Alembic
Turn a handful of ingredients into a discovery.
A potion-brewing workshop for your Pathfinder Second Edition (PF2e) table’s crafter. Experiment with magical ingredients, follow the clues, and find a better brew. No Pathfinder experience needed.
Four values.
A hidden target.
Every ingredient carries four values, one for each magical tradition: a different source of magic. Mix 1–4 ingredient units and their values add up. Each potion has a hidden target mix; land close enough and it forms. Its strongest tradition has its own tolerance; the other three share an allowance for error. You can repeat ingredients.
Your first brew, then a better one.
The mentor’s mix makes a Healing Potion (Minor). Follow the feedback, then try adding Glowcap to see what changes.
Heartmoss +
Marsh Toad Gland
Healing Potion (Minor)
d20 6 + 14 = 20 vs DC 15 → Success (table roll)
The totals are Arcane 7, Primal 26, Occult 1, Divine 8. Close enough to form 1 potion! “Off by 14” is the total distance from the target. The arrows show Occult and Divine are low: add more of those traditions.
Worked example: a die roll of 6; the perfect mix’s bonus die rolls 2.
Find the mix.
Roll for the batch.
Once a potion forms, roll a d20 (a 20-sided die) and add Wren’s Crafting modifier, the bonus for crafting skill. Meet the DC (difficulty number) to succeed. Alembic rolls for you, or you can enter a die roll from your table.
Wren starts at +14. In the example: 6 + 14 = 20 against DC 15, a success. A perfect mix rewards precision, not just luck.
| Result | Imperfect | Perfect |
|---|---|---|
| Critical success | 2 + a target clue | 2 + 1d3 |
| Success | 1 potion | 1 + 1d3 |
| Failure | 0 (curdled) | 1 salvaged |
| Critical failure | 0 potions | 0 potions |
Meet the DC to succeed; 10 or more above it is a critical success. Below is failure; 10 or more below is critical failure. A natural 20 improves the result one step; a natural 1 worsens it one step.
1d3 means one roll yielding 1–3 extra potions. An imperfect critical success reveals the exact target for your most off-track tradition. Even a failed batch discovers the potion; a perfect mix marks it Perfected.
Not every discovery
is ready to bottle.
“Beyond” means you found a potion but cannot make it yet: the result tells you what is blocking it. “Inert” means nothing formed; a nearby target may leave a hint about which tradition needs more or less.
- Rarity
- How unusual a potion is. Uncommon potions need an uncommon-or-rarer ingredient; rare potions need a rare one. Some also require a specific ingredient.
- Level
- A measure of power. The potion’s level cannot be higher than your crafter’s.
- Crafting rank
- Your skill tier. You need at least trained Crafting; rare potions require master.
- Alchemical Crafting
- A feat (a learned character ability) required to brew any potion. Wren already has it.
Keep your discoveries.
Make the next one.
Your codex is your potion discovery book. The brew log keeps your recent experiments. Your codex automatically saves your best combinations, ready to add back to the bench without rebuilding the mix.
Running the game? Switch to GM (Game Master) view for the person guiding the story. See the answer key and reveal potions to the player without giving away their hidden targets.
This is a homebrew crafting system: custom rules for your table, not the standard Pathfinder crafting rules.