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Appendix D: Mage Spells and MagicThere are two types of magic in the Karils: alchemy, and enchantment. Both require advance preparation, and neither have spellcasting limits per day. The limits of what Karilian mages can do is limited only by their skill, time, money, and daring. A. Alchemy Alchemy is a mixture of spirituality and science. By seeking answers to the questions of the universe, the alchemist hopes to find themself as well. Alchemists require laboratory time and exotic ingredients to create their magical formulae. Some of the lower level, common items can be bought dearly, but the truly worthwhile items are never found for sale. Only alchemists can create any of the items listed. There are five levels of rarity for alchemical formulae: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary. Common formulae are the ones usually seen for sale, but there are a few of the more powerful formulae that are considered safe enough to sell. Starting alchemists begin with 3 Common formulae of the player’s choice. Uncommon formulae are typically used as trading fodder between alchemists, while Rare and Very Rare formulae are hoarded for themselves. Legendary formulae are known to only one or two of the greatest alchemists, and as such, are not listed here. Characters must learn of their existance and seek them out if they wish to learn them. Here is an explanation of the alchemical formulae entries listed below: Name: This is the name the formula is known by. Success Chance: Typically given as a base chance plus a chance per level of the alchemist. The player must roll this number or less on 1d100 to successfully create one use of the formula. Anything higher ruins the formula, and a roll that fails by 20% or more (or a roll of 98, 99, or 100, even if success chance is 100% or higher) causes the alchemist to suffer one or more of the mishaps listed under the formula’s Dangers heading. Cost: The cost to create 1 use of the formula, then the normal selling price for it, if it can be bought at all. More than 1 use may be created at the same time, but each must be seperately paid and rolled for. In addition, each use beyond the first imposes a -5% penalty to the alchemist’s Success Chance for all uses in the batch. Exotics: Rare ingredients needed for the formula. These must be acquired through role-playing. They cannot be purchased. Time: The time it takes an alchemist to create one use/batch of the formula. Effect: What the formula does. Dangers: A list of things that can go wrong both during the creation and use of the formula. Formula Index Common Formulae Adhesive Bug Repellent Dehydrated Rope Door Jam Fire Tablets Glow Chalk Heatstones Houndbane Message Crystals Oil Mail Popwatchers Powdered Bridge Preservative Shatter-resistant Glass Smoke Powder Sobriety Potion Sweet Balm Text Copying Film Universal Spice Water-resistant Ink Uncommon Formulae Anti-caloric Lacquer Anti-rusting Balm Expandable Shelter Filterfluff Fog Powder Glitterdust Lightsteel Lump Ration Moonlight Ink Nighteye Oxygenated Tonic Screaming Spheres Shuteye Tanglewood Unbinding Salts Rare Formulae Alchemical Steel Earth Hardening Lime Eater Fiery Globes Fire Extinguishing Froth Homonculi Formulae Invisibility Unguent Lifting Pills Oxidation Globules Phosphorescent Liquid Very Rare Formulae Amoeba Suit Caloric Shield Magnified Lodestone Mithril Polar Dust COMMON FORMULAE Name: Adhesive Success Chance: 65% + 5%/level Cost: 10s, sells for 15s Exotics: None Time: 2 hours Effect: Adhesive is a creamy white liquid used to join two non-living surfaces together. It forms a bond that will bear 250 lbs. of stress in one round. This bond is permanent unless deliberately broken or exposed to a solution of unbinding salts and water. Dangers: Adhesive will not adhere to glass or living objects. Unbinding salts sprinkled into the adhesive will ruin its binding powers. If improperly mixed, the adhesive becomes a noxious gas that will drain 1d6 Constitution points for 1 month unless a saving throw versus poison is made at -4. Name: Bug Repellent Success Chance: 95% + 5%/level Cost: 19p, sells for 2s Exotics: None Time: ¼ turn Effect: A foul-smelling green cream that protects its wearer from the attentions of normally sized insects for 1 day, or until washed off with watered-down alcohol. Dangers: When created improperly, bug repellant can discolor the skin, leaving it green, simply fail to work, or inflict 1 point of caustic damage per round for 2 rounds or until washed off. Name: Dehydrated Rope Success Chance: 70% + 5%/level Cost: 7s, sells for 10s Exotics: None Time: 1 hour Effect: The dehydrated rope is a small brown rod about the size of a roll of pennies. It is very light, weighing next to nothing. However, if placed in at least 3 gallons of water, the rod expands into a 50’ long piece of rope. The rope weighs 50 lbs. and can support up to 1000 lbs. of weight. However, after one hour, the rope crumbles into dust. Five minutes before this happens, it will begin to darken to a shade of black. Anyone who does not heed this warning is apt to fall when the hour expires. Dangers: The first danger is the accidental early activation of the dehydrated rope. Once the expansion process has started, the rope will crumble to dust in one hour, whether it is immediately removed from the water or not. A poorly mixed use will stink of sulphur and dissolve into slush when immersed in water. Name: Door Jam Success Chance: 70% + 5%/level Cost: 7s, sells for 10s Exotics: None Time: 1 hour Effect: This metallic green square has a seam running down one of its diagonals. If its two halves are twisted in opposite directions, the square will split in two along the seam, and will be held together by a slimy green strand of ooze. This ooze can be stretched up to six feet. After one round, the ooze expands and solidifies into something like a beam of wood, only much sturdier. Typically, the two halves of the square are wedged into the cracks on either side of a door. The expanding ooze wedges the two halves even more firmly in place. Then, once the ooze has finished hardening, the whole forms a very effective bar holding the door shut. A door barred with a door jam is considered magically locked for purposes of opening. Dangers: A door jam will not function unless the ooze strand is exposed to air. Thus, it cannot be used underwater, in a vacuum, in a smoke-filled room, etc. If improperly made, the door jam will turn a very slightly off shade of green as the ooze hardens inside. A character attempting to use one of these deceptively malfunctioning door jams is in for a rude shock. Name: Fire Tablets Success Chance: 80% + 5%/level Cost: 4s, sells for 5s Exotics: None Time: 2 turns Effect: These reddish tablets burn with a hot, steady light for 2 hours apiece, and produce no smoke. They will not burn in the absence of air, nor will they burn underwater. Dangers: A flubbed creation roll results in a tablet that looks normal, but ignites and flares up, burning itself out within 1 round, and inflicting 1d3 damage to anyone within 1 foot. Name: Glow Chalk Success Chance: 90% + 5%/level Cost: 27p, sells for 3s Exotics: None Time: ½ turn Effect: This chalk is imbued with a very slight phosphorescent property. The chalk will not serve to illuminate more than 2", but its glow is easily seen from up to 30’ away. This makes it ideal for use in caverns where an ordinary chalk mark might get lost or overlooked in the darkness. Dangers: Glow chalk is a very safe product. Either it works, or it doesn’t. However, its shelf life, unlike many of the products of alchemy, is limited. After one month, it will lose its glow. Name: Heatstones Success Chance: 75% + 5%/level Cost: 45p, sells for 6s Exotics: None Time: 3 turns Effect: A heatstone appears to be a fist-sized crystal, half red, and half yellow. When it is squeezed firmly, an internal divider between two compartments breaks, allowing the liquids in each to mix. The stone then turns bright orange and begins to radiate heat equivalent to that of a campfire. This heat lasts for 8 hours before fading away. Dangers: Very combustible materials such as parchment or dried grass can be ignited by long proximity to an active heatstone. The same care should be used in its use as is given to an ordinary campfire. If a heatstone is improperly created, it will burst, spilling its liquids on the alchemist creating it. These liquids mix and activate in one round, thereafter causing 1d4 points of damage per round until either 8 hours have passed, or the liquids are washed off. Name: Houndbane Success Chance: 80% + 5%/level Cost: 4s, illegal to sell Exotics: None Time: 2 turns Effect: A red powder that is often used to throw tracking animals off a scent. It burns and irritates their noses for approximately 1 day, during which time, it is hoped, the user has made good their escape. Dangers: If accidentally inhaled, houndbane will destroy the character’s sense of smell for 1 day. If mixed improperly, houndbane is useless. Name: Message Crystals Success Chance: 90% + 5%/level Cost: 27p, sells for 3s Exotics: None Time: ½ turn Effect: These thumbnail-sized purple crystals are produced in darkness, and then exposed to light to activate them. The crystal ‘records’ all audible sounds in its vicinity for up to one minute, after which it fades to blue. To be ‘replayed’, the crystal is whetted with a bit of water. It then repeats the sounds that it ‘heard’ and recorded. Each crystal can only be used to record one message, but it can be replayed 4d4 times before its magic expires and its color fades to transparency. Exhausted message crystals are useless. Dangers: A shattered message crystal is useless. Its shards will quickly fade to transparency. The crystals will begin recording the first time they are exposed to light, whether or not the exposure was intentional. Lastly, if they are ever exposed to alcohol, the crystals instantly dissolve. Name: Oil Mail Success Chance: 60% +5%/level Cost: 12s, sells for 20s Exotics: None Time: 4 hours Effect: This dull gray oil is rubbed into the skin in order to take effect. While it lasts (2 hours), it grants the wearer a -1 bonus to AC. If the wearer is set on fire, dunked in acid, or anything else that might reasonably destroy the oil, the benefit is lost. Dangers: If the oil is even slightly incorrectly mixed, it becomes very flammable. It will act as usual until set on fire, and then it will ignite in a burst, inflicting 2d6 extra damage to the wearer. Name: Popwatchers Success Chance: 80% + 5%/level Cost: 4s, sells for 5s Exotics: None Time: 2 turns Effect: These are small, black pebbles that can be sprinkled on the ground and are very difficult to notice (-35% to Searching). If they go unnoticed, there is a percentage chance that anyone entering the area will step on one, based on their size (Tiny: 50%, Small: 75%, Medium: 85%, Larger than medium: 95%) When stepped on, they pop, making a loud bang that will easily wake up anyone within 60’. One use of popwatchers will generously cover a 10’ by 10’ area. Dangers: Popwatchers will bang prematurely if pressure is applied to them. This makes a loud noise that will certainly attract the attention of anyone nearby. Name: Powdered Bridge Success Chance: 70% + 5%/level. Cost: 7s, sells for 10s Exotics: None. Time: 1 hour Effect: A green powder which, when immersed in water, swells greatly and becomes a solid bouyant gel. A handful of powdered bridge will provide a sturdy bridge across 20' of slow moving or still water. The same amount can bridge 10' of fast running water, but will collapse after 1d4+1 rounds. White water cannot be bridged with this formula. Left to its own devices, a bridge created with this powder will dissolve after 2 turns. Dangers: If the powder was to be ingested, the character would feel queasy for 1d4 turns, but the acids in the stomach and esophagus break down the powder and prevent it from expanding. If improperly mixed, the powder becomes a noxious gas that will drain 1d3 Constitution points for 2 weeks unless a saving throw versus poison is made at -2. Name: Preservative Success Chance: 85% + 5%/level Cost: 34p, sells for 4s Exotics: None Time: 1 turn Effect: Each use of preservative can extend the shelf life of 10 pounds of meat and/or vegetables by 6 months. It will also repel insects and other pests to prevent them from eating the preserved food. Dangers: Improperly mixed preservative lacks the insect repelling properties, and so will likely result in maggot-ridden food. Preservative is easily washed away by, for example, sweat. As such, it is of no use on a living creature as a long term bug repellent. Name: Shatter-resistant Glass Success Chance: 85% + 5%/level Cost: 34p, sells for 4s Exotics: None Time: 1 turn Effect: This variety of glass is strengthened such that it gets a +6 to all saving throws versus Crushing Blows. Dangers: If improperly mixed, the glass break down and melt the first time it is exposed to a loud noise, such as the bang of a popwatcher. Name: Smoke Powder Success Chance: 75% + 5%/level. Cost: 45p, sells for 6s Exotics: None. Time: 3 turns Effect: An explosive used to load pistols. It is ignited when struck a sharp blow. A single use is equivalent to a large firecracker. Dangers: Firstly, any time smoke powder is heavily jarred, it must save vs. crushing blow (10 or better) or ignite prematurely. Secondly, it becomes more unstable in larger quantities, effectively adding a -1 penalty to the saving throw for every use beyond the first in contact with each other. If smoke powder is ignited accidentally outside a pistol, it inflicts 1d3 damage per use. Name: Sobriety Potion Success Chance: 75% + 5%/level Cost: 45p, sells for 6s Exotics: None Time: 3 turns Effect: A vile brown liquid, it nullifies the effects of alchohol that the user has consumed. The potion will also nullify any further alcohol drunk for 1d3 hours after its ingestion. Dangers: A bad batch of the sobriety potion will bring on a raging hangover immediately after consumption. While it lasts, the character is at -2 to all to-hit rolls and saving throws, and their AC is 2 worse. Name: Sweet Balm Success Chance: 65% + 5%/level Cost: 10s, sells for 15s Exotics: None Time: 2 hours Effect: Sweet balm is sweet-smelling red syrup that can be drunk or rubbed onto a wound. Each use will heal 1d3 points of damage when used. Dangers: First, sweet balm can only be used three times a day on the same person. After that, their body becomes saturated, and any further sweet balm is wasted. If poorly mixed, sweet balm heals only 1 point of damage, and smells slightly of clover. Name: Text Copying Film Success Chance: 95% +5%/level Cost: 19p, sells for 2s Exotics: None Time: ¼ turn Effect: This transparent film comes in a 1’ by 2’ roll. To use, it is unrolled and pressed against an ink picture or piece of text that the user wishes to copy. The film will lift a small portion of ink from the page, and if later placed against an absorbant surface, will transfer the ink, creating a nearly perfect copy. Dangers: The film can either not work at all, or adhere too strongly to the page that is being copied, possibly causing damage when it is removed. Name: Universal Spice Success Chance: 95% + 5%/level Cost: 19p, sells for 2s Exotics: None Time: ¼ turn Effect: This white powder has the effect of making even the worst, nastiest food taste wonderful. One use will affect a meal for 4. Dangers: Universal spice completely masks the natural flavor of the food it seasons. This includes any telltale signs of poison, spoilage, etc. If it is improperly mixed, it takes on a brownish hue and makes food taste terrible, no matter how good it was to begin with. Name: Water-resistant Ink Success Chance: 95% + 5%/level Cost: 19p, sells for 2s Exotics: None Time: ¼ turn Effect: This ink has been specially formulated to be proof against immersion in water. The parchment it is on will dissolve before the ink blurs. This can be handy for navigation charts, maps, and other documents of great importance. Dangers: None. UNCOMMON FORMULAE Name: Anti-caloric Lacquer Success Chance: 45% + 5%/level Cost: 72s, sells for 160s Exotics: Water vitae Time: 2 days Effect: One use of this clear lacquer is enough to cover approximately 100 square feet of wood. Wood so treated is completely immune to non-magical fire. Dangers: During the creation process, the lacquer is briefly very unstable and can explode inflicting 3d6 damage to everyone within 15’. If multiple doses are being mixed at the same time, they can explode as well, each inflicting 3d6 damage. Name: Anti-rusting Balm Success Chance: 55% + 5%/level Cost: 22s, sells for 40s Exotics: None Time: 8 hours Effect: One use of this black cream is sufficient to coat one suit of armor, 6 large weapons, 12 medium weapons, 24 small weapons, or some other equivalent surface area. Metal so treated is immune to rust for a period of 1 year. Dangers: The balm is somewhat toxic. It should not be allowed to touch the skin when applied, and it should be allowed to rest for 24 hours before the treated object is touched with bare skin. Failure to do this may cause a loss of one point of Strength, which will return after two weeks. Name: Expandable Shelter Success Chance: 45% + 5%/level Cost: 72s, sells for 160s Exotics: A crystal untouched by light. Time: 2 days Effect: A small credit-card shaped crystal that is snapped in the middle and thrown to the ground to activate. The crystal unfolds in a dazzling display of geometry, transforming into a sort of tent big enough for six people. Inside the shelter, it is always comfortable, even if there is a blizzard, sandstorm, or even a hurricane going on outside. Once it has expanded, the shelter may not be moved. It will dissolve on its own after a week. Dangers: If the alchemist lets light touch the crystal during the creation process, it will shatter, hurling shards in all directions and inflicting 3d6 damage to anyone within 20’. Name: Filterfluff Success Chance: 50% + 5%/level Cost: 40s, sells for 80s Exotics: None Time: 1 day Effect: Filterfluff is a fluffy cotton-like material with several useful properties. First, if placed in the ears, it filters out all painfully loud noises. This gives the wearer immunity to some sonically based attacks. Secondly, if filterfluff is placed in the nose, it will filter out unpleasant smells and help to ward off the effects of noxious gasses. This grants the wearer immunity to most gas attacks. Grae have such large noses that they need twice the normal amount of filterfluff to receive this latter benefit. Dangers: Filterfluff has a shelf life of 1 day once exposed to air. Normally it is stored in a flask of water until needed, and then wrung dry. Name: Fog Powder Success Chance: 50% + 5%/level Cost: 40s, not sold Exotics: Air vitae Time: 1 day Effect: When dropped in a body of water, at least 1000 cubic feet in size, this greyish powder produces a fog bank 200 feet in diameter centering around the body of water. It will last either 1 turn, or until dispersed by a strong wind. Dangers: Fog powder dissolves if exposed to alcohol. Name: Glitterdust Success Chance: 55% + 5%/level Cost: 22s, not sold Exotics: None Time: 8 hours Effect: This golden dust is attracted and adheres to invisibility unguent. If thrown towards an invisible object, the glitterdust will reveal it by sticking to it. Dangers: Glitterdust is quite flammable, and if thrown into an open flame, will burn up in a flash, inflicting 1d4 damage to anyone within 5’, and blinding anyone looking at the flame for 1d3 rounds. Name: Lightsteel Success Chance: 40% + 5%/level Cost: 128s, not sold Exotics: Air vitae Time: 4 days Effect: Lightsteel is a greyish metal that is just as hard as steel while weighing only ½ as much. One use of lightsteel is approximately 5 lbs. of metal (the equivalent of 10 lbs. of steel). Dangers: A botched roll during creation causes a terrific explosion, inflicting 4d6 damage on anyone within 30’. Name: Lump Ration Success Chance: 45% + 5%/level Cost: 72s, sells for 160s Exotics: Berzio root Time: 2 days Effect: A small lumpy of doughy foodstuff about the size of a human palm. Consumption of 1/2 of the lump will feed one medium sized being for one meal. However, the lump will regrow the eaten portion within 3 minutes, if allowed. A single lump ration will feed a medium sized being for 2 months before its magic fades and it ceases regrowing itself. Dangers: If the ration is incorrectly made, it is missing some vital ingrediant that can result in a vitamin deficiency if the user lives only on the ration for more than a week. Name: Moonlight Ink Success Chance: 55% + 5%/level Cost: 22s, not sold Exotics: None Time: 8 hours Effect: This ink is only visible under the light of the moon, and then only during the same moon phase it was created during. Dangers: None Name: Nighteye Success Chance: 40% + 5%/level Cost: 128s, not sold Exotics: Light vitae Time: 4 days Effect: This milky liquid, when placed in the eyes, allows the user to see in the dark as if it were daylight, even in total darkness! The effect lasts for 2 days. Dangers: A poorly mixed batch of nighteye can cause permanent blindness, although there is an herbal cure known. Name: Oxygenated Tonic Success Chance: 50% + 5%/level Cost: 40s, sells for 80s Exotics: None Time: 1 day Effect: Drinking this tonic provides enough oxygen in the blood to last for 4d6 minutes, even underwater or in a vacuum. The consumer is liable to suffer from giddiness and drunkenness during this time. On the bright side, the way in which the tonic suspends the oxygen prevents it from being flammable. Dangers: The character’s Wisdom is considered to be halved while they are under the influence of the tonic. Name: Screaming Spheres Success Chance: 50% + 5%/level Cost: 40s, not sold Exotics: None Time: 1 day Effect: Marble sized metallic spheres. When struck or thrown against a hard surface, they ignite and zoom wildly about, shrieking and whistling and leaving a trail of sparkling silver smoke. A creature hit by an ignited sphere suffers 1 point of damage, and then the sphere riccochets and keeps going. Each sphere lasts for 1d8 rounds once ignited. Dangers: Besides the risk of premature activation, there is no serious danger to the screaming spheres. Name: Shuteye Success Chance: 40% + 5%/level Cost: 128s, NEVER sold Exotics: Black lotus blossom Time: 4 days Effect: This blue dust causes instant unconsciousness when inhaled unless a saving throw versus poison is made at -6. This effect lasts for (24-Victim’s Constitution) hours. The victim also loses 1d6 points of Strength, which return at the rate of 1/day after they awaken. Each use can affect all man-sized or smaller creatures within a 10’ by 10’ area. Dangers: If the alchemist botches the mixing, it can be assumed that the formulation was a success, but the alchemist accidentally inhaled his own creation. Name: Tanglewood Success Chance: 50% + 5%/level Cost: 40s, sold for 80s Exotics: None Time: 1 day Effect: Fibrous brown sticks about the size and appearance of a tongue depressor. When bent until they snap, they can be stretched around a creature's limbs and attached to itself to form an unbroken and very resiliant form of rope. The tanglewood tightens once in place, but does not get tight enough to cause damage. Tanglewood can only be removed once in place either by cutting it with a death or fire enchanted edged weapon, or sprinkling unbinding salts on it. No amount of Strength is sufficient to tear it. Each use consists of enough tanglewood to completely bind one man-sized creature. Dangers: A botched batch of tanglewood becomes immune to the effects of unbinding salts. Name: Unbinding Salts Success Chance: 55% + 5%/level Cost: 40s, sold for 80s Exotics: None Time: 1 day Effect: When sprinkled on tanglewood, it causes the tanglewood to crumble to dust. It will also dissolve adhesive. Dangers: None RARE FORMULAE Name: Alchemical Steel Success Chance: 25% + 5%/level Cost: 640s, not sold Exotics: 10 lbs. of lightsteel Time: 1 month Effect: Alchemical steel weighs only ½ as much as lightsteel (or ¼ as much as ordinary steel.) Furthermore, it never rusts, and objects made from it are higher quality than those made from ordinary steel (this should be considered a non-magical +1/+1 for weapons, -1 AC bonus for a full suit of armor, etc.) In addition, any item made from alchemical steel gets a +1 to all saving throws. Each use is 2.5 lbs, or the equivalent of 10 lbs. of ordinary steel. Dangers: Aside from the loss of the lightsteel used in its creation on a failure, alchemical steel is a very safe and reliable formula. Name: Earth Hardening Lime Success Chance: 35% + 5%/level Cost: 224s, sold for 640s Exotics: Earth vitae Time: 1 week Effect: This grey-green dust smells strongly of lime. One use of it will cover a 100’ by 100’ area. The lime, when sprinkled on the ground, sinks into the earth, and causes the dirt to dry up and compact so tightly that it resembles concrete. The lime will also work on mud or quicksand, just so long as the main component in the ground is dirt of some sort. The process works from bottom to top, so it is impossible to be caught in the hardening earth. A character drowning in quicksand would be lifted gently to the surface by the hardening earth. This lime is often used to create building foundations. Dangers: If the lime burned, it releases a harmful gas that will render anyone within 10’ unconscious unless they make a saving throw versus paralyzation. Name: Eater Success Chance: 30% + 5%/level Cost: 384s, not sold Exotics: None Time: 2 weeks Effect: This is a powerful metal-eating acid. It can only be carried in small vials, however, as it has a tendency to heat up in large quantities. A small vial contains just enough to dissolve the works of most metal locks, several links or chain, or a manacle cuff in 1d4 rounds. It has no appreciable effect against larger objects. If applied to a living being, it inflicts 1d2 points of damage for 4 rounds or until washed off. Dangers: On a botched mixing, the acid has exploded in the alchemist’s face, inflicting 1d6 damage and permanently causing the loss of 1 point of Charisma unless a saving throw versus breath weapon is made. Name: Fiery Globes Success Chance: 25% + 5%/level Cost: 640s, NEVER sold Exotics: 2 fire vitae Time: 1 month Effect: The most potent offensive weapon in the alchemist’s arsonal, a fiery globe is a clear glass sphere the size of your fist. Inside is a highly explosive gas that reacts violently when exposed to air. The upshot of this is that when the sphere is thrown and shatters on the ground, the gas explodes, inflicting 8d6 to anyone within 10’ of the impact spot. Combustible materials ignite, ground cover burns away, and in general, the impact spot is left a blackened mess. Dangers: The obvious danger is accidentally setting off the globe. On a botched roll, the alchemist has done just that. Anytime the globe is struck, heavily jarred, or dropped, it must save versus crushing blow or shatter and explode. Name: Fire Extinguishing Froth Success Chance: 35% + 5%/level Cost: 224s, sold for 640s Exotics: None Time: 1 week Effect: When thrown into at least 5 gallons of water, these large purple pills erupt into a geyser of purple foam and gas. These substances together put out all fires within 20’ of the water in which the pills were thrown. The effect lasts for 2d6 rounds, and no new fires may be started within 20’ during that time. Dangers: Those caught in the affected area are liable to be temporarily blinded and weakened by the gas and foam. A saving throw versus breath weapon at -2 is needed to avoid this. Characters who fail are blinded for 2d4 rounds and lose 1 point of Constitution for 1 day. Name: Homonculi Formulae Success Chance: 30% + 5%/level Cost: 384s, not sold Exotics: Varies, but usually at least 2 life vitae Time: 2 weeks Effect: These formulae create a small creature that is bound to the alchemist for life. These creatures vary from formula to formula, so it is impossible to give a more accurate description here. Suffice it to say that the Church frowns on alchemists playing God by creating life. Dangers: If the homonculous is killed, the alchemist suffers 2d10 damage, which must be allowed to heal through time and bedrest. Name: Invisibility Unguent Success Chance: 30% + 5%/level Cost: 384s, not sold Exotics: Light vitae Time: 2 weeks Effect: This invisible greasy substance makes anything it is smeared on invisible until it is washed off with alcohol or evaporates (which takes two hours.) Each use contains enough unguent to render one man-sized creature invisible. Dangers: Invisibility unguent reacts poorly with other alchemical ointments and balms. If rubbed on a character already under the effects of another such formula, the invisibility unguent loses its magical properties immediately. Name: Lifting Pills Success Chance: 30% + 5%/level Cost: 384s, not sold Exotics: Air vitae Time: 2 weeks Effect: Tiny white chalky pills that produce a powerful lifting gas when ingested or immersed in eater. A creature who has swallowed a lifting pill becomes incredibly light for 1d6 minutes, receiving a +25% bonus to Climbing, and the ability to leap up to 4x its height vertical, and 8x its height horizontally. In addition, no damage is taken from a fall of any height. High winds could cause problems, however. Consuming more than one pill at a time has no additional effect. Dangers: If the user is very high when the effects wear off, the resulting fall can be fatal. Otherwise, lifting pills are quite safe. Name: Oxidation Globules Success Chance: 30% + 5%/level Cost: 384s, not sold Exotics: Time vitae Time: 2 weeks Effect: These fist-sized gelatinous spheres of amber liquid are much more dangerous than they first appear. When struck a sharp blow, they burst, spewing the liquid over a 1’ area. This liquid speeds up the onset of oxidation immensely in any metals it touches. That is, it makes metal crumble to rust in a single round. It will not rust metals that are not normally susceptible to rust, like gold, alchemical steel, and mithril. Enchanted items get a saving throw based on the creature bound inside them. If the saving throw fails, the item is destroyed and the creature free to return from whence it came. Dangers: Besides the obvious problems of accidental breakage, the globes in which the liquid is contained are unwieldly to throw (-2 to-hit) and fragile (-2 to saving throws, use the glass column.) On a failed roll, the alchemist has instead created oxygenated tonic. On a botch, the formula is useless. Name: Phosphorescent Liquid Success Chance: 35% + 5%/level Cost: 224s, sells for 640s Exotics: None Time: 1 week Effect: This liquid glows with a bright green light that lasts for 1 year. It emits no heat, and requires no air to operate. Dangers: None VERY RARE FORMULAE Name: Amoeba Suit Success Chance: 20% + 5%/level Cost: 1,024s, not sold Exotics: Dark vitae Time: 2 months Effect: This strange blob of shiny black material has a most unusual property. When worn, it allows the wearer to squeeze through the tiniest crack or crevice, much like an amoeba would. The effect is very disconcerting to watch, and, if possible, even more disconcerting to experience firsthand. Dangers: The suit is airtight and must be worn around the entire body. Thus, the wearer must plan in advance to have some sort of air supply. Drinking a bottle of oxygenated tonic before wearing the suit is a good idea. The suit fits too snugly to allow an air bladder or similar device to fit inside. On a botched roll, the alchemist has accidentally created a living creature that attacks them. Name: Caloric Shield Success Chance: 15% + 5%/level Cost: 1,536s, not sold Exotics: Water vitae Time: 3 months Effect: This silvery oil protects the wearer from fire and heat when rubbed into the skin. It will absorb up to 120 points of heat damage before evaporating. It can be washed off with alcohol. Dangers: If the caloric shield is worn for more than 1 hour, the user is likely to die of hypothermia. In addition, the stuff is not safe to drink, acting like type I poison. On a botched roll, the alchemist is affected as though he had ingested the caloric shield. Name: Magnified Lodestone Success Chance: 10% + 5%/level Cost: 2,048s, not sold Exotics: 20 lbs of lodestone Time: 4 months Effect: The energies of this 20 lb. lodestone are intensified so strongly that it can pull any ferrous metal towards it with incredible strength (included lightsteel, mithril, etc.) A character may attempt to resist the pull (in order to hang onto a sword, etc) by making a contested Strength roll against the lodestone’s pull. The strength of the pull is dependant on the distance between the object being pulled and the lodestone:
Dangers: Although the lodestone is capable of pulling objects many times its own weight, it must be secured in place, or a successful resistance of its pull will force it to go to the object instead, striking with 3d6 points of force. Of course, some alchemists may desire this effect. A botched roll will instead magnetize the ALCHEMIST for 1d6 days. Name: Mithril Success Chance: 5% + 5%/level Cost: 4,096s, NEVER sold Exotics: 10 lbs. of alchemical steel Time: 6 months Effect: Mithril is an incredibly light and strong metal alloy of alchemical steel and silver. It weighs ½ as much as alchemical steel (or 1/8 as much as ordinary steel) and is considered +1 better than alchemical steel (+2/+2 for weapons, +2 to saving throws, etc.) Dangers: The fumes emitted during the creation of mithril are very debilitating. Unless special precautions are taken, the alchemist must make a system shock check or PERMANENTLY lose 1 point of Constitution. Name: Polar Dust Success Chance: 15% + 5%/level Cost: 1,536s, not sold Exotics: Water vitae Time: 3 months Effect: One use of this chilly black dust will freeze up to 5,000 cubit feet of water within a single round. Creatures in the area of effect get a saving throw versus paralyzation to pull themselves free as the water is freezing. Ingestion of the polar dust has no effect. Dangers: On a botched roll, the alchemist is affected as if he had been hit by an ice storm spell, suffering 3d10 points of cold damage. B. Enchantment / Demonology Enchanters, or Demonologists, summon up extraplanar creatures and bind them into items for pre-arranged lengths of time. Apprentices can only call on simple creatures, and are only able to bind them for short periods of time. Masters can bind powerful demons for an entire lifetime. The Church, needless to say, frowns on the whole affair. When an Enchanter wishes to create an item, like a magical sword, for instance, they spend time and money preparing for the enchantment, summon the desired creature, strike a bargain with it, and then run through the binding ritual with the creature. Let us examine each step of the process: Step 1: Researching the Creature Firstly, the enchanter must research what kind of creature they want to summon, and get the truename of one of them. This step is very important. Without a truename, the creature cannot be summoned, and improper research can result in the summoning of a being too powerful to be controlled, with disasterous results. The research skill is very helpful here. Possible sources of truenames are: the character's master, ancient books, other demons, and even the Church archives, if the reward is felt worth the risks. As for the type of creature the enchanter wishes to summon, they must judge based on what effect they are hoping to create. Once summoned, if the demon is unable to do as asked, it will simply state so. All the varieties of extraplanar creature are listed on the chart below, along with their powers, weaknesses, and general personality trends. Extraplanar Creature Table:
Step 2: Summoning the Creature Now that all the preliminaries are out of the way, the enchanter must gain access to a summoning circle of some sort, preferably made from a material repellent to the creature being summoned. Then, the enchanter must burn incenses and rare spices costing 50s for every HD of the creature being summoned. Finally, they must speak the creature's truename aloud. Once this is done, the creature will appear in the summoning circle and test its strength. Failed Containment Chart:
The creature always escapes on the roll of 01%, and always fails on a roll of 100%. If the creature escapes, it will attack the enchanter until one or the other are dead (or flee, if the enchanter's level is more than 2x its HD.) If not, it will grudgingly agree to bargain with the enchanter. Step 3: Bargaining with the Creature To bargain with a creature, the enchanter must state 3 things: 1. The duration of the binding to be performed. 2. The task to be performed. 3. The payment to be received in exchange. All extraplanar creatures can be tempted with things such as strength or constitution points, or even XP. Most enchanters are understandably reluctant to part with these things, however, so the bargaining is more often in the form of favors owed, deeds performed, or vitae (raw magic) appropriate to the creature summoned. When all is set out, the DM rolls a d100 modified by how good the bargain sounds for the creature. Standard modifiers are listed below. If the creature refuses the bargain, the enchanter may add additional incentives to the deal until it finally accepts, or they may give up. Bargaining Chart:
Step 4: Binding the Creature Lastly, the enchanter picks up the object to be enchanted (which must have been created with a critical success.) and thrusts it into the summoning circle. Unless the extraplanar creature is very pleased by the bargain (rolled 20% or more under the chance to accept bargain) it will take the opportunity to try to overwhelm the enchanter mentally, and break free one last time. Binding Failure Chart:
Note that a roll of 01% always indicates that the binding has failed, while a 100% always indicates a success. If the die roll indicates a failure to bind the creature, then roll d100, add (the creature's HD - the enchanter's level), and consult the chart below. Creature Escape Chart:
Example Item 1: A Flaming Sword +1 The Magnificent Earl has decided that he needs a pretty bauble to give to one of his henchmen in order to secure his loyalty. Earl decides on a minor item for him, a flaming sword +1. The DM rules that this will require a 4HD fiery, and a poltergeist (1 HD). Earl is 9th level, has a Charisma of 18, a Wisdom of 14, and an Intelligence of 18. He opens his book of names and looks up a fiery and a poltergeist that he has had dealings with in the past. The poltergeist owes him a favor, so the DM decides not to roll for it, but that it will agree to a term of 1 year to pay off its favor. The fiery, a much more dislikable creature, tries to put up a fight when summoned. Earl has surrounded it with a water circle, so it has a -4% chance to escape (the DM still rolls though, just in case): 88%, the creature is hopelessly trapped. On to the bargaining. The creature is cowed by Earl’s power, and is thus more likely to bargain. Earl’s player is an old hand, and roleplays the scene for all it’s worth, getting the +5% bonus. That gives the fiery a base 62% chance of accepting. Earl wants it to serve for one year (the DM rules a -15% penalty), at causing the sword to flame on command (easy task, +10%), bringing fiery’s chance of acceptance to a total of 57%. However, Earl didn’t get where he is by being stingy. He offers the fiery two fire vitae and 5,000 XP (bringing the total to 68%). Now, the DM rolls: 22%. The fiery is so pleased with the deal that the binding is automatic. The sword is complete. Example Item 2: Enchantment Touchstone Tim the Enchanter decides to create an object that can detect other enchanted items. He is 7th level, has a Charisma of 15, a Wisdom of 12, and an Intelligence of 16. First he has to research the creature he’s going to summon. Well, it so happens that he recently discovered a scroll with the name of a Divin on it, which is perfect for his needs. Tim thinks for awhile, and decides to make his circle of protection out of Church anti-Enchanter propaganda books. The DM rules that this will be sufficient to get the -35% bonus, and Tim summons up the Divin after first burning 450s worth of incense. The Divin appears, and calmly and methodically prods at the circle, having a 42% chance of breaking free (60% [Base] - 35% [Repellent Circle] + 10% [9 HD - 7th level x 5%] -3% [Mage Success bonus]) The DM rolls a 66, and the Divin is confined. Next, he must bargain with it. It has a base 18% chance of accepting, without any modifiers added in. Tim will want to increase that substantially in order to have a chance at avoiding trouble during the binding stage of the enchantment. He states that he wants the creature to indicate the presence of other extraplanar creatures when its housing is touched to theirs by changing the color of its housing to indicate the type of creature. The DM rules this is a task of medium difficulty, with no modifier. Next, Tim states that the term of the binding will be 7 months, for a -10% modifier. So, the base chance is now 8%. Tim offers up the scroll with the creature’s name on it, which the DM says is as good as a unit of vitae to the creature, for a bonus of 3% (making the total 11%.) Tim also offers 4,000 XP, to get a 15%. Unwilling to spend any more of his carefully hoarded resources, he asks what the creature thinks. The DM rolls, and gets a 09%! Tim is lucky, and the creature accepts his offer. However, the 20% margin wasn’t made, so he will have to deal with the creature’s possible betrayal during the binding process. With all the modifiers, the creature has a 37% chance of breaking free. Tim prays to whatever gods he worships, and the DM rolls the dice: 07%! The creature breaks free of the binding temporarily! The DM then rolls on the escape chart, adding 2% to the roll for a total of: 85% Tim howls in despair as he realizes that the creature has extracted a geas from him. But then, maybe Tim will learn not to be so stingy when dealing with creatures more powerful than he is. Example Item 3: Sword of Strength Draining Melvin was cast out by his master because he was incompetant. Well, he’ll show them all. Before he left, he stole the name of a Belphage, and he plans to use it to create a sword of strength draining that will sap a point of strength every time it hits with a 20. Melvin is 1st level, has a Charisma of 9, a Wisdom of 6, and an Intelligence of 12. Melvin has only the vaguest notion of circles of protection, so he draws a chalk circle on the floor and goes through the summoning process his master showed him. The belphage appears, looks around, and sees that he could easily break out of the summoning circle (120% chance, he would only fail on a 00%.) and decides to play along for the moment. Melvin states that he wants the demon to serve for 5 years, draining strength from those the sword hits, and in return he will receive one death vitae (proudly presented, as Melvin ‘cleverly’ stole it from his master.) The demon has some pitifully poor chance of agreeing, but he does so after first demanding a point of Strength from Melvin in addition. Melvin agrees and begins the binding ritual. At the point the belphage smiles, and mentally rips into Melvin, with a 78% chance to escape the binding (the demon thought the potential gains were worth the risk of being bound to this fool for 5 years.) The DM rolls 05%. The creature breaks free, and the DM rolls again, adding a whopping 12% to the roll: 89%+12% = 101%! Melvin’s mind is destroyed. The demon steals all his Strength and Constitution, the death vitae, and puts Melvin’s body to use as a light snack to boot. All in all, the belphage thinks, it’s been a good day. A very good day indeed.
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