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The poison potion is presented in the original potion list with the same 4% chance of occurring as most of the other potions (M&T 24). It’s a particularly insidious find in that it’s accompanied by a specific instruction for the referee to trick the player: “Referee will mislead by naming any of the other Potions, but if carefully questioned should give it a singular feature.”
In the Greyhawk supplement Gygax turns up the danger, removing the saving grace of “a singular feature” and rewriting the guidance as “Referee will mislead players to the best of his ability in order to either make them believe it is a useful potion or to taste the poison, for even a small sip will suffice to kill” (GH 42). The clarification—that just tasting the poison potion means save vs. Poison or die—is logical on its face, but it specifically undercuts the general rule provided for potions that “a small sample can be taken without affecting the whole” (M&T 31), making the whole setup a bit absurd.
While loosely interpreting the by-the-book rules for poison in general and the poison potion specifically is a time-honored tradition, it may be desirable to reduce the chance of a poison potion to 1% and have the other 3% result in a random other “bad” potion.
1. Potion of Babel
2. Potion of Crushing Depression
3. Potion of Darkness
4. Potion of Deafening Tinnitus
5. Potion of Diplopia
6. Potion of Envy
7. Potion of Greed
8. Potion of Hubris
9. Potion of Uncontrollable Flatulence
10. Potion of Lycanthropy
11. Potion of Obsessive Compulsion
12. Potion of Olfactory Deprivation
13. Potion of Quasi-Rabidness
14. Potion of Sleep
15. Potion of Slithering
16. Potion of Sloth
17. Potion of Stank
18. Potion of Suicidal Tendencies
19. Potion of Violent Hallucination
20. Potion of Wrath
If a small sample is tasted, there’s a 2 in 6 chance of a character getting clues about the potion (+1 if Wisdom is 15 or better). If a second sample is tasted it should then account for half the potion and will induce the full effect unless otherwise noted. There are no saving throws unless otherwise noted. Duration is 7–12 turns (M&T 31).
POTION DESCRIPTIONS
Potion of Babel: Character cannot communicate in any language: speech (including telepathic) emerges as gibberish, writing comes out as random marks. Even grunts come out as bleats. Gestures may be used.
Potion of Crushing Depression: Character sinks to the ground, curls up in the fetal position, and refuses to get up or do anything. Those who have ingested this potion will not even fight for their own life.
Potion of Darkness: This potion blinds the imbiber. Attacks and saves are –6; movement with help is at half normal rate.
Potion of Deafening Tinnitus: This potion not only deafens the imbiber, but distracts so much that attacks and saves are –2.
Potion of Diplopia: This potion causes double vision. Characters who are not aided by another move at one third their usual rate and in combat they will have a 3 in 6 chance of attacking air, reduced to 2 in 6 if Wisdom is 15 or better.
Potion of Envy: This potion will make one strongly desire an item of someone else’s in the party (the most powerful or expensive item). Affected characters will try to steal the item the first chance they get. If no chance presents itself, they will either challenge the other character to hand it over or surprise attack.
Potion of Greed: The character will attempt to acquire the most valuable items, or else the lion’s share, of any treasure the party comes across, fighting for it if necessary. This potion lasts for double the usual duration.
Potion of Hubris: In all ways this potion mimics a potion of heroism or superheroism. Characters who drink it will believe they can rise to any challenge—no foe is too formidable. In actuality, though, this potion does nothing.
Potion of Lycanthropy: Character will not exhibit any immediate effect, but in 4–24 days the character will become a chaotic lycanthrope (1–2: wererat; 3–4: werewolf; 5: wereboar; 6: weretiger). The potion’s affect is permanent unless treated before onset. About one quarter of the way before onset, the character may show subtle signs of lycanthropy.
Potion of Obsessive Compulsion: Character cannot step on cracks, slowing their movement rate by one third and disallowing them to run under any circumstance. Doors cannot be entered, rooms cannot be left, and combat cannot be started without enacting some ritual: tapping a wall, genuflecting, touching a blade to the lips, etc.
Potion of Olfactory Deprivation: This potion eliminates smell and taste for double the usual duration.
Potion of Quasi-Rabidness: Character appears to be rabid—aggressive countenance, twitching and spasming, foaming at the mouth, abrupt in movements, growling before any attempt to speak, and highly sensitive to light, noise, and touch. Charisma is reduced to 1 for duration of potion and thereafter permanently by 1.
Potion of Sleep: This is a gas which immediately escapes and knocks out the one who opens it. Anyone else in the area has a 2 in 6 chance of being in the path of the gas and if they do must save vs Poison or also sleep. This potion cannot be sampled and there is no potential for a second use.
Potion of Slithering: This potion makes characters believe they are snakes. They will drop to the ground, clench their legs together and their arms to their sides. Their only movement will be to wriggle on the ground toward where they wish to go. Unarmored movement is 2" and armored movement is 1". Fighting is virtually impossible.
Potion of Sloth: This potion makes characters indifferent to any actions of others in their party. Characters may retain a mild interest in treasure, but they will not go out of their way to do anything short of fight for their own survival.
Potion of Stank: Induces a noxious body odor so bad that any humanoid within a 10' radius must save vs. Poison or become violently ill (unable to move or attack) for 1 to 6 turns. Anyone in the 10' radius who is left to attack does so at –2.
Potion of Suicidal Tendencies: Affected characters will attempt to burst through any door encountered, will charge immediately into battle against any potential foe, will pause for only a round before dropping themselves off a ledge, and otherwise will take any opportunity to put themselves in danger. In the last turn, unless already engaged in some potentially suicidal behavior, the character will attempt suicide by dagger, sword, etc. (automatic hit, damage the same as strike silently from behind).
Potion of Uncontrollable Flatulence: Character is unable to stop farting. Party has only a 1 in 12 chance of surprise during this time.
Potion of Violent Hallucination: Those who drink this will hallucinate the worst foe they have faced (or randomly determined foe using appropriate wandering monster level table). No one else will be able to convince them it is not real. The hallucination functions as a Phantasmal Forces spell.
Potion of Wrath: This potion fills characters with hate and hostility. Even the slightest disagreement with another will lead the character to automatically attack (one free round). Their rage adds +1 to attacks, +2 against opponents under 2 HD, and affected characters will not stop fighting unless restrained or the potion’s duration is reached.
