# Mineral Essences
These contribute to the base (1/2 total) materials cost of all magical and alchemical crafting. In rare exceptions these may be difficult to obtain, but generally the alchemist or enchanter can obtain these off-screen (as it were).
These include:
- Rare earths, consisting of elemental substances such as antimony, cinnabar, pitchblende, and various salts and metal oxides.
- Twelve essential gemstones which have specific spiritual resonances that people have known about for ages. The gemstones are agate, amethyst, diamond, emerald, jade, malachite, moonstone, onyx, pearl, ruby, sapphire, and turquoise.
- Sometimes the process needs certain rare metals such as silver, gold, or platinum to craft items. These metals are very powerful magical activators.
# Vital Essences
Vital essences are necessary mystical components from living (or unliving) creatures, required to make powerful alchemical items function. The various types are discussed below.
## Common Recipes and Alternative Essences
Generally, a specific essence will be commonly accepted as "the" ingredient needed for each magical or alchemical item. However, there are 2 different roads to possible success:
- **Easy Path:** replace it with the same essence type, but from a different source
- **[[#Difficult Path Same Category of Essence|Difficult Path]]:** replace it with an essence in the same category (it might be close enough)
### Easy Path: Same Essence Type
A specific essence type is always the same, regardless of the source of the essence. So a recipe which calls for an acid essence from Creature A could be replaced by an acid essence from Creature B , such as swapping Ankheg for Black Dragon.
*However*, creatures have multiple essence types. So the [[Research]] Downtime Activity must be undertaken to determine the possible alternatives which can be used. Note that Key Knowledge does not apply to this type of research.
The rarity of the item to be crafted feeds into the Obscurity indicated in the Research description:
| Item Rarity | Obscurity |
| ------------------ | --------- |
| Common or Uncommon | Uncommon |
| Rare | Esoteric |
| Very Rare | Hidden |
| Legendary | Secret |
#### Sources of Vital Essences Table
Two notes:
1. Collecting creature parts from any unwilling sentient humanoid is considered an evil act.
2. Obviously, the table below cannot cover every known creature type. But these are the most widely-known sources of the essences listed. To determine which essences may be gained from another creature type, increase the Obscurity level of the information by one for your [[Research]] check.
| Essence | Monster |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Acid | Ankheg, Black Dragon, Black Pudding, Copper Dragon, Earth Elemental, Gibbering Mouther, Gray Ooze, Green Dragon, Ochre Jelly, Purple Worm, Roper |
| Agility | Fire Elemental, Aarakocra, Balor, Giant Eagle, Giant Wolf Spider, Goblin, Kobold, Pteranodon, Saber-toothed Tiger |
| Air | Air Elemental, Cloaker, Cloud Giant, Cockatrice, Darkmantle, Djinni, Gold Dragon, Griffon, Harpy, Hippogriff, Invisible Stalker, Pegasus, Pteranodon, Roc, Sprite, Storm Giant, Wyvern |
| Armor | Ankheg, Ankylosaurus, Behir, Bulette, Chuul, Dragons (all), Dragon Turtle, Earth Elemental, Giant Crab, Giant Crocodile, Gorgon, Iron Golem, Triceratops |
| Azoth | Balor, Deva, Dragons (all), Drow, Ghast, Ghost, Ghoul, Guardian Naga, Homunculus, Lich, Mummy, Owlbear, Planetar, Pseudodragon, Shadow, Skeleton, Solar, Spectre, Spirit Naga, Tarrasque, Unicorn, Vampire, Wight, Will-o’- Wisp, Wraith, Zombie |
| Body | Chuul, Clay Golem, Ettin, Flesh Golem, Gnoll, Hill Giant, Giant Elk, Giant Lizard, Hobgoblin, Mammoth, Manticore, Minotaur, Ogre, Plesiosaurus, Tarrasque |
| Cold | Frost Giant, Ice Devil, Ice Mephit, Remorhaz, Silver Dragon, Water Elemental, White Dragon, Winter Wolf |
| Control | Aboleth, Harpy, Lamia, Lycanthropes (all), Wraith |
| Death | Death Dog, Ghost, Sea Hag, Tarrasque, Shadow, Skeleton, Spectre, White Dragon, Wight, Will-o’-Wisp, Wraith, Zombie |
| Decay | Balor, Bone Devil, Fire Elemental, Ghast, Ghoul, Giant Hyena, Giant Vulture, Gnoll, Mummy, Roper, Rust Monster, Skeleton, Violet Fungus, Wight, Zombie |
| Disease | Earth Elemental, Giant Rat, Horned Devil, Mummy, Otyugh |
| Dream | Djinni, Efreeti, Night Hag, Nightmare, Spectre, Treant |
| Earth | Allosaurus, Ankheg, Ankylosaurus, Basilisk, Black Pudding, Bulette, Clay Golem, Dryad, Dust Mephit, Earth Elemental, Gargoyle, Giant Badger, Giant Goat, Gibbering Mouther, Gorgon, Grick, Iron Golem, Otyugh, Purple Worm, Roper, Rust Monster, Satyr, Shambling Mound, Shrieker, Stone Giant, Stone Golem, Triceratops, Xorn, Treant, Violet Fungus |
| Electricity | Air Elemental, Behir, Blue Dragon, Bronze Dragon, Kraken, Oni, Shambling Mound, Storm Giant, Will-o’-Wisp |
| Emotion | Androsphinx, Djinni, Efreeti, Lycanthropes (all), Night Hag, Satyr, Sprite, Succubus/Incubus, Water Elemental |
| Fear | Allosaurus, Dragons (all), Hippogriff, Lich, Nalfeshnee, Pit Fiend, Saber-toothed Tiger Vampire, Water Elemental |
| Fire | Azer, Balor, Barbed Devil, Bearded Devil, Bone Devil, Brass Dragon, Chain Devil, Chimera, Dretch, Efreeti, Erinyes, Fire Elemental, Fire Giant, Glabrezu, Gold Dragon, Hell Hound, Hezrou, Horned Devil, Ice Devil, Imp, Lemure, Marilith, Nalfeshnee, Nightmare, Pit Fiend, Quasit, Red Dragon, Remorhaz, Salamander, Steam Mephit, Succubus/Incubus, Vrock |
| Flight | Aarakocra, Air Elemental, Cloaker, Dragons (all), Flying Snake, Griffon, Hippogriff, Manticore, Roc, Sprite, Stirge, Wyvern |
| Healing | Couatl, Deva, Guardian Naga, Hydra, Lemure, Solar, Tarrasque, Troll, Unicorn |
| Illusion | Aboleth, Air Elemental, Chain Devil, Green Hag, Grey Ooze, Lamia, Sea Hag |
| Life | Couatl, Deva, Ghost, Giant Boar, Guardian Naga, Kraken, Lich, Solar, Spectre, Spirit Naga, Tarrasque, Troll |
| Light | Azer, Balor, Darkmantle, Duergar, Fire Elemental, Giant Fire Beetle, Planetar, Shadow |
| Love | Couatl, Dryad, Satyr, Solar, Tarrasque |
| Luck | Centaur, Couatl, Satyr, Sprite, Merfolk, Tarrasque |
| Memory | Erinyes, Invisible Stalker, Mummy, Spectre, Water Elemental |
| Mercury | Aboleth, Androsphinx, Blink Dog, Chimera, Doppelganger, Drider, Gynosphinx, Lamia, Medusa, Mimic, Minotaur, Night Hag, Oni, Owlbear, Rakshasa |
| Mind | Drow, Giant Owl, Gynosphinx, Harpy, Kraken, Lich, Rakshasa, Treant |
| Pain | Balor, Barbed Devil, Dragon Turtle, Drow, Duergar, Fire Elemental, Giant Wasp, Goblin, Green Hag, Hell Hound, Merrow, Stirge |
| Perception | Androsphinx, Bugbear, Centaur, Couatl, Giant Bat, Giant Frog, Giant Octopus, Giant Toad, Giant Weasel, Gibbering Mouther, Gynosphinx, Red Dragon, Shrieker, Solar, Tarrasque |
| Planar | Azer, Barbed Devil, Bearded Devil, Bone Devil, Chain Devil, Couatl, Deva, Djinni, Dretch, Dust Mephit, Efreeti, Erinyes, Glabrezu, Hell Hound, Hezrou, Horned Devil, Ice Devil, <br>Ice Mephit, Lemure, Magma Mephit, Marilith, Merrow, Nalfeshnee, Planetar, Pit Fiend, Quasit, Salamander, Steam Mephit, Succubus/Incubus, Tarrasque, Vrock, Xorn |
| Plant | Dryad, Earth Elemental, Shambling Mound, Shrieker, Treant, Violet Fungus |
| Prophecy | Centaur, Gynosphinx, Marilith, Storm Giant, Tarrasque |
| Protection | Black Pudding, Clay Golem, Gelatinous Cube, Gibbering Mouther, Solar, Tarrasque, Triceratops |
| Prowess | Bulette, Cloud Giant, Dragons (all), Fire Giant, Frost Giant, Giant Shark, Glabrezu, Griffon, Hill Giant, Iron Golem, Killer Whale, Kraken, Lion, Roc, Stone Giant, Stone Golem, Storm Giant, Tarrasque |
| Purity | Balor, Deva, Dryad, Fire Elemental, Pegasus, Planetar, Unicorn |
| Salt | Clay Golem, Ettin, Flesh Golem, Hill Giant, Manticore, Ogre, Otyugh, Stirge, Tarrasque |
| Speed | Air Elemental, Allosaurus, Behir, Pteranodon, Sprite |
| Stasis | Basilisk, Brass Dragon, Cockatrice, Gargoyle, Gelatinous Cube, Ghast, Ghoul, Giant Spider Gorgon, Medusa, Silver Dragon, Stirge, Tarrasque |
| Stealth | Air Elemental, Bugbear, Cloaker, Darkmantle, Doppelganger, Gargoyle, Gray Ooze, Grick, Invisible Stalker, Mimic |
| Strength | Ankylosaurus, Behir, Cloud Giant, Earth Elemental, Ettin, Fire Giant, Flesh Golem, Frost Giant, Giant Ape, Giant Constrictor Snake, Hydra, Mammoth, Minotaur, Ogre, Orc, Owlbear, Salamander, Shambling Mound, Stone Giant, Stone Golem, Xorn |
| Sulfur | Couatl, Griffon, Guardian Naga, Magma Mephit, Spirit Naga, Storm Giant, Tarrasque, Troll |
| Telesthetic | Drider, Otyugh, Pseudodragon |
| Toxin | Bearded Devil, Dretch, Drider, Ettercap, Giant Centipede, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Scorpion, Giant Spider, Hezrou, Imp, Medusa, Pseudodragon, Purple Worm, Spirit Naga, Vrock, Water Elemental, Wyvern |
| Transmutation | Bronze Dragon, Cockatrice, Copper Dragon, Doppelganger, Gold Dragon, Imp, Lycanthropes (all), Mimic, Ochre Jelly, Oni, Quasit, Rakshasa, Vampire |
| Transportation | Blink Dog, Nightmare, Phase Spider, Roc, Vampire, Wraith |
| Water | Chuul, Dragon Turtle, Frost Giant, Gelatinous Cube, Gray Ooze, Green Hag, Giant Sea Horse, Hydra, Ice Mephit, Kraken, Lizardfolk, Merfolk, Merrow, Ochre Jelly, Plesiosaurus, Sahuagin, Sea Hag, Steam Mephit, Water Elemental |
### Difficult Path: Same Category of Essence
Sometimes either the research doesn't provide the answers, or the known sources of the correct essence cannot be obtained. An alchemist or enchanter could try using an essence from the same category, instead of the exact essence called for. **Note that this imposes Disadvantage on all crafting checks.**
#### Vital Essence Types by Category
| Category | Vital Essences |
| ----------------------- | -------------- |
| **Elemental Essences** | |
| Air | Electricity |
| | Flight |
| | Illusion |
| | Speed |
| | Stealth |
| Earth | Acid |
| | Armor |
| | Disease |
| | Plant |
| | Strength |
| Fire | Agility |
| | Decay |
| | Light |
| | Pain |
| | Purity |
| Water | Cold |
| | Emotion |
| | Fear |
| | Memory |
| | Toxin |
| **Alchemical Essences** | |
| Mercury | Control |
| | Dream |
| | Mind |
| | Telepathic |
| | Transmutation |
| | Transportation |
| Salt | Body |
| | Death |
| | Prophecy |
| | Protection |
| | Prowess |
| | Stasis |
| Sulphur | Healing |
| | Life |
| | Love |
| | Luck |
| | Perception |
| | Planar |
| **Unique** | Azoth |