Costs of potions

[Jairain]

What does it cost to buy the potions and other stuff listed in the treasure section of the gm guide?

ideas?

[Ryngard]

It isn't designed to be a "Magic Shop" type of game. Basically the cost is whatever the GM sets it to be... the expected use is to NOT be buyable, but given as rewards/treasure.

"Perhaps the greatest rewards characters can receive are magic items. They are rare and prized by those lucky enough to have them."

They aren't, in set 1, designed to be bought or common place.

[NathanGPLC]

Think about it this way: If you could equip your country's soldiers with an energy-drink sized container that can close up bullet wounds and practically revive the dead, but they can only be made by dangerous potential-terrorists you keep locked up in prison-labs, using high-grade radioactive material you paid a premium for, how often would you sell them to the public?

I don't know how potions are handled in the computer game, but in dark fantasy games, making healing magic readily available can make the dangers of combat a little...silly.

However, I would still want my PCs to have a few, so I might:

1. Have the players find one or two on high-importance enemies...IF they can stop the enemy from using them in combat against the party first!
2. Have the players be hired/recruited to help raid an illegal apostate mage's lab, and as a reward, allow them to keep some of the loot---including potions.
3. Have nobles or other powerful people offer potions as well as/instead of gold for the completion of a quest... perhaps a 'potions up front, gold after' deal. If they don't need the potions to complete the mission, they can save them for later.
4. Require the players to craft their own (at higher levels).

Blessed be,
~Nathan

[psychodrive]

I don't know how potions are handled in the computer game, but in dark fantasy games, making healing magic readily available can make the dangers of combat a little...silly.

Most non-specialist vendors stock them (in varying levels of strength). That said, they are by no means infinitely available (the materials are, with a bit of travel). A vendor might stock 2 or 3 of a particular type.

Until the latter stages of the game, they are reasonably expensive (relative to how much money you have); mana potions moreso than health. The strongest, a Potent Health Poultice costs approximately 1g20s and a potent mana costs 5g.

[Saisei]

I decided to play nice with my PC's when I ran the game last night and said that each of them had one Lesser Healing Potion (I gave the Mage the option of taking a Lyrium potion instead). However this will be rare. These are very much "In Case of Emergency" items.

It'll be a while before my players find anymore.

[Krovikan]

I haven't sold them to my characters; however I have been using a different loot mechanic for battles. The party designates a searcher at the end of each combat. He then rolls his search and if he gets above 10 he finds magical items worth in the dragon die. I then Roll a xD6 x = dragon die and give out random items from the Temporary Magic Items
1: Glowstone
2: Lesser Healing Potion
3: Lesser Lyrium Potion:
4: Swift Missile (if I get this I roll 2d6 and give them that many)
5: Wounding Missiles (if I get this I roll 2d6 and give them that many)
6: Permanent Magic Item

If I get 6, I roll a D10 and give up to 1 magical item per encounter, I will re-roll multiple 6s. Depends on the situation I may give out 2d6 silver too.

Also, dependent on enemies I do standard loot based on what weapons they have and what got damaged. For example fighting dark spawn, I roll a D6 for each monster if I get a 6, his equipment is good enough for you to loot and sell.

[Saisei]

While running the Dalish Curse one of my players joked after killing the Blight Wolves "We should get Chainmail. The wolves always seem to have chainmail in the game" Then proceeded to act out said wolf vomitting out a suit of armour... Pleasant

[Krovikan]

While running the Dalish Curse one of my players joked after killing the Blight Wolves "We should get Chainmail. The wolves always seem to have chainmail in the game" Then proceeded to act out said wolf vomitting out a suit of armour... Pleasant

lol nice; I disagree with your players though all I got was wolf pelts off of the wolves

[Saisei]

I do remember getting 1 or 2 bizarre drops from Deepstalkers and Blight Wolves and bears and the like. But usually yeah it was pelts

[Ryngard]

My most common wolf drop is a lyrium potion.

[NathanGPLC]

That's like the problems in Blizzard's Diablo and Diablo 2.

"Oh, my; it seems the Swarm of Insects was carrying full plate armor. Strong bugs."

As for potions:

Krovikan, do I understand this right? You have the designated character roll to search against TN 10; if he succeeds, you look at the Dragon Die, and roll that many d6s against the table you made?

Seems like an interesting solution. However, I might go with, instead, a table like this:

1: 2d6 silver
2: 4d6 silver
3: Glowstone
4: Lesser Healing Potion
5: Lesser Lyrium Potion
6: Swift or Wounding missiles (roll 2d6 and the Dragon Die; don't count the Dragon Die, but if it is odd, give Swift; if it is even, give Wounding).
Doubles/Triples: If rolling multiple dice and any number comes up as Doubles, this grants either an extra 2d6 silver or, if the battle was against a particularly dangerous foe, a permanent magic item. If rolling multiple dice and any number comes up as Triples, the result is a permanent magic item.

Blessed be,
~Nathan

[zorblack]

For the record, in the video game as soon as you can freely move around you can buy infinite flasks from the vendor in your camp and then infinite elfroots from the elves. Total cost is about 75 copper pieces (if that), and that is all you need to make a lesser health poultice (1 flask and 1 elfroot).

[Saisei]

For the record, in the video game as soon as you can freely move around you can buy infinite flasks from the vendor in your camp and then infinite elfroots from the elves. Total cost is about 75 copper pieces (if that), and that is all you need to make a lesser health poultice (1 flask and 1 elfroot).

I don't know how much you can compare this to the CRPG though. In DA: O you really really bloody need those potions at time. I've gone through upwards of 20 potions in some of the tougher boss fights (DAMN YOU GAXKANG THE UNBOND!) and still ended up with everyone dead except my own character.

If you had these kind of resources in the PnP game combat would become a boring grind with little chance of death *sideways glance at WoTC* ...

I'm going to be introducing the rules put up here for Herbalism and Poison Making into my game but within those rules there is I think only a 50% chance of success? This will give my PC's a means to provide their own healing outside of first aid and magic but I don't think it will unbalance the game.

[psychodrive]

there is I think only a 50% chance of success? This will give my PC's a means to provide their own healing outside of first aid and magic but I don't think it will unbalance the game.

If you mean the rules I constructed, then I may have made a booboo - I'll update the post. Assuming a Cunning score of 0 and the appropriate focus, an ability test (3D6 + CUN + FOCUS = 3D6 + 2) with TNs 12 give you a 62% chance.

http://catlikecoding.com/anydice/?dice=3d6%2B2

Bump the TN to 13 for 50% exactly.