Magic Potions

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Good thing it's labeled with that completely indecipherable rune. Wouldn't want to just drink an unlabeled potion, after all.

Magic potions are liquid-based magical solutions that are normally imbibed to gain the effect upon yourself, but in some cases are poured onto a weapon, or even a patch of ground. In no cases are potions thrown, nor can they ever effect more than one target, even if the spell effect that the potion is enchanted with would normally affect multiple targets. Potions may only be given to willing (or helpless) targets if they are used on someone other than yourself.

Drinking a potion is normally a standard action, and that assumes the potion is in a location where it is readily available, such as in a belt pouch, or on a bandoleer. If it is in such an easily accessible location, drawing the potion is part of the same standard action as drinking the potion. If it is in a less accessible location, the potion must first be drawn into one's hand before it can be consumed.

Drinking (or using) a potion never requires a Use Magic Device check. Potions will work for anyone who drinks (or uses) them, even if they have spell resistance!

While you must, technically, have a hand free to draw a potion and pour it into your mouth, a number of weapons and wielded objects leave enough room in your hand to also hold a potion. This includes all light weapons, light shields, bucklers, rods, and wands. Two-handed weapons can be held in one hand while the other releases the weapon (a free action) to draw the potion. As a result, in most cases, the GM and players don't really need to worry about the 'need a hand free' requirement, unless the character attempting to draw the potion is obviously unable to let go of anything they're currently wielding or carrying with either of their hands.

For those interested in drinking potions often, the Quick Draw feat, the Quaff feat, and the Sipping Jacket all help make the act of drawing and drinking a potion much easier.

Note that some potions, such as Feather Fall, are only an Immediate Action to cast, but are still a standard action to drink as a potion. This significantly diminishes the usefulness of these potions unless you have some means of drinking potions more quickly.

Potions are stored in crystal vials, and are usually about 3 ounces of liquid, making them easy to consume quickly, even if you aren't particularly thirsty. Of course, potions rarely taste good, and some have been known to taste like impossible things, such as 'the color red', or 'a very itchy rash'. Magic is funny that way, and drinking magic isn't for the faint of heart.

The crystal vials are unusual in that they are quite durable. They will not break if dropped, or even if thrown. They can, however, be Sundered, even without a weapon that has the Sunder quality (since they are not made of, or reinforced with, metal or stone). Any sunder damage or siege damage that would deal 1 point of durability damage to a potion will smash the vial and destroy both it and its contents. Potion vials destroyed in this way cannot be repaired, even with Greater Make Whole or similar magic. They are destroyed and not recoverable. Best protect your potions.

Only spell effects as high as spell level 4 can be made into potions, and even then, only a few spells are available in potion form. The table below contains a list of every potion that has ever been successfully crafted by a skilled creator. (GMs may allow spells other than those on this list to be made into potions on a case-by-case basis, but probably shouldn't. If a spell isn't on this list, there's a reason for it. Most often, it is because the spell effect requires a non-willing target, but in some cases, such as Mage Armor, the spell was left off this list because it is an ability reserved only for those who practice that type of magic and cannot be shared out to the rabble in a simple drinkable form.)

List of Available Potions

Spell Effect Spell Level How To Activate (If Other Than Drinking)
Adhesive Spittle 1 Drink potion then spit at target
Adjustable Disguise 3
Adjustable Polymorph 4
Air Bubble 1
Ant Haul 1
Anticipate Peril 1
Arcane Lock 2 Pour potion on a door handle or hinge
Battle Trance 4
Bed of Iron 1
Blend 1
Blur 2
Blurred Movement 1
Body Capacitance 1
Bouncy Body 1
Burning Hand of the Magus 1 Drink potion then spray it out in a cone
Codespeak 2
Cure Critical Wounds 4 Drink, or pour directly onto wounds (still a standard action)
Cure Light Wounds 1 Drink, or pour directly onto wounds (still a standard action)
Cure Moderate Wounds 2 Drink, or pour directly onto wounds (still a standard action)
Cure Serious Wounds 3 Drink, or pour directly onto wounds (still a standard action)
Deja Vu 1
Detect Magic 0
Detect Poison 0
Disguise Self 1
Displacement 3
Dragon's Breath 4 Drink potion then spray it out in a cone
Effortless Armor 2
Elemental Aura 3
Elemental Body I 4
Embrace Destiny 2
Endure Elements 1
Enhanced Diplomacy 0
Enlarge Person 1
Eruptive Pustules 3
False Life 2
False Life, Greater 4
Feather Fall 1
Fire Shield 4
Freedom of Movement 4
Gentle Repose 3 Pour onto one corpse
Grace 2
Grease 1 Pour onto a patch of ground. Cannot be poured onto an enemy's weapon.
Guidance 0
Guiding Star 3
Haste 3
Heroism 3
Hold Portal 1 Pour onto a door or gate.
Invisibility 2
Invisibility, Greater 4
Karmic Blessing 1
Knock 2 Pour onto a lock, door handle, or hinges.
Know the Enemy 1
Least Polymorph 2
Lesser Polymorph 3
Magic Weapon 1 Pour onto a weapon
Make Whole 2 Pour onto broken object
Make Whole, Greater 4 Pour onto broken object
Marching Chant 2
Mending 0 Pour onto broken object
Nap Stack 3
Neutralize Poison 4
Persistent Vigor 4
Phantom Blood 1
Planar Adaptation 4
Protection from Energy 3
Purify Food and Drink 0 Pour onto food or drink (1 person's meal per potion)
Read Magic 0
Reinforce Armaments 1
Remove Curse 4
Remove Disease 3
Remove Sickness 1
Resist Energy 2
Resist Uncommon Energy 4
Resistance 0
Rest Eternal 4 Pour onto one corpse
Restoration 4
Restoration, Lesser 2
Root 0
Sanctify Corpse 1 Pour onto one corpse
Secure Shelter 4 Pour onto patch of ground
See Invisibility 2
Shout 4
Speak with Dead 3 Pour onto one corpse
Stabilize 0 Pour onto wounds of willing/helpless target
Stoneskin 3
Suggestion 3
Tactical Acumen 2
Tap Inner Beauty 1
Tiny Hut 3 Pour onto patch of ground
Touch of Mercy 2
Touch of Slime 4
True Strike 1
Vanish 1
Ventriloquism 1
Virtue 0
Warded March 4
Water Breathing 3

Magic Potion Costs

Potions do not use the character or caster level of the drinker, nor the drinker's ability scores, feats, skills, and other class features. Only the creator level of the potion itself matters, with regards to how powerful the spell effect being conferred actually is.

  • If a spell effect from a potion calls for the caster level or character level of the caster, use the creator level of the potion instead.
  • If it calls for half the caster or character level, use half the creator level of the potion (rounding down).
  • If a spell effect from a potion calls for the caster stat modifier of the caster, use ½ the creator level of the potion instead (rounding down).
For example, A Cure Critical Wounds potion heals 8d8 points of damage plus 2 points per caster level of the potion, and has a saving throw DC of "10 + caster stat modifier + 1/2 caster level". If the potion has the minimum caster level of 7, then the potion would heal 8d8+14, and the save DC would be 10 + 3 + 3 = 16.

The minimum creator level of a potion is equal to double the spell level of the spell effect the potion conveys minus 1 (i.e., (2 * spell level) - 1). The cost of potions at their minimum creator level can be found on the following table:

Spell Level Min. Creator Level Potion Purchase Price
0 1 25 gp
1st 1 50 gp
2nd 3 375 gp
3rd 5 900 gp
4th 7 1,750 gp

If you wish to purchase a potion with a higher creator level, you can refer to the table below to find the cost:

Potion Costs By Caster Level

Spell Level CL 1 CL 2 CL 3 CL 4 CL 5 CL 6 CL 7 CL 8 CL 9 CL 10
0th 25 gp 56 gp 94 gp 138 gp 188 gp 250 gp 313 gp 400 gp 500 gp 625 gp
1st 50 gp 113 gp 188 gp 275 gp 375 gp 500 gp 625 gp 800 gp 1,000 gp 1,250 gp
2nd - - 375 gp 550 gp 750 gp 1,000 gp 1,250 gp 1,600 gp 2,000 gp 2,500 gp
3rd - - - - 900 gp 1,200 gp 1,500 gp 1,920 gp 2,400 gp 3,000 gp
4th - - - - - - 1,750 gp 2,240 gp 2,800 gp 3,500 gp

Spell Level CL 11 CL 12 CL 13 CL 14 CL 15 CL 16 CL 17 CL 18 CL 19 CL 20
0th 775 gp 938 gp 1,138 gp 1,400 gp 1,775 gp 2,413 gp 3,250 gp 4,500 gp 6,000 gp 8,000 gp
1st 1,550 gp 1,875 gp 2,275 gp 2,800 gp 3,550 gp 4,825 gp 6,500 gp 9,000 gp 12,000 gp 16,000 gp
2nd 3,100 gp 3,750 gp 4,550 gp 5,600 gp 7,100 gp 9,650 gp 13,000 gp 18,000 gp 24,000 gp 32,000 gp
3rd 3,720 gp 4,500 gp 5,460 gp 6,720 gp 8,520 gp 11,580 gp 15,600 gp 21,600 gp 28,800 gp 38,400 gp
4th 4,340 gp 5,250 gp 6,370 gp 7,840 gp 9,940 gp 13,510 gp 18,200 gp 25,200 gp 33,600 gp 44,800 gp

Spell Level CL 21 CL 22 CL 23 CL 24 CL 25 CL 26 CL 27 CL 28 CL 29 CL 30
0th 10,625 gp 14,250 gp 18,875 gp 25,000 gp 32,500 gp 43,750 gp 57,500 gp 77,500 gp 102,500 gp 136,250 gp
1st 21,250 gp 28,500 gp 37,750 gp 50,000 gp 65,000 gp 87,500 gp 115,000 gp 155,000 gp 205,000 gp 272,500 gp
2nd 42,500 gp 57,000 gp 75,500 gp 100,000 gp 130,000 gp 175,000 gp 230,000 gp 310,000 gp 410,000 gp 545,000 gp
3rd 51,000 gp 68,400 gp 90,600 gp 120,000 gp 156,000 gp 210,000 gp 276,000 gp 372,000 gp 492,000 gp 654,000 gp
4th 59,500 gp 79,800 gp 105,700 gp 140,000 gp 182,000 gp 245,000 gp 322,000 gp 434,000 gp 574,000 gp 763,000 gp

Spell Level CL 31 CL 32 CL 33 CL 34 CL 35
0th 180,000 gp 236,250 gp 312,500 gp 413,750 gp 551,250 gp
1st 360,000 gp 472,500 gp 625,000 gp 827,500 gp 1,102,500 gp
2nd 720,000 gp 945,000 gp 1,250,000 gp 1,655,000 gp 2,205,000 gp
3rd 864,000 gp 1,134,000 gp 1,500,000 gp 1,986,000 gp 2,646,000 gp
4th 1,008,000 gp 1,323,000 gp 1,750,000 gp 2,317,000 gp 3,087,000 gp

Creating Magic Potions

If a character has the Creator (Feat), they can attempt to make their own magic potions, and the potion can be any creator level up to the character level of the creator.

The creator does not need to be able to cast the spell that the potion will be able to confer to its imbiber, though it certainly simplifies matters if they can. If they cannot, they must find a remnant of a tier sufficient for the creator level they are attempting (see table below), and they must find some object that is symbolic of the spell they are attempting to imbue into the potion. If the creator can cast the spell themselves, they do not need a remnant or a symbolic item. (See? Much simpler!) In such a case, the creator does not suffer the normal penalties for having no remnant or symbolic item.

Remnant Quality Creator Level (CL)
Languid Remnant (tier 1) 1 - 8
Pale Remnant (tier 2) 9 - 15
Bright Remnant (tier 3) 16 - 21
Intense Remnant (tier 4) 22 - 26
Blazing Remnant (tier 5) 27 - 30
Vital Remnant (tier 6) 31 - 33
Prime Remnant (tier 7) 34
Mythic Remnant (tier 8) 35
Empyrean Remnant (tier 9) Any

The cost to create the potion is half the gold piece value of the potion if it were bought in a store (see table above), minus the cost of the symbolic item (if any).

The time required to create a potion is 1 day, plus 1 additional day per 5 full caster levels of the potion (dropping fractions). This time can be modified, depending on the results of the Bailiwick skill check, but the minimum time to create a potion is always 1 day.

Special: If they wish, a creator may attempt to brew multiple batches of a given potion at the same time. To do so, they increase the target DC of their Bailiwick skill check by +5 per additional potion being attempted. There is no maximum to this, though the creator must declare it before they make their Bailiwick skill check. The cost to create the batch of potions increases such that it is half the total retail cost of all potions being attempted.

Other than the time required to create a potion, crafting a magic potion follows the normal rules described in the Creator (Feat) page, and on the Craft Magic Item skill use for your Bailiwick skill.