Complete Arcane - Though Bottle abuse and Magic Item Creation

[Delemental]

One thought I had in reading this is noting that the bottle doesn't restore lost levels directly, but restores XP. Though from a "fluff" perspective the bottle was probably meant to restore a character to exactly how they were at the time the bottle was used, from a "crunch" perspective you've got a character who has lost character levels and now has a big wad of XP. Who's to say your 12th level fighter who was drained to 7th can't use the store XP to become a Fighter 7/Cleric 5? Or take 5 levels of a new prestige class?

Again, it's something that no DM would probably ever allow, as it really violates the intent of the item, but from a purely theoretical standpoint the bottle now becomes not only a Save Game button, but an "Extreme Makeover: D&D Edition".

 

[Andre]

Experience: A thought bottle can be used to offset level loss as a restoration spell can, but is effective against level loss that even a restoration can't undo (Inculding levels lost due to death, but not the negative levels bestowed by magic items such as a holy weapon). When a user's experience has been stored within the bottle, he can subsequently acess the bottle to restore his XP total to exactly what it was when it was last stored, negating any level loss in the interim. Storing experience in the bottle is difficult, and the user must pay 500 XP (Deducted before storing) to do so. Only the creature that stored the experience can retrive it, but if the bottle is destroyed or lost, the user suffers no ill effects.

This passage refers repeatedly to using the thought bottle to offset level loss, not just xp loss. A strict reading would prevent the use of the bottle to restore xp given up in item creation (since the creator is not allowed to give up so many xp that he drops a level). Ditto for the use of wish spells and the like.

As for negating the level loss from death, depending on when the character stored the xp, he's likely to see a considerable loss in xp anyway. Assume the character always uses the thought bottle when gaining a level. At 12th level, he stores 66K xp or a bit more. While adventuring, he gains 8K xp. He then dies and is raised. His xp when he died was 74K. His xp when raised is 60.5K. His xp after using the bottle is 66K.

Given the 500 xp cost each time it's used to store xp, seems about right to me.

 

[the Jester]

This passage refers repeatedly to using the thought bottle to offset level loss, not just xp loss. A strict reading would prevent the use of the bottle to restore xp given up in item creation (since the creator is not allowed to give up so many xp that he drops a level). Ditto for the use of wish spells and the like.

I think we have a winner, folks- an interpetation of the item that seems to make it not-borken, usable, and priced about right.

 

[Vecna]

This passage refers repeatedly to using the thought bottle to offset level loss, not just xp loss. A strict reading would prevent the use of the bottle to restore xp given up in item creation (since the creator is not allowed to give up so many xp that he drops a level). Ditto for the use of wish spells and the like.

Yes, but you can:
1. Store XP in the bottle (i.e. at level 10).
2. Lose a level somehow (you are at level 9 now).
3. Gain XP to almost regain the lost level (almost 10).
4 .Use XP to make a magic item (back to low 9).
5. Repeat 3 & 4 as you wish (to 10-, 9+...)
6. Reload from bottle, regaining your old level (level 10 again!).

 

[Humanophile]

Yes, but you can:
1. Store XP in the bottle (i.e. at level 10).
2. Lose a level somehow (you are at level 9 now).
3. Gain XP to almost regain the lost level (almost 10).
4 .Use XP to make a magic item (back to low 9).
5. Repeat 3 & 4 as you wish (to 10-, 9+...)
6. Reload from bottle, regaining your old level (level 10 again!).

In theory, a crafter with an energy-draining pal could abuse this. (10something to 9.5, spend that .5 worth of experience on items, reset with the bottle, get re-drained, rinse, repeat). So on the one hand, if the party has the resources to get all metagamey about it, the bottle's as broken as everyone says above.

If you're speaking of actually earning any experience in the interim, you come to the same issue that any other crafter would. Yes, you're back at 10'th; your party's already pulled ahead of the common point you were all at. And aside from the half-level's worth of XP you already have, any you earn is pretty much going to do what you would've done without losing 500 XP to dance around. So short of built-in energy draining resources (which requires silly levels and/or DM approval in the first place), one can hope the "must have lost a level" restriction would keep the bottle about right.

(I do want to see a variation of the Clone spell that does what the memory function of the bottle seems meant to do, higher level and XP cost being understood as part of the deal. But that's a specific-use spell, that can have cheat-resistance written in.)

 

[Plane Sailing]

Spells: An owner who prepares spells can store some or all of her memorized spells in a thought bottle.

PREPARED. Prepared prepared prepared.

Why can't even WotC get this right?

 

[Dr_Zoidberg]

So short of built-in energy draining resources (which requires silly levels and/or DM approval in the first place), one can hope the "must have lost a level" restriction would keep the bottle about right.

There are energy-draining undead creatures a character could control with spells or with Rebuke Undead.