Craft (Chemical) (Skill)

Trained Only

This skill allows you to mix chemicals to create acids, bases, explosives, and poisonous substances.

Acids and Bases: Acids are corrosives substances. Bases neutralize acids but do not deal damage. A base of a certain type counteracts an acid of the same type or a less potent type.

The statistics given on the chart represent an end result of 4 “uses” of the compound.

• *Thrown weapon damage/Immersion damage per round

Explosives: Building an explosive from scratch is dangerous. If the Craft (chemical) check fails, the raw materials are wasted. If the check fails by 5 or more, the explosive compound detonates as it is being made, dealing half of its intended damage to the builder and anyone else in the burst radius.

• * Typical damage/burst radius for each type of explosive.

If the check succeeds, the final product is a solid material, about the size of a brick. An explosive compound does not include a fuse or detonator. Connecting a fuse or detonator requires a Demolitions check.

Poisonous Substances: Solid poisons (such as arsenic) are usually ingested. Liquid poisons (such as scorpion venom) are most effective when injected directly into the bloodstream. Gaseous poisons (such as cyanogen) must be inhaled to be effective. The table illustrates the characteristics of various poisons.

• Save DC: The Difficulty Class of the Fortitude save to negate the effects of the poison.
• Initial Damage: The damage a character takes immediately upon failing his Fortitude save.
• Secondary Damage: The damage a character takes after 1 minute of exposure to the poison. if he fails a second saving throw. Ability score damage is temporary. Unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours, and paralysis lasts 2d6 minutes, unless otherwise noted.
• Purchase DC: The DC for the Wealth check necessary to obtain the raw materials to craft the poison, or to purchase one bottle of solid or liquid poison or one high-pressure cylinder of gaseous poison. A bottle holds four doses, while a cylinder holds enough gas to fill a 10-foot-radius area.
• Restriction: The restriction rating for the poison, if any, and the appropriate black market purchase DC modifier. Remember to apply this modifier to the purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire the poison on the black market.
• Craft DC: The DC of the Craft check to create a quantity of the poison.
• Time: The amount of time required for the Craft check. If the Craft check succeeds, the final product is a synthesized solid or liquid poison stored in a bottle (containing 4 doses) or a gas stored in a pressurized cylinder. When released, the gas is sufficient to fill a 10-foot-radius area and takes 1 round to fill the area.

• *Chloroform gives off a vapor that causes unconsciousness. Applying it to an unwilling target requires a successful grapple check and pin, or a helpless target.
• n/a: Certain poison can’t be made with the Craft skill. Instead, they must be obtained by extracting them from a creature or plant, which can be risky…
• 1 Even on a successful save against its initial damage, Mort causes 1d10 points of damage and causes the victim to be nauseous for 1d4 rounds. Mort can only be produced at PL 7 and above.
• 2 Paralysis lasts up to 24 hours. After 12 hours, victim gets a new Fort save (DC 15) every hour to recover. This drug has a residual effect that leaves the victim with only the vaguest impressions of what occurred while he was paralyzed. Two-Step can only be produced at PL 6 and above.

Special: A character without a chemical kit takes a -4 penalty on Craft (Chemical) checks.

A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on all Craft (Chemical) checks.