These rules are intended to supplement the official D&D 5th edition rules for crafting and gathering with the alchemy and herbalism kits* and skills. The official rules have very little information around these activities which allows us to venture out and make a system that is both fun and engaging while also being easy to use. The goal of this rule set was to do just that. The rules here will allow for a level of play that will engage the players without bogging down your game with too much overhead. The skills should feel real and fun for they players.
Below you will find rules for gathering ingredients and crafting potions and other items. While an Herbalist can gather plants for use in these items she is limited in the types of items they can craft. The alchemist however can craft more advanced magical potions but relies on the herbalist to gather the needed supplies. Sometimes potions require ingredients harvests from certain beasts or monsters. Someone skilled in survival may attempt to gather those materials from a defeated foe. Some of these herbs and creatures may also be used in poisons but the process of creating such poisons is somewhat different (see poison rules document).
*see ITEMS, @Alchemist's Field Kit and @Herbalism Field Kit
Alchemists brew ambrosias, balms, elixirs, philtres, potions, salves, simples, tonics, unguents, and more. They are experts with herbs and ingredients magical or mundane and whence these ingredients are derived. Typically the alchemist cooped up in a laboratory, which contains a fireplace, workbench, brazier, and bellows—and of course alembics, apothecary jars, beakers, dishes, flasks, mortar and pestle, phials, and retorts. Without access to these, the science and sorcery of alchemy is futile. Alchemists research formulæ (recipes) of complex and arcane sort. Also they study the properties of metal, stone, and gems, including reactions to activators and inhibitors in the creation of alchemical mixtures. They also work with all manner of flora, including ferns, fungi, grasses, herbs, mosses, shrubs, trees, vines, and weeds. N.B.: The science of “true” alchemy goes beyond the ken of witchcraft potionry as noted in, Witch (Magician) Subclass. But is akin to herbalism in a lot of ways.
When a magician (or magician subclass) reaches 7th level, he may begin to concoct spell potions with the assistance of an alchemist (see LORE, ADVENTURE, hirelings). By 11th level, the magician (or subclass) may engage in this activity on his own, typically with the assistance of one or more apprentices; however, the services of an alchemist will reduce costs and the chance of failures.
Herbalists gather flora, fungi, grasses, mosses, and weeds, focusing on mundane ingredients essential for basic preparations. They are experts in the outdoor properties of plants and their derivation, specifically the precise location, season, and time to harvest. Typically, the herbalist is found out in the field a lot—in forests, swamps, mountains, and plains—equipped with digging tools, shears, a portable drying rack, and baskets for collection. Without access to natural environments and the knowledge to forage them, the creation of even the simplest mixtures is impossible. Herbalists research the simples required for common ailments and the properties of different types of soil, water, and climate on plant potency. They also study the various uses of flora, including cooking, healing, and minor poisoning, understanding their basic reactions to heat and drying in the creation of balms, teas, and salves. N.B.: The collection of rare and some magical ingredients is done under the direction of an alchemist and goes beyond the typical ken of a common herbalist.
@Alchemist's Field Kit
Being proficient with a Alchemist's Field Kit allows you to produce useful concoctions, such as potions and oils in a limited way. Contents of the kit include two glass beakers, a metal frame to hold a beaker in place over an open flame, a glass stirring rod, a small mortar and pestle, and a pouch of common alchemical ingredients including salt, distilled alcohol, powdered iron, and purified water. Some of these consumables ingredients will need to be replenished once used. It has enough consumables for 10 individual uses of the kit. Best to keep track of them.
Skill Checks: If you have proficiency in the kit, you can use your tool proficiency to give yourself advantage on certain skill checks.
Arcana: Proficiency with the kit allows you to unlock more information on Arcana checks involving potions and similar materials. Finally, sometimes complications arise during the crafting process. Franz will adjudicate Crafting Complications if any are encountered. Be ready for anything!
Investigation: When you inspect an area for clues, proficiency with alchemist's supplies grants additional insight into any chemicals or other substances that might have been used in the area.
@Herbalism Field Kit
Being proficient with a Herbalism Field Kit allows you to identify both magical and nonmagical plants and safely collect their useful elements, and to create healing salves, common potion doses, poultices and tinctures. Contents of the kit includes three pouches to store herbs, clippers and leather gloves for collecting plants, a mortar and pestle, five glass jars, and a small picture note book to help with identification. More jars can be purchased but you will need to store them properly. It has enough consumables for 10 individual uses of the kit. Best to keep track of them.
Skill Checks: If you have proficiency in herbalism field kits, you can use your tool proficiency to give yourself advantage on certain skill checks.
Arcana: Your knowledge of nature and uses of herbs can add insight to your magical studies that deal with plant creatures and your attempts to identify potions.
Investigation: When you inspect an area overgrown with plants, your proficiency bonus can help you pick out details and clues that others might miss.
Medicine: Your mastery of herbalism improves your ability to treat illnesses and wounds by augmenting your methods of care with medicinal plants.
Nature and Survival: You can identify most plants with a quick inspection of their appearance, smell, and their surrounding environment.
Crafting Salves, Common Potions, Poultices, Balms & Tinctures/Teas: To create any of the following items, a herbalism field kit must be used. Proficiency in the kit allows you to add your proficiency bonus to checks to their creation.
Whilst and If a player character needs to arrange for the creation of a laboratory, a proper space must be arranged, one of at least 300 square feet. The location must have a working fireplace and must be stocked with all manner of equipment as noted above. Initial costs range from 700 to 1,200gp ((1d6+6)×100); monthly upkeep is 10% of this amount. This expenditure covers fuel, supplies, replacement costs, and so on. As long as an alchemist is in the gainful employ of the player character, these expenses are recurring; if they are not met, the alchemist cannot continue. All the parameters for a herbalists/poisoners laboratory are halved i.e. they only need 150 square feet of space and the initial cost range is from 300 to 600gp ((1d4+2)x100); monthly upkeep is 5% of this amount.
Both Herbalist and Alchemist will make their creations from recipes they know and learn. Each will have a toolkit with the necessary equipment needed to create the the most common of these recipes. They only need gather the required materials. But to create any that are more complex they both require a laboratory of their own requirements.
The cost of a recipe includes any mundane ingredients and equipment, which are assumed to be included with the appropriate tool/laboratory.
Each Recipe will have ingredients listed of a specific effect type. The effects are found in the descriptions of the plants further on. Each ingredient effect will have a potency. You must have enough potency of the ingredient to make the recipe. Example: If a recipe calls for "Protection (10) you will need 10 potency worth of components from any variety of sources of plants and creatures.
When you gain a tool proficiency, you learn 3 Common recipes associated with the tool.
When your proficiency bonus increases, you can add a new recipe to your recipes known. This recipe must be of an appropriate level or lower, as indicated by the Discovering Recipes Table below.
Discovering Recipes Table
|| Recipes Proficiency Bonus | Recipe Level ||
|| +2 | Common (3) || +3 | Uncommon || +4 | Uncommon || +5 | Rare || +6 | Very Rare ||
When you come across a new recipe, you add it to your recipes known. Doing so requires time and money spent in experimentation, as indicated by the Learning Recipes Table below.
Learning Recipes Table
|| Recipe Level | Time | Cost ||
|| Common | 1 workday | 50gp || Uncommon | 5 workdays | 100gp || Rare | 10 workdays | 150gp || Very Rare | 30 workdays | 200gp ||