Broken Sorcery
Chapter 13

Alchemy

Powerful Potions and Poisons brewed from ingredients gathered in Civilizations and the Wilderness.

Recipes

Potion Recipes contain precise instructions, quantities, and cooking durations. Recipes must be obtained to successfully brew a Potion or Poison.

Brewing without a recipe is a sure way to brew up a Bad Batch.

Poisons

Poisons can be concentrated without a Check—assuming the correct equipment and ingredients are on hand.

When applied to a Weapon, the Poison is expended after the first successful hit.

Brewing

Brewing requires several hours of focus.

  • Check: Wisdom Modifier + Alchemy Bonuses

  • Sufficient containers must be on hand

  • Brewing with a Cauldron requires 4 times the ingredients and creates a batch of 2d6 doses

  • Brewing with an Alchemy Lab is a precise process, granting the brewer +4 Alchemy, however, each brew creates only a single dose

  • Alchemy ingredients are spent in the brewing process, whether brewing succeeded or failed

Only when a Potion is finally consumed do you roll your Alchemy Check—you hope the Potion does what you intended it to. Time to find out!

Bad Batches

Failed Alchemy may result in a Bad Batch. You won’t know until your brew is consumed: it could be harmless, or it might ruin your day.

Most failed batches are harmless, however, an Alchemy Check resulting in a Fumble (Natural 1) triggers a d20 roll on the following table:

# RESULT
1 You break out in boils. Take d6 Damage and suffer Disadvantage to Charisma, Loyalty, and Reaction for d4 weeks.
2 You sink into a coma for d4 days.
3 You become sick, suffering -4 Constitution until Resting.
4 Your skin shifts to a pale light green color. You look sickly. Decrease your Charisma by 1.
5 Your vision blurs, causing Disadvantage on any Checks requiring your vision until Resting.
6 Your mind becomes numb and you slur your words, causing Disadvantage to Intelligence and Wisdom until Resting.
7 One of your limbs becomes Paralysed until Resting (determined by a d4).
8 You are overcome by uncontrollable shaking, suffering Disadvantage to Dexterity until Resting.
9 Your Chaos is increased by d12!
10 You acquire a permanent phobia, such as the fear of water, arachnophobia, claustrophobia, etc. (work with your GM to determine the precise effect).
11 You are blinded for d4 days.
12 You become compulsively truthful for d4 weeks.
13 You are overcome with uncontrollable laughter until Resting, preventing you from doing much of anything.
14 You develop a permanent allergy to one of the Potion’s ingredients, consuming it causes you d6 Damage.
15 Your Constitution is decreased by 1.
16 You suffer complete amnesia.
17 You become weightless, floating above the ground. You glide if pushed, but cannot move without pushing off a wall or object. This should wear off… eventually.
18 You get the hiccups. Small green bubbles float from your mouth as you speak. This should wear off, eventually.
19 The Potion works! But you become hopelessly addicted to it. You must consume a dose of the Potion each time you Rest or your Constitution is decreased by 2.
20 A power spreads throughout your body: one of your Ability Scores mutates. Roll a d6 to determine which Ability Score. Roll a d6 to determine if the Ability Score decreases (1–4) or increases (5–6) by 1.

Potions

There are 30 Potions & Poisons listed below (making them easy to randomize with a d30). Potions and Poisons can be Brewed or found as Treasure (see Treasure).

  • Alchemists can design and brew new unique Potions and Poisons with GM collaboration

  • Difficulty (denoted by column D) on the following table are suggestions and may be adjusted by the GM based on the ingredients, situation, and/or available equipment

  • Potions can be identified with an Alchemy Check vs Potion Difficulty

# POTION / POISON D INGREDIENTS DESCRIPTION
1 Antivenom 15 Foxglove, Snakeroot, Pure alcohol Prevent HP loss from monster venom and Poisons. A thin, light purple liquid.
2 Clairvoyance 13 Fairy dust, Eye of newt, Ground antelope horn, Spring water Bestow the effects of the Clairvoyance Spell. A clear light brown liquid with a small floating eyeball.
3 Cockatrice Venom – Concentrated cockatrice venom Easy to brew… if you can get the venom. Causes 2d6 Damage when consumed or adds +4 Damage when applied to a bladed Weapon. A thick dark brown toxin.
4 Control Dragon 17 Dragon eye, Elder flowers, Griffon feathers, Absinthe Grants the ability to control any one Dragon until Resting. A swirling red and green potion.
5 Control Undead 14 Zombie flesh, Imp eggs, Spring water Grants the ability to control any number of Undead until Resting. An opaque black liquid.
6 Cure Disease 15 Belladonna, Echinacea flowers, Nymph tears Cures all Diseases. Radiates with light.
7 Enhanced Focus 17 Ginseng, Turmeric, Cayenne, Lion's mane fungi, Fine wine Grant +1 Intelligence and +1 Wisdom for each dose consumed until Resting. An orange liquid which vibrates softly.
8 Flight 16 Dragon scale, Fly amanita, Griffon feathers, Fine wine Uninhibited flight for a brief time. Better land before it wears off. A dark red elixir.
9 Fountain of Youth 20 Elder flowers, Vampire blood, Enchanted spring water Reduce age by d12 years. Not bad. A small vial of pink liquid.
10 Growth 13 Giant spider eggs, Lion's mane fungi, Grog Grow d12 inches. A putrid green brew.
11 Healing 14 Elder flowers, Blue cap mushrooms, Glow worms, Kale, Juiced goddess apples Heal 2d6 HP. A light blue tonic.
12 Healing, Extreme 16 Elder flowers, Blue cap mushrooms, Rever essence, Kale, Juiced goddess apples Heal 5d6 HP. A dark, royal blue tonic.
13 Infinite Sleep 14 Imp larva, Fairy dust, Red toad slime, Grog Cause permanent sleep until reversed by Dispel or Counterspell Magic. A tincture containing sparkling light and dark flakes.
14 Invisibility 18 Ground Minotaur horn, Absinthe, Ghost shrooms, Crystal dust Turn invisible, including anything carried or held. Any idea how long this will last? A translucent liquid—easily mistaken as water.
15 Invulnerability 20 Dragon eye, Purple lotus flower, Zombie flesh Become utterly invulnerable to all Damage for a brief time. A purple serum.
16 Love Potion 15 Fairy dust, Filtered dove blood, Salt, Ground hazelnut, Red wine Fall madly in love with the next humanoid you see. A deep red glowing philter.
17 Nightvision 10 Glow cap mushrooms, Glow worms, Dryad tear Grants full darkvision until Resting. A glowing night-green serum.
18 Polymorph 20 Squid ink, Giant spider eggs, Sheep brains, Lizard blood Produces the effects of the Polymorph Spell. A light violet concoction.
19 Power Unbounded 15 Bone marrow, Ground ogre teeth, Yeti fur, Goat milk Increase Strength 2d4 until Resting. An opaque white liquid—not milk!
20 Purple Haze 17 Purple lotus flower, Filtered belladonna oil Induce an astral projecting trance state, revealing the answer to a single question. A smoky purple potion.
21 Regeneration 18 Ghost shrooms, Cayenne, Rever essence, Kale, Juiced goddess apples Regain 1 HP per Turn. This must wear off… A vibrant light green tonic.
22 Resist Cold 12 Blue cap mushrooms, Crystals, Pure alcohol Immunity to cold for a brief period. A light blue sparkling liquid.
23 Resist Fire 12 Ginseng, Warg fangs, Pure alcohol Immunity to fire for a brief period. A light red sparkling liquid.
24 Snake Venom – Concentrated snake venom A Poison causing d6 Damage when consumed or adding +1 Damage when applied to a bladed Weapon. A jet-black toxin.
25 Spectral Transmutation 19 Ectoplasm, Bone marrow, Ground amber, Warg fangs Transmute into a Spectral Form (see Druid), but maintain your humanoid shape. Thick, slimy, and clear.
26 Toxic Slime 13 Distilled slime monster Instantly disintegrates organic material, causing 3d6 Damage. Bottled slime.
27 Unstable Mutation 18 Frog legs, Fly amanita, Glow worms, Snake eggs, Lizard tail, Pomegranate seed juice to cut the taste

Violently grow d4 feet, ripping clothing and fracturing Armor. Increases Strength, Constitution, and Willpower by 4!

On subsequent Turns roll a d8: Reduce Strength by 1 (1); Mutate lizard hands (2); Reduce Willpower by 1 (3); Grow fangs (4); Reduce Constitution by 1 (5); Shrink d12 inches (6); Pass out, ceasing further mutation (7–8).

All effects are permanent.

A swirling and mutating living liquid.

28 Vitality 25 Echinacea flowers, Elder flowers, Bone marrow, Enchanted spring water Gain +4 Constitution until Resting, including 4 max HP × Hit Dice. A thin translucent green elixir.
29 Waterbreathing 14 Fish liver oil, Live tadpoles Breath underwater until Resting. An oil swimming with live tadpoles.
30 Wyvern Venom – Concentrated wyvern venom Deadly Poison causing instant death when consumed or adding 2D6 Damage when applied to a bladed Weapon. A dark green toxin.

Ingredients

Ya know, for Potions! You can attempt to find Alchemy Ingredients in the Wilderness and Civilizations by spending 1 hour Gathering:

# GATHERING
1–15 Nothing comes up.
16–18 Roll on the Flora & Fauna table while in the Wilderness; roll on the Dealer’s & Vendors table while in civilization—you’ll need to pay for that.
19 Roll twice on the appropriate table.
20 Roll on the appropriate table, finding d6 quantity of the item.
# FLORA & FAUNA # DEALERS & VENDORS # MONSTER PARTS
1 Antelope horn 1 Absinthe 1 Cockatrice venom
2 Belladonna 2 Amber 2 Dragon eye
3 Blue cap mushrooms 3 Bone marrow 3 Dragon scale
4 Echinacea flowers 4 Cayenne 4 Dryad tear
5 Elder flowers 5 Crystals 5 Ectoplasm
6 Fly amanita 6 Fine wine 6 Fairy dust
7 Foxglove 7 Fish liver oil 7 Giant spider eggs
8 Frog legs 8 Ginseng 8 Griffon feathers
9 Ghost shrooms 9 Goat milk 9 Imp eggs
10 Glow cap mushrooms 10 Goddess apples 10 Minotaur horn
11 Glow worms 11 Grog 11 Nymph tears
12 Lion's mane fungi 12 Hazelnut 12 Ogre teeth
13 Lizard 13 Kale 13 Rever essence
14 Newt eye 14 Pomegranate seeds 14 Snake venom
15 Purple lotus flower 15 Pure alcohol 15 Toxic slime
16 Red toad slime 16 Red wine 16 Vampire blood
17 Snake eggs 17 Salt 17 Warg fangs
18 Snakeroot 18 Sheep brains 18 Wyvern venom
19 Spider eggs 19 Squid ink 19 Yeti fur
20 Tadpoles 20 Turmeric 20 Zombie flesh