Potions

Players may find small vials with colored paper rolled within them during play. These simulate potions and may have a variety of positive or negative effects. If the cork is removed from a potion that is being held in one’s hand, it has been drunk and the player should remove the colored paper from the vial, read it, tear the paper in two, and immediately take any effects described.

One may mime pouring the potion into the mouth of an unconscious or dead PC or NPC (bearing in mind the "Physical Contact" sections of the Rules of Play), at which point the cork should be removed and the paper should be given to the unconscious/dead character without looking at it. One may also mime dumping the contents of the potion on the ground, at which point the cork should be removed and the paper torn without looking at it.

If at all possible, please return empty potions and corks when it is convenient to do so. Please take special care not to litter the site with potion tags, bottles, or corks.

The average character does not have a way of knowing what a given potion does. They are discouraged from memorizing the symbols on the paper, but are encouraged to reference the color of the potion (i.e. “I have two pink potions”). A few potions will have labels on them (Beer, Wine, and Dye). These are universally recognizable as the associated economy item, but if these are drunk the potion tag should still be read even if you think you know what the effect it - it is still possible for that beer to be poisoned!

Some combat classes have the Alchemy skill. This grants them access to a small sheet of paper known as an Alchemy Decoder which contains both a key to the symbols on the potions and what each combination of colors and symbols does. This decoder may not be transferred, nor may a character with Alchemy allow a character who does not have Alchemy to reference it. While it represents the inherent knowledge of the character, players are not expected to memorize what is on the decoder and may even wish to hide their decoder in a small book so that they can “consult their notes” if they need to identify a potion.