Cost of Quintessence

[Augment Tab]

I'm playing in a campaign where the party has been tasked with fetching a rather small living creature and returning it so someone intact. Once the item has been collected, the trip back will take several months and will be perilous. I immediately had the idea of storing it in a jar and either filling the inside of or coating the outside of the jar with quintessence.

So, does quintessence have a listed price per unit anywhere, or would I have to hire a psion at the PHB prices for casting a 4th-level spell until I have a sufficient amount to preserve the creature? The party is being funded by a rather wealthy individual, so would having them hire a psion to just sit there and make quintessence until we have enough be a smarter option?

Another question is, does anyone here have any good ideas to keep the jar of time-goop safe once the creature is inside? I had the idea of a portable hole, which was then put into a nondescript box from Song and Silence. Note that we only really have access to high-priced magic items or magicians for a short time before we get out into the boonies and can't really get anything, so it's something we'd have to prepare before even setting sail.

[Gildedragon]

so provided you hire a psion to cast it for you:
280gp per ounce (7th level manifester, 4th level power)
Provided you can use psionic device (either through UPD skill ranks OR psi-magic transparency allowing UPD=UMD)
you could get a ... actually the other options are more expensive.

Though one could retro-convert the Spell to Power to get a 4th level Spell. Psicraft DC 19, then spellcraft check as standard to learn it...

about 20.16kgp to get a command word item of the stuff that is restricted to psicraft having wizards...

or 14kgp for an automatic reset trap...


BoH cheaper than Portable hole
Familiar pocket might be handy too. Smuggler's boot if the creature is Fine...

[Augment Tab]

So, if I fill the jar, estimated at 12 oz., it would cost 3,360 gp. If coating the outside of the jar is a possibility, we could probably make due with half that.

A dorje of a 4th-level power would cost, what? 21,000 gp? That's more than likely out, unless we could get one cheaper with way less than 50 charges. Assume 20 to account for some failures, and we could maybe get it for 8,400 gp. Still out.

If we could convince our patron to hire the psion, that's likely the best course of action. Not our money, not our problem.

A Bag of Holding is cheaper than a Portable Hole, that may be a better option. I just assumed a Portable Hole would be easier to hide.

[Gildedragon]

I edited my post for a few suggestions.

If the learning is viable then it would be 700gp for the scroll/power stone...

A benefit of the BoH is that it reacts with less storage effects. And it is a small bag, you can hide it in your bootheel or in your fake scabbard tip, or the space inside the hilt.

[Augment Tab]

The main issue is we basically have to acquire the parts for and then prep the jar of quintessence and method of transporting it safely before actually heading out to get the desired creature, because once we leave, we're basically in a place with zero magic items available. We don't have a magic user in the party, and won't be permitted to get one after we leave. If we hire someone to produce the quintessence for us, we'd have to wait for them to finish to set sail.

Admittedly, it is an rather odd situation, at least compared to how I'm used to playing. The few civilized areas are the only ones with access to magic, and the journey is far into uncivilized territory.

A few wands of Familiar Pocket would be a great idea, actually.

[Gildedragon]

Or Hoard Gullet, cause it is lower level and kinda squickier. but best to get it on something that uses -your- CL
Cause Fam. Poc. will last a whopping 3 hrs and HG 1...

[Augment Tab]

Familiar Pocket and Hoard Gullet are both 1st-level sorcerer/wizard spells, and both last for 1 hr/level.

[Gildedragon]

Familiar Pocket and Hoard Gullet are both 1st-level sorcerer/wizard spells, and both last for 1 hr/level.

Ah yes. SpC changed the level.

Anyway hope the suggestions help
Does the creature need to be alive. if not there is the unguent of timelessness Oh yeap. Necklace of adaptation + bag of holding can also work.

[Augment Tab]

Ah yes. SpC changed the level.

Anyway hope the suggestions help
Does the creature need to be alive. if not there is the unguent of timelessness

Yeah, it does have to arrive intact. I'm probably going to see if we can get the patron who hired us to get us the quintessence we need and call it an operating cost.

The suggestion of using Familiar Pocket was an excellent one, though, and will definitely get put to use. I'll look into the Necklace of Adaptation thing as well, as that might be an option that'll keep me from having to UMD every couple of hours. Thank you for your help, it is much appreciated.

Take care.

[Segev]

I thought Familiar Pocket was restricted to targeting your personal Familiar, specifically to prevent shenanigans using it as spare storage.

[Yogibear41]

What is the creature you have to fetch? Is it intelligent? Is it willing?