Mind Control Potions

[Yucca]

I have a few questions about potions. I'm working on a character who uses his position as a palace chef to affect the minds of the upper class of the kingdom. I had the idea to make him a sorcerer or bard who brews potions of charm and suggestion, even lesser geas then slips them into food he serves to the nobles. Putting him together I came across a few questions that may make problems with the build.

Potions are like spells cast upon the imbiber. The character taking the potion doesn’t get to make any decisions about the effect —the caster who brewed the potion has already done so. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect

When you create a potion, you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Whoever drinks the potion is the target of the spell.

Charm Person: it says that the target regards you as an ally. Since they are both the caster and the target does this mean they suddenly like themselves? Other than revolutionizing the therapy industry, this does nothing for my would-be mastermind. Is this how others read the rule?

Suggestion: I would assume that the specific suggestion is one of the choices made when casting the spell, so as long as my enchanter-chef avoids pronouns this works without a problem, same with lesser geas?

Since potions are normally harmless or beneficial spells, no mention is made of saving throw DCs for resisting them. Should the DCs be set at the absolute minimum for the spell, like wands or scrolls? Or should it use the DC as if the spell was directly cast?

[Cog]

I don't think the rules really support using a potion in this way. It's a standard action to take one yourself, or a full-round action to apply one to somebody else. That implies you need to intend to activate it, and that being slipped one unaware would not have any effect.

If it did work, though, you'd follow standard magic item rules, using the minimum casting stat to brew a potion of that level. 10 for a cantrip, 11 for a first level spell, 13 for a second, 14 for a third.

[Percival]

Yeah, potions are generally tended for positive effects. Negative effects imply poisons. Maybe look into a mind-control poison. If none exist, you can always get the DM to house-rule that the potions work in your character's favour... or just homebrew a poison.

[meschlum]

Craft Wonderous Item.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems...m#elixirofLove

And work from there.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/illusoryScript.htm

Gives you remote controlled, pre-set Suggestions. Again, CWI lets you deliver them in a different format. Or use it as writing on a birthday cake.


Geas is harder, but CWI is the go-to method here, I suspect.