I'm placing an Oil of Align Weapon in my campaign for the PCs to find, but I'm a bit unsure of whether I need to designate the alignment of the oil myself before I give it to the players, or if the character who applies the oil chooses when they use it. The reason I ask is that in the Potions section of the CRB it states "The person applying an oil is the effective caster, but the object is the target."
This would actually be good for me if the character chooses. The oil is intended to help the PCs with a tough boss fight. They would find it in an evil temple, and it would be strange for the evil clerics to have an Oil of Align Weapon (Good) lying around.
The alignment is set when the item is made.
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. The price of a potion is equal to the level of the spell × the creator's caster level × 50 gp. If the potion has a material component cost, it is added to the base price and cost to create. Table: Potions gives sample prices for potions created at the lowest possible caster level for each spellcasting class. Note that some spells appear at different levels for different casters. The level of such spells depends on the caster brewing the potion.
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).
Instead of oil, perhaps a scroll or wand can be left instead. Certainly someone in the party can use it (either it's on their spell list or they can use UMD).
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).
Yes, but that refers to potions specifically. The line following that quote in the CRB is:
The person applying an oil is the effective caster, but the object is the target.
I'm thinking that the person applying the oil can choose the alignment due to this.
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)
Potions are oils and oils are potions except where explicitly different. Being the effective caster does not grant you the ability to make choices like the one under discussion.
Just put it near a summoning circle. A Good aligned weapon would be a potent "motivator" against a summoned Fiend, and the Clerics couldn't cast the spell themselves.
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).
Yes, but that refers to potions specifically. The line following that quote in the CRB is:
The person applying an oil is the effective caster, but the object is the target.I'm thinking that the person applying the oil can choose the alignment due to this.
That line doesn't matter, as I pointed out.
It's only telling you that the person applying the oil is the effective caster in case it matters for some reason, but I honestly have no clue why it would. However, it tells you right before that line that the person who made the potion/oil had to make all the pertinent decisions about the item when it was made, and the person using it doesn't get to make a choice with it.
The previous line makes it very clear that the user makes no decisions.
How long does an oil last? Is the effect gone after one attack or does it last for a certain amount of time?
How long does an oil last? Is the effect gone after one attack or does it last for a certain amount of time?
It works exactly the same as if the spell had been cast normally (except any decision about how the spell works like choosing to resist fire when casting resist energy are decided when the item is made not when it is used).
Also worth noting that any consumable magic items are at the minimum caster level required to create the item, unless specified otherwise or if you make the item yourself.
So Oil of Align Weapon would last 3 minutes as the spell lasts minutes per caster level and the spell Align Weapon is a 2nd level cleric spell which requires caster level 3.