Strike Barren (spell) vs. Elixir of Fertility (alchemy)

[ehrbar]

Just wondering if there's an official rule or ruling anywhere on the interaction of Strike Barren and the Elixir of Fertility.

(If there isn't, I'm going to rule that the former's "Renders infertile any subject that was capable of producing offspring" is outright trumped by the latter's "Except for Sexless characters, offspring will result from any natural union made during the elixir’s duration.")

[ravenfish]

Without taking the time to do a deep reading of the relevant rules, my instinct would be to roll a quick contest between the alchemist's skill level and the caster's spell level to see which one overcomes the other.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by ehrbar

Just wondering if there's an official rule or ruling anywhere on the interaction of Strike Barren and the Elixir of Fertility.

(If there isn't, I'm going to rule that the former's "Renders infertile any subject that was capable of producing offspring" is outright trumped by the latter's "Except for Sexless characters, offspring will result from any natural union made during the elixir’s duration.")

I'd ask which one was applied first. If the former, then the latter overrides it. But if the latter, then as long as there hasn't been a naturral union, it changes the state to infertile

[Alden Loveshade]

A note that even though I wrote "The Alchemists' Guild" for Pyramid, that doesn't mean I know more than anyone else in this thread.

I think this is a possible option.

Originally Posted by ravenfish

Without taking the time to do a deep reading of the relevant rules, my instinct would be to roll a quick contest between the alchemist's skill level and the caster's spell level to see which one overcomes the other.

That said, the spell description does say "Restoration or Remove Curse will undo the spell." So it can be overruled by later magic. So I personally would lean toward the below:

Originally Posted by whswhs

I'd ask which one was applied first. If the former, then the latter overrides it. But if the latter, then as long as there hasn't been a naturral union, it changes the state to infertile

[Rolando]

While I probably would treat it as the last to be applied overrides the previous because both have a comparable (but opposite) effect on a subject and neither explicitly grant protection of any type against the other the Elixir of Fertility do have some literal meaning when it says that during the duration of the elixirs effect it the subject will produce offspring.

It may simply be a way of writing but it's particular effect is that it makes an infertile subject fertile. So the Strike Barren spell have it's effect, but even if the subject is infertile (due to magic or natural reasons) there is still an offspring produced... that's how magic is, making the impossible possible since the dawn of myth.

The Elixir don't restores fertility to the subject though, it just makes it fertile for the duration.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Rolando

While I probably would treat it as the last to be applied overrides the previous because both have a comparable (but opposite) effect on a subject and neither explicitly grant protection of any type against the other the Elixir of Fertility do have some literal meaning when it says that during the duration of the elixirs effect it the subject will produce offspring.

IF there has been a "natural union."

[David Johnston2]

Plotwise it's better if there's an Elixir that counters Strike Barren because then that gives you a quest. Someone has been cursed to keep them from producing an heir. So you get tasked with finding the ingredients for an elixir that will let them beat the curse.