In simplistic terms, external alchemy is the art of transforming one physical substance into another. Fairy tales and legends speak loudest of the ability to change base metals into gold, because dreams of wealth captured the imaginations of influential sponsors of court magicians. Clever alchemists invent endless other applications for the art, while wise ones avoid demonstrating their capabilities to the greedy or powerful.

Stories and actual practice agree on one important detail: an alchemist requires materials and equipment with which to work. Without a “laboratory” of some kind, an alchemist is unable to perform. A laboratory usually takes the form of a cooking fire, various mixing glassware or crockery and an assortment of reagents, but a well-stocked herbal collection and pure water may suffice for holistic practitioners.

The two-dot version allows a thaumaturge to transform a simple, common, non-precious substance into a different simple, common, non-precious substance.

The four-dot version allows an alchemist to create or transform a complex, rare or precious substance. A simple compound may be refined into a complex one, a rare substance might be turned into a common one or a precious material might become a different precious material.

The player must succeed in a roll of Intelligence + her choice of Occult or Science. The roll is penalized by –1 for each point of Size above 1 that’s transmuted, and the entire body of transformed material must be one mass (a single chunk of metal, a pool of liquid or a sack of power, for example). The alchemist’s efforts suffer an additional penalty equal to the sum of the highest Durability involved (original or new) and the highest Resources necessary to purchase the materials involved (original or new). So, the penalty equals Durability + Resources. Remember that many objects don’t actually have any Durability or Resources ratings, so the Storyteller may have to make them up.

For example, a thaumaturge uses the four-dot Trait to turn a chunk of iron into a $500 gold nugget. Looking at the World of Darkness Rulebook’s Resources Merit, the gold would require approximately Resources •, the iron is Durability 3 and the chunk is Size 1. The total penalty is –4 (1 for the Resources, 3 for the Durability and 0 for Size).

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult or Science
Ritual Length: One hour
Duration: Indefinite (permanent unless dispelled somehow)

Roll Results
Dramatic Failure:
An accident occurs. It may be anything from transmuting the wrong material to mild acid burns to an explosion. Alternatively, the material may transform, but reverts to its original state at an inopportune time.

Exceptional Success:
The final product is also imbued with magical energy. As enchanted material, it can be used to cause bashing or lethal wounds to ghosts or spirits in Twilight. Additional properties may manifest at the Storyteller’s discretion (see Mage: The Awakening, p. 82, the Enhanced Item Merit, for ideas).

Possible Penalties: Size of material transmuted (–1 per point over Size 1), Durability of toughest material (–1 per point), Resources cost of most expensive material (–1 per dot), poor laboratory equipment (–1), no sample of the desired material (–1)

Ritual Details: Alchemical rituals resemble archaic chemistry or herbalism. Indeed, frauds pretending to be al- chemists utilize those very arts. Fire, acidic and base materials, mortars and pestles, mixing containers, mercury and gold are prevalent alchemical materials. Some degree of laboratory equipment or herbal mixing apparatus is necessary.