Hostile Sun’s Alchemy System Summarized
I am starting to explore how the Alchemy System of Under a Hostile Sun can be adapted to fit other RPG Systems
The Key aspects of the system are
- Ingredients are summarized as game currencies – Molten Minerals, Odd Ore, Arcane Algae, Strange Sap, Helpful Herbs. Each of these are associated with certain kinds of effects.
- Molten Minerals aer called Geologicals whereas Arcane Algae, Strange Sap and Helpful Herbs are Botanicals
- Players can choose to have their potion be a One Time Instantaneous Effect, a Persist Until Dismissed, or an Action Related potion.
- One Time potions cost 3-4 Resources but can only be used once.
- The formula for a One Time Potion is made Persistent by adding a ingredient of the opposite type to what is already in the recipe. So a Strange Sap based potion is 3 SS + 1 AA if it’s a One Time Instantaneous Effect. To make a Persist Until Dismissed either 1 OO or 1 MM would need to be added.
- Tying the potions effect to a specific Action in a specific Circumstance allows the potion to be used multiple times.
- Potions have Stability percentages. Should the chemical defenses of a creature (or other chemical situation) seek to destabilize a player’s potion, Botanical Potions have 50% Stability, Geological Potions have 60% Stability, and Balanced Potions (Having ingredients from both) are 80% stable.
How would this play out in Systems other than Hostile Sun.?
Adapting for Other Systems
The index card below shows a way to adapt the system to Fate Accelerated, and also includes the relevant mining stats for RPGs that use the classic stats (STR, DEX, CON etc. etc.)
Orc Licensed!
While the license is still being finalized, I am showing my commitment to Open Gaming by including the place holder text for the ORC License in the Core Rulebook. Once the ORC is finalized, the relevant Library of Congress # (the “controlled copy” of the license) will be added. A big player, The Basic Roleplaying System (a great system by the way), has already started this practice. The license should be finalized by the end of the month.
The ORC License is great in that it differentiates between Game Mechanics and Product Identity. Thus, I do not need to make a separate System Reference Document for Under a Hostile Sun. Instead, the license definitions, and specific designations by myself help differentiate what is and is not “ORC Content”
The Martian Muckraker 