I enjoy the idea of players being able to create magical items like scrolls and spells in my games. Posted below are my rules on potion making, but these are for the DM only. If you play in my games please do not peek behind the curtain!
Those trained in the art of potion making can attempt to work the magical properties of plants into drinkable items. All alchemy has a 2 in 6 chance of success and failing to control the reaction of ingredients will create an unstable reaction, dealing 1d6 damage to the alchemist. Two different ingredients are used at a time and may be Ground up, Roasted, or Boiled.
Swamp Ground Roasted Boiled
Pan Mushroom 5 4 5
Toadstool Mushroom 3 5 1
Lace Moss 2 3 4
Whip Reed 6 2 3
Crawling Vine 4 4 2
Mort Flower 4 3 3
Plains Ground Roasted Boiled
Cloaked Flower 3 5 3
Beak Flower 2 1 2
Pixie Flower 4 3 5
Droop Flower 4 2 4
Folded Mushroom 3 3 6
Saw Grass 5 4 4
Forest Ground Roasted Boiled
Spotted Mushroom 5 2 3
Red eye Mushroom 2 6 5
Sunflower 3 5 1
Moonflower 3 3 2
Green Berry 4 4 3
Dew Berry 4 4 4
Desert Ground Roasted Boiled
Scarab Mushroom 1 2 3
Desert Rose 4 3 2
Drip Flower 2 5 4
Mole Berry 3 6 3
Yellow Berry 5 4 4
Sky Vine 4 3 5
Mountains Ground Roasted Boiled
Cracking Vine 5 3 4
Stone Moss 4 1 3
Pan Flower 3 5 3
Home Flower 6 4 4
Wet Mushroom 3 4 5
Pine Mushroom 2 2 2
Creature Ground Roasted Boiled
Feathers 1 3 4
Fish Scales 4 5 2
Bone Marrow 3 4 5
Blood 2 2 6
Fur 3 3 4
Claws 5 4 3
The numbers in these tables are added together when a player mixes the potion, revealing the result of mixing them on the following table (I use a modified spell list with many of these potions using the same effects).
2 Oil of 1-2 Resurrection
3-4 Voyage
5-6 Midas
3 Oil of 1-2 Dragons Fire
3-4 Instant Frost
5 Vorpal Steel
6 Nullification
4 Vial of 1-3 Candlelight
4-5 Torchlight
6 Daylight
5 Vial of 1-2 Poison Gas
3-4 Poison Liquid
5-6 Poison Powder
6 Vial of 1 Acid
2 Alchemist Fire
3 Death’s Touch
4 Smoke Cloud
5 Bottled Breeze
6 Bubbling Brook
7 Antidote
8 Potion of 1-3 Health Restoration
4-5 Clarity Restoration
6 Fatigue Restoration
9 Potion of 1 Blindness
2 Paralyzation
3 Babble
4 Clairvoyance
5 Gaseous Form
6 Invisibility
10 Potion of 1 Animal Form
2 Winged Flight
3 Tongues
4 Diminution
5 Enlargement
6 Water Breathing
11 Elixir of 1-2 Feasting
3-4 Hauling
5-6 Night Sight
12 Elixir of 1-2 Youth
3 Strength
4 Dexterity
5 Intelligence
6 Charisma
Once the potion group is found a d6 is rolled to determine the specific potion that was made. I encourage players to record the outcomes of different combinations, creating physical notes on alchemy just like their characters are assumed to have. Once the character has experienced the potions effects, I'll tell them if they make the same potion again in the future.
I also roll on this when stocking a dungeon with potions as treasure so to account for the curve of 2d6, the options from the ingredient table is adjusted to match the probability. For example, the only way to make group 12 Elixirs is to grind up a Home Flower and Whip Reed, to roast a Red eye Mushroom and Mole Berry, or to boil together a Folded Mushroom and Blood. This ensures that it closely mirrors the near 3% chance of rolling 12 on 2d6. The three methods of preparation offer a way to keep experimenting interesting, for example a Cloaked Flower and Beak Flower can be Ground or Boiled into a group 5 potion (Poisons) but if you roast the two together you get group 6 potion (Cloud/Area effects).
I had experimented with a Skyrim like alchemy mechanic, where the same two ingredients would always create the same potion. The issue was that it didn't feel like real science. My players stopped thinking in game terms of "If I mix these flowers together I may get a potion that will create smoke if uncorked" to "This flower adds a burning effect so I better keep it until I find something that causes an oil type potion so we can use it on our weapons". This caused the whole system to feel very removed from the game world. There is just enough double blind with knowing the general type of potion you'll make but not the exact one to keep players from relying on one alchemist to produce needed potions in great numbers. The 1d6 damage on a failed experiment is to prevent players collecting huge quantities of ingredients and in a day or two having backpacks full of potions, as well as explaining why few alchemists are in my game world (Where the average person has 1-6 HP). A master alchemist knows the names of a dozen apprentices that died trying to master this art. This is also why witches with their vast cauldrons are forced to live far from town, the simple people don't trust her to keep working near them.
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