Alchemy: Alchemical Styles
GURPS Thaumatology –
Magical Styles
provides an engine to build various styles of magic, and GURPS Powers – The Weird has a framework for weird science styles.
I feel that my Metatronic Alchemy system is robust enough to handle
its own styles. I just have to create a similar framework.
One of the important aspects of every style is
the list of style-exclusive perks. In Alchemical Styles, one perk should be
granted for 20 points in style skills and techniques. Many of the perks from GURPS Thaumatology – Magical Styles can
be used for elixirs. Let us look over the ones that require little or no change.
Academic or Guild Rank†‡: Fine as is.
Adjustable Spell†: All three variations can work for
elixirs. Rename them as Enhanced Elixir,
Elixir Enhancement, and Elixir
Variation. Adding enhancements should impose an additional -1 penalty per
10% worth of enhancement. This perk lets the alchemist brew variations of an
elixir without learning them as separate recipes.
Attribute Substitution†: Some options could work. For
example, internal alchemists could base some elixirs on HT or (HT+IQ)/2.
Better Magic Items†: Fine as is.
Covenant of Rest: Fine as is. Could be relevant for
some holy alchemists or, on the other hand, with dark alchemist that corrupt
their souls so much that they cannot be raised.
Elixir Resistance†: Fine as is.
Extra Option†: Astrological
Ceremonies, Secret Material, and Stabilizing
Skill seem fine as is.
Frightening Side
Effect†: Fine as
is, but apply to elixirs instead of spells.
Huge Subjects†‡: Fine as is, if you treat
alchemical elixirs as spells for the purpose of importance of the subject’s
size.
Immunity to (Specific
Hazard)†: Fine as
is.
Improvised Items‡: Should only allow improvising an
elixir with a point cost of 1 or 2.
License†: Fine as is.
Magical Style
Adaptation†: Fine
as is, but rename it as Alchemical Style
Adaptation.
Mana Compensation†: Fine as is, but applies to elixirs,
not spells.
Permit†: Fine as is.
Rule of 17†‡: Fine as is, but applies to elixirs
instead of spells.
Rules Exemption†: The existing examples do not seem
to work for alchemy, but it is possible to come up with new ones.
Secret Spell†: Fine as is, but rename it as Secret Elixir.
Special Exercises†: Fine as is.
Spell Bond†: Fine as is, but rename it as Elixir Bond.
Spell Hardiness†‡: Fine as is, but applies to elixirs
instead of spells. Rename it as Elixir
Hardiness.
Some perks from GURPS Power-Ups 2 – Perks could work as alchemical perks as well: Alcohol Tolerance, Low Rejection Threshold,
No Hangover, Patience of Job, Technique Adaptation†, Technique Mastery†.
Moreover, let us make some new alchemical
perks.
Alcoholic Potion: An alchemist with this perk can
mix his potions with alcoholic drink, creating intoxicating potions. This
allows him to add Backlash, Resistible,
Tipsy, -5% or Backlash, Resistible,
Drunk, -10% to all his potions with no penalty to skill. Elixir’s cost is
reduced as normal. In addition to the described effects, each alcoholic potion
counts as a “drink” for the purpose of intoxication.
Alchemical Form Mastery†: This perk
allows the alchemist to apply different elixir forms (grenade, ointment,
potion, etc.) to an elixir without requiring a separate technique and recipe.
Specialize by elixir. For example, an alchemist with Alchemical Form Mastery
(Potion of Strength) would be able to use the same technique to brew Potion of
Strength, Powder of Strength, Ointment of Strength, etc.
Secret Elixir Form†: The alchemist has access to an
elixir form that is not on your world’s standard elixir form list. It might be
a guild’s trade secret, magic that elder alchemists keep under wraps, or some
outside-the-box elixir form that classic alchemy regards as “impossible.” Each elixir
form requires a separate Secret
Elixir Form perk. Without the perk, you simply
can’t learn elixirs with this form – even if they are part of your style.
Many more can be made up, but this is a matter
of imagination and creativity.
Let us create a sample style, based on dwarven ale alchemy from Alchemy Manual for Pathfinder RPG.
Dwarven Ale Alchemy – 5 points
The dwarven tradition of brewing is an ancient one, as
archeologists find ale recipes even in the ruins of Stat-Und. It is of no
wonder that dwarven alchemists began experimenting with their alcoholic drinks,
making them stronger, or imbuing them with magical effects.
Dwarven brewmasters do not like sharing their craft’s
secrets, so it is very rarely to find a non-dwarven practitioner of this style.
Required Skills: Alchemy, Professional Skill (Brewer).
Perks: Alcohol Tolerance, Alcoholic Potion, Elixir Variation (any
elixir on the style’s list), No Hangover, Secret Elixir (all elixirs on the
secret elixir list), Huge Subjects, Immunity to Wyrm’s Breath Bitter Belch, Patience
of Job, Stabilizing Skill (Professional Skill (Brewer), Technique Adaptation
(any elixir on the list/Professional Skill (Brewer), Technique Mastery (any
elixir on the style’s list).
Secret Elixirs: Boulderhead Bock, Dwarven Fire Ale, Icecap Ale,
Longbeard Lambic, Wyrm’s Breath Bitter.
Optional Traits
Attributes and Secondary Characteristics: Improved ST, HT.
Advantages: Fit, Hard to Kill, Hard to Subdue.
Disadvantages: Alcoholism, Compulsive Carousing, Overconfidence,
Selfless.
Elixir List
Alchemical
Antidote, Boulderhead Bock, Dwarven Fire Ale, Fire
Resistance Potion, Icecap Ale, Longbeard Lambic, Potion
of Attractiveness, Potion
of Charisma, Potion
of Clarity, Potion
of Craftsmanship, Potion
of Endurance, Potion
of Fertility, Potion
of Hardheartedness, Potion
of Healing, Potion
of Health, Potion
of Magic Resistance, Potion
of Music, Potion
of Pain-Ease, Potion
of Strength, Wyrm’s Breath Bitter.
SECRET ELIXIRS
Boulderhead Bock
This malty ale has a legendarily thick, creamy
head. It creates a pleasant buzz and sense of euphoria that dull the effects of
pain and concussions, granting the drinker the High Pain Threshold (p. B59)
advantage. In addition, the drinker divides injury he suffers from crushing
attacks by 2 after subtracting DR
from damage and applying wounding modifiers. When drinking this ale, the
drinker must make an HT roll or become drunk for margin of failure minutes.
Duration: 1 hour.
Form: Potion.
Cost: $1,200 (singular); $430
(5-batched).
Recipe: $120; 8 days; defaults to Alchemy-4.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage,
Boulderhead Bock, +340%; Backlash, Resistible, Drunk, -10%; Magical, -10%;
Potion, -25%) [40]. Notes: «Boulderhead Bock» is High Pain Threshold (Magical,
-10%) [9] + Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; Limited, Crushing, -40%;
Magical, -10%) [25].
Dwarven Fire Ale
This recipe was invented by northern dwarves that
had to endure low temperatures for long periods of time. When drinking this
ale, the drinker must make an HT roll or become drunk for margin of failure
minutes. The drinker gains Temperature Tolerance 5 (Cold) (p. B93) for a day.
Duration: 1 day.
Form: Potion.
Cost: $510 (singular); $185 (5-batched).
Recipe: $51; 2 days; defaults to Alchemy-2.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage,
Dwarven Fire Ale, +50%; Backlash, Resistible, Drunk, -10%; Extended Duration,
1,000x, +60%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [17]. Notes: «Dwarven Fire Ale» is
Temperature Tolerance 5 (Cold; Magical, -10%) [5]. Extended Duration costs only
60%, because the Potion meta-enhancement already includes Extended Duration,
30x, +60%.
Icecap Ale
This rare and unusual brew is fortified by a process
of repeated partial freezing, during which the ice is continually skimmed off, resulting
in a draught with more than 10 times the alcohol content of ordinary ale. As
such, icecap ale counts as ten “drinks” for the purpose of intoxication. After
drinking this ale, the drinker becomes drunk for 1 minute; he can roll against
HT to recover every minute after that. This ale grants the drinker a +2 bonus
to ST and HT, without increasing HP, and the benefits of Unfazeable (p. B95).
When the effects wear off, the drinker loses 2 FP and does not remember
anything from what happened while he was under the effects of this ale.
Duration: 1 hour.
Form: Potion.
Cost: $1,470 (singular); $530
(5-batched).
Recipe: $147; 13 days; defaults to
Alchemy-5.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Icecap
Ale, +460%; Aftermath, Partial Amnesia, -5%; Aftermath, Costs 2 FP, -5%; Backlash,
Drunk, -20%; Magical, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Counts as 10 drinks, -5%; Potion, -25%)
[49]. Notes: «Icecap Ale» is ST+2 (Does not increase HP, -20%; Magical, -10%) [14]
+ HT+2 (Magical, -10%) [18] + Unfazeable (Magical, -10%) [14].
Longbeard Lambic
One of the oldest known dwarven ales, longbeard
Iambic is fermented with wild airborne yeasts and cultures, especially those
that proliferate in dank caves. When drinking this ale, the drinker must make
an HT roll or become drunk for margin of failure minutes. When under effects of
this ale, the drinker gains the Unfazeable (p. B95) advantage and cannot lose Fatigue
Points through normal exertion. He can sprint indefinitely and fight all day. He
can still lose fatigue from starvation, thirst, sleeplessness, etc. Likewise,
any use of extra effort has its normal costs.
Duration: 1 day.
Form: Potion.
Cost: $1,590 (singular); $575
(5-batched).
Recipe: $159; 15 days; defaults to
Alchemy-6.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage,
Longbeard Lambic, +410%; Backlash, Resistible, Drunk, -10%; Extended Duration,
1,000x, +60%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [53]. Notes: «Longbeard Lambic» is
Indefatigable (Magical, -10%) [27] + Unfazeable (Magical, -10%) [14]. Extended
Duration costs only 60%, because the Potion meta-enhancement already includes
Extended Duration, 30x, +60%.
Wyrm’s Breath Bitter
This green-tinged brew has a pungent, bitter bite.
It is flavored with a variety of foul-smelling herbs and is intensely
carbonated through a unique fermentation process. When drinking this ale, the
drinker must make an HT roll or become drunk and nauseated for margin of failure minutes. When under effects of
this ale, the drinker can unleash a noxious belch that affects everyone in a
2-yard radius as a Ready maneuver. Everyone in the area who breathes in the
belch must roll against HT or become nauseated for margin of failure minutes.
The drinker must wait for 5 seconds after belching to unleash another belch.
Duration: 9 minutes.
Form: Potion.
Cost: $570 (singular); $205 (5-batched).
Recipe: $57; 2 days; defaults to Alchemy-2.
Statistics: Affliction 1 (HT; Advantage, Wyrm’s
Breath Bitter, +190%; Backlash, Resistible, Drunk and Nauseated, -25%; Extended
Duration, 3x, -40%; Magical, -10%; Potion, -25%) [19]. Notes: «Wyrm’s Breath
Bitter» is Affliction 1 (HT; Area Effect, 2 yards, +50%; Emanation, -20%;
Magical, -10%; Nauseated, +30%; Respiratory Agent, +50%; Takes Recharge, 5
seconds, -10%) [19]. Extended Duration costs -40%, because the Potion
meta-enhancement includes Extended Duration, 30x, +60%.
Neat
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