Topic: Formulae Potions

[munchy]

Okay, I know this is probably a call that would better suit the Guild Companion or a HARPer's Bazaar.
I was wondering whether there are already formulae potions out there? I would be very interested in the recipes.
So, if you are willing to share your secret, mysterious recipe for a wonderful potion with the rest of the community, please use this thread to post it. 

[munchy]

All right, returning to the subject. No recipes, fine. 
However, can you tell me how this works, how do characters create Formulae Potions. Do they need any kind of spell for this. I can see them mixing all those icky things together, grinding, mixing, boiling them up but how do they get their mana in there? (No, not the disgusting ways of doing this , I am looking for how the professionals do it. )
In Loot it says nothing about casting a spell just about doing a manoeuvre roll using Alchemy at -40 or the Potion Mastery sub-skill. Is the mana just flowing into the potion by itself during the stirring and boiling, without casting a spell? (Not that I have anything against this easy solution for the problem, but I would like to make sure.)

[allenrmaher]

at -40 or the Potion Mastery sub-skill. Is the mana just flowing into the potion by itself during the stirring and boiling, without casting a spell? (Not that I have anything against this easy solution for the problem, but I would like to make sure.)

If I remember correctly, Loot has some great ingredient mana sources along with aspects... so (opens book) if I were to make a fly potion.
Base form
(spell effect: 4 pp 20 rounds)
Major Aspects
 Travel
 Flight

I would probably use Patchouli leaf (1PP air/universal) Eagle Wing Tip Feather (2pp) and 1 Carat (19sp worth) of Heliador powdered (1PP).  As well as a small amount of tinct, solvents and basic stabilizers (general alchemical supplies plus jar) Total materials cost would run 25gp or so. 

So using loot you could have a mundane alchemist who creates potions using the properties of the materials as power source.  (a very fun low magic game concept)

[Right Wing Wacko]

Without having loot or CoM and just using core rules...

How do you deal with the Apothecary Craft skill and the Herbcraft skill if you don't have guidelines/rules for reagents, ingredients, etc for potions and such made with/without herbs?

If a PC has herbcraft, this bonus works in applying herbs...right?
If a PC has apothecary, this bonus applies to ...what?
And if a PC has both these skills, would they stack?
 
I guess I am not seeing the difference between apothecary and herbcraft other than skill category...

[Right Wing Wacko]

Without having loot or CoM and just using core rules...

How do you deal with the Apothecary Craft skill and the Herbcraft skill if you don't have guidelines/rules for reagents, ingredients, etc for potions and such made with/without herbs?

If a PC has herbcraft, this bonus works in applying herbs...right?
If a PC has apothecary, this bonus applies to ...what?
And if a PC has both these skills, would they stack?
 
I guess I am not seeing the difference between apothecary and herbcraft other than skill category... 

Anyone???

[munchy]

No idea whatsoever. I guess this really is a mystery why there are two skills that basically do the same. In DnD I could find and use herbs with a herbscraft kind of skill but needed Apothecary skill to create lasting potions and salves that could be kept for quite a while ... thus apothecary was about preserving stuff for later use ... (also to make it sellable ... that's what apothecaries are about, aren't they? selling medcine!)

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Without having loot or CoM and just using core rules...

How do you deal with the Apothecary Craft skill and the Herbcraft skill if you don't have guidelines/rules for reagents, ingredients, etc for potions and such made with/without herbs?

If a PC has herbcraft, this bonus works in applying herbs...right?
If a PC has apothecary, this bonus applies to ...what?
And if a PC has both these skills, would they stack?
 
I guess I am not seeing the difference between apothecary and herbcraft other than skill category... 

Anyone???

Herbcraft is by core rules, finding, recognizing, and harvesting herbs. No roll needed to actually use the herb.

Craft: Apothecary covers doing clever things with herbs, such as preserving them for days or weeks without them losing their potency, distilling their goodness to make more palatable medicines, etc.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Right Wing Wacko]

OK...thanks!

That does shed a little light on the subject. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the issue will come up in my game(damn nosy players!)

[munchy]

Another thing I was thinking about is the principles of magic and the ingredients. Although this would make ingredients sort of stale as they are not freshly harvested or collected but would homoeopathic medcine work as ingredients. They are natural ingredients refined into their effect-essence. Thus they would be easier to transport, a bottle containing the liquid instead of a sack full of the stuff harvested under a full moon. This would open up a kind of business field as alchemists or pharmacists could concentrate on distilling the essence of something into a liquid of which only a few drops would be as good as a freshly harvested thing.
If would count as stale if you want to be mean but on the other hand it would probably be more powerfull as it is concentrated.
Especially for potion crafting travellers this would be an alternative to searching herbs themselves. They could just carry around small steel vials containing the essences of those ingredients they need most often.
This of course would have to be paid for but it would still be a lot less work for the potioneer. The question would be whether this is really cheaper than getting fresh ingredients even if it saves time to use those vials. And whether the concentration of the those vials would prevent the stale malus or maybe even allow a small bonus for "more power in it"?

[munchy]

All right, Potion Mastery again. The spell allows to create a spell potion that has been scaled without a manoeuvre roll on alchemy, just the spell.
Does the potion still lose its power after a month?
Does the creation with this spell still need ingredients or does here the personal magic do everything?
How about a laboratory?
How long does it need to create such a potion?

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

All right, Potion Mastery again. The spell allows to create a spell potion that has been scaled without a manoeuvre roll on alchemy, just the spell.

You still need the Alchemy maneuver (see CoM, page 51, 1st col, 3rd para). You don't need to make a casting roll for the actual spell effect.

Does the potion still lose its power after a month?

Yes. that's why Stabilize Elixir exists.

Does the creation with this spell still need ingredients or does here the personal magic do everything?
How about a laboratory?
How long does it need to create such a potion?

You still need ingredients, a work space/lab, and it still takes a day. the spell simply allows you to create potions of scaled spells.

best wishes,
Nicholas