Magic Item Workshop: Clay Flask

[Dr paradox]

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.

Spoiler: The Clay Flask

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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?

[Dork_Forge]

It really depends what level your players are and how much damage you throw their way. Unless you use a home rule that makes potions a bonus action, that part of the flask raises the biggest red flag for me, bonus action healing is very potent and a why not? kind of choice in terms of action economy for a lot of characters.

[Mjolnirbear]

Honestly? I like it. It's versatile, useful, and yet limited. As an artifact it's not something anyone can craft.

For an artifact the mucho healing is fine, power-wise: this is something that competes with things like Blackrazor or Robes of the Archmagi. But at the same time, the other options are weak compared to the healing.

Personally I'd reduce the healing and the rarity. Debating whether attunement is useful.

I really like it though.

[tKUUNK]

I love this idea, because you're right about just shopping for healing potions.

If you don't mind extra bookkeeping, you could always do something like:

At dawn, the liquid gains the ability to restore 2d4+2 HP. So long as the flask is not used, this increases by another 2d4+2 at each subsequent dawn, to a maximum of _____ .

Flavorful item idea, thanks for sharing!

[iTreeby]

How often does the water become magical? If it's daily, people will kill for the power to never age. Does the drinker decide the effect or is it random?

I feel like the bones are there for a really cool item but it definitely needs fleshing out.

[HPisBS]

At dawn, the liquid gains the ability to restore 2d4+2 HP. So long as the flask is not used, this increases by another 2d4+2 at each subsequent dawn, to a maximum of _____ .

Nice. I like the accumulating charge. I also agree it should probably require a normal action (unless it's introduced at high levels).

But since this is mainly to encourage the use of potions, consider adding an effect like "Any healing potion poured into this flask heals an additional 1d6 hp when drunk from this flask."
(Inspired by the beta Dagger of Venom, which buffed any normal poison applied to it.

I'd also make the other effects use up daily charges. Maybe 3/day? (Depending on what level the party is when you introduce the item.)



And, uh, the "you don't age on any day you use it" part effectively makes the owner immortal. ...You sure that's something you want to play with?

[Dr paradox]

Thanks for the input, friends.

Good call on the "Action/Bonus Action" problem, for some reason I was under the impression that drinking a potion was a bonus action. I'll make using the flask an action.

Next, I think I'll make the healing option a Greater healing potion instead. Otherwise it overshadows the resistance option too obviously, except in some extraordinary circumstances.

Good eyes on the "don't age for a day" ability. Yeah, it makes the item legendarily valuable as a route to immortality, but it's not much of a benefit to adventurers. No campaign I've ever run has carried players from 3rd level to old age. It'll be a flavorful element while it's in the party's hands, and if I have it float around the world it'll be a plot-driving element.

Let me know if anyone has other thoughts!

[Waterdeep Merch]

How about using their Hit Dice, for healing and as a resource? You can use them twice (another Estus nod), but each time diminishes your overall stamina a bit. To refill them, you need to perform a ritual- so 10 minutes- that requires a bonfire (because of course it should).

[furby076]

Keep the aging component. That could be an amazing hook - if it becomes known the party has said items, folks might hunt the party. Evil wizards, even neutral or good kings who want immortality and will pay (or confiscate by law) the item, or heck other adventuring groups. then the party has to fend folks off and decide if they want it or not. It doesn't have to be an item that causes issues every single session, but it definitely should cause some issues. As you said, getting old is not a PC issue, but immortality can be made an issue for PCs :D

[deljzc]

Shouldn't it have a fancier name?

I think it's a legendary magic item due to the never age ability so it needs something pretty cool....