unusual_potions

Downing this powerful arcane elixir changes the user at
their core, turning them into a walking bomb that will
inflict heavy damage once the power is ignited.

Potion of Sunburst

With one of the potion’s ingredients the rays of
the sun and another ingredient the blessing of a
holy warrior or cleric, it is no surprise that the
potion of sunburst is a powerful weapon against
the darkness of the undead. It is rare when arcane
and divine spellcasters work closely together, es-
pecially to craft a magic item, which makes the
potion of sunburst an expensive magic item that
few will ever see in action, let alone possess.

Benefit: At any moment within an hour of drink-
ing the potion, the user may detonate an arcane
burst of energy that brightens the affected area
as if it was noon and deals 2d6 points of damage
to all evil characters and creatures within range.
Access to this powerful potion must be heavily
restricted in your campaign.

Twist: An unholy cleric and evil spellcaster working together may cre-
ate a potion of unlife, the reverse of the sunburst effect in that the
potion explodes in a rain of necromantic energy that makes undead
within the affected area more powerful and can animate the dead.

As GM, you may wish to rule that the 51
effect of this potion inflicts double
damage to undead creatures.

A whirling and flashing ring of needle-sharp daggers
cloaks the user of this potion, granting a defense
against attacks that is as dangerous as it sounds.

Potion of Daggers

Near-sentient, arcane daggers form in the air around the user once
the potion is swallowed, the magical defense acting as both shield and
melee attack for the potion’s duration (which is usually only a handful
of combat rounds). The potion of daggers is classified as a magical
weapon in some societies, outlawed and denied to all but those who
are in command. Being caught with the potion in a region where it is
considered illegal could result in death.

Benefit: The potion halves all incoming physical
attacks and automatically damages anyone who
steps within 5' of the user. The weapon’s
damage is equal to 1d4+1 dagger at-
tacks (each attack is random and in-
flicts a different amount of damage).
The user may make melee attacks as
normal if he is within striking range
of a foe.

Twist: A potion of poison daggers ex-
ists and acts as the above with the add-
ed bonus of poisoning the victim. Only
a cruel GM introduces this to the game.

52 This potion is a favorite
of thieves and assassins who only drink
it when cornered.

Everyone, regardless of the intentions, has had a
moment when they wish that they could be invisible.

Potion of Invisibility

A liquid almost as clear as the
power that it grants, the potion
of invisibility is both a relatively
common and expensive magic
item in many campaign worlds.

Benefit: With a duration of
5d6+10 minutes, the potion makes
the user invisible, as per the spell as de-
scribed in your chosen game system. If your
game does not offer player characters the spell of invisibility, then treat
this potion as a lesser form of invisibility; those who make a successful
spot or notice check will see the faint outline of the character. Please
do not forget that the potion affects the character and all worn and
carried gear and weapons. Making an attack when invisible negates
the potion’s power.

Twist: A greater invisibility potion allows the user the possibility of
successfully making an attack without losing the invisible state; there
is a 25% chance when attacking while under the influence of this po-
tion that the user will remain invisible. The duration is also extended
for a greater invisibility potion.

The power of invisibility is one that all 53
adventurers will find a use for in their

career as dungeon crawlers.

More of a curse than a bonus, the grayslime potion is
a trap hiding in a bottle. Never drink random liquids,
friends, because you may not like the results.

Grayslime Potion

As thick and sludge-like as the darkest of slimes, this potion looks far
from tasty . . . and smells even worse than it looks. Once the bottle’s
seal is broken, the coloring of the slime darkens and, if left alone, will
eventually turn black and harden into a mass of goo that has no mag-
ical power at all. The potion must be consumed within one minute of
breaking the seal, otherwise it becomes useless.

Benefit: The potion instantly changes the user
into a blob of slime, all worn and carried items
dropping to the ground where the new-
ly-formed slime starts to eat away at the
equipment and weapons. The user gets
a single check to maintain control of the
slime state; a successful wisdom or willpow-
er check means that the character keeps full
control and all knowledge, but is now a slime
for the potion’s duration. A failed check means
the character’s presence is gone until the effect
expires.

Twist: If the user fails to maintain control of
their mental state, they remain a slime forever.

54 One special bonus of this semi-cursed
potion is the ability to speak with slimes
and molds. What secrets do they hold?

Unlike the potion of the dragon’s
heart (see p. 46), this potion does
not change the user’s appearance.

Dragonflight Potion

Flight is a spell that is coveted by many
wizards who wish to rise above the dirty,
brutal melee and fire offensive spells
from the relative safety of the sky above
the fight. When possible, a wizard –
or any character who prefers ranged
attacks to up close conflicts – will use
flight to stay above the battle.
Benefit: The user gains the flight power for the potion’s duration,
which should be no greater than the flight spell’s duration in your cho-
sen game system. If used indoors or below ground, the potion’s dura-
tion is cut in half and the flight power is limited by the ceiling of the
area. It is often a waste to use a flight spell anywhere but out of doors.
Twist: In addition to the power to fly, the potion’s user also possesses
the ability to project the illusion of a flight of dragons. At will, for so
long as the potion has not expired, the user may project the illusion of
3d8 dragons flying high over the battlefield. Weaker willed characters
and creatures who fail to spot the illusion for what it is will be terrified
by the sight of the dragons high overhead.

A variant of this potion causes dragon 55
wings to grow from the user’s back.

Stealing the dreams of others is a
cruel, wicked act and not the action
of a hero. Be careful with this potion.

Dreamtheft Potion

When sleeping, some find that their dreams al-
low them to solve problems that their wak-
ing mind is incapable of handling.
Dreams are powerful, and some
rely heavily on their dreams to
guide and inspire them, and as
with all valuable possessions,
there are those who seek to steal
the most powerful of dreams.

Benefit: Drinking this potion before sleep
grants the user the ability to enter the dreamplanes, projecting their
essence into another realm of existence. Once there, they can see into
the dreams of others and attempt to steal those dreams. Finding the
dreams of a specific target is a challenge; the closer the two are in the
mortal realm, the greater the chance of successfully locating the de-
sired dream. Once found, the two characters struggle in the dream-
planes for control of the dream. This should be a willpower or wisdom
contest, with the results determined by the gamemaster.

Twist: Stealing a dream also kills the subject, removing their life es-
sence along with the secrets of the dream.

56 A trip to the dreamplanes of existence
can be a horrific experience from which
one never recovers. Do not get trapped.

With this foul brew, anyone may take the role of a
master necromancer and command armies of the
undead. The potion is illegal in many lands.

Potion of Undead Control

If someone said that this bottle smells like death, it would be difficult
to argue with them. The stench is overwhelming and cannot be con-
tained by the stopper; anyone within 2d12' of the bottle has a 10%
chance of smelling the potion. What is worse is that once smelled, it is
impossible to overlook the stench. Undead who come within the range
of stench automatically smell the liquid. It is possible that they will
treat the potion’s carrier as one of their own and ignore the character.

Benefit: Once consumed, the character gains the ability to control un-
dead creatures. This potion’s duration is 1d4+4 rounds and it can only

affect skeletons and zombies; other undead
are too powerful and resist the instructions
of the potion’s user. The GM may rule that
only evil characters may use this potion.

Twist: The potion amplifies the undead
control spells and abilities of a necromancer,

extending the character’s abilities. Anyone
who is not a necromancer who drinks
this potion must make a successful
willpower or wisdom check; failure re-
sults in instant death.

This nasty 57
potion is one
best avoided.

Defined as a paranormal ability to “remember” events
and persons solely by touching an object, psychometry is
an ability that could be valuable to adventurers.

Potion of Psychometry

Connecting to the past by touching objects
is a powerful ability, one that many claim
is an impossible magic that simply does not
exist. Those who do not believe in the power
of psychometry say that those who practice
this “power” are no more than charlatans in
search of easy gold. At times, though, the
readings are too accurate to be anything
less than true arcane power.

Benefit: The character gains the pow-
er to “see” into the past when hold-
ing an item. For the duration of the
potion (I suggest no less than one
in-game minute), the user may
do nothing more than hold the
item in question. Once the po-
tion has expired, the character
knows 1d4 specific things about
the item’s past. The GM may use
this as a tool to introduce historical
context to an item found in a dungeon.

58 The secret of brewing this particular
potion is guarded well. Finding the
receipe is an adventure all its own.

Once consumed, this potion
grants the user the ability to
fling dagger-like stars.

Starslice Potion

This glowing liquid twinkles and
sparkles in the dimmest of lights.
Even moonlight will trigger the
radiant glow of the potion, if it
is held in anything but a com-
pletely opaque container. The
vial or bottle that contained
the liquid glows as bright as a
torch for 2d8 hours after the po-
tion is consumed.

Benefit: Similar in function to the ever-popular “magic missile” spell
that is found in Dungeons & Dragons, the starslice potion grants the
user the ability to fire stars of light energy that are unerring in their ac-
curacy. The exact number of missiles and the damage of each is deter-
mined by the power level of the potion’s crafter; roll 1d4 to determine
the number of attacks granted by the potion. Damage is equal to three
times the number of missiles. The effect must be used within the hour;
any missiles not used at the end of an hour are forever lost.

Twist: The stars must be aimed. The user must make a successful
ranged weapon attack to strike the target.

The missile-like magic attack of some- 59
one under the influence of the starslice

potion is stunning to witness.

As the potion is swallowed in gulps, the magic takes
effect instantly, transforming the imbiber into a ghost-
like being with the ability to walk through walls.

Ghostshift Potion

This potion is best in worlds where ghosts are plentiful. If released
into a world without otherworldly spirits, the potion may cause seri-
ous troubles as its powers tap into another realm. Will the spirits of
that otherplace follow the potion’s user back to the campaign world?
Benefit: For the duration of the potion, the user takes on a ghost-like
state. When in this form, the user may pass through doors, walls, and
other obstacles and may, at will, shift
into an ethereal plane of existence
that sits next to the physical world.
The potion does not grant the user the
life-draining, haunting, and other abil-
ities of a ghost.
Twist: The power of the potion lingers.
The user turned into a half-incor-
poreal being for 2d8 days after
the potion should have ex-
pired. During this time, the
victim must deal with the
troubles of existing in two
existences at once.

60

Drinking down this effervescent arcane mix unleahes an
impossibly loud symphony of inhuman screams that can

frighten even the hardiest of adventurers.

Potion of Screams

This sunrise orange-colored mystic drink is
often stoppered in an over-large bottle that is
more challenging for an adventurer to carry
than your usual potion. Wizards
say that the power of inhuman
screams is so intense that they
must dilute the brew; a more
concentrated form of the potion
– the wizards claim – would kill
most mortals.

Benefit: The potion requires two
combat rounds to drink. Once
swallowed, the user may fire a
single sonic blast that deals 2d8
points of damage to all within its zone of fire. The screaming burst fires
the instant that the user opens his mouth after drinking the potion,
and the screams must be unleashed within 2d3+1 rounds of swallow-
ing the potion or the damage is suffered by the user.

Twist: The potion steals the user’s voice for 2d4+1 hours after it first
first swallowed. No talking allowed during that time.

The screams are visible, projecting as 61
a black burst of light from the user’s
open mouth for several seconds.

The ability to memorize a scroll – and access its power
in the future – is one that could completely change the
balance of power in your campaign. Be careful.

Potion of Scrolls

Typically, the act of reading a scroll consumes the
magic contained within the writing and leaves the
adventurer with either a useless scrap of parchment
or the ashes of that parchment. The potion of scrolls,
though, leaves the adventurer with a spell that can
be unleashed at a moment’s notice . . . and the
ashes of the now-destroyed scroll.

Benefit: Once swallowed, the potion grants
the user 1d4+1 hours to read a number of
scrolls equal one-third their intelligence
score. The spells of these scrolls are now
trapped within the user’s mind, waiting to be
released as an attack action. Spells not activat-
ed within one day of drinking the potion fade
away and are forever lost.

Twist: Spells not used within one day are lost,
yes, but the character also suffers arcane damage
as determined by the gamemaster. For games
with spell levels, I suggest 1d4 points of damage
for each level of the unused spell.

62 Non-wizards drinking this potion are
unaffected and do not gain the ability to
memorize scrolls. The potion is wasted.

Like a blank slate, the mimic potion sits and waits
for instructions, remaining powerless and useless until
it can copy of the effects of a nearby and different potion.

Mimic Potion

This sludge-like potion has no powers if
swallowed before it is allowed to copy the
effects of another potion. Drinking the
mimic potion before it is ready does
not grant a bonus, though there is
a 15% chance that the user will be-
come terribly sick and weakened
by the sludge. To copy another
potion, the mimic potion must
be stored within a few inches of
another magical potion. After 2d6
days, the mimic potion is an exact
copy of the other potion.

Benefit: As you can guess, the benefits of a mimic potion can only be
determined after the mimic has been given time to copy the effects of
another potion. Once activated, the mimic potion is identical in color
and function to the copied potion.

Twist: The mimic potion is a lesser form of the copied potion, with
the duration, damage, and other applicable effects all reduced by 50%.
Only an experienced mage can spot a copied potion.

The mimic potion will not wait forever. 63
It turns to dust if not imprinted within

2d6 years of its creation

The 40 potions detailed within these pages are suitable
for most fantasy roleplaying games. If your campaign
includes dragons, dungeons, and more, you’re good to go!

The text, layout, and design of The Book of Unusual Potions is copyright © 2019 Philip Reed, all
rights reserved. Some art by Forrest Imel, used under license. Some art by deymos, Microstocker.
Pro, Macrovector, ne2pi, Tonis Pan, Valadzionak Volha, Vectorpocket, VectorPot, and Vector-
Show, used under license from Shutterstock.com. Some art by Clonefront, used under license.
Any mention of games, trademarks, or other properties are for reference only and not a claim to
ownership of those games, trademarks, or other properties.