Explosionguy's page

Thank you, everybody for your input on this. Sorry if I had posted this to the wrong part of the forum. I probably should have clarified that this question was intended for Pathfinder Society. If this was a home game I'd have no problem going with what the GM wants, but as it is PFS, I was trying to find the answer that makes the most sense from the perspective of PFS organized play. From my experience, PFS strives to achieve as little table variance as possible for rules and take the most literal meaning for rules given in the books without attempting to add or take away from them.

I myself think that an item should only do exactly what is described in its description unless it specifically references other rules in the game. In the case of the Eversmoking Bottle, the item's description references no other rules relating to its function with the possible exception of the concealment rules. I have also asked the local Venture Captain about it and he agrees with my interpretation on this item. Until the item receives an errata or change from a developer, I will try to stick to the interpretation that the smoke provides total concealment and nothing else.

I have a character who makes use of this item and I find that the abundance of table variance on it is frustrating me enough that I felt the need to about it post here. Here is a description of the item.
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Bottle, Eversmoking

Aura faint transmutation; CL 3rd

Slot —; Price 5,400 gp; Weight 1 lb.
Description

This metal urn is identical in appearance to an efreeti bottle, except that it does nothing but smoke. The amount of smoke is great if the stopper is pulled out, pouring from the bottle and totally obscuring vision across a 50-foot spread in 1 round. If the bottle is left unstoppered, the smoke billows out another 10 feet per round until it has covered a 100-foot radius. This area remains smoke-filled until the eversmoking bottle is stoppered.

The bottle must be resealed by a command word, after which the smoke dissipates normally. a moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds; a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the smoke in 1 round.
Construction Requirements

Craft Wondrous Item, pyrotechnics; Cost 2,700 gp
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Unfortunately, not every function of the item is clearly defined using in game terms. In particular, the usage of the phrase "totally obscuring vision" does not use any game terms to describe what it does. I personally use the dictionary definition of the verb "obscuring" to mean "to conceal" and take it to mean that the smoke provides total concealment for anything within the smoke.

Now, as for what else the smoke does, the item does not say. I feel like the only function the smoke should provide is total concealment and nothing else. It is not "heavy smoke", nor is it like the smoke from a smokestick or pyrotechnics or whatever other kind of smoke may be defined in Pathfinder. Despite this, I have had some players and GMs think that the smoke from the Eversmoking Bottle is supposed to do things like suffocate creatures within the smoke, lower the light level within the smoke, or provide the effect of invisibility.

tl;dr

What I would really like to know is if it is possible to get an official ruling on the Eversmoking Bottle and what it does. I feel like it should only do what the item description says and nothing more or less than that, but the description is not totally clear.