Magustrate's Curios

Best By - When Potions Go Bad

I had the worst idea the other day. What if magic expired? The language of magic changes over time and entropy erodes the spell on your scroll? Your magical potion goes bad. Enchantments rot. I really liked the idea of heroes stashing a potion in their backpack and then refusing to use it for months and due to improper storage it changes. A bookkeeping nightmare, but a fun idea.

Then I saw Prismatic Wastelands Random Blogwagon post and decided to throw my hat in the ring with some nonsense. Below you'll find tables for the deterioration, expiration or mutation of a variety of potions through the lens of Shadowdark. Each table is on a scale: with stability in the weighted middle. The extremes are on the wine spectrum: are you getting vinegar or excellence?

When should you roll for potion expiration and instability?

d8 When to use Potion Instability
1 As an entry on the random encounter table
2 Interacting with a fae, demonic or astral creature
3 Travelling or exploring in an extreme environment
4 Interaction with enemy spells
5 Bonus effect of a magical mishap
6 A curse from a rival adventuring party or foe
7 After being shaken (or stirred)
8 As part of leveling up

Alright, let's get into some random expiration and instability effects tied to common potions.

1 - Healing Potion

The humble healing potion you left in the medicine cabinet too long. When the table references DICE use the dice tied to the level of the Potion of Healing (Shadowdark pg. 310)

2d4 Instability Modification
2 Shock sensitive. Explodes for DICE in Near when uncorked, thrown, or on a failed movement based STR or DEX check while carrying.
3 Emetic. DISADV on all STR, CON and DEX checks for 1d3 rounds. Negate the effects of all poisons.
4 Intoxicating. When you drink this potion you do not fall unconscious at 0 HP for 10 rounds. If you reach 0 HP, roll your death timer as normal. You die in that many rounds unless stabilized. Magical healing has no effect. Stabilize checks are DC 18 INT
5 No change to the healing potion.
6 Finely aged. Use the dice of the next tier of healing potion (1d6 --> 2d8 -> 3d10 -> 4d12 -> 6d12)
7 Charged.
8 Healing sublimination. When uncorked, the liquid expands into a gas cloud that fills Near. Any breathing creature within the cloud gains 2d6 HP. The cloud dissipates in 1d3 rounds.

2 - Potion of Strength

Good old potions of (Giant's) strength. A classic. Let's mess it up.

2d4 Instability Modification
2 Relative Strength. You are polymorphed into a tiny creature but retain your human strength, roll 1d4 and transform into:
  1. Newt.
  2. Mouse.
  3. Stag Beetle.
  4. Sparrow.
3 Clumsy. It works as normal but your body cannot adapt to the massive strength increase. You have DISADV on all DEX checks.
4 Exhausting. It works as normal but when the potion effect ends your muscles burn as if you ran a marathon or worked all day breaking rocks. DISADV on all STR Checks for 1d10 rounds.
5 No change to the strength potion.
6 Literal. When you drink this potion it works as normal but you gain giant size as well.
7 Job Interview Strength. When you drink this potion you gain one giant's strength for 10 rounds, roll 1d6:
  1. Alert. ADV on checks to detect sneaking or hiding creatures.
  2. Fireblood. Fire immune.
  3. Frostblood. Cold immune.
  4. Stone hide. Half damage from stabbing and cutting weapons.
  5. Rock throwing. Throw rocks (far) +STR (2d10).
  6. Lightning Bolt. 3 uses, 5' wide line extending far from potion drinker. All creatures in line DC 15 DEX or 5d10 damage. DISADV on check if in water.
8 Refined. When you drink this potion your Strength becomes 22 (+6) and you deal x3 damage on melee attacks for 5 rounds.

3 - Potion of Invisibility

Drink this and no one can see you. Well, what if that empty bottle expires?

2d4 Instability Modification
2 Inversion. When you drink this potion all other living creatures become invisible to you.
3 Imperfect. It works as normal except nothing you are wearing or carrying is invisible.
4 Wallflower. When you drink this potion creatures perceive you but behave as if they can't see you. When the effect ends after 10 rounds they recall your presence.
5 No change to the invisibility potion.
6 Scout. It behaves as normal but choose one person with Near on drinking. That person can hear you speak and no one else can.
7 Pass Without Trace. It behaves as normal except you leave no physical sign of your passing such as finger or foot prints.
8 Invisible Stalker. It behaves as normal except when you attack or cast a spell you are only visible as a shadowy outline and glowing red eyes.

4 - Other Potions

Healing, Strength and Invisibility potions seem somewhat common, but what about those other potions?

d8 Instability Modification
1 Inverted. Invert the effect of the potion. (Potion of Flying becomes Potion of Burrowing, Potion of Extirpation becomes Potion of Cloning etc.)
2 Weakened. Halve a numerical value of the potion.
3 Base. Potion degrades into alcohol.
4 Poison. Potion is poisonous (CON 12 Check on drinking or take 1d8 damage).
5 Strengthened. Double a numerical value of the potion.
6 Bolstered. Add an additional effect to the potion. Roll 1d7:
  1. Roll on Potion of Healing table above.
  2. Roll on Potion of Strength table above.
  3. Roll on Potion of Invisibility Table above.
  4. Roll on "Effect 1" column of Mixing Potions (Shadowdark pg. 286).
  5. Roll on "Effect 2" column of Mixing Potions (Shadowdark pg. 286).
  6. Roll on Potion Benefits (Shadowdark pg. 287).
  7. Roll on Potion Curses (Shadowdark pg. 287).
7 Phase Transition. When uncorked the potion expands into a gas that fills a Near space. All breathing creatures receive the potions effect for 2 rounds.
8 Double-Bubble-Bolstered-Potion Roll on Bolstered entry twice.

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