How do your characters deal with potions?

[DragonLancer]

My players tend to blow their gold on potions and scrolls so that they don't have to waste valuable spells. Expendables first then burn the casters out of power.

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

I give out item cards, which has gradually caused them to burn expendibles more often. The large problem with many potions (bulls strength etc) is how buff duration was hosed in 3.5, making them less useful, since they arent worth an action in combat. I introduced some variant potions that give +2 to a stat and last for 30 minutes, and they have chugged.

 

[drothgery]

Put them into the backpack and promptly forget about them, is my party's usual tactic.

Yup. Scrolls, too. Heck, charged magic items other than wands in general (permanent items are either used or sold).

 

[BlackMoria]

Our group uses them frequently when very low level, infrequently at mid-levels and virtually never at higher levels.

 

[Delta]

Put them into the backpack and promptly forget about them, is my party's usual tactic.

Ditto.

 

[Henry]

There are two issues which exacerbate hoarding consumables. First, to apply the power-up takes away your turn's action quite possibly drawing an attack of opportunity. It could often be better to simply continue your attack so finishing the battle quicker and without taking that extra damage. Second, potions are a pain to identify. I don't want to go spending a pearl for a potion that has a decent chance of being worth less than the pearl. Yes, you can Spellcraft it, but that's not entirely reliable.

Don't they still have the Craft (Alchemy) route to identify potions? Costs 1 gp in materials to do the tests, and you can ID the potion. If your group doesn't have an alchemist, then I'm betting one is cheap to hire by book prices.

 

[blargney the second]

Incidentally, an awesome mundane item for heavy users with a regular habit is the potion bracer from Sharn: City of Towers. You can store three potions in it, and which allows you to chug one as a standard action that doesn't provoke AoOs. The fact that you don't have to retrieve the potion as a move action with another AoO is just gravy. I love mine!
-blarg

ps - we've dispensed with costs for IDing potions. Makes life a lot simpler.

 

[derelictjay]

We have always used them. In one campaign we had trouble keeping potions in our potion belts.