Alchemy (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

Alchemic substances come in frail containers that must be handled with care, thence the load. For a more efficient way to carry these, see Bandolier.

Alchemic items are traditionally stored in tiny glass bottles with a shape that varied depending on the type of item, allowing identification by touch. Of course, this is just the norm, it doesn't always apply, and sometimes an alchemic item might be in a different bottle than expected.

Drinking a potion or alchemic item is almost instantaneous. Bombs and grenades need to be ignited, which needs a source of fire and takes some time unless you have a Slow Match. Applying an oil takes about a minute.

• 2 Incense ☐: Burns for an hour in a censer, a perforated metal bowl hung on chains. Swung in one hand, it spreads aromatic smoke. Saturating an area with incense smoke takes a minute for a large room. This improves position against spiritual threats. Common, Consumable, Unreliable.
• 1 Cacao, Coffee, or Tea ☐: A dark, bitter brew cultivated in tropical areas. Restores 1 point of stress. Improves alertness for 4 hours. Common, Consumable, Unreliable/Volatile Complexity die when the effect ends: 1-3 level 1 harm: "Anxiety".
• 2 Coca Leaves ☐: Leaves grown in tropical mountains, rolled into a ball and chewed. Restores 2 points of stress. Improves energy for 10 hours. Common, Consumable, Unreliable/Volatile Complexity die when the effect ends: 1-3 level 2 harm: "Restlessness".
• 4 Guaraná ☐: Seeds found deep in the jungle, consumed as cakes or draughts. Restores 3 points of stress. Improves mood and endurance for 16 hours. Consumable, Rare, Unreliable/Volatile Complexity die when the effect ends: 1-3 level level 3 harm: "Palpitations".
• 0 Distraction Bomb ☐: Makes a flash and a small cloud of smoke when lit, an excellent distraction. Common, Consumable.
• 0 Potion of Heroism ☐: Drinking this potion makes you fearless. For the next hour fear effects lose effect and have at worst a controlled position. Volatile you may lose all sense of self-preservation. Addictive. Common, Consumable.
• 0 Recluse Venom ☐: Injected venom from the recluse spider that causes necrosis, leading to localized tissue death and severe damage. Inflicts level 1 harm: rotting at the start of each downtime action. Ends when you recover any harm. A similar effect can be achieved by rusty weapons, or dipping weapons in fresh feces or rotting materials to inflict tetanus. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable, Unreliable.
• 0 Snake Oil ☐: A painkiller draught that makes drinker feel fortified and able to overcome pains and aches. Suppresses level 1 or 2 harm that involves pain for an hour. See Cure-All for a reliable version. Common, Consumable, Unreliable, Volatile.
• 1 Acrid Smoke Grenade ☐: Creates a cloud of acrid smoke that's difficult to breathe and stings the eyes but isn't truly dangerous. Common, Consumable, Unreliable.
• 1 Alchemists Fire ☐: Immolates a target or creates a pool of intense, quick-burning fire. Potent against regeneration and undead. Usually thrown as a grenade or set as a trap. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 1 Black Lotus ☐: A tar-like resin made from the leaves of the plant. Induces hours of stupor and visions. Adds effect to Attune rolls. Consumable, Volatile “Woozy,” lvl 2 harm.
• 1 Bloodneedle ☐: Induces fever, euphoric mania, rampant energy. Consumable, Volatile “Woozy,” lvl 2 harm. Common, Consumable.
• 1 Dream Smoke ☐: A milder formulation of black lotus. Induces a pleasant intoxication. Consumable, Volatile: “Woozy,” lvl 1 harm.
• 1 Eyeblind ☐: A powdered poison that causes momentary blindness. Common, Consumable.
• 1 Grenade: ☐: Explodes in a small cloud of smoke and shrapnel. Overcomes scale. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 1 Hunter's Body Paint ☐: Smells nice and friendly to animals, makes them treat you like one of them. Consumable.
• 1 Powder Keg ☐-☐: A small keg of gunpowder, along with some fuse and fuse cord. Useful as a reserve store of gunpowder, but mainly as a bomb. It can be deployed to destroy a strong gate or masonry wall or to overcome scale. Common, Consumable.
• 1 Second Sight Potion ☐: Gives the ability to see spirits and the invisible. Lasts several hours. Consumable, Unreliable/Volatile. You may see things that are not there.
• 1 Spark ☐: A measure of electroplasm blended with seawater. The user feels empowered and emits mild electrical energy. Common, Consumable.
• 1 Trance Powder ☐: A dose of the popular drug, which induces an altered mental state. The victim of this powder is not fully unconscious, but rather retreats into a calm, suggestible mental state, similar to hypnotism. +1d on all Resolve actions against imbiber. Common, Consumable, Unreliable.
• 2 Acid ☐: Destroys clockwork, stops regeneration, burns bare flesh. Potent against regeneration and mechanisms. Can be thrown as a grenade. Consumable.
• 2 Bewitching Perfume ☐: Apply this perfume to give yourself +1d on Consort and Sway action for the next hour. You also attract general attention, making yourself notorious. Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 2 Cure-All ☐: A painkiller draught that makes drinker feel fortified and able to overcome pains and aches. Suppresses level 1 or 2 harm that involves pain for an hour. Common, Consumable.
• 2 Dream Essence ☐: A distillation of a vivid, lucid dream, perfectly recreated for the user. An expensive drug. Common, Consumable.
• 2 Drown Powder ☐: A fine poison dust that incapacitates by giving the sensation of drowning. Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 2 Philter of Animal Friendship ☐: The next time a creature that is not Sapient sees a creature within 10 minutes after drinking this philter, it becomes charmed by that creature for 1 hour. That charmer gains improved effect on any Sway action against the drinker (desperate position for a PC drinker). Agitating this muddy liquid brings little bits into view: a fish scale, a hummingbird tongue, a cat claw, or a squirrel hair. Consumable, Unreliable.
• 3 Ether Fumes ☐: When burnt, this creates fumes in the ether that are anathema to spirits. A complexity check might be required to repel a powerful or determined spirit, especially one tied to this location. Consumable, Unreliable.
• 3 Philter of Love ☐: The next time you see a creature within 10 minutes after drinking this philter, you become charmed by that creature for 1 hour. If the creature is one you are normally attracted to, you regard it as your true love while charmed. That creature gains improved effect on any Sway action against you (desperate position for a PC drinker). This potion's rose-hued, effervescent liquid contains one easy-to-miss bubble shaped like a heart. Common, Consumable, Unreliable.
• 2 Sea Wasp Venom ☐: Salvaged from warm-water jellyfish, this potent venom causes immediate level 1 harm (pain) and possibly heat failure in a few minutes. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable, Rare, Unreliable.
• 2 Skullfire ☐: Toxic fumes from overly heated aberrant blood. Causes incapacitating migraines. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable, Rare Aberrant flesh.
• 2 Slumber Essence ☐: A dose of slumber essence sufficient to put someone to sleep for an hour. This can be imbibed, inhaled, or made wet to be injected. The victim's sleep isn't supernatural, but it is deep—they can be roused with some effort but this gives them level 1 harm: drowsy. Common, Consumable.
• 2 Smoke Grenade ☐: Makes a flash and a cloud of smoke, an excellent distraction that also creates a large cloud of dense smoke. Quickly disperses in any wind. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 2 Sparkler ☐: Silently spreads a cloud of glitter, an excellent distraction. Common, Consumable.
• 2 Universal Solvent ☐: This tube holds milky liquid with a strong alcohol smell. You can the liquid to instantly dissolve up to 1 square meter of adhesive it touches including Binding Oil. Consumable.
• 3 Air Bubble Potion ☐: Create a bubble of air around your head. It allows you to breathe normally underwater. This bubble stays with you until you are no longer underwater. Consumable.
• 3 Binding Oil ☐: Permanently fuses two surfaces until dissolved by alcahest or universal solvent. It is often easier to break the items themselves. Common, Consumable.
• 3 Bottled Breath ☐: This bottle contains a breath of elemental air. When you inhale it, you either exhale it or hold it. If you exhale the breath, you create a rush of wind up to 3m wide and 15 m long. If you hold the breath, you don’t need to breathe in for 1 hour. Consumable.
• 3 Caustic Smoke Grenade ☐: Creates a cloud of caustic smoke that's harmful to breathe, stings the eyes, and leaves a caustic residue. Not immediately dangerous, but causes nausea in short order for someone who stays in the cloud. Common, Consumable, Unreliable.
• 3 Conotoxin ☐: Salvaged from cone snails, this potent venom causes immediate level 3 harm: paralysis and possibly heat failure in a few minutes. Common, Conspicuous, Consumable, Rare, Unreliable.
• 3 Drift Oil ☐: Creates neutral buoyancy in water when poured on an object up to horse size, causing it to float in water for an hour. Consumable.
• 3 Dust of Deliciousness ☐: This reddish brown dust resembles ground brick. When you throw the dust into the air, any open food within 3 meters of you ar detoxified and greatly improve in flavor, allowing the consumption of most any organic matter. Consumable.
• 3 Potent Oil ☐: Renders a weapon coated in this oil potent against the supernatural for an hour. Common, Consumable.
• 3 Potion of Climbing ☐: When you drink this potion, you can climb like a spider for a few minutes. The potion is separated into brown, silver, and gray layers resembling bands of stone. Shaking the bottle fails to mix the colors. Consumable, Rare legs from a monstrous spider.
• 3 Potion of Fire Breath ☐: After drinking this potion, you can exhale fire once against a group of enemies grouped close together. This does fire damage that overcomes scale. This potion's orange liquid flickers, and smoke fills the top of the container and wafts out whenever it is opened. Conspicuous, Consumable, Volatile risks collateral damage.
• 3 Potion of Luck ☐: When you drink this potion, you push the next action that you use within the next few minutes without a stress cost. This potion takes the form of a sparkling, golden mist that moves and pours like water. Consumable, Volatile repeated does the same week are Unreliable and may cause worse luck.
• 3 Potion of Super-heroism ☐: A combination painkiller and anxiety reducer. Suppresses level 1 or 2 harm that involve pain and improved position against fear effects for the next hour. Consumable, Volatile you may lose all sense of self-preservation. Addictive with frequent use.
• 3 Rage Essence ☐: Boosts strength, pain tolerance, and irrational aggression. Improves effect of Skirmish and Wreck. Consumable, Volatile you can't discern friend from foe.
• 3 Shadow Essence ☐: A distillation of the plane of shadow. Creates a cloud of unnatural pitch darkness when exposed to air or water. Consumable.
• 3 Silence Potion ☐: A vial of golden liquid that negates all sound within 10 paces of the drinker for a span of several moments. Consumable.
• 3 Spark Grenade: ☐: Explodes in a flash of electricity. Stuns momentarily. Overcomes scale. Conspicuous, Consumable, Unreliable electricity may ground early.
• 3 Spark Venom: ☐: This is not a venom, but used like one. Metal weapon delivers electric shock. Stuns momentarily. Consumable.
• 3 Vitality Potion ☐: Accelerates the healing process. Ticks on healing clock over the span of 1 minute per tick. Made from the blood of creatures with regeneration. Consumable, Rare, Unreliable 1-3: 1 tick, 4-5: 3 ticks, 6 4 ticks, critical: 6 ticks. Volatile Repeated use inflicts level 1 harm "sore".
• 4 Drift Fumes ☐: Creates neutral buoyancy when poured on an object up to man size, causing it to float in the air for an hour. Consumable, Unreliable when applied to creatures.
• 4 Dust of Disappearance ☐: This powder resembles very fine sand. When you throw the dust into the air, you and each creature and object within 3 meters of you become invisible until it falls off. Energetic movement tends to end the effect sooner. Consumable, Unreliable on things that move.
• 4 Fire Oil: ☐: Erupts in searing pillar of flame upon contact with air. Usually thrown as a grenade or set as a trap. Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 4 Heartcalm ☐: Slows the heartbeat over several days, resulting in death. If used with precision, it can feign death by slowing the heartbeat to be imperceptible. Consumable, Unreliable.
• 4 Oil of Slipperiness ☐: This oil can cover a human, along with the equipment it's wearing and carrying . The affected creature then cannot be grappled or restrained for the next hour. Alternatively, the oil can be poured on the ground, where it quickly covers a 2 meter radius circle, removing friction in that area for 8 hours. The sticky black unguent is thick and heavy in the container, but it flows quickly when poured. Consumable.
• 4 Pixie Dust ☐: This powder resembles ground glass. When you throw the dust into the air, you and each creature and object within 3 meters of you can hover at their normal speed for several minutes. A real pixie can make it last much longer. Consumable, Unreliable. .
• 4 Potion of Giant Size ☐: When you drink this potion, you grow to twice your normal height for a few minutes, with proportional mass and strength. You gain increased effect on melee damage and on Wreck rolls (this stacks if you do damage using Wreck) and reduce all harm you take from physical attacks by one level. The red in the potion's liquid expands from a tiny bead to color the clear liquid around it. Any movement resets this process. Conspicuous, Consumable, Rare hair from a giant.
• 4 Potion of Resistance ☐: This potion comes in many variants. Select a Power when making this potion. For the next few minutes effects using that power always have limited effect on you, or you have a controlled position. The potion is black and tarry, shaking it shows signs of the power it protects against. Each Power is a separate invention. Consumable, Rare.
• 4 Quicksilver ☐: A toxic metallic fluid. The user's mind opens further to the ether. Take +1d to Attune roll upon use, suffer level 2 harm (“Zoned-out”). Common, Consumable.
• 4 Standstill ☐: A powder that causes temporary paralysis when inhaled, eaten, or mixed with water and injected. Consumable.
• 4 Thought Essence ☐: A distillation of a creature's memories, such that they become your own. Mainly extracted from ghosts. Consumable, Rare A creature that is killed to make this, Volatile gains traits of creature's personality.
• 4 Toxic Smoke Grenade ☐: Creates a cloud of toxic smoke that's immediately dangerous. Causes level 1 harm "inflammation", repeatedly if you stay in the smoke, potentially causing death through organ failure.. Consumable, Unreliable.
• 4 Viper Potion ☐: The user's saliva and blood become highly toxic to others for an hour. Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 5 Alcahest ☐: A fluid that stops the effects of any other alchemical item. Common, Consumable.
• 5 Ghost Oil ☐: A colorless fluid that causes affected material to slip into the ether until sunup. Consumable, Volatile very dangerous applied to living beings.
• 5 Ice Pillar: ☐: Can be thrown as a grenade to create a 3 meter radius pillar of dry ice. Freezes those who cannot dodge and blocks passage. Thaws on its own in an hour. Conspicuous, Consumable.
• 5 Potion of Invulnerability ☐: For a few minutes after drinking this potion, any external, physical harm you take that is not from a potent source is reduced by two levels. The potion's syrupy liquid looks like liquified brass. Consumable, Unreliable.
• 6 Devilroot ☐: Sap of the devilroot plant. Can be instantly lethal when consumed. Consumable, Unreliable.
• 6 Life Essence ☐: The essential life force, in vaporous form. Consumable, Unreliable may 4-5 delay death for a short time or 6 revive the recently deceased. Volatile attracts the attention of the undead. Rare giant bee royal jelly.
• 6 Panacea ☐: Cures any disease and negates any poison in your system, as well as negating any lasting power or effect. The potion looks, tastes, and smells like liquid honey. Consumable, Rare giant bee honey.
• 6 Potion of Giant Strength ☐: When you drink this potion, your strength increases to that of a giant for one hour. You gain increased effect on melee damage and on Wreck rolls (this stacks if you do damage using Wreck). Your load capacity doubles if you start the score with this effect running, but when it ends any load capacity over your normal is lost as you have to drop excess weight. This potion's transparent liquid has floating in it a sliver of fingernail from a giant. Rare, Volatile you may not realize how strong you’ve become. Consumable.
• 6 Potion of Longevity ☐: When you drink this potion, your physical age is reduced by about a decade, to a minimum of young adulthood. Suspended in this amber liquid are a scorpion's tail, an adder's fang, a dead spider, and a tiny heart that, against all reason, is still beating. Complex, Consumable, Unreliable, Rare Heart of an elf or fey, Volatile Each time you subsequently drink a potion of longevity, there is an increasing chance that you instead age a decade and negate all previous potions of Longevity.