The Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron is a legendary artifact that is said to possess incredible powers. It is believed to be located deep within the enchanted forests of Moonkot, a mystical realm hidden from ordinary eyes. The cauldron is said to emit a faint blue glow and emits a constant bubbling sound, as if magical concoctions are brewing inside. According to ancient legends, the Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron has the ability to grant wishes and bring forth powerful enchantments. It is said that those who can successfully unlock its secrets can harness its powers for their own purposes. However, the cauldron is extremely elusive and guarded by powerful magical forces, preventing just anyone from accessing its magic.
Below is a table that describes what each of the ingredients look like to the players upon initial inspection, what they're actually called and commonly used for, what skills or tools might be used to identify them, what visual effect occurs if one if thrown into the cauldron, and lastly what kind of potion or other creation results from the process. Remember, the players might not know what sort of concoction they just created! Not all results are equally useful, and some deduction and some luck might be required to get the most desirable results. You can set whatever DCs you like for the checks. Common plants such as parsley would obviously be much easier to identify than exotic pink crystals, but depending on player backgrounds might easily be able to spot mechanical lubricant on sight. Ideally the whole shelf can't be identified by just one person, multiple party members will have to work together.
Nature, alchemy supplies, herbalism kit The cauldron s contents become viscous until stirred more, and leaves a dark brown reside at the bottom, while a red liquid floats to the top. Snapdragon, a common garden flower used for decoration, dye, and poultices Medicine, Nature, weaver s tools The contents start to boil, then simmer down into a smoking orange liquid that smells like burnt toast.
However, the cauldron is extremely elusive and guarded by powerful magical forces, preventing just anyone from accessing its magic. The cauldron is said to contain a mysterious liquid known as Moonkot elixir, which is believed to hold the key to unlocking its powers. This elixir is said to be the result of centuries of alchemical experimentation and contains rare and exotic ingredients from across the magical realms.
The Bubbling Cauldron: A small non-combat encounter for players that like to experiment.
This little encounter is one you can use to fill all sorts of dungeon rooms or hideouts, anywhere you might expect a cauldron to be brewing. It's not game-changing, but it's a nice change of pace from whatever else is going on, can turn a fairly empty looting experience into a fun little game, and gives players an excellent chance to flex weird skill, tool, or language proficiencies.
The centrepiece of this encounter is a cauldron, simmering on the coals. A cocktail of scents arise from the broth within, clearly this is some kind of potion in the making! It only needs one more ingredient in order to be complete. *When I ran this, an NPC who was rescued nearby made this obvious, but you could just let the players fiddle with it and find out the hard way.
On a shelf nearby are an array of alchemical ingredients, but unfortunately none of them are labelled. It will require some sleuthing to figure out what's what.
Aha, but what's this? The would-be alchemist has a heap of notes nearby. They would be helpful, but alas they're all in infuriatingly vague shorthand, and also not written in Common. *It was Giant when I ran it, but you can choose any kind of language, best a niche language that a player knows so they can show off this once. Even the author of the notes doesn't know what every ingredient on the shelf is or what it does. In fact, the author of the notes only knows what three of these ingredients even do!
Below is a table that describes what each of the ingredients look like to the players upon initial inspection, what they're actually called and commonly used for, what skills or tools might be used to identify them, what visual effect occurs if one if thrown into the cauldron, and lastly what kind of potion or other creation results from the process. Remember, the players might not know what sort of concoction they just created! Not all results are equally useful, and some deduction and some luck might be required to get the most desirable results. You can set whatever DCs you like for the checks. Common plants such as parsley would obviously be much easier to identify than exotic pink crystals, but depending on player backgrounds might easily be able to spot mechanical lubricant on sight. Ideally the whole shelf can't be identified by just one person, multiple party members will have to work together.
| Description | Ingredient | How to Identify | Effect | Potion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cluster of red-brown roots | Garrison Root, a highly nutritious underdark plant used for disinfectants and bandages. | Nature, alchemy supplies, herbalism kit | The cauldron’s contents become viscous until stirred more, and leaves a dark brown reside at the bottom, while a red liquid floats to the top. | Potion of Greater Healing |
| Powdered salt-like pink crystals | Psion salt, a reside that appears in some underground lakes near psionic creatures | Arcana, alchemy supplies | The crystals fizzle in the mixture, which forms a heart-shaped bubble of pink liquid that rises to the top. The scent is heady an intoxicating. | Philter of Love |
| Bundle of dried herbs with stalks | Parsley, a common herb used in all sorts of cooking. | Cook’s Utensils | After a few minutes of stirring, the contents settle down and form a cloudy broth. It smells herby, in a good way. | Parsley Soup |
| Jar of acrid slime | Ankheg Acid, a caustic enzyme produced by Ankhegs to aid digestion and spray at foes. | Nature | The contents turn green and begin to spit and sizzle violently, creating an acrid scent. | Acid |
| Dark brown oily substance | Mechanical Lubricant, an oil used by dwarves to grease chains and gears. | History, alchemy supplies, tinker’s tools | The contents steam up into a cloud of smoke that floats away and leaves a black oil behind. | Oil of Slipperiness |
| Red flower in a pot. | Snapdragon, a common garden flower used for decoration, dye, and poultices | Medicine, Nature, weaver’s tools | The contents start to boil, then simmer down into a smoking orange liquid that smells like burnt toast. | Potion of Fire Breath |
Adding any one ingredient to the cauldron will cause the described effect to occur, and leave enough of the relevant potion behind for one dose. The area is littered in empty containers one could use to scoop up the potion and take it with you.
Putting more than one ingredient into the cauldron risks the whole mixture exploding! For each ingredient more than one that gets thrown into the cauldron, roll a dice. If all the rolls are an even number, nothing happens, and the mixture turns into a random potion of a type linked to one of the ingredients used. If there's any odd numbers, it explodes! The mixture heaves and billows out into a cloud of searing smoke. The contents of the cauldron are destroyed, leaving nothing but black char, while each creature within 15ft of the cauldron must make a DC 13 Dexterity Saving throw. On a failed save they take 2d6 fire damage, plus an extra 1d6 damage for each additional ingredient after the second (e.g. if two ingredients were thrown into the cauldron the damage is 2d6, if four ingredients were thrown in then the damage is 4d6 etc). On a successful saving throw, the creature takes half as much damage.
I love this little encounter, it's a nice bit of downtime you can fit in anywhere. You can encourage your players to be a bit experimental, perfect for those tinkerers and artificers. When I ran it, my players were poking around in a Fomorian's cozy little hut, but I could see this easily working in a Hag's den, wizard tower, goblin cave, and so much more. And of course there's plenty of creativity to be had with coming up with your own ingredients for different effects. What would be needed to turn the broth into a potion of Growth, or Animal Friendship?
I came up with this and ran it over a year ago, but this is so easy to slot in anywhere and get some loot in an interesting way that I figured that someone could use it and I shouldn't just keep it to myself since I'm not likely to use it again any time soon. Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Aha, but what's this? The would-be alchemist has a heap of notes nearby. They would be helpful, but alas they're all in infuriatingly vague shorthand, and also not written in Common. *It was Giant when I ran it, but you can choose any kind of language, best a niche language that a player knows so they can show off this once. Even the author of the notes doesn't know what every ingredient on the shelf is or what it does. In fact, the author of the notes only knows what three of these ingredients even do!
Legends say that those who are able to correctly brew the Moonkot elixir and pour it into the cauldron will be granted a single wish of their choosing. This wish can be anything the person desires, be it wealth, power, or even immortality. However, the wish must be made with pure intentions and cannot be used for malicious purposes. Many have tried to uncover the location of the Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron, but few have succeeded. It is said that the cauldron has the ability to move and hide itself from those who seek its powers out of greed or malevolence. Only those who approach the cauldron with a pure heart and a genuine desire for its magic are said to be able to find it. The Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron remains a tantalizing mystery, enticing adventurers and magic enthusiasts alike. It represents the everlasting quest for power and the pursuit of the supernatural. Though its existence and location remain hidden, the legends surrounding it continue to capture the imagination of those who believe in the power of magic..
Reviews for "The Healing Properties of Moonkot Magic Bubbling Cauldron Potions"
- Emily - 2 stars - I was really excited to try the Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron, but I was left sorely disappointed. The instructions were confusing and it took me forever to figure out how to even start the cauldron. And even when I finally got it working, the "magical" effects were underwhelming. The so-called bubbling was more like a few random bubbles here and there, and it certainly didn't create any kind of mesmerizing experience. Overall, it's not worth the price and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
- Mark - 1 star - The Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron was a complete waste of money. It arrived broken, with scratches and dents all over, which was a terrible first impression. Even if it had been in perfect condition, I don't think it would have made much difference because the cauldron itself is poorly designed. The bubbling effect was almost nonexistent and the colors were dull and unimpressive. Save your money and look for something better.
- Sarah - 2 stars - I had high hopes for the Moonkot magic bubbling cauldron, especially after seeing all the positive reviews, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The cauldron itself was quite flimsy and felt cheaply made. The bubbles it produced were weak and didn't last very long. The colors were also not as vibrant as advertised. I would recommend looking for a different product if you're looking for a more enchanting and magical experience.