Dr paradox
2020-02-27, 05:27 PM
Heya. I just had an idea on the bus for a magic item.
This mostly came from my frustration with Healing Potions. They're undeniably useful, but I have a hard time making them sufficiently flavorful. It's good when players prepare by going shopping for needed supplies, but picking up a half-dozen healing potions feels about as magical as grabbing a six-pack of Montuckys from the supermarket. You can try to infuse a little more character into the shop and the shopping experience, but that takes up time that might be better spent with the whole group present.
You can give out healing potions as treasure, but in my experience players are very cagey about using consumables they don't have a direct path to replacing. Worse still, I have a player who actively hates consumables, probably because he's something of a power gamer and doesn't like advantages that aren't permanent.
So, here's what I've got in mind, culled a bit from Dark Souls' Estus Flasks. This would be an artifact left behind as a flask that an arch-fey drank from, having gained miraculous properties either as a boon for hospitality or just incidentally by her presence.
Clay Flask
This pale clay flask is unassuming, about six inches tall with a flared four inch neck, but it bears a white stain in the shape of a handprint, as of someone holding it as they took a sip. A broad cork is tied to the neck with a length of blue twine.
Pure, fresh water inside the flask at dawn will become magical, and a creature can spend a bonus action to drink the entire contents of the flask to gain one of the following benefits:
They regain 8d4+8 hitpoints, as a Potion of Superior Healing.
They regain 1 hitpoint, and receive enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day, as a Goodberry
They gain resistance to a type of damage of their choice for one hour.
The water becomes any non-magical potable drink the’ve had before, in its most wonderfully tasting form. This drink possesses all the qualities of the real thing.
Anyone who enjoys one of these effects does not age for one day. Any magical effect that would cause them to age fails. If the water is removed from the flask, it loses its magical properties and becomes ordinary water.
The goodberry option and the "any drink" option are mostly flavorful, less likely to come up as huge mechanical considerations. What do you think? Is a repleneshing Superior Healing Potion too much? Should I bump that down? Are the other options too weak? What else might you want this flask to do?
This mostly came from my frustration with Healing Potions. They're undeniably useful, but I have a hard time making them sufficiently flavorful. It's good when players prepare by going shopping for needed supplies, but picking up a half-dozen healing potions feels about as magical as grabbing a six-pack of Montuckys from the supermarket. You can try to infuse a little more character into the shop and the shopping experience, but that takes up time that might be better spent with the whole group present.
You can give out healing potions as treasure, but in my experience players are very cagey about using consumables they don't have a direct path to replacing. Worse still, I have a player who actively hates consumables, probably because he's something of a power gamer and doesn't like advantages that aren't permanent.
So, here's what I've got in mind, culled a bit from Dark Souls' Estus Flasks. This would be an artifact left behind as a flask that an arch-fey drank from, having gained miraculous properties either as a boon for hospitality or just incidentally by her presence.
Clay Flask
This pale clay flask is unassuming, about six inches tall with a flared four inch neck, but it bears a white stain in the shape of a handprint, as of someone holding it as they took a sip. A broad cork is tied to the neck with a length of blue twine.
Pure, fresh water inside the flask at dawn will become magical, and a creature can spend a bonus action to drink the entire contents of the flask to gain one of the following benefits:
They regain 8d4+8 hitpoints, as a Potion of Superior Healing.
They regain 1 hitpoint, and receive enough nourishment to sustain a creature for one day, as a Goodberry
They gain resistance to a type of damage of their choice for one hour.
The water becomes any non-magical potable drink the’ve had before, in its most wonderfully tasting form. This drink possesses all the qualities of the real thing.
Anyone who enjoys one of these effects does not age for one day. Any magical effect that would cause them to age fails. If the water is removed from the flask, it loses its magical properties and becomes ordinary water.
The goodberry option and the "any drink" option are mostly flavorful, less likely to come up as huge mechanical considerations. What do you think? Is a repleneshing Superior Healing Potion too much? Should I bump that down? Are the other options too weak? What else might you want this flask to do?