AoT - Alchemy Questions asked and Guidance sought

[Titus]

So, where do Fengo plants grow?

My player who was thinking about choosing the Alchemist background is still toying with the idea. His image of his character is as someone who would be able to provide potions, healing and otherwise to the party. He is thinking along the lines of Morrowind. I let him know that potion making isn't that easy or cheap. I will be sending him a synopsis of the Alchemy Rules tonight.

The reason I asked about Fengo plants is the Healing Salve formula mentions Fengo leaves as the basis for the salve. I am thinking of naming some ingredients for the other formulas he gets. If the character has an appropriate lore skill (plants, animals, minerals, etc.) he may be able to find some of the ingredients himself and reduce the cost of an elixir, potion or poison.

What do these alchemical concoctions generally go for if the characters were seeking to buy them? 2, 3, 5, 10 times the cost to make them? Considering the potential failure rate, I would expect an Alchemist to need to cover the costs of 2 or 3 spoiled batches.

I was thinking of ways to reduce the potential failure rate. High quality lab equipment and taking more time are the easiest ways (for me anyway). I was also considering better ingredients as a possibility. I could do this by allowing substitute ingredients which can lower the difficulty, or by making them different formulas. I am leaning towards different formulas. If I don't actually make up ingredients, I can just increase the cost in Taskeens to make the potion.

• The Healing Elixir formula in the book might be the common Tarsen's Healing Elixir (uses Fengo leaves) with a 2 day task unit, 100 cost, and a Hard task.
  The formula for Jarmost's Boon (uses spiny starfish spines) might have a 2 day task unit, 200 cost and be a Difficult task.
  The formula for Lady Gladstone's Elixir of Health (uses Unicorn beard trimmings) might have a 1 day task unit, 500 cost, and be a Routine task.

One problem would be that by introducing alchemical ingredients, I am making them a commodity in the game. It will require monitoring. Maybe they will need Craft(Apothecary) or similiar to properly preserve the ingredients. Of course, if they are valuable, then they can be treasure/loot.

Another problem is that subsequently published materials may step all over this. Not a problem if it makes things easier or cheaper for the PC, but I wouldn't want to take things away or suddenly make it harder. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. :wink:

 

[Simulacrum]

A bit long winded - and beware the odd spoiler!

So, where do Fengo plants grow?

It's a weed, found floating in masses in lake Barur - which is nestled in the Yellow hills, north of Sorandib. It is harvested, dried, hacked into a litter and bundled up before being transported down the Briga River. Whatever is not sold through 'alternative' routes or 'lost' on the way is usually processed in Sorandib, or shipped further south to Morkesh

His image of his character is as someone who would be able to provide potions, healing and otherwise to the party.

It is a good idea. I would equip him with the healing salve that can be gained from using the Community Support table on page 130 in the Adventures chapter. At POT 30 he likely made them himself. As you already know, the PCs start out with very low skills, and while a bit of attrition is probably inevitable (part of the point is to come out the other end with 'survivors' destined for great things) the scenarios are laced with people who can provide critical support in moments of danger if the party handles them the right way. You can certainly find places where you can amend either that support to provide your alchemist PC with something he can use.

The reason I asked about Fengo plants is the Healing Salve formula mentions Fengo leaves as the basis for the salve. I am thinking of naming some ingredients for the other formulas he gets. If the character has an appropriate lore skill (plants, animals, minerals, etc.) he may be able to find some of the ingredients himself and reduce the cost of an elixir, potion or poison.

There are a couple of obvious places to drop this in; The fire spirit shrine at Sarotin might provide some soot that has useful properties to an alchemist; the little ziggurat sacred to Haliset-Toad at Bosabra should have medicinal plants that can be gathered in its immediate surroundings, which could provide an alternative to Fengo, and may change with the seasons. A Witching Stone could be crushed to powder for some purpose. Arxoon's hut should yield some good stuff too (it already does), perhaps swap out some of the cash and jewels for more in this vein. Talking of which - what of Arxoon's blood? There is also the opportunity to collect Grampus acid, Manticore spines and the like.

What do these alchemical concoctions generally go for if the characters were seeking to buy them? 2, 3, 5, 10 times the cost to make them? Considering the potential failure rate, I would expect an Alchemist to need to cover the costs of 2 or 3 spoiled batches.

Based on what a SOC15 character would expect to earn in a year, and the cost of living at that level to maintain a family; and how much of the year someone expects to spend on real work (all to be revealed in forthcoming)...a quick calculation using the assumption that 1.5 attempts is the average to deliver the product...a 100% mark-up looks about right. Applying extra time is the primary means of reducing failure. A more experienced alchemist = less failed batches = higher margins = more income or more leisure time (and at SOC 15, you ought not to be seen to be working too hard).

The Healing Elixir formula in the book might be the common Tarsen's Healing Elixir (uses Fengo leaves) with a 2 day task unit, 100 cost, and a Hard task.
The formula for Jarmost's Boon (uses spiny starfish spines) might have a 2 day task unit, 200 cost and be a Difficult task.
The formula for Lady Gladstone's Elixir of Health (uses Unicorn beard trimmings) might have a 1 day task unit, 500 cost, and be a Routine task.

One problem would be that by introducing alchemical ingredients, I am making them a commodity in the game. It will require monitoring. Maybe they will need Craft(Apothecary) or similiar to properly preserve the ingredients. Of course, if they are valuable, then they can be treasure/loot.

That's a sound approach in my view - the products listed in the book are just a starting point. Main thing is the costs are supposed to be a little daunting - an Alchemist should be making to order when he knows there is a moneyed patron there - he should not be stocking a shop. That's what an apothecary does. I think it's really up to you if you want to have an expansive list of ingredients - I would simply create the need or opportunity to find rare ingredients as a game challenge from time to time rather than get into a commodity situation. Most of the crafting will be done in downtime, and it will be expedient to simply charge the price most of the time. Generally the key ingredients are going to be big-city only availability.

Another problem is that subsequently published materials may step all over this. Not a problem if it makes things easier or cheaper for the PC, but I wouldn't want to take things away or suddenly make it harder. I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

I don't think so. There's a setting-specific price list drafted as part of a chapter on money, economics and cost of living for the companion book - on the whole it makes things cheaper rather than more expensive, as it is based on real (ancient) world data and comparisons benchmarked to the price of food calories in grain and bread rather than game conventions. Alchemical ingredients will always be in the rare/special order category, so the GM can freely set the parameters of price and availability - because clearly you do need to be able to keep a handle on potential abuses.

I hope this gives you enough to go on for now - its great you have a player that wants to go straight in at the setting cool stuff level - but it doesn't make for an easy GM ride on the first trip out!

 

[Titus]

Thank-you for the information and suggestions.

I saw the mention of Fengo in the Sorandib section of the Beyond the Frontiers chapter last night when I was searching the PDF for "taskeen". I was trying to find out if any of the other Taskan coins were mentioned. I didn't find anything, so I assume that will be in the companion book in the chapter on money, economics and cost of living.

Is it safe to go with the Core Book's coinage?

I will not be creating a bunch of alchemical ingredients to start with. I am still tempted to do it down the road once the game is underway, but not now.

I expect to hear back this weekend about whether the player still wants to be an alchemist. I did show him how he could start with an 82% skill in Craft(Alchemy). That and taking his time will allow him to make the easier items without too much risk, and even make it reasonable to try a manipulation or two on them.

Oh, and while typing this, I thought of something else to mention to him. If he chooses to be "talented" in Craft(Alchemy) he could be 2d6 better than that. Even better, a Genius for it would give him an improved critical range, further improving his chances to complete the extended tasks.

 

[Simulacrum]

I saw the mention of Fengo in the Sorandib section of the Beyond the Frontiers chapter last night when I was searching the PDF for "taskeen". I was trying to find out if any of the other Taskan coins were mentioned. I didn't find anything, so I assume that will be in the companion book in the chapter on money, economics and cost of living. Is it safe to go with the Core Book's coinage?

Everything in the core book is in Taskeens right now, except where foreign money is encountered in the Adventures section. Yes, it is safe to go with the AoT core book's coinage, using 1 Taskeen = 1 RuneQuest/Legend Silver Piece. Copper pennies exist at 5 to the Taskeen (which is different to the RQ/Legend, but not hard to deal with). There are no larger denomination coins in the Taskan Empire, except for antiquarian relics or foreign money used as bullion. You can glean a bit of info on exchange rates in the book, and more detail will be in the companion. The current equivalences are:

10 pennies = 2 Taskeens = 1 Korantine Guilder = 0.05 Korantine Gold Imperials = 1 Sharranketan Dinar

1 Taskeen = 1 Djesmiri Dinar = 1 Morkeshite Dinar = 0.2 Yegusan Silvers = 5 Jekkarene Iron Bars