The Order of the Stick Megathread

[tacticslion]

In DnD - and in Pathfinder, it's sequel - an elixir of love is a temporary, but useful item that allows you to charm a person by the equivalent of slipping them a mickey (or whatever the parlance) - they're charmed toward the first thing they see for a few hours. A philter of love is a much more expensive and permanent version of charm - use a philter, get a charm for life (unless someone comes along with break enchantment, limited wish, wish, miracle, etc).

So, if it's anything like the difference between a philter of love and elixir of love, then Haley just gained a permanent (but dispel-able) +30 to her bluff... and the ability to out-bluff truth-telling magic. She can literally lie to a "detect lie" spell, and the spell will believe her, that is, if we're going by DnD rules.

My supposition is that it's not really a "philter" in that way, but I don't know. I'm unsure why he'd have that if not for the purpose of foreshadowing.

EDIT: PHILTER:

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

phil·ter
? ?/?f?lt?r/ Show Spelled [fil-ter] Show IPA noun, verb, -tered, -ter·ing.
–noun
1.
a potion, charm, or drug supposed to cause the person taking it to fall in love, usually with some specific person.
2.
a magic potion for any purpose.
–verb (used with object)
3.
to enchant or bewitch with a philter.
Use philter in a Sentence
See images of philter
Search philter on the Web
Origin:
1580–90; < F philtre < L philtrum; see philtrum

—Related forms
phil·ter·er, noun

Here ya go.

[Aldurin]

Now that is scary-powerful, especially since if it was an extended potion she could easily turn the whole army on the regime and strip Tarquin of his power.

[tacticslion]

Originally Posted by Aldurin

Now that is scary-powerful, especially since if it was an extended potion she could easily turn the whole army on the regime and strip Tarquin of his power.

Only somewhat. Yes, she's got power, but the people aren't actually charmed to her, if I understand. It seems that philter is used in the "permanent-ish" potion-like-substance context, while elixir and potions are temporary effects. The other difference - as far as I understand it anyway - is that potions actually give you a spell-like beneficial, personal effect, while elixirs (and hence the only philter I've seen to date - a philter of love) give you something that either doesn't imitate spells, or imitates a spell that targets others. So again, I'm confused about the nomenclature - is he foreshadowing, red herringing (is that even a word? "herringing"? whatevs), or is the story simply going to be something like "the shopkeeper put the wrong word, but it really is a potion (thus a limited duration)" or perhaps simply, "Elan wanted a potion so a frusterated shopkeeper changed the word". Alternatively, it could be some sort of cursed item - beneficial effect, but with a drawback. Also, according to my Core Rulebook (Pathfinder) it's a +20, not +30. That said, I think 3.5 gave a +30. I thought that maybe it was a "philter" because glibness didn't fall within the spell level limit, but I was wrong - glibness is a 3rd level spell, so it fits (spells in potions can only be 3rd level or lower).

Finally, her power isn't absolute - even with successful suggestions like that, the bluffs only last for a limited time, and anyone can get either a natural 20 sense motive or a natural 20 will save (if Haley's bluff skill really is high enough to imitate suggestions) - and if they catch the lie, they get a +10 (for each lie they catch/resist).

[Aldurin]

So they can't take an army but they could definitely go farther by going by more troops and killing whoever makes a save against the lie. Essentially it'd cut the enemy force by 95% if each one needs a 20 to resist, and even then the bluffed ones can be used to turn on those remaining 5%.

[Jagos]

So instead of a zombie hoard we have a Lying hoard... Brilliant!

[Aerozord]

well there goes their exit strategy

[Jagos]

Well damn, shit just got complicated...

[Loyal]

Roy's attacks have some great diplomacy scores.

[Aerozord]

Looking like Mr Starshine is more like Nale then Tarquin. Enjoys convoluted plans but isn't that great at actually executing them. Or perhaps he's just lived this sort of life with thirty xanatos pileups for so long that he can no longer comprehend simple straight-forward motivations like "get dad out of jail" or "help my girlfriend"

[Donomni]

Nah, he just hasn't spent five minutes alone with Elan, so he's being cautious.

When he does have those five minutes, he'll wish Elan was a double agent.