Alchemy

[Brukaviador]

I've been LARPing for a year and a half in Underworld, so now I'm trying to be extra careful about figuring out the differences between the two systems, and I'm having a difficult time understanding Alchemy.

Weapon Coatings:
When striking an enemy with a weapon coated in alchemy, I get the feeling some of the recipes will affect the target through armor and some must hit body. I'm confused as to which is which. Is there a rule of thumb to follow, or a comprehensive list I can consult?

The book says a weapon coated in Alchemy is good for only one swing, hit or miss, then it's used up. Does moving my weapon to parry an incoming swing count as using it up, or is it only used up when I actually attack and state a damage call?

Vorpal Coatings:
Does the vorpal recipe affect armor? The book just says to increase the damage amount called during a swing, but do I have to call two different things depending on if the target is armored? Like base weapon damage if they have armor and weapon+alchemy if they don't? In which case, how would I tell if their armor is hidden or breached?

Gas globes:
Gas globes are treated as area of effect spells in Underworld, which means they can't be avoided with the dodge ability. I'm getting that's not the case in Alliance, but thought I'd ask. So dodge or no dodge?

Production Costs:
I guess this one depends on the answer to the last two questions, but if weapon coatings are stopped by armor and gas globes aren't, why are weapon coatings more expensive to make? It seems the costs are calculated by usefulness, so I'm not quite getting why weapon coatings are harder to create.

 

[KyleSchmelz]

Weapon coatings grant the player a 1-shot Carrier Effect. Carriers only take effect when they actually hit the target's body points - thus, if it hits armor, the target only takes the damage, not the effect.

Vorpal Coatings and Quicksilver Coatings are an exception to this. A Vorpal Coating just adds damage to a single weapon swing. A Quicksilver Coating gives you the option to call "silver" as your damage type for a single swing. This is completely unaffected by the opponent's armor.

A weapon coating is only expended after you actually attack and call damage.

Gas globes can be dodged in Alliance.

Weapon Coatings are probably more expensive to craft because they can be applied to anyone's weapon. It only takes one rank of Alchemy to apply a weapon coating, whereas it takes three ranks of Alchemy to throw a gas globe.

 

[phedre]

If the weapon is coated and damage is called, the coating's carrier must be called. There is no option to "pull" the carrier to the weapon's base type (normal or silver.)

 

[Brukaviador]

Thanks for the responses. I do have one follow-up question.

I was rereading alchemy and I'm still not clear on the "one attack" rule. Is it one swing, so even if the swing misses it's used up, or is it one hit on the target, even if it hits a shield, etc.? Or to put it another way, if I swing a coated weapon at someone and they step out of the way, is the weapon still coated?

 

[Alavatar]

Thanks for the responses. I do have one follow-up question.

I was rereading alchemy and I'm still not clear on the "one attack" rule. Is it one swing, so even if the swing misses it's used up, or is it one hit on the target, even if it hits a shield, etc.? Or to put it another way, if I swing a coated weapon at someone and they step out of the way, is the weapon still coated?

One swing. It doesn't matter if you miss, hit a shield/sword, or connect with a valid target, if you call a poison carrier the coating is used up.(and you must call the poison carrier or vorpal coating on the first swing)

 

[Drenten]

From the Alliance rule book, page 106, under the weapon coating section.

"Weapon coatings will remain active on the weapon until used. If a weapon is Destroyed or Shattered, the coating is also destroyed. You must have the weapon skill in order to use a weapon thus coated. A swing in the air does not use up the weapon coating but hitting a target—even a shield or a sword—does. You cannot “save” the weapon coating for a good hit. If the coating is not called on the first swing, then it is used up. If you call something else instead, the weapon coating is still used up."

hope that helps