Chromatic Wash

When You're Not Sure About the Color

"I once watched a dockhand pour it over a rusted anchor chain just to see what would happen. Turned the whole thing a bright festival blue. Thirty minutes later it was back to rust and bad decisions."

— Sella Morn, harbor alchemist

Chromatic Wash is a simple but curious magical philter known for its ability to temporarily recolor objects with striking precision. The potion appears as a thin liquid contained within a small glass vial, its surface constantly shifting through vivid tones that flow into one another like oil on water. At times the colors flatten into perfect sheets of single hue before sliding again into new shades, creating the impression that the liquid itself is deciding what color it wishes to be next.

When the contents of the vial are poured over a nonmagical object, the fluid spreads rapidly across the surface and instantly recolors the entire item to a single solid shade chosen by the user. The transformation is complete and uniform. Existing patterns, stains, markings, and discolorations vanish beneath the new color, leaving the object with a clean and consistent appearance.

Despite the dramatic change in appearance, Chromatic Wash does not alter the physical nature of the object it coats. Shape, texture, and structural properties remain exactly as they were before the potion was applied. Rough surfaces remain rough, smooth metal remains smooth, and engraved patterns can still be felt even though their visual contrast disappears beneath the applied color.

The recoloration persists for roughly thirty minutes before the magic begins to fade. During this period the applied color slowly thins and dissolves, revealing the object’s original appearance beneath it until the effect vanishes entirely. No residue remains once the enchantment ends.

Chromatic Wash has no effect on magical items or living creatures. Attempts to use the potion on enchanted materials simply result in the liquid sliding off the surface without activating its magic.

Because of its harmless nature and reliable effect, Chromatic Wash is commonly used by stage performers, traveling entertainers, artisans experimenting with pigments, and the occasional prankster who wants to make a wagon wheel suddenly turn bright pink for half an hour.

"It’s not illusion. That’s the trick. The color is real while it lasts. Just not loyal."

— Master Pigmenter Hallia Trey, Guild of Shipwrights, Saint Sebastian

Item type

Compound

Rarity

Common

Weight

.5lb

Base Price

40gp

Unknown Shores

Chromatic Wash

Potion

Common

You can use an action to pour this potion over a nonmagical object you touch. The liquid spreads across the object and recolors it to a single, uniform color of your choice. The effect completely replaces the object’s visible color, including stains, markings, and patterns.
This potion has no effect on magical items or creatures.
The color lasts for 30 minutes, after which it fades and the object returns to its original appearance.

Cost: 40gp
Weight: .5lb