PDA

View Full Version : List of random alchemical drawbacks



Madeiner
2013-03-27, 08:32 AM
Hi there.
In my world (steampunk eberron) alchemy is almost on par with technology and magic.
The three arts are kinda balanced: magic is old and powerful, but a dying art, requiring years of study for even the simplest of things, and very costly. It is also a status symbol, so only nobles usually carry iWands ( :P )
Technology is newer, allows for cheap and simple things, but is prone to malfunctions, but items can most often be repaired in exchange for future reliability.
Alchemy is powerful yet not completely explored. Cheaper and faster than magic, it is able to produce a limited set of effects compared to magic, but faster and easier. You can empower alchemical things to be strongers than normal, but this has drawbacks, in form of random effect that can happen if you drink the potions.


Does anyone know where i can find a table of random (minor) alchemical effects?

Im looking for things like simple hair growth or color change, to more complicated things like sunlight aversion, weaknesses, even temporary power followed by temporary stronger weaknesses.

Thanks :)

TheStranger
2013-03-27, 08:46 AM
I'd suggest digging up the old potion miscibility table, using whatever seems appropriate, and also cherry-picking some options from the wild surge tables. Round out the list with the best suggestions from this thread, and make yourself a good percentile table.

mjlush
2013-03-27, 09:08 AM
I'd suggest digging up the old potion miscibility table, using whatever seems appropriate, and also cherry-picking some options from the wild surge tables. Round out the list with the best suggestions from this thread, and make yourself a good percentile table.

You could also roll for time of onset, Just because the potion has worn off the side effects could manifest days or even weeks later.

supermonkeyjoe
2013-03-27, 09:41 AM
Another idea would be to apply the effects of some Diseases (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#disease) to alchemical concoctions gone wrong

Jay R
2013-03-27, 05:40 PM
I'd never use a table for this. I would look at the situation, and base the outcome on the reasonable alchemical properties and the Rule of Funny.

Having said that, a quick google search produced this:

http://santicore.blogspot.com/2012/12/potions-misfire-table.html

There were more options presented. Go looking for them.

Sith_Happens
2013-03-27, 06:10 PM
"Alchemist's race changes to Warforged."

Craft (Cheese)
2013-03-27, 06:50 PM
"Alchemist's race changes to Warforged."

The keyword was drawbacks :p

Kadzar
2013-03-27, 07:31 PM
The keyword was drawbacks :pYeah, it should probably be something you use to counteract the effects of a particularly bad drawback instead.

Sith_Happens
2013-03-28, 12:01 AM
The keyword was drawbacks :p

http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/15600000/Alphonse-Elric-akimamg-15618194-640-480.jpg

"You think I want to be like this!?"

kieza
2013-03-28, 04:38 AM
A defensive potion wears off quickly if it defends against a particularly big hit of whatever it protects from. (Since that sentence doesn't even make much sense to me, here's an example: A potion of fire resistance 5 with this drawback might wear off suddenly if the wearer gets hit by 15 fire damage at once.)

Surfnerd
2013-03-28, 08:19 AM
Just curious are you intending to use a random table every time even if its the same potion being empowered? Perhaps you could assign based off a random table or fiat side effects/drawbacks to the various types of empowered alchemical substances.

Creating less harmful to players drawbacks that have social consequences. Society especially magic wielding nobles would take offense to some middle class thug huffing elixir fumes to become faster and stronger, especially if he was showing signs of his "addiction" to this faux magic of the commoners. If anything nobles of large cities could fund "health education" campaigns to ferret out these threats.

The Sun aversion one in itself could create these stigmas, player is bundled up and sticking to the shadows. With the concept that the same alchemical substances have the same drawbacks you could rule that the character takes on further hindrances due to his use of the substances or that overuse could cause the affliction to become permanent.

Just my two senses.