From what i have read, the only real restriction for potions is that they cannot have a range of "personal". So if a character created a potion of obscuring mist (i assume it would be called an oil if you don't drink it), how would it be used? would you pour it on the floor and the spell would center on that square, could you throw it and have it break and center on that square?
What about calm animals? would pouring it on the ground simply let you target animals from that square or would you need to douse the animals in the oil?
A potion is a magic liquid that produces its effect when imbibed. Potions vary incredibly in appearance. Magic oils are similar to potions, except that oils are applied externally rather than imbibed. A potion or oil can be used only once. It can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute and targets one or more creatures or objects.
...
Potions are like spells cast upon the imbiber. The character taking the potion doesn't get to make any decisions about the effect—the caster who brewed the potion has already done so. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect (though the potion indicates the caster level, the drinker still controls the effect).
The spell must be a targeted spell, therefore a potion of Obscuring Mist can't be made because the spell doesn't target anything.
You could make a potion of Calm Animals, however:
Activation: Drinking a potion or applying an oil requires no special skill. The user merely removes the stopper and swallows the potion or smears on the oil. The following rules govern potion and oil use.
Drinking a potion or using an oil is a standard action. The potion or oil takes effect immediately. Using a potion or oil provokes attacks of opportunity. An enemy may direct an attack of opportunity against the potion or oil container rather than against the character. A successful attack of this sort can destroy the container, preventing the character from drinking the potion or applying the oil.
A creature must be able to swallow a potion or smear on an oil. Because of this, incorporeal creatures cannot use potions or oils. Any corporeal creature can imbibe a potion or use an oil.
A character can carefully administer a potion to an unconscious creature as a full-round action, trickling the liquid down the creature's throat. Likewise, it takes a full-round action to apply an oil to an unconscious creature.
Therefore, you'd have to somehow get the target animal to drink the potion for the effect to come about.
You'll find this immediately before the bit about not using spells with a range of Personal: "The imbiber of the potion is both the caster and the target."
This is why we don't have potions of Web or Fireball or Calm Animals (arguably, a potion of Calm Animals would require the animal to drink it, making him the imbiber and the target, so I guess this one could be applicable).
Obscuring Mist might be an edge case. The SRD does not have a "Target" entry at all. Maybe that's a typo but I'm nowhere near my printed book to see if that's the same. I would say that, since a potion's imbiber must be the caster and the target, if a spell has no target, then the imbiber cannot be the target of a spell with no target, therefore such a spell cannot be made into a potion.
If you see it differently, then consider that Obscuring Mist has no real range (it has 20' listed as Range but that is the maximum range of the concealment provided by the effect that is always centered on the caster). If you did make it a potion that could be thrown, you're suddenly turning this into a ranged spell effect so consider carefully if you're prepared to allow that. At the very least, an Obscuring Mist potion should still be drunk by an imbiber who becomes the center of the mist effect as described in the spell - maybe he exhales the mist, or maybe he sweats it out, or maybe it makes him comically flatulent... For a bit more realism, you could call it an oil that must be applied to the flesh of the "imbiber" who doesn't actually imbibe it but must pour/rub it onto himself.
Though I'm still inclined to say that spells without a target cannot have an imbiber who is the target so cannot be a potion.
Edit: Or, yeah, what that goblin just said.
Still not sure whether Magic Fang comes as potion or oil.
If it is a potion, how does the drinker choose which of his natural weapons will be affected? After all, any choices regarding the spell have alreay been made by the caster when producing the potion.
If it is an oil, you can apply it to yout claw(s) quite nicely... but somehow I fail to visualize the application on your bite attack? (Well, maybe with some kind of toothbrush?)
|
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Still not sure whether Magic Fang comes as potion or oil.
If it is a potion, how does the drinker choose which of his natural weapons will be affected? After all, any choices regarding the spell have alreay been made by the caster when producing the potion.
If it is an oil, you can apply it to yout claw(s) quite nicely... but somehow I fail to visualize the application on your bite attack? (Well, maybe with some kind of toothbrush?)
You ever see someone rub cocaine on their gums?
wow, the need for a target completely went over my head. i must have read "The drinker of a potion is both the effective target" a hundred times and never considered that the potion needs a target.
I am noticing a lot of spells lack a target, such as all of the detect(something) spells. from the spell descriptions it seems like it should be personal, but there is no target.
It's kind of lame that spells with multiple targets, such as calm animals or pass without trace, get gimped in potion form
|
There is actually quite a few limitations on potions. The obscuring mist can't be made into potion form since it's AoE effect, a 20 ft. radius spread. Per potion rules it doesn't qualify for it unless GM houserules it.
Potions and oils are made from spells with a range of "touch". You can make a harmful potion and use it on someone for example if you convince him to drink it, but it could not be used as a splash weapon (a houserule again) since the target isn't the caster of the effect.
I checked through entire SRD spell list and there are many unique potions that could be made, but most of them are limited to GM's will. For example potioning bard spells which are easier to potion and better then wizard or cleric spells might be possible, but such potions might be rare to buy or to be found. A PC might have no problems doing this with Brew Potion feat however.
The Calm Animals spell would probably could be able into the oil but almost semi useless as potion as it would be almost impossible to force animal to drink it, not to mention wild animal. As oil, it would affect only a single animal and you would have to get near it and use a single full round action to smear it across the animal. As you see, it's not a good idea.
The only limit here is mostly creativaty and patience until you find potion/oil which you need.
ill have to put my thinking cap on then
You ever see someone rub cocaine on their gums?
What is with you and cocaine?
Two interesting portions are death ward and magic mouth .
|
|
This is also a good topic which I often refer to for which spells can be made into potions: Spells that can be potions and/or oils.
The workaround is to simply make one time use wondrous items.
An obscuring mist grenade, for example.
I think Lullaby/Sleep/Deep Slumber would be very popular actually!
Two interesting portions are death ward and magic mouth .Sadly, death ward isn't available as a third level or lower spell.
I meant to say death knell. Death knell is interesting because it would kill you then give you 1d8 temporary hit points. :D
And thank you Malag for the awesome link.
Another interesting potion is daze. If you feel like you're about to go up against an opponent who likes to daze her foes, you could daze yourself for one round with a potion of daze and gain immunity to the spell for one minute.
Actually it occurs to me how very popular lesser geas would be (think motivational incentive).
Actually it occurs to me how very popular lesser geas would be (think motivational incentive).
I like this. I'd say part of the creation process requires you to write the instructions on a piece of paper, which is then dissolved in the potion.
"Want to quit smoking? Drink the grey one. Want to lose weight? Drink the purple one. Want to practice a higher dedication to your craft? Drink the gold one!"
Like an old fashion snake oil salesman, only it works.
A potion of charm person is pretty useless because the target and caster are the same person, but an oil of charm person could be useful in an intimate situation because the target and caster are not necessarily the same person.
I don't know, maybe that's what Jiggy was implying.
I meant to say death knell. Death knell is interesting because it would kill you then give you 1d8 temporary hit points. :D
Use oils of Death Knell.
Actually it occurs to me how very popular lesser geas would be (think motivational incentive).I like this. I'd say part of the creation process requires you to write the instructions on a piece of paper, which is then dissolved in the potion.
"Want to quit smoking? Drink the grey one. Want to lose weight? Drink the purple one. Want to practice a higher dedication to your craft? Drink the gold one!"
Like an old fashion snake oil salesman, only it works.
Exactly. And since there is no limit on caster level, just spell level, they could come in 7 to 20 day versions. You just have to be level 7 or lower for it to work.
I meant to say death knell. Death knell is interesting because it would kill you then give you 1d8 temporary hit points. :DUse oils of Death Knell.
However a potion of death knell just wouldn't work because I don't think a dead person can receive temporary hit points.