Draft:Potion of levitation
| ! | |
| Type | Potion |
|---|---|
| Base value (Au) | 50 |
| Item level | 1 |
| Weight | 20 |
| Unidentified appearance | Random container |
| Cursed name | Potion of levitation |
A potion of levitation lets an unmounted player float over ground hazards. It is useful for water and similar terrain, but does not make all location effects optional.
Generation
Levitation is an item-level-1 ordinary potion, available through random loot, the pawn shop and acquirement. Ambrosias can transform a floating eye's corpse into a blessed bottle, normally for 40 Au. Eating that corpse invokes clairvoyance instead.
Description
For an unmounted player, noncursed drinking adds 1–5 plus blessing strength levitation units. These normally expire at ten-minute status updates. If mounted, the player only feels lighter in the saddle and gains no levitation from the potion. A cursed bottle has no active effect. Every use records the type as known, including these ineffective uses.
Levitation bypasses the ground effects covered by the movement routine's levitation check, including ordinary contact with water, lava and several traps. Other location effects remain active. Deliberately activating the square underfoot with @ bypasses that avoidance, so a floating character can still choose to interact with dangerous terrain.
It is not magical breathing. Losing levitation over water or deliberately invoking the water's effect can still lead to a drowning emergency if the player lacks other protection.
Strategy
Dismount before drinking a potion intended to provide levitation. Plan the route and return before crossing hazardous terrain, and remember that negative dispelling can end a temporary effect quickly. Breathing offers a different form of water protection and can serve as a backup.
Levitation boots or the levitation spell offer alternatives for repeated crossings. The potion is useful when equipment slots or spell access make those options unavailable. Curse removal is needed to make a known cursed bottle useful; repeatedly drinking one does not build duration.