Crafting for Consumables

When you gain proficiency with the Alchemist, Brewer, Calligrapher, or Tinker tools, or the Herbalist or Poison kit, you begin to gain access and knowledge to a host of new recipes. While the initial selection may be small, you can grow and experiment as an artisan. Begin by choosing 3 recipes from the starter list of 5 and add them to your recipe book. You can add new recipes to your book by studying recipes that you find or by experimenting with your tools or kit.

Consumables and their effects can be and their effects can be as broken as follows:

Once per day during a long rest, you may try to craft a known recipe or experiment to discover new recipes. Crafting level is tied to your proficiency bonus so as you gain experience and levels, your proficiency in crafting also increases. The number of crafting slots you have is equal to your proficiency bonus. In order to create a crafting, you need a number of crafting slots equal to the crafting level. A 1st level crafting requires one slot; a 2^nd level crafting requires two slots, and so on. These slots are locked until the crafting is consumed or destroyed. You cannot craft above your crafting level.

Example:  A level 2 Gnome Fighter has proficiency with the Brewer's Supplies. He can craft two 1st level recipes and cannot craft anything above his crafting level. His two crafting slots are locked until he consumes or destroys his brews. A level 6 Dwarf Cleric has proficiency with the Brewer's Supplies. He can craft one 2nd level recipe and one 1st level recipe or three 1st level. His three crafting slots are locked until he consumes or destroys his brews.

Crafting Check Rules                         

To craft recipes, begin by stating whether you are crafting a known recipe or experimenting. (Example: the DC of a known Novice difficulty recipe is 11). You may only craft a recipe of your skill level or lower. Reference the Crafting Difficulty Class table to determine the appropriate DC for the recipe. Then use the necessary tool or kit to make a Crafting Skill check by rolling a d20 and adding your proficiency bonus against the DC of the recipe. If a check on a known recipe is successful, you produce an amount indicated by the recipe and the required crafting slots are locked.

Spell, Class and Race features such as lucky or inspiration do not affect a Crafting Skill check. However if an ally with proficiency in the respective tool offers help, you may roll the Crafting Skill check at advantage. An ally that assists a Crafting Skill check must spend the entire duration helping.

Learning New Recipes                                        

Much of learning recipes is experimentation and refining technique. Oftentimes, recipes by two different adventurers can look completely different but still result in the same effect. As your crafting level increases, you unlock the potential to learn new recipes or enhance existing recipes. You can choose to experiment when crafting to see what combinations and mixtures of components yield.

Trainers and Rare Recipes                     

The DM may decide that certain cities or locations may have knowledge of some recipes you can learn. Additionally, some recipes may be found on scrolls or texts that you come across. The cost to learn these is equal to crafting cost.

Successful Experimentation                             

When you succeed on an experiment, the DM may choose a result or may roll a d100 on the Experimentation tables for the respective Crafting level for the corresponding craft. If the recipe is unknown, you can learn the new recipe and add it to your recipe book. As indicated on the tables, however, some recipes require a lower level recipe in order to be properly learned. Anybody can mix a few things together and get lucky with their results, but it takes a dedicated craftsman to document and develop their findings. With experience comes intuition, so if you craft a lower level recipe, you can roll twice and choose between the two results.

Crafting in Poor Environments                 

Sometimes environmental conditions are not appropriate for crafting. If unable to find an inn, residence, or appropriate place of business for crafting, you are unable to properly and productively work. When you perform a Crafting Skill check, roll at disadvantage.

Overlapping Effects                                      

Consumables also have very potent and distinct effects that often do not work well when mixed with products of the same craft. In these cases the new crafting overwrites the older one.

Downtime Experiments                                 

Downtime is an excellent time for experimenting on new and unique recipes. If you spend 1 hour each day for two days experimenting, you are able to roll on a d100 table 1 time. As long as any prerequisites are satisfied, you learn the new recipe. Downtime experiments do not yield any usable products, and materials and gold are not consumed.

Properties, Yield, and the Market 

Recipes can produce all manner of strange and exotic effects, and the availability of components can range from common to exceptionally rare. Products of the recipes may have limited shelf lives or multiple uses. Consult the recipe list for properties, crafting costs, yield, and other information. Commodities made by crafting are not capable of being sold on the market. Most shops are aware of the limitation of crafting locks and will not purchase a consumable crafted in this fashion.