Alchemy Rules

Alchemy is the ability to brew a variety of potions and liquids from various ingredients that have a variety of effects.

Applying potions

Potions can affect a target through the following delivery methods:

Ingestion – This is the most common method, in which the potion is taken internally in its entirety. All potions can be ingested for their full effect; however, some potions may also be delivered via other means.
Blade Venoms – This method is used to apply a variety of potions to the target. Venom can be applied to any weapon or arrow/bolt. To apply a venom successfully requires the “Use Venom” skill. Once applied, the venom lasts until either the weapon is sheathed; the next blow is struck with the weapon; any other appropriate roleplay (such as wiping the blade) is carried out; or for the next five minutes: whichever is soonest. The blow that delivers the potion must deal hit point damage for the potion to be effective. Once envenomed, the weapon may be wielded by any character.
It may be possible to research blade venom versions of potions, such as Heart’s Desire (in this case the call to apply this would be VENOM HEART’S DESIRE) – this can be done via the normal research system.
Throwable – Some potions take effect when thrown at a target. These should be physrepped by a safe thrown projectile.

Potion volume

Potions have a volume of 10ml. Each potion must be kept in a separate container.

Potion duration

All potions have a duration of 5 minutes unless otherwise stated (healing, venoms and poisons are instantaneous).

Manufacture

In order to make a potion a character must have the required skill, spend the required time and provide the required ingredients.

Each character with the Alchemy skill has a garden which produces, for free and without their interaction, 7*alchemy level ingredients at the start of each event they attend. These ingredients expire at the next refresh unless in a stabilised potion. A character may not stabilise more than a single refresh-worth of their ingredients in a week.

Ingredients can only be used by the person whose garden they come from. Multiple alchemists working together can combine their ingredients to make a potion any of them can make. (Generic ingredients able to be used by any alchemist may exist, and might be found by adventuring.)

Potions can be made either in uptime or downtime, and take 1 minute to manufacture. Making a potion requires a number of ingredients equal to the level of the potion + 1 (so a 4th level potion requires 5 ingredients).

Potions last for 30 minutes after manufacture before they curdle and become unusable. This can be extended to a week by addition of Stabilising Salt, which can be purchased at a price set by the refs. One unit of Stabilising Salt is required per ingredient.

An alchemist with the Preserve Potion skill and the knowledge of how to make the potion can make a Stabilised potion last a further week by adding to it half the number of ingredients that would be required to manufacture them rounded down. (This means that characters able to preserve potions will be able to build up stocks to a maximum of almost double their normal weekly production, given sufficient time.)

For description of the effects of specific potions, see the Potion List document.

Herb Lore

Each character with the Herb Lore skill is assumed to go foraging and obtain, automatically and for free at the start of each event they attend, 4*level in Herb Lore ingredients, which expire at the end of the event.

Herb Lore ingredients work as alchemy ingredients, with two exceptions: they can be twisted together to make potions instantly, rather than requiring a minute’s preparation; and they cannot be Stabilised.

Alchemy and Herb Lore ingredients can be combined, in which case the resulting potion takes a minute to prepare and cannot be Stabilised.