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 ...THE
STUFF
Potions,
Potions, Potions!
Feel
like brewing up some new optional rules? Below are
some ideas for modified potion rules, a new chart
for potion-able spells not on the standard DMG list,
and some new potion-related magic items.
Variant
Potion Rules
Off-Beat
Potions
The
rule in the Brew Potion feat description goes like
this: “The character can create a potion of any
spell of 3rd level or lower that the character knows
and that targets a creature or creatures.
The unwritten rule (violated a few times in the
DMG potion list) is that only spells with ranges
of Personal or Touch can become potions. The truth
of the matter is, there’s no real game-balance reason
why potions can only be made from a subset of spells.
That rule is just there for flavor: While it makes
sense that you can have a potion of cure light
wounds, having a potion of identify doesn’t
seem to work as well. Because what’s really going
on there? A potion is supposed to affect only the
imbiber -- you can’t cast cure light wounds
on someone else after drinking a potion of cure
light wounds.
But,
if breaking this rule appeals to you, try making
potions of the following spells: shocking grasp,
grease, obscuring mist, charm person, cause fear,
magic weapon, ray of enfeeblement, and even
magic missile (to name a few).
These potions belong in a group one could call the
“drink this and get the ability to do something
to someone else” subset. Firebreath would
be a potion like that too.
Oils
Some
spells work better if they’re made into oils rather
than potions. You can price them the same, but the
following spells make more sense if you apply them,
rather than drink them: grease, obscuring mist
(perhaps when poured into at least one pint of water),
spider climb, ghoul touch (both already potions
in the DMG), glitterdust, mirror image, dispel
magic, and others. You could even think of the
summon monster spells as “monsters in a bottle,”
and treat them as oils.
Flavorful
Potions
A
potion of cure light wounds and a potion
of fly are fairly flavorless -- that is, their
names are bland. On the other hand, a minor curative
elixir and a draught of lofty reach sound
much more interesting.
The
point here is that spell names don’t necessarily
lend themselves to good magic item names. Consider
changing what you call your potions in-game, to
give your setting a more fantastic feel.
Identifying
Potions
Potions
and scrolls, due to their temporary nature, are
much more useful if the characters can identify
them immediately. For identifying potions on the
run, allow a character to take a tiny sip or a whiff
of the aroma; a successful Knowledge (arcane) check
with a DC of 15 plus the spell level lets the PC
identify it. This generous variant makes obsolete
the PH’s suggeston of identifying potions with an
Alchemy check, but it allows characters to use the
potions they find immediately. If nothing else,
when you’re playing a one-shot adventure, this rule
makes things run much more smoothly.
More
Potions
If you follow the logic of potions as presented in
the DMG (ignoring the variants above), you can find
a number of other Player’s Handbook spells
to make into potions. Presented below, in the format
of a DMG magic item table, is a single table showing
how these spells might be made into potions or oils.
When a potion is randomly determined, simply roll
d% (results of 01-50 use Table 8-18 in the DMG; for
51-00 use the table below). Or, if you consider the
potions below to be more rare, limit the chance to
apply this table to only 25% or 30%.
|
d% |
|
| Minor |
Medium |
Major |
Potion |
Market
Price |
| 01-08 |
-- |
-- |
Oil
of Purify Food and Drink |
25
gp |
| 09-15 |
-- |
-- |
Resistance |
25
gp |
| 16-20 |
-- |
-- |
Comprehend
Languages |
50
gp |
| 21-25 |
01 |
-- |
Endure
Elements (cold) |
50
gp |
| 26-30 |
02 |
-- |
Endure
Elements (electricity) |
50
gp |
| 31-35 |
03 |
-- |
Endure
Elements (fire) |
50
gp |
| 36-40 |
04 |
-- |
Endure
Elements (acid) |
50
gp |
| 41-45 |
05 |
-- |
Endure
Elements (sonic) |
50
gp |
| 45-50 |
06 |
-- |
Ventriliquism |
50
gp |
| 51-55 |
07 |
-- |
Expeditious
Retreat |
50
gp |
| 56-60 |
08 |
-- |
Remove
Fear |
50
gp |
| 61-65 |
09 |
-- |
Oil
of Magic Stone |
50
gp |
| 66-70 |
10 |
-- |
Divine
Favor |
50
gp |
| 71-75 |
11 |
-- |
Shillelagh
Oil |
50
gp |
| 76-80 |
12-13 |
-- |
Shield
of Faith |
50
gp |
| 81-83 |
14-15 |
-- |
Oil
of Protection from Good |
50
gp |
| 84-86 |
16-17 |
-- |
Oil
of Protection from Evil |
50
gp |
| 87-89 |
18-19 |
-- |
Oil
of Protection from Law |
50
gp |
| 90-92 |
20-21 |
-- |
Oil
of Protection from Chaos |
50
gp |
| 93-95 |
22-25 |
-- |
Oil
of Magic Weapon |
50
gp |
| 96-97 |
26-30 |
-- |
Sanctuary |
50
gp |
| 98 |
31-35 |
-- |
True
Strike |
50
gp |
| 99 |
36-40 |
-- |
Mage
Armor |
50
gp |
| 00 |
41-45 |
-- |
Shield |
50
gp |
| -- |
45-50 |
01 |
Resist
Elements (cold) |
300
gp |
| -- |
51-55 |
02 |
Resist
Elements (electricity) |
300
gp |
| -- |
56-60 |
03 |
Resist
Elements (fire) |
300
gp |
| -- |
61-65 |
04 |
Resist
Elements (acid) |
300
gp |
| -- |
66-70 |
05 |
Resist
Elements (sonic) |
300
gp |
| -- |
71-75 |
06 |
Oil
of Gentle Repose |
300
gp |
| -- |
76-80 |
07 |
Barkskin |
300
gp |
| -- |
81-83 |
08 |
Tree
Shape |
300
gp |
| -- |
84-86 |
09 |
Oil
of Warp Wood |
300
gp |
| -- |
87-89 |
10 |
Oil
of Wood Shape |
300
gp |
| -- |
90-92 |
11-12 |
Oil
of Consecrate |
300
gp |
| -- |
93-95 |
13-14 |
Oil
of Desecrate |
300
gp |
| -- |
96-97 |
15-16 |
Whispering
Wind |
300
gp |
| -- |
98 |
17-22 |
See
Invisibility |
300
gp |
| -- |
99 |
23-25 |
Protection
from Arrows |
300
gp |
| -- |
00 |
26-30 |
Oil
of Knock |
300
gp |
| -- |
|
31-35 |
Speak
with Plants |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
35-40 |
Oil
of Plant Growth |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
41-45 |
Meld
with Stone |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
46-50 |
Oil
of Shrink Item |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
51-55 |
Oil
of Magic Circle Against Good |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
56-60 |
Oil
of Magic Circle Against Evil |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
61-65 |
Oil
of Magic Circle Against Law |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
66-70 |
Oil
of Magic Circle Against Chaos |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
71-75 |
Oil
of Stone Shape |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
76-80 |
Water
Walk |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
81-85 |
Blink |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
86-90 |
Oil
of Magic Vestment |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
91-93 |
Displacement |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
94-95 |
Oil
of Poison |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
96-97 |
Oil
of Greater Magic Weapon |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
98 |
Oil
of Keen Edge |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
99 |
Oil
of Animate Dead |
750
gp |
| -- |
|
00 |
Vampiric
Touch |
750
gp |
|
|
|
|
|
|
New
Magic Items
Potion
of Evasion: The imbiber of this potion has
the Evasion ability (as a monk) for an hour.
Caster
Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Brew Potion,
expeditious retreat, displacement; Market
Price: 800 gp.
Potion
of Spell Power: The imbiber of this potion
makes spell resistance checks with a +2 bonus for
an hour.
Caster
Level: 3rd; Prerequisites: Brew Potion,
Spell Penetration; Market Price: 600 gp.
Ring
of Potion Storage: This plain bronze ring
has a tiny concealed compartment, which a character
can find with a Search check (DC 30). Despite the
ring’s small size, an entire magic potion (and only
a magic potion) can be poured into the ring and
stored there indefinitely.
Caster
Level: 7th; Prerequisites: Forge Ring,
Leomund’s secret chest; Market Price:
1,000 gp.
Rod
of Potion Touch: This long wooden rod looks
like a short staff. However, when a potion is poured
over it, the rod can convey the potion’s effects
to a single target touched within the next 10 minutes.
The wielder selects the target; the effect need
not discharge upon the next creature or object the
rod touches.
Caster
Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Rod,
Brew Potion, spectral hand; Market Price: 5,000
gp.
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