[Item] Bottled Lightning

[Fax Celestis]

Bottled Lightning
These small crystalline bottles are specially treated by magic to be able to contain lightning within them. They can be used in two ways: by uncorking the bottle, or by throwing the bottle.

When uncorked (a standard action), the bottle emits a lightning bolt (as the spell, Caster Level 5th). The bottle is not destroyed by this process and can be used again after "recharging" it.

When thrown (as a splash weapon), the bottle shatters and radiates a burst of electricity. Treat this as a fireball spell (Caster Level 7th), except the damage is electricity instead of fire, and add 2d4 slashing damage. The bottle is destroyed by using it in this manner and cannot be used again.

A bottle can be "recharged" by being the target of a damaging effect that deals at least 15 points of electrical damage. Area affects (such as a breath weapon) that damage the possessor of bottled lightning also affect (and therefore recharge) the bottle. Bottled lightning always fails its save against electrical effects but does not take any damage if not already charged. A charged bottle cannot absorb damage in this manner.

A bottle has Hardness 1 and 3 HP. If a charged bottle is broken, it immediately explodes as if it were thrown.

Moderate Evocation; CL 7; Craft Wondrous Item, lightning bolt, call lightning, or chain lightning; Price 2500 gp; Cost 1250 gp + 100 xp

[SurlySeraph]

Nice. *steals*

[Stycotl]

just had video footage flash through my brain of a low-level campaign partially dedicated to finding a reliable way to recharge a bottle for a non-caster character. for some reason, it took place in the arctic...

nice item. aaron out.

[RandomFellow]

Cool but 2000gp is too cheap for what is effectively a pearl of power for 1 spell (even at a lower CL than the caster normally is). Maybe 4500?

[Gralamin]

Cool but 2000gp is too cheap for what is effectively a pearl of power for 1 spell (even at a lower CL than the caster normally is). Maybe 4500?

Way to much, as pearl of power gives you some choice, and this is constrained.

[RandomFellow]

Way to much, as pearl of power gives you some choice, and this is constrained.

A Pearl of Power for 3rd is 9000...

[Lady Tialait]

I agree under priced..but i wouldn't put it over nine thousand...

*resists the joke...*

Anyway I'd say about 4000...or maybe 3000 it's rather limeted...you understand.

[Rama_Lei]

When I saw the title, I was praying for a Powerthist reference. Oh well, still a great item.

[Demented]

And to think I watched Stardust just last night. Heh.

[Fax Celestis]

And to think I watched Stardust just last night. Heh.

S'where I got the idea, actually.

[seedjar]

I think a 3rd level spell might be kind of steep. Call Lightning gives you your caster level in bolts, right? So why would you want to trade X number of bolts for a single use-activated one? Shocking Grasp might be more appropriate. But then, at level one, the Fireball effect is a little out of line. Still, I like things that allow players to do stuff with their daily low-level spells after they've been superceded by higher level ones.
~Joe

[Copacetic]

I think a 3rd level spell might be kind of steep. Call Lightning gives you your caster level in bolts, right? So why would you want to trade X number of bolts for a single use-activated one? Shocking Grasp might be more appropriate. But then, at level one, the Fireball effect is a little out of line. Still, I like things that allow players to do stuff with their daily low-level spells after they've been superceded by higher level ones.
~Joe

You would trade x high level bolts during downtime for 1 bolt when you need it PLUS x high level bolts. Also, you could simply buy a lot, and store them. If you run out of spells, you still have a last-ditch offensive move.

[Fax Celestis]

You would trade x high level bolts during downtime for 1 bolt when you need it PLUS x high level bolts. Also, you could simply buy a lot, and store them. If you run out of spells, you still have a last-ditch offensive move.

Way it's worded, that's not the way it works. It's the intention, so I may change the wording a bit, probably based upon dice of damage rather than spell level, so that a breath weapon could recharge it too.

EDIT: Changed wording to be damage-based. Also, calculation for price is as follows:

Single Use, Use Activated fireball, substituting electricity damage, Caster Level 7: Spell level (3) * Caster level (7) * 50 = 1050
Single Use, Use Activated lightning bolt, Caster Level 5: Spell level (3) * Caster level (5) * 50 = 750
Two abilities: Lower priced ability (750) * 1.5 = 1125
1125 + 1050 = 2175
Rounding down for fragility: 2000 gp
Cost to create: 1000 gp + 80 xp

[13_CBS]

Huh. This will be pretty useful for a party that has, say, a Dragonfire Adept with Lightning Breath.

[Lady Tialait]

Single Use, Use Activated fireball, substituting electricity damage, Caster Level 7: Spell level (3) * Caster level (7) * 50 = 1050
Single Use, Use Activated lightning bolt, Caster Level 5: Spell level (3) * Caster level (5) * 50 = 750
Two abilities: Lower priced ability (750) * 1.5 = 1125
1125 + 1050 = 2175
Rounding down for fragility: 2000 gp
Cost to create: 1000 gp + 80 xp

did you calulate the Recharge...I didn't see that in there...just a question.

[Fax Celestis]

Huh. This will be pretty useful for a party that has, say, a Dragonfire Adept with Lightning Breath.

Single-use per battle, really. I don't see anything wrong with 1/encounter abilities, especially ones available to anyone (and not rechargeable by a Dragonfire Adept until 8th level).

did you calulate the Recharge...I didn't see that in there...just a question.

There isn't a cost for "rechargeable", at least not in the DMG. I'm not of the mind that this could be easily abusable, since it'd require the bearer of the flask to be repeatedly struck by lightning to be of any great use--if the monster's unloading electricity at the PC, chances are the monster's also immune to it. If it's a fellow player, it's still friendly fire and the target has to be damaged by it in order for the bottle to be able to recharge. As such, I don't think a cost for "rechargeable" is that big of a deal.

[Lady Tialait]

There isn't a cost for "rechargeable", at least not in the DMG. I'm not of the mind that this could be easily abusable, since it'd require the bearer of the flask to be repeatedly struck by lightning to be of any great use--if the monster's unloading electricity at the PC, chances are the monster's also immune to it. If it's a fellow player, it's still friendly fire and the target has to be damaged by it in order for the bottle to be able to recharge. As such, I don't think a cost for "rechargeable" is that big of a deal.

But that's not how you have it worded....

I could put the thing down and cast a Lightning bolt on it. (or if i'm a druid it's even better) enless i'm misreading it.

this is how i see use of this item.

Round 1: Use bottle
Round 2: Drop bottle (Gentally) and cast Call Ligtning.
Round (last turn of call ligtning): Direct the Bottle with the Ligtning Bolt.
Round (after that last round): Pick up bottle and shoot ligtning...or keep for next combat.


Am I getting something wrong on this thing?

[Fax Celestis]

But that's not how you have it worded....

I could put the thing down and cast a Lightning bolt on it. (or if i'm a druid it's even better) enless i'm misreading it.

this is how i see use of this item.

Round 1: Use bottle
Round 2: Drop bottle (Gentally) and cast Call Ligtning.
Round (last turn of call ligtning): Direct the Bottle with the Ligtning Bolt.
Round (after that last round): Pick up bottle and shoot ligtning...or keep for next combat.


Am I getting something wrong on this thing?

No, but it's incredibly inefficient to do things that way. I mean, sure, you get to open each battle with a lightning bolt. Sure, you can recharge it. But doing so mid-combat means you've got one round of nothing but "recharge", and giving up actions is a good way to get yourself dead.

Also remember, picking up a dropped item is a move action. Uncorking the bottle is a standard action. That's a full-round of actions, so you'd better already be in the square with the bottle not be threatened, since picking up an action provokes and you can't move to get to it. Furthermore, call lightning doesn't deal enough damage to recharge the bottle, which gets rid of the "fire-and-forget" problem for recharging it.

[Lady Tialait]

Well, you could use call ligtning Storm instead...and the duration and the amount of Bolts means i can wait till After the battle to pick it up (I have 15 of them) I think the Recharge ability makes the Lightning ability a Reuseabile Effect that needs to be in the price.

Just me but i'd put it a little bit more costly.

Good work, but that is my little nit pick

[Fax Celestis]

Well, you could use call ligtning Storm instead...and the duration and the amount of Bolts means i can wait till After the battle to pick it up (I have 15 of them) I think the Recharge ability makes the Lightning ability a Reuseabile Effect that needs to be in the price.

Just me but i'd put it a little bit more costly.

Good work, but that is my little nit pick

And if you use call lightning storm, you're 9th level at least. I don't see a problem with (effectively) 1/encounter at that level, especially when you could deal more damage with the recharging spell (or a different spell).

EDIT: Also,

Area affects (such as a breath weapon) that affect the possessor of bottled lightning also affect (and therefore recharge) the bottle.

which means that if someone who holds an empty bottle is struck by a breath weapon and saves for no damage, the bottle is not recharged.

[Lady Tialait]

I don't see a problem execpt for the fact that It still needs to be priced that way. not as a one time use.

It is basicly a potion of Electric Fireball once... or a Potion of Lightning Bolt as much as you can get spells cast at you with the correct damage or otherwise.

I think it should be measured like that..not once and once.

That is my problem. You have it priced as a dubble and metamagiced potion...and it's incorrect pricing.

[Fax Celestis]

I don't see a problem execpt for the fact that It still needs to be priced that way. not as a one time use.

It is basicly a potion of Electric Fireball once... or a Potion of Lightning Bolt as much as you can get spells cast at you with the correct damage or otherwise.

I think it should be measured like that..not once and once.

That is my problem. You have it priced as a dubble and metamagiced potion...and it's incorrect pricing.

Then how should I price it, then? There's no guidelines for rechargeable items.

[vivi]

That looks great!

I can picture a character uncorking the bottle and looking into the bottle through the open hole...

[Lady Tialait]

the ability really isn't that powerful and as you said there is no guidlines for such a thing.

I would say no more then 150 to 200 extra to the cost. and you did round down during pricing. I think the final price should be something a little more like

2200gp or somesuch..It's hard to price..but that feels about right.

2175 round down for Fragile to 2000 add 200 ad hav for recharge.

[Fax Celestis]

the ability really isn't that powerful and as you said there is no guidlines for such a thing.

I would say no more then 150 to 200 extra to the cost. and you did round down during pricing. I think the final price should be something a little more like

2200gp or somesuch..It's hard to price..but that feels about right.

2175 round down for Fragile to 2000 add 200 ad hav for recharge.

Yeah, that I can live with.

[Lady Tialait]

At first this is One time use...but later it can be a once per encounter to a Once every other round effect (tricky but I can see it happening) I just wasn't comfortable with the priceing...neat item..I can see others like

Bottle of Life...almost the same wording but with Mass Cure Light Wounds if thrown and a Cure Moderate Wounds if used as a potion..with recharge of 22 points of Positive energy (can be a turn check or otherwise) or somesuch..would be intresting don't you think?

[Fax Celestis]

At first this is One time use...but later it can be a once per encounter to a Once every other round effect (tricky but I can see it happening) I just wasn't comfortable with the priceing...neat item..I can see others like

Bottle of Life...almost the same wording but with Mass Cure Light Wounds if thrown and a Cure Moderate Wounds if used as a potion..with recharge of 22 points of Positive energy (can be a turn check or otherwise) or somesuch..would be intresting don't you think?

Good idea. I may have to make different versions of these. Perhaps cure light wounds by uncorking, mass cure moderate wounds by throwing.

[Lady Tialait]

Sounds good...looking forward to them!

[seedjar]

Then how should I price it, then? There's no guidelines for rechargeable items.

It's obviously not one-time use in the way of a potion or scroll. Take a use-activated or command-word base price and lower it a little because you need to do more than just wait around to recover the charge.
Should you perhaps say that the possesor must be damaged, rather than simply affected, by an electricity spell to recharge? I can't think of an example, but it seems likely that you could find a spell that had the potential for 4d6 electricity damage with a partial save that eliminates damage but has some other effect.
~Joe

[Fax Celestis]

It's obviously not one-time use in the way of a potion or scroll. Take a use-activated or command-word base price and lower it a little because you need to do more than just wait around to recover the charge.
Should you perhaps say that the possesor must be damaged, rather than simply affected, by an electricity spell to recharge? I can't think of an example, but it seems likely that you could find a spell that had the potential for 4d6 electricity damage with a partial save that eliminates damage but has some other effect.
~Joe

I've upped the price to 2500, and that's about as high as I'm comfortable going. As for qualifying recharge, that's probably a good call.

Also, added hardness/HP.