Rewarding Collector behavior?

[WarKitty]

Playing 3.5 with bits of pathfinder in play (the alchemist class and the PF crafting system, notably).

In any case - I have an alchemist who likes to collect bits and bobs of things that look useful for alchemy. It's a good idea but there doesn't seem to be much support in the rules for making things like dead shriekers useful. Is there a good mechanical way to reward this sort of behavior?

[Gurifu]

Playing 3.5 with bits of pathfinder in play (the alchemist class and the PF crafting system, notably).

In any case - I have an alchemist who likes to collect bits and bobs of things that look useful for alchemy. It's a good idea but there doesn't seem to be much support in the rules for making things like dead shriekers useful. Is there a good mechanical way to reward this sort of behavior?

Count relevant-seeming items against the raw material cost of Brew Potion.

[Raven777]

Let it be a flavor thing and change nothing. If you introduce a mechanical benefit to doing it, it'll go from a funny character quirk to feeling forced.

Occasionally, he'll still stumble on something inherently useful by the sheer nature of the weird stuff he gathers, example being stuffing Troglodyte mucus in a cheap vial to make makeshift 30' sickening thrown weapons. You haven't lived life as an Alchemist till you've pinched the musk glands of dead sentient enemy lizards.

[Rainshine]

Playing 3.5 with bits of pathfinder in play (the alchemist class and the PF crafting system, notably).

In any case - I have an alchemist who likes to collect bits and bobs of things that look useful for alchemy. It's a good idea but there doesn't seem to be much support in the rules for making things like dead shriekers useful. Is there a good mechanical way to reward this sort of behavior?

To a point. It's a lot of bookkeeping to keep up with all the green dragon's blood vial or whatever, and I usually end up just making it a small set number bonus: if they make their Knowledge Nature check, they can get enough venom to alter five extracts or bombs. For PF, you might want to check out Adventurer's Armory or the Alchemy Manual -- the latter talks about specific reagent, alternate crafting rules, and using components to buff up spells.

[Geddy2112]

Count relevant-seeming items against the raw material cost of Brew Potion.

I second this. Make it random so he cannot predictably find X worth of Y, but that he happened to have a lot of the components for this or that particular potion.


You haven't lived life as an Alchemist till you've pinched the musk glands of dead sentient enemy lizards.
+1, cause there are never traders living in dungeons.

[Psyren]

To a point. It's a lot of bookkeeping to keep up with all the green dragon's blood vial or whatever, and I usually end up just making it a small set number bonus: if they make their Knowledge Nature check, they can get enough venom to alter five extracts or bombs. For PF, you might want to check out Adventurer's Armory or the Alchemy Manual -- the latter talks about specific reagent, alternate crafting rules, and using components to buff up spells.

This. Just look at the components in those books and have bits and pieces of the monsters function like those components. You could even have the monster in question "drop" already-completed versions of certain items. For example, a lump of ichor taken from a dead shrieker could be lit on fire and thrown at an enemy, and function like a thunderstone or shriek bomb; it would basically be a bit of extra treasure for any alchemically trained party members.

[WarKitty]

To a point. It's a lot of bookkeeping to keep up with all the green dragon's blood vial or whatever, and I usually end up just making it a small set number bonus: if they make their Knowledge Nature check, they can get enough venom to alter five extracts or bombs. For PF, you might want to check out Adventurer's Armory or the Alchemy Manual -- the latter talks about specific reagent, alternate crafting rules, and using components to buff up spells.

That's sort of my thing - I don't want to be awash in bookkeeping. But I think the collecting is a cool thing and it would be sad if it didn't do something.

[daremetoidareyo]

I just posted this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19036864&postcount=11) in another thread, but it may help. maybe not, it does necessitate more work.