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.

Epic 6, How it applies to C&C for me.

I can really relate to the authors of Epic six. It really is hard to make a game gritty or epic when players can one day face a dragon solo and toe to toe.

In this article I looked at what E6 was. Since then I have read a lot of blogs and how other people have applied the idea to a great many games. From older editions of D&D to retro clones.

I find the idea of limiting advancement a great fit for the type of game I like to play, Gritty and epic all at the same time. After all if a player can never get to level 30 and rival a dragon in "hit points" and "to hit bonus" then he better get out there and find the armor and the sword that will help him and his party take down such a great menace. With limited advancement dragons will always be epic monsters.

Now I'm not saying players would still not be able to progress in other ways. I just like limiting: "to hit" bonus, Hit points, and spell progression. Basically I just want to limit how powerful the players can become by just attaining experience. I'm not against players gaining skills beyond max level or even talents (feats).

I'm pretty set on the idea of players stopping progression in C&C at level 10. Seems a good place to declare some one an epic hero.

Castles & crusades, Siege Engine

One of the most unique aspects of C&C is how attributes work.

Every class has one attribute that is prime and players get to choose one additional attribute to be prime. The remaining attributes are secondary.(humans get one additional prime).The difficulty

of most rolls is based on 12 if the attribute is prime, and 18 if the attribute is secondary.

Primes give a level of customization that I really like. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Say two of my players each make rogue characters. For both characters their class prime is Dexterity. Now each

player gets to choose a second attribute to be prime as well.

Say player one chooses strength and player two chooses charisma.

The character with the strength as prime would most likely be a brute or thug kind of rogue.

relying on strength possibly to wield bigger weapons. While the character with the charisma as prime would more than likely be a smooth talker and/or a con man. Both rogues. But rogues with a different set of tools to get the job done.

C&C multiple attacks. (3E style)

While I'm not a huge fan of how 3E handles multiple attacks. I had some one recently ask me how I would replicate 3Es multiple attack system if I was to use in in my C&C game.

Since my current game in maxing out at level 12, I think I would make the number of attacks based on level rather than bonus to attack. If I remember correctly in 3E once your primary attack bonus reached +6 you got a second attack. And every plus six there after.

For my example I will say at level 6 all classes get a second attack with the same bonus as the did at level one and progressing at the same rate.

A fighter would get a second attack at level 6 at +1. And progress at an additional +1 every level just like his primary attack did. where as a wizard would get a second attack at level 6 at +0. +1 at level 7 and +2 at level 10.

One thing I am still thinking about is would I allow a third attack at level 12? Or should I only allow man at arms classes a third attack? This begs the question. Which classes would count as man at arms? It would be too simple to say those classes the that use physical attributes as prime. But what about knights and paladins?
I could say only non-spell casters get the third attack I guess.

I really like this option, Since I feel at higher levels spell casters way out shine melee classes.

Another answer to the whole thing could be to give Talents (feats) at levels 6 and 12. And create two talents that allows for an additional attack each with a prerequisite of levels 6 and 12 and only able to be taken once each. So a players has the option to not take it if they are not a physical combat character.

4E Rituals Options (resizing Magic Items)

I'm really reading over my 4E books. When I first got them I read just enough to learn how to play and we jumped right in. I ran a few games, and every one seemed to have a lot of fun.

Now with my little break right now I'm going back and reading some of the sections I just skimmed before. Like rituals. While I can see a lot of promise in most of them the rules for Disenchanting and enchanting Magic Items really seem interesting.

I had an idea. What if you could re-size magical items. Not physical size but level of an item.

If you had an item you really liked, say a level 3 thundering weapon. And you start to out grow it. by hitting level 8. But you really like your thundering weapon. Instead of disenchanting it or selling it you could use enchant weapon to re-size it.

The cost would be enough residuum to pay the difference between the previous cost of the item and the new cost of the item.  A level 4 thundering weapon costs 840g and a level 8 costs 3400g. So to re-size the weapon from levels 4 to 8 the cost would be 175g for the ritual plus 2560g worth of residuum for the difference in cost.

The usual restrictions apply. You cant raise the level of an item higher than your own level.

4E D&D Revisit

I really want to give 4E another go. As I've stated We really enjoyed it. But I just didn't feel it was a game we would continue to play. I have really been focusing on rules-lite games. And has nothing to do with most criticism
against it.

Most of the criticisms again 4E really doesn't matter to us. Yes its tactical and uses minis. Yes it has elements in common with online MMORPGs. My players love strategic mini games and all have or do play Online MMORPGs. Most of those elements are just common elements between the two. It just uses the MMORPG terminology for it. Who doesn't have the fighter first in marching order rather than the wizard. Now it is called a defender or tank. But the job is the same, Meat shield.

I just felt the system was far from rules lite. But to be fair I'm coming into it years after the release with tons of material out for it. Tons of material, Tons of options and abilities. With the release of the essentials and articles like this one by Greywulf I have really been thinking it over. Much of this is my perspective. I really don't need all three players hand books for every game. Or even every ability from players hand book one.

Before I permanently shelf my 4E books I really need to scale a game back a bit and play the game with out trying to include every bit of material I can find. I'm debating getting some essentials books.