We’ve all been there: the party finds a mysterious, unlabelled potion. The barbarian chugs it, hoping for a Potion of Giant Strength, but what if it came with a little extra… chaos? Moving beyond simple buffs, adding unpredictable side effects to consumables is a fantastic way to inject risk, flavour, and memorable role playing into your TTRPG sessions!

The Core Concept: School’s Out!

The key is tying the side effect to the item’s school of magic. How do you know the school? An Arcana check is a great option, as is an Identify spell. Or, as the Dungeon Master, you can simply decide what fits best. A healing potion might be primarily Evocation, but what if it was brewed with necromantic herbs? Feel free to mix and match!

Magical Side-Effect Tables

Ready to roll? Here are some d6 tables to get you started, one for each major school of magic.

Abjuration Side-Effects (1d6)

1. Your skin tingles uncomfortably for 1d4 rounds.
2. You hiccup loudly once every minute for the next 10 minutes.
3. All non-magical light sources within 10 feet are dimmed for 1d4 rounds.
4. You feel an urge to speak in rhymes for 1d4 rounds.
5. Your hair stands on end for 1d6 rounds.
6. You taste metal in your mouth for 1d10 minutes.

Conjuration Side-Effects (1d6)

1. You briefly smell ozone.
2. A small, harmless insect (like a moth or beetle) appears nearby.
3. You feel a slight, inexplicable breeze.
4. Your voice briefly deepens or becomes higher pitched.
5. You feel an urge to hoard small, mundane objects for 1d4 rounds.
6. A nearby object (like a cup or coin) briefly flickers out of existence.

Divination Side-Effects (1d6)

1. You have the unshakeable feeling you are being watched.
2. You experience a fleeting, powerful sense of déjà vu.
3. You have a brief, vivid hallucination of a recent past event.
4. You feel a sudden, strong urge to tell a secret you know.
5. You briefly understand a language you don’t normally know, but can’t speak it.
6. You misplace a small object on your person, finding it in an odd pocket later.

Enchantment Side-Effects (1d6)

1. You feel an inexplicable and sudden urge to dance.
2. You find yourself automatically agreeing with the next statement you hear.
3. You become briefly obsessed with a trivial object in sight.
4. You experience a sudden, irrational dislike for someone nearby for 1 minute.
5. You feel compelled to give away a small possession to the nearest person.
6. You feel a sudden, overwhelming sense of calm and contentment.

Evocation Side-Effects (1d6)

1. Your skin prickles with static electricity.
2. A nearby flame flickers violently or changes colour for a moment.
3. You hear a faint, high-pitched ringing in your ears.
4. You feel a sudden, intense chill or warmth wash over you.
5. A harmless, colourful spark jumps from your fingertip to a metal object.
6. You taste ash for a few moments.

Illusion Side-Effects (1d6)

1. You briefly see a fleeting, shadowy image out of the corner of your eye.
2. All sounds seem slightly muffled or distant for 1d4 rounds.
3. Colours appear unnaturally vibrant for 1d4 rounds.
4. You momentarily mistake a nearby object for something else entirely.
5. You feel a phantom sensation, like a spider crawling on your skin.
6. Your shadow writhes and flickers oddly for a moment.

Necromancy Side-Effects (1d6)

1. You feel a deep, penetrating chill in your bones.
2. You smell faintly of grave soil for the next hour.
3. Your skin becomes unnaturally pale for 1d10 minutes.
4. You hear a faint, unintelligible whisper on the edge of hearing.
5. You feel a brief, dizzying connection to the spirit world.
6. A cut on your body weeps black, ichorous fluid instead of blood (harmless).

Transmutation Side-Effects (1d6)

1. Your hair changes colour for 1 hour. (1-Blue, 2-Green, 3-Pink, 4-Silver, 5-Striped, 6-Polka-dotted)
2. You feel strangely lighter or heavier for 1d10 minutes.
3. Your skin becomes slightly rough like stone or smooth like polished glass.
4. You feel an uncontrollable urge to neatly rearrange nearby objects.
5. You briefly grow or shrink by 1d4 inches.
6. A non-magical item you are holding changes colour.

Unleash the Chaos!

These tables are a starting point for adding new layers to your game. They turn a simple mechanical choice into a fun role playing opportunity and a calculated risk. Feel free to use these as-is, or customize them to perfectly suit the tone of your campaign. Happy brewing!