Mental Stress Potion

[MegaPuff75]

I had an idea for a potion but I'm not sure how many shifts it would be. The potion would would extend the mental stress track for a single scene, but would the cost be 1 shift per stress box added, half the value of each box, the full value of each box, or the value of the final box in the extended track?

[Vairelome]

You could use as a baseline a potion that replaced your Conviction stat for the purposes of determining mental stress.  3 shifts gives you Good (+3) Conviction and mental stress track length of 4.  5 shifts gives you Superb (+5) Conviction, a mental stress track length of 4, and an extra mild mental consequence slot.  7 shifts gives a mental stress track length of 4 and 2 extra mild mental consequences.  (So far, I believe this is standard by the RAW.)

Now, assuming you still want a mental stress track length longer than 4 rather than the extra mild mental consequences, you'd need to figure out a conversion (house rule time!).  Offhand, I'd suggest one extra mild mental consequence could be cashed in for one extra mental stress box, but you could modify this exchange rate as you see fit.

Optimized Crafters can make 10-shift potions at Submerged, which in this case would be a potion granting Legendary+1 (+9) Conviction for the purposes of determining your mental stress track plus 1 shift to extend the duration of the effect.  With my suggested conversion, that would be a mental stress track length of 7, boosted one step on the time chart for duration.

[sinker]

I would worry about consequences granted from a potion. What happens after the scene if he takes two but still has one free? What about if he uses an extra mental consequence but then looses all mental consequence slots (leaving him with one generic slot)? There's too much weirdness there.

Additionally I would worry about that because the only real limit that casters have is mental stress. If we allow them to cast a spell (which is essentially what a potion is)to boost their spellcasting limit it gets murky.

[Todjaeger]

I would worry about consequences granted from a potion. What happens after the scene if he takes two but still has one free? What about if he uses an extra mental consequence but then looses all mental consequence slots (leaving him with one generic slot)? There's too much weirdness there.

Additionally I would worry about that because the only real limit that casters have is mental stress. If we allow them to cast a spell (which is essentially what a potion is)to boost their spellcasting limit it gets murky.

There is also the fact that stress goes away after a scene ends.  The only things which stick around are any consequences taken.  And this potion seems to be intended to allow spellcasters to go beyond their 'normal' Evocation limits without suffering consequences.  I too question whether such a potion could unbalance a game.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

You should probably treat it as adding a temporary Toughness Power on the mental stress track.  So whatever cost you decide is appropriate plus FP (or debt to the GM) equal to the Power's cost by whoever drinks it.

[Vairelome]

sinker, Todjaeger, check out the margin notes on YS176; it's not directly on point as to potion-granted powers, but I'd say it's relevant to your concerns.

[Harry:]  What happens if you shapeshift out of a form that has a power ability with extra stress boxes?  And what if those boxes are checked off?
[Billy:]  You lose access to those boxes, but the checkmarks don't go away.  You aren't instantly taken out, but if you later bring those boxes BACK, they'll still have those check marks unless enough time has passed.

I'd treat potion-granted stress boxes or mild consequences the same way the margin notes suggest that you treat extra stress boxes or mild consequences gained from shapeshifting, so long as those boxes/consequence slots derived from an augmented base stat.

If you wanted to go the "mental Toughness" route that The Mighty Buzzard suggested, with the added benefits there, I'd say...take the power's refresh cost, double it to provide the base shifts for the potion, then pay Fate equal to the power's refresh cost to activate it for the scene.  In this case, the potion provides the justification for gaining access to the temporary power and the Fate pays for it, per the Temporary Powers sidebar on YS92.

[Todjaeger]

sinker, Todjaeger, check out the margin notes on YS176; it's not directly on point as to potion-granted powers, but I'd say it's relevant to your concerns.

I'd treat potion-granted stress boxes or mild consequences the same way the margin notes suggest that you treat extra stress boxes or mild consequences gained from shapeshifting, so long as those boxes/consequence slots derived from an augmented base stat.

If you wanted to go the "mental Toughness" route that The Mighty Buzzard suggested, with the added benefits there, I'd say...take the power's refresh cost, double it to provide the base shifts for the potion, then pay Fate equal to the power's refresh cost to activate it for the scene.  In this case, the potion provides the justification for gaining access to the temporary power and the Fate pays for it, per the Temporary Powers sidebar on YS92.

I disagree there with the relevance, because it doesn't address the issue I have with a potion granting additional Mental stress boxes.

I think it's safe to say that most Evocators are going to have 4 Mental stress boxes available to them.  That effectively means that an Evocator could cast 4 spells like Rotes at their max normal level, have the scene end, and end up like nothing happened.  If they wanted to hit harder than they normally could, the Evocator has that option, but they would either need to reduce the number of spells cast, and/or take a Consequnce.  Having a Mental stress potion to temporarily increase the number of stress boxes introduces the possibility that players could decide to take Backlash from a failed spell, without suffering any consequences.

-Cheers

[The Mighty Buzzard]

I disagree there with the relevance, because it doesn't address the issue I have with a potion granting additional Mental stress boxes.

I think it's safe to say that most Evocators are going to have 4 Mental stress boxes available to them.  That effectively means that an Evocator could cast 4 spells like Rotes at their max normal level, have the scene end, and end up like nothing happened.  If they wanted to hit harder than they normally could, the Evocator has that option, but they would either need to reduce the number of spells cast, and/or take a Consequnce.  Having a Mental stress potion to temporarily increase the number of stress boxes introduces the possibility that players could decide to take Backlash from a failed spell, without suffering any consequences.

Given the fact that they have to pay at least two FP per scene they use the potion in and use up an EI slot per potion, I really don't see that as a problem.  If it bugs you though, just rule that mental Toughness wouldn't work on self-inflicted stress from casting the same way a mental shield spell wouldn't.  It'd still be handy fighting whampires.