Potions and Scrolls

Potions and scrolls give the spellcaster a tremendous advantage. With a good number of these, you should not have to worry about being ineffective after your memorized spells are gone. A healer should keep a stockpile of healing potions so they can use their binding spells in battle and yet still be able to heal. A mage with a pile of scrolls is a much more formidable opponent than one with just spells in memory. The most successful casters are the ones who know that having scrolls and potions at their side can double and triple their effectiveness, usefulness, and fun.

The effects of potions and scrolls are the same as for a cast spell. A scroll or potion physical representation (“phys rep”) is not valid unless it has an actual scroll or potion tag attached to the phys rep. Likewise, a scroll or potion tag without a physical representation is also invalid. If you build or receive tags without physical representations (for example, after using your Production Points at Logistics to create items), then it is your responsibility to provide the appropriate physical representation and make sure the tag is attached.

Both Potions and Scrolls must be identified; see the “Production Skills” section of the Rule Book for details.

Potions:

All potion phys-reps must be large enough to hold at least a minimum of a quarter ounce of liquid. The phys rep does not actually have to contain any liquid to be valid.

To use a potion, you must role-play the proper drinking motions, and this must take at least three seconds. You should not count it out loud. Only one potion may be quaffed at a time.

A potion may be “force fed” to an unconscious or sleeping person by someone else, but such a character cannot “accidentally” drink one. You cannot attach a potion or elixir to your collar or shield and “bite” into it to get its effects while bound or in battle. You must be able to actually hold one in your hand, motion removing a cork or cap, and then mime drinking it.

Potions cannot be mixed into food or drink or diluted or mixed together in any way. If multiple are poured into the same container, both potions are ruined and provide no effects when consumed.

Earth Potions always have an implied Spell qualifier, just like an incanted spell.

All potions affect the drinker only, and bypass any protective spells such as Spell Shield or Reflect Spell. They can, however, be resisted by applicable racial abilities (such as Resist Spell or Resist Necromancy for a Necromantic potion).

Scrolls

All scroll phys reps must be at least 16 square inches (for example, a scroll that is 2 inches tall by 8 inches long would be fine, which will give you five scrolls out of a standard piece of paper).

To use a scroll, you must pull out the scroll, hold it before you, have enough light to be able to read it, touch a spell packet to the scroll, actually read the scroll out loud, and then throw the packet.

If your scroll is attached to a weapon or shield, you may not be swinging it while reading the scroll.

The entire scroll must be visible for it to be used. You cannot write the incant in very small letters in the top left corner and then hold a bunch of scrolls like a hand of playing cards with only the incant visible; nor can you overlap the scrolls and attach them to the back of your shield, fitting twelve scrolls in an area that should only fit four.

After the scroll is used, the tag is removed but the paper remains. The magical writing is inert although anyone with Educated can tell what spell used to be on the scroll.

You must have an actual scroll phys rep for each scroll tag.

Note that scrolls can only be used by someone with the Read Magic skill. A character may activate a scroll no higher than 4 levels above their highest level Celestial Spell Slot; if they only have Read Magic they can read up to 4th level scrolls.