I have a homebrew use of the Profession - Herbalist skill that allows the character to brew potion-like mixture that I called Concoction.
At the moment, I require the herbalist to buy a homebrew feat called Brew Herbal Concoctions in order to, you guest it, brew herbal concoctions. Concoctions recreate the use of some spells and their format, magniture in terms of power and price are copied on that of a potion. Note that the herbalist can also hunt for a bunch of other herbs that have minor uses without having recourse on the feat...
Now considering that:
- a character does not have to be a spellcaster to brew a concoction
- a concoction requires a skill check to produce, its not an automatic success like a potion
- Some alchemical items kind of recreate spells and can be created without a feat
Is the homebrew feat for brewing herbal concoctions really necessary?
thanks for the input
'findel
Depends on how much you want your players to use them. Personally, I don't like any item creation feats and think they should all just be craft checks.
How many players have you ever seen take brew potion over annother crafting feat? I have never seen 1. This to me tells me that something that is on that power level is not really worth the feat. If you want your players doing it, I would recommend making them craft checks and forgoing the feat.
Depends on how much you want your players to use them. Personally, I don't like any item creation feats and think they should all just be craft checks.
How many players have you ever seen take brew potion over another crafting feat? I have never seen 1. This to me tells me that something that is on that power level is not really worth the feat. If you want your players doing it, I would recommend making them craft checks and forgoing the feat.
Those are my thoughts too. But it terms of game balance, I think it does deserve a feat in order to be consistent with existing rules... That's my cunundrum.
I would recommend the feat, but perhaps provide a few extra benefits (+2 Survival? or Prof(herbalist)). It's about as strong as brew potion, and that is not a waste of a feat.
I think there are way too many crafting feats.
If you're going to add a feat tax to the ability make it another function of Brew Potion. Brew potion is about the least popular Pathfinder feat anyway.
If you think herbal concoctions should be free of the potion rules maybe it shouldn't require a feat?
Just be sure you still need spellcasting to make magic potions.
Just be sure you still need spellcasting to make magic potions.
No, its an extension to the alchemy concept. kind of a "use skill to activate naturally magical properties of plants".
Why not just use "Master Craftsman" p 130 PFphb feat, and just change the part about Arms/Armor & Wonders..... to Potions, elixirs, and salves.
anyway just an idea.
I don't think the homebrew feat is necessary, and as Caineach said would discourage players from taking it. Since the potions themselves are not magical it won't really affect the game balance. However I feel what you should do here is actually set up a knowledge (nature) DC check to locate and identify the herbs (Since that's a part of what knowledge (nature) does) though I suppose you could replace it with profession (herbalist). Anyway that same skill could also identify their properties after being boiled, ground, or whatever you plan to do with them. After that you would make it like you would any other craft check.
Anyway, what you've got there is quite interesting and complex. It shouldn't require a feat at all since it's basically a skill and is not so powerful as to unbalance the game.
EDIT: if you still think it's too powerful you could just raise the DC of the harvesting or craft checks
I don't think the effects provided are too powerful fr any but the lowest level games.
One problem (or maybe not) that I noticed:
User is continually dazed while under the effects of spiritweed smoke. Effects last for 1 hour.
A creature that is dazed can take no actions. If this was your intent then please don't mind me, but I'm not sure how much besides the spirits using the inebriated character to "ghost write" or attacking him could be accomplished with the ghost touch ability.
It's a good start though. I could definitely see a whole slew of these being a worthwhile investment for a feat.
You could also make herbalism a separate skill instead, kind of like how heal is a separate skill even though it could be "profession (healer)". Doing so would only require a minor modification to the core classes.
I've been working on some herbalism stuff myself, one of my players is planning on using it to gain a spirit guide and money.
Why not just use "Master Craftsman" p 130 PFphb feat, and just change the part about Arms/Armor & Wonders..... to Potions, elixirs, and salves.
Yeah, I thought of going that way. But in the end its the same issue: feat (whatever it is) or no feat...
However I feel what you should do here is actually set up a knowledge (nature) DC check to locate and identify the herbs (Since that's a part of what knowledge (nature) does) though I suppose you could replace it with profession (herbalist). Anyway that same skill could also identify their properties after being boiled, ground, or whatever you plan to do with them. After that you would make it like you would any other craft check.
There are multiple checks, but they are all based on profession (herbalist) without exception. V1.0 had the search based on Survival and known properties according to Knowledge-Nature and it was messy and confusing and frustrating as the PC had to invest in 3 skills to use herbalism... so "One skill to rule them all, one skill to find them. One skill to brew them and in the mortar grind them", or something like that...
In terms of "powerful assets available to players", the concoctions deserve a feat to be in line with the rest of the ruleset. Whether I care about keeping this in line with the rest of core rules is another question, it's my game, and I'm already in houserule territory anyways...
Making concoctions require time where the adventurers are not being chased by critters, some kind of alchemical installations and their skill check may screw the whole thing-up. That's if they managed to find/buy the components, which carries a miss chance even if they have +45 to their skill check modifier.
And if they manage to do it, they will get away with a few equivalent of potions of undetectable alignment and water breathing for cheap. I doubt this will break my game...
I'll leave the feat requirement in the "official" document, but I decided to handwave it in my game. So there you go, I'm houseruling my own houserules!
'findel
I don't think the effects provided are too powerful fr any but the lowest level games.
One problem (or maybe not) that I noticed:
User is continually dazed while under the effects of spiritweed smoke. Effects last for 1 hour.A creature that is dazed can take no actions. If this was your intent then please don't mind me, but I'm not sure how much besides the spirits using the inebriated character to "ghost write" or attacking him could be accomplished with the ghost touch ability.
Good catch. Tthe condition should be "sickened". I thought I had changed that...