House Rules - Alchemical Equipment

Alchemical Equipment

Item	Cost	Weight
Alembic	10 shillings	5 lbs.
Balance	35 shillings	8 lbs.
Balm Jar, Ceramic	2 pennies	-
Bellows	50 shillings	15 lbs.
Bellows, Double	100 shillings	30 lbs.
Bottle, Ceramic	4 pennies	-
Bottle, Glass	1 shilling	-
Brazier	4 shillings	1 lb.
Centrifuge	35 shillings	12 lbs.
Centrifuge, Masterwork	160 shillings	20 lbs.
Cauldron, Small	75 shillings	30 lbs.
Cauldron, Large	120 shillings	60 lbs.
Eyedropper	50 shillings	-
File Set	8 pennies	-
Graduated Beakers	25 shillings	1 lb.
Graphite	1 bit	-
Hourglass	12 shillings	4 lbs.
Kiln	10-80 shillings	5-40 lbs.
Knife Set	150 shillings	5 lbs.
Mortar and Pestle	5 bits	5 lbs.
Notepad	30 shillings	1 lb.
Quayneth's Treatise of the Elements	5,000+ shillings	12 lbs.
Slate	1-50 shillings	3-150 lbs.
Syringe, Glass	20 shillings	-
Syringe, Pewter	8 shillings	-
Tongs	8 pennies	2 lbs.
Vial, Ceramic	2 pennies	-
Vise	20 shillings	20 lbs.

This list of equipment is not of actual alchemical concoctions, but rather items mostly used in the creation of alchemical items. Much of this equipment is part of a standard Alchemist's Lab (see the Player's Handbook, page 128), but these are listed here should any characters wish to purchase these items a la carte. Although this equipment is primarily going to be of interest to alchemists, enterprising adventurers may be able to find ways to use some of these items for other useful purposes.

This list uses several abbreviations to show what sourcebook the entries were drawn from. For guidance as to what sourcebooks these abbreviations reference, see my key to Sourcebook Abbreviations.

All of the material contained on this page and all other pages of this blog is presented in accordance with the terms of the Open Game License.

Item Descriptions

Alembic: (Path of the Magi) This device is used to distill water and other liquids. One large sealed glass bottle has a tube that curves down from near its lip and hangs over a shorter bottle (also provided). By heating the larger bottle, water vapor rises to the top, condenses, and drips into the catching bottle. An alembic is included in a standard alchemist's lab. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Glassblowing DC 25.

Balance: (Path of the Magi) Used to measure the needed amount of asubstance, the balance consists of two trays hung from a free moving cross arm. When the trays are of equal weight they sit at a horizontal plane, when one tray is heavier it sinks below the other. An alchemist's lab contains a balance. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 20.

Balm Jar, Ceramic: (Path of the Magi) Because of the small size of this item, it suffers no penalty for the brittleness of ceramics. Like all ceramic items, it offers fire and heat protection to its contents. The ceramic balm jar has fire resistance 3. A ceramic jar fits easily in the palm of a hand, and has a lid held in place with metal tensioners. Craft: Ceramics DC 10.

Bellows: (Path of the Magi) These items fuel many forges and smaller fires. The standard bellows is made of a thin leather bladder with a one-way flap to allow air to enter, a set of handles to open and close the bladder, and an exit hole from which the air is forced. A standard bellows is provided in an alchemist's lab. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Leatherworking DC 15.

Bellows, Double: (Path of the Magi) A double bellows has two chambers, the larger bottom bladder pushes the air into the upper chamber as it fills. The upper chamber is topped by a board, which acts as a weight to exert constant pressure and provide a steady stream of air out of the exit hole. Double bellows give the forges they are attache dto a more constant flow of air, therefore increasing their effectiveness. This item is not included in a standard alchemist's lab, but may be purchased sepoarately for inclusion. A double bellows gives a +1 equipment bonus to any character using a forge to work metal. Craft: Leatherworking DC 25.

Bottle, Ceramic: (Path of the Magi) This is a cheaper alternative to a glass bottle. While more resistant to heat, it is far more brittle. A ceramic bottle has fire resistance 3, but suffers a -1 penalty to any saves to avoid shattering. Craft: Ceramics DC 12.

Bottle, Glass: (Path of the Magi) A standard alchemist's lab contains fifty of these bottles, sized for holding potions. These bottles can serve as replacements. Craft: Glassblowing DC 12.

Brazier: (Path of the Magi) This item consists of a shallow metal bowl on three legs. Items placed in the brazier are either burned from a small fire within the shallow bowl itself or heated from a burner or small fire underneath. Several standard braziers are contained within a standard alchemist's lab. They can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 10.

Centrifuge: (Path of the Magi) Two arms spread out from a well-oiled gear mechanism at the base of this device. Numerous clasps at the end of each arm allow the uder to attach various bottles and vials. A hand crank turns a gear system that rotates the arms at constant speed. An alchemist's lab contains one centrifuge. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 20.

Centrifuge, Masterwork: (Path of the Magi) As a standard centrifuge, but this item comes with four arms, an attachable foot pedal, and a more advanced gear system that allows the user control over the spinning speed of the arms. Craft: Blackmsithing DC 25.

Cauldron, Small: (Path of the Magi) The cauldron is a heavy pot typically made of iron or steel. Elaborate cauldrons are sometimes made of pewter or other lower-melting metals - these are meant mostly as decorations or to be magically enhanced. Using such a decorative item as a work cauldron usually destroys it. A small cauldron holds 10 gallons of liquid. Two small cauldrons are included in an alchemist's lab. They can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 10.

Cauldron, Large: (Path of the Magi) The cauldron is a heavy pot typically made of iron or steel. Elaborate cauldrons are sometimes made of pewter or other lower-melting metals - these are meant mostly as decorations or to be magically enhanced. Using such a decorative item as a work cauldron usually destroys it. A large cauldron holds 50 gallons of liquid. A large cauldron is included in an alchemist's lab. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 15.

Eyedropper: (Path of the Magi) A tiny tool consisting of a slender glass tube that tapers to a narrow apperture at one end with a bulb of air-filled animal skin stretched over the other. An eyedropper is used to apply droplets of alchemical substances into the eyes of a subject creature. Craft: Alchemy DC 25 and Craft: Glassblowing DC 15.

File Set: (Path of the Magi) Useful for rendering a component into powder or for taking a spefici amount of a solid material for use, this set of five files is included in a standard alchemist's lab. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 15.

Graduated Beakers: (Path of the Magi) A beaker is a tall glass cylinder with equally spaced marks to aid in the measurement of a set amount of liquid or powder. This set of beakers, precisely marked to allow for accurate meaurements, comes in a number of sizes. For the price and weight listed, the following sets of beakers are available: Eight 2-ounce beakers, four 1-quart beakers, two 2-quart beakers, or one 1-gallon beaker. A standard alchemy lab contains one of each set. They can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Glassblowing DC 25.

Graphite: (Path of the Magi) A stick of graphite is a pencil without the wood covering. It is more water resistant than common inks, and is sometimes used in the place of ink in journals, spellbooks, and the like. Craft: Any DC 5.

Hourglass: (Path of the Magi) Many individuals need to track the passage of time. Hourglasses may be purchased to accurately measure minutes, hours, or days. The hourglass listed is a standard, unadorned measurer. It can be purchased to track minutes or hours; daily hourglasses are double the cost. Two 1-hour mearuing hourglasses are provided in a standard alchemist's lab. Craft: Glassblowing DC 20.

Kiln: (Path of the Magi) A small, brick-lined metal case, a kiln can be used to heat small amounts of metal with low-melting temperatures such as pewter, copper, gold, silver, and lead. The weight of the kiln is proportional to its size; one pound of weight equates to one cubic inch of space inside the kiln. Kilns require a fire at their base to heat up and melt the metal within. Craft: Ceramics DC 10.

Knife Set: (Path of the Magi) Cutting blades of various shapes and sizes are offered in this set, including two small paring knives, a butcher knife, a cleaver, three medium-sized cooking knifes, and a serrated blade. An alchemist's lab comes with this standard knife set. It can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 25.

Mortar and Pestle: (Path of the Magi) Any bowl-shaped item and rounded stone can act as a mortar and pestle, but the set listed here is specifically crafted for grinding. More elaborate sets, which work no better than this one, are available. An alchemist's lab contains two of these standard mortar and pestle sets. They can be purchased separately, which is usually done to replace a worn or broken piece. No Craft DC.

Notepad: (Path of the Magi) Thirty sheets of paper, half the standard size, make up this pad - ideal or jotting down quick notes. A piece of balsa wood acts as a hard back for the papers, so the user may write standing up. The paper and balsa wood back are tied together with a strong leather cord at one end. Craft: Bookbinding DC 5.

Quayneth's Treatise of the Elements: (Mercenaries) This rare tome provides alchemists and sages with detailed theories and complete lists of alchemical ingredients, listing properties and weights to exacting detail. It includes information on such rare herbs as sprig grass, ranith's weed, and whisper petals as well ass the ggs, liquids, minreals, seeds, and tonics from the realms of Berneth, Tohrin, and Westervale. The tome weighs a dozen pouns, includes hundreds and tables and charts, and is considered the pinnacle of alchemical research. The book is written in alchemical cant. Using this tome doubles the length of time it takes to concoct alchemical potions and elixirs, but provides a +2 circumstance bonus to all Craft: Alchemy skill checks. This bonus stacks with that granted by an alchemy lab. Copies of this book are very rare and they cost at least 5,000 shillings when found, but some people have been known to spend as much as 10,000 shillings just to locate one. Inaccurate reprints are known to exist and the repercussions of using such a book are quite obvious.

Slate: (Path of the Magi) A solid sheet of black or green slate is useful for writing on with chalk. Many sizes are available, from the lap-friendly 1 gold piece slate ro the wall-mounted 50 gold piece version. The price correcponds to the size in square feet, while the weight is triple the size in pounds. Thus, a 25 gol piece sheet opf slat will have a surface area of 25 square feet and weigh 75 pounds. The standard alchemist's lab has two 10 gold piece sheets of slate included. Craft: Stonemason DC 10.

Syringe, Glass: (Path of the Magi) A glass syringe is a small glass tube with a hollow metal needle attached to one end with a glass or wooden plunger at the other end. Pressing on the plunger forces the liquid within the syringe through the metal needle, Large enough to hold an entire potion or other vial of liquid, the glass syringe is quite useful for injecting a subject with liquid. A normal attack can be made against an unwilling unarmored target to inject it with whatever the syringe contains. The syringe cannot penetrate any kind of armor, making it useless against armored foes. On an attack roll of a natural 1, the syringe is rendered useless - either the glass tube shattered or the needle snapped off. A syringe is considered to be an Exotic Weapon. Craft: Glassblowing DC 20.

Syringe, Pewter: (Path of the Magi) A pewter syringe is a small glass tube with a hollow metal needle attached to one end with a pewter or wooden plunger at the other end. Pressing on the plunger forces the liquid within the syringe through the metal needle, Large enough to hold an entire potion or other vial of liquid, the pewter syringe is quite useful for injecting a subject with liquid. A normal attack can be made against an unwilling unarmored target to inject it with whatever the syringe contains. The syringe cannot penetrate any kind of armor, making it useless against armored foes. On an attack roll of a natural 1, the syringe is rendered useless - usually because the needle snapped off. A syringe is considered to be an Exotic Weapon. Craft: Pewtersmithing DC 12.

Tongs: (Path of the Magi) A set of tongs is a metal tool that looks like a pair of long-handled spoons attached at the back ends of the handles. These long tongs are made for pulling things out of kilns or forges. Two pairs of tongs are included in a standard alchemist's lab. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 15 and Craft: Carpentry DC 15.

Vial, Ceramic: (Path of the Magi) A ceramic vial holds 1 ounce of liquid. The stoppered container usually is no more than 1 inch wide and 3 inches high. A ceramic vial suffers from brittleness while at the same time providing superior fire and heat protection. The ceramic vial has fire resistance 3, but suffers a -1 penalty when saving to prevent shattering. Craft: Ceramics DC 14.

Vise: (Path of the Magi) A vise is a solid metal clamping device with two jaws that can be brought together either with a large screw mechanism or via levers. This is a light vise more useful to those working with gold and silver than for blacksmiths. For an additional 10 gold pieces and 2 pounds, a small anvil can be fitted on the backside of the vise. An alchemist's lab contains a vise, without the anvil attachment. Craft: Blacksmithing DC 24.

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