Would it be mean for me to have Potions of Inflict Serious Wounds as treasure?

[RangerWickett]

I'm thinking of a one-shot where the villain is a ghoulish illusionist, and, as an undead, he is healed by negative energy. However, he makes sure to keep up illusions to make himself look alive, as a good preventative tactics. The PCs will see him chug a 'healing potion' in the middle of combat, and when they loot him they'll find more potions, all conveniently labeled -- fox's cunning, jump, and cure serious wounds.

I wonder if I might kill a PC this way.

 

[Henry]

Do it, man!

If anything, it will remind players that everything is not always as it appears. After all, to him, they ARE curing potions. I would just label them "fox", "jump," and "cure" myself, or use pictograms. No one has time to read something as cumbersome as "cure serious wounds" in the midst of battle, anyway.

 

[delericho]

Yeah, that would totally be mean.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, though

 

[Klaus]

Henry said it all.

Just label the potions (in Draconic, or some other appripriate language) as Jump, Think and Heal. Or Pmuj, Kniht and Laeh.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

I say do it. Depending upon how they're used, they PROBABLY won't kill a PC when they're first used, but it certainly does present that possibility. Still, it's cool and worth doing, and will instill more mistrust in the world. . . .

-rg

 

[Odhanan]

It's perfectly fine! Treasures shouldn't always be a given.

 

[JimAde]

Not only should you do it, but I'm stealing the idea.

But I have a question: If they're looting him, I assume he'll be dead/defeated. Might the illusion be breached at some point? Might be a bit of a giveaway.

 

[satori01]

I've done it before. More than likely it will be discovered, given that players will do the sip test, or use Identify to find potions powers.

I did have the circumstance shortly after they got the potions, (and a lot of them), that a player felt she had to risk it by drinking a labeled cure from the same batch of potions...insert evil laughter here.

 

[shaylon]

As long as Identify works and as Satori mentioned, the sip test, then it is fine. Not everything you find in an adventure is treasure, and sometimes people find the strangest uses for things that a DM would never think of.

I say do it.

-Shay

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

I'm thinking of a one-shot where the villain is a ghoulish illusionist, and, as an undead, he is healed by negative energy. However, he makes sure to keep up illusions to make himself look alive, as a good preventative tactics. The PCs will see him chug a 'healing potion' in the middle of combat, and when they loot him they'll find more potions, all conveniently labeled -- fox's cunning, jump, and cure serious wounds.

I wonder if I might kill a PC this way.

If that's the WORST treasure you've ever put in a hoard, you need to try harder.

Like, labeling the Oil of Slipperiness as Potion of Haste. Technically correct, just it only 'hastes' you gastro-intestional track to Warp 6.

It's really fun to put Caltrops in the glass.

Trapped/cursed/wierd items have been in D&D since the Beginning.

In fact, I think the 2nd ed DMG had a random roll under Potions for a Poison that had a percentage chance to be mislabeled.

So have fun.

(Don't forget the Girdle of Maculity/Feminity, 10% chance of Gender-Nuetral).