Apothecary

Potions, elixirs, tonics, poisons, venom, and toxins; all these and more are the products of the Apothecary. Using various plants and elements, the Apothecary creates wonderful potions and deadly poisons that can do a number of things, from making you better able to channel the energies of the arcane, to turning your enemies to stone.

Primary Stats: Wisdom (healing and enhancing potions), Intelligence (Poisons, toxins, and anti-venoms)

Bonus to Skill Checks: Heal, Knowledge (Nature), Profession, Survival

Basic Abilities

Opening this talent tree grants you the following powers and abilities.

Potion Creation: Using various herbs and ingredients, you are able to brew potions that have various effects. At this early level, they will do minor things, such as healing minor wounds, granting a small burst of strength or insight in battle, making you slightly tougher, etc. The effects of anything you create are very small and only last for a few seconds. An example would be a healing potion that recovers 5 hit points, or a potion that grants a +2 bonus to attack or damage rolls for one round. In order to make potions, you will have to find the reagents and items needed for them, either through scavenging or purchasing them. You may discover new potions by experimenting with various reagents or purchasing recipes or finding recipes. You will also need the Alchemist’s Kit (15gp) to help you with the creation of potions. It contains a mortar and pestle, 6 vials (you will have to purchase more vials on your own), and various materials and items needed for the creation of potions.

Poison Creation: You have a great knowledge of poisons and venoms, and are able to create various toxins and poisons that have different effects. You can paralyze, stun, disorient, confuse, and even outright hurt people with the various poisons you can create. Nothing you make here will have lasting effects, or even last longer than a few seconds, but it can have an incredible effect in battle and other situations. This also requires the Alchemist’s Kit.

Basic Resistance: You’re far from perfect, so you’ve made some mistakes while learning to make your poisons. Due to this, you’ve developed a minor resistance to poisons and venoms. You’re certainly immune, but you can get over them more quickly, and likely won’t die from anything. You can also make anti-venom and a cure for all poisons and venoms you know.

Brew Too: In addition to making potions you can now brew special ales and various drinks to mix your potions with. For example, you could make Dragon’s Breath Ale, which is both delicious, adds a bit of heartiness to those who drink it, and also grants the imbiber dragon’s breath for a short time. You can brew and mix drinks either with other alcohols and drinks, or by brewing your very own special mix. If you brew your own drinks, you are able to brew them faster than other people. For example, on average it can take nearly two months to have a batch of ale ready to drink. You can have yours in about two weeks. In addition, your drinks are of a rare and rich quality that can bring in the gold and don’t have to be used to mix anything else but deliciousness.

Mastery: Mastery is a measure of your overall power and ability in a given talent branch. Each rank raises your ability a bit higher, and grants you greater power and access to more abilities further down the line. You must purchase each rank in order. Each rank is explained in detail below.

Rank 1: Your abilties are slightly enhanced. You gain access to stronger and more difficult potions. In addition, your potions become slightly more potent and will, on occasion, have an extra beneficial property. Your poisons and venoms become slightly more potent and last slightly longer. If they cause necrosis, they will deal slightly more damage. 10 points.

Rank 2: Your abilities are slightly enhanced. You gain access to stronger and more difficult potions. You can now make potions that grant a bonus to stats. These potions last only a short time, no more than a minute. In addition, your potions become slightly more potent and will, on occasion, have an extra beneficial property. Your poisons and venoms become slightly more potent and last slightly longer. If they cause necrosis, they will deal slightly more damage. In addition, you become less vulnerable to poisons and venoms. 20 points.

Rank 3: Your abilities are enhanced. You gain access to stronger and more difficult potions. In addition, your potions become more potent and will, on occasion, have an extra beneficial property. Your poisons and venoms become more potent and last slightly longer. If they cause necrosis, they will deal more damage. You can now create poisons and venoms that have two different effects, such as a paralytic poison that causes necrosis. You gain a +2 to Wisdom or Intelligence. 30 points.

Rank 4: Your abilities are greatly enhanced. You gain access to stronger and more difficult potions. You can now make elixirs – rare potions that do wondrous things such as granting luck, changing shape, granting limited invulnerability and more. In addition, your potions become greatly more potent and will, on occasion, have an extra beneficial property. Your poisons and venoms become a great deal more potent and last much longer. If they cause necrosis, they are will very likely destroy an entire limb or cause death. 40 points.

Rank 5: Your abilities are greatly enhanced. You gain access to stronger and more difficult potions. Your potions are almost always flawless. You can make potions that last a full day. In addition, your potions become incredibly potent and will, on occasion, have an extra beneficial property. Your poisons and venoms become incredibly potent and last a very long time. If they cause necrosis, it will almost always end in death. You are much less vulnerable to poisons and venoms. In addition, you can create poisons and venoms that have magical qualities, such as basilisk venom which will turn a victim to stone, or harpy’s breath, which will freeze someone solid. You gain a +3 to Wisdom or Intelligence. 50 points.

Physician: Potions and elixirs that restore health are more potent and will exceed expectations. They may, in fact, add a beneficial bonus for a short time, such as a bonus to an ability score, stone skin, etc. Requires Mastery Rank 3 and 10 points.

Benefactor: Potions you mix that have a beneficial effect last longer and are more potent. For example, if you make a potion of water breathing, it may allow the person to swim faster as well. Requires Master Rank 3 and 10 points.

Green Thumb: You can stretch the plants you use for reagents, granting the same amount of potency in your creations for less reagent needed, essentially doubling your potion and poison making ability. Requires Mastery Rank 4 and 20 points.

Greater Resistance: You’re now greatly resistant to most poisons and venoms. What would kill a normal person in a minute will not affect you so badly for, perhaps, hours. You also gain a stronger resistance to disease. Requires Mastery Rank 1 and 10 points.

Inoculation: There is always a need for a cure to disease, and you know enough about poisons to create specialized inoculations; a serum that prevents poisons and venoms from working. You can make generalized serums that would neutralize most types of poisons or venoms and help people resist such things, or if you know what you’re going to be dealing with, you can make a very specialized serum that would almost always protect people. You can even use this to make anti-venoms for the poisons you create. Requires Mastery Rank 2 and 15 points.

New Applications: You have discovered new and interesting ways to spread your poisons; ways that people might not think of. You could find a way to freeze it so that it slowly melts into someone’s drink, apply it as lipstick, or even with a hand shake. Regardless, you have better ways to conceal it, ensuring your anonymity. Requires Mastery Rank 3 and 25 points.

Immunity: You have developed immunity to nearly all poisons and venoms. Requires Mastery Rank 5 and 50 points.

Snakeblood: Your blood is now venomous and can be used to create and greatly enhance all your poisons. Requires Mastery Rank 5 and 50 points.

Potions Master: A great gig, so long as you don’t also teach defense against the dark arts. You brew all things you create much more quickly, and require even fewer reagents to create them. They are universally empowered. You gain a +2 to Wisdom. Requires Mastery Rank 5 and 50 points.