OSR: Alchemy 101: Potioncraft
- seeroftheabyss
- Sep 16, 2025
- 13 min read
This post is based heavily off this post, with ideas borrowed from The Dresden Files.
Alchemy is the most common of the magical arts. Most villages will have someone who can brew a few basic potions or know someone who can. Most midwives know how to brew a potion of contraception or a few other medicinal ones, from easing the birthing process to preventing male baldness.
You are likely to be able to find an Alchemist in most large towns who will be selling either ingredients or completed potions. In some places, the word 'Physician' and 'Alchemist' might be interchangeable. And of course, every noble worth his salt will keep an Alchemist on retainer to brew potions for them.
Potioncraft:
1: You need to combine Seven Ingredients in a cauldron with a liquid base. The liquid base is usually water, but can be other fluids, depending on the potion. These ingredients each correspond to one of the five senses, plus one for the mind and another for the spirit.
Note that ingredients need not be physical or added to the mixture. For example, if "Sunlight at Dawn" is an ingredient, brewing the potion at sunrise is sufficient, as long as sunlight falls across the cauldron.
2: Add mana to the mixture to cause them to break down and mix together into a uniform solution. The more mana you add, the more powerful the potion is.
Mages can add mana directly using their MD, but non-magical folk must build mana by doing some sort of labor near the cauldron. This can be anything that requires effort, from exercising to crotchet, though the harder it is to you, the faster it will build mana. If you're really fit, doing 20 push-ups will not generate much mana. If you're pudgy and weak, it will produce much more mana for the same effort.
3: Make a Potion Brewing Roll. This may not be necessary, as if you follow the recipe and aren't attempting something foolish, such as brewing a potion in the middle of a warzone, there may be no need for such a roll. The Referee may call for such a roll, but if there is no reason the potion brewing should not succeed, allow it to go successfully.
Experimenting and Discovering new Potion Recipes:
Alchemists are always seeking new potion recipes to solve problems and enrich themselves. The Alchemist who discovers how to cure male impotence will be a very rich man. As such, Alchemists will often experiment with throwing ingredients into cauldrons and attempting to turn them into potions.
Sometimes this works and will produce a new potion from the attempted recipe, while other times it will produce nothing useful or react violently. There is a reason Alchemist shops are always built of stone, surrounded by large courtyards or located outside of town and it's not because all Alchemists are rich.
Rules:
1: The Alchemist should describe what potion he is attempting to make, or what effect he wishes his potion to have.
2: He should then gather Seven Ingredients which he believes represent that idea or effect or can be linked to the intended effect in a sympathetic way.
For example, to create a Love/Lust/Arousal Potion, the seven ingredients our Alchemist might use is...
- Liquid Base: Tequila (or strong liquor)
- Sight: Candlelight
- Sound: Aroused Sigh
- Smell: Perfume
- Taste: Dark Chocolate
- Touch: Lace
- Mind: Diamonds (or money)
- Spirit: Love letter
3: The Referee should then grade each of these ingredients on a scale of 0-2. If an ingredient receives a score of "0", it has no connection to the effect in question. If it receives a score of "1", then it has some connection. If it receives a score of "2", then it has a powerful connection. The Referee should add up the score of all the ingredients and have the Alchemist roll 1d10. If the Alchemist rolls under the total score of all ingredients, then the recipe works and the potion is created. If the score of the ingredients is so high that the the Alchemist cannot fail his roll, he automatically succeeds.
However, should the Alchemist fail to roll under the total score of the ingredients, roll on the Brewing Mishap table.
Brewing Mishap Table:
1d8
1- The potion violently reacts, exploding. All within 30' take 2d6 fire damage, save for half. An experienced Alchemist receives advantage on the save, as he can recognize the signs of an imminent explosive reaction.
2- The potion erupts into flames and spews fire everywhere. All flammable objects within 10' are caught on fire. All creatures within 10' must save or be caught on fire.
3- The potion produces a deadly poison. If consumed, it causes the drinker to take 2d6 poison damage, save for half.
4- The potion produces a cloud of noxious gas. This gas is foul-smelling and induces vomiting in all creatures that fail a save, but is otherwise harmless.
5- The potion forms a brightly colored liquid that if consumed 1d4 [1= Changes your hair color to a random unnatural color such as bright pink, metallic silver, etc. This lasts for 1d10 days; 2= Smells delicious, but tastes awful; 3= Is a powerful acid that will dissolve all non-magical substances besides glass, plastic and noble metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum, Occultum); 4= Causes hallucinations in any who touch or consume it- these last for 1d4 hours and are not necessarily pleasant (2-in-6 chance of a bad trip).]
6-8 The potion produces Alchemical Dross- a harmless but foul-looking black sludge that is useless for anything.
Advanced Potion Brewing:
An experienced Alchemist knows that while following a potion's established recipe is best, you can substitute other ingredients or follow an entirely different recipe and produce the same potion, though the latter is much harder.
Rules:
1: If an Alchemist can justify why using Money instead of Diamonds is a valid substitution and connects to the central effect he is attempting to create. If the Referee agrees, then the Alchemist can substitute this ingredient without needing to make a d10 roll, as if he was attempting to create a new potion recipe.
Potion Storage and Safety:
Potions last for X weeks, where X is the amount of MD poured into them. When this time expires, the potion goes stale. Stale potions are very dangerous to drink- responsible alchemists burn the stale potion to consume any ambient mana, then once the liquid has stopped popping, fizzling or violently reacting, it is safe to dispose of normally. Irresponsible alchemists just dump it into the creek and hope no one notices.
Oops! I drank a Stale Potion:
1d6
1- Vomit for d4 minutes.
2- Gain a horrific mutation, or one based on the potion's effect. Equal chances.
3- Take 2d6 poison damage, save for half.
4- The potion has a random effect instead. Roll on a random spell-list and cause that effect to afflict the drinker.
5- Nothing happens, at first. The potion's effect will kick in at the worst possible time in the next 24 hours.
6- You didn't get to drinking the potion. As soon as you uncorked the bottle, it started to boil and overflow. Everyone nearby has to Save or get scalded, taking 1d6 fire damage on a failed save.
While drinking a stale potion is a regularly uncommon thing, as everyone has heard the story of what happened when their friend/brother/cousin did that to horrific results, but fewer people know what happens when you drink another potion while still under the effects of the first potion. This is still a bad idea, but less so.
Oops! I drank multiple Potions:
1d6
1- Save or immediately vomit for d4 rounds. On success, vomit only after the effects wear off. The potions work normally, though.
2- Gain a mutation for d6 hours. Save afterwards, or it's permanent.
3- One of the potion's effect is inverted.
4- One of the potion's power is increased hundredfold, dangerously so.
5- The potions' effects combine in an inconvenient manner and quadruple in duration.
6- The potions' effects suddenly stop. No potions will work for you for d6 days.
Example Potions:
Potion of Steelskin: Gives you a Damage Threshold equal to 1d3+[dice] for [dice] minutes. If a source of damage would deal damage less than your Damage Threshold, ignore it as if it did no damage.
Ingredients:
Liquid Base: Alcohol
- Liquid Base: Tequila (or strong liquor)
- Sight: Beetle
- Sound: Metal scraping metal
- Smell: Blood
- Taste: Pond scum
- Touch: Smooth rock
- Mind: Dandelions
- Spirit: Badger Fur
Potion of Sanctuary: Creatures cannot attack you unless they pass a save with a penalty to their saves equal to -[dice]. This effect lasts for [dice] minutes or until you attack a creature.
Ingredients:
- Liquid Base: Water
- Sight: Sunlight
- Sound: Birds Chirping
- Smell: Cut grass
- Taste: Honey
- Touch: Morning Dew
- Mind: Peaceful thoughts
- Spirit: Songs of praise
<Referee's Note>
How do I create potions?
An excellent method is just to pick an effect from a spell-list and create a potion that does that. The spell is 'Healing Touch', so the potion is a Potion of Healing.
How should I let Alchemists, or players who practice Alchemy, gather ingredients?
A good rule to have is to let most alchemy ingredients be available in shops, or something that's close enough. If you're not bound by strict recipes, then you don't need to look for "moose blood" in particular, the blood of any large, powerful herbivore might work.
At the beginning of the day or when in town, Alchemists can purchase these ingredients or attempt to steal them. Resolve this in a single die roll or an exchange of currency. If the Alchemist wants to gather ingredients outside of town, determine what's in the area and if it is, he can gather it, assuming there's no potential obstacle.
As luck is tied to Charisma in my system, I just have the Alchemist in question make a CHA check. On a success, he finds what he's looking for. This only applies to more mundane ingredients, however. He won't find Dragon's Blood or Thousand-Year Eggs lying around in the woods, but he could find daffodils and cobwebs.
</Referee's Note>
List of Potions:
(Note that the list of ingredients here is not complete, but should be treated as a starting point/inspiration).
Potion of...
1d20
1- False Death. Makes whoever drinks it fall into a coma that resembles death for [sum] hours. Ingredients: nightshade berries, bear blood, human bone powder.
2- Forget-Me-Now. Makes whoever drinks it unable to be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched for [dice] minutes. However, objects they touch can be seen and affected by all other people. Additionally, if the person who drank the potion acts to directly affect a person, that person can sense the person who drank the potion. Ingredients: corpse ash, reliquary dust, rotting plums, a piece of bone jewelry, the name of a man no one remembers.
3- False Life. Whoever drinks this potion gains 1d8+[dice] HP, but the person loses the HP after [dice] minutes. Ingredients: Peacock feathers, chameleon skin, eye of newt, dandelion.
4- Greenblood. Whoever drinks this potion turns green and as long as he is in sunlight, he recovers [dice] HP a round. Ingredients: flower petals, heartwood from a maple tree, pollen.
5- Become Beast. Whoever drinks this potion is transformed into an animal as per Wild Shape for [dice] hours. Ingredients: a hair, tooth or scrap of skin from the animal you wish to become; an abandoned cicada molt, a chrysalis.
6- Become Person. Whoever drinks this potion is transformed to exactly resemble a specific person. Ingredients: a hair, tooth or scrap of skin from the person you wish to become; a tiny mask; an adultress or adulterer's blood; blood money.
7- Steelskin. Whoever drinks this potion has his skin turn hard as steel and gains a natural AC of 12+[dice] for [dice] minutes. Ingredients: moose blood, steel or iron shavings, badger fur, cockroach shell.
8- Camouflage. Whoever drinks this potion finds his skin will change color and texture to match whatever his environment is, giving him a +[sum] bonus to all stealth checks and saving throws for 1d6+[dice] minutes. Ingredients: clear liquor, an owl feather, a temple mouse's tail, a token from a master thief.
9- Regeneration. Whoever drinks this potion has his HP restored to full and regenerates any lost body parts. Ingredients: wine, a token from childhood, honey, a troll heart or a unicorn horn.
10- Sense Soul. Whoever drinks this potion gains the ability to sense all souls within 100' of them for [dice] minutes. All attempts at sneaking up on them fail, unless the creature is soulless. Ingredients: pure water, glass beads, a shiny stone, a cat's eye.
11- (Martial) Glory. Whoever drinks this potion gains a +[dice] bonus to all damage rolls and the ability to make a number of bonus attacks equal to [dice] for [dice] rounds. Ingredients: moose fur, sweat from a warrior, iron shavings, crushed ants or honeybees.
12- Pass Without Trace. Whoever drinks this potion can still be seen or detected through a living creature's senses, but will leave no evidence he was ever there, except for the memories of anyone who saw him. This effect lasts for [sum] minutes. Ingredients: rabbit's blood, a deer tail, a snipe feather, a memory.
13- Youth. Whoever drinks this potion is reduced in age by [dice]d20 years or back to their physical prime. This potion cannot regrow lost limbs or other lasting damage. Ingredients: tortoise blood, a blessed object, gold flakes, a tooth from a living creature.
14- Wisdom. Whoever drinks this potion temporarily receives great wisdom and knowledge. The drinker may ask the Referee [dice] questions and the Referee must answer them truthfully. Once these questions are asked, the effects of the potion fade, but the drinker will still know the answers to the questions he asked. Ingredients: a talking frog's guts, crocodile tears, a token from a woman, a crown of flowers.
15- Night Eye. Whoever drinks this potion will be able to see perfectly in the dark, no matter how dark it is for [sum] minutes. However, any source of light brighter than a candle will dazzle him, forcing him to save or cringe away from the light. Ingredients: black rum, a wolf's eye, cat hair, a lion's tooth or a tiger claw.
16- Sight Beyond Sight. Whoever drinks this potion gains Sight Beyond Sight, which is vision that pierces all illusions, invisibility and reveals things as they truly are. This lasts for [dice] minutes. Ingredients: milk, a drop of king or dragon's blood, a small diamond, an opal.
17- Purity. Whoever drinks this potion has any poisons, toxins or diseases purged from his body. Ingredients: a maiden's blood, holy water, sesame oil, sunflower petals.
18- Animal Kinship. Whoever drinks this potion will not be attacked by animals and will gain a +[sum] bonus to interacting with animals for [dice] hours. Ingredients: butterfly milk, a silk ribbon, honey, blackberries.
19- Water Breathing. Whoever drinks this potion can breath water for [dice] hours. Ingredients: sea or lake water, a dead fish, the breath of a living creature, blood or tissue from a air-breathing water dweller.
20- Cloud Walking. Whoever drinks this potion can walk on clouds, mist or smoke as if they were solid ground for [sum] minutes. Ingredients: sugary tea, a piece of fur from a skydweller or a bird, flesh or blood from a Water Elemental, spicy peppers.
The following are Weaponized Potions, which are not intended to be consumed by you, but given to an enemy, either by tricking him into drinking it or throwing it on him.
Weaponized Potion of...
1d20
1- Flammability. Whoever drinks the potion or has it poured on him begins sweating a highly flammable substance for [dice] minutes. If he is exposed to fire, the substance will combust and he will burn for the rest of the duration. Ingredients: water, honey, magnesium, sawdust.
2- Animal Animosity. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him attracts animals which are automatically hostile for [dice] hours. Ingredients: blood from a dead bear cub, honeycomb, a rotting fish, veal steak.
3- Nausea. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him is overcome with nausea and empties his stomach onto the floor. Ingredients: sweaty, filth undergarments, ear wax, a fat man's hair, flesh of the alchemist's race.
4- Lightning Love. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him attracts lightning strikes for [dice] days. Ingredients: molten gold, a silver ring, a piece of fulgrimite, a copper cord.
5- Fishblood. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him can only breathe water for [dice] hours. Ingredients: a shark's tooth, a live clam, crab guts, a fish's heart.
6- Become Other. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him becomes a hideous, alien monster for [dice] days. He also loses the ability to speak or cast any spell that does not harm. Ingredients: a destroyed image of a person, a broken piece of jewelry, a treat stolen from a child, a lost or abandoned toy.
7- Luminosity. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him glows in the dark. Ingredients: a firefly, a peacock feather, a cicada shell, a butterfly.
8- Zombification. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him dies and is reanimated as a zombie. The drinker is still conscious, but trapped inside his rotting body, feeling everything that is happening to his body until it is destroyed utterly. Ingredients: token from a scorned woman, a necrophiliac's kiss, grave dirt, a stolen bone.
9- Skeleton Hatching. Whoever drinks this potion has his skeleton hatch and rip its way out of his body. This is usually, but not necessarily fatal. Ingredients: a skull, enough blood to immerse the skull, a bandage, a vulture feather.
10- Cloudkill. Whoever drinks this potion dies. If the potion is instead poured out, it creates a cloud of toxic gas over 10*[dice]' that does [sum] damage, save for half, to anyone inside it. Ingredients: poisoned well water, rotting corpse's flesh, a child's diaper, rotten eggs.
11- Petrification. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him turns to stone. Ingredients: lava or molten metal, scrapings from a statue, sand, a shiny pebble.
12- Disintegration. Whoever drinks this potion has his body turn to dust, instantly killing him. Pouring this potion on someone does not affect them in any way. Ingredients: acid, a destroyed piece of art, sand, the scraps of a poem.
13- Intoxication. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him becomes as drunk as if he had spent the whole night drinking. Ingredients: liquor, wine, salt, a broken tea cup.
14- Disfigurement. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him becomes hideously ugly. The change is permanent. Ingredients: acid, a disfigured mask, hair or tissue from an ugly animal, spit from a bitter old man or hair from a spiteful crone.
15- Sensory Deprivation. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him loses up to [dice] of his senses for [sum] minutes. Ingredients: liquor, a blind eye, an ear, an infirm man's spit.
16- Hunger. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him develops cravings that can only be sated by the flesh of his own race. These cravings last for [dice] weeks, but if indulged in, self-perpetuate. Ingredients: poison, flesh of the alchemist's kinsmen, a page from an evil book, ink or paint made from blood.
17- Plague. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him contracts a horrific disease.
18- Cryostasis. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him is frozen in ice, to be preserved for up to [dice] years, or as long as it takes for them to thaw. Ingredients: warm milk, an Ice Queen's sweat, a flower, a rag bearing a celibate woman's scent.
19- Viscosity. Whoever drinks this potion or has it poured on him has his blood start to thicken and if he does not keep doing impressive things to keep his heart pumping fast, his blood will stop flowing and he will die. Ingredients: wine, bitumen, pitch, cypress wood shavings.
20- Detonation. Whoever drinks this potion takes [sum] damage as the potion explodes in contact with mana. If this damage is enough to kill him, he instead explodes, painting the walls with his blood. Ingredients: water from a hot spring, sulfur, spicy peppers, a Fire Elemental's blood or seed.
Comments