Alchemy instead of magic

[gpetruc]

I'm creating a new setting in the reinassance times where magic has been forgotten and it has been replaced by Alchemy, but I 'm not sure on how to do it.

Ideas
I'll summarize the main ideas:
- The only "spellcasters" are the alchemists
- Alchemy should as less arcane as possible: I'd like to avoid obscure things such as memorized spells that vanish from memory or "mana points".
- The main limits to what an alchemist can do are: the complexity of the formulas, the components needed, the time required to prepare them and the chance of failure in the preparation.
- spells should include: elemental spells, poisons, healing (I'll have no divine magic) (but at higher levels than clerics), protection spells, some transmutation
- spells should not include: "dominate" spells, spells that require the planes and spells that are too strange (for example Bigby's hands)

The rules that I had thought are:
1) Casting mechaincs
Alchemy is cast through a skill (let's call it alchemy) based on intelligence.
DCs are
lvl 0: 12
lvl 1: 15
lvl 2: 17
lvl 3: 20
lvl 4: 22
lvl 5: 25
lvl 6: 27
lvl 7: 30
lvl 8: 32
lvl 9: 35
Two checks are required: one when preparing the components and one when casting the spell.
(that gives roughtly a 40-50% chance of failure in the highest level, a 60-70 chance for a spell one level lower, an 80-90 for one two levels lower and an auto success later on)

1a) Preparing components
- May require (depending on the spell) access to fire, clean water, some alchemist tools or even a full alchemist lab; the text with the formula is required.
- Time required: 20 min/ spell level for an alchemist of lvl 1-6; 10 min/spell level for an alchemist of lvl 7-12, 5 min/spell level for an alchemist of lvl 13+
- Failure in the alchemy check means that the compoments are ruined and the process must start again with new ones
- Prepared components last 2 days; after that time they are ruined.

1b)Casting
- Provokes AoO and can be interrupted (requiring a concentration check).
- Armor check penality applies to the casting check.
- Use rules for a spell that requires Material and Somatic components (but no verbal ones)

2) Known formulas
An alchemist keeps his formulas on a book. There is no limit on the number of spells an alchemist might know (except for the cost and time involved in the writing process).
Understanding a formula (alchemycraft DC 15+spell level, no retry until after having acquired another rank) is required to be able to write it down on the book, prepare components and cast it.


3) Skills and Feats
3a) Skills
- The core rules Alchemy skill is now called Minor Alchemy
- Added: Alchemy (used to cast the spells)
- Added: Knowledge:Alchemy (replaces Knowledge:Arcane)
- Added: Alchemycraft (replaces Spellcraft)
- Keep as standard: Concentratiom
3b) Feats
- Meta-alchemy: extended, expanded, maximized, empowered, heightened, delayed.
- Item creation: powders (as scrolls), crystals (one-use wands), potions, weapons and armor, wonderous items

4) Alchemist core class:
BAB, Saves, HP, proficiencies: as wizard
Bonus feats at lvl 1,5,10,15,20: can choose any meta-alchemy feat, item creation and Skill Focus (Alchemy), Skill Focus Knowledge:Alchemy), Skill Focus: Alchemycraft)
Maximum spell level: as wizard
Skills: 4 skill points; Craft, Knowledge, Profession, Alchemy, Minor Alchemy, Alchemycraft, Heal, Diplomacy, Concentration
Other features (maybe):
- bonuses to Minor Alchemy;
- Hands become immune to most elemental energies (can hold his potion in the fire with his bare hands) (this does not make the alchemist immune to the energy itself)

--------------------------------------------

Main problems
The main problem with this is how to keep it balanced.
Any suggestions are gladly welcome

If someone is interested I can also post my first try of a spell list (using only spells from the PHB) and a more detailed version of the rules.

 

[SylverFlame]

A balance method could be tying all spells to physical objects like potions or items.

For instance, all healing spells and poisons come in potion form. Maybe you have an apple, that when eaten, gives you the strength of a bull? (I'd suggest something else for the bull, but that's just nasty )

Stuff like that would balance everything out since it would require an action to activate the item. I have a PrC in the works that will use this method.

Item Creation feats help balance the class because you'd need them to make most of the foci of the spells.

 

[Xyros]

For alchemist ideas, read _Master of the Five Magics_ by Lyndon Hardy. The book is divided into, oddly enough, five sections each detailing a specific type of magic; the second type outlined is alchemy.

Another resource you might want to check out is the Septentrionalis site, a 3E D&D campaign based on a 17th Century American/European background. The "natural philosopher" class might provide you with some more ideas.

 

[FungiMuncher]

I'm really fond of the alchemist concept, so I'd love to see anything you come up with. I've tried some work on an Alchemist alternate core class for my campaign. However, my players haven't showed too much interest lately, so I haven't fully developed it yet.

I like that your alchemist has a broad range of effects and items to make. Historically, alchemists were believed to be able to do lots of things besides change lead to gold or provide immortality.

One of the biggest problems I've run into is how to limit a player from just sitting back and making more and more stuff. One idea is that it was believed that the magical auras of the substances (and that of the wielder) influenced one another. Perhaps a system could be devised to reflect this. For example, an alchemist with too many Fire Ball Grenades would run the risk of having one of them go off automaicially, or having the Healing Potions becoming tainted. Of course, a higher level alchemist would be better able to counteract these bad effects. So far, I've only done such things on a impromptu basis.

Other suggestions for your alchemist class:

You may want to include Decipher Script in the skill list (it could work similar to Read Magic). I recall from somewhere that alchemists wrote their formulas in a mixture of languages and codes.

Personally, I'd have just one Alchemy skill, and have something like "Mystical Alchemy" as a feat/class ability (similar to how Track adds an ability to Wilderness Lore). This is just a preference, to limit creating new skills. Of course, YMMV.

Another preference: talismans instead of crystals (those are for psions).

The immunity to elemental effects sounds good. There may be a lot of other special effects, too (longevity, poison resistance, use of power components for XP costs, etc.)

Under what circumstances can the alchemist give his stuff to non-alchemists? Does he have to go through the process of making a magic item, per the standard rules? If prepared components are totally useless in a non-alchemist's hands, I wouldn't limit them to 2 days duration (though they could be ruined in other ways).

Don't forget about what happens when the player rolls a one on the preparation or casting checks. Alchemists are notorious for blowing up their labs!

So far, what you have looks good!

FM

 

[gpetruc]

Some replies:
- Decipher script: added to the list
- Crystals: I was thinking of Cogline (Shannara saga) when I put the crystals, and I forgot about psionics; talismans sound too arcane for me (and i find it not too suited for a "use once" item).
maybe simply call them stones ?

The time limit (2 days) for components was to avoid characters to walk around with tons of prepared components and so being able to cast nearly any spell as many times they want.

I don't like much the idea of using "magical" items as components/foci for two reasons:
- you need XP to create them; but you need them to cast spells, survive and get XP. this may give problems
- the normal components for alchemical already require time to prepare, money and for many spells the components should also be difficult to find.

- I've checked the Septentrionalis site. Very interesting, I'll take some ideas expecially on the spell list.

- About what alchemical items can be used by others: The idea is that while the prepared spell components can be used only by alchemists, they can still
1) create "use activated" magical items such as potions
2) create minor alchemical objects (I'll make a broader list later) as per standard rules

Tomorroy I'll post the spell list for the alchemist

 

[gpetruc]

Here is the spell list

Here is the spell list (in txt format, tab separated values).
I'm a bit unsure about some spells (such as scry), that probably should be cut off.

What do you think ?

Anybody knows where I can find a big list of possible spell components (for example big lists of minerals, plants, ....) on the web ?

Thanks

Edit: I've put the wrong attachment

 

[gpetruc]

And this is the MS-Excel 97 format (should be readable also with OpenOffice)

 

[Privateer]

What's wrong with dominating potions? Imagine slipping the potion into some tea, and making the person your slave (for some time, anyway). Quite nice for plot hooks, I think.

 

[gpetruc]

The problem is that dominate requires a telepathical contact with the dominated creature, that does not suit my idea of the alchemist .