Improving Spellvials

[ekarney]

Spellvials, are a cool little feature that are a result of the Alchemist Savant's class features (Magic of Eberron).

Or a would be cool feature, if they didn't cost 50% more in gp than a normal potion.

Now if they were significantly more powerful it might be acceptable, but seeing as you're just paying a large amount in time, and resources for what amounts to a limited 3rd level spell list, I personally would say it's kind of a rip off.

So my question is, how much should we cheapen a spellvial in order for it to be thrown around in combat as a primary means of doing battle?

[Gemini476]

Really, it's just making things more expensive for (perhaps poorly considered) balance reasons.

Wands are cheaper than scrolls per charge, but need to be bought in bulk. Scrolls are cheaper than potions, but potions can be used by non-casters. Spellvials, then, are more expensive than potions because they remove the self-buff limitation and let you buff others with your action, or debuff/attack others. Also, they remove the need for melee touch attacks.

Through a combination of potions and spellvials, the only 0th-3rd level spells that cannot be cast by a Commoner is reduced to area spells and those targeting objects.

Not to mention how they can be buffed through the Alchemist Savant's Create Alchemical Mixture, and that they can make three a day.

Oh, and since they're a thrown weapon you might be able to toss as many of them as you have attacks, which could be pretty nasty (albeit expensive). 75gp for a touch attack, DC11 Color Spray isn't too bad, I guess. Or, well, 37gp, 5sp, and 3xp.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Spellvials, are a cool little feature that are a result of the Alchemist Savant's class features (Magic of Eberron).

Or a would be cool feature, if they didn't cost 50% more in gp than a normal potion.

Now if they were significantly more powerful it might be acceptable, but seeing as you're just paying a large amount in time, and resources for what amounts to a limited 3rd level spell list, I personally would say it's kind of a rip off.

So my question is, how much should we cheapen a spellvial in order for it to be thrown around in combat as a primary means of doing battle?

They shouldn't be cheapened at all. They allow you to "cast" spells on iterative attacks. Properly used, they're much more powerful than potions. Double the normal cost (100gp X sl X cl, not sure where you got 50%) Half again the normal cost* seems entirely appropriate, if not a little cheap. This becomes even more true when you consider things like the trapsmith spell list and other early access spell lists.

*My mistake.