Has anyone here ever experimented with the idea of a potion that restores spell slots? Like a video game's Mana potion?

I feel like it would have to be pretty expensive, but it doesn't seem TOO broken to me. Has anyone here tried it before and if so, did it work and how'd you do it?

This is sort've already available through spell scrolls and certain magic items like the Pearl of Power, I've never done it in a potion before but I don't see it being a major issue. If you're concerned about it breaking your encounters just limit it to only replenishing a spell slot of 3rd or below or something like that. If want to allow the players to roll some dice you could do something like - roll 1d4 + 1, you regain spell slots equal to the number (if you role a 3 you can regain a 3rd level spell slot or a 1st and a 2nd). I just came up with that I've never tried it so I'd be cautious in adding it to your game as it could be very unbalancing. 

Yeah, it would definitely be limited. I was thinking of having them in "levels" so like a "level-1 mana potion" would restore a single level 1 slot. They'd be significantly more expensive than health potions and scrolls and stores would only stock like 1 or MAYBE 2 of them (if any).

The only exploit I can see is if a sorcerer drinks them and immediately converts to sorcery points? But that doesn't even sound too bad as long as I limit the supply available.

The dungeon dudes does this well if you've ever watched their Dungeons of Drakkenheim series.

They're semi rare potions, roll a die+1, but they're unstable, so if you roll max, you also roll on the wild magic table if I remember correctly. It's been a while since I've watched it.

In an early campaign we met a potions maker who was experimenting with mana potions. It actually worked basically how Ghost Lincoln described... I rolled a d4 and regained spell slots adding up to the number rolled, and couldn't gain slots above 3rd level. So if I rolled a 4 I could recover one level 3 and a level 1, but not a level 4 slot. I ended up only using one potion, because I had started multiclassing into Warlock at later levels and could recover useable 1st level spell slots with a short rest.

i made a legendary magic item(unpublished) called a long rest in a bottle that you could drink as an action to get the benefits of a long rest which includes spell slots if that helps

Look at items that grant extra spell slots or spell slot replenishment (like the rod of the pact keeper for inspiration here (and to gauge the rarity of said item)

Oooh this is interesting... a potion that restores spell slots.

I must think on this....

I would say you could go one of two ways, either fixed values or rolls.

If its fixed values, then:

• Uncommon = 1 spell level worth of slots
• Rare = 3 spell levels worth of slots
• Very Rare = 5 spell levels worth of slots

If it’s rolls, then:

• Rare =1d4 + 1 spell level worth of slots, no spell slot above 3rd level
• Very Rare =1d6 + 1 spell level worth of slots, no spell slot above 5th level

i think its a great idea! possibly 1d4+1 as people are recommending, and for rarity, maybe rare?

or possible 1d4 advantage

It seems pretty OP to me. 
Other items that do this let you do it once a day and require attunement. 
Something you could do again and again with no controls (beyond DM giving it out or not, which admittedly can be very powerful control) is too much. Casters already have tons of power, spell slots is the major limit on them.

You’d potentially be allowing other things, as well; more smites for the pally, points for the sorcerer, that kind of thing  

I’d only allow it if you had a super high magic campaign, where every commoner knows a cantrip or 2 and maybe a level 1 spell. 
Although, if I did allow it, I’d also not limit it to magic. Like maybe let a fighter recharge action surge with it as well. Kind of like a rest in a bottle. 

At first blush my thought was 1d4+1 slots regained (not added -- you can't get over max)... Imbiber can choose what level the slots are but each level of slot costs 1 on the roll. So, if you roll a 5, you could get 5 level 1 slots, 1 level 4 and 1 level 1, or any combo that adds up to 5 (2+3, 2+2+1, 3+1+1, etc).

Aqua Delirium

You regain 1d4+1 levels in spell slots i.e. on a roll of 3, a level 1 and level 2 spell slot can be gained. The potion's purple liquid glows when agitated.

If used more than once during a 24 hour period, you gain 1d4+1 levels in spell slots, but take 1d12 psychic damage for every level of spell slot gained, and the imbiber cannot regain hp until a long rest is taken.

**Credit to Kelly McLaughlin and Monty Martin of Dungeon Dudes **

Notes: Healing, Consumable

I kinda like all these. I think I'll go with the 1d4+1 but I really like the idea that attempting to chug multiple potions causes something negative (like the d12 damage mentioned above)

My CURRENT campaign (almost over) is low magic, but because of stuff that's happened in the story, the next campaign (the "sequel" ) will be veeeeeery HIGH magic (to a comedic degree lol) so these potions would check out in world.

I'm not TOO worried about them being that OP cause the way I've been viewing OP players is "The more ridiculous they are, the more ridiculous encounters I can throw at them" lol. That and they're all pretty cool so I don't think they'd abuse it!

Quote from Wysperra >>

Aqua Delirium

You regain 1d4+1 levels in spell slots i.e. on a roll of 3, a level 1 and level 2 spell slot can be gained. The potion's purple liquid glows when agitated.

If used more than once during a 24 hour period, you gain 1d4+1 levels in spell slots, but take 1d12 psychic damage for every level of spell slot gained, and the imbiber cannot regain hp until a long rest is taken.

 

Ooh I like this. Stealing!