# Reagents Reagents are a huge range of things; most often they are plants that contain some magical essence, but almost as frequently they are harvested from various magically inclined monsters. The exact source of a reagent usually does not matter beyond defining its type, as the part of the reagent used is the fragment of magic contained within that is distilled out. There are many different ways to make an item. Consequently, the materials are sorted into categories. These categories include curative, reactive, and poisonous. These each come in the standard material rarities: common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary. Reagents contribute to the Base Materials Cost (1/2 of the completed item's total value) of all magical and alchemical crafting. They may be [[#Purchasing Magical Materials Table|purchased]], gathered in the wilderness, or found as loot. Any procured in advance can have their value deducted from the Base Materials Cost of your crafting. Reagents can’t be salvaged once they have been combined into another form (such as potions, essences, or ink). Reagants can be assumed to weigh 0.2 pounds each. # Magical Ink While ink has many uses, crafting is mostly concerned with magical ink which has the power to hold the arcane words of scrolls. This is synthesized by alchemists from the magical properties of reagents, as it is concerned with extracting their magical properties, the exact nature of the reagents used do not effect the final ink beyond its potency. Magical ink is not typically found or harvested on its own, though it may be found as loot, and in some instances a GM could rule that some blood collected from a fiend, celestial or dragon could be counted as such. It is generally created from reagents or purchased from alchemists that create it from reagents. Magical ink can’t be salvaged once they have been combined into another form (such as potions, essences, or ink). Magical Ink can be assumed to wight 0.1 pounds each. # Essences While reagents are substances that contain a glimmer of magical power that can be harnessed through refinement, Essences are more purified forms of magical power. These come in [[Essence Categories|dozens of types]] as well as in the five normal rarities (common, uncommon, rare, very rare, and legendary). These essences are the pure stuff of magic that makes things work. You can get these by rendering down magical reagents, salvaging magic items, harvesting them from magical monsters, or through the hard work of spell casters. Or you can find them as loot from people that have already done one of those harder steps. The rules for creating them yourself are under Enchanting, as it is their domain and skill set needed to do so. While all branches occasionally use essences when extra magical power is needed, they are the primary material of Enchanters. Essences can be found as loot during the courses of your adventures, but can also be harvested (from monsters), salvaged (from magical equipment), synthesized (from reagents), or created from the raw power of a spell caster, though the method is long and arduous. Essences are flexible in their exact nature. There are many paths to each desired outcome, and this flexibility is represented in Essences. While the traditional way to make a *belt of hill giant strength* may call for a hill giant heart as its essence, an enchanter may substitute a dragon heart as their primal essences to make a *belt of dragon strength* that just has the same statistical effect. Essences can be assumed to weigh 1 pound each. ### Salvaging Essences You also may be able to salvage magical essence from unwanted or broken magical items, though such a reclamation process can be difficult, and rarely results in more than a fraction of the essence infused into the original item. An item returns one essence equal to its rarity when harvested. The process takes 2 hours to complete, and doesn’t work if the item is currently attuned to any creature. An essence can only be salvaged from permanent magic items; a permanent magic item is one that recharges or doesn’t have a limitation on its charges or uses. A magic item with charges or uses can only be salvaged while it is at full charges or uses. The item becomes nonmagical after the essence is salvaged from it. If it required magic to function or exist, it is destroyed. ### Synthesizing Essences In addition to harvesting essences from magical monsters fully intact, a more approachable and incremental way is to combine several reagents to get an essence. You have to combine three reagents of the same rarity to gain one essence of that rarity. You can combine reagents in the following ways: | [[Essence Categories#Vital Essence Types by Category\|Essence Category]] | Component Reagents | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- | | Alchemical | 1 curative, 1 poisonous, 1 reactive | | Elemental | 3 reactive | | Unique | 2 curative, 2 poisonous, 2 reactive | This process takes 4 hours, and requires alchemist’s supplies and a heat source. ### Making Essences Another potential source of an Essence is being created by a spellcaster. This process is long and arduous, and typically only suited to downtime. A creature with the spell casting feature can create 1 essence during 1 workweek (5 days, 8 hours a day); this process can’t be completed faster and for the duration they are considered to have spent all of their spell slots. At 1st level or higher can make a common essence in this way, a caster 5th level or higher can make an uncommon essence this way, a caster at 11th level can make a rare essence in this way, and a caster at 17th level or higher can make a very rare essence this way. Legendary essences require special rituals, more casters, and take far longer; they are exceedingly hard to make. The type of essence produced depends on the source of the spell casting levels as per the table below: | Caster | Essence Type | | -------- | ------------ | | Bard | Arcane | | Cleric | Divine | | Druid | Primal | | Esper | Psionic | | Paladin | Divine | | Ranger | Primal | | Sorcerer | Arcane | | Warlock | Varies* | | Sorcerer | Varies* | | Wizard | Arcane | >[!note] >A half- or third-caster would generate essences at 1/2 or 1/3 their character level, respectively. # Purchasing Magical Materials Table | Material | Used For | Price | | --------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | --------- | | Common Reagent | Alchemy, Poisoncraft | 15 gp | | Common Essence | Alchemy, Enchanting, Scroll Scribing, Wand Whittling | 45 gp | | Common Magical Ink | Scroll Scribing | 15 gp | | Uncommon Reagent | Alchemy, Poisoncraft | 40 gp | | Uncommon Essence | Alchemy, Enchanting, Scroll Scribing, Wand Whittling | 150 gp | | Uncommon Magical Ink | Scroll Scribing | 40 gp | | Rare Reagent | Alchemy, Poisoncraft | 200 gp | | Rare Essence | Alchemy, Enchanting, Scroll Scribing, Wand Whittling | 700 gp | | Rare Magical Ink | Scroll Scribing | 200 gp | | Very Rare Reagent | Alchemy, Poisoncraft | 2,000 gp | | Very Rare Essence | Alchemy, Enchanting, Scroll Scribing, Wand Whittling | 7,000 gp | | Very Rare Magical Ink | Scroll Scribing | 2,000 gp | | Legendary Reagent | Alchemy, Poisoncraft | 5,000 gp | | Legendary Essence | Alchemy, Enchanting, Scroll Scribing, Wand Whittling | 25,000 gp | | Legendary Magical Ink | Scroll Scribing | 5,000 gp |