Quintessence [Archive] - Wizards Community

Quintessence [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Zankue
06-03-07, 12:01 PM Ok so I was trying to figure out what powers I wanted for 7th and 8th lvl I saw Lycanthromancer's sig and decided to look at it (Thx btw) in it though it says that quintessence is apparently amazing, but I really don't see how... other than making my psicrystal last as long as me (I'm an Elan) I don't see what else it could be used for. I guess it's a permanent dispell psionics centered on me... but I can't see how good that would be being a psion. I don't want to miss - according to him - one of the most useful powers out there. So it would be greatly appreciated if someone could explain to me, or direct me to a thread that shows it's "Thousands of Uses"
Thank e very much.

-Z
Lyinginbedmon
06-03-07, 12:12 PM It can be used to make readied actions effectively indefinite, that's one way to get an annoying psionic time machine
InkBlot
06-03-07, 12:15 PM I guess it's a permanent dispell psionics centered on me... but I can't see how good that would be being a psion.
Why would you carry it around yourself? Give it to the party's meat shield to hold! He's not going to be manifesting any powers, but whatever psychic baddies you fight will be screwed as soon as the tank gets within swording range.

You know how delayed blast fireball creates a little bead that will explode in 5 or less rounds? You know how quintessence stops time, until you scrape it off? Fill a vial with quintessence. Place DBF bead in said vial. Cork. Save for later. Ta da! You just made a 10d6 grenade that will last forever, for the cost of a few power points and a spell slot. When you throw it, the impact will dissolve away enough of the quintessence to set off the DBF seed. You can make several of these a day, in just a few rounds. If you have a week of down-time, your character could equip the entire party with a half-dozen each.

Prisoners are a pain in the butt. But, if you remove them from the time stream then you don't have to worry about them escaping, or about feeding them, or anything.

There are many uses, if you think creatively. Some of these uses only come into play if you have the power points to create huge amounts of quintessence on your downtime. If you have more than one psion or wilder in the group, have them help out and manifest quintessence too. See page 64 for details on how they can manifest a power from your repertoire.
Zankue
06-03-07, 12:25 PM Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that the amount thats needed to dispel psionics dispels it in a 50ft radius? If I'm correct w/ what I remember than that means I become useless in dungeon crawls or anytime I'm somewhere close to my meatshield... I mean my friend the fighter, *cough*
InkBlot
06-03-07, 12:32 PM No. It only has that effect within a FIVE foot radius.
Zankue
06-03-07, 12:34 PM OOOOOOOOOHHH... that makes it a bunch better lol
Zankue
06-03-07, 02:36 PM It can be used to make readied actions effectively indefinite, that's one way to get an annoying psionic time machine

I hope you're joking... it can preserve objects not actions

and as for the fireball grenades sure thats very usefull, but what other uses are there?

Edit: sorry for double post
AntiDjinn
06-03-07, 07:24 PM The power can also be somewhat of a cash cow. The profit margin on Fabricate will tend to be higher, but Quintessence doesn't require you to invest in crafting skills to turn out a sellable product. The power doesn't cost XP, yet it creates a stable (sort of) substance with desirable properties for just 6 seconds of your time and 7 power points.

The best part about dealing with quintessence as a product is that customers tend to have to keep coming back. This is because of its tendency to vaporize if messed with. If a customer just applies it to an object he wants to preserve and leaves it there, then it is eternally stable. But when he actually needs to use the object or wants to transfer the quintessence to a different object there is a 75% chance he looses it even if he is being careful. So 75% of customers who attempt to re-use or recover quintessence wind up having to purchase another dollop.
sir_dwar
06-03-07, 07:52 PM The power can also be somewhat of a cash cow. The profit margin on Fabricate will tend to be higher, but Quintessence doesn't require you to invest in crafting skills to turn out a sellable product. The power doesn't cost XP, yet it creates a stable (sort of) substance with desirable properties for just 6 seconds of your time and 7 power points.

The best part about dealing with quintessence as a product is that customers tend to have to keep coming back. This is because of its tendency to vaporize if messed with. If a customer just applies it to an object he wants to preserve and leaves it there, then it is eternally stable. But when he actually needs to use the object or wants to transfer the quintessence to a different object there is a 75% chance he looses it even if he is being careful. So 75% of customers who attempt to re-use or recover quintessence wind up having to purchase another dollop.

No... I believe only you can handle it safely. Anyone else takes damage every round they're in contact unless they are completely covered in it.

Also, since when do Psicrystals decay?
NHBDY
06-03-07, 07:52 PM The power can also be somewhat of a cash cow. The profit margin on Fabricate will tend to be higher, but Quintessence doesn't require you to invest in crafting skills to turn out a sellable product. The power doesn't cost XP, yet it creates a stable (sort of) substance with desirable properties for just 6 seconds of your time and 7 power points.

The best part about dealing with quintessence as a product is that customers tend to have to keep coming back. This is because of its tendency to vaporize if messed with. If a customer just applies it to an object he wants to preserve and leaves it there, then it is eternally stable. But when he actually needs to use the object or wants to transfer the quintessence to a different object there is a 75% chance he looses it even if he is being careful. So 75% of customers who attempt to re-use or recover quintessence wind up having to purchase another dollop.

Ah... there is a problem there, what if a customer doesn't understand that it isn't your fault? and then either stops coming back, or sends his goonies or the law enforcement after you?
sir_dwar
06-03-07, 07:54 PM Ah... there is a problem there, what if a customer doesn't understand that it isn't your fault? and then either stops coming back, or sends his goonies or the law enforcement after you?

Solution: Disclaimer notice.
NHBDY
06-03-07, 07:57 PM Solution: Disclaimer notice.

Problem: need a lawyer

Solution: hire a lawyer

Problem: $
sir_dwar
06-03-07, 08:05 PM Who says you need a laywer to do that in D&D?

For that matter, you could just add that to the product description.
NHBDY
06-03-07, 08:07 PM fine, ya beat me, happy?
:raincloud
Lycanthromancer
06-03-07, 10:36 PM What you do is you have your wizard buddy create rings of regeneration, then sell quintessence and the rings as a sort of nightly facial.

Keep your skin looking years younger by actually MAKING IT years younger! Buy some "Skintessence" today! Only 40 payments of 29,999.95!
Tyroki
06-03-07, 11:59 PM Genius xD

You could also fill a barrel with the delayed fireball grenades >.> Nuke on demand xD

Then with your fabricated airship which has permanent psionic fly, drop them on dungeons and people you don't like xD Ouchy

But... How would the facial service work O.o Doesn't it do 1 point of damage per 10 rounds of contact that isn't by the manifester?

Maybe selling flasks of quintessence instead ^^ I mean, you're not covering anything with it, thus you have stores on demand =D Sell the flask, life is good ^^ People want to cover bigger items, they have to buy more flasks. Then give each customer a "Removing items from quintessence has a large chance of the quintessence disappearing" warning, and everything is good. Besides. If people send goons after you, you have your fireball grenades and nuke barrel xD I'd say that makes for a very good "Rebuy or get lost" warning xD
AntiDjinn
06-04-07, 02:55 AM No... I believe only you can handle it safely. Anyone else takes damage every round they're in contact unless they are completely covered in it.

Also, since when do Psicrystals decay?
My comment had absolutely nothing to do with taking damage from Quintessence, so I am not sure why you are responding with something about handling it safely. I was talking about the part (printed in the text of the power) about only having a 25% chance to collect it after carefully scraping it off a coated object. Each time you attempt to carefully recover quintessence so it can be reused, you still loose it three times as often as you save it.

Since you did bring up the issue of damage from contact, there is nothing in the text of the power that says you may handle it for more than 10 rounds without taking damage. It has a range of 0 feet (not touch) so you could produce it in a cup that you are holding or in any case avoid contact for longer than the safe period. Any flesh in partial contact takes damage after this period and if you are seeing something in the actual XPH text or official errata that says otherwise then bring it. As the text is actually printed, you are not immune to quintessence that you have created, neither to taking damage nor the catapsi-like effect.

And just because the product could harm the consumer or evaporate is no reason you can't sell it. Haven't you ever bought drain cleaner or gasoline?
Lyinginbedmon
06-04-07, 03:14 AM I hope you're joking... it can preserve objects not actions

and as for the fireball grenades sure thats very usefull, but what other uses are there?

Edit: sorry for double post

I'm not up on the precise combo, but your psicrystal readies an action to manifest time regression when it no-longer knows you're alive. You seal it in Quintessence, so that when the Q is finally rubbed off perhaps centuries later, by explorers, weather, whatever, the psicrystal returns to function and regresses time to your last round, beforeyou sealed it.

Effectively, it's a saving point for D&D (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=737126)
hovnarr
06-04-07, 03:19 AM Ok so I was trying to figure out what powers I wanted for 7th and 8th lvl

In addition to the many good suggestions for Quintessence that have come up here, keep in mind that "good power" does not necessarily equal "a power you should learn".

Look at how you'd use a power like Quintessence. You can almost always use it ahead of time for just as powerful an effect. Do not learn such powers. Pick them up momentarily, use them, and then reform them out with psychic reformation in favor of powers you need to cast on the fly. Or have your cohort learn them and manifest from his powers known. At mid-high levels, the only powers you should have on your list of known powers is ideally buffs you use every day or things you may need to manifest immediately. That does not mean not having access to other powers though.
Everdreaming
06-04-07, 12:19 PM As the text is actually printed, you are not immune to quintessence that you have created, neither to taking damage nor the catapsi-like effect.

From the SRD

"Living flesh with only partial contact with quintessence is also partially pulled out of the time stream (the manifester is immune to this effect). This disruption deals 1 point of damage per round beginning 10 rounds after partial contact occurs."
I think the manifester is only immune to the damage, but not the catapsi effect.
AntiDjinn
06-04-07, 01:40 PM The text you quoted does not say the manifester is immune to the damage. You still have to limit your handling to 9 consecutive rounds or less, or use gloves, or take other precautions. If you are immune to this damage the power will say so, if not, then not.

Imagine what an absurd situation it would be to have a glob applied that you may or may not have made yourself decades ago. The DM might not even know if this particular bit was made by you or another manifester. So apply damage or not? Simple: It does what it does regardless of who made it. A large amount of the stuff could even have been created by multiple manifesters and it performs exactly the same.
Everdreaming
06-04-07, 03:09 PM I agree that he is not immune to the damage, but I think that he does not take the damage as he is immune to the effect of being partially pulled out of the time stream, which is what causes the damage. Just my interpretation.
Ryuu_Tenshi
06-04-07, 03:59 PM Another way to deal with the unfortunate anti-psionics feild is to stick it in a bag of holding. since it's an extradimensional space, it doesn't do anything once inside.
Tyroki
06-05-07, 03:55 AM Say... How big would a delayed Energy Ball be? xD Capable of filling a flask?
InkBlot
06-05-07, 11:25 AM A delayed energy ball is 40 feet wide. Energy ball doesn't create an explosive bead like fireball does. Even if it did, Delay Power doesn't work like delayed blast fireball does. No part of the power comes into effect until the delay is over.

To do this trick, you need to use delayed blast fireball.
Tempest Stormwind
06-05-07, 11:43 AM Found it. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=699067)

Delayed Blast Fireball, while a classic, is rookie. ;)

Lyinginbedmon: Quintessence isn't useful in the save-game trick. What works there is Mass Time Hop, since it automatically ends when it does.
Lycanthromancer
06-05-07, 01:37 PM Get a portable hole. Coat the bottom and sides with quintessence. Toss it on the ground and summon a whole bunch of critters into it, then close it up. There, now you have a huge "bag o' summoning." Also useful as a trap, or for transporting prisoners.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Zankue 06-03-07, 12:01 PM	Ok so I was trying to figure out what powers I wanted for 7th and 8th lvl I saw Lycanthromancer's sig and decided to look at it (Thx btw) in it though it says that quintessence is apparently amazing, but I really don't see how... other than making my psicrystal last as long as me (I'm an Elan) I don't see what else it could be used for. I guess it's a permanent dispell psionics centered on me... but I can't see how good that would be being a psion. I don't want to miss - according to him - one of the most useful powers out there. So it would be greatly appreciated if someone could explain to me, or direct me to a thread that shows it's "Thousands of Uses" Thank e very much. -Z
Lyinginbedmon 06-03-07, 12:12 PM	It can be used to make readied actions effectively indefinite, that's one way to get an annoying psionic time machine
InkBlot 06-03-07, 12:15 PM	I guess it's a permanent dispell psionics centered on me... but I can't see how good that would be being a psion. Why would you carry it around yourself? Give it to the party's meat shield to hold! He's not going to be manifesting any powers, but whatever psychic baddies you fight will be screwed as soon as the tank gets within swording range. You know how delayed blast fireball creates a little bead that will explode in 5 or less rounds? You know how quintessence stops time, until you scrape it off? Fill a vial with quintessence. Place DBF bead in said vial. Cork. Save for later. Ta da! You just made a 10d6 grenade that will last forever, for the cost of a few power points and a spell slot. When you throw it, the impact will dissolve away enough of the quintessence to set off the DBF seed. You can make several of these a day, in just a few rounds. If you have a week of down-time, your character could equip the entire party with a half-dozen each. Prisoners are a pain in the butt. But, if you remove them from the time stream then you don't have to worry about them escaping, or about feeding them, or anything. There are many uses, if you think creatively. Some of these uses only come into play if you have the power points to create huge amounts of quintessence on your downtime. If you have more than one psion or wilder in the group, have them help out and manifest quintessence too. See page 64 for details on how they can manifest a power from your repertoire.
Zankue 06-03-07, 12:25 PM	Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that the amount thats needed to dispel psionics dispels it in a 50ft radius? If I'm correct w/ what I remember than that means I become useless in dungeon crawls or anytime I'm somewhere close to my meatshield... I mean my friend the fighter, cough
InkBlot 06-03-07, 12:32 PM	No. It only has that effect within a FIVE foot radius.
Zankue 06-03-07, 12:34 PM	OOOOOOOOOHHH... that makes it a bunch better lol
Zankue 06-03-07, 02:36 PM	It can be used to make readied actions effectively indefinite, that's one way to get an annoying psionic time machine I hope you're joking... it can preserve objects not actions and as for the fireball grenades sure thats very usefull, but what other uses are there? Edit: sorry for double post
AntiDjinn 06-03-07, 07:24 PM	The power can also be somewhat of a cash cow. The profit margin on Fabricate will tend to be higher, but Quintessence doesn't require you to invest in crafting skills to turn out a sellable product. The power doesn't cost XP, yet it creates a stable (sort of) substance with desirable properties for just 6 seconds of your time and 7 power points. The best part about dealing with quintessence as a product is that customers tend to have to keep coming back. This is because of its tendency to vaporize if messed with. If a customer just applies it to an object he wants to preserve and leaves it there, then it is eternally stable. But when he actually needs to use the object or wants to transfer the quintessence to a different object there is a 75% chance he looses it even if he is being careful. So 75% of customers who attempt to re-use or recover quintessence wind up having to purchase another dollop.
sir_dwar 06-03-07, 07:52 PM	The power can also be somewhat of a cash cow. The profit margin on Fabricate will tend to be higher, but Quintessence doesn't require you to invest in crafting skills to turn out a sellable product. The power doesn't cost XP, yet it creates a stable (sort of) substance with desirable properties for just 6 seconds of your time and 7 power points. The best part about dealing with quintessence as a product is that customers tend to have to keep coming back. This is because of its tendency to vaporize if messed with. If a customer just applies it to an object he wants to preserve and leaves it there, then it is eternally stable. But when he actually needs to use the object or wants to transfer the quintessence to a different object there is a 75% chance he looses it even if he is being careful. So 75% of customers who attempt to re-use or recover quintessence wind up having to purchase another dollop. No... I believe only you can handle it safely. Anyone else takes damage every round they're in contact unless they are completely covered in it. Also, since when do Psicrystals decay?
NHBDY 06-03-07, 07:52 PM	The power can also be somewhat of a cash cow. The profit margin on Fabricate will tend to be higher, but Quintessence doesn't require you to invest in crafting skills to turn out a sellable product. The power doesn't cost XP, yet it creates a stable (sort of) substance with desirable properties for just 6 seconds of your time and 7 power points. The best part about dealing with quintessence as a product is that customers tend to have to keep coming back. This is because of its tendency to vaporize if messed with. If a customer just applies it to an object he wants to preserve and leaves it there, then it is eternally stable. But when he actually needs to use the object or wants to transfer the quintessence to a different object there is a 75% chance he looses it even if he is being careful. So 75% of customers who attempt to re-use or recover quintessence wind up having to purchase another dollop. Ah... there is a problem there, what if a customer doesn't understand that it isn't your fault? and then either stops coming back, or sends his goonies or the law enforcement after you?
sir_dwar 06-03-07, 07:54 PM	Ah... there is a problem there, what if a customer doesn't understand that it isn't your fault? and then either stops coming back, or sends his goonies or the law enforcement after you? Solution: Disclaimer notice.
NHBDY 06-03-07, 07:57 PM	Solution: Disclaimer notice. Problem: need a lawyer Solution: hire a lawyer Problem: $
sir_dwar 06-03-07, 08:05 PM	Who says you need a laywer to do that in D&D? For that matter, you could just add that to the product description.
NHBDY 06-03-07, 08:07 PM	fine, ya beat me, happy? :raincloud
Lycanthromancer 06-03-07, 10:36 PM	What you do is you have your wizard buddy create rings of regeneration, then sell quintessence and the rings as a sort of nightly facial. Keep your skin looking years younger by actually MAKING IT years younger! Buy some "Skintessence" today! Only 40 payments of 29,999.95!
Tyroki 06-03-07, 11:59 PM	Genius xD You could also fill a barrel with the delayed fireball grenades >.> Nuke on demand xD Then with your fabricated airship which has permanent psionic fly, drop them on dungeons and people you don't like xD Ouchy But... How would the facial service work O.o Doesn't it do 1 point of damage per 10 rounds of contact that isn't by the manifester? Maybe selling flasks of quintessence instead ^^ I mean, you're not covering anything with it, thus you have stores on demand =D Sell the flask, life is good ^^ People want to cover bigger items, they have to buy more flasks. Then give each customer a "Removing items from quintessence has a large chance of the quintessence disappearing" warning, and everything is good. Besides. If people send goons after you, you have your fireball grenades and nuke barrel xD I'd say that makes for a very good "Rebuy or get lost" warning xD
AntiDjinn 06-04-07, 02:55 AM	No... I believe only you can handle it safely. Anyone else takes damage every round they're in contact unless they are completely covered in it. Also, since when do Psicrystals decay? My comment had absolutely nothing to do with taking damage from Quintessence, so I am not sure why you are responding with something about handling it safely. I was talking about the part (printed in the text of the power) about only having a 25% chance to collect it after carefully scraping it off a coated object. Each time you attempt to carefully recover quintessence so it can be reused, you still loose it three times as often as you save it. Since you did bring up the issue of damage from contact, there is nothing in the text of the power that says you may handle it for more than 10 rounds without taking damage. It has a range of 0 feet (not touch) so you could produce it in a cup that you are holding or in any case avoid contact for longer than the safe period. Any flesh in partial contact takes damage after this period and if you are seeing something in the actual XPH text or official errata that says otherwise then bring it. As the text is actually printed, you are not immune to quintessence that you have created, neither to taking damage nor the catapsi-like effect. And just because the product could harm the consumer or evaporate is no reason you can't sell it. Haven't you ever bought drain cleaner or gasoline?
Lyinginbedmon 06-04-07, 03:14 AM	I hope you're joking... it can preserve objects not actions and as for the fireball grenades sure thats very usefull, but what other uses are there? Edit: sorry for double post I'm not up on the precise combo, but your psicrystal readies an action to manifest time regression when it no-longer knows you're alive. You seal it in Quintessence, so that when the Q is finally rubbed off perhaps centuries later, by explorers, weather, whatever, the psicrystal returns to function and regresses time to your last round, beforeyou sealed it. Effectively, it's a saving point for D&D (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=737126)
hovnarr 06-04-07, 03:19 AM	Ok so I was trying to figure out what powers I wanted for 7th and 8th lvl In addition to the many good suggestions for Quintessence that have come up here, keep in mind that "good power" does not necessarily equal "a power you should learn". Look at how you'd use a power like Quintessence. You can almost always use it ahead of time for just as powerful an effect. Do not learn such powers. Pick them up momentarily, use them, and then reform them out with psychic reformation in favor of powers you need to cast on the fly. Or have your cohort learn them and manifest from his powers known. At mid-high levels, the only powers you should have on your list of known powers is ideally buffs you use every day or things you may need to manifest immediately. That does not mean not having access to other powers though.
Everdreaming 06-04-07, 12:19 PM	As the text is actually printed, you are not immune to quintessence that you have created, neither to taking damage nor the catapsi-like effect. From the SRD "Living flesh with only partial contact with quintessence is also partially pulled out of the time stream (the manifester is immune to this effect). This disruption deals 1 point of damage per round beginning 10 rounds after partial contact occurs." I think the manifester is only immune to the damage, but not the catapsi effect.
AntiDjinn 06-04-07, 01:40 PM	The text you quoted does not say the manifester is immune to the damage. You still have to limit your handling to 9 consecutive rounds or less, or use gloves, or take other precautions. If you are immune to this damage the power will say so, if not, then not. Imagine what an absurd situation it would be to have a glob applied that you may or may not have made yourself decades ago. The DM might not even know if this particular bit was made by you or another manifester. So apply damage or not? Simple: It does what it does regardless of who made it. A large amount of the stuff could even have been created by multiple manifesters and it performs exactly the same.
Everdreaming 06-04-07, 03:09 PM	I agree that he is not immune to the damage, but I think that he does not take the damage as he is immune to the effect of being partially pulled out of the time stream, which is what causes the damage. Just my interpretation.
Ryuu_Tenshi 06-04-07, 03:59 PM	Another way to deal with the unfortunate anti-psionics feild is to stick it in a bag of holding. since it's an extradimensional space, it doesn't do anything once inside.
Tyroki 06-05-07, 03:55 AM	Say... How big would a delayed Energy Ball be? xD Capable of filling a flask?
InkBlot 06-05-07, 11:25 AM	A delayed energy ball is 40 feet wide. Energy ball doesn't create an explosive bead like fireball does. Even if it did, Delay Power doesn't work like delayed blast fireball does. No part of the power comes into effect until the delay is over. To do this trick, you need to use delayed blast fireball.
Tempest Stormwind 06-05-07, 11:43 AM	Found it. (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=699067) Delayed Blast Fireball, while a classic, is rookie. ;) Lyinginbedmon: Quintessence isn't useful in the save-game trick. What works there is Mass Time Hop, since it automatically ends when it does.
Lycanthromancer 06-05-07, 01:37 PM	Get a portable hole. Coat the bottom and sides with quintessence. Toss it on the ground and summon a whole bunch of critters into it, then close it up. There, now you have a huge "bag o' summoning." Also useful as a trap, or for transporting prisoners.