Alchemy Progression¶
Alchemy is learned through Methods, refined through Threads, and mastered through Breakthroughs. These are not the same thing and do not work the same way.
Learning Alchemy always implies: - time spent experimenting - access to tools and materials - exposure to long-term consequences
Alchemy is never casual.
Methods¶
Methods unlock access to a category of alchemical practice. A character without a Method cannot safely create preparations in that category.
Cost: 10 XP each
Methods are purchased like Gifts, subject to narrative access. A character must have a Method before purchasing Threads within it.
Before purchasing a new Method, a character must have at least 2 Threads in each Method they already know. This prevents wide but shallow practice. An alchemist must demonstrate real investment in what they know before branching further.
Alchemy: Adaptation¶
Tag: Alchemy, Method You can create preparations that alter how a system responds to conditions, such as toxins, environments, or stressors. You understand how to reshape tolerance rather than output. Adaptation is subtle, slow, and prone to long-term consequences.
Alchemy: Disruption¶
Tag: Alchemy, Method You can create preparations that interfere with coordination, perception, or biological control systems. You understand how to induce dysfunction without immediate lethality. Disruption preparations often carry ethical and social consequences.
Alchemy: Mimicry¶
Tag: Alchemy, Method You can create preparations that temporarily introduce biological behaviors drawn from other organisms. You understand how to imitate traits without fully transforming the subject. Mimicry is the most dangerous Method and borders on irreversible change.
Alchemy: Stimulation¶
Tag: Alchemy, Method You can create preparations that push biological systems beyond normal limits, granting bursts of strength, speed, endurance, or focus. You understand how to force output at the cost of future stability. Without this Method, Stimulation preparations are dangerously unpredictable.
Alchemy: Suppression¶
Tag: Alchemy, Method You can create preparations that dampen or inhibit biological responses, such as pain, fear, inflammation, or consciousness. You understand how to silence systems without immediately breaking them. Without this Method, Suppression preparations produce erratic results.
Threads¶
Threads are specific techniques and preparations within a Method. They are similar in power to Gifts. A Thread requires the associated Method as a prerequisite. Some Threads also require other Threads.
Cost: 5 XP each
Threads are purchased like Gifts, subject to narrative access. Acquiring a Thread implies familiarity with that particular preparation through practice, study, or guided instruction.
See Alchemy Threads for the full list of available Threads organized by Method.
Breakthroughs¶
Breakthroughs are not purchased. They are earned through mastery of the Channeling skill. As a character's Channeling rank advances, their understanding of alchemical systems deepens in ways that cannot be bought — only practiced.
Breakthroughs apply to all Methods the character knows.
| Channeling Rank | Breakthrough Gained |
|---|---|
| Apprentice | Alchemical Stabilization |
| Journeyman | Controlled Risk |
| Expert | Rapid Preparation |
| Master | Alchemical Insight |
Alchemical Stabilization¶
Prerequisite: Channeling Apprentice You are skilled at slowing degradation in prepared compounds. - Preparations you create remain Stable longer than usual. - You are better able to maintain preparations during travel or stress. This Breakthrough does not prevent degradation entirely.
Controlled Risk¶
Prerequisite: Channeling Journeyman You are practiced in managing side effects and early signs of failure. - You gain clearer warning signs before Dependency sets in. - Side effects from Stable preparations are slightly more predictable. This Breakthrough cannot negate Aberration or Catastrophic Reactions.
Rapid Preparation¶
Prerequisite: Channeling Expert You can prepare simple alchemical compounds more quickly than most. - Allows limited preparation during short downtime. - Increases the likelihood of side effects if rushed. Alchemy prepared under pressure is always riskier.
Alchemical Insight¶
Prerequisite: Channeling Master You have a refined understanding of biological systems and alchemical interactions. - You can more accurately predict interactions between preparations. - You can identify likely outcomes of unfamiliar compounds. - You may ask the GM one honest question about an unknown preparation before deciding whether to use it. This Breakthrough reduces uncertainty, not danger.
Boundaries¶
Methods, Threads, and Breakthroughs do not: - grant recipes automatically - bypass preparation time - remove consequences - allow live spellcasting - eliminate dependency risks
They expand what you are allowed to attempt, not what you are guaranteed to succeed at.
Design Intent¶
The alchemy progression system: - gates access without classes - encourages specialization through consequence - rewards preparation over improvisation - keeps Alchemy parallel to other magic, not subordinate - ensures breadth costs more than depth
An alchemist's strength is measured not by what they can do once, but by what they can survive doing repeatedly.