BRP Potions

[Shaira]

Hi all,

I've been working out how to make magic items using the BRP rules, and also what kind of items the rules-as-written allow. On the whole I've been able to spec up the bulk of the standard fantasy-genre magic items (swords, wands, magic armour, that sort of stuff) - however, on the subject of Potions I've not made much progress. The RAW enable, for example, something like a "wand of healing" (costing permanent POW to create), but currently to make a potion would require the same outlay.

I'm aware the BRP rules are just a skeleton, and that genre-specific detail is going to be coming later, but just wondered if anyone had come up with any neat solutions (no pun intended ). I may end up drafting something along the lines of the SB5 Potions skill for use in my own campaign...

Cheers,

Sarah

[Puck]

I for one would be very interested in anything you come up with for potions. I do not have SB5 or the BRP book yet so I will have to wait for a while before I work out anything. Potions are an intregral part of the setting I have been fiddling with for the shared world. I was thinking that I would probably have to write up a set of rules from scratch.

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Here's a draft house rule for you, hope it helps.

Making Magic Potions

New skill: Alchemy (base 00%). Training costs 2,000 sp per 5% increase.

Alchemy can be used to embed Battle/Spirit Magic spells into liquids. The caster must know the Battle/Spirit Magic spell and have the ingredients available.

The ingredient costs are figured according to the following table:

1-pt spell: Common ingredients (found in most large marketplaces) costing 25 sp.
2-pt spell: Common ingredients (found in most large marketplaces) costing 50 sp.
3-pt spell: Common ingredients costing 100 sp, plus an uncommon ingredient the player must find (e.g. griffon feather, mummy wrapping, troll tooth, etc.)
4-pt spell: Common ingredients costing 200 sp, plus three uncommon ingredients the player must find.
5-pt spell: Common ingredients costing 500 sp, plus one rare ingredient the player must find (e.g. giant's toenail, dinosaur eyeball, phoenix feather, etc.)
(etc.)

Manufacturing the potion costs twice the amount of temporary POW as the spell imbedded would cost to cast. Thus to cast a 2-pt healing potion would cost 4 points of temporary POW.

The potion takes effect 1d20 strike ranks after being consumed.

If subsequent potions are consumed by the same person on the same day, there is a cumulative 1% chance that the magical liquids will become toxic, causing the drinker to be affected as if by a poison of 1d20 potency.

[Skunkape]

Very interesting house rules there PapersAndPaychecks!

I like the use of temporary POW over permenant POW any day.

The side effect of consuming to many potions is nice as well.

[Shaira]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and input!

My goal at the moment is to have some loose rules in the background for me to be able to use potions in play, rather than immediately having lots of alchemist PCs trying to make potions - I need to work out what potions are and how they work in the BRP rules rather than strictly speaking how to make them.

That said, I'm leaning towards a "Science (Alchemy)" skill, and having an alchemical equivalent to the Sorcerous Grimoire where alchemists keep all the formulae for their brews. I've divvied up potions into 4 types:

i.) Poisons
ii.) Poison Antidotes
iii.) Herbal Potions (slow healing, augment certain skills or characteristics, etc)
iv.) Magical Potions (potion of flight, etc)

Within those categories, I'll create some basic "formula descriptions", analogous to spell descriptions. There'll be a generic "Create Poison" description, for example. Poisons, Poison Antidotes, and Herbal Potions don't require any magical energy to create, just time and the correct ingredients, plus knowledge of the formula and sufficient skill. Magical Potions require the knowledge of one or more Spells, plus may require some very arcane ingredients (eye of medusa, etc), and - depending on formula - will require at least PP expenditure, and maybe even POW expenditure in some cases.

Hopefully this should be flexible enough to emulate what a fantasy campaign needs in terms of potions. The standard "Spell Potion Formula" is probably the most important to work up into a formula, as that's the one that's trickiest to tie in with the BRP rules. For that, I'm toying with three ideas:
i.) Require PP only, and no permanent POW sacrifice
ii.) Require PP and POW sacrifice for a large number of doses
iii.) Require an initial POW sacrifice to enchant parts of the alchemical lab to make a specific potion, then PP after to brew individual batches.

I'm leaning towards (iii) - it actually follows (more or less) the BRP "Equipment with Powers" rules, plus allows relatively unlimited amounts of potion to be brewed as long as PP and ingredients are available. It also has the added advantageous side-effect of making alchemical labs very personalised and therefore valuable to the individual alchemist.

I'll keep brainstorming and post a draft when it's a bit more complete. Feedback is very welcome!

Cheers,

Sarah

[Aramone]

hello Shaira how is the potion rules coming? Have you tested any of your ideas in play?

[Greymagius]

Just a quick note.. RQII had potion rules, as I recall. Sadly my copy disappeared years ago. If you could find them, it might prove of use.

Grey

[Shaira]

Originally Posted by Aramone

hello Shaira how is the potion rules coming? Have you tested any of your ideas in play?

Actually, no - thanks for the reminder! I've been sidetracked into Other Things since my last post, but happily have managed to find a way to work a "School of Alchemy" pretty smoothly into my Chronicles campaign. I'll get to work on it right away!

Cheers,

Sarah