, Only for draining, -50%) [2].

  

Bella Mortis

This ointment must be rubbed over the entire body of an intact cadaver that has not experienced significant decay (generally, no more than a day old). If applied to a corpse, the body swiftly regains the look and feel it possessed in life just before death. It loses stiffness, and pallor, and does not further decay until the elixir’s effects wear off. At a casual glance, an otherwise uninjured corpse appears sleeping rather than dead, until the lack of breath is noticed. It has no effect on a live person.

Duration: 1 week.

Form: Ointment.

Cost: $450 (singular); $165 (5-batched).

Recipe: $45; 2 days; defaults to Alchemy (Dark)-2.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Accessibility, Only on corpses, -40%; Advantage, Bella Mortis, +60%; Extended Duration, 3,000x, +80%; Magical, -10%; Ointment, -45%) [15]. Notes: «Bella Mortis» is Immunity to Decay (Magical, -10%) [5] + No Visible Damage (Magical, -10%) [1]. Extended Duration costs only 80%, because the Ointment meta-enhancement already includes Extended Duration, 30x, +60%.

 

Potion of Blood Compatibility

This elixir allows a living subject to accept blood transfusions and organ transplants from incompatible donors, or even from other species, without experiencing rejection. An unfortunate side effect is that the subject is at -3 on HT rolls to resist diseases or infections during the period (unless he is also completely immune to disease). Also, blood or organs taken from the subject while he is under the influence of this

potion are (permanently) safe to transfuse or transplant to anyone without rejection.

Duration: 1 month.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $660 (singular); $235 (5-batched).

Recipe: $66; 3 days; defaults to Alchemy (Dark)-3.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Potion of Blood Compatibility, +20%; Disadvantage, Susceptible to Disease 3, +12%; Extended Duration, 30,000x, +120%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [22]. Notes: «Potion of Blood Compatibility» is Low Rejection Threshold (Affects Others 1, +50%; Magical, -10%) [2]. Extended Duration costs only 120%, because the Potion meta-enhancement already includes Extended Duration, 30x, +60%.

Potion of Cannibalism

A person who drinks this potion becomes only able to derive nourishment from flesh and blood of their own species. Ingesting any other type of food results in retching (p. B429), immediately regurgitating it; this does not prevent them adding non-proteins, e.g., salt with their food.

Duration: 1 week.

Form: Potion.

Cost: $510 (singular); $185 (5-batched).

Recipe: $51; 2 days; defaults to Alchemy (Dark)-2.

Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Disadvantage, Restricted Diet (Cannibalism), +20%; Extended Duration, 3,000x, +80%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [17]. Notes: Extended Duration costs only 80%, because the Potion meta-enhancement already includes Extended Duration, 30x, +60%.