Draft:Potion of augmentation
| ! | |
| Type | Potion |
|---|---|
| Base value (Au) | 200 |
| Item level | 5 |
| Weight | 20 |
| Unidentified appearance | Random container |
| Cursed name | Potion of debilitation |
A potion of augmentation raises current attributes above their normal maxima. Blessing changes it from a random single-attribute improvement to an improvement of all six attributes.
Generation
It is an item-level-5 ordinary potion, obtainable from random loot, pawn-shop stock and acquirement. Random positive enchantment does not strengthen augmentation.
Description
An uncursed potion selects one attribute uniformly from Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Agility, Intelligence and Power. The selected current value becomes the greater of its old current value plus one and its recorded maximum plus one. It therefore repairs a drained selected attribute and raises it beyond maximum in the same use.
A positively blessed potion applies that rule to all six attributes. Additional blessing strength does not add more points. The recorded maxima do not increase. The gains have no dedicated countdown, but effects that reset current attributes to their maxima can remove them. Repeated augmentation can continue raising current values.
A cursed potion reduces one randomly selected current attribute to the lesser of current minus one and maximum minus one. This matches cursed restoration and shares its potion of debilitation name. Noncursed drinking identifies the type; cursed drinking does not.
Strategy
Blessing is particularly valuable here: it replaces a one-in-six chance at the desired attribute with improvement of every attribute. Save a known copy for that preparation when practical. If immediate repair of one or more drained attributes is the goal, restoration is usually the more focused resource.
Plan the gain around services that reset current stats. A week of rest at Rampart Arms resets all six to their maxima, losing these above-maximum gains. The potion is therefore different from training that increases an attribute's maximum. It remains useful for improving current combat and carrying performance before a demanding expedition.
The distinction also matters for Azoth: high current Strength can trigger Azoth's overdose check even when that Strength came from another source. More current attributes are not always a reason to drink every powerful potion immediately.