The Alchemist - A Dungeon World Compendium Class

I developed this (with my player's help) for the one on one game of Hot Springs Island I'm running. It gives us an excuse to interact with the weird plant life on the island, and gives a solo player access to a wider variety of abilities if they plan ahead.

I've written as a compendium class here, but we used it more like a Class Warfare micro class to build the playbook the player ended up using.

This is partly inspired by the Cauldroneer from an earlier play test versions of Maze Knights by Ben Milton.

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Alchemist

Casting spells? Why would you need to do that? It's all hogwash anyhow. Show me some magical effect that I can't replicate with a careful mixture of heat, time and ingredients and I'll show you a CHARLATAN. Magic's a shortcut, alchemy is the pursuit of a true academic.

Compendium Class

Once you have brewed your first potion, whether through experimentation or following cryptic recipe, you may consider the Alchemist specialty an available compendium class. The next time you level up you may add this specialty to your character instead of choosing a move from your class.

Starting Moves

Extractor 

When you have time and supplies, you may extract the essence of plants, ores, and animal organs to produce nectars, salts, and biles (respectively).

Each 1 load of raw material produces one use of extract.


Brewer

When you have the materials and a safe place to brew, you can create three doses of any potion you have a recipe for.

Alternatively, when you state the effects of a potion you wish to create along with a recipe you propose to achieve that, the GM will tell you what caveats apply to achieve the effect:

• You'll also need ______ as an additional ingredient
• It can only be brewed under the _______ moon.
• It will take hours/days/weeks to brew.
• You can only make one dose at a time.
• You can only produce a limited or reduced version of the potion.
• The potion has a negative consequence or side effect when imbibed.

When you brew a potion for the first time roll+INT:

On a 10+ you produce the potion and record the recipe.

On a 7-9 pick one:

• You actually also needed an additional ingredient, the GM will tell you what. Once you obtain it the potion will be complete.
• It worked, this time. You manage to brew the potion but were unable to record the recipe. The next attempt to brew this potion will still count as the first try.
• You produce less than you expect, you only manage to create one dose of the potion (can only choose this if the recipe would produce multiple doses)

Advanced Moves

Efficient Extractor

 When you extract nectars, salts or biles from an ingredient you produce 1d4 uses rather than just 1.

 Extraction takes half as much time as it would otherwise take.


Opportunistic Harvesting

When you travel through safe lands or undertake a perilous journey and state what ingredients you're on the lookout for you can attempt to harvest in addition to any other role you take. If the GM agrees this is a likely place to find it you obtain 1d4 load of that ingredient by the time you finish the journey.

Potion Expert

Your potions can be applied in ways other than imbibing. As you brew the potion choose what form it takes (gaseous, powder, liquid, etc) and the form of applications (applied, touch, inhaled, etc.)


Bomb Maker (Requires Potion Expert)

You've learned the trick of pressurizing potions as you seal them in bottles.

When the bottles are thrown or shattered they gain the Area tag.


Potion Taster (Expert Move)

When you experience the effects of an existing potion you may ask the GM what extracts would be required to recreate it. The GM will answer honestly (along with any caveats that must be applied to the brewing process).

You may brew this potion as though you already have the recipe.

Potion Master (Expert Move)

When you brew a potion with a recipe you already know, you may substitute one ingredient or processing step with another. Explain why this substitution still achieves the desired effect.