Heroism/super heroism questions...

[garhkal]

Brought out of several threads either from DF or PAD&D...

This is for both the 1st ed and 2nd ed versions of the heroism or super heroism potions..

Since by the potion's write up, when someone drinks a potion and "Fights as if XYZ levels higher", does that

A) Increase saves (IE fighter goes from 4th to 7th via the potion, is his saves now as a 7th level fighter)>
B) Does it increase his attack rate?
C) do they gain new weapon/non-weapon profs??
D) IF somehow the potion gets made permanent (IE cause of miscability), and he already has a castle/keep, does he now gain followers?

[Halaster Blackcloak]

Garhkal wrote:

A) Increase saves (IE fighter goes from 4th to 7th via the potion, is his saves now as a 7th level fighter)>

I'd say yes, since he is effectively now a 7th level fighter.

B) Does it increase his attack rate?

Yes again, because he is, effectively, a 7th level fighter now.

C) do they gain new weapon/non-weapon profs??

Now on this I would say no, because he hasn't obtained the training. The potion allows him to fight better (i.e. better thaco, more attacks, etc.) as if he were a higher level fighter, but how could it give him proficiencies in things he's never studied? I think that would be going beyond any logical interpretation of the potion.

D) IF somehow the potion gets made permanent (IE cause of miscability), and he already has a castle/keep, does he now gain followers?

Hmmm...good question! Here are some issues with that. First, the fighter has to be 9th level to build a keep.

"When a fighter attains 9th level (Lord), he or she may opt to establish a freehold. This is done by building some type of castle and clearing the area in a radius of 20 to 50 miles around the stronghold, making it free of all sorts of hostile creatures. Whenever such a freehold is established and cleared, the fighter will:

1. Automatically attract a body of mean-at-arms led by an above-average fighter. These men will serve as mercenaries so long as the fighter maintains his or her freehold and pays the men-at-arms..."

~ 1E PHB, pg. 22

Even if the fighter using a potion attained 9th level and then somehow made the effect permanent, he would still have to purchase land and build a castle in order to attract followers. In most games I've played, a fighter of 9th level (a "Lord", at name level) has two choices. Either he has to obtain a deed from the king in order to build his castle, becoming a lord of the kingdom (and loyal to the king), or he has to find truly free land, i.e. land that does not belong to any kingdom, and establish himself and his castle there.

I'm not sure I'd allow a fighter of below 9th level to build a castle, as he must attain the level of "lord" in order to do so. In a sense, it's only once he attains that level of fame that he is able to hire workers and attract followers. He has to, in essence, have "established'" himself.

If for some reason a DM allowed a fighter to build a castle before he attained 9th level and the fighter then attained 9th level via the potion and made it permanent, I think I would rule that it will take a hell of a lot more work to find followers because while the potion has increased his level (i.e. how good he fights), it has not increased his fame. Put another way, normally by the time a fighter hits name level - 9th level (Lord) - he has finally reached a level of fame and glory that allows him to establish a following by building a freehold to which followers flock. Until he has attained that level, he's not famous enough, not considered worthy enough. So in the case of a relatively lower level fighter who somehow owns a castle already, drinks a potion of superheroism , becomes 9th level and then makes the effect permanent, I would rule that he has to go on several adventures after having attained 9th level before he can attract followers (in order to establish his fame/level). I think I might require him to hit 10th level before his followers arrive. This would simulate the time it takes for his "name" to get out there as a lord and worthy fighter.