D&D 5E Alchemist Tools

[trentonjoe]

If you're proficient in Alchemist Tools can you make:

Vials of acid (5 days)
Alchemist's Fire (10 days)
Smoke Bomb (reskinned caltrop) (1 day)

or the more mundane items like soap? Wax? Baking Soda?

You would only need the tools in the PHB and a work space that had some equipment.

For something small like a tiny little smoke bomb (1gp value) is it fair to do it in over a campfire but something more difficult like alchemist fire require beakers and scales and complicated sciencey stuff.

 

[trentonjoe]

Also, what skills "fit nicely" with the alchemist. First thought was Knowledge (Chemistry) but that really doesn't exist? Maybe Knowledge (nature)? I am avoiding Arcana for story reasons.

 

[Kreinas]

Sounds like a pretty cool implementation. I've got a couple ideas;

Unskilled Dex/Int; Knowledge required to craft the object correctly, combined with dexterity to be able to assemble the object

Perception; Crafting bombs, and bottling fire...Dangerous business! When gas begins to leak, or a container loses structural integrity, your crafted bombs are likely to fail. With enough perception, you can notice these flaws before they lead to disaster

Investigation; So you've crafted your bomb...how do you know it's going to work before testing it in battle? A thorough investigation of the device will allow you to know whether or not it will work in your dire hour.

Without creating a new skill for it, I feel these should cover the creation fairly well. Alternatively, you could just roll d20+proficiency.

 

[Shiroiken]

or the more mundane items like soap? Wax? Baking Soda?

Soap and wax are not alchemy. That is common crafting that the average person would probably know how to do. It would be like asking someone today about mowing the lawn.

Baking Soda depends on how your DM runs their world. In my Greyhawk campaign, there is no baking soda (as we would understand it), because there is no chemistry. Alchemy is based on the classical elements (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, and Ether), and usually involves invoking arcane rites. Something similar to baking soda may exist (I'd have to do some research), but it would not be baking soda.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

Something similar to baking soda may exist (I'd have to do some research), but it would not be baking soda.

The equivalent woudl need to exist, or else you wouldn't have any bread, or beer, and so on. All you need to do is figure out what people in the middle ages thoguht was happening when they did things that involved chemistry (unwittingly on their part).

 

[Shiroiken]

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[Fralex]

If you're proficient in Alchemist Tools can you make:

Vials of acid (5 days)
Alchemist's Fire (10 days)
Smoke Bomb (reskinned caltrop) (1 day)

or the more mundane items like soap? Wax? Baking Soda?

You would only need the tools in the PHB and a work space that had some equipment.

For something small like a tiny little smoke bomb (1gp value) is it fair to do it in over a campfire but something more difficult like alchemist fire require beakers and scales and complicated sciencey stuff.

I've been doing a lot of research into alchemy for this big alchemy crafting system I'm working on. From what I've learned, you'd be able to make most mundane items that require separating one substance from another (calcination, distillation) or fermenting it. So alchohol, vinegar, fresh water (from saltwater), many kinds of acid (the standard kind in the PHB is probably Oil of Vitriol, a simple acid that can be tinkered with further to produce the more powerful varieties, like Aqua Fortis and Aqua Regia), and the like. Alchemists also invented gunpowder, imitation gemstones, metallic inks, and much-sought-after indigo dyes. Antitoxins and other medicines would be appropriate, too. Complex recipes would need at the very least a source of fire and a device like a retort; some way to burn or boil one substance and catch the residue left by the smoke or steam.

As for associated skills, History would be a good fit. Then rock gnomes would be able to take advantage of their Artificer's Lore.