Focus potions... are they working?

[Kyrial]

On the shaman message board there was a post by someone who had tested how much mana he was using on spells before and after drinking a focus potion (either #3 or #4?) and found no difference. (His "ice" spell was using 8% mana every time. I dont recall offhand what ice spell it was... probably the high level nuke, which would mean it was cold awareness 4 he was using.)

Does anyone know?

[Niami DenMother]

I hate to say it, but trying to measure a 5 percent reduction on something that only takes 8 percent of your mana in the first place isn't a good way to test it - the savings per cast will be so tiny as to be hard to catch, especially if the person has any mana regen abilities/effects.

When I'm actually going out hunting, or playing buffing goddess, I'll test with either KEI casts or with group focus, or something else appropriately large.

[Brenladar]

I cant say about the ice ones but i do know the beneficial ones are working i been buffing lowbie frogs and been giving them a bunch of buffs including HoS and that sucker is a mana hog.You really dont see a difference on just one cast you see it after 2 or 3 casts and then it becomes noticeable.Your friend just might not be using a high enough mana cost spell to see any effect like denmom said.

[UgZug]

They definitely work. I have two guildmates that swear by the FireIV and MagicIV potions. I've stopped attempting to skill up my last few points and just wait for their orders.

Also - a trick that THEY told ME - if you drink all but the last dose (drink 9 out of a 10 dose) and sell the remain dose to a vendor, you can receive (depending on faction and charisma) up to 1200p for it. That seriously offsets the cost to your customers and will encourage them to use them and buy more - thus giving you more chances to skill up for "free".

[Lupoman]

hmm wonder if ya bought it back would it be fully charged?

[Taelnia]

That is an old trick, and usually gets nerfed by VI for major items (remember the change to sell/buyback prices of staff of forbidden rights sometime last year?)

Trick is this: Sell fully charged item to vendor, then sell item with 0 charges(or in case of potions, 1 charge) to vendor. Now buy both back and they are both fully charged.

Works on lore items also(need two people for that trick).