Probably Stolen: Advanced Chemist Start Guide for Dream Dust

Mastering the Chemist role in Probably Stolen hinges on managing your Dream Dust production and resource allocation effectively. With the right strategies, you can secure a solid income and set the stage for long-term success. You’ll mainly be producing Dream Dust to meet cartel quotas while balancing your sales to street dealers, all within your first week.

The game’s early challenges revolve around establishing a strong reputation with the cartel and creating enough surplus income to cover your rent and buy necessary resources. Failure to meet your quotas can lead to losing reputation, which impacts your funding and access to cheaper materials. This guide will walk you through the essential steps, from understanding the chemistry involved to setting up your operations for independence.

Get ready to dive into the nitty-gritty of chemistry, maximize your profits from Dream Dust and Caffeine Pills, and learn how to thrive without relying solely on cartel support.

The Chemist is a tricky job to get started in Probably Stolen. If you manage to balance your income well in your first week you will have a good amount of money, resources and faction reputation to make sure you’re set up with a sustainable operation. You’ll need to balance your income between producing Dream Dust, selling to street dealers and the stipend you get from the cartel.

In your early game, your goal will be to fulfill the cartel quota, make enough surplus to pay for rent and boost your reputation to gain better financial support and cheaper resources. Once you start making a profit you can slowly move away from relying on the cartel and move into more sustainable businesses. This guide will go through your first week, how the chemistry works for both Dream Dust and Caffeine Pills, and how to get into a more independent operation.

• Choose the Right Perks
• Understand the Cartel Rules
• How Chemistry Works
• Dream Dust (Main Income)
• Caffeine Pills (Extra Income)
• Daily Plan
• First Big Upgrade – Farm Grade Dream Dust
• Weekly Cycle
• Get Into Independence

Choosing the right perks is fundamental for your early game success as a Chemist. Opt for Well Connected to boost your cartel reputation. This will directly affect the stipend you receive, with a notable increase once you hit 25 reputation and lower resource costs at 50 reputation. Alongside this, pick Savings , which lessens initial rent, leaving more credits for resources and equipment — a crucial buffer for your budding operation.

Two perks will really help you out in your first week. Well Connected will give you +15 reputation with all factions, including the cartel.

This is very helpful, as your stipend from the cartel depends on your reputation. If you reach 25 reputation, you’ll gain more money, and if you reach 50, your resources will be cheaper when requested from the cartel.

Savings will help out with rent. You’ll only have to pay a fraction of your first rent thanks to this perk.

Leaving you with more credits to purchase resources and equipment. All together they’ll give you a bit of a buffer.

Understanding cartel operations is vital. On Day 1, the cartel handler will visit and provide you with 3 Dream Caps, chemical resources, and set your first task: produce 10 vials of Dream Dust by Day 8. Missing your quota will damage your reputation, and failing to deliver any vials results in game failure. Keep at least one vial ready to hand over, but aim to meet your full quota to maintain your status. Don’t let the handler take all your vials . He’ll collect everything from the counter, regardless of whether it’s quota or surplus. This means you’ll need to store surplus products away from the counter if you plan to sell them later. Maintain good reputation for benefits : A solid relationship with the cartel yields two key perks: a higher weekly stipend at 25 reputation, and lower resource costs at 50. Always monitor your reputation in the feedback box, keeping it as high as possible to secure better income and cheaper production. Avoid Reporting the Cartel : On day 2, when questioned by security, do not report the cartel. It will drop your reputation by 20 points, and since your financial stability hinges on your dealings with them, it’s not worth the risk.

Getting familiar with the chemistry mechanics is essential. Both Dream Dust and Caffeine Pills follow a similar process, differing mainly in resource ratios and heating temperatures.

Follow these 6 steps in your chemistry process:

• Combine – Mix your raw materials to create a mush.
• Extract – Introduce alcohol and heat to extract the product.
• Purify – Add acid to eliminate proteins, using a lipo bond agent for fat if necessary.
• Filter – Use a filter to remove any leftover debris.
• Evaporate – Leave the liquid to evaporate overnight for a dry product.
• Finish – Use the Chem Finisher for encapsulating your dry product into vials or pills.

Your scanner is a crucial tool in this procedure, indicating the precise amounts of resources required. Remember, no liquid products should go into the Chem Finisher — the product must be completely dry.

Don’t Miss Quota

If you don’t give any vials to the cartel you will fail the game. If you don’t meet your quota you will lose reputation, depending on how much short you are. Always have at least one vial to give to the handler, but still aim to meet your quota.

He Takes Everything On The Counter

This is something very important to remember. The handler will take all of the Dream Dust vials that are on your counter.

He will not differentiate between your quota and surplus. Store any products you want to sell.

Only place the amount you are happy to give on your counter.

Reputation Gives You Benefits

When you have a good relationship with the cartel you’ll gain two very useful benefits.

• 25 Cartel Reputation : More weekly stipend
• 50 Cartel Reputation : Cheaper resources when requested from the handler

You can track your reputation with all factions using the feedback box. Try to keep a high reputation with the cartel as you will have more income and your production will be cheaper.

Do Not Report The Cartel To Security

On day 2 you will be asked by the officer if you have anything to report. Reporting the cartel will cost you 20 reputation.

A gangster will come to warn you. As your stipend and resource prices depend on your cartel reputation there’s really no reason to lose reputation.

How Chemistry Works

Before you start creating your products you should understand how the chemistry works. Both Dream Dust and Caffeine Pills work the same way, but the ratios of resources and temperatures will vary.

There are 6 steps to chemistry.

• Combine – Mix your raw resources together to make a mush.
• Extract – Add alcohol and heat to extract your product.
• Purify – Add acid to remove protein. If needed add lipo bond agent to remove fat.
• Filter – Remove any remaining debris.
• Evaporate – Let the liquid evaporate overnight to leave you with a dry product.
• Finish – Put your dry product in the Chem Finisher to create your vials/pills.

You will need to use the scanner throughout this process. This will tell you how much alcohol, acid and other resources you need.

Make sure you don’t put any liquid products in the Chem Finisher. Your product needs to be completely dry.

Your primary income source is Dream Dust. Fulfilling the cartel’s quota is your top priority, along with creating extras for street dealers. With limited Dream Caps at the start, buy as many as you can in the initial days for maximum production. Blend : Start by placing an empty bottle in the blender and adding the Dream Caps correctly. Ensure it’s empty, as anything inside will end up in your final product. Add Alcohol : Aim for at least 5 times the amount of mush in alcohol. Use your scanner to determine exact needs for effective extraction. Heat : Place your bottle on the heater, setting it low to reach about 46 degrees. Once heated, turn it off; as it cools, extraction continues. Watch the temperature closely — exceeding 50 degrees will burn the mush. Remove Protein : Post-extraction, the scanner shows protein content. Add an equivalent amount of acid to neutralize proteins, with care to the amount used. If too much acid is added, base can neutralize it. Filter : Use a water filter to ensure no impurities remain before evaporating. Evaporate and Finish : Place the filtered product in the evaporator to dry overnight. Once dry, transfer it to the Chem Finisher, select Dream Dust, and hit Output for your vials.

Dream Dust is the main part of your Chemist starter. You will need to fulfill the cartel quota, boost your reputation and create enough surplus to sell to the street dealers. As you don’t have many Dream Caps to start with you should buy as many as you can in the first few days.

Blend

Place an empty bottle in the blender. Add your Dream Caps to the correct grid.

Turn on the blender to create a mush. Make sure the bottle is empty.

Anything in the bottle will end up in your final vials.

Add Alcohol

Add some alcohol to your bottle. For Dream Dust you should aim for at least 5x the amount of mush.

Use the scanner to see the exact amount you need. This will ensure you have enough alcohol.

Heat

Place the bottle on the heater. Set the temperature to low.

Heat the product until it reaches around 46 degrees. Once it has reached this temperature, turn the heater off.

As the product cools, it will continue to extract. Watch the scanner.

The amount of Dream Cap mush should start to drop. Don’t let the temperature go above 50 degrees or the mush will burn.

Remove Protein

Once you have extracted your product use the scanner to check how much protein you have. Add the same amount of acid.

The reaction will start off fast but will slow down. Be careful when adding acid and watch the numbers drop to zero.

Try not to add too much acid. If you do you can use base to neutralise the acid.

Filter

Filtering is very important. Don’t move straight onto evaporation. Use the water filter.

Evaporate & Finish

Put your filtered product in the evaporator. Let it run overnight.

This will remove the water and leave you with a dry product. Small batches should be ready the next morning.

Once you have dry product put it in the Chem Finisher. Select Dream Dust and press Output.

The machine will take all of the available product to create the relevant amount of vials.

Caffeine Pills can supplement your income while waiting for more Dream Caps. Use coffee beans — the extraction process will be similar but involves different temperatures. Blend : Start with coffee beans in the blender. Add Alcohol : Use about 3/4 of your mush amount in alcohol for extraction. Heat : Heat the mixture to about 75 degrees, letting it cool before proceeding. Remove Protein & Fat : Check levels of protein and fat; you’ll need to use two resources: For acid, a 1:1 ratio with protein. Match the acid amount to the scanner reading. For the lipo bond agent, use approximately a 1:8 ratio. Filter : After processing, filter your product carefully using the water filter. Evaporate : The evaporator can handle only up to 300ml at a time. Wait for it to dry completely before moving to the Chem Finisher. Create Caffeine Pills : Finally, place the finished product in the Chem Finisher, select the Caffeine Pill recipe, and press Output. Each 5mg of caffeine creates one pill, turning spare coffee beans into extra income.

As you won’t have enough Dream Caps to create Dream Dust continuously you can create Caffeine Pills to help with your income. Coffee beans can also be used to gain some extra credits whilst waiting for more Dream Caps or preparing for your next cartel delivery. The process will be similar to Dream Dust but the temperature for extracting and purifying will differ.

Blend

Place your coffee beans in the blender.

Add Alcohol

Add some alcohol. Aim for around 3/4 of the amount of mush.

Heat

Place the bottle on the heater. Heat until it reaches around 75 degrees. Turn the heater off and let it cool.

Remove Protein & Fat

Once it has cooled use the scanner to check how much protein and fat you have. You will need to use two resources.

• Acid – 1:1 ratio. Add the same amount of acid as the protein shown on the scanner.
• Lipo bond agent – The ratio will be around 1:8.

Filter

Once you have removed the protein and fat filter your product using the water filter and pitcher.

Evaporate

Place your filtered product in the evaporator. The machine can only handle up to 300ml at a time. Wait until it is completely dry before moving it to the Chem Finisher.

Create Caffeine Pills

Place your dry product in the Chem Finisher. Choose the Caffeine Pill recipe and press Output.

For every 5mg of caffeine in your final product you will get 1 pill. Creating Caffeine Pills is an easy way to make extra income from your spare time and available coffee beans.

Day 1 : The cartel handler brings 3 Dream Caps, resources, and your first quota. Begin crafting Dream Dust immediately to kickstart your income. Day 2 : The retired chemist sells chemistry equipment once weekly; buy the water filter to enhance filtering. Also, avoid reporting the cartel during your encounter with security. Day 3 : Important visits occur. The shady farmer supplies Dream Caps, which are crucial. Additionally, a street dealer can help you sell surplus Dream Dust for cash to cover rent. Days 4-7 : Continue Dream Dust production. If low on Dream Caps, consider producing Caffeine Pills instead. Scavenge for extra credits when possible without losing focus on your bills. Aim to buy a battery on Sunday to take advantage of a discount. Day 8 : The handler will collect your quota. Aim to hand over at least 10 vials, as this boosts your reputation significantly. Be strategic about how much you give — only place what you want to surrender on the counter since he takes everything displayed.

Day 1

The cartel handler will come to give you 3 Dream Caps, some chemical resources and your first quota. You need to make 10 vials by Day 8.

Get started on your Dream Caps as soon as possible. This is the first batch so it’s important to get started on your production.

This will give you a way to make some money.

Day 2

The retired chemist will come once a week. She will sell you some chemistry equipment/resources.

Buy a box of chemical resources if needed. Try to buy the water filter as it will improve your filtering.

This is also when the security officer will ask if you have anything to report. Don’t report the cartel.

You don’t want to lose 20 reputation.

Day 3

Two very important visitors will come. The shady farmer will come to sell you some Dream Caps.

Buy as many as he has. This will determine how much extra Dream Dust you can make in your first week.

The street dealer will buy your surplus Dream Dust. This will give you some quick cash from your early production.

Sell enough to pay for your rent. Sell as much as you can.

Days 4-7

Continue making Dream Dust. If you don’t have any Dream Caps make some Caffeine Pills from coffee beans.

You should also scavenge a little. This can help you earn some extra credits to help with purchases.

But don’t get distracted. The most important thing in your first week is to get enough Dream Dust to give to the cartel.

Try to buy a battery on Sunday. Jackson’s has a 10% discount.

Day 8

After your Day 8 handover, if you’ve successfully completed your Dream Dust, you’ll receive a module for the Chem Finisher. This allows you to produce Farm Grade Dream Dust, which sells for a higher price, benefiting your profitability. Enhanced reputation paired with upgraded equipment sets up a sustainable operation for your business.

The more you give him the more reputation you will gain. This will help boost your stipend.

Only give him the amount you want to give. Anything stored will stay with you.

Anything on your counter will be taken.

First Big Upgrade – Farm Grade Dream Dust

After giving the handler your products on Day 8 he will give you a module for the Chem Finisher. Insert the module.

This is important as you can sell your product for more. This will make each production cycle more profitable.

You should now have a better reputation, upgraded Chem Finisher and access to the weekly cartel system. This will make your operation much easier to maintain.

As you progress post-Hander visit, recalibrate your strategy. Instead of giving away all surplus, recognize the need to balance meeting quotas and optimizing profits. Your new operational strategies should include: Quota – Always produce the necessary amount to fulfill your quota without jeopardizing extra sales. Surplus – Store surplus for later; your new Farm Grade ensures higher profit margins. Cartel Resources – Utilize your increased reputation to request cheaper resources. Focus on building a substantial operation with these strategies to capitalize effectively on your relationship with the cartel.

Once you’ve given the handler your products your strategy will change. In your first week it was a good idea to give as much as you could to the cartel to boost your reputation. But you shouldn’t give all of your vials.

Your usual strategy should be:

• Quota – Make enough to fulfill your quota. Don’t risk missing out on your quota to sell extra to the street.
• Surplus – Store the extra. As you now have the Farm Grade module your product will be more profitable so selling your surplus will become a great income source.
• Cartel Resources – Once you hit 50 reputation your resources will be cheaper when requested. Make the most of this.

As your reputation and stipend increase the cartel will become a great source of capital for your operation. But shouldn’t be your only strategy.

Relying solely on the cartel can lead to vulnerabilities – start planning additional income sources now. Hydroponics is a logical expansion opportunity, allowing you control over your Dream Caps. Water trading can supplement your credits while diversifying your earnings. Aim for a sense of independence while using the cartel to gain initial strength. A successful Chemist journey balances cartel reliance with moving towards self-sufficiency.

Whilst the stipend from the cartel makes getting started as a Chemist easier, if you rely on it you will have an issue if you decide to leave. Start setting up some alternative income sources whilst you still have a good relationship with the cartel.

Water Trading & Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a natural next step. This will allow you to start growing your own Dream Caps.

This will solve the main issue with your initial setup. You were relying on the shady farmer for your raw resources.

By growing your own you will have more control over your production and will be able to keep your Dream Dust business going.

Water trading

This can help you gain some quick credits. This can help you build up a bit of a buffer to reduce your reliance on the cartel.

Don’t think of these as alternatives to your Chemist cycle. Think of them as ways to diversify your income.

Ultimately you want to have enough independent income that you won’t be affected by losing your stipend.

Overall, a successful Chemist playthrough is about using the cartel to build up your operation and then becoming self-sufficient so you can continue to grow.

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