Vulgar Alchemy is the method by which Hermetic magi introduce new Shape or Material Bonuses into Hermetic Theory. Shape and Material bonuses draw upon the magical principle of Sympathy to improve the ability of a Hermetic Magus to enchant effects into a suitable item.

With the integration of Vulgar Alchemy into general Hermetic Theory (as detailed in Codex Bonisagi 1214 AD), some issues arise as to the methodology for the Bohemian Rhapsody Saga. The most notable issue is that the methodology described in TMRE (32-35) is not conducive to experimentation. Throwing a bunch of possible items into an experiment and then trying to figure out which of them had some effect on the experiment is not a useful methodology. However, the concept that introducing a new shape or material bonus to Hermetic theory is a gradual process, requiring a number of experiments, is attractive.

For any given shape or material, either it provides a bonus or it does not.  If it provides a bonus, then the process of Vulgar Alchemy is to discover the parameters of the bonus - to what sorts of things it can apply, and to what sorts of things it does not apply, as well as how strongly it applies (i.e. what is the numerical bonus) in each case.  In order to discover these things, a maga must perform a number of different experiments.  Normally, these experiments would be performed by enchanting lesser enchantments or charged items, but a maga with Potent Magic may experiment with effects that lie within the scope of the maga's Potency (and thus successful experiments could only lie within the intersection of the shape or material bonus and the applicable scope of Potent Magic).

In each experiment, a magus defines an effect that he suspects may lie within the scope of a proposed bonus provided by a shape or material incorporated into the enchantment.  Each experiment requires a season of effort and generates a lab text as usual.  However, the experimental process is slightly different than the typical Hermetic experiment.

First, the player proposes a shape or material bonus to the Troupe and/or Storyguide.  If agreed that the proposed bonus is potentially applicable, the Storyguide should secretly generate a suitable bonus (if the Storyguide feels that more than one bonus is appropriate, he should determine the scores for all of the bonuses for that new shape or material). The Storyguide does not reveal this information to the Troupe at this time, but should record it for reference.

Second, the magus character conducts an experiment with a specific proposed bonus from the new shape or material used in the experimental effect. The results of the experiment must be resolved using the tables on page 109 of the Core rules. If the experiment produces a "Disaster," "No Benefit," or "Complete Failure" result, the experiment fails and no knowledge regarding the shape or material bonus is gained from that season's experiment.  With any other result, the maga may possibly gain some knowledge about the shape or material bonus with which she is experimenting, in addition to the normal experimental effects. 

Third, the player compares the maga's lab total to the level of the effect, and notes the amount by which that total exceeds the level of the effect.  Note that for this experiment, the proposed shape or material bonus does not add to the lab total, even if the magus has previously confirmed an Interim Bonus for that shape or material. The resulting  amount is the Preliminary Total.

The Storyguide will generate an Experimentation Factor  by adding the result of a simple die to an Experimentation Modifier based on the scope of the proposed bonus, and also adding the Shape or Material bonuses from any other applicable shapes or materials used in the effect.  The Storyguide may choose to keep the results of this roll hidden from the player.

Experimentation Modifiers correspond to the scope of the proposed bonus:

Finally, the Storyguide compares the Preliminary Total to the Experimentation Factor. If the Preliminary Total is less than the Experimentation Factor, the magus gains no knowledge regarding the experimental shape or material bonus, although the other results of the season may be successful, according to the lab total and other experimental results.

If the Preliminary Total is equal to or greater than the Experimentation Factor, the maga gains some knowledge regarding the experimental shape or material bonus.  If the proposed shape or material bonus is not applicable to the effect, the Storyguide should inform the player.  If the proposed shape or material bonus is applicable to the effect, then the magus gains one or more Integration Points toward integration of the proposed bonus.

Divide the Preliminary Total by the Experimentation Factor, and drop any fractional remainder.  The result is the number of Integration Points gained in that season's experimentation.

Integration Points may be applied as experience points of progression in an Art.  For example, one Integration Point could result in a +1 shape or material bonus; three points could result in a +2 bonus.  Such a bonus is termed an Interim Bonus, as this may not be the final integrated bonus. Multiple experiments are typically necessary to confirm a higher shape or material bonus, often beginning in a fairly narrow scope. Once an Interim Bonus has been determined, the magus may apply that bonus to applicable effects. If the maga had assistance in the lab, such as from an apprentice, that assistant may also apply the Interim Bonus to applicable effects. The maga may also include knowledge of Interim Bonuses when teaching Hermetic Theory to others, up to the source quality in bonus points (i.e. a maga who provides a Source Quality of 10 for a season of Hermetic Theory instruction could teach knowledge of a +4 Interim Bonus and two +3 Interim Bonuses in a season of instruction).

A magus may conduct additional experiments to see if the bonus may be greater than +1, or if the scope may be broader than the initial experiments.  In order to confirm a broader scope, experimentation must include Integration Points from effects over a wide range of the scope.  For an Art scope, experimentation must include Integration Points from effects of every Form (if a Technique) or every Technique (if a Form).

With each successful experiment (i.e. one in which the magus gained information regarding the bonus), the magus may either confirm or exclude a given effect.  Through a gradual process of confirming or excluding different effects, the magus may outline the parameters of the proposed shape or material bonus, as well as accumulating Integration Points towards the maximum bonus possible.  As Integration Points reach "threshold" amounts, the magus may wish to propose a higher bonus, to see if an experiment can confirm a higher bonus, or if excluded, confirm that the highest bonus (for that effect) is lower than the proposed bonus.

Thus, a typical course of experiments will start with a proposed +1 bonus with a Narrow Scope, and gradually expand the scope and/or increase the proposed bonus in order to determine the scope and strength of the new shape or material bonus. Where a shape or material has more than a single applicable bonus, the magus may need to perform a wide variety of experiments to successfully determne the "actual" bonus(es). Because confirming a broad or high bonus is a lengthy process, sometimes more than one magus may be involved in determining the final result. Some bonuses that are now standard in Hermetic theory were published by a filius of the original experimentor, building on the work and notes of the parens.

At any point, a magus could author a Hermetic Theory tractatus describing the bonus and its scope as discovered to that point. However, due to the limited number of Hermetic Theory tractatus that may be authored by a character, most magi will wait until they are confident that they have discovered the "actual" bonus and scope before publishing. Publishing a new shape or material bonus will typically increase a character's general Hermetic reputation (or it may alter or add to the nature of that reputation).

Magi Bonisagi do gain Domus Acclaim for publishing new shape or material bonuses:

Because magi Bonisagi gain more Acclaim for higher bonuses, and for broader scopes, they typically try to confirm the highest and broadest possible bonus before publishing.