From: Abyssal Shard
Lore: The Banebane Tincture is a potion born out of the necessity to counter and resist the effects of hostile magic. Its creation involves harnessing the power of the Abyssal Shard, a potent magical catalyst, and combining it with rare and powerful ingredients known for their anti-magic properties. Legends speak of ancient alchemists and arcane scholars who sought to protect themselves and others from the dangers of hostile spells and enchantments, leading to the development of the Banebane Tincture.
Use: The Banebane Tincture is primarily used by adventurers and spellcasters who face enemies proficient in magic. When consumed, the potion provides temporary protection against hostile magic by bolstering the imbiber’s resistance and fortitude against spells and magical damage. This enables the user to withstand magical assaults with greater resilience and enhances their chances of resisting the debilitating effects of hostile spells.
Tier 1 Stats:
- Advantage on Saving Throws: The Banebane Tincture grants the user advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects, increasing their chances of successfully resisting the magical onslaught.
- Resistance to Magical Damage: The potion provides the user with resistance to magical damage, reducing the harm caused by spells and enchantments.
Skills:
- Arcana: Characters with proficiency in Arcana can better understand the nature of hostile magic and the potion’s effects. This proficiency allows them to identify the appropriate situations to utilize the Banebane Tincture effectively and maximize its benefits.
Preparation: Creating the Banebane Tincture requires a careful blend of rare and potent ingredients. The following components are needed for its preparation: Abyssal Shard (1), Anti-magic Fern Leaves (3 leaves), Basilisk Venom (a small vial), Silverbane Root (1 root), and Essence of Warding (a few drops). The Abyssal Shard acts as the catalyst, infusing the potion with anti-magic properties. The ingredients are carefully measured, mixed, and subjected to alchemical processes to extract their essence and combine them into a potent tincture.
Cost: Due to the rarity and powerful nature of the ingredients involved, the Banebane Tincture is considered valuable and relatively expensive. The cost of acquiring a vial of Banebane Tincture can vary depending on factors such as the availability of ingredients, the skill of the alchemist, and the demand in the market. As a rough estimate, a single vial of Banebane Tincture could cost around 75 to 150 gold pieces.
Tags:
- Potion
- Advantage on Saving Throws
- Resistance to Magical Damage
- Anti-magic
- Rare
- Additional: Protection, Alchemical Catalyst, Magical Resistance, Arcane Defense, Anti-Enchantment, Rare Ingredient, Countermagic, Fortitude Boost, Magic Mitigation
Where and How the Recipe is Sold:
The recipe for the Banebane Tincture is highly sought after by those who seek protection against hostile magic. However, due to the potent anti-magic properties it possesses, it is not readily available in common marketplaces. Here are some potential avenues through which the recipe and the tincture can be acquired:
- Arcane Academies and Libraries: Arcane academies and magical libraries are likely to hold knowledge of the Banebane Tincture. Characters with access to these establishments, such as wizards, scholars, or individuals with connections to the magical community, may be able to find the recipe through extensive research, study, or by earning the trust of knowledgeable scholars.
- Alchemists and Apothecaries: Skilled alchemists and apothecaries who specialize in concocting potions and elixirs may possess the recipe for the Banebane Tincture. Characters can seek out these experts in major cities or renowned establishments. However, due to the rarity and advanced nature of the potion, it may require proving one’s worth or undertaking a quest to obtain the recipe or the tincture itself.
- Hidden Enclaves and Secret Orders: Secretive organizations or enigmatic societies that specialize in anti-magic or protection against magical threats could guard the recipe. These groups operate in secluded locations, hidden away from prying eyes. Characters may need to uncover the existence of such groups and gain their trust or prove themselves worthy before they can gain access to the coveted recipe.
Usage and Environment:
The Banebane Tincture finds its greatest utility in environments where magic is prevalent and hostile spellcasters pose a significant threat. Here are some examples of how the tincture is used and the environments in which its effects come into play:
- Arcane Battlegrounds: In battles between rival spellcasters, the Banebane Tincture provides a crucial advantage. Characters who anticipate facing formidable wizards or spellcasting creatures can consume the potion before engaging in combat. This allows them to resist hostile spells, mitigate magical damage, and maintain a stronger presence on the arcane battlefield.
- Dungeons and Ancient Ruins: When exploring dangerous dungeons or ancient ruins, adventurers often encounter magical traps, glyphs, and enchanted creatures. The Banebane Tincture proves invaluable in such environments, offering protection against the enchantments and spells woven into these treacherous locations. Characters can consume the potion to enhance their chances of resisting traps, wards, and magical guardians.
- Confrontations with Powerful Spellcasters: When facing off against powerful spellcasters, such as evil sorcerers, necromancers, or witches, the Banebane Tincture provides a crucial defense. Characters can consume the potion to gain an edge in saving throws, increasing their chances of resisting debilitating spells and magical effects. This allows them to stand toe-to-toe with formidable magical adversaries.
- Political Intrigues and Diplomatic Negotiations: In settings where magic plays a prominent role in political intrigues and diplomatic negotiations, the Banebane Tincture can offer a shield against hostile enchantments or manipulative spellcasting. Characters can consume the potion to enhance their resistance to charm spells, illusions, or other magical influences, ensuring their decisions and actions remain unaffected by magical coercion.
In these environments, characters carefully plan the usage of the Banebane Tincture, consuming it at strategic moments before confronting magical threats. The potion empowers them to resist hostile spells, protect themselves against magical damage, and maintain control over their own actions and choices in the face of enchantments and manipulations.
A Cursed Draught and the Shard of Warding
In the days before the earth was calm and the skies kind, there was a shadow that dwelt beneath the lands. This shadow birthed whispers that crawled into the hearts of those who wielded magic, twisting their spells and bending their will to the dark abyss. These corrupted magi sowed chaos, conjuring storms that spoke in tongues of madness and beasts born of nightmares.
In the quiet village of Quen’s Hollow, lived Ythrion, an alchemist of humble skill but unyielding spirit. The tale begins on the eve when the stars fell from the heavens, dragging threads of abyssal darkness with them. From one such fallen star came the Abyssal Shard, a fragment of night itself, pulsing with chaos and despair. Ythrion, whose heart had not yet known fear, ventured into the forbidden woods where this shard lay cradled in scorched earth.
Guided by dreams of a voice that wept but offered no name, Ythrion crafted the first tincture—a potion brewed not with haste but with sorrow and hope. Leaves of the anti-magic fern, gathered by moonlight, whispered against the touch of basilisk venom. The silverbane root, pale as morning frost, was ground with the essence of warding, a gift from the heavens untouched by abyssal rot. Into this concoction, Ythrion dared to submerge the shard, sealing its malevolence beneath layers of radiant alchemy.
The villagers remember how Ythrion, with trembling hands and firm resolve, drank the first Banebane Tincture as the corrupted magi descended upon the hollow. Their incantations faltered; the storm of chaos roared, then collapsed into whispers. Ythrion, shielded by the tincture’s blessing, wielded his knowledge against the shadows.
In time, the tincture became a legend carried by bards who sang of its power to defy curses and hostile magics. It was whispered that to brew it required not only rarest ingredients but also a spirit uncorrupted by greed or fear, for the Abyssal Shard was not easily tamed. Its power could shatter as much as it shielded if one faltered in purpose.
Moral of the story: Power is neither a gift nor a curse but a tool shaped by the wielder’s intent. Only those who act with clarity of purpose and purity of heart can wield the strength to resist the abyss.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Magical Potion
- Effect: Grants the drinker temporary resistance to supernatural effects.
- Advantage (roll twice, take the better result) on POW-based rolls to resist spells and supernatural effects for 1d6 hours.
- Reduces all magical damage taken by half for the duration.
- Cost: Due to the rare ingredients, it is highly expensive, costing upwards of £500.
- Crafting Requirements: Requires successful Alchemy roll (Hard difficulty). Ingredients include Abyssal Shard, anti-magic herbs, and rare minerals.
- Drawback: Each use risks 1d3 Sanity loss as the tincture briefly exposes the mind to the abyss.
Blades in the Dark
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Item Load: 1
- Effect: When consumed, this potion provides resistance to magical effects for the remainder of the score.
- Add +1d to rolls resisting arcane harm or supernatural influence.
- Reduces the effect of harm caused by arcane sources by 1 level.
- Cost: 2 coin per dose; crafting requires Tinker roll with a clock (6-segment) for gathering rare ingredients.
- Drawback: Overuse leaves the user vulnerable to arcane entities, creating a 4-clock titled “Marked by the Abyss.”
Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Wondrous Item (Uncommon), Consumable
- Effect: When consumed, the tincture provides the following effects for 1 hour:
- Advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
- Resistance to damage from spells.
- Crafting Requirements: Proficiency in Alchemy Tools, access to Abyssal Shards and anti-magic herbs. Requires a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. Crafting cost: 250 gp.
- Drawback: If consumed more than once in a 24-hour period, the user must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or gain a level of exhaustion.
Knave
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Inventory Slots: 1
- Effect: Drinking the tincture provides the following benefits for 1 hour:
- +3 bonus to saves against magical effects.
- Halves magical damage taken.
- Cost: 100-150 coins per dose.
- Crafting Requirements: Requires a skilled alchemist and access to Abyssal Shards, anti-magic herbs, and venomous materials. Crafting is an extended task requiring 3-4 days of downtime.
- Drawback: Using the tincture too frequently (more than once per session) imposes a penalty of -1 HP for 24 hours due to its harsh side effects.
Fate Core
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Consumable Asset
- Effect: When consumed, the tincture provides the following:
- +2 bonus to Overcome rolls against magical or arcane effects for the remainder of the scene.
- Reduces any magical harm or stress inflicted by one level.
- Cost: The tincture is a rare resource, costing one or more Fate Points to acquire as a significant advantage or requiring a compel or quest to obtain.
- Drawback: Overuse risks invoking the consequence “Abyssal Residue,” which causes difficulty in resisting future magical effects (-1 to rolls).
Numenera & Cypher System
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Level: 5
- Effect: When consumed, the tincture provides the following benefits for 1 hour:
- Gain an asset on Intellect defense rolls against magical or supernatural effects.
- Reduce damage from all magical or supernatural sources by 2 points.
- Cost: Due to its rarity, the tincture costs 150-200 shins or may be used as part of a Tier 4 crafting task requiring Abyssal Shards and rare herbs.
- GM Intrusion: Overuse risks unpredictable side effects, such as hallucinations or attracting Abyssal entities.
Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Consumable Item, Elixir (Rare)
- Usage: Held, 1 interact action
- Effect: Drinking the tincture grants the following effects for 1 hour:
- +2 status bonus to saving throws against spells and magical effects.
- Resistance 5 to all magical damage.
- Crafting Requirements: Crafting the tincture requires the Craft Alchemical Items feat, 300 gp worth of Abyssal Shards and rare anti-magic ingredients, and a DC 20 Crafting check.
- Drawback: Consuming multiple doses in 24 hours requires a DC 16 Fortitude save. Failure inflicts 1d6 persistent mental damage.
Savage Worlds
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Magic Item, Potion
- Effect: When consumed, the tincture provides the following benefits for 1 hour:
- Grants +2 to Spirit rolls made to resist magical effects or powers.
- Reduces all damage from magical sources by 2 points.
- Cost: 250–500 gold, depending on rarity. Crafting requires a skilled alchemist with knowledge of Abyssal Shards and rare herbs.
- Drawback: Overuse (more than once per session) causes Fatigue, and drawing the Abyssal energy risks a roll on the Fear Table (GM’s discretion).
Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Consumable Magical Compound
- Effect: When consumed, the tincture provides:
- +2 dice pool bonus to Resist Spells tests for 1 hour.
- Halves damage from magical sources (rounded down) for the same duration.
- Rarity: 7
- Cost: ¥3,000 per dose.
- Side Effects: After the effect ends, the user must make a Willpower + Logic (3) test. Failure results in 1 hour of magical aura instability (-2 to resist magic rolls during that time).
Starfinder
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Consumable Item (Hybrid, Magic)
- Level: 7
- Price: 2,700 credits
- Usage: One dose, standard action to consume.
- Effect: Grants the following benefits for 10 minutes:
- +2 insight bonus to saving throws against spells and supernatural effects.
- Resistance 10 to damage from magical attacks.
- Crafting Requirements: Mysticism skill check DC 25, Abyssal Shard core, and rare herbs worth 1,500 credits.
- Drawback: Overuse within a 24-hour period causes the user to gain the shaken condition for 1d4 rounds after each subsequent dose.
Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Consumable Artifact
- Effect: Drinking the tincture grants:
- +2 DM to saving throws or checks against psionic and magical attacks for 1d6 hours.
- Reduces damage from psionic or magical attacks by 50% during the effect duration.
- Tech Level: TL 12
- Cost: MCr 0.025 per dose (25,000 credits).
- Drawback: Consuming the tincture twice within 24 hours triggers a Difficult (10+) Endurance check. Failure results in temporary neurological impairment (-1 DM to Intelligence and Endurance for 1d6 hours).
Warhammer (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, 4th Edition)
Item Name: Banebane Tincture
- Type: Rare Potion
- Encumbrance: Negligible
- Effect: Upon consumption:
- Gain a +20 bonus to Willpower Tests against magical effects for 1 hour.
- Take half damage from spells during this time.
- Availability: Very Rare (requires a Hard (-20) Trade (Alchemy) Test to craft or find for purchase).
- Cost: 10 gold crowns per dose.
- Drawback: Overuse results in gaining 1 Corruption Point per additional dose consumed in the same day.