Alchemy: Elixir Recycling

Alchemy: Elixir Recycling

Have you ever played Might and Magic VI, VII, or VIII? In those three games, alchemical potions are split into five tiers, and each non-basic potion is created by combining two potions of the previous tier. A couple of days ago, this mechanic has inspired me to create an elixir recycling system from my Metatronic Alchemy system. It would allow an alchemist to use existing potions to save some money and time. I'm pretty sure that the first draft of this will be revised multiple times in the future, because it'll probably break something.

When brewing an elixir (resultant elixir), the alchemist can use another elixir or elixirs (base elixirs) as materials. To do so, the alchemist must have identified the base elixirs first - using an unknown elixir as a base will result in an automatic failure on the Alchemy roll to brew the resultant elixir. In addition, the resultant elixir and the base elixirs must be of the same form - potions, powders, grenades, etc. For the purpose of calculating the brewing time and ingredient cost, subtract the base elixirs' point costs from the resultant elixir's point cost. An alchemist cannot decrease the resultant elixir's effective point cost by more than 50% (rounded up). When recycling elixirs this way, the alchemist takes an additional -1 penalty to their Alchemy roll. Elixir recycling is impossible with the Herb Lore skill.

Example: An alchemist wants to brew a potion of flight (43 points; ingredients cost $129; brewing takes 10 days; Alchemy-5). In the dungeon, the alchemist has found a potion of healing (14 points). He has successfully identified it and decides to use it as a base for his potion of flight. Thus, the resultant potion of flight will have an effective point cost of 43 - 14 =  29 points. That's under the maximum of 50% decrease. After recalculating the values, the potion of flight will require only $87 in ingredients and take only 5 days to brew. However, the alchemist will have to roll at -6, not -5.

It should be reasonable to introduce the following perk and technique.

Master Recycler [1]

This perk increases the maximum decrease of the resultant elixir's effective point cost by 10% per level. Can be taken up to three times. You must specialize by form: potion, powder, grenade, etc.

Elixir Recycling

Hard

Default: Alchemy-1. Cannot exceed prerequisite skill.

This technique can be used to buy off the additional -1 penalty to Alchemy for elixir recycling. You must specialize by form: potion, powder, grenade, etc.