Alchemy in Farnsley’s Phantasm Investigations

In the Mini-six book there is a few sample settings in the back. One is called Farnsley’s Phantasm Investigations.

Its a Victorian era monster hunting game. After reading through it I watched a movie called the vampire effect. In the movie vampire hunters use a serum made from "vampire blood extract" to make them stronger for a while. It got me thinking. This is a lot like the serums and potion version of ripper-tech in the savage worlds setting Rippers.



So I propose adding this to Farnsley’s Phantasm Investigations as a form of alchemy. Alchemy will be a wits based skill. With recipes an alchemist can make all kinds serums, elixirs, and potions. Each part of a monster can create a set number of items. Each possible item requires a skill roll a failed roll means that elixir is lost. So if a single vampires heart can be used to create five vampire heart elixirs. Five skill rolls are needed. Each successful skill roll creates an elixir. Each Failed roll is lost, the elixir doesn't come out right. If 3 out of 5 rolls are successful only 3 elixirs are created and all the rest of the material is wasted. All items take a set amount of time per item. If the alchemist has access to a full lab follow the times listed. If the alchemist has only a portable lab double the time to create.

Here is a few examples I'm doing for my write up.

Mummy flesh elixir.
Number of elixirs can be harvested from a single mummy:6
Difficulty to create: 20
Time to create: 30min per elixir attempted.
Drinking this purple viscous fluid gives the the character exceptional strength (+3D) for 15 min.

Mummy heart elixir.
Number of elixirs can be harvested from a single mummy:2
Difficulty to create: 16
Time to create: 1hour per elixir attempted. Drinking this gray runny fluid gives the the character exceptional courage (+2D) to all forms of courage or fear checks for 30 min.

Vampire blood elixir.
Number of elixirs can be harvested from a single vampire:5
Difficulty to create: 20
Time to create: 30min per elixir attempted. Drinking this thick blood red fluid gives the the character a surge of regenerative power. The character consuming it gains a wound point back. Or regenerated wounds points equal to might if wound points are being used. Effects is instant.

Vampire heart elixir.
Number of elixirs can be harvested from a single vampire:2
Difficulty to create: 20
Time to create: 1hour per elixir attempted. Drinking this blood red fluid with visible strips of shrived heart floating in it gives the the character greater ability (+2D) in diplomacy, persuasion, and seduction. If the target is of the oposite sex the effect is even greater (+3D). Lasts for 1 hour.

Vampire Sight potion
Number of potions can be harvested from a single vampire:2
Difficulty to create: 24
Time to create: 2 hours per potion attempted. This potion is held in a diminutive dropper. A drop placed in each eye uses one potion. The fluid is blood red and often runs down the face of the user during the whole effect giving the user the uneasing appearance of crying blood. During the time of the effect the character can see in total darkness just as a vampire can. Lasts for 30min.

Soul Wafer

Number of wafers can be harvested from a single ghost:1
Difficulty to create: 26
Time to create: 2 hours. A spirit can be extracted from a clay vestal with a long proses. The spirit is stripped of the ectoplasm that allows it to hold form in this world. The ectoplasm is boiled down to a single drop oozing goo that is baked in to a small wafer. After eating the wafer the character becomes incorporeal for a very short time. lasts for 2 min.

Not every item needs to be created from a monster. For example:


Vampire replant elixir.

Cost: diminutive. $
Difficulty to create: 15
Time to create: 15 min. per elixir attempted. This potion looks like murky water and smells a lot like garlic. The user is at -1 to all social skills as long as he is in close quarters with his target for up to two hours (-2 if the target is in higher standing in society). During the duration of the elixir any vampire who bites the user must immediately make a might check diff 20. The vampire is instantly repelled and disgusted by the taste or even smell of it. On a failed might roll the vampire is wekened and will rech up blood he has recently digested. Elixir lasts for 1 hour.

Another idea for the setting is a new cane.
While the "ecto" cane described in the gear section is used to capture ghosts and spirits. Another kind of cane is starting to be used too. The "slayer" cane is capped with cold steel decorative topper for dealing with fae and other beings from the wyld. The lower tip has a silver gilded stake spring loaded in it. With a push of a button it extends and used for staking vampires or piercing the heart of werewolves and shifters alike.

Mini-Six

In my last post I Gave a very quick over view of what mini-six is. Ill go over it again and in a bit more depth with this post. As well as how to use it in a slightly different way.

Mini-Six is a condensed version of the westend games D6 system. Its the system that was used in the westend games Starwars. One change to the system, or more an addition to the system is set defenses, much like savage worlds or cinematic unisystem. Rather than all combat being opposed rolls, combat can be rolled against a set number based on the player/npc/monster abilities. To me this is nice since that is the one complaint I always had about the system. Combat can take a while and involve adding up a lot of die on both attack and defense.

Now that D6 has become OpenD6 it is now OGL. A few different companies are planning to use it, Two most notable to me are mini-Six and C6 (Cinematic six).

I Was reading over Mini-Six and hit the side bar about running Mini-Six with out Attributes. And something hit me. Mini-six could be played like Risus or Warrior, Rogue, and Mage. Rather than Attributes and skills why not just use descriptors.

Much like Warrior, Rogue, And Mage (awesome rules-lite game btw) you could just assign die to a descriptor. For example you could spread 9 die around the descriptions Warrior, Rogue, And Mage.
Say I was making a character who was good at swinging a sword, but better at thievery, Knew a little magic but not much could be: Warrior 3D, Rogue 4D, Mage 2D. Any action that falls into the realm of one of these classes uses the die assigned to that descriptor to make a test.

It just shows me how versatile the d6 system is. Add attributes, Add skills, Or play with out either.