[3.5] Noncaster Potions (PEACH)

[Drakevarg]

In my current campaign, I've banned all spellcasting classes, leaving Warlocks as the sole magical class in the game.* To circumvent this I've included Incantations to cover some of the gaps left in basic gameplay, albeit with a heavy coast as Incantations tend to do.

Recently one of my players suggested allowing potions back into the game, which I had previously banned along with wands and staves to remove attempts to simply bring bag traditional casting in the form of items rather than class features. With the agreement that they'd make perfect sense as alchemy, I whipped up a version of the Brew Potion feat that didn't require spellcasters.

I'm actually rather fond of the idea, because it makes magic seem more interesting than simply a bypass to every problem ever. More Batman's utility belt than "open debug menu to universe." Still, thought it would be a good idea to have someone look it over.

Anyway, here it is. Spell selection is currently limited to PHB and the Complete series, on the grounds that I don't feel like leaning over a book anymore this evening:

Brew Potion
Prerequisites: Craft (Alchemy) 8 Ranks
Benefit: Upon taking this feat, select (2+ INT) spells from the lists below. You can now brew those as potions. Further spells can be added to your pool by either learning the recipes (which takes a Craft (Alchemy) check of DC 15 +SL), or by examining the potions themselves (DC 25+ SL). To craft a potion, you must make a successful Craft (Alchemy) check of DC (10 +SL/x5). The caster level-dependent values of a potion are always the minimum level required to cast the spell; 1 for Level 0-1 Potions, 3 for Level 2 Potions, and 5 for Level 3 Potions.
Special: A Warlock with the Imbue Item ability can craft any potion without knowing the recipe or making a Craft (Alchemy) check, and the caster level-dependent values of a potion are now based on the Warlock's effective caster level.

Spoiler

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Player's Handbook
Level 0 (DC 10)
Cure Minor Wounds
Guidance
Inflict Minor Wounds
Light
Resistance
Touch of Fatigue
Virtue

Level 1 (DC 15)
Bless Water (Oil)
Curse Water (Oil)
Cure Light Wounds
Endure Elements
Goodberry (Oil)
Hide from Animals
Hide from Undead
Inflict Light Wounds
Jump
Mage Armor
Magic Fang
Magic Stone (Oil)
Magic Weapon (Oil)
Nystul's Magic Aura
Protection from Alignment
Sanctuary
Shield of Faith

Level 2 (DC 20)
Aid
Align Weapon (Oil)
Arcane Lock (Oil)
Barkskin
Bear's Endurance
Blur
Bull's Strength
Cat's Grace
Continual Flame (Oil)
Cure Moderate Wounds
Darkness (Oil)
Darkvision
Delay Poison
Eagle's Splendor
Fox's Cunning
Gentle Repose (Oil)
Ghoul Touch
Inflict Moderate Wounds
Invisibility (Oil)
Leomund's Trap (Oil)
Obscure Object (Oil)
Owl's Wisdom
Protection from Arrows
Resist Energy
Lesser Restoration
Rope Trick (Oil)
Spider Climb
Touch of Idiocy

Level 3 (DC 25)
Animate Dead (Oil)
Bestow Curse
Contagion
Cure Serious Wounds
Daylight (Oil)
Deeper Darkness (Oil)
Displacement
Explosive Runes (Oil)
Fly
Gaseous Form
Heroism
Inflict Serious Wounds
Magic Vestment (Oil)
Neutralize Poison (Oil)
Poison
Protection from Energy
Remove Blindness/Deafness
Remove Curse
Remove Disease
Shrink Item (Oil)
Snare (Oil)
Tongues
Water Breathing
Water Walk

Complete Adventurer
Level 2 (DC 20)
Nature's Favor
Sonic Weapon (Oil)

Level 3 (DC 25)
Entangling Staff (Oil)

Complete Arcane
Level 0 (DC 10)
Repair Minor Damage

Level 1 (DC 15)
Accuracy (Oil)
Low-Light Vision
Repair Light Damage

Level 2 (DC 20)
Chameleon
Repair Moderate Damage

Level 3 (DC 25)
Greater Mage Armor
Repair Serious Damage

Complete Divine
Level 1 (DC 15)
Resurgence
Traveler's Mount
Lesser Vigor

Level 2 (DC 20)
Brambles (Oil)
Scent

Level 3 (DC 25)
Flame of Faith (Oil)
Infestation of Maggots
Spikes (Oil)
Vigor

*Please refrain from immediately pointing out how terrible an idea removing spellcasters is. The point of this thread is the new potionmaking mechanic. Thank you.

[FreakyCheeseMan]

Interesting, and I'm in favor of anything that evens the playing field between casters and non casters.

Also... I hope that this doesn't violate the asterisk clause, but... why? Not saying it's a horrible idea, I'm just genuinely curious as to why you made the decision to ban casters?

[Drakevarg]

Mostly because I don't like the omnipotence much. I like warlocks a lot better, and invokers and casters don't really sit well in the same room in my eyes.

There is some in-universe justification that there was a massive apocalypse about 200 years prior to the current campaign and many arts were lost, but that's mostly just a justifying retcon to the fact that there were casters in the last campaign set in the same setting.

Oh, also to balance the lack of traditional casters, I gave Warlocks two new Lesser Essences: Revitalizing and Necrotic, which use positive and negative energy, respectively.

[TuggyNE]

I assume you've also houseruled that Craft (Alchemy) doesn't require spellcaster levels?

[Drakevarg]

I assume you've also houseruled that Craft (Alchemy) doesn't require spellcaster levels?

Correct. Would kinda make the entire endeavor pointless otherwise.

[Edit]: Added the Complete series.