Alchemists
Karl
is an example Alchemist.
Alchemists are practitioners of a highly specialized form of Hermetic magic known formally as Ars Khumeia, but colloquially known simply as Alchemy. Dedicated Alchemists do not work spontaneous magic, instead crafting potions, elixirs, salves, and other consumed or topically applied substances...ideally in the safety of their workshops and sanctums. When prepared Alchemists can be surprisingly adaptable and should not be underestimated.
In modern times some Alchemists practice another form of magic in addition to Alchemy, and thus those who solely pursue Alchemy with singular dedication are about as likely to be encountered as Wizards who dabble in making potions and such, Artificer-Alchemists, and other types of Mystics who combine some skill in a more active art with their Alchemical pursuits.
Vocation
The basis of Alchemical practice is represented on a character by taking the Alchemist Vocation at a step appropriate to the character's level of mastery. An apprentice would take the Alchemist Vocation at a d4, a journeyman at a d6, a master at a d8, and a grandmaster at a d10.
Alchemist
Alchemy is a magical artificing discipline that concerns itself with various practical and esoteric disciplines.
Most notably Alchemists make concoctions such as potions and a bewildering array of dusts, oils, traps, and bombs. Doing serious alchemy
generally requires specialized equipment and materials but not always.
The Alchemist Vocation allows the following special Exploits:
Vocational Variations
Some Alchemists take one or more Signature Exploits for their Alchemist Vocation to represent a personal quirk or specialization. This option offers an economical (in terms of Advances) and fun way to differentiate and add nuance to an Alchemist; some thematically appropriate examples are provided below.
Signature Exploit: You may double a trait from an Alchemical Asset when adding it to one of your dice pools; if you do you may include one additional die in your total.
Signature Exploit: You may triple an Alchemical Asset and use it as a magical bomb targetting an adjacent zone, keeping up to three additional dice of effect. If you do, remove the Asset from play.
Signature Exploit: Ignore a Ego Stress or Trauma result caused by poison or other toxins.
Alchemical Assets
The Assets created by the Alchemical Vocation explicitly provide broad justification to grant the benefits of an Ability Trait to the person who consumes or applies the Asset, so long as it is within concept and makes narrative sense. For instance, an Alchemical Asset defined as a Potion of Flight can reasonably grant the Flight Ability trait to the person who drinks it, and an Alchemical Asset defined as a Salve of Fire Resistance can reasonably grant the person or thing upon which it is applied the Durability Ability trait (limited to work vs. heat and flame).
Alchemical Assets are conceptually consumed when used, but it is not unreasonable for an Alchemist to have an Asset that represents a limited supply of multiple identical items and thus the Asset can be used many times until removed from play; if this is allowed such a limited supply Alchemical Asset can be exhausted and removed from play by an opponent or the GM activating an opportunity rolled in a dice pool that included the Asset.
Alchemical Assets can also be used as narrative justification for certain things during Transition Scenes when it makes sense; for instance a Alchemical Potion of Truthtelling might be used to narratively justify rendering an NPC forced or tricked into drinking it unable to lie for a Scene.
Milestones
Because Alchemists depend so much on exploiting their Alchemist Vocation to put Alchemical Assets into play, it is recommend that players of Alchemists consider the "gain an Exploit invocation for one your Vocations" Reward option when defining their character Milestones. Fulfilling their Milestone goals then offers their Alchemist character an opportunity to gain more invokes on their Alchemist Vocation during play.
Similarly, the "Gain a d6 Asset" or "Gain a d8 Asset" Reward options can be taken by an Alchemist and be interpreted as granting an Alchemical Asset which can be put into play and used immediately. Taking advantage of these options can really help support an Alchemist's character concept.
Ability Sets
Alchemists focus fairly heavily on Assets and the use of the Alchemist Vocation, however all Alchemists have at least a Mystic Ability Set and some also have an Alchemy focused Ability Set that represent their advanced competency.
Mystic Ability Set
Alchemists are first and foremost Mystics, and thus all Alchemists without exception have a Mystic Ability Set, in which various Ability traits and the Supernatural Aura Limit that is common to Mystics are contained. Though individuals vary in the exact composition of their Mystic Ability Set, the most common basic Mystic Ability Set is provided below.
Mystic
Senses: d6
Stamina: d6
Warding: d6
Willpower: d6
Limit: Supernatural Aura: You have a supernatural aura that is detectable by those with special senses. Gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you.
It is very common for more advanced practitioners to focus on so-called Internal Alchemy, through which they can develop superhuman qualities including but not limited to various forms of immortality, becoming resistant or even immune to mundane harm, and other more subtle and esoteric powers. This can be represented by taking additional Ability traits and / or SFX in a character's Mystic Ability Set. Fortitude, Durability, and Strength are relatively common, while more remarkable abilities such as Shapeshifting and Intangibility are not unheard of. It is also not uncommon for those focusing on Internal Alchemy to have superhumanly high steps of Stamina, Willpower, Warding, and / or Senses.
Some Alchemists require regular consumption of one or more Alchemical substances to maintain some or all of their Mystic Ability traits. For instance,
Karl (the iconic Alchemist) has a Limitation in his Mystic Ability Set which puts a thematic restriction on maintaining his Stamina trait.
Mutagens Ability Set
Some Alchemists develop personalized mutagens, designed for their particular physiology. It takes time, experimentation, and occasional painful failures to develop concoctions that work, and to develop a resistance to the dangerous and potentially even toxic substances necessary to activate and sustain various exotic abilities. The Mimic Ability trait can be taken in an Alchemical Mutagens Ability Set to represent this practice.
An example is provided of a common version of such an Ability Set, but individual Alchemists who pursue this sub-discipline of Alchemy differ in how many Mimic Ability traits (and at what step) they have, and may also have additional SFX and / or Limitations in their versions of this idea. Having two or more separate Mimic Ability traits allows an Alchemist to have multiple mutagens affecting them simultaneously, or one very complex mutagen as best fits the narrative.
Alchemical Mutagens
Limit: Personal Alchemy: This Ability Set's Mimic trait can only emulate Innate, Defensive, or Metamorphic traits, and you need access to your alchemical materials and either a Transition Scene or at least a couple panels of time spent to switch it to a different trait. However, once set, it will remain usable without need for maintenance for potentially days.
Limit: Supernatural Aura: You always have a supernatural aura, but when actively using this Ability Set's Mimic trait(s) your aura is particularly intense and extremely noticeable from further away. Additionally, even when you are not actively using the Mimic trait(s) those with appropriate senses may be able to sense what sort of capabilities you currently have available by detecting relevant changes in your aura. Gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you.
Bombs Ability Set
Assets can be used to represent consumable Alchemical bombs quite easily, but some Alchemists specialize in carrying extra potent Alchemical bombs (or even concocting on them on the fly from raw materials!) of various kinds, and represent their advanced specialization with an Alchemical Bombs Ability Set. An example Ability Set is provided as a very basic representation for this notion using the Ranged trait and the Area Attack SFX, but individual Alchemists may have a more extensive repertoire of bombs and use other Ability traits and / or SFX to represent things like gas, acid, freezing, burning, and other such fancy kinds of bombs.
Alchemical Bombs
SFX: Area Attack: When taking an attack action using one of this Ability Set's traits you may target multiple opponents; for each additional target add a d6 to your dice pool and keep an additional effect die.
Limit: Restrainable: You cannot use traits or SFX from this Ability Set if you are physically restrained and / or lack access to necessary materials. Gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you.
Limit: Gear: This Ability Set's traits are shut down if one or more items of gear are unavailable or rendered inoperable; gain one (1) Plot Point when this becomes a Complication for you. You may recover traits shut down in this way when it is appropriate to the narrative; this may require you to activate an opportunity or take an action against the doom pool at the GM's discretion.