D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Potion Identification

[The Souljourner]

Doesn't cyanide smell kinda almondy? I swear I saw that on MacGuyver once...

 

[Hervis]

Yes, cyanide does indeed smell like almonds. The only issue is that if you cna smell the almonds, it's already too late.



Hervis

 

[Conaill]

Argh! Another step in Wizards' ongoing campaign to make Alchemy a "flavor only" skill. First they make it a class skill for just about *everybody*, then they make it explicitely magical (instead of an entirely separate system), now this!

Hmm... actually, this change was probably just another cascading effect of putting Alchemy under Craft (Alchemy). Sure, you need a single level of spellcaster to *craft* stuff with it, but any yokel would have been able to identify potions.

 

[MarauderX]

Argh! Another step in Wizards' ongoing campaign to make Alchemy a "flavor only" skill. First they make it a class skill for just about *everybody*, then they make it explicitely magical (instead of an entirely separate system), now this!

Hmm... actually, this change was probably just another cascading effect of putting Alchemy under Craft (Alchemy). Sure, you need a single level of spellcaster to *craft* stuff with it, but any yokel would have been able to identify potions.

That may be part of the idea; the PCs don't test the potions themselves, they take it to town to have someone else Identify it for them. Some players in campaigns would do exactly that, not even bothering to try a check as they may not get it right and would never know until they quaffed it.

 

[Conaill]

Anyone know what happened to Identify Poison? Or did that fall between the cracks altogether?

 

[Kershek]

Anyone know what happened to Identify Poison? Or did that fall between the cracks altogether?

The detect poison spell says:

---
A character with the Craft (alchemy) skill may try a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check if the Wisdom check fails, or may try the Craft (alchemy) check prior to the Wisdom check.
---

 

[Conaill]

Heh. They already needed a whole paragraph of special exceptions for Alchemy under the Craft skill. Plus they've forgotten to add an exception to MW craft tools (so you could buy MW Alchemy tools for the same +2 bonus a full lab provides, but at a much lower price and weight). Now it looks like they also forgot to add the poison identification language to the Craft section as well.

Hey, I've got an idea... Why don't we just make it a separate skill altogether!

 

[Kershek]

I thought there was no such thing as "MW Alchemy Tools" because the alchemist's lab filled that role?

 

[Conaill]

Yes, that's how it's supposed to work, but they don't actually spell that out anywhere. Artisan's Tools mention "any craft", so would theoretically include Alchemy as well now.

It's a detail, and easily resolved using some common sense, but I've already seen one poster asking "so why get a lab if I could just get MW tools instead?"