Last Updated: 250917

This article is a merge, update, and improvement of two prior articles (Potion Creation and What’s Special About Alchemy)

How do PCs create potions? For years I’ve assumed two stages: a) the mage researches the formula, b) the mage creates the potion. But how does it actually work?

To create a potion the magic-user (or cleric) needs:

1. to be at least 7^th
2. employ an alchemist (until above 11^th level) and a lab/workshop
3. possess the basic formula
4. acquire the appropriate special ingredient
5. accept a chance of failure (optional)

Per the DMG: “In order to find out [how to fabricate magic items], they must consult with a sage (q.v.) or a high-level character of the proper profession, the latter being detailed a bit hereafter.”

The Alchemist

Potions may be made by any magic-user of 7th level or above, if he or she enlists the aid of an alchemist (q.v.). At levels above the 11th, such assistance is no longer mandatory, although it will reduce the amount of money and time the player character must spend making the potion by 50% of the compounding/infusing time normally required [above 11th level], as the alchemist will be so employed instead.

Hiring an alchemist as an Expert Hireling (DMG, p. 29) to assist the magic-user requires employment for at least a year (10 – 100 gp hiring bonus plus 300 gp / month), as well as a workshop (DMG, p. 116). Constructing a workshop costs 200 gp – 1000 gp, based on the relative availability of the tradesmen and goods necessary to complete the work room and stock it properly. In addition, upkeep requires a further monthly outlay of 10% of the total laboratory cost, exclusive of any special provisions or protections, in order to stock basic fuel and supplies, replace broken equipment, and so on.

The Daily Alchemist (Optional)

What if the DM permits hiring an alchemist short-term as an independent contractor to work with their magic-user? The alchemist’s base monthly rate of 300 gp is a starting point to determine the cost of an independent contractor alchemist. A modern baseline for an hourly rate for hiring a professional is: normal Annual Salary / 2080 hours x 2, where expenses are included in that rate (they do have a lab to maintain!). Let’s assume our medieval alchemists have 10-hour days. Our alchemist costs 3600 gp / year salaried, which would be (3600 / 2600) × 2, or 30 gp / day as a contractor, 150 gp / week, 600 gp / month. Assume our average alchemist works on a weekly rate for any measurement in weeks, and a daily rate for work calculated in days. The alchemist would need to live somewhere large enough to stay in business.

If the alchemist runs their own lab, the cost of lab overhead needs to be considered when determining the cost of hiring short-term. An alchemist’s lab, per Player’s Option: Spells and Magic (S&M), costs 65 gp/month rental for the floor space. The 10% maintenance (to stock basic fuel and supplies, replace broken equipment, and so on) averages to another 60 gp/month. Average monthly operating costs for an alchemist therefore would be 65 gp/month (rental) + 60 gp/month (maintenance), or 125 gp /month, 21% of his monthly rate, close enough to the operating expenses of a modern independent contractor to help validate the math—the lab cost should be included in the alchemist’s short-term rate.

The Formula

In order to avoid the length and complication of separate formulae for each type of potion, the following simple system is given … to concoct the basic formula – with rare herbs and spices and even more exotic ingredients (DMG, p. 116).

While potions can be compounded by magic-user/alchemist teams at a relatively low cost, they must have an actual potion to obtain the formula for each type… (DMG, p. 125).

There aren’t complicated formulas for different potions. Instead, each potion is composed of a basic (e.g. semi-universal) formula, and a special ingredient.

“Both the cost in gold pieces and the days of compounding and infusing are determined by use of the xp award amounts. The xp for a given potion is the amount of gold pieces the magic-user must pay in order to concoct the [initial] basic formula. Each hundred or fraction thereof indicates one full day of compounding time to manufacture the liquid, i.e., 250 xp = 250 gp basic costs and 3 full days of time.”

The weighted average xp value of a potion is 367 xp. Each 100 xp (or fraction thereof) equals 100 gp and one full day of time to brew a potion, i.e., 367 xp = 400 gp average basic costs and 4 full days.

Most important to the manufacture of a potion is the substance of its power, the special ingredient (DMG, p. 125).

The special ingredient is determined from an existing vial of the potion (DMG, p. 116). If not available, Commune or Contact Another Plane could find the formula. It’s far cheaper to have the potion on hand given the cost of NPC spell casting (1000 gp + 500 gp / question for Commune, 1000 gp for Contact Another Plane (UA)), especially since someone also has to be found willing to cast those spells. Clerics can only cast Commune infrequently, and NPC mages are unlikely to desire risking insanity or death!

The DMG does not define the cost of this ingredient. The PCs gathering the special ingredient(s) themselves is the most obvious solution. There’s an obvious correlation of the gp value of a potion and the special ingredient(s) required to construct it. We’ll return to this cost after considering potion economics.

The cost and time required to brew the potion:

• Each 100 xp (or fraction thereof) indicates 100 gp and one full day of time to brew a potion;
• The cost of the alchemist and lab for each day (150 gp/week contractor rate for a 5-day week);
• The as-yet-unknown cost of the special ingredient.

Failure (Optional)

The DMG suggests “alternatively, a 5% to 20% failure percentage can be assigned to all potion manufacture, and those which are failures become delusion potions of the sort which was being attempted…” How to know exactly what specific chance of failure to assign for a particular potion? Looking at the cost of potions, a 2% chance of failure for each 100 xp value (or part thereof) provides a failure rate of 4% to 20%. With a weighted average xp value of 367, that works out to be an average 8% failure rate.

Here’s another alternative to all failed potions are delusion, based on the Potion Miscibility Table (DMG, p. 119) (see also White Box: Men & Magic and Dragon #130):

01	EXPLOSION! Those in a 10’ radius take 4-24 hit points, no save.
02-03	A poison gas cloud of 10’ diameter; all within it must save versus poison or die.
04-08	Mild poison which causes nausea and loss of 1 point each of strength and dexterity for 5-20 rounds, no saving throw possible.
09-15	Potion totally destroyed.
16-25	Potion ruined (potion of delusion).
26-35	Potion at 50% normal efficacy.
36-90	Ruined.
91-99	Potion has 150% normal efficacy (You must determine if both effect and duration are permissible, or if only the duration should be extended.)
100	DISCOVERY! The potion will be permanent (with harmful side effects).

 

The Special Ingredient

There are suggested special ingredients in the DMG (pp. 116-117) and Dragon #130, without any means of calculating their value. In summary so far:

• Average cost to create potion (with an alchemist and lab): For each 100 xp (average 367 xp), 1 day and 100 gp (materials) + 30 gp/day (alchemist), or an average of 520 gp.
• Average gp value of potion: 924 gp.

At this point creating the average potion has an average net profit of 404 gp, or 44%! However, we haven’t accounted for the cost of the special ingredient, nor considered an average 8% failure rate when creating potions.

Presuming an alchemist can’t stop mid-potion, if working 5 days a week in a 52-week year, our alchemist can only produce 52 potions / year that take 4 days. Taking into account the average 8% failure rate, they will produce an average of 48 successful potions / year.

Assuming a 10% return on the investment, the average cost formula becomes (assuming an average failure rate of 8%):

(Sales Price × 48) – ((Material Cost + Alchemist Cost + Special Ingredient Cost) × 52) = 10% (Material Cost + Alchemist Cost + Special Ingredient Cost)

OR

( 924 × 48 ) – ( ( 400 + 120 + Special Ingredient ) × 52 ) = 10% × ( 400 + 120 + Special Ingredient )
44352 – ( ( 520 + Special Ingredient ) × 52 ) = .1 × (520 + Special Ingredient)
44352 – ( 27040 ) – ( 52 × Special Ingredient ) = 52 + (.1 × Special Ingredient)
17312 – ( 52 × Special Ingredient ) = 52 + (.1 × Special Ingredient)
17312 – 52 = 52.1 × Special Ingredient
17260 = 52.1 × Special Ingredient
331 gp = Special Ingredient

331 gp is 36% of the potion’s average sale price of 924 gp, providing an average value of the special ingredient (or ingredients) purchased in any potion created: 36% of the sale price.

The special ingredient cost can also be used to determine the street value of the special ingredient. Assume a 50% markup before being purchased by a wholesaler selling alchemical components, or an average of 221 gp.

Final results for manufacturing a potion for a 7^th level MU, with the help of an alchemist:

Cost to create potion, assuming a 10% profit margin for the alchemist hired to create the potion: xp value in gold [Average 367 gp] + 36% of the average sale price of the potion (special ingredient) [333 gp] + 30 gp/day (alchemist). Takes 1 day / each 100 xp of potion [average 4 days], average cost 820 gp.

Chance of failure for each potion: 2% for each 100 xp value of the potion.

The standard sale price for a potion is, of course, in the DMG.

The cost of the special ingredient if available: 36% of gp cost of potion in the DMG. If not purchased, it’s up to the PCs to acquire. Extending that data to components required for other magic items, a baseline of ~36% of the cost of magic item creation is the materials.

Alchemist Summary

• 10-100 gp hiring bonus + 300 gp / month for at least a year plus building a lab: 200-1000 gp + 10% of the cost / month
• Alternately, hiring an alchemist for 30 gp / day, 150 gp / week
• Manufacturing: 1 day for each 100 xp (or fraction thereof), at a cost in gp of the xp value, + 36% of the gp value of the potion (the special ingredient).
• Chance of failure: 2% for each 100 xp value of the potion.

Bibliography

Dungeons & Dragons, Vol. 1: Men & Magic, 1974.
Dungeon Masters Guide [1e], 1979.
Dragon Magazine #2, August 1976. “A new D&D Character Class: The Alchemist”.
Dragon Magazine #46, January 1981. “…and one who seems the perfect mix”.
Dragon Magazine #49, May 1981. “A recipe for the Alchemist”.
Dragon Magazine #130, Feb., 1988. “Better Living Through Alchemy. Poison and Potions: The alchemist NPC class”.
Player’s Option: Skills & Powers, 1995.
Player’s Option: Spells & Magic, 1996.

Appendix

In addition to the Alchemist expert hireling in the DMG, Dragon magazine includes not one but four different variations of the alchemist (#2, #46, #49, #130). The alchemist is also discussed in the 2e Player’s Options (Skills & Powers, Spells & Magic):

Dragon #2, 1976 (D&D)
Lists potions by level of difficulty to create.
Potions require 200 gp + 1 week/level of potion to produce.
Research costs are the same as that for a MU researching spells.
40% more likely to create a potion formula with an example.
Lists potions by level, and several new potions.

Dragon #46, January 1981
Specialist alchemists.
Monthly salary of 30-120 gp + 10,000 gp for the lab.
Potion identification costs 100-150 gp/day, identifying potions (at xp/100 hours) with ~95% accuracy.

Dragon #49, May 1981
Lists potions by difficulty to create.
Alchemists as a spell-casting class.
Substituting ingredients increases chance of failure.
Various effects of failed potions.

Dragon #130, Feb. 1988
An extended article on the Alchemist class, which divides the potions into “levels” for a different method of determining the cost of the potion formula. The article includes other suggestions, such as: an expanded list of special ingredients for particular potions; a different Failure Table; a much higher rate of potion creation (one level of potion/day per alchemist level); and limiting the level of potion creation by the level of alchemist.

Player’s Option: Skills & Powers, 1995.
Alchemist