[gurps] [3e] Elixir weight

Mon Apr 6 13:32:53 CDT 2009

I think the main reasons for 'oops that was all of it' comes from a
lack of standardized containers and dose sizes.

Have you ever tried to take a drink form a cup that you thought was
almost empty when it was still more than half full?
How about drinking part of a beverage when the container is much
thicker than you thought it would be?
A container that is of an unfamiliar shape(such as a hand-blown
bottle) and it all comes out a once?
This brings to mind one time I had a single serving can of some sort
of juice, but only about half of the weight(if that) was the beverage,
a lot of the rest was an extra-thick bottom.
Sort of like wine bottles: thick bottom and even a drastically concave
bottom to make it seem like there is more than there really is.

When someone is making an elixir, they are not planning for the
benefit of whoever it is seals stuff from their shop, or for the
benefit of whoever is sealing from the client who ordered the potion.

They are brewing the potion to best fit the requirements of whoever is
paying for it.  You want an extra-concentrated brew so that you can
keep all five doses that you ordered in your favorite bottle?  Sure,
I'll just boil it a little longer and use condensed milk instead of
fresh.  It may be a little thick, but you will have enough elixir in
your favorite bottle to fly all the way to your grandmothers house
without having to stop and drink from a new bottle after every hour.

We are not dealing with liqui-caps here, what we are dealing with
would be much closer to buying drugs off the street.  No quality
control other than if it does not work at all, no one buys it any
more.  What happens if you are accustomed to using some street drug
that has always been cut 20 times before you ever see it, then you
find a stash in a house that you are robbing that has not been cut at
all?  You sample just enough to make sure it is the 'right stuff' and
it turns out you got double your usual dose, possibly even enough to
kill you.

I imagine that every elixir has some inactive ingredient that is
primarily for making it easier to drink(sort of like distilled water
being added to Maalox liquid so that it comes out faster than ketchup
and one spoon full has the right amount of medicine in it), and the
exact amount of this that is used would be based both on the size of
the bottles you happen to have on your shelf, as well as if it is
intended for a 30 lb child or a 350lb warrior.

On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 12:35 PM, Bryan <brakeb at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 6, 2009 at 10:43, Hal <alaconius at roadrunner.com> wrote:
>> Hi Brandon,
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: gurpsnet-l-bounces at sjgames.com
>>> [mailto:gurpsnet-l-bounces at sjgames.com] On Behalf Of Brandon Cope
>>> Sent: Monday, April 06, 2009 7:27 AM
>>> To: The GURPSnet mailing list
>>> Subject: [gurps] [3e] Elixir weight
>>>
>>>
>>> Any idea how much an elicir weighs in 3e? I can't find a
>>> reference as to how many ounces a dose is, which would help.
>>>
>>> (This is specifically for a TL6 (1942) campaign where the
>>> exlirs will be kept in metal bottles)
>>>
>>> Brandon
>>
>> I get the feeling that the elixir weights thingie was something that was not
>> defined throughout all of the time GURPS MAGIC has been in existence.  There
>> was a similar thread discussing this over at the Forums - for which I think
>> (I might be wrong) the concensus was that it was up to the GM.
>>
>> Things to consider regarding elixirs:
>>
>> They can be identified by an Alchemist by a simple taste test (supposedly
>> just dipping your finger in the fluid suffices)
>> The potion can be tested in a lab
>> Testing the potion does not inhibit its function as a potion further down
>> the road
>>
>> (note I'm going by memory in all of this)
>>
>> I believe there is this thing about testing the potion and getting a crit
>> failure will result in the full effect of the potion being imbibed (double
>> check me on this one, again, going by memory here).  If that is the case, it
>> sort of implies that perhaps the tester accidentally imbibed the entire
>> potion.
>>
>> Conclusion:
>>  Probable size of potion has to be something that can accidentally be fully
>> imbibed, yet be large enough in quantity that a simple taste test can be
>> performed.  Suggested volume of liquid should probably be about 2 ounces or
>> so, perhaps a little bit larger, yet not large enough to require a full
>> sized flask - otherwise, one would not need to worry about imbibing it in
>> its entirety.
>>
>> Just my thoughts on the matter.
>>
>>          Hal
>
>
> I never did like the "oops, drank too much" effect.
>
> Go to a supermarket, or glass store, find some smallish sized bottles,
> buy one, use the contents, and then make your own standard...  But
> make it one dose.  It seems to me that potion makers would not allow
> someone to put multiple doses in one vial.  Apothocaries at the time
> would kill more people than heal.  So, make one dose = one container.
>
> Plus, if you buy multiples, they would make a great visual aid.  put a
> little green kool-aid, or add a little soda water, and food coloring
> for effect...
>
> Here, found some on the interweb, and they are in drams, or mm:
>
> http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/G3.html
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