Potion brewing is a unique gameplay mechanic of any Dungeons & Dragons campaign, but takes on a whole new life in the campaign setting found in Obojima: Tales From The Tall Grass. This singular locale has a ton of different mechanics incorporated into its potion brewing system including unique ingredients, effects, and more.

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But if you're diving into this setting for the first time, you might be wondering how this system works. That's why we've created this guide. Here's everything you need to know about sourcing ingredients, brewing different kinds of potions, and more in the Obojima: Tales From The Tall Grass campaign setting.

How Potion Types Work

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One of the first things you need to understand in Obojima to understand potion brewing is how potion types work. There are three types of potions you can brew:

Potion Type

Details

Combat

Combat potions provide buffs and special abilities that are useful for fighting.

Utility

Utility potions can prove useful within combat, but are mainly helpful outside of combat.

Whimsy

Whimsy potions are highly unique and give the drinker oddball and playful effects.

Beyond these potion types, potions also have different rarities, ranging from common to rare. This functions quite similarly to the magic item reality system in Dungeons & Dragons.

How Ingredients Work

Potion Ingredients by A.J. Bondio

Ingredients are the individual elements needed to brew a potion in the Obojima campaign setting. There are 130 known ingredients on the island which can be foraged for.

Just like potion rarities, ingredients also have rarities.

How To Forage For Ingredients

Spirits by Alexander Cloos

While some ingredients can be bought or traded for, most ingredients on Obojima must be foraged and can be found in a variety of different places.

Ingredients can also be found in two different types of places:

  1. The Wild
  2. Abandoned Machinery

When foraging for ingredients, you'll make a Survival check to find ingredients in the wild, and conversely, you'll make a Salvage check to find ingredients in machinery.

When searching for ingredients, your DM will set a DC based on the rarity of the ingredient and whether the ingredient is typically found in the area you're in.

Before spending time foraging, consult the Potion Ingredient List in the Obojima campaign setting book to determine rarity and typical locations.

How To Use Almanacs For Potion Ingredients

Almanacs by Matt Owen

Beyond making foraging checks, players should also make use of Almanacs.

Almanacs are various volumes that serve as a guide to ingredients on Obojima. Overall, there are seven different Almanacs you can find:

  • Brackwater Wetlands: The Crowsworn
  • Coastal Highlands: League of the Gilded Gourd
  • Gale Fields: Fish Head Coven
  • Gift of Shuritashi: The Tall Hats
  • Land of Hot Water: Patchwork Robe Coven
  • Mount Arbora: Cloud Cap Coven
  • The Shallows: Fish Head Coven

Players can typically find copies of each of these Almanacs in shops around Obojima, or perhaps gifted to them by an important NPC.

Each of these Almanacs is associated with a specific region on Obojima and a given coven on the island. Players should seek these out within those regions and covens.

While above the table, you can ask your DM if your character might know the rarity of ingredients and where they can be found; in-game, your character should consult Almanacs to learn this information.

How To Test Ingredients

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The last step towards using ingredients in potions is to test their potency. To do this, players must use an Arcane Detection Kit, or ADK.

By using the ADK, players can spend one hour testing up to six substances, after which, their DM will tell them what the ingredients' attributes are.

Players can also consult with witches on Obojima to test ingredients, though this will often cost money or require a trade of some kind.

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How To Brew Potions

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Once you have foraged for and tested your ingredients, it's time to start brewing potions. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how to brew potions:

Step

Details

Determine Ingredient Attributes

Use your ADK kit to determine ingredient attributes, taking note of each ingredient's scores (detailed below).

Choose Three Ingredients

Every potion requires three ingredients; select three for your brew.

Add Up Ingredient Attributes

Add up the various attribute scores for each ingredient, determining the type of potion these ingredients will brew.

Determine Recipe

Consult the potions list in the Obojima campaign setting sourcebook to determine which potion recipe you have discovered.

Brew Potion With Muk

Use Muk, a magical substance, to brew your potion.

Determine Ingredient Attributes

Hammer Gull by Alexander Cloos

As mentioned, first, you must determine your ingredients' attributes; these should be given to you after you have tested the ingredient with your ADK.

There are three attributes associated with each ingredient, listed below:

  1. Combat
  2. Utility
  3. Whimsy

As you can see, these attributes correspond with each potion type. Each ingredient will have a number associated with it, reflecting its attribute score.

Choose Three Ingredients

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Once you have your ingredients' attributes, select any three ingredients you wish to use. By selecting these ingredients, you'll determine what kind of potion you'll make.

If you want to brew a specific potion type,simply select more ingredients with higher attribute points in the given potion type.

Add Up Ingredient Attributes

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Once you have your three ingredients, add up the attribute scores for each attribute type: combat, utility, and whimsy, giving you three new numbers.

After adding these numbers up, take the highest number from the attributes list; this determines what type of potion you will brew.

So, for example, if you add up three ingredients' combat attribute scores, and the sum is greater than both the utility and whimsy scores, you will brew a combat potion.

Determine Recipe

Dragon Frog by Alexander Cloos

From there, take the sum of the highest ingredient attribute score (combat, utility, or whimsy), consult the potions list, and follow this rule:

  • The sum of the highest ingredient score = the number of the potion you brew

The potions list is numbered, so simply take the sum of your highest ingredient score and consult the potions table to determine what potion you will brew.

So, for example, if your highest ingredient attribute score is a 19 for utility, then you will brew the 19th potion on the utility potion list.

Brew Potion With Muk

Apprentice Witch by Alexander Cloos

Now that you have your recipe, you simply have to combine your ingredients with a magical substance found on Obojima known as Muk, which is common on the island.

You must also have proficiency with alchemy supplies to brew potions.

To brew your potion, simply combine your three ingredients with an amount of Muk worth a certain amount of gold based on the potion's rarity, as detailed below:

  • Common Potion = 15 Gold worth of Muk
  • Uncommon Potion = 75 Gold worth of Muk
  • Rare Potion = 300 Gold worth of Muk

Once you have all your ingredients and Muk combined using your alchemy supplies, the potion itself takes ten minutes to brew.

How To Use Potions

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As you can see from the above steps, brewing potions can prove a bit scattershot. You will likely have to experiment with different ingredients to discover new potion recipes.

Using potions on Obojima can prove equally madcap. Here are a few basic tips, tricks, and rules to keep in mind when using potions you've brewed:

Potion Tip

Details

Using Standard Potions

Each potion has unique rules and effects, as well as details on whether these options must be imbibed, poured, or thrown.

Consult each potion's specific ruleset before using a potion.

Using Multiple Potions

When using multiple potions, it's important to note that potion effects do not stack. Whichever potion was drunk last trumps previous potion effects.

However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, some potions have permanent effects, meaning effects can stack.

Potion Sickness & Mishaps

Lastly, using multiple potions has risks. When a player drinks more than one potion in a day, they must roll a DC 13 Con save or become ill.

This DC increases the more potions you drink, and additionally, when a character falls ill, DMs may use the Potion Mishaps Table in the Obojima campaign setting book and force players to incur a mishap.

The Potion Sickness & Mishap table is an entirely optional rule; so, consult your DM when playing in Obojima to determine if they intend to enforce this rule.

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