PotionsThere are two types of potions in the Knarf 2 system. These are magical potions and alchemical potions. Alchemical potions achieve their effects through the chemical and physical properties of their ingredients. Magical potions achieve their effects through the magical properties of their ingredients. Although they differ in how they achieve their effects, they are otherwise virtually identical in physical form, manufacture, and experimentation techniques. Potions may be in the form of a liquid, a powder, a gas, or a salve. They may achieve their effects in a number of different ways. For example a charm potion could be alchemical or magical in nature. if a person, creature, or monster drinks the potion or is contacted by it, it may be charmed by the person who gave it to him, the first person he sees, or similar trigger mechanism. Alternatively if someone drinks a potion it could increase his charisma with respect to the person he wants to charm. It might give off an odor that charms the other person, race, creature, or monster, like a super perfume. Potions generally only affect only the user or one type of creature. Potions usually come in small vials and a full vial is required to achieve the full effects of the potion. Potion Experimentation: Alchemists and magicians usually must experiment to devise the formulas for their potions. The success of experiments will be determined by the gamemaster, with one gamemaster's decision not necessarily binding on another. The success of an experiment is determined using a target number. All ingredients used and all preparation techniques must be justified to the gamemaster. Appropriate ingredients, techniques, and preparation times are each given a bonus modifier and totalled. Inappropriate or extraneous ingredients and techniques are given penalty and subtracted from the total. The difficulty of the effect the potion is designed to achieve is considered when assigning target numbers. The totals of the appropriate and inappropriate items are added together. Appropriate save versus potions are still applicable to the creature to be affected but this has no real bearing on the actual success or failure of the formula. Whether a potion fails or succeeds, another throw is made to determine if the potion has any adverse affects. If the resulting throw is less than or equal to the total of the inappropriate items there is a side effect from the potion. An appropriate side effect is determined by the gamemaster. In magic potions the magic law of practice has a bearing on further attempts to use the same formula. Each time a potion is successfully used , its chance of success the next time it is used increases by 1, and each time it is unsuccessfully used its chance of success drops by 2. If an alchemical potion works once, it will always work in exactly the same way when used again. If a potion has side effects, the side effects will be the same every time. If the potion doesn't work once, it will not work the next time.
Magic PotionsMagic potions rely upon the magical properties of its components to achieve their effects. Rudiments of herb lore may also be employed. Magic potions enable the person affected to perform certain magical acts, such as the ability to fly, turn invisible, and so forth. Abilities or effects that are not uniquely magical in nature generally can not be made by magic users. Upon reaching a certain level magic users gain the skill of manufacturing potions. Magic users with this skill are able to unlock the magical properties found within the ingredients. Magicians are restricted to making potions related to their own fields of magic. For example a charm potion might be manufactured by an enchanter, but could not be manufactured by a necromancer who practices black magic, a field unrelated to charms. Some overlap between alchemical and magical potions may take place in the gray areas related to minor herbal and magical effects, Magical properties can not be incorporated into the particular potions until the magician reaches a certain experience level dependant on his particular field of magic. Examples Of Magic Potions: Charm Potions: Charm potions may either be alchemical or magical in nature. One ingredient necessary for a charm potion is a piece of the individual, race, creature, or monster, to be affected by the potion. This piece of tissue must be incorporated into the potion along with other ingredients determined by experimentation. Speak with Creature Potions: A potion of speak with creature enables the user to speak with other persons, races, creatures, or monsters in their own language. They may either be alchemical or magical in nature. One ingredient necessary in a speak with creature potion is a piece of tissue from the type of creature with which the user wishes to speak. Pieces of tongues are particularly good. Semi and animal intelligence creatures have a basic root language such as mammal, reptile, etc. from which their species language if any is developed. Some generalized communication is possible at the root language level such as a speak with mammal potion. However, for example a speak with dire wolf would provide clearer communication with a dire wolf than would a speak with mammal potion.
Alchemical PotionsAlchemical potions rely upon the chemical and physical properties of its components to achieve their effects. They may be thought of as modern drugs and chemicals. The alchemist as he advances in level increases his knowledge of potions and he becomes more proficient in his techniques of manufacture and research. Alchemical potions whether ingestive or contact affect the mental, physical, or personality characteristics of the affected person.
Random PotionsPotions may be in the form of a liquid, a powder, a gas, or a salve. There properties are typically the same as those of the equivalent magic spell cast at the eighth level. The following tables list potions often encountered in adventures. This partial list is to be used as a guide for types of potions that may be encountered on adventures. The types of potions possible are almost unlimited as each magician and each alchemist upon reaching a high enough level can devise his own potions. Type of Potion- Roll 1d10 1-2 Alchemical Potion, 3-10 Magical Potion Roll 1d6 for specific type of alchemical potion Roll 1d30 for type of magical potion Alchemical Potions 01 Charm Person or Creature 02 Flight 03 Immunity to Drunkenness 04 Love Potions 05 Tongues 06 Youth Magical Potions 01 Acid Cloud 02 Alter Appearance 03 Animal Growth 04 Charisma 05 Charm Creature 06 Charm Person 07 Clairvoyance 08 Death Mist 09 Disease 10 Flight 11 Healing (1d8 points) 12 Heightened Perception 13 Invisibility 14 Levitation 15 Major Healing: (2d8)) 16 Mutation 17 Plant Growth 18 Resist Cold 19 Resist Fire 20 Resist Lightning 21 Resurrection 22 Running 23 Speak With Creature 24 Speak With Dead 25 Speed 26 Strength 27 Tongues 28 Water Breathing 29 X-Ray Vision 30 Zen Vision
Magical And Alchemical ComponentsThe following listing show some of the purported alchemical and magical properties of various animal and plant components used in potions and magical devices. The list is not complete and even those listed may have additional properties. The list is for reference only. The costs listed are costs to purchase the items, not the price to sell them, if you have a market. Alchemical/Magical Animal Components Properties cost unit Basilisk Eye Petrification (m) 350 gp Bat's Wing Curse/Uncurse (m) 8 cp Black Cat Fur Curse/Uncurse (m) 1 cp Cockatrice Feathers Petrification (a&m) 350 gp Dragon's Blood Unpetrify (a&m) 150 gp Ghost Shroud Thread Aging 400 gp Griffin Feather Flight (m) 300 gp Harpy's Tongue Charm (a&m) 150 gp Hawk's Eye Sharp Vision (a&m) 15 gp Lions Heart Bravery (m) 20 gp Merman Scale Water Breathing (m) 5 gp Mouse's Tail Stealth (m) 3 cp Rhinoceros Horn Aphrodisiac Ca&m) 15 gp Scorpion Tail Poison Ca) 4 cp Snail Shell Slowness (m) 2 cp Snake Venom Poison (a) 1-20 gp Spider Leg Climbing (m) 3 cp Troll's Blood Regeneration (m) 10 gp Unicorn Horn Neutralize Poison Ca&m) 1000 gp Vampire Blood Gaseous Form (m) 500 gp Plant Component Magical Properties Cost/oz. Anise Evokes Spirits 4 gp Belladonna Flying 8 gp Dill Aphrodisiac 3 sp Draconium Prot. From Snakes 4 gp Fern Invisibility 5 cp Juniper Neutralize Potions 2 sp Locust Speak With Dead 2 sp Oleander Beauty 3 sp Orchid Love 4 gp Saffron Luck 6 sp Vervain Courage 6 sp Willow Sorrow 5 cp Plant Component Alchemical Properties Cost/oz- Alkanet Poison Antidote 2 sp All Heal Healing 8 gp Aloe Vera Burn Relief Relieve Skin Irritation 5 cp Barberry Heals Burns 5 gp Bindwound Pain Relief 1 sp Boneset Heals Broken Bones 1 gp Byrony Removes Fear 3 sp Cayenne Pepper Breaks Fever 9 gp Camomile Healing 1 gp Comfrey Relieve Insect Bites 1 gp Coriander Cures Disease 2 sp Curare Paralyzation 500 gp Daffodil Healing 2 sp Eucalyptus Cough/Sore Throat 5 gp Eyebright Cures Blindness 1 sp Garlic Prot. From Vampires 9 gp Ginseng Youth/Aphrodisiac 5 gp Groundsel Relieves Pain 1 gp Hellebore Anti-Aphrodisiac 2 sp Hops Headache Relief 5 cp Jewel Weed Relieve Skin Irritation 1 sp Moss Heals Burns 3 cp Mullein Eases Breathing 5 cp Nightshade, Common Poison 20 gp Peppermint Relieve Stomach Problems 2 gp Plantain Stops Bleeding 3 cp Poppy Seed Narcotic/Hallucinogen 20 gp Psilocybin Hallucinogen 100 gp Rosemary Healing 1 sp Sage Restores Memory 1 sp Thistle Poison Antidote 2 cp Wolfsbane Prot. From Lycanthropes 2 gp Wormwood Anti-Parasitic 3 sp Yarrow Sedative 2 gp Mineral Component Alchemical or Magical Cost/coin Agate Truth see gems Amber Immunity To Disease see gems Bloodstone Longevity 5 gp Gems Miscellaneous see gems Lead Magic Resistance 1 cp Lodestone Magnetism 3 gp Pearl Wisdom see gems Rare Earths Magic Activators 100 gp Sard Intelligence 5 gp Sulfur Healing 2 gp Laboratory Equipment Apothecary Jars, 4 oz. 5 cp Balance and weights 15 gp Bellows 5 sp Book, 40 pages, Parchment 20 gp Bottle, Glass 8 oz. 5 cp Brazier 2 gp Candle, Wax 2 cp Cauldron, Ceramic, Large 2 gp Crucible, Ceramic 2 gp Distillation Device 1 gp Funnel, Glass, small 3 sp Glass Working Tools 15 gp Hourglass 5 gp Incense 1 gp Ink, Normal 1 cp Jewelers Tools 20 gp Lens, Glass 5 gp Mortar and Pestle, Ceramic 1 gp Paper, sheet 2 cp Parchment, Sheet 2 sp Prism 10 gp Quill Pen 3 cp Rods, Glass 1/8", per foot 2 cp Tongs, Metal 1 gp Tube, Glass 1/2", per foot 6 cp Vat, Copper, 5 gallons 12 gp Vellum, Sheet 5 gp Vial, Ceramic, 1 oz 2 cp Vial, Copper, 1 oz 1 sp Vial, Glass, 1 oz 3 cp |