Potions and their spell limits...

During the course of writing the rules for D20 Synergy, we've had to make a few decisions. Some come from a blatant dislike of the rules as they were for D&D 3.5 or D20 Modern and some come from house rules that were good enough to include. Over the course of the project's development, I'll post the more pressing questions here for your consideration.

In this particular instance we are discussing the spell limit for potions.

In the rules of Dungeon and Dragon's 3.5, the highest level a spell could be that could be made in to a potion was 3. For a variety of reasons, the option of changing this limit or removing it is being discussed.

Below is the discussion as it has played out at the time of printing.
(Please note - I've had to shrink the display so that it fits on the screen...)

Author	Topic: Potion spell limit? (Read 33 times)
HearMeRoar Administrator Overlord member is online Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 113 Karma: 101	Potion spell limit? « Thread Started on Jun 28, 2008, 9:50pm » I've been going over what is likely to be included in the updated rules and I'm mulling over the rule that potions can only contain up to level 3 spells. I'm of the opinion that this is ridiculous and I want to do away with this rule. After all, as long as the cost to make and purchase the potions increases accordingly and the experience to make it increases, then where's the harm? What do you all think? HMR Link to Post - Back to Top Logged
FireFALL Staff Mm? What's that, my boy? member is offline Is There A Doctor In The House? Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 14 Location: Here......Why where are you? Karma: 10 [ Exalt | Smite ]	Re: Potion spell limit? « Reply #1 on Jun 29, 2008, 4:08pm » I'm with you dude, as long as the cost to make it increases then why shouldn't you be able to have potions which contain over lvl3 spells. Link to Post - Back to Top 77.96.71.124 Man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation
HearMeRoar Administrator Overlord member is online Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 113 Karma: 101	Re: Potion spell limit? « Reply #2 on Jun 30, 2008, 7:31am » Of course. The DM's handbook in 3.5 has a formula for working out the cost of magic items. The cost of one use items is rather simple (and it uses a potion as it's example) so I mistakenly took my cue from that and didn't impose a limit on the spell level of a potion and used to formula to work out the value. It's a shame my campaign ended because Nailo has a potion that would turn her in to a giant warforged titan. ^_^ Methinks those kinds of potions make a noon-limit worth it. The question is, should we let epic level spells be potions? It'd make things interesting, of course, but I wonder if it wouldn't be too powerful. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged
fallennorth New Member member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 7 Karma: 1 [ Exalt | Smite ]	Re: Potion spell limit? « Reply #3 on Jul 3, 2008, 9:33am » I was looking forward to see that potion put in use to, it would have been hilarious. We did fine with out limits, so I reckon we shouldn't be too concerned about the spell level, though you're right some Epic spells could be to powerful to be available in potion form. Maybe thats where you should call you limit. Link to Post - Back to Top 91.111.117.224
ori New Member member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 5 Karma: 0 [ Exalt | Smite ]	Re: Potion spell limit? « Reply #4 Today at 8:54am » The whole point of level 3 potions and below were that anything above it gets progressively too powerful to take a long. The biggest problem is when you start giving the warriors of the party the wizard self buffs that make them combat gods. It simply breaks the combat system. (even the level 4 spell of stoneskin would make your bog standard warrior a shed load tougher) The only exceptions I'd make were more potent healing potions. And even then, only if the party doesn't have a cleric along for the show, which means it's the GM supplying the party with such potions. Link to Post - Back to Top 92.20.0.32
HearMeRoar Administrator Overlord member is online Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 113 Karma: 101	Re: Potion spell limit? « Reply #5 Today at 10:11am » Today at 8:54am, ori wrote: The whole point of level 3 potions and below were that anything above it gets progressively too powerful to take a long. The biggest problem is when you start giving the warriors of the party the wizard self buffs that make them combat gods. It simply breaks the combat system. (even the level 4 spell of stoneskin would make your bog standard warrior a shed load tougher) The only exceptions I'd make were more potent healing potions. And even then, only if the party doesn't have a cleric along for the show, which means it's the GM supplying the party with such potions. That's an interesting point. In my experience of dealing with my players it didn't make that much of an impact though. I still think that it should be allowed, but with this point in mind I think we may need to figure out a better way to balance it. As far as I can tell, the system for working out the cost of such items is fair enough (though I'll review it again). In the meantime, progressive feats allowing a potion crafter to make progressively stronger potions (one that allows level 6, the next allows 9...or something) would mean that the players have to pay the cost of a feat to do it...and any other ones are at the discretion of the GM to give out. The thing is, it's possible to have the same thing with Runes and they work in the same way as potions. All one needs do is use them and they carry no spell limit (in fact, their cost is worked out using the same system as potions). I shall explore the rules further... « Last Edit: Today at 10:14am by HearMeRoar » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged

So far the general consensus has been to raise the limit. Personally, I'm inclined to go with allowing all spells except epic-level spells...or at least making epic potions ludicrously difficult to create.

If you want to have your say, head along to the forums and cast your votes and opinions.

HMR