I've been diligently working on something special and have enlisted the help of some brilliant minds to refine it. After investing considerable time, I'm pleased with the results. I've already developed similar systems for Metalworking and Cooking, and I'm eager to continue creating more if this is well-received.
I'm reaching out for your valuable feedback. If you incorporate this into your games and gather insights from your players, please direct them here. I want to enhance this system, making it as seamless and enjoyable as possible.
My goal is to address what I perceive as gaps in the crafting systems presented in the sourcebooks. They often feel lackluster and incomplete to me. I've aimed to strike a balance, remaining faithful to the source material while providing a clear and accessible path from start to finish. This is particularly designed for those who might find crafting overwhelming or lack the creative spark (and yes, I'm calling myself out here).
I appreciate constructive feedback and encourage you to...
Enjoy!
P.S. You'll find my gathering/foraging system in another post of mine I posted right before this one.
Potion Brewing
I - Introduction
Characters on their quests often find themselves in need of magical aids, and crafting potions becomes a valuable skill in their arsenal. Utilizing specialized crafting kits, characters can combine carefully gathered ingredients during Short or Long rests, sometimes with subsequent efforts, to create potions tailored to their needs. Whether an Alchemist stirring a cauldron over a flickering fire, an Herbalist grinding herbs in a mortar and pestle, or a Poisoner extracting venom from a serpent, the results of their labor can significantly benefit an adventuring party.
The complexity of the potion being crafted determines the required ingredients, time investment, and the potential need for assistance.
II - Potion Brewing Process Overview
Gather Ingredients: Acquire the required ingredient parcels through foraging, purchase, or other gathering methods.
Select Crafting Kit: Choose the appropriate crafting kit based on the type of potion you intend to create—Alchemist’s kit, Herbalism kit, or Poisoner’s kit.
Rest and Craft: During Short or Long rests, use your crafting kit to combine ingredient parcels. The complexity of the potion determines the time required and the required amount of ingredient parcels.
Concerning Parcels
A parcel signifies a bundle of ingredients crucial for a potion's recipe, denoted as 'A bundle of herbs' for potions or 'Metal Ingots' for Smiths. The quality of the parcel must match or exceed the desired potion quality. For example, a Rare potion like the Potion of Heroism requires Rare bundles of herbs. Locate parcels through foraging, prospecting, or other gathering methods outlined in the system.
Brewing Potions Without Kit Proficiency
Without proficiency, a character can attempt crafting common quality potions only while using the appropriate kit, the correct number of ingredient parcels, spending the required time, and succeeding on a Crafting Kit roll without their proficiency modifier (varies from kit to kit, see below). Failure results in ruined ingredients and no brewed potions, while success transmutes the ingredients into a single potion.
Brewing Potions With Kit Proficiency
Proficient characters with a crafting kit can produce at least one potion without a crafting roll requirement. A successful crafting roll enables the creation of two potions, and a natural 20 results in the crafting of three potions.
III - Crafting Kits
The three essential kits for potion making are the Alchemist’s Supplies, The Herbalism Kit, and the Poisoner’s Kit. Each kit is equipped with unique components, requires a specific ability check for crafting rolls, and grants additional abilities or skills when used proficiently.
Alchemist’s Supplies
This kit comprises two glass beakers, a metal frame for securing a beaker over an open flame, a glass stirring rod, a small mortar and pestle, and a pouch containing common alchemical ingredients like salt, powdered iron, and purified water. Alchemist’s Supplies are utilized to create potions that alter the properties of objects or creatures, such as Potions of Fire Breathing, Giant’s Strength, or Waterbreathing. The baseline ability for using this kit is Intelligence.
Herbalism Kit
The Herbalism Kit consists of pouches for storing herbs, clippers, leather gloves for collecting plants, a mortar and pestle, and several glass jars. Herbalism results in potions of healing, as well as potions and poultices that remove negative effects such as the poisoned condition, paralysis, and various diseases. The baseline ability for using this kit is Wisdom.
Poisoner's Kit
A Poisoner's Kit comprises glass vials, a mortar and pestle, chemicals, a glass stirring rod, bloodletting blades, and a small retractable needle for drawing venom. A Poisoner can remove venom from the wounded, create poisonous powders, oils, and potions to use against their enemies. The baseline ability for using this kit is Dexterity.
III - Potion Brewing Formulas
To brew potions, characters must follow the formulas below to craft each type of potion. Types are based on the quality system inherent to 5e; Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary quality potions are all made in similar fashion per the recipes you’ll find below starting with Common potions and beyond.
The time requirements are a minimum time frame. A short rest can be anywhere from thirty minutes inside the game world, or up to two hours. Reflected by this, a Long rest indicates eight or more hours required and will not interfere with spell memorization or preparation for spell casters.
In the case of requiring multiple rest sessions for the brewing of potions, a character essentially does a partial brew during the first and subsequent rest sessions. They pack up their belongings if they leave camp along with their partially brewed results, which they will continue again once they resume the brewing process at another rest session.
Potion Type: Common
Proficiency Bonus Required: +2
Time Required: A Short Rest
Ingredient Parcels Needed: 2 Common or better parcels
Additional Parcels: Doubling parcels needed for the mixture grants advantage.
Potion Yield: 1 potion. 2 with a critical successful (natural 20) Crafting Check.
Sample Brew I:
A level 1 Druid who has proficiency in the use of an Herbalist kit is attempting to brew Common Health Potions during a Short Rest. They have previously gathered 2 parcels (bundles of herbs) as ingredients from their forest home.
The Druid rolls a d20 +2 from their proficiency modifier +3 from their Wisdom modifier. The Druid will receive 2 Potions of Healing by the end of the Short Rest regardless of the results of a Crafting Check. If the Druid succeeds in rolling an 8 or higher on their crafting roll, they will have successfully transmuted the ingredients and receive 4 Potions of Healing by the end of the Short Rest.
Sample Brew II:
A level 9 Wizard Alchemist (proficient with the Alchemist’s Supplies) who has a proficiency bonus of +4 attempts to brew a Rare potion; the Potion of Mind Reading because they are planning on using it during a negotiation between two kingdoms they have a peacekeeping agreement with.
On the journey to the second kingdom, the Wizard's party stops to rest at an inn where the hearth is borrowed to put together the 4 Rare ingredient parcels the Wizard bought from the local apothecary who didn’t have the potion on hand. The Wizard could opt to make the crafting roll for brewing the potion but decides to wait for the second Long Rest requirement from the Rare Potion Brewing Formula. When the Wizard stops again with their party at a local campsite just before reaching their destination in the war-torn city, they resume the brewing over the campfire. Then they make their crafting roll. This wizard has an Intelligence of 19, meaning they roll their D20 +4 (Intelligence) and +4 (Proficiency). The wizard rolls a 3 which results in an 11 to beat a Brew Potion DC of 19. The wizard fails. They may have been hoping for 2 potions but at least they transmuted 1. The meeting tomorrow morning should still go as planned…
Sample Brew III:
A level 5 Rogue has cause to prepare themselves for a fight they aren’t sure they can win. Needing every advantage they can muster, they decide it’s time to make a stand and brew a poisonous gas they can unleash against a crowd of enemies. The Poison called Malice is something commonly referred to in the back alleys of Waterdeep, and it’ll do the trick. At level 5, our Rogue has a proficiency bonus of +3, allowing them to brew Uncommon Poisons — as luck would have it, that's exactly the quality of "Malice," the poisonous vapor. The Rogue also has a Dexterity of 17 and proficiency with the Poisoner’s Kit.
Hiding out in the local Thieves Guild, our Rogue begins the brewing process for the poisonous vapor which needs to be inhaled to be effective. They had stolen a dozen Ingredient Parcels of Deadly Nightshade from a rat trapper a week ago, and now it's about to come in handy. Grinding the Nightshade down into a fine, deadly powder with their mortar and pestle, the Rogue carefully measures, ensuring the potency of "Malice."
A short rest is needed, but business in the day is overrated, so waiting until tonight for this confrontation would be best. So, during a Long Rest, our Rogue uses 6 (double the requirement in the formula) parcels to give themselves advantage on their Crafting Check. Rolling two d20s, they get a 3 and a 9. Taking the higher result (9 + 3 Dexterity + 3 Proficiency), the total is 15, exactly what our Rogue needed to successfully craft 3 doses, precisely what they hoped for. They would have yielded 2 doses anyway, but it wouldn't quite be enough for the fight they have in mind. Our Rogue grinned in the darkness before carefully placing the corked vials they intended to break on the ground later tonight to get away with a lot of silver. Those guards wouldn’t know what hit them — literally — the gaseous poison not only harms but it blinds.
Not playing a campaign but I'm writing something dnd adjacent and I'm looking high and low for crafting systems, from official to homebrew and I really like this.
Hello,
I've been diligently working on something special and have enlisted the help of some brilliant minds to refine it. After investing considerable time, I'm pleased with the results. I've already developed similar systems for Metalworking and Cooking, and I'm eager to continue creating more if this is well-received.
I'm reaching out for your valuable feedback. If you incorporate this into your games and gather insights from your players, please direct them here. I want to enhance this system, making it as seamless and enjoyable as possible.
My goal is to address what I perceive as gaps in the crafting systems presented in the sourcebooks. They often feel lackluster and incomplete to me. I've aimed to strike a balance, remaining faithful to the source material while providing a clear and accessible path from start to finish. This is particularly designed for those who might find crafting overwhelming or lack the creative spark (and yes, I'm calling myself out here).
I appreciate constructive feedback and encourage you to...
Enjoy!
P.S. You'll find my gathering/foraging system in another post of mine I posted right before this one.
Potion Brewing
I - Introduction
Characters on their quests often find themselves in need of magical aids, and crafting potions becomes a valuable skill in their arsenal. Utilizing specialized crafting kits, characters can combine carefully gathered ingredients during Short or Long rests, sometimes with subsequent efforts, to create potions tailored to their needs. Whether an Alchemist stirring a cauldron over a flickering fire, an Herbalist grinding herbs in a mortar and pestle, or a Poisoner extracting venom from a serpent, the results of their labor can significantly benefit an adventuring party.
The complexity of the potion being crafted determines the required ingredients, time investment, and the potential need for assistance.
II - Potion Brewing Process Overview
Concerning Parcels
A parcel signifies a bundle of ingredients crucial for a potion's recipe, denoted as 'A bundle of herbs' for potions or 'Metal Ingots' for Smiths. The quality of the parcel must match or exceed the desired potion quality. For example, a Rare potion like the Potion of Heroism requires Rare bundles of herbs. Locate parcels through foraging, prospecting, or other gathering methods outlined in the system.
Brewing Potions Without Kit Proficiency
Without proficiency, a character can attempt crafting common quality potions only while using the appropriate kit, the correct number of ingredient parcels, spending the required time, and succeeding on a Crafting Kit roll without their proficiency modifier (varies from kit to kit, see below). Failure results in ruined ingredients and no brewed potions, while success transmutes the ingredients into a single potion.
Brewing Potions With Kit Proficiency
Proficient characters with a crafting kit can produce at least one potion without a crafting roll requirement. A successful crafting roll enables the creation of two potions, and a natural 20 results in the crafting of three potions.
III - Crafting Kits
The three essential kits for potion making are the Alchemist’s Supplies, The Herbalism Kit, and the Poisoner’s Kit. Each kit is equipped with unique components, requires a specific ability check for crafting rolls, and grants additional abilities or skills when used proficiently.
Alchemist’s Supplies
This kit comprises two glass beakers, a metal frame for securing a beaker over an open flame, a glass stirring rod, a small mortar and pestle, and a pouch containing common alchemical ingredients like salt, powdered iron, and purified water. Alchemist’s Supplies are utilized to create potions that alter the properties of objects or creatures, such as Potions of Fire Breathing, Giant’s Strength, or Waterbreathing. The baseline ability for using this kit is Intelligence.
Herbalism Kit
The Herbalism Kit consists of pouches for storing herbs, clippers, leather gloves for collecting plants, a mortar and pestle, and several glass jars. Herbalism results in potions of healing, as well as potions and poultices that remove negative effects such as the poisoned condition, paralysis, and various diseases. The baseline ability for using this kit is Wisdom.
Poisoner's Kit
A Poisoner's Kit comprises glass vials, a mortar and pestle, chemicals, a glass stirring rod, bloodletting blades, and a small retractable needle for drawing venom. A Poisoner can remove venom from the wounded, create poisonous powders, oils, and potions to use against their enemies. The baseline ability for using this kit is Dexterity.
III - Potion Brewing Formulas
To brew potions, characters must follow the formulas below to craft each type of potion. Types are based on the quality system inherent to 5e; Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Legendary quality potions are all made in similar fashion per the recipes you’ll find below starting with Common potions and beyond.
The time requirements are a minimum time frame. A short rest can be anywhere from thirty minutes inside the game world, or up to two hours. Reflected by this, a Long rest indicates eight or more hours required and will not interfere with spell memorization or preparation for spell casters.
In the case of requiring multiple rest sessions for the brewing of potions, a character essentially does a partial brew during the first and subsequent rest sessions. They pack up their belongings if they leave camp along with their partially brewed results, which they will continue again once they resume the brewing process at another rest session.
Potion Type: Common
Potion Type: Uncommon
Potion Type: Rare
Potion Type: Very Rare
Potion Type: Legendary
Sample Brew I:
A level 1 Druid who has proficiency in the use of an Herbalist kit is attempting to brew Common Health Potions during a Short Rest. They have previously gathered 2 parcels (bundles of herbs) as ingredients from their forest home.
The Druid rolls a d20 +2 from their proficiency modifier +3 from their Wisdom modifier. The Druid will receive 2 Potions of Healing by the end of the Short Rest regardless of the results of a Crafting Check. If the Druid succeeds in rolling an 8 or higher on their crafting roll, they will have successfully transmuted the ingredients and receive 4 Potions of Healing by the end of the Short Rest.
Sample Brew II:
A level 9 Wizard Alchemist (proficient with the Alchemist’s Supplies) who has a proficiency bonus of +4 attempts to brew a Rare potion; the Potion of Mind Reading because they are planning on using it during a negotiation between two kingdoms they have a peacekeeping agreement with.
On the journey to the second kingdom, the Wizard's party stops to rest at an inn where the hearth is borrowed to put together the 4 Rare ingredient parcels the Wizard bought from the local apothecary who didn’t have the potion on hand. The Wizard could opt to make the crafting roll for brewing the potion but decides to wait for the second Long Rest requirement from the Rare Potion Brewing Formula. When the Wizard stops again with their party at a local campsite just before reaching their destination in the war-torn city, they resume the brewing over the campfire. Then they make their crafting roll. This wizard has an Intelligence of 19, meaning they roll their D20 +4 (Intelligence) and +4 (Proficiency). The wizard rolls a 3 which results in an 11 to beat a Brew Potion DC of 19. The wizard fails. They may have been hoping for 2 potions but at least they transmuted 1. The meeting tomorrow morning should still go as planned…
Sample Brew III:
A level 5 Rogue has cause to prepare themselves for a fight they aren’t sure they can win. Needing every advantage they can muster, they decide it’s time to make a stand and brew a poisonous gas they can unleash against a crowd of enemies. The Poison called Malice is something commonly referred to in the back alleys of Waterdeep, and it’ll do the trick. At level 5, our Rogue has a proficiency bonus of +3, allowing them to brew Uncommon Poisons — as luck would have it, that's exactly the quality of "Malice," the poisonous vapor. The Rogue also has a Dexterity of 17 and proficiency with the Poisoner’s Kit.
Hiding out in the local Thieves Guild, our Rogue begins the brewing process for the poisonous vapor which needs to be inhaled to be effective. They had stolen a dozen Ingredient Parcels of Deadly Nightshade from a rat trapper a week ago, and now it's about to come in handy. Grinding the Nightshade down into a fine, deadly powder with their mortar and pestle, the Rogue carefully measures, ensuring the potency of "Malice."
A short rest is needed, but business in the day is overrated, so waiting until tonight for this confrontation would be best. So, during a Long Rest, our Rogue uses 6 (double the requirement in the formula) parcels to give themselves advantage on their Crafting Check. Rolling two d20s, they get a 3 and a 9. Taking the higher result (9 + 3 Dexterity + 3 Proficiency), the total is 15, exactly what our Rogue needed to successfully craft 3 doses, precisely what they hoped for. They would have yielded 2 doses anyway, but it wouldn't quite be enough for the fight they have in mind. Our Rogue grinned in the darkness before carefully placing the corked vials they intended to break on the ground later tonight to get away with a lot of silver. Those guards wouldn’t know what hit them — literally — the gaseous poison not only harms but it blinds.
Not playing a campaign but I'm writing something dnd adjacent and I'm looking high and low for crafting systems, from official to homebrew and I really like this.
What pricing point would you consider for the different parcels?