Alchemy

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Alchemy is a group of guild skills for the cleric, empath, sorcerer, and wizard professions. They allow for the creation of certain items through combining ingredients and performing a process on them using certain equipment.

Alchemy was released via the Revenge of the Kiramon quest, which occurred during August and September 2007.

Alchemy is split into three guild skill categories: General Alchemy, Alchemic Potions, and Alchemic Trinkets. General Alchemy is the same for all four pure professions while Potions and Trinkets are different for each profession, the difference being the various recipes taught to the different professions. It is not possible to have a higher rank in Potions and/or Trinkets than in General Alchemy (when the other skills are at the same rank as General Alchemy, the Taskmaster will refuse to give tasks for Potions and/or Trinkets).

For a list of ingredients, see List of alchemy ingredients. For a list of recipes, see List of alchemy recipes.

Success Factors

Global factors for success include guild rank difference (newly learned abilities are more difficult to practice) and your discipline bonus. Factors for success when attempting SIMMER or BOIL, also include your logic bonus and Magical Item Use training. For the remaining, unnamed abilities also include your profession's primary mana stat and relevant Mana Control training.[1]

Alchemy Subsidiary Skills

There are a several skills that one learns by progressing through the ranks of General Alchemy, all accessable through the ALCHEMY verb. These are taught by the Skilled Masters at preset ranks.

Alchemy Seal
Alchemy Seal is the final step in any alchemy recipe. It is the magical process which finalizes and stabilizes the ingredients in a recipe into the final result. It is taught in the first rank of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Boil
Alchemy Boil is one of two methods of heating a concoction in a cauldron. It is taught during the first rank of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Simmer
Alchemy Simmer is one of two methods of heating a concoction in a cauldron. It is taught during the first rank of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Examine
Alchemy Examine is a verb which allows a character to inspect an ingredient, detailing whether or not it is suited for alchemy, as well as if it can be used as a substitute in any recipes for another ingredient. It is taught during the first rank of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Channel
Alchemy Channel allows a character to channel spirit into an ingredient or solution. It is taught at rank 50 of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Chant
Alchemy Chant is a verb which allows a character to infuse a spell into solution. This results in the concoction containing this spell. An alchemist can only chant a spell that they know, limiting the creation of certain items to certain professions. It is performed by entering ALCHEMY CHANT and then the spell number or name of the spell. It is taught at the beginning of Potions or Trinkets.
Alchemy Distill
Alchemy Distill allows a character to distill a liquid in an alembic, removing impurities from it to result in a different liquid. It is taught at rank 15 of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Extract
Alchemy Extract allows a character to put an ingredient into crucible, which cooks away the majority of the ingredient, leaving behind a new one. It is taught at rank 15 of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Infuse
Alchemy Infuse allows a character to instill mana into an ingredient or solution. It is taught at rank 30 of General Alchemy.
Alchemy Refract
Alchemy Refract allows a character to refract light into an ingredient or solution. It is taught at rank 45 of General Alchemy.

Tasks for Alchemy Progression

There are a variety of tasks that can be assigned by the taskmaster for Alchemy. Some of these are limited by one's progress in General Alchemy, and some are only assigned in the potion and trinket skills. A number of repetitions (reps) are assigned along with each task, all of which must be executed before the task is considered complete. The number of reps is also random, but the base increases with increasing ranks. Each completed task will garner an amount of guild training points, and once enough training points are received, a promotion to the next rank is earned. Certain tasks have an inclination to give a higher number of training points, but it still varies considerably. To view current ranks, current task, reps remaining until next task, and points remaining until next rank, use the GLD command.

  • ASK {NPC} ABOUT TRAINING ALCHEMY/POTION/TRINKET once you have completed the reps for your task. This checks in with the administrator, rewarding you training points and a variable amount of experience, usually around 30. Repeat this command to receive your next task.
  • ASK {NPC} ABOUT NEXT ALCHEMY/POTION/TRINKET when the Training Administrator tells you to visit the Guildmaster to receive a promotion. The Guildmaster will award you the next rank, along with 200 experience and 50 fame. Once the Guildmaster has promoted you, return to the Training Administrator to receive your next task.
Make Tough Recipes
This task requires that you make a recipe of sufficient difficulty in your cauldron. Recipe difficulty varies between recipes, but in general, you can expect that if a recipe was taught within ten ranks of your current rank, it will still be "difficult". You cannot use recipes from one of the three skills for any of the others, for example, you could not make a wand from Alchemic Trinkets to get a repetition in General Alchemy or Alchemic Potions.
Use Boil in a Recipe
This task is much like the previous task, however, it requires that you make a recipe that involves the boil subskill of General Alchemy. In all other ways, it is identical.
Use Simmer in a Recipe
Like the boil task, the simmer task is nearly the same as the tough recipe task, however, it requires that you make a recipe that involves the simmer subskill of Alchemy. In all other ways, it is identical.
Use Boil/Simmer/Chant At The Training Cauldrons
These tasks are similar to the previous tasks, in that they require you to make a potion at the training cauldrons. To enter the cauldrons, find where they are located in the guild and GO CAULDRON. This will leave you in a new room with a special cauldron that resists magic. When using ALCHEMY BOIL/SIMMER/CHANT, there is a significant chance that the attempt will fail, requiring you to attempt again. If you try to continue the recipe without succeeding, the recipe will not work, and you will not recieve a repetition. The variant requiring ALCHEMY CHANT will not occur in General Alchemy.
Clean Equipment
This task requires you to get a rag from within the guild and CLEAN CRUCIBLE in the workshops of your guild. This will give between 10 and 20 RT for each one. There are a limited number of crucibles within each guild, and you must wait ten minutes to clean one that you have recently cleaned before you can do it again. However, you can go to guild in another town to continue your repetitions without this limitation.
Polish Lens Assemblies
This task requires you to get a cloth from within the guild and POLISH ASSEMBLY in the workshops of your guild. This will give between 10 and 20 RT for each one. There are a limited number of lens assemblies within each guild, and you must wait ten minutes to polish one that you have recently polished before you can do it again. However, you can go to guild in another town to continue your repetitions without this limitation.
Sweep Workshops
This task requires that you get a broom and pan from within the guild and sweep up piles of dust in the workshops. Just find a pile of dust and SWEEP DUST repeatedly. Each sweeping will incur 5-8 RT, and each pile will take around five sweeps to get it. After this, you will gather it into your pan. It takes around 4 piles to fill a pan. Place the filled pan in the dustbin back in the supply closet, and this will reward one repetition. Haste can be used to speed up this process.
Distill Water
This task requires that you go through the lengthy process of distilling water for the guild using an alembic. This task tends to take a while, and as such, usually only requires a few repetitions. First, one must enter the alchemy workshops and POUR ALEMBIC. This will incur 20 RT, after which you must LIGHT ALEMBIC, which might incur another 10 RT. After this, the alembic will begin to boil the water over the course of about two minutes, during which you do not incur RT, and can do other things while remaining in the same room. Eventually, the alembic will shake with the pressure, and you need to TURN ALEMBIC, which will incur 35 RT. After this, you must wait about two more minutes for the alembic to shake again, when you will TURN it again. After the fire has died down, CLEAN ALEMBIC for another 35 RT, and then GET ALEMBIC, which will incur 10 more RT and finish a repetition. If you perform the wrong verb, wait to long to perform the TURN verb, or do a verb to early, a guild worker will run in and stop you, forcing you to start the task over again.
Grind Ingredients For The Guild
For this task, you need to go to the guild component storage and get one of the stone mortars from within. Then, one by one, GET the ingredients from the shelf, and you will put them in your mortar. Proceed to GRIND the ingredient until it cannot be ground anymore, then GIVE the mortar to the clerk. He will take the ingredient, but leave you with the mortar. Each ingredient counts as a repetition. If there are no more ingredients on the shelf, ASK CLERK ABOUT INGREDIENTS and he will restock them.
Collect Ingredients For The Guild
To complete this task, you need to go to the clerk in the guild component storage and ASK CLERK FOR LIST. He will supply you with a backpack and a scroll inside which details a number of ingredients which he wants you to gather. These ingredients will be a request for 1-9 of any of the following: gems, herbs, foragables, alchemy components, and skins. Some of these may also be requested in a ground up form, which you must do to them with a mortar and pestle once you procure the ingredient itself. Each completed request with the proper amount of the ingredient will constitute one repetition. To turn in your list and backpack, hold the backpack in one hand and the scroll in the other. Then, GIVE SCROLL TO CLERK and he will take both, rewarding you the sufficient number of repetitions. If you have extra items in the backpack, too few, or too many, he will refuse to take it.
If you do not complete the total number of repetitions, but do turn in some of the ingredients, you will have to wait 15 minutes before he will give you a new list. If enough time has elapsed between the time you got the list and the time you turned in the supplies, the wait is reduced or removed. If you cannot collect and of the ingredients, or lose your list and backpack, you must wait 30 minutes before he will give you a new set.
When turned in, the clerk will pay you a fraction of the original cost of the items you give him.
Grind A Variety Of Ingredients
This task requires that you GRIND a number of ingredients of any sort in your mortar. Any ingredients will work, but they each need to be different than the ones you have already done for the task. You do not need to turn in these ground ingredients; it is just a practice task.
Distill Ingredients
For this task, you must distill any ingredient which can be done in the workshops. This is accomplished by holding the ingredient in the right hand and an empty flask in the left hand, and typing ALCHEMY DISTILL in front of an available alembic. This will incur four 10 second RT cycles, and give you the ingredient, which is yours to keep. Each successful distillation results in one repetition.
This task will not be assigned until rank 15 in General Alchemy.
Extract Ingredients
For this task, you must extract any ingredient which can be done in the workshops. This is accomplished by holding the ingredient in the right hand, and typing ALCHEMY EXTRACT in front of an available crucible. This will incur four 10 second RT cycles, and give you the ingredient, which is yours to keep. Each successful extraction results in one repetition.
This task will not be assigned until rank 15 in General Alchemy.
Infuse Ingredients
For this task, you must infuse any ingredient with mana. Each successful infusion results in one repetition.
This task will not be assigned until rank 30 in General Alchemy.
Visit The Skilled Masters For A Lesson
This task is rarely encountered, only at the start of a new rank and only when the skilled masters have a new skill to teach you. Sometimes this will require actually performing the new skill, sometimes it will not. The skilled master will usually teach a new recipe during these, but not always. Either way, it usually only has one repetition, and this is earned either after listening to the full lesson, or performing the new skill taught by the skilled master one time.
Visit The Skilled Masters For Practice
This task is only assigned at the the start of a new rank. Once you go to the skilled master, he or she will ask you to make recipes involving either boiling or simmering, alternating liberally between the two. He or she will take the results of your recipes and pay you a fraction of the cost of their ingredients. It is also possible that you will be taught a new recipe at the start of this task, but it is not a guarantee.

Phase 2

The original release of the Alchemy System constitutes what is known as "Phase 1". "Phase 2" of Alchemy brings the promise of items that have varying uses and unique properties.

Up to this point, many of those who have undertaken Alchemy have been operating under a business plan much akin to that of the Underpants Gnomes from the popular television program South Park:

Phase 1: Master Alchemy

Phase 2: ?

Phase 3: Profit

It remains to be seen whether Phase 2 of Alchemy will indeed pay off for those dedicated few Alchemists who have blazed the trail through Phase 1.

See Also

References

  1. Posted by GM Estild

External Links