Random Potion Generator: Look, Bottle, Taste, Effect and Side Effect

Stock a fantasy shop shelf, reward a quest or start a story with a bottle whose side effect is always harmless and never undoes the magic.

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26,040,268,800 possible potions
Updated Sep 2026
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Random Potion Generator: Look, Bottle, Taste, Effect and Side Effect: 20 potions

A liquid the color of egg yolk, in an iron flask on a leather strap. It tastes of toasted bread crusts. Drink it to float small objects to your hand. That lasts for a year and a day. Side effect: soap bubbles drift up from your hair.

Looka liquid the color of egg yolk
Containeran iron flask on a leather strap
Taste or smelltastes of toasted bread crusts
Effectfloat small objects to your hand
Durationfor a year and a day
Side effectsoap bubbles drift up from your hair

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Every potion you make is kept here, newest first, up to the last 20. The list stays in this browser.

Potion of the day

A gray liquid, dull as dishwater, in a bottle wrapped in woven straw. It tastes bitter enough to shudder at. Drink it to shrug off any cold. That lasts for eight hours. Side effect: doors creak as you pass them.
A black liquid that reflects nothing, in a length of bamboo sealed with resin. It tastes of unripe plums. Drink it to float small objects to your hand. That lasts for one hour, to the second. Side effect: afterward, you dream of the same staircase all week.
A faintly glowing lemon-yellow liquid, in an iron flask on a leather strap. It tastes sweet, then sweeter. Drink it to draw anything you look at, perfectly. That lasts until the next sunset. Side effect: your hair turns the color of the potion.
A thick crimson syrup, in a copper flask, green at the seams. It tastes of your least loved vegetable. Drink it to speak with cats. That lasts for an hour, give or take. Side effect: you gain an accent nobody can place.
A pale pink liquid with a pearly sheen, in a bottle shaped like a sleeping cat. It tastes of unripe plums. Drink it to step from one shadow to another in sight. That lasts for a week. Side effect: everything you wear turns green.
A pale lilac cream, in a round glass bottle with a cork. It tastes of honey and warm milk. Drink it to speak with trees. That lasts while one candle burns down. Side effect: your skin takes on a faint shimmer.
A coral-pink cream, in a large seashell sealed with wax. It tastes purple, somehow. Drink it to fall from any height and land unhurt. That lasts for an hour. Side effect: you smell of cinnamon.
A cloudy lavender liquid, in a slim vial on a neck chain. It smells of snuffed candles. Drink it to speak with trees. That lasts for ten minutes. Side effect: flowers turn to face you as you pass.
A clear liquid with one black thread, in a brass cylinder with a hinged lid. It tastes of mushrooms fried in butter. Drink it to bend any joint in any direction. That lasts for four hours. Side effect: your voice has a faint buzz to it.
A pond-green liquid with bits in it, in a length of bamboo sealed with resin. It tastes of honey and warm milk. Drink it to speak with cats. That lasts for two hours. Side effect: you sound as if you are inside a barrel.
A pond-green liquid with bits in it, in a copper flask, green at the seams. It tastes of cherries and iron. Drink it to find water underground by walking. That lasts for five minutes. Side effect: afterward, colors look dull for a day.
A clear amber liquid, in a drinking horn capped with leather. It tastes bitter enough to shudder at. Drink it to cool or warm anything you hold. That lasts for the length of one song. Side effect: afterward, one lock of hair stays white.
A black liquid with a rainbow film, in an inkwell with a screw lid. It smells of wet wool. Drink it to bend any joint in any direction. That lasts for half a day. Side effect: your voice echoes as if in a well.
A tawny liquid with slow bubbles, in a copper flask, green at the seams. It tastes of peaches in syrup. Drink it to catch anything thrown to you. That lasts until you tell a lie. Side effect: soap bubbles drift up from your hair.
A gold liquid, bright as a new coin, in a gold thimble with a wax seal. It tastes of green apples and chalk. Drink it to dig through earth like a mole. That lasts for half an hour. Side effect: your hair floats as if underwater.
A liquid red by day and blue by night, in a drinking horn capped with leather. It tastes of raw ginger. Drink it to bend any joint in any direction. That lasts for three minutes. Side effect: you gain a dimple you never had.
A gold liquid, bright as a new coin, in a wax-sealed clay jar. It tastes of toffee and lime. Drink it to see clearly underwater. That lasts until you hear a bell. Side effect: you look ten years older.
A dark blue liquid full of tiny lights, in a hollow bone corked at both ends. It tastes different to everyone. Drink it to climb any tree as easily as a squirrel. That lasts for one hour, to the second. Side effect: your nose turns blue.
A thin rose-pink liquid, in a large seashell sealed with wax. It smells of snuffed candles. Drink it to shape stone like wet clay. That lasts for a day and a night. Side effect: you smell of a barn in summer.
A copper liquid with a metal sheen, in a small teapot with a corked spout. It smells of pine sap. Drink it to join metal to metal with a touch. That lasts for one minute. Side effect: your hair turns the color of the potion.

Next step Pick the world it is sold in Swap the effect for a superpower

Random Potion Generator: Look, Bottle, Taste, Effect and Side Effect: how it works

This random potion generator brews one potion in six parts: what the liquid looks like, what it comes in, how it tastes or smells, what it lets the drinker do, how long that lasts and one side effect. It is for game masters stocking a shop, writers and anyone who likes drawing bottles. Nothing here is a recipe, and no ingredients appear.

Brew one, then swap a single part

Press New potion, then keep the part you like. Lock Effect on 'speak with cats' and reroll Duration: 'for a year and a day' is a new life, and 'until you tell a lie' is a test of character. Lock Look and Container to keep one mystery bottle while its contents change. Print makes a sheet of 20, enough to stock a shop.

Why the side effect never cancels the effect

It is a rule of the lists, not luck. Every effect is something the drinker does with their own senses, body, hands or understanding, and none depends on going unnoticed. While the potion lasts, a side effect may only change how you look, smell or sound, what you crave, or something small nearby. Anything touching taste, sleep or the senses starts afterward.

Tips

Each effect in the full list has a limit beside it. Walking on water treats waves as a floor that is moving. The limit is where the scene happens.
Let the side effect give the drinker away. Someone in town smells of cinnamon and casts two shadows. Who sold it to them?
For a shop, deal ten and price them by Duration. One minute costs pocket money. A year and a day costs a favor.

Questions and answers

How many potions can it brew?

60 looks times 46 containers times 52 tastes times 72 effects times 40 durations times 63 side effects gives 26,040,268,800 potions. A row deals every one of its lines before any line returns. The potion of the day is the same bottle for every visitor.

Can a side effect ruin the potion?

No. Effects never rely on hiding, silence, taste, smell, sleep or appetite, and those are all a side effect may touch, so night sight never comes with blindness. The price is harmless and usually embarrassing: a blue nose, a honking laugh, a craving for raw turnips.

Does it follow the rules of a particular game?

No. There are no dice, levels, prices or rarity ratings, so a potion fits any system or none. Effects avoid healing, harm and mind control on purpose. For the shop that sells it, try the random setting generator. For a bigger effect, see the random superpower generator.

Look: all 60 looks

Reds and pinks 10

a cherry-red liquid that fizzes
a clinging scarlet liquid
a cloudy brick-red liquid
a coral-pink cream
a dark red liquid, almost black
a pale pink liquid with a pearly sheen
a ruby liquid with gold flecks
a rust-colored liquid with grit in it
a thick crimson syrup
a thin rose-pink liquid

Oranges, yellows and golds 10

a bright orange liquid that fizzes
a clear amber liquid
a cloudy mustard-yellow liquid
a copper liquid with a metal sheen
a faintly glowing lemon-yellow liquid
a gold liquid, bright as a new coin
a liquid the color of egg yolk
a pale straw-yellow liquid
a slow amber syrup
a tawny liquid with slow bubbles

Greens 10

a clear emerald liquid
a cloudy olive-green liquid
a dark green liquid swirled with black
a green liquid settled into two layers
a lime-green liquid that fizzes
a mint-green cream
a pale green liquid with silver flecks
a pond-green liquid with bits in it
a sea-green liquid that glows faintly
a thick moss-green sludge

Blues and purples 10

a bright blue liquid that fizzes
a clear sky-blue liquid
a cloudy lavender liquid
a dark blue liquid full of tiny lights
a pale lilac cream
a plum-colored liquid, thick as gravy
a staining ink-blue liquid
a thick violet syrup
a turquoise liquid that glows faintly
an indigo liquid with silver flecks

Black, white and clear 10

a black liquid that reflects nothing
a black liquid with a rainbow film
a clear liquid that looks like water
a clear liquid with one black thread
a clear, slow liquid, thick as honey
a gray liquid, dull as dishwater
a milky white liquid
a pearl-white cream
a silver liquid that beads and rolls
a smoky gray liquid

Shifting 10

a clear liquid with a tiny storm in it
a liquid nobody sees as the same color
a liquid red by day and blue by night
a liquid that brightens in your hand
a liquid that changes color if shaken
a liquid that creeps up the sides
a liquid that ripples at loud noises
a liquid that swirls and never settles
a liquid your eyes slide off
three colored bands that never mix

Container: all 46 containers

Glass 11

a bottle wrapped in woven straw
a cut-glass perfume bottle
a glass vial sealed with red wax
a long-necked flask
a round glass bottle with a cork
a sealed glass globe with no opening
a slim vial on a neck chain
a square bottle with a glass stopper
a tall green glass bottle
a thick brown bottle with no label
a tiny blue glass vial

Clay and stone 9

a carved soapstone vial
a clay bottle shaped like a fish
a glazed pot with a cloth lid
a plain clay cup sealed with beeswax
a porcelain jar painted with flowers
a small stone bottle
a squat earthenware jug
a teacup with a saucer for a lid
a wax-sealed clay jar

Metal 9

a battered soldier's canteen
a brass cylinder with a hinged lid
a copper flask, green at the seams
a dented tin flask
a gold thimble with a wax seal
a pewter tube crimped at both ends
a silver vial with a screw cap
a small tin with a press-on lid
an iron flask on a leather strap

Horn, shell and gourd 9

a coconut shell sealed with tar
a drinking horn capped with leather
a hollow bone corked at both ends
a hollow gourd with a wooden plug
a large seashell sealed with wax
a leather waterskin
a length of bamboo sealed with resin
a walnut shell tied shut with thread
an eggshell sealed with wax

Odd containers 8

a bottle shaped like a sleeping cat
a flask engraved with two initials
a hollow ring with a hinged stone
a jam jar with a handwritten label
a locket with a liquid-tight seal
a small teapot with a corked spout
an inkwell with a screw lid
the hollow handle of a walking stick

Taste or smell: all 52 tastes

Sweet 10

tastes of burnt sugar
tastes of cake batter
tastes of cherries and iron
tastes of honey and warm milk
tastes of overripe pears
tastes of peaches in syrup
tastes of strawberries, then of soap
tastes of toffee and lime
tastes of vanilla and cold stone
tastes sweet, then sweeter

Sour and bitter 10

tastes as bitter as dandelion stalks
tastes bitter enough to shudder at
tastes briefly of sour milk
tastes of cold black tea
tastes of grapefruit pith
tastes of green apples and chalk
tastes of lemon peel
tastes of rhubarb without the sugar
tastes of unripe plums
tastes of vinegar and brown sugar

Savory and spiced 10

tastes of chicken broth
tastes of cloves and orange peel
tastes of garlic, at length
tastes of gravy gone cold
tastes of mushrooms fried in butter
tastes of mustard, all the way down
tastes of pepper and smoke
tastes of raw ginger
tastes of salt water and seaweed
tastes of toasted bread crusts

Strange 11

tastes different to everyone
tastes like licking a copper coin
tastes of a meal you half remember
tastes of cold river stones
tastes of nothing at all
tastes of pencil shavings
tastes of rain, if rain were thicker
tastes of the last thing you ate
tastes of your least loved vegetable
tastes purple, somehow
tastes the way a thunderstorm smells

Smells 11

smells like rain on hot stone
smells like the inside of a new shoe
smells of a bakery at dawn
smells of a struck match
smells of fresh-cut grass
smells of nothing, which is worse
smells of old books
smells of pine sap
smells of snuffed candles
smells of the sea at low tide
smells of wet wool

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page. The tool builds one potion from six rows (look, container, taste, effect, duration, side effect) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to read well beside every line in the other five. Rules for this row: a flavor or a smell, written to follow the word It. No taste names a food that the cravings in the side effect row use, and none mentions fizz, thickness or color, which belong to the look. No line refers to alcohol. Everything here is invented for stories and games. No ingredient, recipe or dose appears anywhere, and nothing on the page describes a real drink or remedy. Reviewed line by line for sense, duplicates and agreement with the other five rows on 2026-09-18. Licence: own work

Effect: all 72 effects

Senses 12

always know which way is north North only. It does not tell you where you are.
feel footsteps through the ground A flat palm on the ground, and about a hundred paces of reach.
hear a whisper from across a field You cannot choose what to tune out, so crowds are hard work.
judge any distance or weight exactly The numbers arrive in whatever units you grew up with.
know the exact time without a clock To the second, wherever you are. It does not tell you the date.
read a sealed letter without opening it Paper and parchment only. You still have to know the language.
see a mile off as clearly as a yard Things close to you go blurred while you do it.
see clearly underwater As far as the water is clear. Mud is still mud.
see in the dark Shapes and movement in shades of gray. No color, and no seeing through walls.
see through fog, smoke and dust Only those three. Darkness still stops you.
see warmth as a faint glow Living things, fires and sun-warmed stone show up. Cold things fade from view.
tell real gold from fake at a glance It works on gold, silver and gems. It says nothing about who owns them.

Body 14

bend any joint in any direction Painless while it lasts. Be the right way round when it ends.
breathe underwater Fresh water or salt. It does nothing about the cold, or about what lives down there.
fall from any height and land unhurt You land on your feet. Whatever you were carrying may not.
float in any water without effort You cannot sink, which also means you cannot dive.
grow to twice your height and back Your clothes grow with you. Doorways do not.
handle fire and hot coals unharmed Skin and hair only. Your clothes burn as usual.
hold your breath as long as you like When it ends you need air at once, so plan the way back up.
keep hold of anything you grip Nothing can be pulled from your hand. You can still be carried off along with it.
lift ten times your own weight Lifting only. The floor under you is as strong as it ever was.
make your skin as tough as leather It turns a thorn or a cat's claw, not an axe. You stay as flexible as ever.
shrink to the size of a mouse and back Your clothes shrink with you. Anything in your hands does not.
shrug off any cold Snow, ice water and mountain wind. You can still slip on the ice.
stretch your arms to twice their length Arms only. Sleeves do not stretch with them.
walk barefoot over anything unharmed Thorns, broken glass, hot sand and ice. Feet only.

Movement 17

balance on anything, even a slack rope Rope, rail or rooftop ridge. It does not help if the rope snaps.
climb any tree as easily as a squirrel Trees only. Thin branches still snap.
climb sheer walls like a spider Palms and fingertips do the work, so gloves stop it. Ceilings are possible, slowly.
cover a hundred paces with each step In a straight line over open ground. It does not steer round trees.
dig through earth like a mole Soil and sand, not rock. The tunnel does not stay open behind you.
float a hand's width above the ground You leave no mark on snow or mud, and you drift if pushed.
fly as fast as you can walk Walking pace, and no higher than the rooftops. Wind counts.
jump three times your own height The jump is easy. The landing is your own problem.
ride any animal big enough to carry you It keeps you on. It does not make the animal agree about the direction.
run as fast as a galloping horse Stopping takes as long as it would take the horse.
run without ever getting out of breath Your shoes wear out at the usual rate.
skate over any ground as if it were ice Grass, cobbles and carpets all work. Stairs are a bad idea.
squeeze through any gap a cat could Your clothes and your pack have to fit through as well.
step from one shadow to another in sight Both shadows must be big enough to stand in. Noon is difficult.
swim as fast as an otter Speed only. You still have to come up for air.
walk on water Calm water is like a floor. Waves are like a floor that is moving.
walk through a closed wooden door Wood only, and nothing thicker than a door. Iron studs hurt.

Understanding and skill 17

catch anything thrown to you Thrown to you or at you. It has to be small enough to hold in one hand.
do any sum in your head, instantly Arithmetic only. It cannot tell you whether the numbers you were given are true.
draw anything you look at, perfectly From life only. Nothing from memory or imagination.
juggle anything you can lift Up to five things at once. Catching them when it ends is up to you.
know a lie when you hear one Outright lies only. Half-truths and honest mistakes pass.
name every plant and stone you see Names and nothing more. It does not say which ones are safe.
open any lock you can touch Locks only. Bolts, bars and guards are a separate problem.
play any instrument you pick up Skill, not taste. You play perfectly whatever you could already hum.
read any written language Reading only, and bad handwriting is as bad as ever.
recall any face you have ever seen The face, and where you saw it. Not the name.
remember everything you read Whatever you read while it lasts stays with you. Earlier reading does not come back.
retrace any route you have ever taken Only routes you traveled yourself. It does not open doors that were locked since.
speak with birds Birds care about food, weather and other birds. Ask about those.
speak with cats They understand you perfectly. Whether they answer is up to them.
speak with trees Trees notice seasons, not days. Ask about the last hundred years, not last week.
tie or untie any knot in a moment Rope, thread, hair and shoelaces. A cut rope stays cut.
understand any spoken language Understand, not speak. Jokes and proverbs come through word for word.

Making and mending 12

clean anything with a single wipe Mud, soot, ink and rust. It does not mend what is underneath.
cool or warm anything you hold From ice-cold to too hot to sip, and no further. One cupful at a time.
find water underground by walking You feel a pull in your knees. It says where the water is, not how deep.
float small objects to your hand Nothing heavier than a full cup, and nothing you cannot see.
grow a seed into a sapling in your hand One seed at a time. It needs soil within the hour or it wilts.
join metal to metal with a touch A thin seam, as strong as good solder. Both pieces must be clean.
light a candle by looking at it Candles, lamps and dry kindling. Nothing bigger, and nothing damp.
make any plant bloom out of season Flowers only, and they last a day. Fruit needs the real season.
make light in your open palm About a lantern's worth, cool to the touch. It goes out when you close your hand.
mend what is broken with a touch Pottery, glass and wood. Nothing living, and nothing with moving parts.
shape stone like wet clay Bare hands only, and the stone sets the moment you let go.
write on any surface with your fingertip The letters glow softly and fade within a day. Stone, wood and glass all work.

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page. The tool builds one potion from six rows (look, container, taste, effect, duration, side effect) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to read well beside every line in the other five. Rules for this row: something the drinker can do, written to follow the words Drink it to. Every effect is an ability of the drinker's own senses, body, movement, understanding or hands. None depends on going unseen, unheard or unsmelled, on how anyone else sees the drinker, or on taste, smell, sleep or appetite, because those are the only things the side effect row is allowed to touch. That is how the side effect can never cancel the effect. No effect heals, harms or controls anyone, and each is useful for one minute and for a year. The note on each effect is its limit. Everything here is invented for stories and games. No ingredient, recipe or dose appears anywhere, and nothing on the page describes a real drink or remedy. Reviewed line by line for sense, duplicates and agreement with the other five rows on 2026-09-18. Licence: own work

Duration: all 40 durations

Minutes 9

for a hundred heartbeats
for a quarter of an hour
for five minutes
for half an hour
for one minute
for ten minutes
for the length of one song
for three minutes
while one candle burns down

Hours 9

for an hour
for an hour, give or take
for eight hours
for four hours
for half a day
for one hour, to the second
for six hours
for three hours
for two hours

Days and longer 9

for a day
for a day and a night
for a month
for a week
for a year and a day
for seven days and nights
for three days
for two days
for two weeks

Until something happens 13

until midnight
until noon tomorrow
until someone says your name
until the next full moon
until the next sunrise
until the next sunset
until you hear a bell
until you look in a mirror
until you next fall asleep
until you next sneeze
until you say the word stop
until you tell a lie
until your next handshake

Side effect: all 63 side effects

Looks 15

you gain a dimple you never had
you grow a magnificent mustache
you look ten years older
your ears go bright red
your eyebrows vanish
your fingernails turn gold
your hair curls into tight ringlets
your hair floats as if underwater
your hair stands straight up
your hair turns silver
your hair turns the color of the potion
your nose turns blue
your skin takes on a faint shimmer
your teeth glow faintly in the dark
your tongue turns bright green

Smell 9

you smell faintly of cheese
you smell of a barn in summer
you smell of cinnamon
you smell of clean linen, even when muddy
you smell of fresh paint
you smell of new rope
you smell of nutmeg
you smell of woodsmoke
you smell strongly of lavender

Voice 10

you gain an accent nobody can place
you sound as if you are inside a barrel
you sound eighty years old
your laugh comes out as a honk
your voice drops an octave
your voice echoes as if in a well
your voice has a faint buzz to it
your voice rises an octave
your voice seems to come from behind you
your whisper carries across a room

Cravings 9

nothing you eat is sour enough
you crave boiled cabbage
you crave cold porridge
you crave dry crackers
you crave jam by the spoonful
you crave pickled onions
you crave radishes
you crave raw turnips
you want horseradish on everything

Harmless oddities 11

candles near you burn blue
doors creak as you pass them
dust never settles on you
everything you wear turns green
flowers turn to face you as you pass
harmless sparks jump from your fingers
soap bubbles drift up from your hair
you cast two shadows
your reflection waves when you do not
your shadow lags a moment behind you
your shadow points the wrong way

Afterward 9

afterward, colors look dull for a day
afterward, food tastes of mint for a day
afterward, one lock of hair stays white
afterward, you are hungry enough for two
afterward, you dream in another language
afterward, you dream of the same staircase all week
afterward, you forget it has worn off
afterward, you hate the smell of it
afterward, you sleep for twelve hours

How this list was compiled: An original list written for this page. The tool builds one potion from six rows (look, container, taste, effect, duration, side effect) and cannot block a combination, so every line in this row was written to read well beside every line in the other five. Rules for this row: a harmless price, in the second person. While the potion lasts, a side effect may change only how the drinker looks, smells or sounds, what the drinker craves, or some small oddity nearby. It never touches sight, hearing, strength, movement, breath, hands, memory or what the drinker is able to say, and it never involves animals, so it cannot cancel any line in the effect row. Anything that touches taste, sleep, appetite, memory or the senses is in the Afterward group and begins only once the effect has ended. Nothing hurts, and nothing mocks a real condition. Reviewed line by line for sense, duplicates and agreement with the other five rows on 2026-09-18. Licence: own work