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Liber Fanatica - Volume IV: The Academic’s Handbook
Alchemical Formulas
by Dan White
“There are two fountains springing with great
power. The one water is hot and belongs to the
boy; the other water is cold and is called the
virgin’s fountain. Unite the two waters, that they
may be one. This stream will possess the forces of
both, mixed together, just as the fountain of
Lamneth is simultaneously hot and cold.”
– Bartholomew Jagielka, Gold Magister
W
hispers of the Philosopher’s Stone and the
Philosopher’s Elixir are matters of gossip
both inside and outside the Imperial Colleges of
magic. Presented here for the first time are some
of the terrible secrets that the Gold Order holds
within its walls. For players who are Gold
Magisters, this information can lead them to
riches - or to an ignoble end in some forgotten
part of the Empire, a rare component clutched in
his cold, dead hands.
Researching the Philosopher’s Stone is both a
physical and a spiritual journey as the alchemist
tries to purify his formulas. However, the esoteric
nature of this discipline hides the real goal - to
become rich! Lucky alchemists may stumble
upon formulas that can alter the very nature of
base metals, perhaps even transmuting them into
Gold itself, the purest of metals.
Pompous alchemists pursuing the Philosopher’s
Elixir maintain that this is the truest use of
alchemy. The alchemist’s goal here is both
physical and spiritual purity; to transform his
own body and soul, not just some lifeless hunk of
metal. This doesn’t prevent practitioners of this
art from striving to create formulas that might
turn a profit from their sale, however.
100 gc for a normally equipped laboratory (no
skill test adjustment), 300 gc for a good
laboratory (reduces all research times by 10%) or
1000 gc for a best laboratory (reduces research
time by 10% and gives +10% to all relevant skill
tests). These values replace those found for
laboratory equipment costs in Realms of Sorcery
page 201, as those values do not account for the
cost multipliers of poor, good or best items.
Once the alchemist has a suitable laboratory at
his disposal, he may start his research by poring
over old treatises and tomes. See the ‘Library
Research’ article for details. Each step of the
formula should require at least one successful
research cycle. This enables the alchemist to
settle on a mixture of ingredients on which to
experiment. He needs 1d10/2 ingredients from
the Ingredients Table to start experimentation.
Through intense study of esoteric lore, the
alchemist strives to understand both the
chemical and magical properties of his
ingredients (see the ‘Sources of Magic’ article for
sympathetic connections). Possession of some of
the listed ingredients could attract accusations of
Necromancy or Daemonology. The alchemist
must be careful in his choice or risk the witch
hunters’ pyres. Given the time involved in finding
the best combination of ingredients, however, the
alchemist cannot often afford to be choosy.
Many of the ingredients in the tables will not be
readily available and could require quests or
adventures to obtain. If the alchemist is able to
buy the needed ingredients, then 50 gc times the
Alchemical Ingredients
“Four brothers stand in a long row; the one to the
right carries the weight of the earth, and the one to
the left that of water. Those in-between carry the
elements of air and fire. If you want all of them to
die quickly, only kill one of them, and they will die
together, since they are united by natural bonds.”
- Balthazar Gelt
The arduous road to be traversed in chasing the
Philosopher’s Stone or Elixir requires the wizard
to have a laboratory and a store of ingredients to
hand. He has to burn, chill, distil, sublimate and
solidify his mixtures in special glass and copper
containers and retorts. This process costs money
and utilises spells found in Alfred Nunuz’s
alchemy article found at the Strike to Stun
website (www.strike-to-stun.com).
The alchemist must have access to a laboratory
and its attendant equipment. This costs 50 gc for
a poor laboratory (-10% to all relevant skill tests),
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