One of the essential techniques learned by most alchemists is the art of brewing potions. Although most alchemists treat this skill as a stepping stone toward mastering more potent forms of alchemical magic, the study of potions, elixirs, and tinctures holds a certain appeal to those who delight in the creation of different substances and who always prefer to have something on hand to deal with a raft of situations.
Brewmasters have elevated the science of potion brewing into an art form all its own, and in their cauldrons, they can whip up beverages to astonish and amaze.
Level 3 Brewmaster
Attributes. Increase two by 1
Characteristics. Health +3, Power +1
Languages and Profession. You can speak another language or add a profession to your list of professions.
Magic You discover the Alchemy tradition or learn one Alchemy spell.
Brewmaster’s Book You have a tome filled with recipes and alchemical lore. Choose any three potions in Shadow of the Demon Lord, Demon Lord’s Companion, or the brewmaster potions described below. You know these recipes, and you can use them to create those potions by crafting them or by casting the brew potion spell from the Alchemy tradition. These recipes are in addition to any other recipes you might have learned from your castings of the identify substance Alchemy spell, and you can record such recipes into your book. If you lose your book, you can recreate it by spending 48 hours using exotic materials worth 5 gc.
Recipe Reference If you can reference your brewmaster’s book while crafting a potion or casting the brew potion spell, you can brew the potion in half the listed time. In addition, you need to spend only a third of the potion’s cost on raw materials.
Level 6 Brewmaster
Characteristics. Health +3
Magic You learn one Alchemy spell.
Brewmaster’s Admixture Once after each time you complete a rest, you can use an alchemist’s kit to brew a number of admixtures equal to half your group’s level. The admixtures retain their potency until they are used or until you complete a rest. You can use an action, or a triggered action on your turn, to add one admixture to a potion you can reach. You can add only one admixture to a single potion at a time. When you do so, choose from one of the following effects.
- If the potion has a duration, the admixture doubles it.
- If the potion heals damage or deals damage, the admixture causes the potion to heal or deal 1d6 extra damage.
- You can swap the potion’s normal effect for the effect of any other potion for which you have a recipe and that has the same or a lower price.
- The admixture makes the potion poisonous. Any creature that consumes the altered potion takes 2d6 damage and must make a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane. On a failure, the creature takes 2d6 extra damage and becomes poisoned until it completes a rest.
- The admixture causes the potion to take effect immediately rather than at the end of the round.
Level 9 Master Brewmaster
Characteristics. Health +3, Power +1
Magic You learn one Alchemy spell.
Free Samples When you use your Brewmaster’s Admixture talent, you can choose to create a potion whose recipe you have learned and whose price is 1 gc or lower in place of a dose of admixture. The potion retains its potency until you complete a rest.
Keen Nose You make all Perception rolls that involve the sense of smell with 1 boon. In addition, you can identify any potion by smelling it.
Strengthen Potion If you do not know the identify substance Alchemy spell, you learn it. You can use an action to expend the casting of this spell to create another dose of Brewmaster’s Admixture.
Brewmaster Potions
Brewmasters have invented several potions. They rigorously guard the secrets of their manufacture against outsiders and never, under any circumstances, sell these potions to other alchemists who do not belong to their cabal.
The following potions represent the most common ones known to brewmasters, but the GM might make others available. Brewmaster potions count as exotic items, typically sell for 1 gc per dose, and use the normal rules for potions (Shadow, page 108)
Amazing Tonic
Reeking of spoiled fish, amazing tonic has a thin, oily consistency. When it is consumed, the drinker must get a success on a Strength challenge roll or vomit the potion up with no additional effect. If the creature can hold down the dose, the potion immediately removes the diseased and poisoned afflictions from the creature and renders the creature immune to damage from disease or poison, as well as to the diseased and poisoned afflictions, until the creature completes a rest.
Bracing Toddy
This strong black concoction smelling of cloves causes the drinker, when the potion takes effect, to turn bright red and emanate heat from its body in a 1-yard radius for 1d6 hours. Until the effect ends, the creature is immune to damage from cold and is in no way discomfited by cold temperatures. In addition, at the end of each round, any other creature within 1 yard of the affected creature must succeed on a Strength challenge roll or take 1d6 damage from the strong heat.
Brewmaster’s Bubbly
A straw-yellow effervescent fluid, brewmaster’s bubbly has a strong, yeasty smell. When the potion takes effect, bubbles of lighter-than-air gas fill the affected creature’s body, causing it to rise 1d3 yards straight up into the air immediately and ascend an additional 1d3 yards at the end of each round for 1d6 minutes. The creature can end the effect by releasing the gas in a profound belch, which counts as a minor activity.
Once the gas is released, the creature falls. An affected creature that can reach a surface can pull itself along that surface as if crawling. In addition, wind might move a floating creature. Otherwise, unless the creature can fly, it cannot move itself horizontally while affected by this potion.
Caecras Cocktail
Anyone who consumes this cocktail, made primarily from pure grain alcohol, becomes impaired for 1d6 + 1 hours. If the drinker is already impaired, it instead falls prone and becomes unconscious for the duration.
The fluid is extremely flammable and is often used as an explosive. As a minor action, a creature can stuff a rag into a container that holds the potion and light it, assuming the creature has ready access to fire. The creature can then use an action to throw the flaming bottle to a point on a solid surface within medium range. When the bottle hits that point or encounters a solid surface before then, it explodes, covering everything within 5 yards with flaming liquid. All flammable objects take 2d6 damage and catch fire. Each creature in the area must make an Agility challenge roll with 1 bane. A creature takes 2d6 damage and catches fire on a failure, or just takes half the damage on a success. A creature that catches fire takes 1d6 damage at the end of each round until it or another creature uses an action to douse the flames.
The fire burns in the area for 1d6 + 1 rounds, and smoke fills and heavily obscures a 5-yard-radius, 20-yard-tall cylinder centered on the point of impact until the flames are extinguished.
Rumbleberry Juice
This concoction is bright green and stinks of licorice. When the potion takes effect, the creature’s belly bloats, filling with foul gas that lasts for 1d6 minutes. An affected creature can use an action, or a triggered action on its turn, though no more than once per round, to belch a stream of noxious gas into a 5-yard cone originating from a point in the creature’s space. Each living creature in the area of gas must succeed on a Strength challenge roll with 1 bane or take 1d6 damage from the poisonous fumes and become poisoned for 1 round. A creature already poisoned instead takes 1d6 extra damage.
Tongue Loosener
This bluish potion has a strong alcohol taste. When the potion takes effect, the creature becomes impaired for 1d6 + 1 hours. While impaired in this way, the creature makes attack rolls in social situations with 3 boons and ignores the bane from being impaired.
Liquid Courage
A thick, black malted brew, XXX Liquid Courage removes misgivings and doubts for 1d6 + 1 hours from anyone who consumes it. Until the effect ends, the affected creature is impaired, but it cannot be charmed, compelled, or frightened. In addition, the affected creature does not become frightened as a result of gaining Insanity.