acids or poisons, and create a small repertoire e-Alchemy of items, all of which are defined in the PH. The given understanding within this book is This free download offers you a glimpse into that the Alchemy skill—while important and our upcoming Alchemy & Herbalists release linked to all other levels of the craft—is the base (which should be available by May 1st in most minimum under which most “alchemists” hobby stores). There are a variety of materials work, using those core DCs and costs to fill that pulled from the book that are detailed below, small gap between wizards with their but you might not have a clear picture of how Wondrous Items and NPC Craftsmen with their things are created, how a prestige class choice more common nonmagical items. The skill affects becoming an alchemist, the true nature doesn’t provide understanding of the greater of herbs, and other minutiae. You’ll have to wait philosophies argued among the more learned for the full book to uncover these secrets, though alchemists, nor does it grant any expanded you can get a better idea of how A&H is laid out knowledge of individual substances or types of by glancing at the Table of Contents page. materials. The Alchemy skill, basically, allows you the Introduction to Alchemy chance to make anything that lists it as the minimum prerequisite. If all you want is more What is alchemy? The knee-jerk definition of special stuff for those basic Alchemy skill-users alchemy is “a buncha guys trying to turn lead to have, skip ahead to Chapter 7 and start e into gold,” right? While that’s partly true, there’s looking at all the new stuff that even the meanest - so much more to learn. Stick around and you’ll A potion-pusher can produce. If you want to learn discover everything you’ll need to know about more about the study of alchemy itself, however, l c the Hermetic Arts, or at least the alchemical arts keep reading and discover how much more h you choose to adapt and unleash upon your there than simply making potions or seeking to e D&D game worlds. m turn lead into gold…. What is alchemy? It’s the quest for perfection, y pure and simple. That can be perfection in The Generic Alchemist matter, the much-vaunted turning the basest of This work assumes that a general alchemist— metals—lead—into the purest—gold. It can also meaning anyone with a few ranks in alchemy— mean perfection in ourselves by seeking is a self-taught or singularly taught individual immortality. These are the ultimate paths and who learns things haphazardly or piecemeal. goals of alchemy, though they are not the only Sure, anyone with a rank or two in Alchemy can ones, and there is much to learn along the way. take a stab at identifying potions and substances, What is alchemy? It is as many questions as or creating inks and acids, poisons and answers, as many truths as lies. It is undefinable purgatives. But what else can you expect out of to those outside its mysteries, just like magic or them? How far does their knowledge extend? the rituals of each individual faith. The shortest That’s the purpose of this book—to show how definition would be “the medieval equivalent far chymical knowledge reaches and what of chemistry and chemical research.” Another specialists and those committed to the way of looking at it is the Art of Transformation alchemical arts—as opposed to mere dabblers— without Magic. To most players of d20 worlds, can really do. that’s enough. For those who want to know the While it is possible to add a few bits of whole truth (or truths)—read on. alchemical knowledge to any character and allow them the basics mentioned above, Alchemy at its d20 Basic alchemy is more than simple knowledge. Alchemy, as paraphrased from the Player’s Alchemy leads to a greater understanding of the Handbook, allows those with knowledge and world and the universe and all life and matter skill to combine strange ingredients to order to within it. It’s a way of life fully embraced and create marvelous substances, identify unknown made a life’s work and focus. That’s how the materials, and make nonmagical but special prestige classes in Chapter 2 approach items. As far as the Player’s Handbook and the alchemy—it’s not just another thing for a core rules are concerned, alchemy can help you wizard or ranger to learn so much as a new identify potions and other substances, make philosophy and perspective on life. 1 Obviously, this approach is problematic from magics.) While this still reflects the simple use a game play perspective—The other player of the Alchemy skill and its ranks, having a characters can’t simply mill around while Argus teacher to direct (and correct) one’s studies adds takes six years to immerse himself in studies at some focus to learning alchemy. Also, assuming Saragun’s Alcheminary. That’s unreasonable for the mentor has the feats, the student alchemist an adventure game. What this book presents is can gain directed knowledge on specific every facet of alchemy (and herbalism, in substances and materials by learning some of alternating chapters) so that the GM and players the alchemical or herbal Item Creation feats. The can either build a character who uses the basics student is, however, limited to the feats known or create one who embraces every aspect of by the teacher. alchemy possible. If you’ve got a character who A third way, and one discussed at length in dabbles in alchemy (adding ranks every few Chapter 2, is to find a school where alchemy is levels or so), he probably knows the names of taught. Learning alchemy from a variety of some famous alchemists (i.e. the creators of the other alchemists is the most named items in Chapter 7 or listed within the comprehensive method. The learning is glossary of Appendix One), though whether organized to indoctrinate the student into he’s familiar with their theories and studies alchemy as an approach to life as much is questionable. as a future trade (or subskill to one’s Those are the only difference wizardry). It also provides the between an alchemist built strictly broadest chances for alchemists to from the core books (i.e. the core focus their studies on a path y Alchemy skill) and one developed toward understanding some great m with this book—the level of detail universal and material secrets, e and the options for role-playing. whether they choose to embrace h Just remember—if it’s in this book, the paths toward immortality or c l alchemists can learn it, but there’s no those toward perfection of matter. A guarantee that they know all the details Only this third method provides - and minutia and knowledge available access to the major works and e unless they’re full-fledged prestige-class philosophies that lead to the Create characters in their field of study. Greater Alchana feat and its products—the Five Stones and the How Alchemy Can Be Learned Elixir of Life. and Taught Alchemy as a Profession Alchemists in our world learned by trial Most campaigns will use and error, self-teaching from books, and alchemists in the background— perhaps some overlap with the NPC Experts who know their way burgeoning sciences of their days. Alchemy around an alchemical lab. For the can be learned that way in D20 worlds as most part, this is the standard well, simply by taking a rank or three in sort of alchemist in campaigns— Alchemy with no further study or a nonadventuring thinker who additional feats. That’s one way to learn the creates spell components and various and hermetic arts, haphazard and incomplete sundry creations for use by adventures and though it may be (and such characters can only monarchs alike. work with the limited DCs and substances noted Look at the limitations and strictures of the in the core books). It’s all alchemy, but it’s barely NPC Expert class to determine just how scratching the surface of the art’s potential. It’s powerful an alchemist you’ll be able to generate Alchemy as a hobby. for your games. Unlike the generic skill-driven A more effective method is to find a alchemist, Experts can and may adopt the mentor—another alchemist who will train you alchemical Item Creation feats within this book, in the alchemical arts. (This sometimes occurs provided their skills and abilities meet the among wizards, who beseech the local prerequisites. alchemist to teach them some mysteries in As noted above, being a professional 2 exchange for reciprocal information or alchemist is more of a commitment, and it requires that you have a mentor or teacher for doing the same to sorcerers. Alchemists can act at least part of your education. The main similarly, sneering at those who dabble in distinction between professionals and amateurs alchemy while they’ve learned the secrets of is the knowledge of any alchemical Item unguents and toxins. Likewise, a Black Creation feats. Alchemist can show off his Philosopher’s Stone Of course, any PC who chooses to take the and show them all that he’s superior for having prerequisite skill ranks in Alchemy can acquire unlocked the great arcana of all alchemists. the new Item Creation feats. However, it is This is the part that we most often forget in our unlikely they’ll choose to do so, given all the roleplaying—school rivalries and the highly specialized and useful adventuring-type judgements based on education. There should feats they can take instead. That’s why a PC with be an elitism among those who know far more a profession as an alchemist is a rare thing, about alchemy than those who’ve just learned unless we’re seeing a retired adventurer. the basic skills and how to make tindertwigs. It also allows you as a DM to have internal Alchemy as a Calling arguments among equals and NPCs, their Finally, those who truly see alchemy on the differing philosophies as Black and White grander scale—as a philosophy and a calling to Alchemists sparking feuds and wars that can another life—embrace it and all the study and keep the PCs busy for ages. As for school knowledge it entails. These folk can be highly rivalries, I’ll show you Saragun’s Alcheminary focused NPC Experts with few skills outside of next chapter (and Tarasta’s School of Herbalism e alchemical training, but more likely they’re in Chapter 4), but there are probably - A characters using one of the three alchemist others….and the rivalries between them and prestige classes. Still, accepting the call of the Saragun’s could be akin to snobbery over Ivy lc Hermetic Arts is a tough decision for many League vs. university schooling…or it could be h adventurers. as savage as the rivalries among football e m The education of a true and fully-educated teams…. alchemist comes only from a dedicated school y of alchemy and a commitment to the arts Who Helps Whom? through the adoption of one of the prestige No one exists in a vacuum, including alchemists classes. This is a viable and powerful option by or herbalists. Can they exist without support which you can expand your PC’s powers and from other characters? Certainly, though you’re abilities, but it is time-consuming and costly, apt to find one tired character that spends less since the experiences (and XP) have to come of his time being an alchemist and more time from a certain amount of laboratory work and collecting his components or repairing his experimentation, not going off adventuring. equipment. In short, there are a lot of people After all, saving a kingdom is admirable, but it who help support each craft or profession so doesn’t help you gain the understanding of everyone can focus on their own skills and immortality, the spirits of all matter, or how to duties. After all, if you’re an herbalist, do you hurdle that last step to creating a Mystic’s Stone. want to have to worry about molding or making your own mortar and pestle or jars for herb Attitude and Role-Playing storage? Just like it can among magic-users, the existence Below are notes and commentary on how to of specialization muddies the waters a bit for weave alchemists and herbalists among both those not in the know. Relf the warrior might your NPC and PC classes, and how the skill or consider Praan an alchemist for being able to profession affects others. identify a potion, but Praan is considered a half- witted oil salesman by some of his neighbors in NPC Adepts, Commoners & Experts the Alchemists’ Guild. While nearly any NPC can lend basic aid to In short, the stratification of knowledge leads the professional alchemist or herbalist, the to a similar stratification and social NPC classes provide the best level of support. stigmatization based on the level of alchemical All of these people are interrelated, just like knowledge one has. It happens in magecraft, alchemists or herbalists are with wizards with specialist wizards touting their superiority when they need components. This helps of spellcraft over common mages, and mages 3 create an infrastructure within your game as steel—but very few alchemists take worlds where these crafts and professions work the time to learn how to mold clay in for everyone, especially those outlaw order to have just the right type of bowl. • adventurers who want to go to a town and find Fellow herbalists and alchemists of these miraculous substances and their makers lesser or greater skills can provide when needed. additional materials, supporting Adepts have a random amount of skills and information, or perhaps just another learn magic and esoterica haphazardly. Thus, brain with which to consider the latest you never know what an adept might or might creations and concoctions. not know about alchemy or herbalism. Chances are, a mountain-dwelling adept knows where Of course, any and all of these people are to find the herbs in her environment and how capable of being vicious rivals or petty to prepare them for use in her limited spell or neighbors who jealously guard their stores and item repertoire. An adept with ranks in either knowledge. But that’s another aspect of role- skill is ineligible to use the prestige classes for playing we’ll leave in the hands of your GM…. alchemists or herbalists, but can learn enough Lastly, an alchemist or herbalist could also to broaden her knowledge. be one of the above types to help defray the costs Commoners tend to be useful to alchemists of their craft and to provide a focus for their and herbalists as sources for raw materials, as learning and knowledge. While it’s unlikely an well as the base level of patients and clients for NPC would be both an Expert glazier and an goods and services. Experts also act in concert— alchemist, many could be considered y professional to professional—when working Commoners as woodsmen or hunters while m with an herbalist or alchemist, though the being an Expert as an herbalist. e primary difference between an NPC Expert and h a Commoner might be as slight as a few skill The PC Warriors as Alchemists or c l points or as broad as master and apprentice. Herbalists A • Hunters bring them animal blood and - Fighters, priests, and paladins—the warrior organs, the horns and ichor of magical e classes of D&D, regardless of other roles—share beasts, not to mention food stores to get respect for the trades and crafts of herbalism and the alchemist through a rough winter, alchemy. Despite divine powers to instantly heal in exchange for improving the quality wounds, herbalism provides a backup method of their father’s sword. of healing and of providing food. Alchemy • Miners—or the NPC Nobles who own provides combat-useful substances or improves said mines—bring alchemists rare weapons and armor. In short, as are most things minerals and raw gems and stones as in a warrior’s life, their understanding and required for their works. Herbalists have appreciation of alchemy and herbalism tie little to do with rocks beyond some stone directly to combat. or clay jars for storing their wares. If priests, paladins, or fighters decide to learn • Woodsmen and farmers bring the alchemy or herbalism, they tend toward herbalists and alchemists raw plants and learning about poisons and antidotes, unguents herbs for preservation or simply to save and salves that prevent or cure problems in them some time in gathering the herbs battle. Very rarely do PCs of these classes themselves. Also, traveling woodsmen accumulate more than a few ranks of either skill, (or PC rangers) tend to have access to and thus their uses for said skills are equally herbs farther afield, so she may be able limited. If they should follow through for to buy rarer herbs instead of taking extensive studies, the warriors seek out months to find them herself. processes such as the Temperant baths (Craft • Potters, woodcarvers, glaziers, and the Alchana and Perfect Materials feats) to develop like all produce the many clay pots, their weapons and armor. wooden bowls, glass jars and vials, and other storage containers for chymicals and herbs. Granted, alchemists might be able to improve the materials with their own work—making a clay pot as strong 4 The PC Outdoorsmen as Alchemists or The PC Thinkers as Alchemists or Herbalists Herbalists Druids, rangers, & barbarians are all more likely Wizards, bards, and sorcerers are assumed to to be herbalists than alchemists, given the lean toward alchemy, since their arcane natural overlap of skills and their innate focus knowledge overlaps into these skills (and these toward nature. The attention to the natural PC classes are the only ones for whom Alchemy world does not lead them to dismiss alchemy is a Class Skill). They use herbalists and so much as mistrust its focus on making changes alchemists to provide them with spell nature does not. Like the warriors, it can be components as well as the materials for potions useful for fortifying one’s weapons or providing or other magical items, like hardened wood poisons, but the desire to stay close to the earth staves or dried remorhaz horn ground with and living things keeps many away from such comfrey and sage’s lily for some other arcane studies and more engrossed in herbalists’ texts. device. They are also both useful purveyors of While already attuned to nature, druids, inks and papers and other special materials onto rangers, and barbarians can always learn more which they can record spells, songs, or other about their environments, how to stay alive by arcane writings. knowing what herbs are edible and which Still, as the spellcasters and the thinkers, PCs’ aren’t, how to use them to keep safe (either approaches to alchemy tend toward research or through camouflaging scent and sight or by constantly building from one breakthrough to their uses as natural antidotes or stimulants), the next until they’ve exhausted a field of study. e - and the like. More than any others, wizards are the most A Outdoorsmen learning the natural or likely to take alchemy to its ends and achieve l alchemical arts use their skills to actively help the ultimate goals of total understanding of c h both the natural world and the civilized worlds. inorganic or organic matter (and thus the e While druids or rangers might be able to use world). Bards can use alchemical creations m spells, they take pride in using other natural without the restrictions they face with magical y methods before magic to solve their tasks. All items. They can also create better and more three classes are often assumed to have a lot of unique musical instruments via alchemical knowledge about nature, so herbalism processes. Sorcerers can learn of other powers knowledge simply makes the characters and special effects beyond their limited stronger at their roles. PC barbarians might do repertoire of spells, and wield more powers well to collect certain herbs to help mitigate their through alchemy and herbalism than they might rages, while all of them can use alchemy and normally gain just with their PC skills. All three herbalism to add additional healing or abilities study herbalism both to reduce the costs of their without despoiling the natural world. Their uses spell and item components and to provide for alchemy traditionally tends toward White themselves with healing methods normally Alchemy and the quest for immortality, learning unavailable due to their lack of direct divine much about mortal sentients and how to purify guidance. them to be as long-lived as the forests they Lastly, wizards and the others have good protect. reason to chase after the elusive Five Stones of Alchemy—the purified forms of matter created TABLE AH-7M: CORE ITEMS CREATION TABLE Item CL Prerequisites* DC to Create Cost to Create Acid, Generic ½ Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 11 10 gp/flask Alchemist’s Fire 1 Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 13 20 gp/flask Antitoxin 2 Alchemy/Profession: Herbalist 14 50 gp/flask Smokestick ½ Alchemy or Profession: Herbalist 10 20 gp/stick Sunrod 1 Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 12 2 gp/rod Tanglefoot Bag 2 Alchemy or Profession: Herbalist 13 50 gp/bag Thunderstone 2 Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 14 30 gp/stone Tindertwig ½ Alchemy (Craft Chymical) 11 1 gp/twig * Feats listed in parentheses are suggested, not required. 5 as the ultimate goals of alchemy are far more understand the world, its species, and all matter useful to spellcasters than any others. Thus it’s and energy. best to make sure that the heroes could learn While students of black and white alchemy these secrets, since if the villains are the only see the other side as foolish and rarely see past alchemists to master the Ultimate Alchana their own rhetorics, the lions of red alchemy they’ll surely keep those secrets and powers all know how close the two quests truly are. The to themselves. quest of red alchemy is the creation of all the Great Stones, and since their knowledge is not Core Items limited by types of matter or limiting dogma, Here are the specifications for the core red alchemists are the only alchemists capable alchemical or herbal special items found in the of creating all Five Alchana Stones. Player’s Handbook and the DMG. All other Requirements details on these items are found on those pages, on the Toxins and Poisons Table, or on To qualify to become a Table AH-7M below. Note that these generic Red Alchemist, you items are sold at cost, unlike all other items, must meet the due to their familiar presence on all d20 following criteria: worlds. Skills: Alchemy 8 ranks, Profession: Brewer The Red Alchemist 4 ranks, any one Craft skill 2 ranks y m The Eagles of black alchemy focus on Feats: Skill Focus metals and materials. The Phoenixes (Alchemy) e h of white alchemy obsess over life, Abilities: +3 to Fortitude c death, health, disease, rebirth, and Saves; spellcaster level 3rd+ l all their ramifications to alchemy A and the purity of organic matter Class Skills - e and life. The study of red The red alchemist’s class skills alchemy, signified by the (and the key ability for each skill) mark of the lion, acts as a are Alchemy (Int), Animal rebis—a chymical wedding of Empathy (Cha), Appraise (Int), opposites—and straddles both Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), these schools of thought. This Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), rebis creates a third truth Knowledge (geography, nature) (Int), among alchemists and their Profession (Wis),Sense Motive (Wis), philosophies, that there can be and Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 in the purity in energy and matter Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions. together. Harnessing that Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int purity grants the lion modifier power over the worlds of both the living and Class Features the dead. The following are all class features for the Some view red alchemists: this as a three- Weapon and Armor Proficiency: tiered class, similar to the way bards used Alchemists gain no proficiency in any to learn their craft haphazardly and armor or weapons. Note that armor check incrementally: acting as a black penalties for armor heavier than leather alchemist for a few levels, then a apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape white alchemist, before integrating Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick the teachings together. This is both Pocket, and Tumble. true and not true. While they share Spells per Day: An alchemist the paths of their fellow alchemists for a time, continues to study magic at the same time he the red alchemists always focus on the unity studies alchemy and gains a level in spellcasting 6 and integrity of alchemy as a way to knowledge with each level as an alchemist. He Table 3: The Red Alchemist Base AttackFort RefWill Lvl BonusSave SaveSave Bonus Feat BI CC PD T U CA 1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Craft Chymicals +0 +3 +0 +0 +0 +0 2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Craft Powders & Dusts +0 +3 +3 +0 +0 +0 3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Craft Toxins +0 +4 +3 +3 +0 +0 4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Brew Ingestibles +3 +4 +4 +3 +0 +0 5 +2 +2 +2 +4 Craft Unguents +3 +5 +4 +4 +3 +0 6 +3 +2 +2 +5 +4 +5 +5 +4 +3 +0 7 +3 +3 +3 +5 Craft Wondrous Items +4 +6 +5 +5 +4 +0 8 +4 +3 +3 +6 Create Alchana +5 +6 +6 +5 +4 +3 9 +4 +4 +4 +6 Perfect Materials +5 +7 +6 +6 +5 +3 10 +5 +4 +4 +7 Create Greater Alchana +6 +7 +7 +6 +5 +4 items, the bonus increases every other level. In does not, however, gain any other benefits a other words, red alchemists perfect their crafting character of that class would have gained (Hit and can keep increasing the bonus for creation e points, save bonuses, metamagic or item - given by the alchemical Item Creation feat. Red A creation feats, and so on). For example, if alchemists should use the bonus as noted on Kaarva, a 5th level wizard, gains his 1st level as Table 3 rather than the standard +3 bonus of lc an alchemist, she gains new spells as if she had h the feat itself. risen to 6th level in wizard, but uses the other e The tabulated bonuses apply for Brew m alchemist aspects of level progression such as Ingestibles (BI), Craft Chymicals (CC), Craft attack bonus and save bonus. If she next gains a y Powders & Dusts (PD), Craft Toxins (T), Craft level of wizard, making her a 6th-level wizard/ Unguents (U), and Create Alchana (CA). There 1st-level alchemist, she gains and casts spells as are no applicable bonuses for using the Perfect if he had risen to 7th level wizard. Materials or Create Greater Alchana feats. If a character had more than one Note on Stonecrafting: Red alchemists, as the spellcasting class before she became an alchemists who study every aspect of alchemy, alchemist, she must decide which class adds her are the only ones capable of creating all Five levels of alchemist for purposes of determining Alchana Stones if and when they gain the spells per day. appropriate feats and knowledge: The Bonus Feats: At first level and at nearly every Alchemist’s Stone, the Mystic’s Stone, the level thereafter, red alchemists gain a bonus Healer’s Stone, the Philosopher’s Stone, and the Item Creation feat tied to their specialties. If the Sorcerer’s Stone.Sidebar: Chartan character does not meet the prerequisites for the An alchemist and weaponsmith and feat, it cannot be used until they are met (a contemporary enemy of Ptarl, Chartan was one character may have knowledge of Create of the first to use alchemy extensively in Alchana but cannot use it until she gains Craft weapons design and creation. There are Wondrous Item, etc.) rumored to be no less than a score of bastard Important: These feats are in addition to the swords forged by Chartan that weigh less than feat that a character of any class gets every three a short sword yet have the strength of levels (as per Table 3-2: Experience and Level- adamantite. Dependent Benefits from Chapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook). The alchemist is not limited to the list given here when choosing those feats. Item Creation Bonuses: Red alchemists gain bonuses to add versus the DC of creating items once they have learned the alchemical methods for doing so. Thus, after gaining Craft Chymicals at 1st level with its +3 bonus for creating such 7 Chapter 3: Basics of herbalists could grab a handful of fools’ weed and stuff it into the mouth of a terrified halfling Herbalism in hopes of ending some supernatural terror effect, but they’d hardly know that three small What is herbalism? It’s the study and leaves are enough to do the trick. knowledge of herbs and plantlife, their effects and uses both within and outside the human The Professional Herbalist (or animal) body. It’s also the understanding of Those trained in herbalism as a profession the world and the sentient races’ place among (Profession: Herbalist or Profession: the other forms of life. Herbalism expands one’s Apothecary) know as much about herbs and understanding of how plants and animals have plants as those trained for Knowledge. Where grown and changed to aid each other in they differ is in knowing the details— maintaining the crucial balances of life on any professional herbalists and apothecaries know planet. But that’s not what you readers want to all about the herbs, the best methods for know, is it? You’re after the skinny on how to harvesting and preserving them, and their use the herbs in your games, right? Read on, dosages both as curatives and for other uses. impatient ones, and prepare to learn.… Herbalism at its d20 Basic Herbalists vs. Apothecaries There are redundancies and overlaps in terms Each carries herbs useful for curing diseases and of knowledge and skill use in the d20 system, discomforts. Each scours the hillsides collecting y and this is our attempt at distinguishing who flowers and herbs and spends the late summer m knows what, when, why, and how. While drying and preserving her finds. Each originally noted under Profession as a skill, contributes to the general health of her e h herbalism can also be learned as a Knowledge neighbors and mitigates their ailments when c skill, though that creates limitations and needed. So what’s the difference between an l A distinctions among those who call themselves apothecary and an herbalist? herbalists. Simply put, herbalists know of and use all - e manners of herbs in any and all manners, no The Generic Herbalist matter what their use or form. They can prepare Without specialized training (such as that found in Chapter 4), a person with knowledge of herbs (Knowledge: Herbalism or Nature) can only identify and find herbs. She can make the most rudimentary of poultices and curatives, and perhaps know what herbs would be good for poison antidotes—but it’s unlikely she’d know how to make it, just where to find such information. If a player chooses to take Knowledge: Nature or Herbalism, any DCs mentioned within this work and/or within core books for the purpose of directly using herbal knowledge beyond identification of plants or herbal substances should increase by +3. What generic herbalists don’t know is how to create many of the wonderful items in Chapter 7, nor do they have a broad amount of knowledge on usage or dosage of said herbs. In short, their knowledge is strictly academic. They know of herbs and can tell you some things about them, but they don’t devote 8 their life’s work to such things. Generic poisons and ointments, inks and dyes, as well Chapter 5: Herbal Catalog as poultices and tinctures. The apothecary limits herself to the medicinal uses of herbs and plants, There are thousands upon thousands of herbs and usually learns only the healing methods of and plants and mosses and lichens that have plants, not the study of poisons or harmful some use, either common or esoteric, in both effects. real and fictional worlds. As we have certain space considerations in this book, we’ve The Essentials provided some of the more useful and exciting plants and herbs in this catalog, as a good So now that we’ve gotten the rules out of the baseline understanding of herbs and their uses way, let’s talk about what someone who calls in fantasy game worlds. himself an herbalist would know, how he operates, what he needs to perform his duties, Herbal Definitions and the like. All the herbs have set classifications of Rarity, Basic Abilities & Tasks Environment, and Harvest. The definitions of What does an herbalist do? While it’s tough to these are set below within the Herbal Template. reduce a profession and all its tasks to a few short sentences, here are the sorts of things an Herbal Rarity herbalist can expect to do regularly for clients: Rarity is set at four stages: e • Be able to identify herbs by sight, smell, • Common herbs are easily found, though - taste, or touch (though rarely would an a DC 10 in Spot is needed to recognize A herbalist be asked to know an herb by them from a general description (while l c any one sense alone); those who know plants need no check, h • Create and prepare herbal spell assuming they’re in an area where the e components; plant can grow); m • Create and prepare nonmagical • Uncommon are still relatively common y medicines and substances for quick but only if you know where to look— healing; they take a DC 15 in Spot to recognize • Prepare herbal or natural components or find, though anyone skilled in for item creation, from drying and herbalism (either as Profession or Craft), treating wood for staves and wands to Wilderness Lore, or other skills focused knowing the methods for preparing on finding natural items in the herbs for infusion within candles or environment can find them with a DC incense; and 10; • Know enough about the effects of plants • Rare plants and herbs are only found in to identify when a person has been poisoned or very particular environments and are affected by herbs and plants and have a sense difficult even for the skilled seeker (DC of how to alleviate those effects before they 20 for unskilled persons to Spot; DC 15 become fatal. for skilled persons); • Some plants and herbs are extremely rare, and may be unique to one particular area, rather than a general environment (in which case, look at the plant’s terrain type and limit its presence to one or two particular areas in your campaign world that match that terrain). Finding such plants blindly in the wild is almost impossible (Spot DC 35 unskilled; DC 30 for skilled persons), and even if you’re in the place where the herb is known to grow, Spot DCs only improve to 25/20. The herbs may also be raised in a controlled 9