Potion --Terrae Peregrinatio
x.p. value {if found} 25,000
g.p. value *****
Terrae Peregrinatio or "World Travel" is an extremely arcane potion. The creation of the original bottle predates the Faerunian city of Myth Drannor by more than 2000 years. With the exception of a few ancient texts that prove that it ever existed, it is never spoken of by even the most powerful of sages.
The mage who originally devised this concoction was known to travel about in search of knowledge. Being a true scholar in his time, he recorded all of his findings so that they might be used to teach the people of his village about the world around them. Late one day, on his way back home, an encounter with a runaway ox cart left him without the use of his legs.
Now confined to a chair in his home, his only contact with the outside world was through the findings of his man servant. Lacking the detail he was accustomed to, he needed to find a way out to continue his work. With assistance from servants and town folk alike, a new laboratory was built to accommodate his now limited movement.
Locking himself away from the world, he feverishly sought over the next few years the solution he so desired. At some time during this period of self-exile he somehow managed to combine twisted variations of spells and mental disciplines in a potion form. The exact procedure and items that were used is not known as the pages seem to have been carefully removed from his writings. The effects of the potion were quite clear though. The side effects were also noted in another book, a journal if you will, written by the man servant.
What was intended to be the predecessor to the now popular teleport spell turned out to be something much more fantastic. The potion gave the old mage a power of omniscience. Sight, smell, sound, touch, taste, thought, emotion and time were all fractions of the effects that he felt. It even managed to shatter the barriers of non-detection and prevention spells. The whole world, all at once, was his to experience--past, present and future.
The effects of continued use proved to be quite maddening, ranging from feeblemindedness to violent psychotic behavior before his eventual demise, rumored to be by his own hand.
Some of the vials of potion may have survived the passage of time (DM's option 1d4 max.) There is a minute chance (up to 5%) that the potion may even still function. When ingested in ANY quantity by a character of intelligence of 13 or less, the player must first make a saving throw vs. Death at -4. Those with higher intelligence scores must make the roll as normal. A failed roll results in vomiting, unconsciousness, and extreme trauma to the brain within 24 hours if left untreated as if a poison. After 24 hours, the DM may want to rule this as character death, or reduce the character's intelligence permanently to 1 and have serious muscle control problems result, making the character much like a newborn baby. A successful roll permits the character to experience the effects of this potion.
The character must be able to concentrate on one single person, idea, item or event for the ENTIRE duration of the potion. The potion will last approximately 1d6 turns. Once per turn, the imbiber will have to make an Intelligence check (-1 on 2nd turn, -2 on 3rd, and so on to -5 on 6th) to maintain concentration due to the amount of vivid imagery coming in. Loss of concentration causes the character to suffer one of the possible side effects as listed.
| d100 |
|
| 01 - 05 | Traumatic visions cause 1 point of damage per round remaining |
| 06 - 15 | Feebleminded (no cure) for 1d12 months |
| 16 - 30 | 16 - 30 Feebleminded (curable) for 1d12 weeks |
| 31 - 45 | Loss of spellcasting due to absentmindedness for 1d12 days |
| 46 - 55 | Potion effects ceased - loss of all information gained |
| 56 - 70 | Loss of spellcasting due to extremely erratic behavior for 1d12 days |
| 71 - 85 | Insanity (curable) for 1d12 weeks |
| 86 - 95 | Insanity (no cure) for 1d12 months |
| 96 - 00 | Traumatic visions cause 1 point of damage per round remaining |
The DM may allow a table variance of 1% per point of intelligence plus 1% per level of the character. EX: 5th level and 17 intelligence equals a 22% variation. The variation must be taken as a whole. Fractions of the percentage should not be allowed.
Special notes to DM's - If you have characters who are insistent about trying this potion, be prepared to give them a wild ride of vivid imagery. Have detailed descriptions of several topics ready and present them in rapid succession much like a dream (or nightmare) presents itself. If the characters chose to sell the potion, think of the NPC's who might want to purchase such a product. It could be considered extremely valuable to a person of an unsavory nature who has personal gains in mind, or likewise, to a government who might want to keep the affairs of state a secret. In either case, the selling price should be set no lower than 75,000 g.p.
© Patrick Collins, 1997