Alchemist Specialty

A Class Warfare-like adventurer specialty for Dungeon World games.

What happens when I mix this stuff together?

Compendium Class

Once have spent hours in a dim laboratory mixing obscure liquids and powders into a substance never seen before, you may consider the alchemist specialty an available compendium class. The next time you level up, you may add this specialty to your character instead of choosing a move from your class.

Stats

If you choose the alchemist specialty, you get +1 load, and lower your maximum HP by 2, but not lower than 4+Constitution. Lower the maximum number of bonds you may have by one.

Starting Moves

You start with these two moves:

Improvisational Alchemy

When you volley with hastily mixed alchemical reagents, on a hit, everyone near the target, friend or foe, also takes INT damage. If the volley would reduce ammo, it expends a use of alchemical reagents instead.

Harvester

When you spend a few minutes to carefully loot the corpse of a monster with the magical, amorphous or planar tags, roll+INT. On a 10+, you gain your choice from the following list. On a 7-9, you may gain your choice from the list, but only if you give up a different choice on the list:

• One use of alchemical reagents
• One healing potion
• One antitoxin
• One poison

Advanced Moves

When you gain a level from 2-5, you may choose from these moves:

Mutagenic Drugs

When you tailor alchemical reagents to your own physiology and ingest them, roll+INT. On a hit, choose one stat and take +1 ongoing to moves that roll that stat, then choose another stat and take -2 ongoing to moves that roll that stat. This move may not be used again until the effects wear off. On a 10+, choose two:

• You don't expend a use of alchemical reagents.
• You decide when the effects wear off instead of the GM. (Either way, effects cannot last beyond a day.)
• You don't take a random debility when the effects wear off.

Reactive Alchemy

When you hit with a 10+ while using improvisational alchemy, choose one:

• The reaction is particularly caustic. Deal +1d4 damage to the main target and +1 damage to nearby targets.
• The reaction ignites, setting all targets who take damage on fire.
• The reaction becomes gaseous on impact. All damage ignores armor.

Versatile Alchemist

When you use improvisational alchemy, you may choose one:

• Each target that would take damage instead is covered in a black smoke. For a short time, they cannot see and may choke, but attempts at hitting them take -1 ongoing while the smoke lasts.
• Each target that would take damage instead is covered in colorful sparkles, marking them, even if invisible. Volleys against them take +1 ongoing while the effect lasts.
• Each target that would take damage instead is covered in sticky tendrils that briefly hinder their movement.
• You may decide which targets near the main target take damage.

When you gain a level from 6-10, you may choose from these moves as well as the level 2-5 moves:

Anti-Magic Bomb

When you use improvisational alchemy, you may forgo all damage before rolling. If you do, on a 10+, you dispel an ongoing magical effect in the area of the detonation.

Demolition

When you prepare materials in order to demolish or destroy a location, the GM will choose one or two requirements:

• These materials will have to be applied very carefully.
• These materials will have to be transported very carefully.
• You need arcane ingredients to harm this location.
• You need to spend a lot of coin on these ingredients.
• Meet the requirements and your compounds will get rid of this location or change it irrevocably.

The Great Work

When you spend time running one pound of a substance through an elaborate array of laboratory equipment, roll+INT. On a hit, you transmute that substance to another substance of your choice. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you about some unintended consequences.

Alchemist Alignments

You may choose one of these instead of an adventurer alignment:

Chaotic

Improve something by altering its composition or state.

Neutral

Uncover a secret truth.

Alchemist Bonds

Alchemists reduce the maximum number of bonds they may have by one.

• _______ needs more _______ in their diet.
• _______'s weapon would be improved by exposure to ardent spirit.

Alchemist Gear

You gain alchemical reagents (4 uses, 1 weight).

Alchemist Races

You may choose one of these instead of an adventurer race option:

Dwarf

Take +1 ongoing to any project or endeavor which directly involves working with or trying to produce gold.

Human

You may take a second dose of mutagenic drugs even while the first dose remains active. For this second dose, choose different abilities scores that those chosen for the first dose.