Alchemical Arcana
For those of you who only stop by on Wednesdays for new spells, welcome to Herb Week, wherein we are celebrating the recent release of A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Herbs of the Jungle. This alchemy-packed sequel to A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Secret of Herbs is, as you might imagine, a collection of additional herbs for use with the rules presented in The Secret of Herbs, all of which are jungle-themed. In fact, since Herbs of the Jungle has all the basic rules for herbs, you don’t even need the original to use it.
Now, it’s no secret that alchemy and magic are rivals, and it’s hard to find a more alchemical book than Herbs of the Jungle, as both the herbs themselves and the numerous special compounds that can be made from mixing them together are all alchemical in nature. There’s no good reason why alchemy and arcana can’t get along, however, and today’s spells are proof of that concept.
ALCHEMICAL AID
School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, sorcerer/wizard 1, witch 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a 6-oz. block of lead)
Range personal
Target you
Duration see text
This spell sharpens your mind and opens it up to the wondrous insights of alchemy, improving your ability to create alchemical items. You gain a circumstance bonus equal to 5 + your caster level (to a maximum bonus of +10 at 5th level) on the next Craft (alchemy) check you make before the end of the day.
This spell can also be used to aid in the use of Craft (alchemy) to create items that take more than one day to create, but in such cases, the spell must be cast each day during the item’s creation.
ALCHEMICAL FUSION
School transmutation; Level alchemist 2, magus 4, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a set of three iron rings)
Range touch
Target two or more alchemical items touched
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (object), see text; Spell Resistance yes, see text
You magically fuse two alchemical items together, combining them into a single item with the properties of both. For the purposes of this spell, an alchemical item is any item that can be created with Craft (alchemy). The two target items are destroyed, and a new item, with the properties and abilities of both, is created in their place (for example, by targeting an alchemist’s fire and a tanglefoot bag, one could create an item that, when thrown, would inflict fire damage and entangle nearby creatures).
Because the resulting item is not something that can be created with Craft (alchemy), this spell cannot be used on the objects that it creates to further combine them with other objects. Generally speaking, items created in this way have no value and cannot be sold.
If either of the touched objects are magic or attended by a creature other than you, those items are entitled to a saving throw to negate the effect, and if the objects have spell resistance, it applies. Otherwise, no saving throw is allowed.
If your caster level is 11th or higher, you can fuse three alchemical items together, instead of two.
BEORN’S GREEN THUMB
School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, druid 1, witch 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a pinch of mulch)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 24 hours or until expended
You bring your mind in harmony with nature, allowing you to serve as a better gardener and herbalist. You gain a circumstance bonus equal to 5 + your caster level (to a maximum bonus of +10 at 5th level) on the next check you make to harvest or grow herbs. For more information on harvesting and growing herbs, see A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Secret of Herbs or A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Herbs of the Jungle.
BEORN’S HERB ENHANCER
School transmutation; Level alchemist 3, druid 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (1 0z. of mineral water)
Range touch
Target herb touched
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You infuse the touched herb with incredible energy, making it much more potent when fashioned into a preparation or compound. If the target is used to create a preparation or a special compound, any effects that depend on the amount by which the Craft check made to create that preparation or special compound exceeds the DC are treated as though the result of the Craft check were 10 higher than it actually was. This does not affect any other aspect of the Craft check, however, such as whether it is a success or failure, or the amount of time that it takes to perform. This spell only functions on raw herbs, and has no effect on other plants, alchemical ingredients, or finished alchemical items. For more information on harvesting and growing herbs, see A Necromancer’s Grimoire: The Secret of Herbs or A Necromancer’s Grimoire: Herbs of the Jungle.