How often does your party use a potion of healing

Ancalagon · May 1, 2019

In the game I run, a few times per adventures is the most accurate description I can give, sorry....

Leatherhead · May 1, 2019

Parties are required to carry two healing potions on their persons whenever they set out to do the adventuring business. One for themselves, and one for whomever else needs it.
In the wagon, there are enough additional potions for everyone to resupply at least once.
Someone uses at least one of them every fight.

CydKnight · May 1, 2019

It varies depending on the campaign, party, and encounter. For the current campaign it's probably in the neighborhood of 1-2 per game session on average without a primary healer in the party. Our average 4 - 5 hour session averages one major encounter with some sessions having a minor encounter too.

Scott Graves · May 1, 2019

Odysseus said:
I'm relatively new to Dming 5E. And i'm curious to know how often parties are using potions to heal.

We don't have a Cleric... Or a Druid... Or a Bard... We've got a Ranger and a Paladin for "healers" and a Monk who has proficiency with a Herbalist kit. So potions are VERY popular.

MechaPilot · May 1, 2019

Odysseus said:
anybody got any suggestions about how to measure how many parties are using.
The replies so far seem to be little to none ,but sometimes a lot.

It's heavily dependent on the composition of the party.

The group I DM for (which only has two players) has an NPC Life Cleric travelling with them. She's the dedicated group healer, and she's built to be good at her job. Generally, if the group is using a potion, it's because she's fallen and they need to bring her back into the fray. Admittedly, that doesn't happen terribly often. The last time it did, the party was in a hallway in the fire temple of the Princes of the Apocalypse adventure, and they got blasted with 13 fireballs.

If she wasn't travelling with them, or if she was significantly less effective, they would definitely use more potions.

I'd also say it depends heavily on how active or reckless the party is.

If you run fewer encounters in a day, the healers will have more resources available per encounter. Therefore, they're likely to use fewer potions.

But, if the group is more reckless, if they have a habit of splitting up and getting hurt while being away from the cleric, etc. then you'll see them using more potions.

aco175 · May 1, 2019

My games tend to use potions around once per every 5 long rests. There is a cleric most times and a short rest is something we can find most of the time, so healing dice get used first. Low level PCs may use them more in levels 1-4.

The biggest problem at my table on why they do not get used more is that it uses your action to drink a potion. You can pick up a beer off the table and swig it down using a bonus action, but using magic cost your main action.

Ralif Redhammer · May 1, 2019

When I'm DMing, I get asked "can I drink a potion as a bonus action" so many times, when people know that they can't.

I think that's why potions are mostly administered when a PC is already dying, when it's more imperative.

aco175 said:
The biggest problem at my table on why they do not get used more is that it uses your action to drink a potion. You can pick up a beer off the table and swig it down using a bonus action, but using magic cost your main action.

Istbor · May 1, 2019

They use as many as I give them!

For real though, I don't know. I checked once per long rest, but that isn't accurate. As others have stated, it is situational. I never can tell when they are going to use them or go all hard core and fight through the pain.

It can also depend on how common they are in the game world. In mine, while temples and alchemists can make them, you don't always have access to these places.

Mr. Wilson · May 1, 2019

I use the commonly used Bonus Action to drink one yourself, standard action to administer one to your friend houserule.

Last campaign, they didn't really use that many potions because they had a bard with a staff of healing. This campaign, the only one that can heal is a Moon Druid who spends most of his time in animal form. Healing Potions are used much more frequently, like 2-3 times per short rest at least.

ad_hoc · May 1, 2019

Mr. Wilson said:
I use the commonly used Bonus Action to drink one yourself, standard action to administer one to your friend houserule.

Last campaign, they didn't really use that many potions because they had a bard with a staff of healing. This campaign, the only one that can heal is a Moon Druid who spends most of his time in animal form. Healing Potions are used much more frequently, like 2-3 times per short rest at least.

This is common? First I have heard of it.