Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay First Edition Wiki
Advertisement

Alchemy is a blend of what we would call magic and chemistry, although its Old World practitioners view it as one integrated field of study. Though alchemy's greatest scholars spend much of their time searching for great hidden secrets of transmutation and enternal life, in everyday use alchemy is mostly used for creating potions, chemical reagents, and explosives. Most of the spells used by alchemists are of a practical nature and have little Dark magic in them, being concerned with the cooling, heating, and manipulating of alchemical compounds.

Alchemists tend to take a practical, scientific approach to their subject. Much of their work is not magical at all, being more concerned with chemistry - though the difference between magical ingredients and purely mundane substances is hazy. Some claim to be looking for the Elixir of Life or for a way of turning lead into gold, but most are too busy earning a living to study such subjects in depth. Those who do pursue such higher goals tend to be the ones who leave pure alchemy and gravitate towards further study at the Gold College in Altdorf.

Alchemists are generally tolerated by the governors of the area in which they live, since they are able to make many useful chemicals and reagents - although, like other magicians, they must possess a valid license or risk being accused of consorting with Chaos. However, they are often viewed with suspicion by their community; not for fear of Chaos, but because their laboratories often emit strange smells or clouds of smoke and, occasionally, explode.

Advertisement