I think I may have found the most broken magic item in the game

[Sigreid]

Dinking around with Fantasy Grounds and I just discovered that the Dungeon of the Mad Mage has a common item potion that restores a spell slot of any level when drunk. Granted, it's only of value to casters, but My God a high level caster could have incredible power on hand.

Edit: It's the potion of magic liquid.

[nickl_2000]

Are you sure that is official material? When I search under items in Mad Mage/Dragonheist it isn't in there for DNDBeyond.

[Sigreid]

Are you sure that is official material? When I search under items in Mad Mage/Dragonheist it isn't in there for DNDBeyond.

Reasonably sure, it's in the Fantasy Grounds official Dungeon of the Mad Mage content. I don't generally get 3rd party stuff.

[Keravath]

I think that would be a very powerful magic item. However, the text of DotMM makes me think that potions of magic liquid would not be a common item.


There is a cauldron on level 9 that produces 12 doses of magic liquid daily. The contents smell and taste like vinegar. However, if the cauldron is removed from the niche all of its contents become actual vinegar and lose their magical properties.

"If the cauldron is removed from its niche, the magic liquid contained therein turns to ordinary vinegar. The same thing occurs if the vinegar becomes mixed with any other substance." DotMM p125

If I was running this, then I would interpret this as any of the liquid removed from the niche in whatever container would also change to vinegar. So, although a character might be able to take advantage of the liquid in the cauldron, they would be unable to carry around the contents as potions. However, different DMs might run it differently.

[Amnestic]

Dinking around with Fantasy Grounds and I just discovered that the Dungeon of the Mad Mage has a common item potion that restores a spell slot of any level when drunk. Granted, it's only of value to casters, but My God a high level caster could have incredible power on hand.

Edit: It's the potion of magic liquid.

I can't find any hits for a "Potion of Magic Liquid" on google, and I'd have thought others would be discussing it before now since it's such a big deal.

[Willie the Duck]

I think that would be a very powerful magic item. However, the text of DotMM makes me think that potions of magic liquid would not be a common item.


There is a cauldron on level 9 that produces 12 doses of magic liquid daily. The contents smell and taste like vinegar. However, if the cauldron is removed from the niche all of its contents become actual vinegar and lose their magical properties.

"If the cauldron is removed from its niche, the magic liquid contained therein turns to ordinary vinegar. The same thing occurs if the vinegar becomes mixed with any other substance." DotMM p125


If I was running this, then I would interpret this as any of the liquid removed from the niche in whatever container would also change to vinegar. So, although a character might be able to take advantage of the liquid in the cauldron, they would be unable to carry around the contents as potions. However, different DMs might run it differently.


I would rule that the magic liquid being removed from the area without the cauldron being removed has a textually unclear effect and rule that based on how I would see it effecting my campaign. Regardless, it is a cauldron in the middle of (the ninth level of) a seriously dangerous dungeon. Even if the DM rules the individual doses to be portable, getting more than 12 doses requires either 1) risking life and limb every time to get them (in which case it is like every other treasure), or 2) securing what is at least in theory supposed to be one of the most dangerous dungeons out there, run by a guy who really dislikes other people horning in on his schtick/ruining his sadism. If you can successfully secure this avenue for regular (safe) access to the cauldron, you are either in fact really good at this or your DM is giving it to you easy (in which case this is probably not the most 'broken' thing you will end up with).

Regardless, this doesn't look like a 'magic item' to me -- it is a dungeon feature. And those are inherently adventure and DM-gated and have power-scales all over the map. Fountains that grant everyone who drinks from the a +1 to a random stat? magic circles that either turn you inside out or halt the aging process? Funhouses that either trap you forever or grant you a wish? All of these are acceptable for adventure features because they are inherently DM-gated and also on the DM to decide if you can cart it back home and try to monetize it. They don't show up in magic item shops (if such exist in your world) or have linear how-to-create rules and as such can only be abused if the DM lets you (on top of normal DM controls).

[Sigreid]

I think that would be a very powerful magic item. However, the text of DotMM makes me think that potions of magic liquid would not be a common item.


There is a cauldron on level 9 that produces 12 doses of magic liquid daily. The contents smell and taste like vinegar. However, if the cauldron is removed from the niche all of its contents become actual vinegar and lose their magical properties.

"If the cauldron is removed from its niche, the magic liquid contained therein turns to ordinary vinegar. The same thing occurs if the vinegar becomes mixed with any other substance." DotMM p125

If I was running this, then I would interpret this as any of the liquid removed from the niche in whatever container would also change to vinegar. So, although a character might be able to take advantage of the liquid in the cauldron, they would be unable to carry around the contents as potions. However, different DMs might run it differently.




I would rule that the magic liquid being removed from the area without the cauldron being removed has a textually unclear effect and rule that based on how I would see it effecting my campaign. Regardless, it is a cauldron in the middle of (the ninth level of) a seriously dangerous dungeon. Even if the DM rules the individual doses to be portable, getting more than 12 doses requires either 1) risking life and limb every time to get them (in which case it is like every other treasure), or 2) securing what is at least in theory supposed to be one of the most dangerous dungeons out there, run by a guy who really dislikes other people horning in on his schtick/ruining his sadism. If you can successfully secure this avenue for regular (safe) access to the cauldron, you are either in fact really good at this or your DM is giving it to you easy (in which case this is probably not the most 'broken' thing you will end up with).

Regardless, this doesn't look like a 'magic item' to me -- it is a dungeon feature. And those are inherently adventure and DM-gated and have power-scales all over the map. Fountains that grant everyone who drinks from the a +1 to a random stat? magic circles that either turn you inside out or halt the aging process? Funhouses that either trap you forever or grant you a wish? All of these are acceptable for adventure features because they are inherently DM-gated and also on the DM to decide if you can cart it back home and try to monetize it. They don't show up in magic item shops (if such exist in your world) or have linear how-to-create rules and as such can only be abused if the DM lets you (on top of normal DM controls).


Thanks. I hadn't read through the module to get the cauldron specifics. I could see a high level wizard who learned of it to consider it totally worth it to go after the mad mage just to claim this.

[diplomancer]

FG might have just implemented a dungeon feature as a magic item because it was a simpler way to do it through its engine.

[Asisreo1]

Dinking around with Fantasy Grounds and I just discovered that the Dungeon of the Mad Mage has a common item potion that restores a spell slot of any level when drunk. Granted, it's only of value to casters, but My God a high level caster could have incredible power on hand.

Edit: It's the potion of magic liquid.
Theoretically, if such a potion existed as a pure Magic Item, I'd imagine its rarity would increase based on the maximum level of spell slots restored with all levels being legendary.

Its progression would be identical to spell scrolls. It would be somewhat as strong as a spellscroll but distinct enough. For example, a spell scroll allows a caster to cast its spell without it being known or prepared, it could be a higher spell level than you can cast, and with no material components needed, which is really good at the limit that it has to be whatever spell exists. This hypothetical potion lets you cast any spell as long as its prepared or known and you have the spell slot to cast it.

Actually, I've already homebrewed a magic item potion like this (it was actually in the form of a charm). It worked out fairly okay, all things considered. My players enjoyed it and they didn't do anything that I couldn't handle.

[Sigreid]

I would rule that the magic liquid being removed from the area without the cauldron being removed has a textually unclear effect and rule that based on how I would see it effecting my campaign. Regardless, it is a cauldron in the middle of (the ninth level of) a seriously dangerous dungeon. Even if the DM rules the individual doses to be portable, getting more than 12 doses requires either 1) risking life and limb every time to get them (in which case it is like every other treasure), or 2) securing what is at least in theory supposed to be one of the most dangerous dungeons out there, run by a guy who really dislikes other people horning in on his schtick/ruining his sadism. If you can successfully secure this avenue for regular (safe) access to the cauldron, you are either in fact really good at this or your DM is giving it to you easy (in which case this is probably not the most 'broken' thing you will end up with).

Regardless, this doesn't look like a 'magic item' to me -- it is a dungeon feature. And those are inherently adventure and DM-gated and have power-scales all over the map. Fountains that grant everyone who drinks from the a +1 to a random stat? magic circles that either turn you inside out or halt the aging process? Funhouses that either trap you forever or grant you a wish? All of these are acceptable for adventure features because they are inherently DM-gated and also on the DM to decide if you can cart it back home and try to monetize it. They don't show up in magic item shops (if such exist in your world) or have linear how-to-create rules and as such can only be abused if the DM lets you (on top of normal DM controls).

Thinking about it, it's purpose is probably to let the DM make sure that the Mage has all his best abilities every time he is faced to make him scarier.

[jaappleton]

I have all the content on D&D Beyond.

I went to Magic Items -> Potions -> Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage

It lists four potions as introduced with that book.

They are the Potions of Comprehension, Fire Breath, Longevity, & Watchful Rest.