They laughed at you at university! Tread not down this path, they said. You pry into matters that are the purview of Lord God Almighty! The study of Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus has been a waste of time they said. Not so. These great philosophers were geniuses, unconstrained by the limits of modern science. You are not so foolish as to ignore the learned sages of the past. Rather, you will build upon their work, couple it with modern sciences such as electricity and discover how to infuse life into an inanimate body!
This is the archetypical mad scientist. Victor Frankenstein is the main inspiration for this focus, but other mad scientists of fiction such as Griffin, Moreau and Jekyll flavor it as well. This is a powerful focus, but any GM worth his essential salts can come up with some great GM intrusions for characters that take it.
Tier 1: Educated. You are trained in alchemy and medicine. Enabler.
Homunculus. You have created a tiny artificial man (treat as level 1, level 3 for alchemy and medicine). While fully animate and quite intelligent, it lacks a soul. It respects your commands and is capable of assisting you in the laboratory, giving you an asset for any task. It is a rather cruel creature and delights in causing others pain and confusion, so you must keep a close watch on it. Enabler.
Tier 2: Black Stone Alchemy. You may create the following potions. Ingredients for each cost £ 2D6x10. It takes half a day to create one dose. Two doses count as carrying an anoetic cypher. Action to consume/use a potion.
- Antidote: This serum negates the effects of any mundane poison.
- Greek Fire: Once ignited, treat as a minor fire that lasts for 3 turns. Greek Fire will burn even if submerged in water.
- Healing Salve: This heals 2 points of damage. A character may benefit from one application of the salve per day.
- Revealing Powder: Scattering this powder will reveal any invisible or hidden object (for example, a secret panel) in a 10 by 10 foot area.
Tier 3: Hybridization. You have learned to combine the essence of humans and animals. You may give a character one of the following mutations if you succeed in a Formidable Intellect roll: chameleon skin, savage bite, face dancing, stinger in finger, spit needles, spit acid, or spit webs. If you fail the roll, the character still gains the mutation, but the GM will roll a Harmful Mutation for the character as well. You may enhance the character with further mutations, but the difficulty increases by one level for each additional mutation added. You may also remove mutations if you so desire at the same level of difficulty. It takes a day of surgery to add or remove a mutation. Enabler.
Loyal Servant. A level 2, NPC servant (treat as level 4 for nefarious purposes such as grave robbing) is in your employ. His uncanny appearance gives you an asset if you attempt to intimidate anyone. Enabler.
Tier 4: White Stone Alchemy. You may create the following potions. Ingredients for each cost £ 2D6x20. It takes a day to create one dose. A dose of the following counts as carrying an anoetic cypher. Action to consume/use a potion.
- Invisibility Potion: Drinking this potion confers the same effects as the tier 4 paradox revision: Invisibility.
- Restorative Tonic: Drinking this tonic allows the character to make a recovery roll. This does not count against the characters normal allotment of recovery rolls per day. A character may benefit from one dose of the tonic per day.
- Universal Solvent: This acid will dissolve 3 cubic feet of anything except the specially prepared container it is stored in. The GM may rule that certain artifacts of the Strange, magical items or force fields are also immune to it. Used as a weapon, treat it as an acid bath that lasts for 5 turns.
Tier 5: Misbegotten Wretch: You have brought a Mad Creation or Chimera (see The Strange Bestiary) into being. The thing is barely under your control. Each time you assign it a task roll 1D20. On a 1-4 it revolts, becoming a NPC under the control of the GM. You may only have one Mad Creation or Chimera in existence at any time. Enabler.
Transmutation. You know how to transmute minerals into purer forms. You may change 100 pounds of a metal into 1 pound of gold if you succeed on a heroic Intellect roll. This requires a week of work. If you fail the roll you have lost all the materials and must begin again. The GM may allow you to transmute other substances in a similar manner.
Tier 6: Philosopher’s Stone Alchemy. You may create the following potions. Ingredients for each cost £ 2D6x100. It takes a day to create one dose. A dose of the following counts as carrying an occultic cypher. Action to consume/use a potion.
- Elixir of Life: You have discovered the secret of immortality. The Elixir of Life will stop aging for 25 years. It will also cure any disease the drinker may be suffering from. The GM will rule if the effects of the elixir persist if the character translates to a recursion that does not support Weird Science or Magic.
- Serum of the Inner Beast: You have developed a serum that releases the inner beast lurking within all men. Drinking the serum adds 10 to the character’s Might pool and 2 to his Might edge. The character must succeed in a challenging Intellect roll to maintain control after transforming into a hulking brute. If he fails he will attack all characters within short range. The transformation lasts for an hour after which the character is so fatigued that all rolls are at a -1 penalty for 1 hour.
It’s Alive! You have restored life to the inanimate being you have assembled from dead flesh. Treat this creature as a Reanimated from The Strange Bestiary. The creature is initially favorably disposed to its creator, but each time it assists you roll 1D20. On a “1-2” it rebels against its master and seeks its own way in the world becoming a NPC under the control of the GM. You may only have one Reanimated in existence at any time. Enabler.