TEXT: Guide to Alchemy
  Materials and Methods
  Introduction: This document is meant to supplement the already existing crafting rules by giving further
  insight and options for use with the alchemy crafting skill and tools.
  Typically when the topic of alchemy is brought up the idea of potion brewing is the first thing that people
  seem to think of. Though alchemy would likely have some limited ability in this area, that is primary the
  realm of the herbalist. For example, an alchemist might produce oils, such as Oil of Sharpness, and
  products similar to industrial compounds, like Universal Solvent and Sovereign Glue, but they should not
  be thought of as producing all types of potions.
  Instead alchemy should focus far more on the processing of materials, especially to enhance crafting.
  by Matthew Smith
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  This document will purpose three different rule sets for
  how one might use alchemy:
  Assisting in Crafting Magical Items
  Producing Damage Inducing Substances
  Producing Special Non-magical Materials.
  Assisting in Crafting Magical Items
  This is perhaps the most straight forward rule set
  discussed here. In simple terms, an alchemist can assist
  in the production of any magical item to a limited
  degree, even when they are not skilled in the tool set
  directly associated with the item type being crafted.
  This is possible as the alchemist can help prepare
  materials that will be used in the crafting process. When
  functioning in this way, the alchemist contributes 15 gp
  worth of work per day toward the completion of the
  item, instead of the normal 25 gp.
  The alchemist cannot function in this way unless there
  is another crafter who is skilled in the associated tool
  set. The number of alchemist assistants also cannot
  exceed the number of workers skilled in the associated
  tool set either.
  Producing Damage Inducing
  Substances
  Damage inducing substances can take any number of
  forms and produce nearly any damage type. For
  example, an alchemist may produce a bomb dealing fire
  damage or a substance that electrocutes any creature
  that comes into contact with it. A player should discuss
  the specific form this substance takes with their DM
  first, but the following are some general rules for how
  to handle crafting such an item including: damage
  amount, splash damage radius, and skill level
  requirements.
  In general terms crafting such a substance will follow
  the normal rules for crafting nonmagical items. The
  table below lists out the values based on damage
  amount. It should be noted that this assumes that there
  will be a 5 foot splash radius as well, more on that soon.
  Damage
  CR
  Value (gp)
  Damage
  CR
  Value (gp)
  1
  1
  15
  6d6
  21
  300
  1d2
  2
  20
  4d10
  22
  315
  1d3
  2
  30
  5d8
  23
  320
  1d4
  3
  35
  9d4
  23
  320
  1d6
  4
  50
  7d6
  25
  350
  1d8
  5
  65
  10d4
  25
  360
  2d4
  5
  70
  4d12
  26
  370
  1d10
  6
  80
  6d8
  27
  385
  1d12
  7
  90
  5d10
  27
  390
  2d6
  7
  100
  11d4
  27
  390
  3d4
  8
  110
  8d6
  28
  400
  2d8
  9
  130
  12d4
  30
  430
  4d4
  10
  140
  3d20
  31
  450
  1d20
  11
  150
  7d8
  31
  450
  3d6
  11
  150
  9d6
  31
  450
  2d10
  12
  160
  5d12
  32
  465
  5d4
  13
  180
  13d4
  32
  465
  2d12
  13
  185
  6d10
  33
  470
  3d8
  14
  190
  10d6
  35
  500
  4d6
  14
  200
  14d4
  35
  500
  6d4
  15
  215
  8d8
  36
  515
  3d10
  17
  235
  15d4
  37
  535
  5d6
  18
  250
  7d10
  38
  550
  4d8
  18
  260
  11d6
  38
  550
  3d12
  20
  280
  6d12
  39
  560
  8d4
  20
  290
  16d4
  40
  570
  2d20
  21
  300
  You will also note that there is a Challenge Rating (CR)
  listed as well. This can be handled in one of several
  ways, based on the DM’s preference. The recommended
  way this should be handled is to use this value to
  determine the maximum damage of a product that a
  given alchemist can produce. A character, who is
  proficient with Alchemy Tools, can produce anything
  on the list with a value equal to or less than 10 + their
  proficiency bonus + their Intelligence modifier. The
  reason why the DC values are listed to such a high level
  should become clear after referencing how splash radii
  would be handled. However, some CR values are only
  possible when double the proficiency bonus is applied,
  such as with the Expertise skill, with a few still only
  possible with further enhancement or when using
  alternative methods for using the CR value.
  Alternatively, a DM may choose to have a character roll
  for each day of work. In this case the CR should be
  used to determine the roll necessary to progress each
  day. The DM may also choose to require a recipe to
  produce any given damage amount, where the CR can
  be used to determine the difficulty of finding that
  specific recipe.
  
  Slash Radii
  Altering the splash radius for a given product is handled
  by modifying the CR value per the table below.
  Radius (feet)
  Splash Radius Modifier
  Target only
  0.75
  5
  1
  10
  2
  15
  3
  20
  4
  25
  5
  30
  6
  This would mean that a character that can produce a
  bomb that deals 6d4 damage with a 5 foot splash radius
  can also produce one with no splash radius that deals
  8d4 damage or one that deals 3d6 to a range of 10 feet.
  If an alternate method is being used, the DM should
  keep the modified CR rating in mind and use it how
  best fits with the method being utilized.
  Producing Special Non-magical
  Materials
  The materials that might be produced through alchemy
  will be listed after this section. These materials will
  enhance products produced by other craftsmen, using
  another type of tool set. They are each given a cost
  modifier, the type of crafts that might be associated
  with the material, and the rarity is also given for each.
  This in way is meant to lock a DM into specific scope
  of use for each of these, but is meant to serve as a guide
  to allow quick reference and ease of use.
  When producing an item of any of these special types,
  the normal crafting rules will be used, using the base
  price of the item + the added cost associated with the
  material. For example, a Blood Iron Longsword can be
  produced through the combined effort of a Smith and an
  Alchemist. Each worker would contribute 5 gp per day,
  10 gp per day in total, and the associated value of the
  item would be 1515 (15 gp + 500 gp/lb x 3 lb). This
  means such an item would require 152 days to produce
  for the pair of them. [A DM may choose to forgo the
  base cost and just use the total cost of the special
  material for non-magical items if they so choose]
  Magical items can also be produced using these special
  materials. Simply add the cost associated with the
  material to that associated with the magical item that is
  to be produced. Use the weights associated with the
  item’s non-magical equivalent to determine the cost of
  producing that material.
  It should also be noted that each of these, even those
  listed as common, are intended to actually be quite rare
  in the world. The more common of which will likely be
  generally known, but few would have access to them,
  while the more rare may only come up in fabled stories
  and their existence generally thought to be mythic only,
  or even completely unknown to all but a very select
  few. The sale and purchase of such items should be
  handled in a similar manner as magical items as their
  rarity would make a specific market for unheard of.
  Special Materials:
  Arandur
  Added Cost: 100 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  This material has a silver-blue appearance with a green
  reflective sheen to it. Vibrations and sound seem to
  dampen with this material.
  Armor made of this material no longer has the stealth
  penalty associated with heavier armor types. Heavy
  armor also reduces thunder damage to the wearer by
  1d4 points, while medium armor and shields made of
  this material reduces it by 1 point.
  Aururum
  Added Cost: 200 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Very Rare
  This steel-like material gleams with hues of pink and
  indigo.
  Objects made of this material function the same as if
  they were made of normal iron, but if such an object is
  broken the fragmented pieces can be brought together
  and the pieces immediately fuse back together
  seamlessly. These objects will only fuse if placed in
  exactly the correct configuration and result in an object
  that is whole, as though it had never been broken.
  Baatorian Green Steel
  Added Cost: 100 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  A replication of green flecked iron normally only mined
  in the Nine Hells, this material allows for a weapon to
  maintain an unimaginably sharp edge or point.
  
  Slashing and piercing weapons made of this material
  gain a nonmagical +1 to damage rolls.
  Blended Quartz
  Added Cost: 250 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith or Jeweler
  Rarity: Very Rare
  This material appears as steel with opaque, white
  crystalline veins running thought it. This material seems
  to have the ability to focus arcane energies, allowing
  spellcasters to increase the potency of their spells.
  When a spell caster uses an object made of this material
  as a focus, regardless of its form, the spell’s save DC
  and Attack Modifier both increase by +1. The cost of
  enchanting an item made of this material is also halved.
  Blood Iron
  Added Cost: 500 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Legendary
  Objects made with this material has a similar banded
  appearance as folded steel, but instead of the normal
  dark bands they appear to be a red reminiscent of either
  rust or dried blood. This material seems to cling to
  whatever touches it, not so much sticking as gripping.
  Weapons made of this material deal greater than normal
  damage as a result, use the table below to determine the
  new damage dealt by the weapon. For example, a
  longsword made of blood iron will deal 2d6 damage.
  Armor made of this material will halt some attacks that
  would normally slide past the metal into unprotected
  parts of the body, such as into joints. As a result one
  wearing such armor gains a +1 to their final AC value.
  Normal
  Damage
  Blood Iron
  Damage
  Normal
  Damage
  Blood Iron
  Damage
  1
  1d2
  2d4
  2d6
  1d2
  1d3
  1d10
  2d8
  1d3
  1d4
  1d12
  3d6
  1d4
  1d6
  2d6
  3d6
  1d6
  1d8
  2d8
  3d8
  1d8
  2d6
  2d10
  4d8
  Blue Ice
  Added Cost: 150 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  This opaque, dark blue ice is quite cold to the touch.
  The material is able to quickly conduct the heat away
  from objects it comes in contact with, without melting.
  When a weapon made of this material deals damage to a
  creature, the target takes an extra 1 point of cold
  damage on top of the normal damage the weapon would
  deal.
  Armors made of this material grant the wearer
  resistance to fire damage, as it draws the heat away
  from them.
  Bronzewood
  Added Cost: 50 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Woodcarver or Carpenter
  Rarity: Uncommon
  This was originally normal wood of any common verity
  that now has a metallic appearance along the grains.
  The wood has been chemically altered through alchemy
  to a hardness that rivals fine steel. This allows for the
  production of products usually only possible with
  metals, using instead this wood, such as weapons and
  armor. Chain mail cannot be made from this material,
  however.
  The statistics of such weapons and armor are the same
  as their metal counterparts, but they weigh half as
  much.
  Like Ironhide, this material is revered as a usable
  alternative to metal by druids who dislike its use for
  armor.
  Crysteel
  Added Cost: 500 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Glassblower or Jeweler
  Rarity: Legendary
  This fine silvery crystalline material resonates with
  psionic energy.
  Though no different than normal in the hands of most
  creatures, a creature with psionic abilities can choose to
  channel a small amount of these energies into the
  weapon, causing it deal more damage than usual. The
  number of damage dice dealt under these conditions is
  doubled. For example, a crysteel longsword in the
  hands of a psionic creature can deal 2d8 slashing
  damage, instead of the normal 1d8 damage.
  Elukian Clay
  Added Cost: 50 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Potter
  
  Rarity: Uncommon
  This rough gray stone-like material is formulated after a
  substance found in the Elemental Plane of Water. As
  such, it seems to have a particular affinity towards
  water. This substance seems perfectly buoyant in water
  of any kind, making it seem weightless when used
  underwater.
  Armor made of this material allows the wearer to swim
  without the normal restrictions armor would normally
  impose.
  Entopium
  Added Cost: 100 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  Though it weighs the same amount as normal metals,
  this material seems to shift and move in such a way that
  assists the user’s movements in such a way that they
  don’t feel as cumbersome.
  Weapons made of this material lose the heavy
  characteristic, if they had it.
  Heavy armor made of this material allows for a
  Dexterity bonus of up to +2 to be added to the AC value
  and Medium armor no longer has a maximum Dexterity
  bonus limitation, as though they were one weight
  category lighter.
  Fever Iron
  Added Cost: 150 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  This metal almost seem to have a faint reddish glow to
  it. This material focuses the heat from its surroundings
  toward any object it comes into contact with.
  Weapons made of Fever Iron deal an extra 1 point of
  fire damage on top of the normal damage the weapon
  would deal.
  Armors made from this material also grant the wearer
  resistance to cold damage, as it funnels heat toward the
  chilled area.
  Gehennan Morghulth Iron
  Added Cost: 100 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  This material simulates rare volcanic materials.
  Weapons made of this material have a greenish tint to
  them and appear pocked and pitted, like the material is
  self destructing. It is also toxic to most creatures. Any
  creature hit with a weapon made of this material must
  make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned
  for 1 minute. The saving throw can be repeated at the
  end of each of the targets turns, ending the effect on a
  success.
  While wearing armor made of this material, a creature
  is perpetually poisoned.
  Githyanki Silver
  Added Cost: 500 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Legendary
  This appears to be a normal silver weapon, but when a
  weapon made of this material is held it shifts as though
  it were something between liquid and smoke. When
  such a melee weapon is drawn, the wielder must make a
  DC 25 Wisdom saving throw to align their mind with
  the material. On a successful save, the weapon seems to
  shift to assist the wielder and provides a +3 to attack
  rolls. On a failed save, its motions are unpredictable
  and random, imposing a -3 penalty to attack rolls.
  Creatures with psionic abilities have advantage on this
  save and Githyanki automatically succeed on it.
  It is also the only known material that is able to cut the
  silvery cord that connects the astral body of a creature
  under an effect such as the astral projection spell to
  their physical body. The wielder of a Githyanki Silver
  blade can choose to do this when they deal critical
  damage to such a creature.
  Weapons made of this material also carry the silvered
  characteristic for the purposes of bypassing damage
  resistance to non-silvered weapons.
  Hardstone
  Added Cost: Doubled construction cost
  Other Crafting Tools: Stone carver
  Rarity: Common
  This hardened stone is much harder and stronger than
  normal. It has a dull, almost chalky appearance to it.
  Stone structures made of this material have double the
  normal hit points than normal and gain +5 to their
  damage threshold value.
  Heartwire
  Added Cost: 75 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Uncommon
  This incredibly fine, flexible material that is amazingly
  
  durable. It is useful for reinforcing the vulnerable spots
  of armor, such as in joints.
  When a creature rolls a critical hit against a target
  wearing armor reinforced with heartwire, they must
  make another attack roll. If they meet or exceed the
  target’s AC with this roll, they deal critical damage as
  normal, but if they don’t they deal the normal damage
  for that weapon type instead.
  Hizagkuur
  Added Cost: 200 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Very Rare
  This pale, silvery gray metal resists the effects of
  magical energies, with a chance of sending those
  energies back toward their original source.
  The wielder of a weapon made of this material has a 5%
  chance of sending spells that target them back toward
  the spell’s caster. Shields have a 10% chance of doing
  so and armor made of this material has a 15% chance.
  This only has an effect when a spell specifically targets
  the creature wielding an object made of this material
  and has no effect on area of effect spells that spread to
  where the creature is.
  This material also makes it impossible to enchant the
  object it is made from, as it reflects any magical energy
  meant to imbue it back toward the enchanter, dealing
  1d6 electrical damage for each spell slot level used to
  attempt to create the enchantment.
  Ironhide
  Added Cost: 100 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Leather worker
  Rarity: Rare
  Hides can be chemically altered to become extremely
  strong, while still somewhat flexible. This material
  resembles normal hide, but has a sheen to it that
  resembles polished metal.
  Armor can be made with this material, allowing it to be
  treated as one weight category lighter than normal and
  reducing its weight by half. This material cannot be
  used to produce chain mail but can be used to make
  other armors typically only possible with metal.
  Like Bronzewood, this material is revered as a usable
  alternative to metal by druids who dislike its use for
  armor.
  Living Metal
  Added Cost: 100 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Rare
  Though not actually alive in the technical sense, this
  metal seems to have a mind of its own and slowly shifts
  and molds itself to the one using it.
  A melee weapon made of this material gains a +1 to
  attack rolls after it has been wielded for at least 24
  hours, it has a -1 penalty until that time elapses.
  Medium and Heavy Armor made of this material
  likewise allows for an extra +1 Dexterity bonus after
  being worn for 24 hours and likewise has a -1 penalty
  before that time. That means that Medium Armor limits
  the application of a Dexterity bonus of +1 for the first
  24 hours, and +3 after that time. Heavy armor has a
  base -1 penalty to AC for the first 24 hours, and allows
  for a Dexterity bonus of up to +1 after that period.
  Items remain formed for a specific wielder for 48 hours
  or until it mold itself to another creature. If the item is
  not used within that period of time it reverts to
  imposing the -1 penalty until used for another 24 hours.
  Mullite
  Added Cost: 20 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Potter
  Rarity: Common
  This is a white alchemical, porcine-like material.
  Pottery, and other such objects, can be made of this
  material, but are far more resilient than normal. They
  are considered resilient instead of fragile, increasing the
  object’s hit points. Reference page 247 of the Dungeon
  Master’s Guide for more information about object hit
  points and resilience.
  Pandemonic Silver
  Added Cost: 50 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Uncommon
  This material seems to almost vibrate lightly when held,
  but when it is thrust through the air, as with a weapon
  attack, these subtle vibrations elevate into a high
  pitched noise reminiscent of a blood curdling scream of
  pure terror.
  When a weapon made of this material strikes a creature,
  the target of that attack must make a DC 12 Wisdom
  saving throw or become frightened of the weapon’s
  wielder until the beginning of the wielder’s next turn.
  Weapons made of this material also carry the silvered
  characteristic for the purposes of bypassing damage
  
  resistance to non-silvered weapons.
  Pearl Steel
  Added Cost: 50 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Uncommon
  This material has a seaweed green hue to it and is far
  more buoyant than normal metal. This allows the
  wearer of armor made of this material to swim without
  the normal hindrance from wearing metal armor. It is
  also resistant to rust from exposure to water. This
  material functions otherwise normally.
  Rimfire Ice
  Added Cost: 250 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Wood carver or Carpenter
  Rarity: Very Rare
  This pale blue ice material glows softly and doesn’t
  melt, but instead is equally as flammable as wood.
  When it burns however, the flames are not hot, but cold,
  dealing cold damage instead of fire damage.
  This material can also be worked in a similar manner
  normal wood, so anything normally made of wood
  could be made from this material.
  Any items made of this material sheds dim light in a 10-
  foot-radius. Weapons made of this material also deal an
  extra 1 point of cold damage, in addition to the
  weapon’s normal damage.
  Serren
  Added Cost: 200 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Wood carver or Carpenter
  Rarity: Very Rare
  Wood made into this material has a ghostly appearance
  to it. It seems to be on the brink of fading from view,
  though it is not transparent in any way.
  The material itself extends into the ethereal plane and
  as such, weapons made of this material can be used to
  strike and damage ethereal creatures.
  Incorporeal creatures and objects also cannot pass
  through this material, it is treated as solid to them.
  Silvered
  Added Cost: 20 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Common
  An alchemist is able to imbue a metal object with silver.
  This only has the effect of adding the silvered property
  to it for the purposes of bypassing damage resistance to
  non-silvered weapons.
  Thinaun
  Added Cost: 200 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Very rare
  Thinaun is a dark, glittering steel alloy. It has an
  attraction to the stuff of souls.
  If not enchanted, a weapon made of this material deals
  1 damage of the appropriate type to ethereal creatures.
  If enchanted it deals an additional +1 damage to them.
  When a creature is slain with a weapon made of this
  material, their soul becomes bound to the weapon. This
  means that that creature cannot be revived or
  resurrected until its soul is released from that weapon or
  the weapon is destroyed.
  A weapon can only have a single soul bound to it. If
  another creature is killed with a weapon already binding
  a soul, the bound soul is released and the soul of the
  newly killed creature becomes bound to the weapon
  instead.
  Truesteel
  Added Cost: 300 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Very Rare
  This modified silvery mithral material of elvish design
  almost seems to magically improve a warrior’s luck in
  combat, though it is not considered magical.
  Weapons made of this material have an improved
  critical range by 1 (for example, dealing critical damage
  on a roll of 19 or 20, instead of just 20).
  Armors made of this material also gain a +1 to AC.
  Urdrukar
  Added Cost: 500 gp/lb
  Other Crafting Tools: Smith
  Rarity: Legendary
  This dark metal, modeled after rare minerals found deep
  in the Underdark, is resistant to divination magic.
  While wearing or carrying objects made of this material
  you gain a +2 to saving throws against divination magic
  for every 5 pound of the material, with a maximum of
  +4.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Matthew Smith - Guide to Alchemy.pdf