Summary

The provided content is an interactive story segment where the protagonist learns how to make a healing potion from the renegade wizard Txa'Pano.

Abstract

In the narrative, the protagonist expresses a desire to learn potion-making to Txa'Pano, a rogue wizard, and is instructed on the systematic and scientific approach to the craft. The protagonist is tasked with preparing tea and chopping troll sinew, among other tasks, as part of the learning process. Txa'Pano guides the protagonist through the creation of a healing potion, requiring specific ingredients and steps, including the use of red 'shroom powder and a frog leg. The success of the potion-making is determined by a dice roll, with the difficulty decreasing with each attempt until success is achieved. Upon success, the protagonist can make healing potions independently, provided they have the necessary ingredients. The story also provides links to the beginning of the story, rules, previous chapters, and options for further adventure.

Opinions

Txa'Pano emphasizes the importance of a methodical approach to potion-making, suggesting that creativity and experimentation are possible with a solid foundation of knowledge.
The protagonist's uncertainty turns into hopefulness as they engage in the potion-making process, indicating a growth in confidence.
Txa'Pano's casual demeanor when discussing the acquisition of troll sinew from local fisherfolk hints at a world where such ingredients are relatively commonplace for those in the know.
The wizard's willingness to share his knowledge and resources, such as the red 'shroom powder and the recipe for healing potions, suggests a mentor-mentee relationship is developing.
The interactive nature of the story, which includes dice rolling and inventory management, underlines the blend of narrative and game mechanics, offering an immersive experience for the reader.
The success and failure conditions for the potion-making process reflect the unpredictable nature of learning and practicing magic within the story's universe.

Fiction | Game | Medium Adventurers League ⚔️

Learning Potions from Txa’Pano

The renegade wizard, continued.

This is part of a story that works as an interactive game. You’ll need to have some paper and dice at the ready! Click here for the beginning of the story, and find a reminder of the rules here. And here is a link to the previous chapter.

“I wanna work on potions, Txa’Pano,” you say to the rogue wizard. “I keep finding these weird ingredients…”

“Ha! And now you want to know what to do with them?”

You nod.

He chuckles darkly, thumping his staff upon the wooden floor, but not leaving the armchair. “You should firstly remember that potion-making is a science. Experimentation is possible if you know what you are doing, as is creativity, but we have to be systematic.”

“Understood,” you say.

“The main thing I can show you to start with is the ingredients and process for particular potions.”

You still feel uncertain, but are hopeful that all will become clear. “So, uh… when do we start?”

“Payment first, please,” says Txa’Pano, standing. “And a cup of tea wouldn’t hurt.”

Remove 20 silver pieces from your character sheet.

You follow the wizard upstairs, where you find another sparely-furnished round chamber. This time, though, there are at least a few curved pieces of furniture hugging the outer wall of the room, as well as a stove with smouldering red embers in it and a kettle on top.

For the next quarter hour, you are ordered by Txa’Pano to fetch one thing after another. You fetch water from an urn, boil the kettle, fetch herbs from one of the drawers, and make an infusion.

As the wizard slurps the drink, spilling some into his beard, you are tasked with chopping up stringy materials that you take to be the stems of some kind of grass. “What is this stuff, exactly?”

“Sinew from a troll,” he says, then chuckles again. “Some of the local fisherfolk killed it. Very considerate.”

“Uhh….”

“In fact, I have loads of the stuff. Help yourself.”

Add sinew of troll (x10) to your inventory.

Next, Txa’Pano instructs you to put a small copper pot where the kettle was before, and to add a ladleful of water. After this, you add one strand of troll sinew.

“Now,” continues Txa’Pano, hopping nimbly from one foot to the other in a way that belies his years, “add some of the red ‘shroom powder there. You can take some of that for yourself too, but only a couple of pinches — it’s hard to find!”

Add red 'shroom powder (x2) to your inventory.

“And finally,” commands the wizard, just as the mixture reaches the boil and starts giving off a dark steam, “you must throw in a single frog leg. Here!” He passes you a sad-looking amphibian limb; you toss it in.

“Now — take the mixture off the heat! Don’t delay.”

You do so, using Txa’Pano’s oven mitts (which feature pink hearts and a logo saying World’s Best Wizard).

“What did we make, exactly?” you ask.

“This is a healing potion,” says Txa’Pano. “At least, that was the intention.”

Your potion-mixture sparkles, gives off a final burst of dark steam, and then stills. As Txa’Pano observes the cooling mixture, you look at him nervously, awaiting his verdict.

(Here is a link to a dice-rolling app!).

Encounter: Potion making.

Challenge rating: Medium (roll 13+).
Roll using magic plus wits.

If you fail, your potion has ended up useless sludge. But on the positive side, you now know the recipe for healing potions. And next time you try, the difficulty reduces to 8+, and then by a further 2 each time until you succeed.

If you succeed, you've made a healing potion! Congrats! From now on, you can make healing potions without having to roll, if you have the right ingredients:

- sinew of troll x 1
- red 'shroom powder x 1
- frog leg x 1

“Well then,” said Txa’Pano. “You have potential as a potion maker. For now, that’s the main thing. And don’t forget the recipe. With the right ingredients and access to a fire, you can make it yourself.”

“Thank you! So… what’s next?”

He scowls, and thumps his staff on the ground. “Don’t get greedy, kid, and don’t try to rush magic.”

“But…”

“You’ll get another lesson in time. Keep your eyes open.”

After you have succeeded once at making a healing potion, you can make one any time you are at an adventurers league base, provided that you have all the ingredients.

To ask to learn focused magic, click here.

To return to the adventurers league headquarters, click here.