So I'm preparing for the encounter with Filge, and I noticed that one of his syringes is a potion of false life. Umm...how??? The rules for Brew Potion don't let you create potions for spells with a range of personal (so false life is out).

I realize that the syringes are a nice variation on potions, but I've got a player that when they see this is going to be screaming up and down about this. I think this will get changed to a potion of aid, which although it isn't a wizard spell, its still a valid choice for potions.

I'm not sure how you infer that from this description. Regardless, I'd just make it some new formula that acts LIKE a False Life and go with it.

Brew Potion
Prerequisite
Caster level 3rd.

Benefit
You can create a potion of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know and that targets one or more creatures. Brewing a potion takes one day. When you create a potion, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level...

When you create a potion, you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell.

I'm getting that from the description of how magic items are made. You can't just look at the feat description, that doesn't tell you the whole process.

Check out this link:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20041214a

Or the read the section on creating magic items in the DMG. In any event, here's the relevant part of the article:

"A potion is somewhat similar to a scroll because it is a stored spell in drinkable form (or in spreadable form in the case of an oil). Unlike a scroll, only certain kinds of spells can be made into potions or oils. The spell must be 3rd level or lower, and it must have a casting time of less than 1 minute. The spell stored in the potion or oil must have a target entry in its spell description (see Reading Spell descriptions) and be a spell that the caster can target upon herself or upon an object she touches. A spell with a personal range cannot be made into a potion or oil, and neither can a spell with an area or effect entry."

Putting spells with a personal range into potions seems to be a common misunderstanding that even the authors of the modules have....

That's what happened to the potion of shield.
There is a ring of shield, so there could be a ring of false life.
Not sure if it would have charges, uses per day, or what.

just make sure Filge uses it, and don't tell your players what it does. If they don't get their hand on it to id it, no harm no foul. ;-D

If I recall correctly, his item that had a dose of false life wasn't a potion at all, but rather a necroturgon. No actual details are ever given about the creation of necroturgons. But from the description of them, the creation process probably involves things better left unsaid (at least in terms of fluff). I mean, something that you can't swallow but must instead inject and something that seems to move inside its tube. That's just creepy. So, let's just assume that either Filge did involve a process for empowering bits of liquified necrotic flesh with magic or learned about from some other source. In my game, he learned it from another source. Just one more worry for the PCs. Luckily, there's a few places in my game that I just have to mention the name of, and they will quickly avoid any contact with anything tied to it

So filge invented it. I say let them have it; it's only one potion after all, and it's in a syringe so it's not even a regular potion that they can reverse-engineer.

Actually its two potions (one on Filge and one in his desk). The problem, of course, is the entirely fair perspective of the players- "If he can do it, why can't I?"

Then let them do it, if you don't mind the ramifications. "House rule" if you must to include potions that can use other ranges or areas (though with the range increment of a thrown item, potions of fireball wouldn't be a wise thing to toss ...). Otherwise, substitute for a potion of Bull's Endurance or something similar.

I'd go ahead and let a PC alchemist figure out how to make the necroturgeons using Filge's notes and the samples, though I might make him/her take a new feat like "Distill Necroturgeon" to do anything with it that Brew Potion normally wouldn't cover.

Then again, I seem to recall reading that the syringes could be used to deliver potions as well, so maybe a whole new feat would be overkill. If the PC is spending XP to create the necroturgeons, I see no major problems with allowing their production. There probably are some ways players could abuse syringe-delivered effects, but if my players went crazy with it, I'd start to develop some side-effects. We know Filge had a Kyuss worm available for study; what if he used it in his Necroturgeon research? Perhaps entended exposiure to necroturgeons could create a whole new set of problems. (Start a plague with symtoms that include wormlike slimy patches of skin, cause deceased necroturgeon-users to reanimate as a new kind of undead, spread a deadly new corrupting or alignment-shifting addiction to unsuspecting users, and so on.)

In short, I'd let the PCs have fun with it, and then I'd do the same. :)

Talk about timing... My group ran through this last night and they wanted to know the difference between a potion and necroturgon.

Using Filge's notes, I'm going to let a PC create necroturgons with the Brew Potion feat, but the result can only be used in the syringe.

There is one thing that we did figure out and I will let them use it for. Cure Moderate wounds. I will let them apply it to an unconscious comrade as a standard action instead of a full round like a potions. I figure sticking a person with a syringe will be a bit easier.

Since there is usually at least one person down and dying during each combat, it will be helpful.

On a side note... Using the wand of Ray of Enfeeblement on the wind warriors, really makes them less of a threat.

Jason

On a side note... Using the wand of Ray of Enfeeblement on the wind warriors, really makes them less of a threat.

In an age before germ theory and antiseptics, Filge's injection system is really scary. Make a saving throw every time you use or catch a nasty disease?

On a side note... Using the wand of Ray of Enfeeblement on the wind warriors, really makes them less of a threat.Jason

Talking about Filge. I recently started AoW campaign and in the fight against him, most of the party was paralysed by his ghoul touch. Without really thinking it much as situation seemed to warrant it, I had Filge take out one of his syringes and essentially do a non-lethal coup-de-grace to one of the players by pumping him full of some strange toxin (naturally knocking said PC out straight away).

Now I am thinking. What this might do for that player in the future, that his system has been tainted by some sort of questionable material. Perhaps it was somehow connected to the worm he had and has some aspects of the "slow worm" as detailed in "Encounter at Blackwell Keep" or something like that.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

S.

Aren't the wind warriors constructs? If so then ray of enfeeblement doesn't work on them, the whole immune to ability damage and drain applies to them.

TK

I'm still wondering how the Potion of Ghoul Touch works.....

I'm still wondering how the Potion of Ghoul Touch works.....

Things like ghoul touch could be delivered via syringe to an unwilling victim as some sort of melee touch attack (though probably prompting an Attack of Opportunity without the Improved Injection feat ;)).

Necroturgon brewing might also allow creation of potions which usually only have a range:personal. That would be fun and intersting (hopefully not too powerful). As I said though, no one in my campaign seemed interested and thus the necroturgons follow in the way of much DM preparation: there but never accessed. I knew about it though, darn it!