Topic: Potion Making....

[Joshua24601]

I've been playing through The Witcher, an awesome PC RPG I'd recommend to any adult (very adult themed).  The character in the game spends a lot of time collecting ingredients with which to create potions.  Each ingredient be it part of a plant or an organ from a slain monster has a specific (albeit simplified) alchemical ingredient.  Mix the proper ingredients in the right ratio, and you have a potion.  As the game progresses you learn new potion recipes.
One of the neat things about the game is that ingredients are all around, however you must have knowledge of the plants to harvest them, or the know the monster in order to know what parts to use, thus acquiring new knowledge (from books or NPCs) is a constant goal through out the game.

I was wondering if there were any similar rules about alchemy... more specifically potions, in RM.  Most of the potion creating I've seen involves spell lists.  It seems like the spell caster imbues the fluid with his spells... I'm looking for a non-magic... fantasy 'chemistry' approach: A non spell user collects the proper ingredients and cooks them up.

I can of course simply create my own rules.. but I was curious what was out there.

[RandalThor]

A friend of mine does all those supernatural mystery pc games (I cannot remember the name of any right now - of course) and loves them. Now I would probably switch to an online rpg if they had those types of graphics, very nice looking. They would need enough variety of choice in each situation, so much that it would probably be a single disc per "encounter" to keep me interested, though.

[Voriig Kye]

@Joshua24601
Essence Companion has a very detailed list of ingredients from animals and plants and a way to mix them with standard spell casting. Also a Potioner TP if I'm not mistaken.

@RandalThor
This is off topic but... World of Warcraft has nice graphics, and also a Herbalism skill, with which you can harvest different plants. Then they can be made into potions with the Alchemy skill. NPC's and quest rewards give better and more complex recipes, and practicing herbalism allows you to harvest more powerful plants.
Also, the quest system takes into account that when you are looking for a particular item that is part of or carried by an enemy, it will appear in the looting window, whereas it will not be there to pick up if you're not on a quest for said item, since the character doesn't know that it is needed.

[munchy]

Yep, Essence companion is the book to read in. Also, HARP Loot and to a smaller extent College of Magics might be of interest to you as they present a very good approach to this part of magic.

[RandalThor]

Voriig - WoW has OK graphics, still a little cartoony for me to take seriously for very long (same reason I cannot play Toon or Paranoia for more than 1 or 2 sessions). I would need them to be more on par with Gears of War to be worth it. And, eventhough I say I would switch to an online rpg, that is mostly just talk, I like the personal interaction of a game table. I would still just steal the art and images to use in a tabletop game. 

Others - Question: By the game rules, is the max effect for a potion set at 5th level? Like a 5th level spell effect is the best a potion can deliver.

[Dax]

And of course you can make Potion Making a ritual.
You have to know when to add which indigrients, cool it, heat it,
shake it (not stir), tell it stories or sing for it, etc.

Now you have to get recipe as well as the ingredients
(I suppose the recipe in advance).
And like in Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince there might be different (and better) recipe for each potion.

[Joshua24601]

come'on... no one else will vouch for The Witcher's coolness?

There are wonderful things about pen-and-paper role playing, open ended-ness, personal interaction, creativity..... but we gotta have something to do between sessions, aside from re-reading a rulebook for the hundredth time..
..
..
We do, do something besides re-read rule books and post on forums don't we?!?!?

[Joshua24601]

Ohh.. off topic but any WoW players (especially any obsessive types) should check out "The Guild" on youtube.