Alchemic BReakdown

[Random_White_Guy]

Something I've been musing while my trip into Alchemy and Herbalism.

Alchemy/Herb is an amazing system but there are times when you get a hold of something that you're unfamiliar with, and it would be most beneficial to attempt to reverse engineer.

Granted I'm not sure how hard it would be for the system in place, which is fairly large, but the idea is something I thought would be worth suggesting.

Taking an Alchemic product, and through alchemy rolls (Likely far higher DC than what it would take to create the product with traditional alchemy), break it down into some or all of its more basic reagents. Not knowing what order and such would still lead to a lot of experimenting and research.

A) it would create more flowing of reagents around, which at present is a pretty arduous and irritating process on top of all of the chances for dud experiments/self-detonation/etc.

B) It just seems like something that would fit the RP. Putting things together and taking things apart go hand in hand. An architect is the one who can design a building to be the most sturdy, but also knows the quickest and most effective way to bring them down, so to speak.

[Nihm]

This would make it too easy as there are already some alchemy / herbalism items available in the economy.

[Portal Rat]

I'm not too sure about how this would play out in terms of balance, but just strictly as a setting issue, wouldn't this be the equivalent of turning gold back into lead? In other words, can what was done with alchemy really ever be undone? I was under the impression that such transactions were irreversible.

[Snoteye]

I don't believe the system supports reverse engineering and a patch for that is exceedingly unlikely.

[erglion]

That could be pretty cool, but if you think about what it would take to script that, it would essentially be an entirely new system in itself.  Maybe at best with this sort of reverse engineering system, if you passed the DC you could guess the key ingredient.  Still a major problem includes the fact that there are multiple recipes to the same end product.

In the end, I think the system is great as it is.

[Howlando]

No thanks.