Alchemy

Using Alchemist's Tools a character can create magical potions. Most potions mimic the effects of a spell, though some have effects that are entirely unique. The Key Ingredients for potions are Monster Essence and Spells. If a potion causes a creature to make a saving throw, and the DC is not specified in the potion's description, the DC is equal to the spell save DC of the alchemist that made the potion, if the alchemist was not a spell caster the DC is 8 + the alchemist's proficiency bonus + the alchemist's Intelligence score.

Ability Checks
Some of the ability checks that can be made using Alchemist's Supplies are listed on the table below. 1 - if the alchemist is not a spellcaster, Intelligence is used instead

Starting Formulas
Whenever a character gains proficiency Alchemist's Tools they automatically learn two formulas. The first of these is determined by rolling twice on the Starting Formulas table and choosing one of the two results. The second formula can be any of the player's choice from the same Table.

Alchemist's Fire
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster native to the Elemental Plane of Fire OR any spell that deals fire damage

This sticky, adhesive fluid ignites when exposed to air. As an action, you can throw this flask up to 20 feet, shattering it on impact. Make a ranged attack against a creature or object, treating the alchemist's fire as an improvised weapon. On a hit, the target takes fire damage at the start of each of its turns. A creature can end this damage by using its action to make a Dexterity check to extinguish the flames. The damage dealt and the DC of this check are determined by Potency.

Midnight Oil
Key Ingredient: Essence of an Undead monster of at least CR 5

This magic oil can be used to fill an oil lantern. While taking a short rest within 15 feet of a lamp burning Midnight Oil a creature gains all the benefits of a long rest. Whenever you brew Midnight Oil you create only enough for one rest.

Oil Elementa
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster with immunity to acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage OR Elemental Weapon (spell)

The oil can coat one melee weapon or up to 10 pieces of ammunition. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. For 1 hour, the coated item is magical and deals additional damage. The type of damage dealt is determined by the damage immunity of the Monster (if Elemental Weapon was cast you may choose the damage type from those listed in the spell's description), if the monster had immunity to more than one of the listed damage types you may choose from those types when you brew the oil.

Oil of Etherealness
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Ghost, Specter, Wraith, or any Monster with Incorporeal Movement OR Etherealness (spell)

Beads of this cloudy gray oil form on the outside of its container and quickly evaporate. The oil can cover a Medium or smaller creature, along with the equipment it's wearing and carrying (one additional vial is required for each size category above Medium). Applying the oil takes 10 minutes. The affected creature then gains the effect of the etherealness spell, the duration of this effect is determined by the Potency of the oil.

Oil of Sharpness
Key Ingredient: Magic Weapon (spell)

This clear, gelatinous oil sparkles with tiny, ultrathin silver shards. The oil can coat one melee weapon or up to 10 pieces of ammunition. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. For 1 hour, the coated item is magical and has a bonus to attack and damage rolls, this bonus is determined by the oil's Potency. This bonus does not stack with any similar bonus the weapon already has, instead the highest of any bonuses is used.

Potion of Animal Friendship
Key Ingredient: Essence of a living Fey OR Animal Friendship (spell)

When you drink this potion, you can cast the animal friendship spell for 1 hour at will.

Potion of Clairvoyance
Key Ingredient: Clairvoyance (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the clairvoyance spell.

Potion of Climbing
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Monster (including Beasts) with the Spider Climb ability and CR > 1/2 OR Spider Climb (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed for 1 hour. During this time, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks you make to climb. The potion is separated into brown, silver, and gray layers resembling bands of stone. Shaking the bottle fails to mix the colors.

Potion of Diminution
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Humanoid (shapechanger) OR Enlarge/Reduce (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain the "reduce" effect of the enlarge/reduce spell, the duration of this effect is determined by the potion's Potency. The red in the potion's liquid continuously contracts to a tiny bead and then expands to color the clear liquid around it. Shaking the bottle fails to interrupt this process.

Potion of Dragon's Breath
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Monster with a breath attack OR Dragon's Breath (spell)

For 1 minute after drinking this potion you can make a breath attack as an action. This attack is a 15 ft. cone and each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking full damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one. The DC and damage are determined by the Potency of the potion. When this potion is brewed the alchemist may choose acid, cold, lightning, fire, or poison (if Monster Essence is used the damage type is determined by the monster essence used) as the damage type of the attack.

Potion of Enhance Ability
Key Ingredient: Enhance Ability (spell) at 3rd level

After drinking this potion you gain one of the effects of the Enhance Ability Spell for one hour. Which effect you gain is determined by the alchemist when this potion is brewed.

Potion of Flying
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster native to the Elemental Plane of Air OR Flying (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain a flying speed of 60 ft. and can hover. If you're in the air when the potion wears off, you fall unless you have some other means of staying aloft. This potion's clear liquid floats at the top of its container and has cloudy white impurities drifting in it. The duration of this effect is determined by the potion's Potency.

Potion of Gaseous Form
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Monster with the Air Form feature OR Gaseous Form (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the gaseous form spell for 1 hour (no concentration required) or until you end the effect as a bonus action. This potion's container seems to hold fog that moves and pours like water.

Potion of Giant Strength
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Giant

When you drink this potion, your Strength score changes for 1 hour. The potion's Potency determines the score. The potion has no effect on you if your Strength is equal to or greater than that score. This potion's transparent liquid has floating in it a sliver of fingernail from a giant of the appropriate type.

Potion of Growth
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Humanoid (shapechange) OR Enlarge/Reduce (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain the "enlarge" effect of the enlarge/reduce spell, the duration of this effect is determined by the potion's Potency. The red in the potion's liquid continuously expands from a tiny bead to color the clear liquid around it and then contracts. Shaking the bottle fails to interrupt this process.

Potion of Healing
Key Ingredient: Cure wounds (spell)

This red liquid glimmers when agitated. You regain hit points when you drink this potion. The number of hit points depends on the potion’s Potency.

Potion of Heroism
Key Ingredient: Bless (spell)

After drinking this potion you gain temporary hit points and you are under the effect of the bless spell (no concentration required). The number of temporary hit points gained and the duration of these effects are determined by the potion's Potency. This blue potion bubbles and steams as if boiling.

Potion of Invisibility
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster that is naturally invisible or can turn invisible as an Action OR Invisibility (spell) or Greater Invisibility (spell)

This potion's container looks empty but feels as though it holds liquid. When you drink it, you become invisible. The duration of this effect is determined by the potion's Potency. Anything you wear or carry is invisible with you. The effect ends early if you attack or cast a spell.

Potion of Invulnerability
Key Ingredient: Stoneskin (spell)

For 10 minutes after you drink this potion, you have resistance to piercing, slashing, and bludgeoning damage. The potion's syrupy liquid looks like liquefied iron.

Potion of Longevity
Key Ingredient: Essence of a living Celestial (a strand of hair, feather, etc.) given willingly OR Resurrection (spell)

When you drink this potion, your physical age is reduced by 1d6+6 years, to a minimum age of 13 years. Each time you subsequently drink a potion of longevity, there is a 10 percent cumulative chance that you instead age by 1d6+6 years. Suspended in this amber liquid are a scorpion's tail, an adder's fang, a dead spider, and a tiny heart that, against all reason, is still beating. The ingredients vanish when the potion is opened.

Potion of Love
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster that can take the Charm, Fey Charm, or Fiendish Charm Action OR Charm Person (spell) at 3rd level

The next time you see a creature within 10 minutes after drinking this philter, you become charmed by that creature for 1 hour. If the creature is of a species and gender you are normally attracted to, you regard it as your true love while you are charmed. This potion's rose-hued, effervescent liquid contains one easy-to-miss bubble shaped like a heart.

Potion of Mind Reading
Key Ingredient: Essence of a Mindflayer, Aboleth, or Beholder OR Detect Thoughts (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the detect thoughts spell. The potion's dense, purple liquid has an ovoid cloud of pink floating in it.

Potion of Resistance
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster with immunity to acid, cold, fire, lightning damage OR Protection from Energy (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain either resistance or immunity (determined by Potency) to one type of damage for 1 hour. The type is chosen by the alchemist when this potion is brewed (if Protection from Energy is used), or by the damage immunity of the Monster Essence used (if the monster had immunity to more than one damage type the alchemist chooses a type when the potion is brewed).

Potion of Speed
Key Ingredient: Haste (spell)

When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of the haste spell for 1 minute (no concentration required). The potion's yellow fluid is streaked with black and swirls on its own.

Potion of Water Breathing
Key Ingredient: Essence of a monster with Amphibious OR Water Breathing(spell)

You can breathe underwater for 1 hour after drinking this potion. Its cloudy green fluid smells of the sea and has a jellyfish-like bubble floating in it.

Knowledge by Class
Below are the Key Ingredient requirements for each of the above formulas, along with whether the requisite spell could normally be learned by each class (this does not account for feats like Magic Initiate or features like a Lore Bard's Magical Secrets). There is also a column to mark whether a given spell can be created using Monster Essence, something any class could do.

Additionally, the total number of formulas that could naturally be created are marked for each class, totals that are given as a range are the minimum number available for a class up to the maximum of a specific subclass. For example, all Artificers could learn the spells require to make 14 formulas, however, Artificers of the Alchemist subclass can learn the spell Gaseous Form which adds one formula to their total compared to other Artificers. This gives Artificers a range of 14 (all Artificers) - 15 (only Alchemist's). The maximum number given is the number for whichever subclass could learn the most spells.

When creating a character or determining whether or not to take proficiency in Alchemist's Tools, use this table to determine whether your character is likely to meet the requirements of enough formulas to satisfy your creative needs. But be sure to keep in mind that most potions can be created without the need for spells.

* Note: Sometimes this table loads without a horizontal scrollbar, making some class columns impossible to see. Try refreshing the page to fix this. 1 - The highest Potency versions of these potions require spells to be cast at higher than 5th level. Paladins and Rangers do no naturally have spell slots of this level, thus they will not be able to create these high Potency versions using a spell as a Key Ingredient.

2 - Clerics can learn Bless, but not Heroism and as a result, they cannot create every Potency of a Potion of Heroism. However, this does not apply to Order and Unity Domain Clerics as they CAN cast Heroism, thus they could create every variant.