Potion Brewing Feat

[SouthpawSoldier]

DMG requires caster level 3rd and ability to cast the spell replicated by the potion. What I'm looking for is a custom feat to allow a non-caster with Herbalist Kit proficiency to brew potions. Similar to Ritual Caster and the other feats that allow non-caster access to spells. Any takers?

[Ralanr]

To make or support said feat? Cause I like it thematically.

[SouthpawSoldier]

Need help with the writing of it. The intent is to apply it to a Spell-less Ranger. I've been toying with a build for a while, and just realized that RAW, there's no way for it to craft potions. The build centers around providing a mix of healing techniques; Healer's Kit w/ feat, Poultices, and Potions.

[Townopolis]

I'm going to assume that your DM has ruled that you must both have proficiency in the Herbalist's Kit and meet the requirements laid out for crafting magic items in the DMG.

I probably tried to do too much here, but:



Alchemist
You gain your choice of Herbalist's Kit proficiency or Alchemist's Supplies proficiency.

If you have proficiency with an Herbalist's Kit, you may use it to brew antitoxins and potions of healing. Brewing antitoxin or a potion of healing takes 1 day of downtime, during which 25g worth of herbs are consumed in the brewing process. You must also have access to your herbalism kit and an open flame for the duration. At the end of the day, if uninterrupted, you produce 1 vial of antitoxin or 1 potion of healing.

If you have proficiency with Alchemist's Supplies, you may use it to create alchemist's fire and acid. Creating alchemist's fire or acid takes 1 day of downtime, during which 25g of alchemical reagents are consumed. You must also have access to your alchemist's supplies and an open flame for the duration. At the end of the day, if uninterrupted, you produce 2 vials of acid or 1 flask of alchemist's fire.

Additionally, if you have the formula for creating a potion, you may create that potion using the normal rules as if you were a spellcaster of your level and were capable of casting the necessary spells.

Honestly, assuming you're already proficient with the Herbalist's Kit, you really only need that last sentence. That's all you need. If you want, you can add "when you choose this feat, you acquire the formula for creating potions of healing."

Everything else is gravy--tasty, but largely useless, gravy.

[SouthpawSoldier]

No DM ruling yet; character has only been used in PbP, and games died before it ever came up. When/if I get to use him again, I'd like to have something ready to offer, in case it's not hand-waived (see what I did there?).

The character comes with a custom background that grants the Kit Proficiency, but having the feat provide it frees up other thematically fitting options.

And gravy is never useless; not if you've had my family's Thanksgiving turkey. Kalahari has nothing on that desert.

I dig what you whipped up, Lordsmoothe. Can't really see anything wrong with it; provides a couple options, strong enough not to need the usual +1 ability that goes with most feats, matches the current crafting economy (broken, but better to match than to rewrite at this scale); and scales with level enough to stay interesting.

[noce]

Only bad thing I see is thieves taking this feat.
They can quaff a potion per round, and they'll be the best self buffers ever, even more than 3.5 clerics maybe.
Self casting buff spells (from any list!) as a bonus action seems broken.

[Shaofoo]

Only bad thing I see is thieves taking this feat.
They can quaff a potion per round, and they'll be the best self buffers ever, even more than 3.5 clerics maybe.
Self casting buff spells (from any list!) as a bonus action seems broken.

Not really, they can still be controlled as to what potions they can make because the DM has to release the formula to create the potion in the first place. It is no different than if the Rogue spent his time in a shopping spree at the magical pharmacy and stocking up on various potions there, this just makes it self sufficient but hardly broken since a DM can put a lid on any potions that he might see as overpowered.

[SouthpawSoldier]

Well, there's the ruling that [Concentration] spells as potions require the imbiber to maintain concentration: http://www.sageadvice.eu/2015/02/04/potion-and-concentration/


And I'm sure if a player tried to cheese it, the Multiple Potions alternate rule from DMG would be whipped out.

Crafting economy, as bad as it is, serves to prevent abuse as well.