Table of Contents
Alchemy Types
Coatings
These substances will affect a target as soon as they touch or are touched by them. There are two ways to use coatings: either through application on a stable surface (such as a table or a doorknob), or by coating a Weapon so that they can be used in combat.
When applied to a stable surface, the Alchemy tag must be applied to the item/surface.
Coatings will last until used up to 5 days. Once touched and activated, the effect will last for the normal duration for that type of effect. A Sleep coating, as an example, would affect a target for five minutes once touched.
The tag must be prominently placed in such a way that a person inspecting the item could see it and know that there was something on the item (though it does not need to be visible without close inspection). If the person applying the substance comes in contact with it, they will be affected by the substance. You are not Immune to your own Alchemy once it has been applied.
When a coating is coated on a Weapon, the tag is simply attached to the Weapon via tape or some other temporary measure (such as a small bag that you can elastic band to your Weapon). Used in this way, the coating will remain active on the Weapon until it strikes a valid target – an attack which is blocked by a sword or Shield, or misses entirely, will not render the coating useless, so long as the coating’s effect is called with each swing. If the Weapon is destroyed in some way (such as being Shattered), the coating is also destroyed. No more than one coating may be applied to any Weapon at any single time, and a new tag must be applied every time a new coating is applied even if it is of the same type as the one which was just used. If you do not call the coating in your verbal, then the coating is still used up.
A coated Weapon can be swung normally by anyone with the appropriate Weapon Skill. Its damage does not change, but instead of being called as whatever the standard carrier and effect of the Weapon would be, it changes to “X Poison <Effect>”. The only exception to this is the Vorpal Coating, which does not affect anything about the Weapon swing except its amount of damage.
A character who owns an Alchemy workshop can place Weapon coatings on Arrows/Bolts at the rate of four Arrows/Bolts per Weapon coating (instead of the normal 2). This must be done at Logistics or a Crafting Station but does not cost any Production Points. The marshal will initial the Alchemy coating tag and staple it onto a tag of four Arrows/Bolts (or more if multiple coatings are used at once), ripping the “unused” flag from the Alchemy tag(s). If your missiles or quivers are stolen, Shattered, or lost, the tags for the coated missiles must be turned over first.
Coatings applied to Weapons will go inert over time. After a coating has been applied to a Weapon, it will expire if not used by the end of the event (5 days maximum).
As with any physical delivery attack that uses a special carrier, the specific Poison effect will only affect the target if it does body damage to the target (as in, the damage exceeds the player’s armor amount and does damage to the Body points). Any valid defenses against any part of the attack will negate the entire attack—for example, a Resist Poison, a Parry, or a Poison Shield would all stop a coated Weapon/projectile attack from affecting the target.
Once a coated Weapon lands a valid attack against an enemy, the coating tag should be removed at the earliest opportunity once the combat has concluded.
The minimal time needed to apply a coating (whether on a stable surface or a Weapon) is the actual time to attach the tag onto the item, but never less than three seconds. In both cases, the “unused” flag of the tag must be removed as the tag is attached. Applying any coating requires the Herbal Lore Skill, even when done in an Alchemy workshop to Bolts or Arrows.
Elixirs
You do not need Alchemy or Herbal Lore to consume or administer an Elixir. These are delivered in all ways like Potions. Note that any creature which is Immune to Poison will be Immune to any Elixir, as these are delivered with the Poison qualifier.
Elixirs can be mixed into food or drink to poison a character. Anyone with Herbal Lore may apply a single Elixir to a container by spending at least three seconds role-playing this action. Once applied, the pertinent tag must be attached to the food or drink container which has been poisoned and will stay until either (a) the poisoned item is first ingested, in which case the person imbibing the poisoned item will be affected by the elixir and the tag then removed; or (b) the first piece of poisoned food or drink is transferred from that container, in which case the tag should be moved with the poisoned food, leaving the rest of the container clean. You cannot use a single tag to affect multiple characters with Alchemy.
Globes
Alchemy Globes are delivered by an orange Packet. Unlike a spell Packet, globe containers are IG. All globe Packets work on a single target only, indoors, or outdoors. Any globe which uses the Poison qualifier will only affect creatures with a metabolism.
A character must have at least 3 levels of the Alchemy Skill to use Globes. Globes can also be put into gas traps by someone with the Create Trap Skill; see the “Traps and Locks” section for details
Before throwing the Packet, the user must announce the appropriate verbal. For most globes, this verbal will be “Poison <Type>”—for example, “Poison Sleep.” This phrase simulates preparing the globe IG by performing a last-minute mixing of chemicals. The verbal is not IG so even a Silenced or mute character may use a globe. If the verbal is not said properly then the attack is unsuccessful, and the globe is wasted. Even though the verbal is not IG, the effect is recognized by anyone who hears it.
Blast Globes have a slightly different verbal. These are thrown with the call “10 Elemental <element>”, where the Alchemist chooses either Stone, Flame, Ice, or Lightning (based on the tag, where the element is chosen at the time that they produce the Blast Globe). They otherwise follow the same globe rules as Poison globes. The Packet must hit the target or the target’s possessions and must otherwise follow all spell Packet rules.
Note that globes, since they are IG, can be Disarmed, Shattered, and stolen. If you steal someone’s globes, you may then either go OOG to the person from whom you stole the globes in order to get the tags, or you can get a Marshal to do it if you wish to remain anonymous. If you have more tags than the gas globe physreps that were stolen, the tags must be turned over in a random fashion.
Note that all of the tags you are carrying around with you are considered IG even if there is no corresponding gas globe physical representation.