Idea: Breeding animals that make potions

[Merkuri]

If the experiment fails, then why list a price?

That was my point.

I was trying to come up with an adventure idea, not necessarily an item that would be available to the PCs. That's not to say that other people could use the idea as an item and put a price on it, I'm just saying that you don't have to.

 

[Rystil Arden]

That was my point.

I was trying to come up with an adventure idea, not necessarily an item that would be available to the PCs. That's not to say that other people could use the idea as an item and put a price on it, I'm just saying that you don't have to.

Right--I think this is actually a pretty cool idea--it is at least somewhat similar to a few I've had involving mysteries that turn out to be parallel to this but a bit more morbid (they milk captured sentient wizards for magical essence, etc). My comment as to the problem is more aimed at takasi's estimate.

 

[DMH]

Goodman's CC to Treant's has living magical items, with a few tweeks it could be used for pharm animals.

The Fantastic Science from EN Publishing has a device that allows the implantation of alchemical factories (useable 3/day), converting it to a spell is simple using the reverse of the spells to technology section.

And then there is some ideas in everyone's favorite thread: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=128562&page=1&pp=40

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I can see it now:

Player: I sip the potion. What does it taste like?

DM: Goat piss.

Player: Alright!!! Potion of Heroism!

 

[Pyrex]

That makes sense. A potion is consumable and can last from one day to the next whereas a schema is a use it or lose it per day item.

The best fix is to limit the potion's shelf life to one day. This should match the prices above and still make the animal valuable.

Instead of a 1-day shelf-life, I'd go a step further and have the potion lose 1 caster level per day, with an "expiration date" of CL = 0. (which, yeah, pretty much means 1day for SL1xCL1 potion of Cure Light Wounds, but lets stronger potions last a little longer as they become less effective).

Then you could create fairly expensive bottles on the order of CL*250gp tht could keep potions from decaying beyond their stated CL. (i.e., put a CL5 potion of Fly in a CL 2 preservation bottle, and it'll decay down to CL2 then stay there)

 

[Sound of Azure]

Instead of a 1-day shelf-life, I'd go a step further and have the potion lose 1 caster level per day, with an "expiration date" of CL = 0. (which, yeah, pretty much means 1day for SL1xCL1 potion of Cure Light Wounds, but lets stronger potions last a little longer as they become less effective).

Then you could create fairly expensive bottles on the order of CL*250gp tht could keep potions from decaying beyond their stated CL. (i.e., put a CL5 potion of Fly in a CL 2 preservation bottle, and it'll decay down to CL2 then stay there)

You might run into the problem of minimum caster level for each spell level. 2nd and 3rd (spell) level potions would either never expire (can't get lower than minimum), or fail once they get lower than the minimum caster level for that spell level.

Or maybe that's ok, too.

 

[Nyeshet]

The best fix is to limit the potion's shelf life to one day. This should match the prices above and still make the animal valuable.

Still, I can see this lowering the usefulness of the item considerably. The advantage of potions is that they can be taken just about anywhere and used days, weeks, months, even years after they are made.

So how about the item being good for, say, 7 - level * 1d3 days. By this I mean something like the following:

An egg carrying the property of a 1st level spell would be good for 6d3 days. The shopkeeper could guarantee it is good for 6 days, but beyond that there is a chance it is past its shelf life, and there should be a table of potential mishaps should the item be consumed (with greater / worse effects the further beyond its shelf life).

A cup of milk carrying the equivalent of a 6th level spell, on the other hand, would only be good for 1d3 days, guaranteed for only 1 day.

This would allow for some leniency in that the party could travel a bit before the item were rendered useless. After all if such a creature existed, and the shelf life of its products were good for only one day, it would only be useful for the local town (excluding the use of teleport, magitech transport, etc). If it can last a few days, its products can be distributed over a much larger area, making it more useful in the long run.


(7 - level) * 1d3 days

(7 - level) days - guaranteed effect (no chance of ill or no effect)

Actually rolled number of days - no chance of ill or no effect, but beyond guaranteed period this probably unknown, thus adding in an element of risk. Is it really okay to drink the milk past its (magical) shelf life, or will the character grow horns or hoofs if they drink it?

Beyond actual rolled number of days - roll on a table to determine whether no effect or an ill effect occurs - with ill effects perhaps based on the school of magic? Maybe a minor necromantic ill effect could include nausia, while a major divination ill effect could include blindness? Something like that, anyway . . . .



The potion makers would deride the item, based on the fact that it has such a short shelf life and can have ill effects if used past its due date, while the breeders of such animals would point out that their products cost far less and can be mass produced, added to meals, etc. It could be an interesting situation, I think.