User Blog:
D&D 4th ed: A Six Pack of Potions

Potions and elixirs are just not exciting enough in 4th edition, which is why I came up with the idea of serums. While a potion uses a healing surge, and the elixir takes one of the characters' daily uses of a magical item, the serum has a more on-going effect on the character, kind of like the way diseases are handled in the new rules.
What brings the serums to life is that they are more story-based than potions and elixirs, and can really make for an involving, exciting and quite hilarious sub-plot to your game.
Following on from the infamous Troll Serum, here is another example of this new kind of magical consumable item.

What character would not kill for the chance to move like lightning across the dungeon floor? The Quickling Serum offers the means to unlocking the characters inner maniac, but as with any metabolism super-charging magical concoction, one should look closely before leaping at the opportunity.

Quickling Serum
Primary Ingredients: The milky white eye fluid of the nefarious speedsters of the Feywild, around twenty Quickling eyes are required to produce one draft of serum. As Quicklings are intelligent, highly resourceful (evil) humanoids who have thrived even under the tyrannical rule of their overlord Fomorians, there is no abundant supply of their eyes, and so the serum, along with the recipe to make it, is a rare find indeed.
Initial Consumption: The serum is slimy and horrid tasting, as you would expect, but drinking it is not any more difficult than downing a large glass of raw eggs (DC 17).
Immediate Effects: Gain 2 squares of movement speed each turn, also add +1 to Initiative and Perception.
Ongoing Cost: The increased speed takes its toll, the character has a -2 penalty to Insight checks and requires more frequent extended rest, and of a longer duration than normal. In the first week, the character needs to rest for an hour longer on any extended period, and take five more minutes on any short rest, plus, they can not build up more than four milestones in any period of time without requiring an extended rest, or they will reach burn out point and Detox, also, they will be tremendously hungry, requiring twice as much food as they are used to.