How Do You Run Magic Potions - (OD&D Month) #8

[The Perilous Dreamer]

The eighth topic for International Original Dungeons & Dragons Month is "How Do You Run Magic Potions."

[The Perilous Dreamer]

30 Day D&D Challenge - Tell How You Run Magic Potions - Day Eight

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Thursday, January 9, 2020

30 Day D&D Challenge - Tell How You Run Magic Potions - Day Eight

Today's Topic is "Tell How You Run Magic Potions" as we continue our celebration of International Original Dungeons and Dragons Month!



OK, so let us start with what OD&D says about Magic Potions and then go from there:

POTIONS: All potions come in quantity sufficient to perform whatever their end is, although a small sample can be taken without affecting the whole. For those with limited effect the time will be six turns, plus the number of pips rolled on a six-sided die. Some potions will not be detailed here as they duplicate magic already explained or are self-explanatory.

After this it lists a number of potions with brief descriptions. The list is not intended to be all inclusive or to limit what kinds of potions that you can have. A bit of trivia, in OD&D the Haste Spell and the Potion of Speed are not indicated to have an aging effect. We never used the aging effect bitd and I still do not. Just as I do not increase the life span for when a character has a Slow Spell cast on them or they drink a Potion of Slowness.



So what do I do with potions, one is that they do not all have the same duration. IMC some types potions have the standard six turns plus 1d6 duration all the way up to some types of potions have durations as long as 10 turns plus 6d6 turns. One of the longer ones IMC is the Potion of Water Breathing.



I also use the house rule that you can taste the potion and usually, but not always, learn or at least have an idea what the potion is. If they have access to an Identify Spell, they can also use it. Tasting will not reveal that it is a Potion of Delusion for example, but the Identify Spell will. Tasting will not tell you if it is a Potion of Heroism or a Potion of Super-Heroism, but the Identify Spell will.



I do use potions that may be cursed and some that may be poisoned. I use some potions that are not exactly cursed per se, but they will cause any number of things to happen. Some will cause a human to look more Elvish with the ears and other features. Sometimes these effects will be permanent. Other could do things such as cause the character to gradually mutate into some other creatures or any number of other effects.



Another thing I do with potions is sometimes in my dungeons when you come to a fountain it may be something other than water. It could be pure or tainted water (the vast majority of the time), it could be milk, coffee, beer, wine or some other drink or just some really strange liquid, it could be toxic in ways similar to some real world springs are, and sometimes it might be some type of potion.



If it is some type of potion, then you cannot fill up flasks and take it with you and they are almost always not things that you would necessarily want to take with you. No you have to drink it there and not save it for later. It could be healing and you can drink to you are fully healed. There is a very rare chance that it could be the Fountain of Youth (has not happened yet, but the possibility exists) or something of that sort, but likely it will mess you in some way and the character has to decide if they like it or not. Some do and drink deeply and others wish they had not drunk.



Somehow though, as random as it is, characters keep drinking even when it is not pure water. So that is what I do, plus anything else I might be inspired to do. What do you do?