Taste Identification

Detecting Poisons and Potions

Overview

Taste Identification allows you to identify the properties of potions and detect poison on food items. This skill is essential for alchemists who need to verify their creations and for anyone concerned about food safety in dangerous situations.

While often overlooked, Taste ID provides crucial information about consumables and pairs perfectly with Alchemy and Cooking skills for complete consumable mastery.

Core Mechanics

How It Works

  • Activation: Use skill and target item
  • Range: 2 tiles maximum
  • Cooldown: 1 second delay
  • No Cost: Free to use
  • Safe: Never consumes items

Identification Types

Potions

Automatic identification

No skill check required

Food

Poison detection

0-100 skill check

What Can Be Identified

Food Items

  • Poisoned Food: "It appears to have poison smeared on it"
  • Clean Food: "You detect nothing unusual about this substance"
  • Failed Check: "You cannot discern anything about this substance"
  • All Food Types: Meat, produce, baked goods, etc.

Potions & Kegs

  • Individual Potions: Instantly identifies type
  • Potion Kegs: Shows keg contents and quantity
  • No Skill Check: Always succeeds on potions
  • Unknown Potions: Reveals true nature

⚠️ Cannot Identify

  • • Weapons and armor
  • • Magic items
  • • Reagents
  • • Non-consumable items

Potion Types

Beneficial Potions

Healing
  • • Lesser Heal
  • • Heal
  • • Greater Heal
Cures
  • • Lesser Cure
  • • Cure
  • • Greater Cure
Refreshment
  • • Refresh
  • • Total Refresh
Stats
  • • Strength
  • • Agility
  • • Night Sight

Harmful Potions

Poisons
  • • Lesser Poison
  • • Poison
  • • Greater Poison
  • • Deadly Poison
Explosions
  • • Lesser Explosion
  • • Explosion
  • • Greater Explosion

Training Guide

Skill Progression

Skill Range Method Items Needed
0-30 NPC Training Gold only
30-60 Food Items Any food
60-80 Poisoned Food Apply poison
80-100 Mixed Items Food variety

Training Tips

  • Food Method: Use on food for skill checks
  • Poison Variety: Different poison levels help
  • Reusable: Items aren't consumed
  • Quick Gains: 1-second delay allows fast training
  • Potions: Don't give gains (no skill check)

Character Builds

Master Alchemist

  • • 100 Alchemy
  • • 100 Taste Identification
  • • 100 Poisoning
  • • 100 Magery
  • • 100 Meditation
  • • 100 Evaluate Intelligence
  • • 100 Inscription

Complete potion mastery and verification

Chef Assassin

  • • 100 Cooking
  • • 100 Taste Identification
  • • 100 Poisoning
  • • 100 Hiding
  • • 100 Stealth
  • • 100 Alchemy
  • • 100 Magery

Poison specialist with food focus

Tips & Strategies

Practical Applications

  • • Vendor Verification: Check potions before buying
  • • Food Safety: Test food from unknown sources
  • • Keg Management: Verify keg contents quickly
  • • PvP Awareness: Check for poisoned consumables
  • • Alchemy Support: Quality control for production

Synergies

  • + Alchemy: Perfect pairing for potion makers
  • + Cooking: Food safety and quality control
  • + Poisoning: Verify poison applications
  • + Item ID: Complete identification suite

Value Proposition

  • Low Priority: Often considered optional
  • Niche Uses: Specific situations benefit
  • Easy Training: Quick to GM if needed
  • RP Value: Great for chef/alchemist roleplay
  • Free Use: No resource consumption