[Magic] Brewing Potions

[scc]

OK, one of the problems I've got with Magic is that for potions it only offers Alchemy, which turns Alchemy into canned Magic and not it's own thing, and with this spell I hope I've fixed that:

Brew Potion Very Hard
Brew a magical potion that contains a spell from another college that can effect only a single living target. While healing or enhancement most commonly used, baneful effects such as Beast-Rouser are not unheard of, if uncommon because their usefulness is limited. Mind Control spells can actually be brewed, but the targets behavior will be set up at the time of viewing or they will become suspectable to those around them, not the brewer. Factors such as increased duration or higher level are made when the potion is brewed and can't be changed later. All skill rolls are made when the potion is brewed and if needed later, such as for spells that have resistance, recorded. As the energy for a potion is contained in the potion they work in areas that are mana barren but magic still works, so one would work in the Great Desert of Yrth, but not on Homeline.

Base Cost: Thrice the cost to cast the spell normally once all modifiers are accounted for, such as duration and high skill.
Time to Cast: one hour per 10 energy expended. Must the brewed as a single, uninterrupted task, no sleeping.
Prerequisites: Crate Water, one Food spell, and three different spells from different colleges. The GM may set further limitations, such as a minimum level in Alchemy or rare, exotic, or simply expensive ingredients, for any or all potions.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by scc

OK, one of the problems I've got with Magic is that for potions it only offers Alchemy, which turns Alchemy into canned Magic and not it's own thing, and with this spell I hope I've fixed that:

Brew Potion Very Hard
Brew a magical potion that contains a spell from another college that can effect only a single living target. While healing or enhancement most commonly used, baneful effects such as Beast-Rouser are not unheard of, if uncommon because their usefulness is limited. Mind Control spells can actually be brewed, but the targets behavior will be set up at the time of viewing or they will become suspectable to those around them, not the brewer. Factors such as increased duration or higher level are made when the potion is brewed and can't be changed later. All skill rolls are made when the potion is brewed and if needed later, such as for spells that have resistance, recorded. As the energy for a potion is contained in the potion they work in areas that are mana barren but magic still works, so one would work in the Great Desert of Yrth, but not on Homeline.

I don't think I get what you're trying to accomplish. You describe alchemy as "canned magic and not it's [sic] own thing," which isn't so evident to me; the list of potions does not correspond 100% to the list of spells. But stipulating that, what you provide is a spell (or technically, perhaps, an enchantment) that produces a potion for any spell, one that provides the same effects as the spell. So you don't even have a separate list of potions; you have "turn this spell into a potion." I don't get how that isn't even more "canned magic" than the existing alchemy rules are. It seems like it's almost the exact opposite of what you say you're looking for.

So maybe I'm not understanding what your goal is?

[Phantasm]

Seems to me is that the goal is to replicate the Brew Potion feat from That Other Game, which allows healing and buffing spells to be brewed into potions rather than cast, use of the Craft (Alchemy) skill optional.

Basically, it's another way of producing the "canned magic" more in keeping with That Other Game's mechanics and metaphysics than GURPS's.

Not sure if that's a good thing or not.

[evileeyore]

My recommendation to scc:

Make your spell work more like the Enchantment rules and make it an Enchantment spell rather than a much better, far more versatile and powerful Delay or Hang spell. Because that's what you've made...


Also you've completely removed grenade type potions from play if you follow your current set-up (which may be a bonus to you).

[RyanW]

If your skill is good enough to lower cost to maintain to zero, what keeps you from brewing a potion with infinite duration?

[Dammann]

Cumulative penalties to casting? If you only have a single potion, no biggie, but if your party is walking around with 5 potions apiece, the penalties might become a burden until they use the potions. Which I guess could also be a feature rather than a bug? I dunno, it gives incentives to avoid miserly potion hoarding, if that is a thing.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

My recommendation to scc:

Make your spell work more like the Enchantment rules and make it an Enchantment spell rather than a much better, far more versatile and powerful Delay or Hang spell. Because that's what you've made...

I am unable to conceive of a way this would work ina Gurps Magic framework except as an Enchantment spell and it would basically be a version of a Spellstone.

Right now it's so much cheaper than a Spellstone that it's basically broken.

It's not as portable or durable as a Spellstone so maybe it should get a discount for that.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

I am unable to conceive of a way this would work ina Gurps Magic framework except as an Enchantment spell and it would basically be a version of a Spellstone.

Yup. My thought exactly.

Right now it's so much cheaper than a Spellstone that it's basically broken.

It's also possibly cheaper than Hang Spell, in that it gets cost reduction for High Skill.

It's not as portable or durable as a Spellstone so maybe it should get a discount for that.

Eminently fair. Drop the $40xP portion of Spell Stone's cost?