Potions...what limitation for a potion that expires?

[tgaptte]

Hey all,

I'm trying to come up with a way to do potions that expire over time...how would you do this? Is there some way in the system or do I have to do "Limited Power"?

I was thinking....

-1/4 - Expires in 1 month
-1/2 - Expires in 1 week
-3/4 - Expires in 1 day
-1 - Expires in 1 hour

This would be with the understanding that all potions have lengthy and involved creation times...what do you think, is this fair? I know that it may depend on the campaign...but let's just compare this to the current limitations...balanced?

Thanks!
Tim

[CrosshairCollie]

Just to make sure I get the question: Are you referring to --

1. You drink the potion, and its effects last however long, then fade, or
2. The potion loses is potency if it isn't used in a specific length of time

?

[tgaptte]

Just to make sure I get the question: Are you referring to --

1. You drink the potion, and its effects last however long, then fade, or
2. The potion loses is potency if it isn't used in a specific length of time

?

2. ... if not used, the potion will no longer have its powers after the time period...the potion will likely have a separate duration (4 charges lasting 6 hours, etc...)

Thanks!

Tim

[CrosshairCollie]

Well, Limited Power is the 'catch-all' for this sort of thing, though depending on just how long it takes to brew the potion, I'd probably ratchet up the limitations. If it takes a week to brew a potion and it's only good for an hour, it's going to be virtually impossible to put it to good use.

Past a week, I'd say, it's simply not going to be worth the effort to create a potion as it's more likely to go 'stale' except in very specific circumstances.

[Curufea]

I use a house rule - the default container is not magical and does not preserve its contents. No matter what the contents is.
Everything goes off over time.
If my players want potions to last longer, they need preservatives of some sort.

[CrosshairCollie]

I use a house rule - the default container is not magical and does not preserve its contents. No matter what the contents is.
Everything goes off over time.
If my players want potions to last longer, they need preservatives of some sort.

I prefer the simplicity and lack of book keeping involved in simply having potions last until used, spilled, or destroyed. Besides, it's liquid magic ... I really can't imagine it having much of an expiration date.

YMMV, of course.

[Erkenfresh]

If you're the GM, do whatever you feel appropriate. But, if characters won't pay points for the potions, I wouldn't worry about such details.

[Blue Jogger]

In my current campaign, making a scroll, potion or minor magic item takes about an hour. (This is for minor disposable magics.)

Usually, such things can last as long as you keep the item near you (it's your aura that keeps it fresh and magical), so already there's a built-in limitation that if you want to keep it around for a month, that you need to keep it near your person for that month. And there's an upper limit of INT/3 for how many items you can keeo "charged", so most of the time, you want to either use it or lose it within say a week.

So, for my campaign, we have the following limitations:

-0 - Expires in about a week/month (depending on how much care is given).
-1/2 - Expires in about a day or two unless an action is taken to "re-enchant" the item. (This takes roughly 20 minutes.)

I don't usually have higher than that, because usually there is another limitation that reflects its "must be used soon after creation" such as a "need to use it while under a full moon" or "may explode if jostled".

[Thia Halmades]

Sorry, I thought we were talking about how long it lasts once imbibed. You're talking about how long it lasts in the BOTTLE. Well. Crap. Go figure that it depends on the rationale of the campaign. If people pull potions off the alchemists shelves regularly, there's no big need for anything over a week. Bearing in mind that it's usually oxygen which makes with the spoiling, and alchemists can create an air-tight bottle, assuming it's properly sealed it can last for months, possibly longer. Might taste nasty, but hey.

You could follow the time chart after X time passes, and start making it 'Weak Potion I" and 'Weak Potion II' before going to 'Spoiled Potion I' and so on.

[tgrandjean]

*shrugs* Personally, I don't think it's worth much of a limitation at all. What you have to ask yourself is how often is this going to affect the game? I might allow -1/2 for expires in 1 hour, -1/4 for 5 hours, and anything beyond is SFX. ... However, that is assuming that the potion creation site is relatively close to where the adventure will take place.

[Thia Halmades]

Or that you're pulling it out of a 3000 year old treasure trove. But Wine lasts for years and in some cases improves - honey never goes bad. So it's a matter of design and exposure to air, IMO. If you're going for realism. However, I also agree with Tgrandjean that this isn't something you need to 'model' unless you plan on spoiling potions people are carrying.

[prestidigitator]

This kind of thing seems to me like it is useful for balancing power levels and keeping magic from being too prevalent in the game world. In that case, I would myself probably just establish a system and not give any Limitation value at all (maybe allow an Advantage for extending the duration). For example, in a standard 75+75 heroic campaign you might do something like:
APs Lifetime
--- --------
0-5 indefinite (or 1 season)
5-15 1 month
15-30 1 week
30-60 1 day
60+ 6 hours

Lifetimes may be doubled for a +1/4 Advantage on all Powers
built into the potion (the APs for the chart do not include this
Advantage). This Advanatage may only be taken once.

[Basil]

Hey all,

I'm trying to come up with a way to do potions that expire over time...how would you do this? Is there some way in the system or do I have to do "Limited Power"?

I was thinking....

-1/4 - Expires in 1 month
-1/2 - Expires in 1 week
-3/4 - Expires in 1 day
-1 - Expires in 1 hour

This would be with the understanding that all potions have lengthy and involved creation times...what do you think, is this fair? I know that it may depend on the campaign...but let's just compare this to the current limitations...balanced?

Thanks!
Tim
I think it's an interesting idea, but IMO your amounts are too generous. Oh, and you skipped the 6 hour level. ;)

I'd go:
-1/4 - Expires in 1 week
-1/2 - Expires in 1 day
-3/4 - Expires in 6 hours
-1 - Expires in 1 hour

YMMV.

[Frenchman]

I like Presdigitator's idea - if it ever comes up in our game I may dig this up and suggest it.

[gojira]

If you don't like book keeping, just give all potions an Activation roll.

"Didn't work? Oops, I guess it was past the pull-date."

[CrosshairCollie]

If you don't like book keeping, just give all potions an Activation roll.

"Didn't work? Oops, I guess it was past the pull-date."

You know ... I'm now imagining people buying potions like I've seen people buying milk from the store.

"Get the Cure Light potion from the back of the shelf ... it might have a later expiration date."

[Shike019]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to CrosshairCollie again.

*lol* I can definately see this going on.

[gojira]

You know ... I'm now imagining people buying potions like I've seen people buying milk from the store.

"Get the Cure Light potion from the back of the shelf ... it might have a later expiration date."

Yup. :D

Or players squinting to read the label on the potion: "Best if used by... nine three ... I can't make this out, is it a six or an eight?"