Help me price this potion.

[Lord Pendragon]

From the Wizard's Spellbook Feature:

Planar Familiar
Transmutation
Level: Clr 3
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

In order to cast this spell, you must have a familiar, special mount, animal companion, or other companion acquired as a class ability. The spell does not function on outsiders or undead. When you cast the spell, the target creature undergoes a transformation into a celestial, fiendish, axiomatic, or anarchic creature, depending on the alignment of your patron deity (or your alignment, if you have no patron deity). If your patron deity is good, the creature becomes celestial. If your patron deity is evil, the creature becomes fiendish. If your patron deity is lawful neutral, the creature becomes axiomatic, and if your patron deity is chaotic neutral, the creature becomes anarchic. The axiomatic and anarchic creature templates are detailed in Manual of the Planes.

If the target creature is your familiar, it gains energy resistance, fast healing, damage reduction, and additional damage for its smite attack as though its Hit Dice were equal to your character level. Otherwise, use its actual Hit Dice to determine these qualities. If the target creature becomes axiomatic, its linked minds ability applies to you (and only to you).

You cannot cast this spell on another character’s companion creature. Most creatures consider the transformation harmless and beneficial, but if the creature resists, a successful Fortitude save negates the spell.

XP Cost: 500 XP.

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Okay, now if my wizard wanted to buy a potion of this spell, which when consumed by his familiar would cast said spell upon it, how much would it cost?

 

[AuraSeer]

Personally I wouldn't allow it at all, as it would contradict the spell description. Note the line: "You cannot cast this spell on another character’s companion creature." The word "you" refers to the original spellcaster.

In general though, a spell with an XP cost increases a magic item's cost by 5 gp per XP per charge. For a 3rd-level spell that burns 500 XP, the standard potion price would be ((3 * 5 * 50) + (500 *5)) = (750 + 2500) = 3250 gp.

 

[JChung2003]

The DMG guideline for spells with XP costs is 5 gp per 1 XP per charge. A potion is a one-charge item.

5 gp/XP/charge * 500 XP = 2500 gp/charge * 1 charge = 2500 gp (additional cost for the caster having to spend XP to brew the potion).

25 gp * 3 (spell level) * 5 (caster level) = 375 gp, doubled because the wizard is paying a cleric to make it for him = 750 gp (standard base price for a 3rd level cleric spell potion).

2500 + 750 = 3250 gp for the potion.

PS. I don't know if I would allow a cleric to brew this potion for someone else since the spell specifically states that the cleric should not be able to cast this spell for someone else's familiar. It's your game, not mine though.

EDIT: AuraSeer beat me to it, bah!

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'd allow it off a scroll, but not off a potion.

However, obviously a wizard has trouble with divine scrolls.

Your best bet, in my opinion? Scroll of Limited Wish, possibly requiring 200 extra XP 'built in' to the scribing cost.

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I'm not the DM here, I'm a player. I don't particularly think that allowing a wizard access to this spell is unbalancing. It's merely a different "flavor" than the Elemental Familiar spell. I prefer the planar variants.

I'd allow it off a scroll, but not off a potion.

However, obviously a wizard has trouble with divine scrolls.

Your best bet, in my opinion? Scroll of Limited Wish, possibly requiring 200 extra XP 'built in' to the scribing cost.

-Hyp.

This is something I hadn't thought of. And it does sound more rules-stable than a potion. Thanks, Hyp!