# Apothecary Esoteric Theories Apothecaries develop esoteric theories during their adventures and experiments, representing their own unique synthesis of medical and occult practices. The description of each esoteric theory details the benefits you gain from selecting that theory. Some esoteric theories specify a minimum apothecary level. You can’t learn such an esoteric theory until you are at least that level. Unless an esoteric theory’s description says otherwise, you can’t learn an esoteric theory more than once. ##### Acquired Tolerance You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you gain resistance to poison damage. In addition, you automatically succeed on saving throws against your own apothecary spells, and never take damage from your own apothecary spells. ##### Adrenaline Surge Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary A creature at 0 hit points who regains hit points from a spell you cast using an apothecary spell slot gains resistance to all damage and has advantage on saving throws until the end of its next turn. It gains advantage on the first attack roll it makes on its next turn. ##### Anatomical Precision When you make a weapon attack, you can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls. ##### Anesthesiology Prerequisites: 14th-level apothecary You can cast hold person without expending a spell slot or requiring material components. You must finish a long rest before you can use this theory on the same creature again. ##### Bedside Manner You gain proficiency in the Insight and Persuasion skills. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of these skills. ##### Caustic Formulae Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary Once per turn when you deal damage to a creature or object with an apothecary spell, you can expend an apothecary spell slot to deal 2d4 extra acid damage to that target, plus another 2d4 per level of the spell slot. ##### Clinical Conditioning Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws. ##### Combat Medic You gain proficiency with martial weapons and shields. ##### Corrosive Compound Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary When you deal poison damage with your apothecary spells, you can choose to deal half the spell’s damage as poison damage and half the spell’s damage as acid damage instead. ##### Cosmetic Surgery You can spend 8 hours performing an occult surgical procedure upon a willing creature, permanently transforming its appearance. You decide what the creature looks like, including facial features, the sound of its voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, but none of its game statistics change. You can’t alter the size of a creature, and its basic shape stays the same. The resulting transformation is non-magical, however, a greater restoration spell or similar magic cast upon the creature can restore it to its original appearance. ##### Critical Condition Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary When a creature rolls a natural 1 on a saving throw made against one of your apothecary spells that deals damage, roll all of the spell’s damage dice twice and add them together. Then add any relevant modifiers as normal to determine the damage that creature takes from the spell. ##### Diagnosis You can take the Help action as a bonus action on your turn. ##### Doctor’s Note Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary You can cast the sending spell at-will. You must finish a long rest before you can use this theory to contact the same creature again. ##### Double Dose Prerequisites: 10th-level apothecary When you cast an apothecary spell using an apothecary spell slot that targets a single creature and restores hit points to that creature, you can target an additional creature within range. ##### Extracurricular Research You learn two additional cantrips of your choice from any class’s spell list. These cantrips become apothecary cantrips for you. ##### Inoculation You have resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can’t be reduced. In addition, you are immune to diseases. ##### Interdisciplinary Practice Prerequisites: 14th-level apothecary When you use your action to cast a spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action. ##### Laboratory Assistant You learn the spell find familiar, and always have this spell prepared. It doesn’t count against the number of apothecary spells you can prepare. ##### Liability Insurance Prerequisites: 14th-level apothecary You can cast contingency once on yourself without material components. You can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. ##### Medical Expertise You gain proficiency in the Medicine and Nature skills. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of these skills. ##### Medical Lexicon You learn six languages of your choice. You can cast detect poison and disease at will. ##### Nerve Agent Prerequisites: 14th-level apothecary When you deal poison damage with your apothecary spells, you can choose to deal psychic damage instead. ##### Noxious Blood Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary When a creature hits you with a melee attack while within 5 feet of you, it takes poison damage equal to 1d6 + your Constitution modifier. ##### Pharmacology When you cast a spell using an apothecary spell slot or your Greater Formula feature which restores hit points to a creature, the creature regains additional hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier. ##### Physiological Analysis If you spend at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside combat, you can learn certain information about its physiology. The Game Master reveals to you two of the following characteristics of your choice: h Any one ability score h Armor Class h Current hit points h Resistances (if any) h Immunities (if any) h Vulnerabilities (if any) Alternatively, you can spend 1 minute observing a corpse. After 1 minute, you determine the cause of death. ##### Practical Resuscitation Prerequisites: 10th-level apothecary When you cast a spell that has the sole effect of restoring a creature to life (but not undeath), such as raise dead, you don’t need material components to cast the spell if the creature has died within the past hour. ##### Putrefaction Your apothecary spells and abilities ignore undead creatures’ resistance or immunity to poison damage and immunity to the poisoned condition. ##### Rapid Response When you cast an apothecary spell that restores hit points to a creature, before or after casting the spell, you can move your speed without provoking opportunity attacks. ##### Routine Procedure Prerequisites: 10th-level apothecary You can cast lesser restoration at-will without expending a spell slot. ##### Stolen Secrets Prerequisites: 10th-level apothecary You learn one spell from any class’s spell list. It must be of a level for which you have apothecary spell slots or lower. The spell is treated as an apothecary spell for you, and doesn’t count against the number of apothecary spells you know. ##### Subject Preparation Prerequisites: 10th-level apothecary When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on the next saving throw it makes against an apothecary spell you cast before the end of your next turn. ##### Surgeon’s Instinct You have blindsight out to a range of 10 feet. ##### Surgical Strikes Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary You can attack twice, instead of once, when you take the Attack action on your turn. ##### Toxicology Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary You add your Intelligence modifier to the damage rolls of spells that deal poison damage. ##### Triage You learn the spare the dying cantrip if you don’t know it already. When you cast this cantrip, it has a range of 60 feet. ##### Unfailing Focus Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary When you fail a Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on an apothecary spell, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest. ##### Venomous Instruments Prerequisites: 10th-level apothecary When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes extra poison damage equal to your Intelligence modifier. ##### Virulence When you roll a 1 on a damage die for an apothecary spell that deals poison damage, you can reroll the die. You must use the new result, even if the new roll is a 1. ##### Vital Signs When a creature you can see within 30 feet of you fails a saving throw or death saving throw, you can use your reaction to add your Intelligence modifier to the creature’s roll, potentially turning a failure into a success. You must finish a short rest before you can use this theory on the same creature again. ##### Vivisection Prerequisites: 6th-level apothecary Your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a 19 or 20.