Unlabeled Poison

jaelis · May 3, 2018

Satyrn said:
And a poisoner's kit. And an herbalism for poisons derived from plants and potions pf healing (you need proficiency withthe kit to make the potion, it makes sense to me it ought to be used to identify it).

It might also make sense that merchants will sell field identification kits like get used in today's world by cops to id cocaine, etc. So if an adventurer finds something he thinks might be a potion of enlarge, he pours a drop into the test kit, which changes color (or expands!) if the test is positive, and wasted if negative.

You might create test kits that are broader than that. Maybe showing positive on a whole school, or positive if the potion is beneficial, positive if it's a plant-based poison, etc, etc.

. . . And I think this idea is gonna find its way into my game very soon.

That all sounds cool, and you should take your game where you want it to go. But my first reaction is, why not just use identify? I feel like the game gives us a nice simple way to settle this issue... are you looking for something else as a question of style, or is there something about the mechanics of identify that doesn't suit you? (I guess only wizards and bards get it, I could see that as a potential issue.)

Ralif Redhammer · May 3, 2018

As a DM, I generally tell people what a potion does if it’s in a treasure pile. Mysterious pools, well, those you just need to find out the hard way. You don't mess with some classic tropes.

That being said, I’ve totally had dishonest NPCs lie about what a potion does. When the group was mostly playing a bunch of scoundrel murderhobos, they got scammed with a “potion of flying” that they purchased. Hilarity (for me) ensued.

The Crimson Binome · May 3, 2018

jaelis said:
Ah but you are mistaken. The pearl is not consumed in the casting; material components are consumed only if the spell specifically says so. So it is just a one-time investment, and then 10 minutes of your time to cast the spell as a ritual.

For that matter, I think that potions in 5E can easily be identified by taste, and there's no chance of anything bad happening from it. As with the standard item identification during a short rest, it just works and don't worry about it.

At least, that's how I remember it.

jaelis · May 3, 2018

Saelorn said:
For that matter, I think that potions in 5E can easily be identified by taste, and there's no chance of anything bad happening from it. As with the standard item identification during a short rest, it just works and don't worry about it.

At least, that's how I remember it.

Well, the poison potion in particular is disguised: "This concoction looks, smells, and tastes like a potion of healing or other beneficial potion." So if your DM is mean, you probably do want to use identify or some other method when you can

Satyrn · May 3, 2018

jaelis said:
That all sounds cool, and you should take your game where you want it to go. But my first reaction is, why not just use identify? I feel like the game gives us a nice simple way to settle this issue... are you looking for something else as a question of style, or is there something about the mechanics of identify that doesn't suit you? (I guess only wizards and bards get it, I could see that as a potential issue.)

Mostly, I think it will add flavor to the shops that provision delvers. Plus, as you notice, a party might not have identify.

Also, your question seems to imply that you think I intend to have these test kits replace identify. I wouldn't. I'm all for introducing multiple means to achieve the same end.

aco175 · May 3, 2018

I just tell them. I won't remember months later when the player announces that the PC is drinking the potion from the goblin den that was in the king's room. No, not that goblin den, but the other one where we ate the food they were cooking and got sick. Remember?

jaelis · May 3, 2018

aco175 said:
I just tell them. I won't remember months later when the player announces that the PC is drinking the potion from the goblin den that was in the king's room. No, not that goblin den, but the other one where we ate the food they were cooking and got sick. Remember?

I pretty much do the same. But one of these days, I'll roll a die and say, oh... the potion of healing you grabbed turns out to be the one from the goblin den a few months ago, and it is poison. Roll a Con save

jasper · May 3, 2018

DM, "Your potion of healing tastes kind of off? Kind of like decafe coffee!"
Buzzed Monster drinker player, " I rather drink poison!"
DM, "look at my notes are you! CON SAVE!"

iserith · May 3, 2018

aco175 said:
I just tell them. I won't remember months later when the player announces that the PC is drinking the potion from the goblin den that was in the king's room. No, not that goblin den, but the other one where we ate the food they were cooking and got sick. Remember?

So true. I can't remember that stuff.

UngeheuerLich · May 4, 2018

The DMG has descriptions for every potion and a nice little rack with one of each stored. I like that and tell my players how it looks like. They may take notes.

In 3.x i had real good experience with characters smelling and tasting.
Once I told one of my PCs that he feels light and that he believes he would be able to fly if he jumped from a cliff.
He was really certain that his potion of flying was some kind of drug.

Unlabeled Poison

jaelis

Oh this is where the title goes?

Ralif Redhammer

Legend

The Crimson Binome

Hero

jaelis

Oh this is where the title goes?

Satyrn

First Post

aco175

Legend

jaelis

Oh this is where the title goes?

jasper

Rotten DM

iserith

Magic Wordsmith

UngeheuerLich

Legend

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