Single-Minded and Autohypnosis with Alchemy

[neyestevao]

Hi everyone!

I'm making an alchemist character and looked for some topics here to help me, but didn't find the answer I was looking for.

My question is: Can I use the advantage "Single-minded" with alchemy, even if it takes at least one week to make a simple potion? The description of it is that you "(...) get +3 to success rolls for any lengthy mental task you concentrate on to the exclusion of other activities (...)." And alchemy is a really lenghty mental task, I think.

Also, can I use cumulatively the skill "autohypnosis", that can provide a +2 bonus at the same conditions?

Obviously the character will be useless in any other activities other than eating and sleeping, but I think that using these two "habilities" (and if you can be at a calm and isolated place) you could do some great job as an alchemist.

Is this right?

Thanks in advance for your attention.

p.s.: I have "English (Accented) (4)" so I'm sorry if there are some mistakes :p

[fifiste]

I see no problem with that ... if you readily accept the downside of the character being really useLESS in other fields at these weeks.

[the_matrix_walker]

Single Minded is iffy here... the process of alchemy is both complex and arguably not a purely mental pursuit. This sounds like a GM call really.

[the_matrix_walker]

I messaged Kromm on this one

Originally Posted by Kromm

Given that "inventing" and "magic" are singled out for potential prohibition, and alchemy has large elements of both, I'd say the bonus doesn't apply here. Alchemy takes days to produce anything . . . I guess if the alchemist had Doesn't Sleep, I'd let it pass, but eating and sleeping preclude being focused all the time.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by the_matrix_walker

I messaged Kromm on this one

Okay, I totally get the invention/magic/alchemy aspect. But sleep? If some Long Task allows having sleep/food/etc. breaks, then what's wrong about only being focused while performing said Long Task? It's not like you're using the bonus in your sleep.

[Kromm]

Single-Minded applies when you can do the task in one sitting. If the task is broken up into parts, then by definition you aren't focused on it without interruption, and the advantage does nothing. It's meant to give a bonus to tasks that are long relative to combat (like surgery and disarming traps), not to things that take days or more! Note in particular that the advantage says "lengthy mental task" and not "Long Task (p. B346)."

[Bruno]

If your character Doesn't Sleep and Doesn't Eat you might be able to keep babysitting those potions "in one sitting"... But the potions don't need that much fussing with or mere mortals wouldn't be able to make them; as a GM I'd be tempted to call that much like continually fiddling around with a sauce or stew when it really should just be simmering quietly - ie, inviting the kind of over-spicing/salting/ingredienting disaster that happens nearly every time I cook >.>

[kirbwarrior]

Is it more of an issue of time than balance? In one setting I am GMing, Alchemy works as is, except replacing 'weeks' with 'days' in most potions, and potion making isn't an all day thing (potions that require 1 'day' more require '2-6 hours' depending on the exact potion). Would those two apply here?

[Kromm]

For me, at least, it's completely an issue of time – I don't buy that someone can stay focused on anything uninterrupted for days, weeks, or longer. Minutes and hours work for me, though. As for balance, that's inherent in the time to make elixirs, not in what advantages help. Of course, what advantages help is the sort of thing someone should consider when shifting the time (and cost) for potions.

[vicky_molokh]

Produces interesting choices between Autohypnosis and Single-Minded:

1 hour: ideal; use both.
2 hours+: use Single-Minded, because its +3 is better than the +2 from Autohypnosis (which requires hourly breaks for re-establishing trance).
more than one sitting: get back to Autohypnosis, as it provides +2.