Sorcery: Alchemy

Alchemy is the science, art and study of the transformation of the base and profane into the pure and the sacred. At its h eart are the disciplines of the Hermetic student, the holy words of the Kabbalah and the Koran, mystic secrets from Asia and China and an inherent assumption in the perfectibility of all things - often tied up with a healthy dose of Christian beliefs and heresies. Although thought by many to be Western magic and to date from the Renaissance, its ties and history trace themselves throughout Asia Minor and Europe, and even to China, where it is known as Tan, is closely tied with the We Keng and dates back at least 2,000 years.

The alchemist believes that all things in nature can be transformed, or purified, into a higher essence. At it's most basic, Alchemy is the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone (which, depending on the alchemist you listen to, is either a tincture [usuall red], a glowing stone of beauty, a powder, a solvent (a waxy substance or some other form), which can transform lead into gold (from the basest metal to the highest), grant immortality, raise the dead and perform a host of other miraculous deeds (excactly which deeds are, again, rather hard to pin down).

An alchemist could spend a lifetime trying to separate truth from the legends, lies and myths that are wrapped up in alchemical lore and still not get very far (especially because in a practice that wanders the line between art and science, one person's lie is another's solid truth). So most alchemists don't try, instead spending their lives experimenting and analyzing what has worked for them, painstakingly measuring the results of each test for any new insight or path forward on the way to their Philosopher's Stone or spend years apprenticed to another, more knowledgeable alchemist, learning his craft by rote. A few recognize the underpinning truth of alchemy: The process of purification leads inevitably to the purification of humanity, the pursuit of spiritual perfection.

Herbalism and Brewing is the art of using the natural properties of various plant and animal parts (ranging from St. John's Wort and dried bear gonads to even more exotic ingredients) to enhance the natural processes of the human body. In so doing, the herbalist can also induce effects that may seem magical to others but are (in the herbalist's eyes) merely examples of what the human body can do when properly motivated and reinforced with the power of nature.

Advanced Chemistry is a science, and its practitioners don't even think of it as being magic at all (although some of its effects, they admit, may seem magical if you don't understand the science behind them). Advanced Chemistry is similar to the more mundane chemistry studied in high school labs around the world but is more impressive in it's application thanks to the advanced understandings that are its foundations. Some Advanced Chemistry relies on chemical formulae and processes as yet undiscovered by more mundane scientists or on new and unique implementations of already existing knowledge, while other advances require the use of basic nanotechnology and DNA/RNA resequencing.


System

Roll: Intelligence + Alchemy (Alchemical Procedures) Intelligence + Herbalism (Herbalism Procedures) Intelligence + Science (Advanced Chemistry Procedures) Cost: One Willpower per operation. Modifiers: -1 difficulty if ritual is known.

Time: Default is one day per level of effect. For each dot of knowledge the alchemist has that exceeds the level of the effect, reduce this by one day (So an alchemist with four dots of Alchemy can do a Level Two operation in a few hours). Rarely less than an hour.

Duration: Varies, but normally one scene. Each dot in this Path represents an overall knowledge of the chosen specialization (Advanced Chemistry, Alchemy or Herbalism); more dots indicate that the sorcerer can make more advanced or difficult compounds with greater effects. The rituals are examples and can be undertaken by anyone with the appropriate knowledge (most rituals have a counterpart in the other branches of study; an alchemist's Dus of Revealing the Unseen is a technosorcerer's Radioactive Tracking Powder or Etheric Interference Detection Gast).

An alchemist may spend one experience point (or one freebie point during character creation) to master a particular ritual. This gives the caster -1 difficulty on all rolls for that ritual, and lets him use it as if he had one more level of Alchemy when determining the brewing/casting time.

Effects

Note that Alchemy does not have "aspects" as such. The caster need only score basic success to make a given elixir as listed below. However, the elixir may lose its potency or work with only partial strength if the player does not score three or more successes.


*

The alchemist can create compounds and substances that are simply more advanced and potent versions of chemicals that already exist. These compounds don't appear magical in any way. Painkillers, soporifics, poisons and glues are common examples.


**

More advanced versions of what is available already with on dot. Some of these substances might allow the imbiber to exceed his normal physical limits or to gain access to more mystical senses, in dreams or hallucinations. You can raise one attribute by one dots (up to the normal maximum of five dots) for up to a scene.


***

You can make substances that enhance their target to superhuman levels or create materials that exceed normal limitations (supernaturally strong alloys, etc). Some of these substances can temporarily invest their imbiber with some low-level psychic ability (see Chapter Five) for a limited period of time (no more than one hour or so).


****

You can create substances that will enhance Attributes by up to two dots for a scene (one dot if affecting multiple Attributes), even beyond normal human maximums, or minor items with some potent effect.


*****

With this level of knowledge, you can duplicate the powers of supernatural creatures, including Gifts, Disciplines and other abilities of up to the third level. you can also duplicate the innate powers of those creatures (the powers of the fae, wraiths and the imbued, cannot be duplicated). These potions will normally require some sample from the being in question (Vitae, powdered dragon fang, hair from a werewolf, etc.) or extended close up and personal study of the subject (this is usually only appropriate for students of Advanced Chemistry and may still require tissue samples). Such concoctions often have nasty side effects as well (the more powerful the Gift or Discipline, the more pronounced the side effects).


******

The pinnacle of alchemical tradition; transmutation of materials from one form to another, immortality regimens, the Philosopher's Stone. In theory an alchemist of this level might even be able to concoct a potion that causes Awakening, transformation into a vampire, mummification or true immortality.

Sample Alchemy Rituals

- A powder that, when mixed with alcohol, induces slumber almost immediately. The target must roll Stamina (difficulty or spend a point of Willpower to stay conscious; he must remake this attempt (at a -1 Difficulty each time) every round until he succumbs or the drug no longer has a chance of success. Unconsciousness lasts for (10 - Stamina) hours, during which they cannot be roused. Vampires are almost immune to this drug (+2 to Stamina, add Fortitude, and effects, if they succumb, last 10 - (Stamina + Fortitude) minutes), but werewolves in their "normal" form (Homid or Lupus) are susceptible (+2 to the roll).

- A pill that removes all side effects from a minor cold or flu for 24 hours when taken and reduces the recovery time for the illness to one half.

- A form of prophecy-bearing super-LSD. When ingested, the user will be able to see things that were not previously obvious to him or will be granted a vision of the future. These messages will always be cloaked in symbolism and analogy, but will be correct... to the limits of the user's understanding.

- A potion that doubles the user's running speed for one scene. After using this potion, the user must make a Stamina check (diff 6) or be totally out of breath and shaky (-2 on all physical die rolls) for the next hour.

- A metal alloy that is lighter and stronger than titanium (but easier to work), retains an edge almost forever and stays more resilient than the finest blade. Armor produced with this alloy gets an extra dot of bashing and lethal soak, and melee weapons made of it do one more die of damage and are -1 difficulty to hit with (due to their light weight and fine balance).

- A fine metallic dust that reveals hidden, disguised or invisible things for what they truly are or disrupts illusions.

- A chemical compound that raises the user's Physical Attributes for (Stamina +3) hours. During this time, the user will be very hungry, due to the excess strain being placed on her metabolism. This chemical may raise user Attributes to 6 dots or higher.

- A regimen of drugs and potions that extends the user's life (though not indefinitely). While on the regimen, the user ages at the rate of one month for every year. If the regimen is halted, these years come back upon the user at the rate of one month per day, until the regimen is started back up or the user dies of old age.

- A compound that werewolves find anathema. When spread on the skin, no werewolf (or other Changing Breed) can approach within striking range of the user; they can throw things or use ranged weapons but will not willingly get within 10 feet of the wearer. Of course, the substance smells so bad that most humans won't want to either....

- A potion that gives the user the Stamina, Strength and speed of a vampire for a single scene. The user has one extra action per turn, one automatic Strength and success and one extra soak die versus all attacks for the scene following ingestion. The user will also have an unnaturally high temper and a thirst for blood.

Cost of Failure

Beyond the inevitable ruined glassware and loss of ingredients, a simple failure also normally means a nasty, smelly and hard to clean up mess in the lab. Botches can be much more severe; the substance may look okay but really have very different effects (and a simple toxin is the best that can be hoped for, in many cases), the substance may catch fire and explode, or something totally different from what was expected or anticipated may happen, which is almost always a bad thing.