Druid "Share Spells" + potions

[Aegbno]

I don't have a lot of sources available, so don't know if this has come up anywhere else.

Share Spells (Ex)
At the druid’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion.

The drinker of a potion is both the effective target and the caster of the effect.

So would a druid drinking a potion be able to bestow the effect on his companion as well?

[Jackinthegreen]

I'd probably go with no.  A potion is meant to only give its effect to the user, and nothing else.

[Roxoff]

I agree with that - it's the 'casts upon herself' bit that ruins it for me - you don't cast a potion upon yourself, you drink it.

[Captnq]

Technically, the potion creator is casting the spell into the potion. In fact, in a RAW reading of the rules, the spell is already cast before you drink it. So the HP result in a potion of CLW is already rolled before you drink it. Nobody plays it that way, but that is the literal reading of the rules.

Regardless, what that means is you are not casting the spell, so it has no effect on your pet. However, a wand or a scroll would affect you and your animal companion/familiar/mount/animated bottle of milk and wedge of cheese

Milk and Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad!

[NunoM]

I agree with the general opinion here.

The druid isn't the caster of the potion so he can't share the potion effect with his companion. Also, he can't share the spell cast by activating a wand or from a scroll... EDIT: I don't think he's considered "the caster", only "the activator", but i'll check on this.

In my gaming group, we use a rule of thumb in an attempt to minimize doubts: if you can't apply your own caster level to a magical effect, you can't share the spell with the companion/familiar.

[Kethrian]

While I could understand how being the "effective target and the caster" for imbibing potions could create that argument that anyone with an animal companion or familiar might be able to share it as if they had cast the spell, it goes on to state that this is only for control of the spell after the potion is used.  All decisions that would be made at time of casting, as well as caster level, have already been decided by the true caster, the one that created the potion, which is also explained in the DMG.  I would have to say that, since there is a dichotomy of "casters" for potions, the creator is the one who counts for this purpose, as it uses his caster level and initial decisions, while the imbiber only gains caster-like control after it takes effect.

[Captnq]

In my gaming group, we use a rule of thumb in an attempt to minimize doubts: if you can't apply your own caster level to a magical effect, you can't share the spell with the companion/familiar.

I like that. I'm going to steal that.

[NunoM]

Steal away...