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[The Alchemist]

Dominion: Alchemy Reforged

Alchemy has always been my favorite expansion from a theme perspective. Being such a big part of the Medieval world of thought, Alchemy dominated scientific understanding for hundreds of years yet has such a small part in our popular culture, especially with respect to other aspects of pre-Renaissance life. So it was always a bit sad to see it quite often ranked as people's least favorite expansion, and for good reason. The potion mechanic is clunky, the attacks are annoying, it has the bottom two weakest cards in the game (out of 12), and Possession. This combined with many fan attempts I've seen at Potion cost cards that just don't hit the mark, and finally my love of historical alchemy, have inspired me to make a new expansion:
Alchemy 2: Electric Boogaloo Reforged!

This fan expansion is my attempt at a "second half" to Alchemy, a set which really deserved to be a full expansion in my eyes. Of all Alchemy's critiques rightly accused, the biggest one for me is... Alchemy hardly has any cards actually *about* alchemy! In the original set, only Transmute, Alchemist, and Philosopher's stone actually reference a concept derived from Alchemy - and two of those cards suck! So my first step was to actually fix what I found to be Alchemy's biggest atrocity, by remaking those two sorry excuses for cards and adding several others that actually have a theme derived from some Alchemic concept.

The second step was to fix that darned Potion mechanic. This first way to address this actually quite simple: More potion cards! A big drawback of Potion cost cards is simply the investment required for just one card (two if you're lucky) in the kingdom is just too great an opportunity cost to swallow, leading to many boards where these cards are simply flat-out ignored. To that end I've added 6 additional Potion cost cards, 8 counting the remade ones. Next, short of simply changing the rules of Potions, I included three projects in this set which, when included with Potion cost cards, eases some of the burden having Potions in your deck brings. Each is a nice quality-of-life change which should make playing with Potions a lot less annoying. And lastly, each Potion cost card in this set was designed with keeping one philosophy in mind: only put Potion costs on cards which have to be Potion cards. When used right, having a potion in the cost is a great way to temper a card that otherwise would not be balanced at any regular coin cost (more on this later), but they should not be used frivolously. Of the 10 potion-cost cards in Alchemy, only 5 really needed to have a potion in their cost to be balanced: Apothecary, Alchemist, Familiar, University, and Scrying Pool, though an argument could be made for the others. That's why for this fan expansion, with each Potion cost I will also be including a snippet as to *why* I believed the card does and has to have a potion in its cost. This is not an easy task, and I am by no means perfect, making balanced Potion fan cards that are also fun to play is a daunting task oft failed, but it's a challenge I am willing to take!

And the third step, bring Alchemy's intended goal to fruition. Action cards and Engines was always one of the main themes of Alchemy, but due to the other theme of Potions, this ended up falling flat on its face. So to revive this goal, I am also introducing to this expansion a host of non-Potion engine enablers, mainly Laboratory and Library variants (fitting for ones studying the alchemical arts), and in the process filling a much-needed engine niche that remains remarkably empty: Draw-to-X. There are currently only 4 Library variant/Draw-to-X cards in the game currently (only 7 if you count discard your hand then draw), meaning we're often stuck with just the one type of village-draw-village-draw-payload engine we're used to, when honestly I find the DtX variety much more fun. And thus, with the hope of increasing engine diversity, I've included 7 additional DtX cards.

Without further ado, here are the cards!

Potion costs:

Alkahest:
Alkahest is an arabic name given to the substance known as The Universal Solvent, a reagent able to dissolve anything it came into contact with, including its container! Thought to be an essential ingredient to making the philosopher's stone for its ability to decompose any complex matter into its base constituents, and thus considered one of the Holy Grails of Alchemy. Fitting to theme, don't be surprised when this card dissolves your entire deck of junk in one or two goes!
Why does it cost a Potion?: This card is basically a chapel variant with some sifting conditional on the trashing. As such it would be similarly priced, however, it is significantly stronger than chapel with any draw, being able to trash as many cards up to your current handsize. As such, in order to temper its momentum, a potion cost is justified.

Elixir of Life:
As the name suggests, the Elixir of Life grants longevity, even immortality, upon those who consume it. It's creation was one of the primary purposes of the Philosopher's Stone, being able to perfect base metals such as Lead to flawless Gold, it also, it was believed, would perfect the human to its most flawless form. This card is the perfect cure to any engine at risk of being dead, drawing dead that is. If you're out of +Actions or if you're out of any draw/terminal payload, this card will fix ya out of that bind and keep your engine alive!
Why does it cost a Potion?: This card is way too strong on the first shuffle, almost guaranteed to be a Lost City x2, since you haven't bought many actions yet. For that strength, it can't be an opener, and you'd have to price it at 6. But, once it's in your engine, it's much weaker than that, since once you have actions or have these collide, it's much more difficult to get both bonuses, sometimes even getting neither (if you were to draw 3 for example). Thus for it to have a fair price and still not be able to be an opening buy, the potion cost is necessary.

Ingredients:
Ingredients is a virtual silver but with the option of being a horse-traders/festival variant. +2 Actions, +$4, discard 3 vs +1 Buy, +$3, discard 2. Works very well with any Draw-to-X, as you can play it, discard 3, and be left with a single card to draw back up. Rinse and repeat. Also a nice coffers bonus on the side, great for providing your engine what it needs. One of 4 cards in this set that play themselves again.
Why does it cost a Potion?: Without the potion cost, this would be balanced at $4, but it's too good for the open, since this is a guaranteed $5 on the first shuffle. Even if you land this with 3 estates, you're guaranteed to be able to play this for $4 and still have a coffer left over. The only other $4-cost guaranteed $5 is Deathcart, and that can still be a one-shot without the right collision. So to be a non-automatic open, it would have to cost $5, but that would make it a very weak $5. Ergo, potion cost. And hey, now you don't have to hit the $6 pricepoint to get those coffers. One usually has spare coin lying around when buying potion cards anyway.

Aqua Vitae:
Alchemical name for distilled spirits useful for many reactions, and getting inebriated of course. Similar to Apothecary in its interaction with Potions and Coppers, and makes engines with little Copper thinning or DtX engines with potion cards a lot more viable. The and/or means to play up to 3 cards, of which either could be a Copper or Potion. Based off a similar card by eHalcyon with some inspiration by Shael.
Why does it cost a Potion?: This one's straightforward, it costs Potion to force Potions into the game. Played with other potion cards, it can make making engines with them a little less cumbersome.

Panacea:
The cure-all substance, able to return anyone to peak physical health. The Panacea, like the Elixir, was highly sought after by Alchemists, who believed all physical ailments were just chemical imbalances in the body that, if returned to balance, would heal any injury or sickness. This card is the cure-all for any engine you'd like to build, giving you exactly what you need. Based off a card by Graystripe77.
Why does it cost a Potion?: This card is strictly better than Laboratory, like Alchemist, so must cost more than $5. However like Alchemist, the card is not quite good enough to cost $6. This is one of the situations where the potion cost is perfect for making a card cost effectively close to 5, without needing to worry about strict power/price comparisons.

Transmute:
Ah Transmute, the card you love to hate. Trash for benefit is always nice, but when you're limited to only gaining 3 cards, none of which particularly appealing, its no wonder you're left with a trasher that leaves you with more junk than you started with. This version boosts its power level up to that of expand, with a type restriction of course.
Why does it cost a Potion?: This one's simply because the original also costed a Potion, but with this version, you can trash a Transmute for a Province instead of a lowly Duchy, and don't worry, you can still trash your Coppers for Transmutes and Estates for Golds. Only remodeller in the game that can get you Potion cost cards too, which may come in handy in this set.

Homunculi:
Alchemists' aspirations didn't end at immortality and command over the material earth oh no. They believed it was possible to animate a human from base organic matter. With this card use your Artificial human army to work your engine. If you set it up just right, you might just be able to play your whole deck.
Why does it cost a Potion?: Similar to Golem (its intention anyway), this card is just too strong if you can snowball into it early, so to dampen it a bit, you need to at least build up a bit before it is available, which honestly is what you'd want to do anyway.

The Philosopher's Stone:
The crème de la crème, the pièce de résistance, the hors d'oeuvres of the hour, The Philosopher's Stone has captivated the attention of not only Alchemists for hundreds of years but modern audiences as well. Believed to be the most perfect material possible, even being called quintessence, the element of the heavens, it was ascribed many magical seeming properties and qualities yet it was essential to the Alchemist's material view of the world. The stone was believed to be able to transform any material substance into any other, though unsurprisingly gold stood out in the forefront. Such a powerful object deserves an incredibly powerful card to match. The original card... didn't. Hopefully this version does it justice, while having a much more thematic effect, turning junk into Gold and letting you buy other Potion cards more easily as well. Fitting to the theme, colliding potions is pretty much one of the hardest costs to reach, and the Philosopher's stone was the biggest goal of the Alchemists. Turn your hands into Gold today!
Why does it cost two Potions?: A card with this powerful of an effect needs a strong enough barrier to gaining. Fortune needs 5 cards removed from its pile before being purchased, and even then costs 16 equivalent. I wanted to make a Treasure card similarly powerful, fitting of the name Philosopher's stone, and needing to collide two potions was the perfect condition. It is similar to Treasure Map in that regard, and similar thinking that goes into building around that should go into this.


Draw-to-X and Lab Variants:

Holy Relics:
In the Rites of Excommunication in the Catholic Church, one deemed heretical enough to no longer be in communion is ostracized by sacred ritual involving a Bell, a Book, and a Candle. Many alchemists in their time were excommunicated for partaking in the Devil's art. With this card, if you can manage to hold on to all 3 pieces, you can have a mini DtX engine of your own on a board that otherwise would not have catered well to it.

Four Elements:
The alchemists believed that all the world was up of only four distinct elements in various proportions. A burning log demonstrates this fact by its decomposition, the Air released as smoke, the water that sizzles out, the earthen ash left behind, and of course the fire liberated as it burns. Here they form a split pile of 16 cards, in the order Air, Water, Earth, Fire, repeated four times. These four cards represent all the key components needed for a good DtX engine: thinning, discarding, virtual coin, and of course the draw.

Bibliothecary:
Well someone has to maintain all these libraries! Archaic name for librarian, this card nets out to a terminal Discard 2, Draw 3, unless you've managed to shrink your handsize by playing non-draw actions first that is. And hey, here are some villagers to help you out with that!

Athenaeum:
A center of learning in Classical Greece and even today, an athenaeum is a place for all scholars alike to gather and share their knowledge. A combined Festival and Library in one, this single-card engine is great in almost any deck.

Research Library:
Part lab, part library. The Research Library is the laboratory equivalent to DtX, drawing 2 cards with 1 Action when played from your starting hand. Be wary though, because unless you've got some non-draw actions afterwards to play, this card is only a cantrip from then on out. However if a DtX engine isn't your thing, no need to fear, because if you do somehow manage to get past 6 cards in your hand, this card is once again your run-of-the-mill Laboratory.

Study:
Another DtX Lab variant, except this time letting you play a card before drawing. A Lab if you play a Treasure, but can be a Lost city if you play the right action. And if you do have more than 5 cards in hand, hey its at least a Necropolis.

Workroom:
A combination Workshop/Lab, this card alternates between gaining a card and drawing a card. DaVinci would be proud!

Royal Archives:
The royal Scholar, when not in the Council Room advising the monarch, spends his time here in the Royal Archives! Payload, draw, and sifting all in one, with the right cards it can easily draw your deck, but also discard it all too! Make sure to bring enough +Actions!


The Rest:

Chain Reaction:
Sometimes when things seem mostly under control, it just takes one trigger to start a chain reaction that can lead to catastrophe! Chain a bunch of these Reactions together and see how far you can go. The first play is pretty weak as far as trashers go, but if you can trigger it off another trash, it becomes +3 cards and replace a card in your hand with one in the trash into your discard. i.e. a lab with "trash sifting". Combos incredibly well with trash-for-benefit. Costs $2 to be available in the open with any of the plethora of $5 trashers and so it can be remodeled from copper.

Black Powder:
Speaking of explosions, it was after all Chinese alchemists who first invented gunpowder while attempting to create the elixir of life. This attack is the first to trash from opponent's hand, but out of 5 cards to choose from, it's likely you'll be helping rather than hurting, so make sure you play them at the right time!

Orrery:
A mechanical model of the Solar System, orreries were some of the first ever mechanical devices invented. In fact, the first mechanical computer invented in Greek antiquity, the Antikythera Mechanism, was indeed an orrery. And as the celestial bodies do their circular dance around the sun, so too will your cards revolve around your deck with these in play. Talk about cycling! The sifting effect combined with being able to seed your next shuffle with cards you gain makes it great for deck control, just make sure not to fill the bottom of your deck with junk. Watch out Star Charts you've been upgraded!

Distill:
Reduce those cards to their base essence with distillation! Highly useful not just in DtX engines but any time spare villagers or coffers are in demand, or heck, just get it for some alt-VP. A niche item for sure but one with many uses!

Aqua Regia:
Aqua Regia is the name given to the most powerful acid known to alchemists until the modern era, the only acid known to be able to dissolve Gold! Meaning "Royal Water", this red acid was thought to be instrumental in the pathway towards finding the Alkahest and ultimately the Philosopher's stone! Here you can dissolve your Golds into any number of cards, anything from two Duchies to 5 Estates to 2 silvers and a copy of itself. Oh and Aqua Regia is known to dissolve Copper too don't ya know.

Sanctum:
A better well-secluded place for further research won't be found beyond Sanctum. In exile is the perfect place for your actions and treasures to focus on unlocking the secrets of the universe, just make sure you have them in the right balance!

Quicksilver:
Mercury, the alchemist's best friend. The liquid metal has been perplexing those studying it since its discovery 3500 years ago, the first discovered with the likes of Gold, Silver, Copper, and Lead, preceding even Iron! This dual nature led many alchemists to ascribe almost mystical properties to the metal, and along with Sulfur and Salt, it was thought to be the root of not just the Philosopher's stone but all metals. This Action-Treasure shares a similar dual nature, being the classic peddler variant in the Action phase, and a +Buy silver in the buy phase. This combined with the topdeck ability make it perfect in both engine decks but also big money decks, as now you can rest assured your smithies if they collide with this will still be able to play them, and if they collide with each other you can always save one for the next turn.

Prima Materia:
It was believed that before the universe separated out into 4 distinct elements, there was a single substances which permeated the cosmos, the prima materia. This substance was without quality or property, having no color, density, viscosity, or texture. Many alchemists believed that in order to transmute one material to another, one had to first break it down not just to its elemental components but then return the elements themselves to prima materia so that they can be formed again into different proportions and forming a new material of your choosing. And so too does this card. The perfect blank canvas, this card transforms itself into the last thing it touched, or played, taking on its likeness, ready to be used immediately.


Projects:

Potion Seller:
Sometimes one of the biggest drawbacks of Potions is the opportunity cost of getting a potion the turn you drew a lot of other coin, and needing to choose between waiting another shuffle for that potion cost card or getting something more expensive. With a +Buy however, Potions become a lot less inconvenient, and heck, you might even grab one just for the buy if its the only one around!

Fermentation:
Allowing something to sit instead of causing it to stagnate can surprisingly allow it to flourish instead. If you do happen to forgo using your potion this turn, you can rest assured you can have it saved until it is needed, or better yet, set up an even better next turn with the best of what you had now. Choose between using your potion or double Scheming as you research for the future.

Magnum Opus:
The great work, the alchemist's dream, the pinnacle of human achievement, it's what we have been building up to all this time. This the final project does the impossible, turning Potions to Gold.  With some preparation and investment, Golds can be yours for the rest of the game for the low price of $4 instead, making them significantly more enticing.


And we have come to the end of our journey. Hopefully with the work we've put forth, Alchemy can attain the glory it once had and lost, and be relevant once again as an integral and unique part of this Dominion!

[Shael]

General though

In therm of cost balance, it seem to have a great balance: compare to the five 6$ or 5$ cost card; there is only two 3$ cost card and that don’t seem  a lot but in my opinion, it’s not a problem because of Silver that are present on every kingdom.

The other thing I have to point is that, assuming the total number of card in dominion, I think that just adding some other P-cots card will create more problem that it solve them:   it will increase the number of kingdom with only one P-cost card far more than it will increase the number of kingdom with 2 or more P-cost card.
But… Because I don’t think there is any elegant solution to this problem and because I haven’t any real statistic calcul in order to prove it; this is, for now, just my opinion.



Alkahest
I really like the card; seem fun and combot well with DtX

Elixir of life
I feel that a better wording would be « If you have no Action left, +3 action » but because there isn’t any precedent I think this is not a problem. Fun card that could replace a DtX since it combo with discarding (you can try to left only Treasures in your hand to gain the geat +3C/+3A bonus and I think it’s a cool way to play the card)

Ingredient
Like it too; It seem like a village for DtX. In therm of balance I wonder if it’s a little bit weak (3 cards seem really expensive) but if you discard the good cards at the right time I guess it’s fine.

Aqua Vitae
Well, obviously I prefer my version but the adding of +1Buy really fit with the Potion (and Copper?) synergy. The card is still very cool

Panacea
Really nice flavor: if you need something, the Panacea will solve your problem, whatever it is. I have nothing to say about this card design. It’s just perfect. In therm of balance, the choices are obviously unequal but I don’t think they need to. You can consider it as a lab+ that can situationally help you to get something different than a card if you really need to.

Tansmute
Obviously it’s far more better than the actual card. A big remodeler that turn lot of your cations into province seem good in engine. Your copper become good actions, your actions province and your estate… probably Gold I guess?
Anyway it’s a cool card, the fact that it can now gain province is better.

Homunculi
+1 point because make an alchemy expansion with an Homunculi is flavorful.
Very expensive and it’s hard to say if it’s strong enough. Wile your action don’t make you draw any card, you have basically an infinite huber of action so if you build your deck around I guess it could be fine in some trategy. I fear that in general, it will be weak of it cost…

Philosopher’s stone
The thing is that collide two potion is, in fact, incredibly rare. once you’ve buy this once it’s easier but it’s really hard before that. This is a Potion card that ask potion in order to give Potion so I hope the other effect of the card will make it valuable.
The fist thing is that it allow you to get rid of your potion so it’s fine if you think they will junk you at the end of the game. The idea of the philosopher’s stone is here: it’s hard to get and it turn things into gold. I still feel it’s too weak, but not very weak. And it seem really swingy.

Holy Relics
even if the effect isn’t too long, it’s really hard to understand at the first time. The artifacts however are really well related with the way to gain them and they all fit well with DtX so I guess it’s fine: you just have to told you that you gonna buy it if you go on DtX. However, it’s pretty hard to balance and since it only give you artifacts, it probably depend on how many player they are around the table. I don’t think it’s bad design, I just think it need to be played in order to really see how it work.

Four element
First though: Outside any dominion consideration and according to my sources, the alchemical element are inspired by Aristotle’s vision of the world and they are actually 5 of them.
After verification I guess 4 could be fine because there isn’t a lot of alchemical principe that use Ether so won’t juge the design for avoid it. However I wonder why there is so much of these cards in the pile. It don’t seem that much useful and it sound arbitrary. The balance of each cards are pretty good and they work really well together.

Bibliothecary
Cool card; it seem a little bit weaker than Blacksmith in a lot of situation and I don’t think the overpay effect is enough to make it balance. My suggestion it to make it draw to 6 and I think it’s fine. discard 2 to draw 3 is usually weaker than just draw 3 so discard 2 to draw 4 should be fine.

Athenaeum
I think the Dt5 is good because Dt6 would make it stronger than lost city. It could be a sort of Village of Festival. One of the problem i have with this card is that the discard 2 give nothing else. I know it’s obviously to make it synergies with other DtX but I don’t think it’s enough because if you don’t have any benefit of discarding card, even if it’s for draw he same number of card, you usually don’t do it if you can have $2 or 2Actions instead. My suggestion it to make it « choose two or all: » it could be a little bit strong but discarding some cards is a downside so I guess it could be fine. the other proposition is to make the discard outside of the choice (you may discard 2 cards. then, choose two: … )

Research Library
The card is good; I think a DtX engine will probably struggle to pass it hand over 6 cards but it should be fine. Nice and elegant.

Study
Nothing to say, it’s a good and elegant card

Workroom
hey, it’s not a DtX engine part!
more seriously; it’s well balanced on my opinion; very good on rush or slog synergy. The fact that it could give you a potion make it find it place in the expansion.

Royal Archives
I think it’s cool too; especially when you have a lot of action or afer a village if you what to change your hand.

Chain reaction
Province / Colony synergy with a trash for benefit make it too swingy in my opinion. these types of card should be limited buy the cost or the type of the trashed card. The flavor of the card is however well transmitted.

Black powder
I don’t know how this is balanced; I’m pretty sure it could allow some sort of lock or weird thing like this. I think your opponent should have an alternative. But, because of the card is one-shot and the potential combo will probably involve a lot of card; I guess it’s fine. However, the card seem too strong for me, especially during the late game when you usually have province and key component for your engine in your hand: trashing any of those seem really hard…

Distill
Cool card; I feel like it’s a little bit too weak but using your victory card to gain vp token make it card fine I guess.

Aqua Regia
Strong gold remodeler but since it only trash treasure I guess it’s fine. Cool card even if the most powerful acid should probably be a strong trasher or, at least, a non-remodeler trash-for benefit. It’s a cool card

Orrery
I think the card is actually a little bit weak, especially in engin; and the effect seem long to resolve. the effect is also very long.

Sanctum
Cool card; I wonder if it will not be strong. I’ve also struggled a little bit to understand if the effect if related to Exile a card or if this card have to come fem your hand. I think it need some play test to know if it’s really stronger than gardens but if it is, I still leave my suggestion: the action part could say « Exile a card from your hand for +1% » or « +1%, you may Exile a card from your hand »

Quicksilver
Nice card, both part probably cost around 4.5$ so put them together and make it cost $5 seem fine. The treasure ft well in a potion deck where +Buy is nearly essential so it’s cool.

Prima Materia
the opting $1 or more is nice. However, since it’s in a potion-themed expansion, I think a better wording should be « that don’t cost $0 » because of the pure P-cost.
The card itself it cool in therm of balance an design.

Potion seller
Unlike the two other events, I think you won’t buy it if it’s the only P-cost card in the kingdom. So I fear that it’s one of the weakest Project, or even card of the game if we consider this expansion official.

Fermentation
If it’s the only P-cost card in the kingdom; your potion basically become « once per turn: at the end of this turn, set aside two card you have in play and ‘draw’ them at the start of your next turn » so the question is: do you whant this card for $4 in a game when fermentation is the only P-cost card ? I think the answer is «yes»: it’s very strong and very cool. +2 specific card next turn each time you play a potion is very strong but the limitation to once per turn make it really nice and not too OP. really nice design.

Magnum Opus:
basically « your gold cost $4 » (and you have already one)
Fine, even if it’s the only P-cost card on the kingdom in my opinion. So it’s very cool.

Glad to finish on a good card!
Good expansion; I don’t have a lot of problem in fact: they are usually minor and won »t destroy some game

Summary of the problem / worrying (so it’s not relevant of my true opinion) some of them are just simple interrogation:
- I’m not sure that just adding more P-cost will make Potion valuable
- Homunculi could be too expensive, I’m not sure about it
- Philosopher’s stone don’t seem strong enough
- Holy relic is hard to h-juge si i have no idea about them
- Four element have maybe too many card
- Bibliothecary and athenaeum maybe have some problem with their discarding effect
- Chain reaction is just OP in some kingdom; and they aren’t rare
- Black powder can do mad thing at the end of the game
- Orrery is to long to solve if you have too many of them
- Maybe the power of Sanctum should be tested
- Potion seller could be useless in a lot of kingdom.

So I only see two card with a problem and one won’t broke the game (just take the place of a potential useful Project). the other one, chain reaction, could be more problematic in some kingdom. The rest seem totally playable in a normal dominion game; moreover there is 16/27card where I have any problem or interrogation about the power or the balance, some of them are even really well find.
There isn't any introduction of a dark concept or an other weird thing like this: only the simple dominion mecanic feel great. There is still a lot of unexplored thing for now in this game and this seem to prove it well.

Rate: Well done! / 10 (I don’t like number rating)

[Shael]

Btw; if there is any update, could you also post them in a separate coment?
I think it will make the discutions easier and allow us to see the changes in their own conttext.

[The Alchemist]

First though: Outside any dominion consideration and according to my sources, the alchemical element are inspired by Aristotle’s vision of the world and they are actually 5 of them. ... However I wonder why there is so much of these cards in the pile. It don’t seem that much useful and it sound arbitrary.

It was Aristotle who added the fifth element to the classical elements system. The four elements as a concept had been in use for at least a hundred years before him. There are 16 cards so that each player could conceivably get 2 of each card. It was originally 12, but then it was just too sad if one player got 2 Waters vs 1, or an uneven fire split, etc. Since 8 is too small, 16 it is.

Bibliothecary
Cool card; it seem a little bit weaker than Blacksmith in a lot of situation and I don’t think the overpay effect is enough to make it balance. My suggestion it to make it draw to 6 and I think it’s fine. discard 2 to draw 3 is usually weaker than just draw 3 so discard 2 to draw 4 should be fine.

Yes if you were only going to play a single Biblio it is going to be weaker than Smithy. All DtX cards kinda have to be a bit weaker than their draw equivalent, because their intended use is in DtX engines, and in those, discard 2 draw to 5 is actually much stronger than simply draw 3. At draw to 6 it would be too strong for 4, discard 2 draw 4 is very often stronger than smithy.

Athenaeum
I think the Dt5 is good because Dt6 would make it stronger than lost city. It could be a sort of Village of Festival. One of the problem i have with this card is that the discard 2 give nothing else. I know it’s obviously to make it synergies with other DtX but I don’t think it’s enough because if you don’t have any benefit of discarding card, even if it’s for draw he same number of card, you usually don’t do it if you can have $2 or 2Actions instead. My suggestion it to make it « choose two or all: » it could be a little bit strong but discarding some cards is a downside so I guess it could be fine. the other proposition is to make the discard outside of the choice (you may discard 2 cards. then, choose two: … )

It's important to remember when seeing the strength of a card to consider playing multiple a turn, not just one. If you have 2 Aths in your hand, yeah for sure you do action and coin for one, but for the other the discard is very useful because it effectively means you get to draw 2 more cards with the draw to 5. In fact, the discard 2 is often the strongest choice because sifting 2 cards is much better than either actions or coin. This doesn't need a buff, since it's already plenty strong compared to festival and library.

Sanctum
Cool card; I wonder if it will not be strong. I’ve also struggled a little bit to understand if the effect if related to Exile a card or if this card have to come fem your hand. I think it need some play test to know if it’s really stronger than gardens but if it is, I still leave my suggestion: the action part could say « Exile a card from your hand for +1% » or « +1%, you may Exile a card from your hand »

I think you are missing the part where the card can exile itself, not just a card from your hand.

Prima Materia
the opting $1 or more is nice. However, since it’s in a potion-themed expansion, I think a better wording should be « that don’t cost $0 » because of the pure P-cost.
The card itself it cool in therm of balance an design.

Yes you're right, I uploaded the wrong version, it's meant to say "non-0 cost card"

[Shael]

First though: Outside any dominion consideration and according to my sources, the alchemical element are inspired by Aristotle’s vision of the world and they are actually 5 of them. ... However I wonder why there is so much of these cards in the pile. It don’t seem that much useful and it sound arbitrary.

It was Aristotle who added the fifth element to the classical elements system. The four elements as a concept had been in use for at least a hundred years before him. There are 16 cards so that each player could conceivably get 2 of each card. It was originally 12, but then it was just too sad if one player got 2 Waters vs 1, or an uneven fire split, etc. Since 8 is too small, 16 it is.

Bibliothecary
Cool card; it seem a little bit weaker than Blacksmith in a lot of situation and I don’t think the overpay effect is enough to make it balance. My suggestion it to make it draw to 6 and I think it’s fine. discard 2 to draw 3 is usually weaker than just draw 3 so discard 2 to draw 4 should be fine.

Yes if you were only going to play a single Biblio it is going to be weaker than Smithy. All DtX cards kinda have to be a bit weaker than their draw equivalent, because their intended use is in DtX engines, and in those, discard 2 draw to 5 is actually much stronger than simply draw 3. At draw to 6 it would be too strong for 4, discard 2 draw 4 is very often stronger than smithy.

I originaly though i'll make a response to all the coment but I only do with 2 of them and keep the other for later to avoid the big paragraph or agumentation about multiple topic.

About the element I'll start with the less important: I though about the 5th because, since dominion take place in a medieval theme, I though 5 was the norm at these times but as I said after that ther isn't a lot of sources so it's was just a misundertanding. I just let it here if you want to ad a 5th cards to the pile (for exmple an other DtX, idk).

For the number of cards from each element, I don't think it's sad to make a pile of 12 cards because having 2 Water could only be a result of 3 situation:
- you buy an air so you basicay let your opponent have it (If you do it you think that get a air is more valuable for you than let one water to you opponent)
- your oponent is the only one with a DtX engine (in this case you don't care about see him with two or more water)
- your opponent manage to get $8 and 2 buy and decide to spend it in order to take the air and the watter (in this case I thik he probably deserve to have one more watter; two water isn't such a big deal)
However, these considerations only work in the case where only two player manage to dig until the 14th card of 4-cost pile and I think this is relatively exeptional.

about Bibliothecary (it will be the longest; sorry)
I dont think that DtX should be a bit weaker than their draw equivalent. For me it's a trap that potentialy explain the DtX lack of efficiency in the base game. If it was really the case; Library won't be consider as a bad/medium card.
I think it's mainly beacause of 2 things:
- there isn't that many card that combo with them (even with the other cards of this expantion)
- if they can draw more than expected; they can also draw less and sometimes even don't be played because they don't draw enough.
the efficiency of the DtX engine reside on the fact that a player have a litle hand so a low number of posibilities an nearly unexisting vision on what he can do in the future and a a risk because having a deck full of stop & DtX is more risky than just a bunch of cantrip, sifter and lab variant: drawing more card than expected is usualy just the reward to such thing.
Moreover since it's not finaly complete, a DtX engine is less stable than a normal engine (it's not unstable, just less than the challenging strategy)

I totaly disagree about the fact that discard 2 draw to 5 is much stronger than simply draw 3 (in one case, you finish with a handsize 7 of where it's 5 in the other case. If we consider the card depending on how many car you'll discard:
A terminal +1 card is obviously terrible
Discard 1 and +2 cards is slightly better but probably won't cost more than $1
Discard 2 and +3 cards the best and will probably cost $2.5
And finaly choosing between al of this with an overpay for vilager will probably push the card to $3.5 at most
(and also the overpay make the card cost form $4 to $5 or $6, one of the highests power gap of the games)

[Gubump]

Magnum Opus:
The great work, the alchemist's dream, the pinnacle of human achievement, it's what we have been building up to all this time. This the final project does the impossible, turning Potions to Gold.  With some preparation and investment, Golds can be yours for the rest of the game for the low price of $4 instead, making them significantly more enticing.

I gather from the paragraph about Magnum Opus that it lets you do this with any number of Potions each turn? I think Magnum Opus' wording could be clearer, as just looking at the wording, it's ambiguous as to whether it works on all Potions or just once a turn (especially since it says "a" Potion), and it also doesn't specify timing. Something like:

When you play a Potion, you may ignore its instructions for +.

[The Alchemist]

Discard 2 and +3 cards the best and will probably cost $2.5
And finaly choosing between al of this with an overpay for vilager will probably push the card to $3.5 at most

Right, so you agree that the base play of the card with no other considerations is a $3.5, that's exactly where it wants to be, because you have to consider the potential of this card to be anything from discard 2 +5 cards to a straight +5 cards. If you have any virtual coin or other non-draw actions, its not that hard to get to the point where you can have a hand of 2 actions you can play first (which villagers help you to do), play Biblio, discard the 2 junk left over in your hand, and draw 5 cards. In that case, its stronger than Embassy at $5, since it discards one less. With a hand of 4 other actions you can play (or an action that can play treasures), Biblio is a straight +5 cards, which is easily a $7 cost card being better than Hunting Grounds.

In short, you're right, when its weakest (being played at the start of your turn), then it is definitely weak for $4. But at its weakest it is $3 lets say, and at its strongest its $7, that makes a price of $4 fair I would say. If it drew one more, it would have to cost $5, and then the overpay would be too far out of reach.

[Shael]

Right, so you agree that the base play of the card with no other considerations is a $3.5, that's exactly where it wants to be, because you have to consider the potential of this card to be anything from discard 2 +5 cards to a straight +5 cards.

If I have to consider that the card could be stronger than it is, I also have to consider that it could be weaker. Be unplayable when you have too many card in your hand is a flaw and that's why DtX should be consider like I told previously.
If we take for exemple a good DtX from the base game: Cursed village is balanced even if you play it at the start of your turn: if we replace the "draw up to 6 cards in hand" with +2 cards, the card is still playable.
Btw; the power of the card is anything from nothing (if you draw it in a hand of 7+) to a straight +5 cards and not anything from discard 2 +5 cards to a straight +5 cards.

If you have any virtual coin or other non-draw actions, its not that hard to get to the point where you can have a hand of 2 actions you can play first (which villagers help you to do), play Biblio, discard the 2 junk left over in your hand, and draw 5 cards. In that case, its stronger than Embassy at $5, since it discards one less.

There is two affirmation here and I have to precise them both:
- There isn't a lot of of non-terminal stop cards in the base game; sure the villager overpay is probably a good way to solve this problem but the power gap is so hight between 4$ to 5$ and 5$ to 6$ that I think it's not enough so either it should give 2 villagers / overpayed coins; either the overpay ability should be used in a different way (like; while you have this in play, you may overpay when you buy a card for +1 Villager per $ overpay). These are two example but I think both of them are a fair way to improve the card.
- Embassy isn't weaker because discarding after drawing is always better than discarding then drawing. Embassy is better than "draw the 2 best of 5 cards" and Bibliotecary can't be consider as this type of cards. (it's a weak argument, in your example it's still better than embassy but not as stronger as it seem)

With a hand of 4 other actions you can play (or an action that can play treasures), Biblio is a straight +5 cards, which is easily a $7 cost card being better than Hunting Grounds.

I think the phrase should be more: "With a hand of 4 other non-terminal stop actions (or the incredibly rare actions that can play treasures), Biblio is a straight +5 cards."
In these types of hands, Library could ba a +7 cards +; something that should cost an incredible amount of money; probably more than 10$. So with your reasoning, library have a power between a smithy+ and a 10-cost cards so it should cost at least 6$. But at 6$ we agree that the card is bad so we can deduct than, if we've made a wrong deduction while having good information it's probably because the logic have a flaw right?

In short, you're right, when its weakest (being played at the start of your turn), then it is definitely weak for $4. But at its weakest it is $3 lets say, and at its strongest its $7, that makes a price of $4 fair I would say. If it drew one more, it would have to cost $5, and then the overpay would be too far out of reach.

DtX are in the weakest posiion not at the start of your turn but when you draw them with themself.

So, if these arguments aren't sufficient (wich is totaly possible, and that's probably what is expected here) I can only advice you to playtest the card in a randomly-generated kingdom, where a player play DtX and an the other a non-DtX engine then play with the same kingdom while swaping roles. This is especialy efficient with someone that have aproximatively the same level as you but if the swap clause is respected it should be fine. (Even if, in order to have a reliable result, a lot of these games have to be played. It take a lot of time so maybe randomise then just analyse the kingdom with few people could be more efficient, IDK)

[Udzu]

Awesome expansion!

Regarding Sanctum: can a multi-type card make up more than one element of a set? E.g. is a Sanctum and a Copper a full set, or do you need an additional Victory/Action card?

[Udzu]

Second question: does Candle let you discard the action card that you're about to play (assuming it was in your hand)?

[Shael]

Second question: does Candle let you discard the action card that you're about to play (assuming it was in your hand)?

I assume the steps are:
1) put the action card in play
2) use the candle
3) play the action card
So the answer is probably "no" but the question is interesting; we need to ask it to more people...

[The Alchemist]

Awesome expansion!

Regarding Sanctum: can a multi-type card make up more than one element of a set? E.g. is a Sanctum and a Copper a full set, or do you need an additional Victory/Action card?

No, a set needs to be three cards, each of which can have any number of types but one of the cards has to have type Victory, one have type Action, and one Treasure. So a Sanctum, Copper, and either an Action or a Victory card would constitute set. The meaning of "set" is ambiguous but defining it to be of constant size is easily something can be decided as convention.

[The Alchemist]

Second question: does Candle let you discard the action card that you're about to play (assuming it was in your hand)?

See Teacher, an effect that happens first when a card is played still happens after the card is played (otherwise there wouldn't be a trigger for that effect), but before any instruction on the card is followed. This is unambiguous, the card needs to enter play to trigger candle, while it is in play it is no longer in hand and candle can't discard what triggered its effect. The discarding happens and then whatever card that triggered candle can have its effects played out normally.

[fika monster]

too lazy to write anything smart here today, but i want to say that i like a lot of these cards. Good luck with the xpanmsion, i like "alchemy" a lot myself!

I might add a rule saying that you has to have at least 2 different potion cost cards/events/projects for potion to be in the game. The usual probelem with potion is when only one card has potion in the kingdom.

[Shael]

too lazy to write anything smart here today, but i want to say that i like a lot of these cards. Good luck with the xpanmsion, i like "alchemy" a lot myself!

I might add a rule saying that you has to have at least 2 different potion cost cards/events/projects for potion to be in the game. The usual probelem with potion is when only one card has potion in the kingdom.

Yeah, Potions aren't that bad; they have verry usefull and interesting propreties. I wonder how DXV will make the second edition of Alchemy: It will be the first mini-set to be reissued and, since it's the most hated; a lot of thing will probably change.

[DunnoItAll]

We've incoroporated a few of these into our games recently.  So far my favorite was definitely the four elements. I bought the top 4 and most turns saw at least 3 of them on the table.  Opponent tried to abuse Transmute, but it wasn't fast enough.

[silverspawn]

Opponent tried to abuse Transmute, but it wasn't fast enough.

That must have been a shock

[The Alchemist]

I buffed Bibliothecary to draw up to 6 cards and also improved the wording on Magnum Opus as per Gubump's suggestion! OP updated to reflect changes.

[Shael]

It's not a citic about your expansion but it's just something that I've thought of yesturday (yes I think about fan expansion during my exam period, don't juge me):
I've wonder if you've thinked about cavalery effect?
Since it's a good way to decrease your hand by getting rid of all the Treasure and it sometimes allow you to play action, it feel like it fit well here. I wanted to point this, just in case, if you want to make more card that play with DtX. (because it's a nice way to play engine imo)

[The Alchemist]

It's not a citic about your expansion but it's just something that I've thought of yesturday (yes I think about fan expansion during my exam period, don't juge me):
I've wonder if you've thinked about cavalery effect?
Since it's a good way to decrease your hand by getting rid of all the Treasure and it sometimes allow you to play action, it feel like it fit well here. I wanted to point this, just in case, if you want to make more card that play with DtX. (because it's a nice way to play engine imo)

Yes, I had a card like that in the works, but I never included in the set because it still had quite a few balancing issues that I needed to work out. I think I've finally made two versions I'm happy with, but I haven't gotten a chance to playtest between them to see which I like better. Either way here they are:

 

[The Alchemist]

Orrery has been updated with a much cleaner version! Let me know what you think of it all.

[Shael]

< some advice-sorta-things >

Yes, I had a card like that in the works, but I never included in the set because it still had quite a few balancing issues that I needed to work out. I think I've finally made two versions I'm happy with, but I haven't gotten a chance to playtest between them to see which I like better. Either way here they are:

 

I really like the 3$ vertion. At 5$ it could contest other DtX including some from your own expantion.

Orrery has been updated with a much cleaner version! Let me know what you think of it all.

It's something that I've miss for my first expantion  but when you change something I think you shoud post the card or ad a lnk to it, anyway, I prefer the cleaner version of Orrery, the precedent one wasn't quite elegant...

[The Alchemist]

Nerfed two cards, switched to a new version of Chain Reaction. Here is the change for reference:
                  OLD:                                       NEW:
 

Royal archives went from +9 cards, discard 3 to +8 cards, discard 2. Could still be too strong, would make it still discard 3 if so.

[slach2000]

This set is one of the best fan-made additions I've seen for alchemy. I'm new to the game (I just got the big box and alchemy...), but these cards look really great. I really appreciate the potion seller reference too. My only real concern from what I've read is that the potion seller card is too weak though because if it's alone in a game with few to no other potion cards there will be little to no reason to purchase potions.

However, I hope you continue to refine this because I definitely am looking at this to print out.

[Aureustgo]

A couple thoughts:

1. I like your desire to expand on alchemy. I too have put some ideas together;
2. I like your attempt to fill in some "holes" in the card space, such as Draw to X. This is particularly fertile in situations where Donald has effectively ruled out further additions to a particular mechanic or effect (ruins, come to mind);
3. I find the most interesting thing about alchemy is not the new mechanic, but rather access to unusual cards. For these I'm thinking of Possession and Golem. I think it would be fitting (and more impressive) if some of your cards sought to offer something new (in terms of effects) rather than offer variations on existing cards with a potion cost;
4. I think it might be worthwhile to consider modifying the potion card itself. I don't know what the answer is but, to add flavor and play balance, perhaps reprinting a bunch of potions that offer a ruin like effect (+1 buy, +1 coin, limited sifting), either the same for all (e.g., all give +1 buy, in addition to the potion effect) or mix it up. This limits the downside of missing a collision and stays true to the flavor of the expansion.