Sunday, August 29, 2010

Update for Alchemy spells.


ALCHEMY



Alchemy is the science of binding magical energies into mundane substances, allowing anyone to use or benefit from the spell.  Alchemist spells are, in essence precast and carried around in the form of expensive potions and powders which must be consumed or thrown to activate the effects.  The materials vary in their volatility, but all eventually become inert if not used.
Cost to produce an alchemical item is either explicitly listed for purely alchemical spell, or, for items binding Standard (non-mystery) spells, the circle of the spell.  Most alchemy spells create a potion or powder that holds the desired spell until activated, or until it becomes stale.  In general, the caster chooses any options required or desired, and allocates effect point to several variables.  Generally, all compounds can have their duration of effect increased, as can the time before it becomes useless, and who can use it. Points added to duration extend the potion by one hour per point. Points allocated to life increase the life of the compound by a week.  Limitations are a set of words that limit who can use the compound. Each point allows one word.  Example:  “me”(1 point) “my friends”(two points)  “elves or dwarfs”(three points) “anybody but that tool, Bilbo” (5 points). If no points are allocated to these variables, the duration is one hour (or less, by spell), the shelf life one day, and usable by anyone.   Note that the downside of the convenience is the fact that, as required by genre conventions, an alchemetical failure causes an explosion proportional to the intended power.


Resistance of the elements
This spell allows the alchemist to create potions that protect the imbiber from harm.  The spell is effective against damage caused by the 4 classical elements plus mineral animal and vegetable.  As an example, weapon damage is generally protected against by mineral protection (iron/steel), but the classic pointy stick would require vegetable protection, and a simple stone would require earth.  Each element includes its opposite, where appropriate.  Thus, protection against fire includes both heat and cold.  When cast, choose one element from earth, Air, Fire, Water, Animal, Mineral, Vegetable.  Specify a number of damage points that will be ignored from any such source this is the difficulty for creating the compound.  If successful, note the final effect.  If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the protection chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by only that If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations.  
Failure causes an explosion, doing damage equal to the maximum points chosen plus the negative effect (treated as positive for all you clever Nellies). With a blast radius of 1 yard per point of negative effect. Additionally, the cost of the casting is lost.

Pyrotechnics
This spell allows the alchemist to create a highly reactive substance that explodes with great noise, dazzling light, dense smoke and potentially great damage.   Three types exist: flash, smudge and blast.  Flash creates an exceedingly bright flash and deafening noise, which stuns and/or temporarily blinds viewers. Smudge is silent, but creates a dense dark smoke cloud, which obscures vision in a specific area. Blast causes noise and flash, although not to the level of flash, its main effect is a highly destructive explosion. All three can be created to activate when set afire or shocked by impact. The final effect roll can be allocated to its power, duration (for smudge), visibility (flash), or blast area (blast), as well as effective life.
Smudge; for each power point, smudge creates a dense obscuring cloud in a 10yd x 10 yd area. Each effect point allocated lets the charge continue smoking for an additional combat round, producing a larger cloud.
Flash.  All sighted and unprotected creatures within 10 yards must make an END with dice equal to the power of the charge failure results in being stunned and blinded for a number of rounds equal to the power. Each point added to visibility increases the effective visibility/hearing range by 10 yards,
Blast does 1d6 damage to all within the blast radius (5’), halved if a DEX test is successful on dice equal to half blast power. Each point added to the blast area increases the radius by 1 yard
To create these substances, the caster chooses the type, the activation method and the maximum power. If successful, note the final effect.  If the effect of the success is less than or equal to the protection chosen, the compound boosts the characteristic by only that If the final result exceeds the maximum, the caster may allocate effect points to duration, effective life and any limitations. 

 

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