Quick RAI help: Potion of Mimicry

[Mandrake]

Hi, Playground!

I need some help. My players just dispatched of one of the main villains by sneaking into his fortress using Potions of Mimicry (Adventurer's Vault, 188). They also got some more potions left, and when we meet for the next session, they might want to use them again to try and sneak out. Still, I am not sure if I should allow it: Potion of Mimicry lets you "alter your appearance through illusion, appearing as a specific humanoid creature within your line of sight". The problem is they killed everyone.

In short - would you say Potions of Mimicry can be used to change into a humanoid creature that is dead and that you can see, or it only works if the person is still alive (as in not destroyed, since those guys were a vampire and a lich :smallbiggrin:).

Thanks a lot and in advance!

[Tegu8788]

I would rule that you appear as the body appear that you are mimicking. If you made a nasty wound you get that. If you ashed the guy, then there is no body to mimic.

[LtPowers]

In 3.5, "creature" was specifically defined as a living (or otherwise active) game element -- that is, anything that isn't an object. 4e, surprisingly, doesn't seem to be as clear on the definition:

A being in the game world. Both adventurers and monsters are creatures. See also adventurer and monster.

Consider, though, that the potion allows the user to mimic the creature's "mannerisms, voice, and speech patterns". That implies that the creature must have mannerisms to mimic, which a dead body does not.


Powers &8^]

[Kurald Galain]

Considering it's an illusion, I see no reason why this wouldn't work on dead creatures. That said, any NPCs they meet that are familiar with the subject should get an insight check to see through the illusion, so it's not foolproof.

[Yakk]

I would make it a piece of the skill challenge.

If they have an alchemist/magic type, they will know this is not the intended use. But they might be able to hack it by using the vampire's dust and mixing it in. There mqy be unpleasant side effects...

If not, then the potion sort of works -- it glitches out in some creative manner. Maybe it does not provide mannerisms or even prevents the user from speaking. Maybe the drinker can only walk backwards, if you want some farce, or each step forward makes the flesh appear to rot and each step backwards makes the flesh repair/become less dead, and sideways steps do one thing to one side and the opposite to the other.

If you can think up a bunch, you can even cycle them. Basically make it far from a slam dunk.

[Mandrake]

Thanks guys, I followed your advice (except for Yakk's, we played before I saw it, though I like your ideas as well), ended up swell. It was funny :smallbiggrin:, it was a sort of an uncontrolled skill challenge, though they had to ditch the disguise since it wasn't going so well. :smallsmile: