Potion Crafting System
 For example, if I wanted to draw out a black dragon scale's
Potion Crafting System
The following is intended to provide a potion-crafting system that
strikes a good balance between "simple" and "flexible." Note that
proficiency in alchemist's supplies or herbalism kits, plus 1 hour of
actual crafting, is required to craft a potion. Alternatively, the GM
might allow proficiency in healer's kits or poisoner's kits to craft
particular kinds of potions, or modify some potions' crafting times.
Ingredients for Potions
Every potion requires a minimum of 3–4 ingredients in order to
successfully craft it. This is because each ingredient is used to
determine one of four particular traits.
The first of these traits, potency, is used to determine which
effect(s) can be drawn out from an ingredient used to grant a
potion's effects. This trait is only important for the crafting of
potions, not for the actual use of the potion.
The second trait, duration, is used to determine how long a
potion's effects last once the potion is used.
The third trait, susceptibility, is used to determine the saving
throw DC for resisting a potion's effects. This trait is only necessary
for potions that are used to harm others, rather than benefit
yourself, and as such doesn't require an ingredient if the potion
you're making is purely beneficial.
Finally, the effect trait is used to determine what a potion
actually does when it's consumed or used to harm another. As will
be explained in more detail below, potions only ever use one
ingredient to determine their effects—though this doesn't mean a
potion can't have multiple effects, if an ingredient with a high
potency score is used to to draw out multiple effects from the
ingredient used to determine the potion's effect(s).
Keep in mind that each of these traits requires a separate
ingredient. For example, if I include a skullfish in my potion's
ingredients, I can use it to determine the potion's duration or
susceptibility score or effect, not all three. Of course, if I have
three skullfish, I could apply one each to determine these traits for
my potion, plus nightshade to fulfill my potency requirement!
Potion & Ingredients Traits
Potions are easy to drink, but harder to make. Oddly enough, this
is why many individuals devote themselves to the study and
brewing of potions as a paid vocation.
When it comes to crafting potions, every potion ends up with
two base traits: 1–3 effects and the duration for those effects.
Some potions also have a third trait called susceptibility, which
measures the strength of effects meant to harm rather than
provide benefits. These traits are described in more detail below.
Potency
As mentioned above, potency is the only ingredient trait that's
only important when you're crafting a potion. As we'll see in the
"Effect" section, some ingredients come with multiple possible
effects, often ranging from minor to major effects. Potency is the
trait that helps determine which ones actually apply to a potion.
Essentially, the ingredient used for the potency trait draws out
one or more effects from the ingredient used for a potion's effect
trait. Most ingredients on the Ingredients Characteristics table at
the end of this document have a potency score of 1–5. Similarly,
ingredients with listed effects have a score next to them, also
ranging 1–5. In order to draw out one or more of these effects, the
ingredient used for a potion's potency requirement must equal or
exceed the score for the effect(s) you wish to draw out.
"resistance to acid" and "blindsight 30 ft." effects, I would need my
potency ingredient to have a potency score of at least 3, like a
griffon claw: 1 for "resistance to acid" plus 2 for "blindsight 30 ft."
Duration
Duration is the simplest potion trait to understand, as it
determines how long a potion's effect lasts. Most ingredients have
a duration score of 1–5, which determines how long a potion's
effects will last if that ingredient is used to grant the potion's
duration.
Duration Score Duration
1 1 minute
2 10 minutes
3 1 hour
4 2 hours
5 4 hours
Susceptibility
Susceptibility is a trait used to measure how difficult it is to resist a
harmful potion's effects. Most ingredients have a susceptibility
score of 1–5, which determines the saving throw DC for resisting a
potion's effects if that ingredient is used to grant the potion's
susceptibility score.
A potion with a susceptibility score can be applied to one
slashing or piercing weapon or one piece of ammunition, as well
as added to food or drink. Unless its ingredients specify otherwise,
such a potion always imposes a Constitution saving throw.
Susceptibility Score Save DC
1 13
2 14
3 15
4 16
5 17
Effect
"Too many ingredients spoils the potion. If you try to make yourself
super smart and fireproof, you're more likely to find yourself
bleeding out of your ears. And that's if you're lucky and don't
explode instead, mind you."
Each potion you craft can only use one ingredient to determine
its effect(s). As explained in the sections above, some ingredients
do have the potential to grant a potion up to 3 effects, but
multiple effects can only be drawn out if the ingredient used for
your potency requirement has a high enough potency score to
equal or exceed the cumulative scores of the effect(s) you're trying
to imbue. Examples of this are described above at the end of the
"Potency" section and below in the "Let's Make a Potion!" section.
An ingredient's effects can be discerned with a suitable
Intelligence skill check, information from an NPC, or from trial-
and-error. This can also be achieved by making a Wisdom
(Survival) check to carefully taste the ingredient. Doing so also
subjects the taster to the ingredient's first effect, so taste wisely!
Note that some ingredients have "cursed" effects that are
automatically added to a potion's effects when you add any of
their other effects, regardless of whether you want them or not.
These "cursed ingredients" are something to be careful of, but are
just as useful as any other to an experienced potion brewer.
Ingredient Rarities & Costs
All ingredients have a rarity, as listed on the Ingredients
Characteristics table. Costs for ingredients of each rarity are
suggested below, though these can be altered at the GM's
discretion. For example, perhaps the setting in which you find
yourself is having a shortage on eye of newt, or considers a
dragon's scale far too rare to ever be found or sold in a shop.
Keep in mind that, in addition to the ingredients used to craft
the potion itself, crafting a potion requires basic crafting supplies
worth at 15 gp, which are consumed in the crafting of the potion.
Such basic crafting supplies can also be found in any standard
alchemist's supplies or herbalism kit, and sometimes found in
healer's kits or poisoner's kits.
Ingredient Rarity Cost
Common 1 gp
Uncommon 10 gp
Rare 100 gp
Very Rare 500 gp
Legendary 1,000 gp
Special Ingredient Effects
While a number of the effects listed on the Ingredients
Characteristics table are straightforward enough that they
shouldn't require further explanation, some are a bit more
complicated, and are explained on the following table.
Name Effect
Within the specified range, you can effectively
see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if
Blindsight you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can
see an invisible creature, unless the creature
successfully hides from you.
You are charmed by any creature you can see or
CURSE: hear for the duration. If a creature attacks you or
Glee targets you with a spell, you are no longer
charmed by that creature.
Devil's You can see normally in darkness, both magical
Sight and nonmagical, to a range of 60 feet.
Elemental You have resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning,
Resistance and poison damage.
You become invisible for the duration, or until
Let's Make a Potion!
Now that we've explained all the mechanics of what's involved in
crafting a potion, let's go through the motions of a couple
examples to make sure we understand how all of it comes
together to result in the potion of our dreams. To reiterate, all
ingredients mentioned are on the next page on the Ingredients
Characteristics table.
Suppose I'm planning to sneak into a cultist's house in order to
gather some information and want to avoid being seen while I do.
I look through my available ingredients and notice that the third
possible effect for western nirnroot is "invisibility." Since that
effect has a score of 2, I add my trusty hemlock to my brew, since
that has a potency score of 2, thus equaling out the invisibility
effect cost. Finally, I want to be able to take my time, so I add a
drider silk that has a duration score of 3 so that my potion will
have a 1-hour duration when I use it. I expend 15 gp worth of
basic crafting supplies via my proficiency in herbalism kits and do
1 hour of crafting and voila! I have a potion that will grant me
1 hour of invisibilty for my reconnaissance mission. In total, I used
western nirnroot for my potion's effect (choosing to draw out the
third effect), hemlock for that effect's potency requirement, and
drider silk for my potion's duration.
In another instance, I determine that a corrupt local politician is
funding the cult and needs to be hospitalized as a distraction. I pull
out another batch of western nirnroot, this time deciding to draw
out its first and second effects: "2d6 poison damage (1)" and
"disadvantage on Constitution saving throws (2)." I need a
combined potency score of 3 to draw out both of those effects at
once, so I add a griffon claw. I don't need this to last long for my
distraction to work, so this time I use skullfish for my duration so
the effect lasts 10 minutes. Finally, since this potion is causing
harmful effects, I need to add an ingredient for susceptibility this
time to determine the save DC, so I add a second batch of western
nirnroot to my brew, using it to give my poison effect DC 13. I use
15 gp of basic crafting supplies from a poisoner's kit that I also
have proficiency in this time, and end up with a potion that lasts
10 minutes after being poured and deals 2d6 poison damage and
gives disadvantage on Constitution saving throws after an initial
failed DC 13 Constitution save. In total, I used one western
nirnroot for my potion's effect (choosing to draw out the first and
second effects), a griffon claw for those effects' combined potency
requirement, a second western nirnroot for my potion's
susceptibility score, and a skullfish for my potion's duration.

Invisibility you attack or cast a spell. Anything you wear or

carry is invisible with you.
Design Credits
You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
Keen Sight Created by Reddit user /u/livingstone_library
checks that rely on sight.
This document was created using GM Binder
Light You have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability Cover Art: "Odious Witch" by Lie Setiawan
Sensitivity checks while in bright light.
Magic You have advantage on saving throws against Special Thanks
Resistance spells and other magical effects. We'd like to especially thank our "Hero" tier
Patreon supporters: Harrison Miller, Ryan
You can sense the presence of magic within
Sense Willey, and Charlie!
120 feet of you, similar to the effects of the
Magic
detect magic spell. "Potion Crafting System" is unofficial Fan Content
permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not
approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the
materials used are property of Wizards of the
Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
Ingredients Characteristics
Name Rarity Potency Duration Susceptibility Effect #1 Effect #2 Effect #3
Resistance to Poison
Angelica Common — — — — —
Damage (2)
Black Dragon's Resistance to Acid Blindsight
Very Rare 4 4 3 Immunity to Acid Damage (2)
Scale (1) 30 Ft. (2)
Blue Dragon's Resistance to Immunity to Lightning Damage Blindsight
Very Rare 4 4 3
Scale Lightning (1) (2) 30 Ft. (2)
Chuul Claw Rare 2 2 2 Sense Magic (3) — —
Comfrey Common 1 — — 2d4 Healing (2) — —
Drider Silk Rare 2 3 3 — — —
Magic
Eastern 2d6 Poison Damage Disadvantage on Constitution
Uncommon 1 1 1 Resistance
Nirnroot (1) Saving Throws (2)
(2)
Eye of Newt Common — 1 1 — — —
Fey Stone Rare 3 3 3 CURSE: Glee (0) Light Sensitivity (1) —
Green Dragon's Resistance to Poison Immunity to Poison Damage Blindsight
Very Rare 4 4 3
Scale Damage (1) (2) 30 Ft. (2)
Griffon Claw Uncommon 3 1 1 — — —
Harpy Eggshell Uncommon 2 1 2 — — —
Hawk's Eye Common — — 1 Keen Sight (4) — —
1d4 Poison Damage
Hemlock Common 2 — — — —
(4)
Darkvision 120 Ft.
Lemure Meat Uncommon 0 2 1 Devil's Sight (1) —
(1)
Resistance to Acid
Mimic Slime Uncommon 1 1 3 — —
Damage (3)
Resistance to Psychic
Mugwort Common — — — — —
(4)
1d6 Poison Damage
Nightshade Common 1 — — — —
(2)
Resistance to Poison
Powdered Jade Rare 1 3 3 — —
Damage (1)
Red Dragon's Resistance to Fire Blindsight
Very Rare 4 4 3 Immunity to Fire Damage (2)
Scale Damage (1) 30 Ft. (2)
Sage Common — 1 — — — —
Elemental
Scale of Tiamat Legendary 5 5 5 — —
Resistance (5)
Sea Salt Common 1 1 — — — —
2d6 Necrotic
Skullfish Uncommon — 2 1 — —
Damage (1)
Tyrannosaur
Rare 5 1 1 — — —
Fang
Western 2d6 Poison Damage Disadvantage on Constitution
Uncommon 1 1 1 Invisibility (2)
Nirnroot (1) Saving Throws (2)
White Dragon's Resistance to Cold Blindsight
Very Rare 4 4 3 Immunity to Cold Damage (2)
Scale Damage (1) 30 Ft. (2)

Bonus Content
Want even more potion ingredients? Visit our Patreon at patreon.com/livingstonelibrary to check out 25 more
ingredients with a variety of new characteristics and effects!