I love the name. I think it's an interesting concept. Others have made suggestions on the mechanics of it far better than I ever could. Suffice to say, I like the idea. As a player, I wouldn't use it because of the sickened condition with no save. Most liquids are used primarily in combat, so the one minute duration is a bit steep for two benefits that may or may not last as long as the condition they engendered.
I can't wait to see what you've done with your archetype. :)
Sickened can be a tough condition, but given that this is letting you activate two spells at once, I figured it was fair. Someone mentioned comparing the price of this to a rod of quickening, lesser and I think it's similar, but this comes with a lot more conditions to the spells you can use, they're also not free...
I can think of several situations were the drawback would be worth using two potions at once. Rogue get knocked out and needs a quick pick-me-up? Give him two cure moderate wounds, or one cure serious wounds and invisibility. Now you've got a conscious rogue who can get up and get a free sneak attack.
I could have jacked the price up to 30,000 or so and dropped the drawback. At that point though potions have begun to lose a lot of their luster and it's not so cool if you can drink two at once.
You're right; using the flask to drink two potions at once is a risk vs benefit calculation that the player needs to consider. From a game balance perspective, I don't disagree with the "cost" of that benefit.
I was trying to convey why I wouldn't consider the risk worth the benefit as part of my play style.
I apologize if I miscommunicated my thoughts on this.
Oh no, not at all. Just talking about my thoughts on it :)
Always a good thing to see how others approach similar tasks. :) Thank you for sharing.
What first hits me here is that both your name and the item's name are alliterations. Second thing that hits me is usually my wife, but until that happens, on to the comments.
What does it offer the player?
Well the first thing this offers the player is a mechanic for lugging around many potions in a one easy locations. The item also protects the potions slightly better from sundering because iron has 9 more hardness than glass and 30 times the hit points.
The second mechanic becomes a real treat for players. This makes creates calculation that ingenious players will use to create terrific combinations. The drawback is a good addition here as -2 to most actions can really hurt, and it will add another layer of math onto the min/maxers calculations.
The 5 "W"s and How's
Do you know what I always assumed you did with a potion bottle after drinking it? I assumed you dropped it as a free action. Well now I have this here flask that I really don't want to drop after only taking one swig. That brings the economics of actions into play with this item. Let's put this in the hands of a greatsword wielding fighter.
Round 1 -
Free Action - Switches from holding sword in two hands to wielding it in one.
Move Action - Retrieves flask.
Free Action - Moves the dial to choose a potion.
Standard Action - Drink potion.
Round 2 -
Move Action - Stores flask
Free Action - Switches from holding sword in one hand to holding it in two.
After that the fighter can go on to do what ever they intended to do.
None of this is particularly bad mind you, but it does have to be considered when you look at how the item will be used in the game.
Also, I don't really know if it should be a free action to adjust the type of potion used. Maybe make it an immediate action.
Lastly, I see how a dial would be able to allow potions that are next to each other on the dial to be used together, but it would have to be a rather odd looking dial to be able to fall between any two sections of a circle.
Where you shine as a designer
You found a need, and you filled it well. This is one of those items that needs to be special to be considered at the Superstar level. If it was just, "Holds X amount of doses of X amount of potions." you would probably have been passed over.
You also know your limits when it comes to working in the space limitations of this contest. I think it would have taken many a line to make this work well with the alchemist, and you made the right choice in not dealing with that here.
In summary, you present a concept that is clean and workable. I look forward to what you are able to show us in later rounds. Good luck.
Thanks for the look over! I hope I don't disappoint everyone on Tuesday.
Fortunately, the Pathfinder setting can fit this item in Numeria, and I can easily see it being used in a campaign setting like Eberron or Iron Kingdoms.
Yes! Numeria. This is where I imagined my PCs finding this cool little item. It has alien-tech written all over it. This is a clever little item. It has a catchy, easily remembered name, and would see a good deal of use in-game. Nice work!
I like this, though I do think you might have lost some people with unneeded details concerning volume. Sometimes less detail is better. Beyond that this item is super cool. I like to keep my stuff organized and this little potion caddy is perfect. I especially like the sickened effect, a perfect drawback for a great payoff.
I also don't really see the need to exclude the poor alchemist however. I understand that the extracts don't work when not on his person, but their properties return when once again in his possession, and I would rule his mouth/throat/stomach to be in his possession. They may not be extracts while in the flask, but once he drinks them they are. Barring the alchemist here does keep him from gaining the effects of four extracts at once though, since a skilled alchemist can already double up, and thats kinda broken. Even if alchemist were in, I might rule against this specific use.
Awesome work, I would definitely use this.
Nicely balanced drawback for the ease of using several possible potions at once, but it does make it pretty harsh to use in a combat situation. Still, I like it, a nice holding item for liquid effects, and the visual is stunning on how it works and appears. Some tweaking needed, but can see in my campaign. :)