Help me design this potion!

[mkill]

Ok, so here is an item that I thought about dropping in a campaign. It's called the "Flask of Words".

After some experimentation, the PCs find out that it works by filling it with water and writing a word on it. For example, write "love" on it to create a love potion.

If your PC had this item, what crazy (or normal) things would he write on it?

(That is, what should I expect as DM)

Some notes:
Some effects depend on what you do with the liquid. Writing "fire" can make you immune to fire if you drink it, or let you breathe fire if you spit it out, or sets things on fire when poured.
After one word is written on the flask, it accepts no other words.
If the flask is emptied, the word disappears and the item can be used again.
The is no "safety lock", be careful what you wish for. Don't drink when it says "poison".
Nouns, names, verbs and adjectives are accepted. Words like "the" simply disappear.

 

[Grogg of the North]

If I pour the liquid out does it remain magical?

For instance, if I write poison on the bottle and pour the liquid into someone's drink, did I poison the drink or just water it down?

 

[Roland55]

If you have players like mine, there'll be an initial dash for the useful -- things you've expected and are ready for.

And then will come ... the challenges.

They will write words on it just to see what you will do.

Words like: "effervescent," "helical," and "deific."

 

[Mark CMG]

Ineffable?


Expect the unexpected. Prepping will only trap you into limited modes of thinking. Just go with the flow, so to speak.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

If I pour the liquid out does it remain magical?

For instance, if I write poison on the bottle and pour the liquid into someone's drink, did I poison the drink or just water it down?

That's what I want to know. If the answer is yes, expect the word 'Die' to show up. Perhaps often.

 

[nedjer]

I'd try explode just to see what happened.

 

[Richards]

Some words worth trying:

Immortal
Invincible
Orgasmic
Invisible
Teleporting
Omniscient
​

I know those are the sort of things my players would try out, if I were to plunk something like this in their hands.

Johnathan

 

[kitsune9]

Here's mine:

Hellhole
Demon
Dirge
Fertility
Tiger
Chocolate
Earwax

Just to think about things what effects they could bring when we write words not normally associated with magic.

 

[Aeolius]

The is no "safety lock", be careful what you wish for. Don't drink when it says "poison"

What happens if they misspell "poison" with an extra "s"?

 

[mkill]

If I pour the liquid out does it remain magical?

For instance, if I write poison on the bottle and pour the liquid into someone's drink, did I poison the drink or just water it down?

You poison the drink / food / weapon.

It's not too strong though, i.e. you can't poison more than 1 person. Pouring it into a well will dilute the liquid to have no effect.

There is a time limit until the effect wears off (I'd roll a die and then decide whether it's seconds, minutes, hours, days...)