e-Alchemy

16 Pages·2002·0.88 MB·English

by  Jim Butler

acids or poisons, and create a small repertoire
e-Alchemy
of items, all of which are defined in the PH.
The given understanding within this book is
This free download offers you a glimpse into
that the Alchemy skill—while important and
our upcoming Alchemy & Herbalists release
linked to all other levels of the craft—is the base
(which should be available by May 1st in most
minimum under which most “alchemists”
hobby stores). There are a variety of materials
work, using those core DCs and costs to fill that
pulled from the book that are detailed below,
small gap between wizards with their
but you might not have a clear picture of how
Wondrous Items and NPC Craftsmen with their
things are created, how a prestige class choice
more common nonmagical items. The skill
affects becoming an alchemist, the true nature
doesn’t provide understanding of the greater
of herbs, and other minutiae. You’ll have to wait
philosophies argued among the more learned
for the full book to uncover these secrets, though
alchemists, nor does it grant any expanded
you can get a better idea of how A&H is laid out
knowledge of individual substances or types of
by glancing at the Table of Contents page.
materials.
The Alchemy skill, basically, allows you the
Introduction to Alchemy
chance to make anything that lists it as the
minimum prerequisite. If all you want is more
What is alchemy? The knee-jerk definition of
special stuff for those basic Alchemy skill-users
alchemy is “a buncha guys trying to turn lead
to have, skip ahead to Chapter 7 and start
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into gold,” right? While that’s partly true, there’s
looking at all the new stuff that even the meanest -
so much more to learn. Stick around and you’ll A
potion-pusher can produce. If you want to learn
discover everything you’ll need to know about more about the study of alchemy itself, however, l
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the Hermetic Arts, or at least the alchemical arts
keep reading and discover how much more h
you choose to adapt and unleash upon your
there than simply making potions or seeking to e
D&D game worlds. m
turn lead into gold….
What is alchemy? It’s the quest for perfection,
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pure and simple. That can be perfection in
The Generic Alchemist
matter, the much-vaunted turning the basest of
This work assumes that a general alchemist—
metals—lead—into the purest—gold. It can also
meaning anyone with a few ranks in alchemy—
mean perfection in ourselves by seeking
is a self-taught or singularly taught individual
immortality. These are the ultimate paths and
who learns things haphazardly or piecemeal.
goals of alchemy, though they are not the only
Sure, anyone with a rank or two in Alchemy can
ones, and there is much to learn along the way.
take a stab at identifying potions and substances,
What is alchemy? It is as many questions as
or creating inks and acids, poisons and
answers, as many truths as lies. It is undefinable
purgatives. But what else can you expect out of
to those outside its mysteries, just like magic or
them? How far does their knowledge extend?
the rituals of each individual faith. The shortest
That’s the purpose of this book—to show how
definition would be “the medieval equivalent
far chymical knowledge reaches and what
of chemistry and chemical research.” Another
specialists and those committed to the
way of looking at it is the Art of Transformation
alchemical arts—as opposed to mere dabblers—
without Magic. To most players of d20 worlds,
can really do.
that’s enough. For those who want to know the
While it is possible to add a few bits of
whole truth (or truths)—read on.
alchemical knowledge to any character and
allow them the basics mentioned above,
Alchemy at its d20 Basic
alchemy is more than simple knowledge.
Alchemy, as paraphrased from the Player’s Alchemy leads to a greater understanding of the
Handbook, allows those with knowledge and world and the universe and all life and matter
skill to combine strange ingredients to order to within it. It’s a way of life fully embraced and
create marvelous substances, identify unknown made a life’s work and focus. That’s how the
materials, and make nonmagical but special prestige classes in Chapter 2 approach
items. As far as the Player’s Handbook and the alchemy—it’s not just another thing for a
core rules are concerned, alchemy can help you wizard or ranger to learn so much as a new
identify potions and other substances, make philosophy and perspective on life. 1
Obviously, this approach is problematic from magics.) While this still reflects the simple use
a game play perspective—The other player of the Alchemy skill and its ranks, having a
characters can’t simply mill around while Argus teacher to direct (and correct) one’s studies adds
takes six years to immerse himself in studies at some focus to learning alchemy. Also, assuming
Saragun’s Alcheminary. That’s unreasonable for the mentor has the feats, the student alchemist
an adventure game. What this book presents is can gain directed knowledge on specific
every facet of alchemy (and herbalism, in substances and materials by learning some of
alternating chapters) so that the GM and players the alchemical or herbal Item Creation feats. The
can either build a character who uses the basics student is, however, limited to the feats known
or create one who embraces every aspect of by the teacher.
alchemy possible. If you’ve got a character who A third way, and one discussed at length in
dabbles in alchemy (adding ranks every few Chapter 2, is to find a school where alchemy is
levels or so), he probably knows the names of taught. Learning alchemy from a variety of
some famous alchemists (i.e. the creators of the other alchemists is the most
named items in Chapter 7 or listed within the comprehensive method. The learning is
glossary of Appendix One), though whether organized to indoctrinate the student into
he’s familiar with their theories and studies alchemy as an approach to life as much
is questionable. as a future trade (or subskill to one’s
Those are the only difference wizardry). It also provides the
between an alchemist built strictly broadest chances for alchemists to
from the core books (i.e. the core focus their studies on a path
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Alchemy skill) and one developed toward understanding some great
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with this book—the level of detail universal and material secrets,
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and the options for role-playing. whether they choose to embrace
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Just remember—if it’s in this book, the paths toward immortality or
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l alchemists can learn it, but there’s no those toward perfection of matter.
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guarantee that they know all the details Only this third method provides
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and minutia and knowledge available access to the major works and
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unless they’re full-fledged prestige-class philosophies that lead to the Create
characters in their field of study. Greater Alchana feat and its
products—the Five Stones and the
How Alchemy Can Be Learned Elixir of Life.
and Taught
Alchemy as a Profession
Alchemists in our world learned by trial Most campaigns will use
and error, self-teaching from books, and alchemists in the background—
perhaps some overlap with the NPC Experts who know their way
burgeoning sciences of their days. Alchemy around an alchemical lab. For the
can be learned that way in D20 worlds as most part, this is the standard
well, simply by taking a rank or three in sort of alchemist in campaigns—
Alchemy with no further study or a nonadventuring thinker who
additional feats. That’s one way to learn the creates spell components and various and
hermetic arts, haphazard and incomplete sundry creations for use by adventures and
though it may be (and such characters can only monarchs alike.
work with the limited DCs and substances noted Look at the limitations and strictures of the
in the core books). It’s all alchemy, but it’s barely NPC Expert class to determine just how
scratching the surface of the art’s potential. It’s powerful an alchemist you’ll be able to generate
Alchemy as a hobby. for your games. Unlike the generic skill-driven
A more effective method is to find a alchemist, Experts can and may adopt the
mentor—another alchemist who will train you alchemical Item Creation feats within this book,
in the alchemical arts. (This sometimes occurs provided their skills and abilities meet the
among wizards, who beseech the local prerequisites.
alchemist to teach them some mysteries in As noted above, being a professional
2 exchange for reciprocal information or alchemist is more of a commitment, and it
requires that you have a mentor or teacher for doing the same to sorcerers. Alchemists can act
at least part of your education. The main similarly, sneering at those who dabble in
distinction between professionals and amateurs alchemy while they’ve learned the secrets of
is the knowledge of any alchemical Item unguents and toxins. Likewise, a Black
Creation feats. Alchemist can show off his Philosopher’s Stone
Of course, any PC who chooses to take the and show them all that he’s superior for having
prerequisite skill ranks in Alchemy can acquire unlocked the great arcana of all alchemists.
the new Item Creation feats. However, it is This is the part that we most often forget in our
unlikely they’ll choose to do so, given all the roleplaying—school rivalries and the
highly specialized and useful adventuring-type judgements based on education. There should
feats they can take instead. That’s why a PC with be an elitism among those who know far more
a profession as an alchemist is a rare thing, about alchemy than those who’ve just learned
unless we’re seeing a retired adventurer. the basic skills and how to make tindertwigs. It
also allows you as a DM to have internal
Alchemy as a Calling arguments among equals and NPCs, their
Finally, those who truly see alchemy on the differing philosophies as Black and White
grander scale—as a philosophy and a calling to Alchemists sparking feuds and wars that can
another life—embrace it and all the study and keep the PCs busy for ages. As for school
knowledge it entails. These folk can be highly rivalries, I’ll show you Saragun’s Alcheminary
focused NPC Experts with few skills outside of next chapter (and Tarasta’s School of Herbalism e
alchemical training, but more likely they’re in Chapter 4), but there are probably -
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characters using one of the three alchemist others….and the rivalries between them and
prestige classes. Still, accepting the call of the Saragun’s could be akin to snobbery over Ivy lc
Hermetic Arts is a tough decision for many League vs. university schooling…or it could be h
adventurers. as savage as the rivalries among football e
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The education of a true and fully-educated teams….
alchemist comes only from a dedicated school y
of alchemy and a commitment to the arts Who Helps Whom?
through the adoption of one of the prestige
No one exists in a vacuum, including alchemists
classes. This is a viable and powerful option by
or herbalists. Can they exist without support
which you can expand your PC’s powers and
from other characters? Certainly, though you’re
abilities, but it is time-consuming and costly,
apt to find one tired character that spends less
since the experiences (and XP) have to come
of his time being an alchemist and more time
from a certain amount of laboratory work and
collecting his components or repairing his
experimentation, not going off adventuring.
equipment. In short, there are a lot of people
After all, saving a kingdom is admirable, but it
who help support each craft or profession so
doesn’t help you gain the understanding of
everyone can focus on their own skills and
immortality, the spirits of all matter, or how to
duties. After all, if you’re an herbalist, do you
hurdle that last step to creating a Mystic’s Stone.
want to have to worry about molding or making
your own mortar and pestle or jars for herb
Attitude and Role-Playing
storage?
Just like it can among magic-users, the existence
Below are notes and commentary on how to
of specialization muddies the waters a bit for
weave alchemists and herbalists among both
those not in the know. Relf the warrior might
your NPC and PC classes, and how the skill or
consider Praan an alchemist for being able to
profession affects others.
identify a potion, but Praan is considered a half-
witted oil salesman by some of his neighbors in
NPC Adepts, Commoners & Experts
the Alchemists’ Guild.
While nearly any NPC can lend basic aid to
In short, the stratification of knowledge leads
the professional alchemist or herbalist, the
to a similar stratification and social
NPC classes provide the best level of support.
stigmatization based on the level of alchemical
All of these people are interrelated, just like
knowledge one has. It happens in magecraft,
alchemists or herbalists are with wizards
with specialist wizards touting their superiority
when they need components. This helps
of spellcraft over common mages, and mages 3
create an infrastructure within your game as steel—but very few alchemists take
worlds where these crafts and professions work the time to learn how to mold clay in
for everyone, especially those outlaw order to have just the right type of bowl.
•
adventurers who want to go to a town and find Fellow herbalists and alchemists of
these miraculous substances and their makers lesser or greater skills can provide
when needed. additional materials, supporting
Adepts have a random amount of skills and information, or perhaps just another
learn magic and esoterica haphazardly. Thus, brain with which to consider the latest
you never know what an adept might or might creations and concoctions.
not know about alchemy or herbalism. Chances
are, a mountain-dwelling adept knows where Of course, any and all of these people are
to find the herbs in her environment and how capable of being vicious rivals or petty
to prepare them for use in her limited spell or neighbors who jealously guard their stores and
item repertoire. An adept with ranks in either knowledge. But that’s another aspect of role-
skill is ineligible to use the prestige classes for playing we’ll leave in the hands of your GM….
alchemists or herbalists, but can learn enough Lastly, an alchemist or herbalist could also
to broaden her knowledge. be one of the above types to help defray the costs
Commoners tend to be useful to alchemists of their craft and to provide a focus for their
and herbalists as sources for raw materials, as learning and knowledge. While it’s unlikely an
well as the base level of patients and clients for NPC would be both an Expert glazier and an
goods and services. Experts also act in concert— alchemist, many could be considered
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professional to professional—when working Commoners as woodsmen or hunters while
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with an herbalist or alchemist, though the being an Expert as an herbalist.
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primary difference between an NPC Expert and
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a Commoner might be as slight as a few skill The PC Warriors as Alchemists or
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l points or as broad as master and apprentice. Herbalists
A •
Hunters bring them animal blood and
- Fighters, priests, and paladins—the warrior
organs, the horns and ichor of magical
e classes of D&D, regardless of other roles—share
beasts, not to mention food stores to get
respect for the trades and crafts of herbalism and
the alchemist through a rough winter,
alchemy. Despite divine powers to instantly heal
in exchange for improving the quality
wounds, herbalism provides a backup method
of their father’s sword.
of healing and of providing food. Alchemy
•
Miners—or the NPC Nobles who own
provides combat-useful substances or improves
said mines—bring alchemists rare
weapons and armor. In short, as are most things
minerals and raw gems and stones as
in a warrior’s life, their understanding and
required for their works. Herbalists have
appreciation of alchemy and herbalism tie
little to do with rocks beyond some stone
directly to combat.
or clay jars for storing their wares.
If priests, paladins, or fighters decide to learn
•
Woodsmen and farmers bring the
alchemy or herbalism, they tend toward
herbalists and alchemists raw plants and
learning about poisons and antidotes, unguents
herbs for preservation or simply to save
and salves that prevent or cure problems in
them some time in gathering the herbs
battle. Very rarely do PCs of these classes
themselves. Also, traveling woodsmen
accumulate more than a few ranks of either skill,
(or PC rangers) tend to have access to
and thus their uses for said skills are equally
herbs farther afield, so she may be able
limited. If they should follow through for
to buy rarer herbs instead of taking
extensive studies, the warriors seek out
months to find them herself.
processes such as the Temperant baths (Craft
•
Potters, woodcarvers, glaziers, and the
Alchana and Perfect Materials feats) to develop
like all produce the many clay pots,
their weapons and armor.
wooden bowls, glass jars and vials, and
other storage containers for chymicals
and herbs. Granted, alchemists might be
able to improve the materials with their
own work—making a clay pot as strong
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The PC Outdoorsmen as Alchemists or The PC Thinkers as Alchemists or
Herbalists Herbalists
Druids, rangers, & barbarians are all more likely Wizards, bards, and sorcerers are assumed to
to be herbalists than alchemists, given the lean toward alchemy, since their arcane
natural overlap of skills and their innate focus knowledge overlaps into these skills (and these
toward nature. The attention to the natural PC classes are the only ones for whom Alchemy
world does not lead them to dismiss alchemy is a Class Skill). They use herbalists and
so much as mistrust its focus on making changes alchemists to provide them with spell
nature does not. Like the warriors, it can be components as well as the materials for potions
useful for fortifying one’s weapons or providing or other magical items, like hardened wood
poisons, but the desire to stay close to the earth staves or dried remorhaz horn ground with
and living things keeps many away from such comfrey and sage’s lily for some other arcane
studies and more engrossed in herbalists’ texts. device. They are also both useful purveyors of
While already attuned to nature, druids, inks and papers and other special materials onto
rangers, and barbarians can always learn more which they can record spells, songs, or other
about their environments, how to stay alive by arcane writings.
knowing what herbs are edible and which Still, as the spellcasters and the thinkers, PCs’
aren’t, how to use them to keep safe (either approaches to alchemy tend toward research or
through camouflaging scent and sight or by constantly building from one breakthrough to
their uses as natural antidotes or stimulants), the next until they’ve exhausted a field of study. e
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and the like. More than any others, wizards are the most A
Outdoorsmen learning the natural or likely to take alchemy to its ends and achieve
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alchemical arts use their skills to actively help the ultimate goals of total understanding of c
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both the natural world and the civilized worlds. inorganic or organic matter (and thus the
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While druids or rangers might be able to use world). Bards can use alchemical creations m
spells, they take pride in using other natural without the restrictions they face with magical
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methods before magic to solve their tasks. All items. They can also create better and more
three classes are often assumed to have a lot of unique musical instruments via alchemical
knowledge about nature, so herbalism processes. Sorcerers can learn of other powers
knowledge simply makes the characters and special effects beyond their limited
stronger at their roles. PC barbarians might do repertoire of spells, and wield more powers
well to collect certain herbs to help mitigate their through alchemy and herbalism than they might
rages, while all of them can use alchemy and normally gain just with their PC skills. All three
herbalism to add additional healing or abilities study herbalism both to reduce the costs of their
without despoiling the natural world. Their uses spell and item components and to provide
for alchemy traditionally tends toward White themselves with healing methods normally
Alchemy and the quest for immortality, learning unavailable due to their lack of direct divine
much about mortal sentients and how to purify guidance.
them to be as long-lived as the forests they Lastly, wizards and the others have good
protect. reason to chase after the elusive Five Stones of
Alchemy—the purified forms of matter created
TABLE AH-7M: CORE ITEMS CREATION TABLE
Item CL Prerequisites* DC to Create Cost to Create
Acid, Generic ½ Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 11 10 gp/flask
Alchemist’s Fire 1 Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 13 20 gp/flask
Antitoxin 2 Alchemy/Profession: Herbalist 14 50 gp/flask
Smokestick ½ Alchemy or Profession: Herbalist 10 20 gp/stick
Sunrod 1 Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 12 2 gp/rod
Tanglefoot Bag 2 Alchemy or Profession: Herbalist 13 50 gp/bag
Thunderstone 2 Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 14 30 gp/stone
Tindertwig ½ Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 11 1 gp/twig
* Feats listed in parentheses are suggested, not required.
5
as the ultimate goals of alchemy are far more understand the world, its species, and all matter
useful to spellcasters than any others. Thus it’s and energy.
best to make sure that the heroes could learn While students of black and white alchemy
these secrets, since if the villains are the only see the other side as foolish and rarely see past
alchemists to master the Ultimate Alchana their own rhetorics, the lions of red alchemy
they’ll surely keep those secrets and powers all know how close the two quests truly are. The
to themselves. quest of red alchemy is the creation of all the
Great Stones, and since their knowledge is not
Core Items limited by types of matter or limiting dogma,
Here are the specifications for the core red alchemists are the only alchemists capable
alchemical or herbal special items found in the of creating all Five Alchana Stones.
Player’s Handbook and the DMG. All other
Requirements
details on these items are found on those
pages, on the Toxins and Poisons Table, or on To qualify to become a
Table AH-7M below. Note that these generic Red Alchemist, you
items are sold at cost, unlike all other items, must meet the
due to their familiar presence on all d20 following criteria:
worlds. Skills: Alchemy 8
ranks, Profession: Brewer
The Red Alchemist 4 ranks, any one Craft skill 2
ranks
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m The Eagles of black alchemy focus on Feats: Skill Focus
metals and materials. The Phoenixes (Alchemy)
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h of white alchemy obsess over life, Abilities: +3 to Fortitude
c death, health, disease, rebirth, and Saves; spellcaster level 3rd+
l all their ramifications to alchemy
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and the purity of organic matter Class Skills
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e and life. The study of red The red alchemist’s class skills
alchemy, signified by the
(and the key ability for each skill)
mark of the lion, acts as a are Alchemy (Int), Animal
rebis—a chymical wedding of Empathy (Cha), Appraise (Int),
opposites—and straddles both Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),
these schools of thought. This Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis),
rebis creates a third truth Knowledge (geography, nature) (Int),
among alchemists and their Profession (Wis),Sense Motive (Wis),
philosophies, that there can be and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 in the
purity in energy and matter Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
together. Harnessing that Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int
purity grants the lion modifier
power over the worlds of
both the living and Class Features
the dead.
The following are all class features for the
Some view
red alchemists:
this as a three-
Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
tiered class, similar to the way bards used
Alchemists gain no proficiency in any
to learn their craft haphazardly and
armor or weapons. Note that armor check
incrementally: acting as a black
penalties for armor heavier than leather
alchemist for a few levels, then a
apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape
white alchemist, before integrating
Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick
the teachings together. This is both
Pocket, and Tumble.
true and not true. While they share
Spells per Day: An alchemist
the paths of their fellow alchemists for a time,
continues to study magic at the same time he
the red alchemists always focus on the unity
studies alchemy and gains a level in spellcasting
6 and integrity of alchemy as a way to
knowledge with each level as an alchemist. He
Table 3: The Red Alchemist
Base
AttackFort RefWill
Lvl BonusSave SaveSave Bonus Feat
BI CC PD T U CA
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Craft Chymicals +0 +3 +0 +0 +0 +0
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Craft Powders & Dusts +0 +3 +3 +0 +0 +0
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Craft Toxins +0 +4 +3 +3 +0 +0
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Brew Ingestibles +3 +4 +4 +3 +0 +0
5 +2 +2 +2 +4 Craft Unguents +3 +5 +4 +4 +3 +0
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 +4 +5 +5 +4 +3 +0
7 +3 +3 +3 +5 Craft Wondrous Items +4 +6 +5 +5 +4 +0
8 +4 +3 +3 +6 Create Alchana +5 +6 +6 +5 +4 +3
9 +4 +4 +4 +6 Perfect Materials +5 +7 +6 +6 +5 +3
10 +5 +4 +4 +7 Create Greater Alchana +6 +7 +7 +6 +5 +4
items, the bonus increases every other level. In
does not, however, gain any other benefits a
other words, red alchemists perfect their crafting
character of that class would have gained (Hit
and can keep increasing the bonus for creation e
points, save bonuses, metamagic or item -
given by the alchemical Item Creation feat. Red
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creation feats, and so on). For example, if
alchemists should use the bonus as noted on
Kaarva, a 5th level wizard, gains his 1st level as Table 3 rather than the standard +3 bonus of lc
an alchemist, she gains new spells as if she had h
the feat itself.
risen to 6th level in wizard, but uses the other e
The tabulated bonuses apply for Brew
m
alchemist aspects of level progression such as
Ingestibles (BI), Craft Chymicals (CC), Craft
attack bonus and save bonus. If she next gains a y
Powders & Dusts (PD), Craft Toxins (T), Craft
level of wizard, making her a 6th-level wizard/
Unguents (U), and Create Alchana (CA). There
1st-level alchemist, she gains and casts spells as
are no applicable bonuses for using the Perfect
if he had risen to 7th level wizard.
Materials or Create Greater Alchana feats.
If a character had more than one
Note on Stonecrafting: Red alchemists, as the
spellcasting class before she became an
alchemists who study every aspect of alchemy,
alchemist, she must decide which class adds her
are the only ones capable of creating all Five
levels of alchemist for purposes of determining
Alchana Stones if and when they gain the
spells per day.
appropriate feats and knowledge: The
Bonus Feats: At first level and at nearly every
Alchemist’s Stone, the Mystic’s Stone, the
level thereafter, red alchemists gain a bonus
Healer’s Stone, the Philosopher’s Stone, and the
Item Creation feat tied to their specialties. If the
Sorcerer’s Stone.Sidebar: Chartan
character does not meet the prerequisites for the
An alchemist and weaponsmith and
feat, it cannot be used until they are met (a
contemporary enemy of Ptarl, Chartan was one
character may have knowledge of Create
of the first to use alchemy extensively in
Alchana but cannot use it until she gains Craft
weapons design and creation. There are
Wondrous Item, etc.)
rumored to be no less than a score of bastard
Important: These feats are in addition to the
swords forged by Chartan that weigh less than
feat that a character of any class gets every three
a short sword yet have the strength of
levels (as per Table 3-2: Experience and Level-
adamantite.
Dependent Benefits from Chapter 3 of the
Player’s Handbook). The alchemist is not limited
to the list given here when choosing those feats.
Item Creation Bonuses: Red alchemists gain
bonuses to add versus the DC of creating items
once they have learned the alchemical methods
for doing so. Thus, after gaining Craft Chymicals
at 1st level with its +3 bonus for creating such
7
Chapter 3: Basics of herbalists could grab a handful of fools’ weed
and stuff it into the mouth of a terrified halfling
Herbalism in hopes of ending some supernatural terror
effect, but they’d hardly know that three small
What is herbalism? It’s the study and leaves are enough to do the trick.
knowledge of herbs and plantlife, their effects
and uses both within and outside the human The Professional Herbalist
(or animal) body. It’s also the understanding of
Those trained in herbalism as a profession
the world and the sentient races’ place among
(Profession: Herbalist or Profession:
the other forms of life. Herbalism expands one’s
Apothecary) know as much about herbs and
understanding of how plants and animals have
plants as those trained for Knowledge. Where
grown and changed to aid each other in
they differ is in knowing the details—
maintaining the crucial balances of life on any
professional herbalists and apothecaries know
planet. But that’s not what you readers want to
all about the herbs, the best methods for
know, is it? You’re after the skinny on how to
harvesting and preserving them, and their
use the herbs in your games, right? Read on,
dosages both as curatives and for other uses.
impatient ones, and prepare to learn.…
Herbalism at its d20 Basic Herbalists vs. Apothecaries
There are redundancies and overlaps in terms Each carries herbs useful for curing diseases and
of knowledge and skill use in the d20 system, discomforts. Each scours the hillsides collecting
y and this is our attempt at distinguishing who flowers and herbs and spends the late summer
m knows what, when, why, and how. While drying and preserving her finds. Each
originally noted under Profession as a skill, contributes to the general health of her
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h herbalism can also be learned as a Knowledge neighbors and mitigates their ailments when
c skill, though that creates limitations and needed. So what’s the difference between an
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A distinctions among those who call themselves apothecary and an herbalist?
herbalists. Simply put, herbalists know of and use all
-
e manners of herbs in any and all manners, no
The Generic Herbalist matter what their use or form. They can prepare
Without specialized training (such as that found
in Chapter 4), a person with knowledge of herbs
(Knowledge: Herbalism or Nature) can only
identify and find herbs. She can make the most
rudimentary of poultices and curatives, and
perhaps know what herbs would be good for
poison antidotes—but it’s unlikely she’d know
how to make it, just where to find such
information.
If a player chooses to take Knowledge:
Nature or Herbalism, any DCs mentioned
within this work and/or within core
books for the purpose of directly using
herbal knowledge beyond
identification of plants or herbal
substances should increase by +3.
What generic herbalists don’t
know is how to create many of the
wonderful items in Chapter 7, nor do
they have a broad amount of
knowledge on usage or dosage of said
herbs. In short, their knowledge is strictly
academic. They know of herbs and can tell you
some things about them, but they don’t devote
8 their life’s work to such things. Generic
poisons and ointments, inks and dyes, as well Chapter 5: Herbal Catalog
as poultices and tinctures. The apothecary limits
herself to the medicinal uses of herbs and plants, There are thousands upon thousands of herbs
and usually learns only the healing methods of and plants and mosses and lichens that have
plants, not the study of poisons or harmful some use, either common or esoteric, in both
effects. real and fictional worlds. As we have certain
space considerations in this book, we’ve
The Essentials provided some of the more useful and exciting
plants and herbs in this catalog, as a good
So now that we’ve gotten the rules out of the
baseline understanding of herbs and their uses
way, let’s talk about what someone who calls
in fantasy game worlds.
himself an herbalist would know, how he
operates, what he needs to perform his duties,
Herbal Definitions
and the like.
All the herbs have set classifications of Rarity,
Basic Abilities & Tasks Environment, and Harvest. The definitions of
What does an herbalist do? While it’s tough to these are set below within the Herbal Template.
reduce a profession and all its tasks to a few
short sentences, here are the sorts of things an Herbal Rarity
herbalist can expect to do regularly for clients: Rarity is set at four stages:
e
• Be able to identify herbs by sight, smell, • Common herbs are easily found, though -
taste, or touch (though rarely would an a DC 10 in Spot is needed to recognize A
herbalist be asked to know an herb by them from a general description (while l
c
any one sense alone); those who know plants need no check, h
•
Create and prepare herbal spell assuming they’re in an area where the e
components; plant can grow); m
• Create and prepare nonmagical • Uncommon are still relatively common y
medicines and substances for quick but only if you know where to look—
healing; they take a DC 15 in Spot to recognize
•
Prepare herbal or natural components or find, though anyone skilled in
for item creation, from drying and herbalism (either as Profession or Craft),
treating wood for staves and wands to Wilderness Lore, or other skills focused
knowing the methods for preparing on finding natural items in the
herbs for infusion within candles or environment can find them with a DC
incense; and 10;
• Know enough about the effects of plants • Rare plants and herbs are only found in
to identify when a person has been poisoned or very particular environments and are
affected by herbs and plants and have a sense difficult even for the skilled seeker (DC
of how to alleviate those effects before they 20 for unskilled persons to Spot; DC 15
become fatal. for skilled persons);
•
Some plants and herbs are extremely
rare, and may be unique to one
particular area, rather than a general
environment (in which case, look at the
plant’s terrain type and limit its presence
to one or two particular areas in your
campaign world that match that terrain).
Finding such plants blindly in the wild
is almost impossible (Spot DC 35
unskilled; DC 30 for skilled persons),
and even if you’re in the place where
the herb is known to grow, Spot DCs
only improve to 25/20. The herbs
may also be raised in a controlled
9