Anyone make any more potions?

[fissionessence]

The PHB list of potions is pretty lacking. Has anyone made a list of possible potions? My first inclination is just to grab some utility spells and convert them into potions. I'm not necessarily contemplating how players could create such potions at this point, just imagining them in order to give out as treasure or for fun.

Please, chime in with your own potion ideas, plus suggestions on prices or pricing guidelines for potions and balanced methods of creating them (most likely by ritual, but does it require that you have any relevant powers?)

"Potion of Bless"
Gain a +1 power bonus to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.

"Potion of Divine Aid"
Make a saving throw with a +2[?] power bonus.

Antitoxin
Make a saving throw against an ongoing poison effect with a +5 power bonus.

"Potion of Sanctuary"
Gain a +5 power bonus to defenses until or the beginning of your turn after your next turn.

"Potion of Shield of Faith"
Gain a +2 power bonus to AC until the end of the encounter.

"Potion of Fiendish Resilience"
Gain temporary hit points equal to 10 + your Con mod.

"Potion of Shadow Veil"
Gain a +5 power bonus to stealth checks until the end of the encounter.

"Potion of Shroud of Black Steel"
You change your skin into living steel. You gain a +2 power bonus to AC and Fortitude defense but take a –2 penalty to speed until the end of the encounter.

"Potion of Spider Climb"
Until the end of the encounter, gain a climb speed equal to your speed.

"Potion of Shadow Form"
You assume a shadowy form until the end of the encounter. In this form you are insubstantial, gain fly 6, and can’t take standard actions.

Potion of Invisibility
You become invisible until the beginning of your next turn. You may sustain this effect with a standard action. If you attack, the effect ends.

Without going through every utility power, this seems like a pretty good list to start with.

~ fissionessence

 

[Dalzig]

One thing to be careful about adding more potions is the possible effects of stacking them. With Quickdraw, you can down 3 potions in a turn. In the list you have above, that's +2 AC, +5 Stealth, and a Climb speed until the end of the encounter.

Possible ways to avoid this:
1. Tie it into the daily limit of magic items.
2. Limit it to one or two potions per encounter. The body just can't take anymore.
3. Make it so all potions only last until the end of your next turn. Quick boost without being a 'buff.'

Personally, I'd go with 2 and 3. It creates an interesting tactical option by limiting resources and making you choose carefully how to use them. Do I use this potion to get +2 AC this turn, or should I go ahead and use Spider Climb?

 

[fissionessence]

Hm. That's some good insight. I'd definitely have to pay attention as a DM, but my first impression is not to limit potions in any of the ways you mentioned. The PHB has the cheapest healing potion listed as 50gp, and with similarly high prices, these potions wouldn't be something players would be gulping down every battle . . . these are coming straight out of their treasure parcels/gold cache. If this is the way a player wants to spend his resources (economics-wise), then that would be fine. (Once again, while paying careful attention as the DM.)

As a player, I still don't want those restrictions. I think it would be cool and fun to 'buff up' before a fight and ambush the monsters by jumping out of my hiding place on the ceiling where I was climbing, then defend myself with my +2 AC. It had better be worth it; it cost me 200gp! (or something like that).

If they proved to need more restrictions, though, I'd prefer the second option, where you have a limit on 'active' potions, or an amount of time before you can take your next draught.

~

 

[Unlogic]

I personally would be tempted to come up with some mechanic for negative side-effects of potion-mixing. And potentially synergistic effects here and there...

My PCs may become more cautious chugging all their potions when some combination accidentally turns one of their allies into an explosive marmoset.

 

[Palladion]

One thing to be careful about adding more potions is the possible effects of stacking them. With Quickdraw, you can down 3 potions in a turn. In the list you have above, that's +2 AC, +5 Stealth, and a Climb speed until the end of the encounter.

Possible ways to avoid this:
1. Tie it into the daily limit of magic items.
2. Limit it to one or two potions per encounter. The body just can't take anymore.
3. Make it so all potions only last until the end of your next turn. Quick boost without being a 'buff.'

Maybe it is as simple as using a healing surge every time you drink a potion. The potion turns your body's natural healing energy into a beneficial effect.

As for making more potions, I am waiting for Tome of Treasures. That book is really not coming soon enough. I think the main issue is just pricing potions if PCs want to buy or make them.

 

[Stalker0]

Maybe it is as simple as using a healing surge every time you drink a potion. The potion turns your body's natural healing energy into a beneficial effect.

Agreed. The healing surge is a very elegant balancing mechanic for the standard potions.

For example, at low levels, 50 GP is a steep enough price that no one is going to stock up on potions. Yet converting a healing surge into 10 HP is a great benefit.

At high levels, 50 GB is dirt cheap, I can buy hordes of potions with no sweat. But now I'm consuming a far more valuable resource, my healing surges. The ability to get healing on the fly is still useful, but I'm not likely to gulp down 10 potions...because then I'll be out of surges.

 

[Rith the Wanderer]

Also I'd make anything that adds to something an enhancement effect. That way if you have leather +2 and drink a +2 AC potion they don't stack. That way when they actually cost something to you (low levels) they will be worth it, but at high levels when you could easily be buying them for every battle only barely affecting you gold amount, its not doing you any good because you already have shiny armor.

 

[Palladion]

Also I'd make anything that adds to something an enhancement effect. That way if you have leather +2 and drink a +2 AC potion they don't stack. That way when they actually cost something to you (low levels) they will be worth it, but at high levels when you could easily be buying them for every battle only barely affecting you gold amount, its not doing you any good because you already have shiny armor.

Maybe use an item bonus instead of enhancement. That way it does not stack with most magical gear (many of which give an item bonus to skills, etc.). Alternatively, make it a power bonus (a couple of items bestow those).

As an aside, I would not allow anything to grant bonus to attack or defenses, unless it specifically duplicated a power. Miscellaneous magic items no longer give those bonuses, potions probably should not either.

 

[Zetesofos]

The healing surge requirement, as stated before, is an ideal choice to limit your consumption. Someone with a higher constitution seems to be better able to absorb more chemicals and enhancements into their body.

The durations would really be circumstancial, some might have to be till end of next turn, others it would be end of encounter. There could be a couple that last until your next extended rest, but I don't know what that might be for?

I would note, make potions give an + item bonus, so they would stack with powers, but not with other equipment that gave similar bonuses. The ones that might be careful, and have to be watched by the DM, if they were made were ones that helped Attacks and AC's.

 

[keterys]

I really think that they took out 'buff' consumables for a reason, and I'd not suggest casually reintroducing them.

Especially ones that mimic daily powers.

It's not like a +1 bonus to attack that you give in a level 5 potion will stop being useful at 30, especially if it lasts 5 minutes. Thumbs down.