These rules are a summary of the 5e Dungeons and Dragons Alchemy and potion creation rules. These revised rules for Crafting Magic Items are presented in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, modified as per the creation of expendable items. Note that those rules replace the Item Creation Rules presented in the Dungeon Masters Guide. Additionally, this summary includes modifications made for the Alchemist specialty under the Artificer class.
Arcane Potions
Creating these potions involve skillfully mixing of special ingredients, and imbuing them with powerful magic to achieve the desired effect. Recipes for alchemical potions must be obtained or researched before they can be made and Alchemists typically carry a tome of potions they have acquired the recipes for.
Table 1. Potion Creation
| Rarity | Cost (gp) | Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 25 | 0.5 |
| Uncommon | 100 | 1 |
| Rare | 1,000 | 5 |
| Very rare | 10,000 | 12.5 |
| Legendary | 50,000 | 25 |
Table 2. Alchemist Creations
| Rarity | Cost (gp) | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Common | 12.5 | 1 |
| Uncommon | 50 | 2 |
| Rare | 500 | 9 |
| Very rare | 5,000 | 22 |
| Legendary | 25,000 | 44 |
Mundane Potions
There are a number of basic items that can be created with the simplest alchemy skills. These generally do not involve imbuing potions with magical or mystic properties. They follow simpler and less expensive guidelines for creation detailed below.
Table 3. Simple Creations (Alchemy Kit)
| Item | Creation Cost | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Acid (vial) | 12.5 gp | 0.5 |
| Alchemist’s Fire (flask) | 25 gp | 1 |
| Gunpowder (horn) | 17.5 gp | 0.5 |
Table 4. Simple Creations (Alchemist Sub-class)
| Item | Creation Cost | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Acid (vial) | 7.25 gp | 0.25 |
| Alchemist’s Fire (flask) | 12.5 gp | 0.5 |
| Gunpowder (horn) | 8.75 gp | 0.25 |
The cost to create any of these is half the listed price (a quarter for Artificer Alchemists), and usually take a day to produce (4 per day for Artificer Alchemists).
Foraging & Harvesting Ingredients
I use the following house rules for players interested in harvesting and foraging ingredients to make potions. These are at at the DMs discretion and should be discussed with the group before implementing. The rules are intended to be simple and fast, and leave it to the DM and player to work out description and flavor.
Some rare herbs, roots, or other flora may provide ingredients for Mundane or Arcane potions. Characters proficient with the Herbalist or Alchemist kit may attempt a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check after spending 4 hours foraging. On a success they gather 1d6 GP worth of ingredients. This roll is made with advantage in rich or pristine wilderness, or disadvantage in sparse or depleted areas.
Additionally, characters proficient with Herbalist or Alchemist kit may attempt to harvest alchemical ingredients from some mythic creatures. If allowed, a player may roll a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to harvest 1d10 gp of alchemical ingredients per creature CR rating. Creatures lower than CR 1 may optionally produce 1 gp of ingredients. These ingredients may be of general use or useful for only specific kinds of effects at the DMs discretion.
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