A potion is a magic liquid that produces its effect when imbibed. Potions vary incredibly in appearance. Magic oils are similar to potions, except that oils are applied externally rather than imbibed. A potion or oil can be used only once. It can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute and targets one or more creatures or objects.

Table: Potions

Minor	Medium	Major	Spell Level	Caster Level
01–20	—	—	0	1st
21–60	01–20	—	1st	1st
61–100	21–60	01–20	2nd	3rd
—	61–100	21–100	3rd	5th

Table: Potion Costs

Spell Level	Cleric, Druid, Wizard	Sorcerer	Bard	Paladin, Ranger
0	25 gp	25 gp	25 gp	—
1st	50 gp	50 gp	50 gp	50 gp
2nd	300 gp	400 gp	400 gp	400 gp
3rd	750 gp	900 gp	1,050 gp	1,050 gp

Price of Potions

The price of a potion is equal to the level of the spell × the creator's caster level × 50 gp. If the potion has a material component cost, it is added to the base price and cost to create. Table: Potions gives sample prices for potions created at the lowest possible caster level for each spellcasting class. Note that some spells appear at different levels for different casters. The level of such spells depends on the caster brewing the potion.

Potions are like spells cast upon the imbiber. The character taking the potion doesn't get to make any decisions about the effect—the caster who brewed the potion has already done so. The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect (though the potion indicates the caster level, the drinker still controls the effect).

The person applying an oil is the effective caster, but the object is the target.

Physical Description: A typical potion or oil consists of 1 ounce of liquid held in a ceramic or glass vial fitted with a tight stopper. The stoppered container is usually no more than 1 inch wide and 2 inches high. The vial has Armor Class 13, 1 hit point, hardness 1, and a break DC of 12.

Identifying Potions: In addition to the standard methods of identification, PCs can sample from each container they find to attempt to determine the nature of the liquid inside with a Perception check. The DC of this check is equal to 15 + the spell level of the potion (although this DC might be higher for rare or unusual potions).

Activation: Drinking a potion or applying an oil requires no special skill. The user merely removes the stopper and swallows the potion or smears on the oil. The following rules govern potion and oil use.

Drinking a potion or using an oil is a standard action. The potion or oil takes effect immediately. Using a potion or oil provokes attacks of opportunity. An enemy may direct an attack of opportunity against the potion or oil container rather than against the character. A successful attack of this sort can destroy the container, preventing the character from drinking the potion or applying the oil.

A creature must be able to swallow a potion or smear on an oil. Because of this, incorporeal creatures cannot use potions or oils. Any corporeal creature can imbibe a potion or use an oil.

A character can carefully administer a potion to an unconscious creature as a full-round action, trickling the liquid down the creature's throat. Likewise, it takes a full-round action to apply an oil to an unconscious creature.

Table: Specific Potions and Oils

The following table is taken from d20srd.org, the definitive 3.5 SRD resource (it was not created or provided by Paizo.) 

Minor	Medium	Major	Potion or Oil	Market Price
01-10	—	—	Cure light wounds	50 gp
11-13	—	—	Endure elements	50 gp
14-15	—	—	Hide from animals	50 gp
16-17	—	—	Hide from undead	50 gp
18-19	—	—	Jump	50 gp
20-22	—	—	Mage armor	50 gp
23-25	—	—	Magic fang	50 gp
26	—	—	Magic stone	50 gp
27-29	—	—	Magic weapon	50 gp
30	—	—	Pass without trace	50 gp
31-32	—	—	Protection from (alignment)	50 gp
33-34	—	—	Remove fear	50 gp
35	—	—	Sanctuary	50 gp
36-38	—	—	Shield of faith +2	50 gp
39	—	—	Shillelagh	50 gp
40-41	01-02	—	Bless weapon	50 gp*
42-44	03-04	—	Enlarge person	50 gp*
45	05	—	Reduce person	50 gp*
46-47	06	—	Aid	300 gp
48-50	07	—	Barkskin +2	300 gp
51-53	08-10	—	Bear’s endurance	300 gp
54-56	11-13	01-02	Blur	300 gp
57-59	14-16	—	Bull’s strength	300 gp
60-62	17-19	—	Cat’s grace	300 gp
63-67	20-27	03-07	Cure moderate wounds	300 gp
68	28	—	Darkness	300 gp
69-71	29-30	08-09	Darkvision	300 gp
72-74	31	—	Delay poison	300 gp
75-76	32-33	—	Eagle’s splendor	300 gp
77-78	34-35	—	Fox’s cunning	300 gp
79-81	36-37	10-11	Invisibility (potion or oil)	300 gp
82-84	38	12	Lesser restoration	300 gp
85-86	39	—	Levitate (potion or oil)	300 gp
87	40	—	Misdirection	300 gp
88-89	41-42	—	Owl’s wisdom	300 gp
90-91	43	—	Protection from arrows 30 points**	300 gp
92-93	44	13	Remove paralysis	300 gp
94-96	45-46	—	Resist energy (type) 10	300 gp
97	47-48	14	Shield of faith +3	350 gp*
98-99	49	—	Spider climb	300 gp
100	50	15	Undetectable alignment	300 gp
—	51	16	Barkskin +3	600 gp*
—	52	17-18	Shield of faith +4	600 gp
—	53-55	19-20	Resist energy (type) 20	700 gp
—	56-60	21-28	Cure serious wounds	750 gp
—	61	29	Daylight	750 gp
—	62-64	30-32	Displacement	750 gp
—	65	33	Flame arrow	750 gp
—	66-68	34-38	Fly	750 gp
—	69	39	Gaseous form	750 gp
—	70-71	—	Greater magic fang +1	750 gp
—	72-73	—	Greater magic weapon +1	750 gp
—	74-75	40-41	Haste	750 gp
—	76-78	42-44	Heroism	750 gp
—	79-80	45-46	Keen edge	750 gp
—	81	47	Magic circle against (alignment)	750 gp
—	82-83	—	Magic vestment +1	750 gp
—	84-86	48-50	Neutralize poison	750 gp
—	87-88	51-52	Nondetection	750 gp
—	89-91	53-54	Protection from energy (type)	750 gp
—	92-93	55	Rage	750 gp
—	94	56	Remove blindness/deafness	750 gp
—	95	57	Remove curse	750 gp
—	96	58	Remove disease	750 gp
—	97	59	Tongues	750 gp
—	98-99	60	Water breathing	750 gp
—	100	61	Water walk	750 gp
—	—	62-63	Barkskin +4	900 gp
—	—	64	Shield of faith +5	900 gp
—	—	65	Protection from arrows 100 points **	1,000 gp*
—	—	66-68	Good hope	1,050 gp
—	—	69	Resist energy (type) 30	1,100 gp
—	—	70-73	Barkskin +5	1,200 gp
—	—	74-77	Greater magic fang +2	1,200 gp
—	—	78-81	Greater magic weapon +2	1,200 gp
—	—	82	Magic vestment +2	1,200 gp
—	—	83-85	Greater magic fang +3	1,800 gp
—	—	86-88	Greater magic weapon +3	1,800 gp
—	—	89-91	Magic vestment +3	1,800 gp
—	—	92-93	Greater magic fang +4	2,400 gp
—	—	94-95	Greater magic weapon +4	2,400 gp
—	—	96-97	Magic vestment +4	2,400 gp
—	—	98	Greater magic fang +5	3,000 gp
—	—	99	Greater magic weapon +5	3,000 gp
—	—	100	Magic vestment +5	3,000 gp