Gnome Alchemy

Gnome alchemy was briefly touched on in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes but that book provides very little detail regarding the practice. The concept has enjoyed a more thorough exploration in previous versions of Dungeons and Dragons. Dragon Magazine issue 291, for example, is a great source for this sort of information. 

What follows in this post is a sampling of alchemical formulas that any character of any race of any class can produce. An asterisk (*) next to the name indicates the formula was either sourced from a concept in that issue of Dragon Magazine or was inspired by concepts in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes. A single vial of formula covers or is effective against one Medium-sized target unless otherwise stated. A DM might want to consider requiring additional vials for larger targets and some portion of an entire vial for smaller targets, but that's up to you.

The image for this post is from the Fifth Edition Dungeon Master's Guide.

Note that I had originally included these in a post for an NPC named Sourwind Hedskor. She is a gnome alchemist. I wanted to break out these ideas into a separate homebrew-rules post though. I'll likely add to these over time.

Enjoy.

Clockwork Interrupter

Empty this vial of semi-transparent, green liquid onto a construct (see the Clockwork creatures in Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes). For 1 minute, the clockwork will malfunction on a role of a 1 or a 2 (instead of just on a 1). For that duration, the surface of the clockwork takes on a soft, glossy, green patina that is noticeable with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Perception) check.

Floral Fancies

A single target must drink this vial of pink, fizzy syrup. The target immediately begins exuding a pleasant floral scent. Over the next minute, the target can make a single Charisma check with advantage. The scent dissipates immediately after the check is made. If after 1 minute no Charisma check is made, the formula wears off and the drinker spends an entire turn burping and farting, making it impossible to take any action, bonus action, or reaction for that turn.

Glitterbright *

This sparkling liquid highlights the characteristics of a gemstone, making it easier to investigate and/or modify it. To use Glitterbright, simply empty the vial onto a gemstone of your choice. For the next minute, you have double your Jewelry Tools proficiency bonus for any check you make against the stone using those tools. Note that the entire vial must be used on the gemstone, regardless of the gem’s size.

Glow Dye

This dye creates a 10 ft. sphere of soft, glowing light for one hour after it is exposed to sunlight for a minimum of 10 minutes. There is no way to “turn off” the glow; it continues for the entire duration. You can keep the dye in its vial to use as a lantern of sorts. You can also apply it to an article of clothing, collection of linen, or bolt of cloth. To use it in this way, simply soak the item in a solution of dye and water for one day. Whether kept in the vial or applied to clothing, it remains effective for one month, after which it quickly fades and will no longer glow. The dye comes in yellow, green, and pink, but Sourwind is also working on blue and magenta varieties.

Partystarter

This intoxicating beverage goes down a bit bitter but leaves a pleasant enough aftertaste. An unwilling target who drinks it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, temporarily losing 2 points from every attribute score upon a success or losing 4 points from every attribute score upon a failure. This effect lasts for an hour. For each additional vial consumed during that duration, another saving throw must be made. The DC incrementally increases by 3 for each vial consumed in that hour. Whenever an additional vial is consumed, the one-hour duration resets. Once any of the target’s attribute scores reaches zero or less, the target becomes Unconscious for 24 hours; this condition cannot be removed until the 24-hour period ends. All lost attribute points are restored when the effects of the Partystarter end.

Red Wriggler *

Red Wriggler is a popular party favor and often used to play practical jokes. Soak a one-foot-long, one-inch-wide strip of cloth in this red, sticky resin and let stand for 1 hour. Afterwards, when the cloth becomes wet, it swells to three times its size, takes on a slimy, rubbery texture, and twists and flops about like a dying worm for 1 minute. At the end of the duration, the cloth melts into an acrid, yellow goo that quickly evaporates. 

Snortawake *

This pungent, clear liquid can be poured into the mouth or nose of a single target that is Unconscious, removing the condition on the start of the target’s next turn. The target awakens with a fit of excessively sonorous snorting, losing their bonus action for that turn. If the cause of the Unconscious condition explicitly states that the condition cannot be removed, then the Snortawake has no effect. 

Too Much Fun

This thin liquid is a kaleidoscope of swirling color. An unwilling target who drinks the formula must succeed at DC 18 Constitution saving throw to resist its effects. Upon a failure, the skin and hair of the target changes color for 1 minute, cycling through the colors of the rainbow over that duration (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet).

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