D&D 5E Players forgetting about potions and scrolls

[Lanefan]

It is actually a pretty common phenomenon. Mostly due to the idea that they have to be saved for that one time that they'll REALLY be needed.

Yep, I'm that player: never use a one-shot resource when there's any kind of renewable alternative available. Save one-shot resources for the direst of emergencies.

That said...

And when that time finally rolls around, they've probably forgotten about them. Assuming that they even recognize that NOW is the time they've been waiting for.

I don't often forget about them. My experience is more often the opposite: "NOW" comes around and I remember that one-shot resource I'd been hoarding for just this moment...then check my character sheet and nope, it got dispelled or broken or blown up some time back 'cause there's its notation with a line through it....

 

[Gavin O.]

Have an encounter in which an intelligent enemy, after being visibly injured, runs off and quaffs a potion of healing before returning to the fight.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

Mate, my lot picked up a Deck of Many Things from a 5e conversion (pre-CoS) of Ravenloft. I made a big deal about this strange set of cards wrapped in some sort of pale skin. They stuck it in their Bag of Holding and despite a couple of subtle and one not at all subtle hints, never even opened the deck up. Didn’t even look at it. AND one of them had a background as being an inveterate gambler. In the end the bag of holding with the Deck in it (and the character carrying it) got eaten by a tarrasque. C’est la vie.

 

[Shiroiken]

Eh, there's two philosphy's for consumable items. I'm old school, so I tend to stockpile them for when the fit hits the shan. Some like to burn through them whenever it's convenient. I really wouldn't worry about it, because keeping track of what they can do is the players' responsibility, not yours.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Any other DMs out there feel like their players rarely use their potions and scrolls and just sort of loose track of them? Any suggestions to remedy this?

As a player, I avoid using consumable whenever possible. I do my best to track them, but if the bag with ten potions in it gets crushed or something, it's no major loss.

As an adventurer, you should never move faster than you can do sustainably, because anything faster than that is (obviously) unsustainable. If I get into a situation where I have to expend a resource, then I've already made a mistake, because I can't possibly keep that up.

One of the issues with D&D, in particular, is that consumable items are so far inferior to anything that the PCs can do with their natural abilities. A potion that heals ~5 damage is irrelevant next to my natural healing rate. If you have a scroll of fireball, then the only one who can actually use it (generally speaking) is someone who can already cast fireball. Honestly, you could just remove them from the game entirely, and it wouldn't change much.

 

[CapnZapp]

Thing is, most of us experienced D&D gamers KNOW there are always a new potion around the corner.

You can almost say "use 2 consumables every level" and never run out of them (Not including the healing potions you yourself purchase)

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Put best before dates on their potions.

(It prevents potions in ancient tombs from being usable, though, but that might actually add a little bonus flavor to the setting)

I've thought about this, but I'm not sure if it justifies the extra bookkeeping. It would mean that potions are rare, and that nobody has a reason to keep more than one or two in stock, but that's not the worst thing in the world.

 

[Irda Ranger]

In my experience, both as a DM and player, consumables only get used when a character is out of other resources. So if they're out of slots and down to just cantrips, the wand or scroll comes out. If a fighter is low on HP and has already used Second Wind, that's when the healing potion gets used. Etc.

So it's really about pushing them with "one more encounter".

 

[Quartz]

Any other DMs out there feel like their players rarely use their potions and scrolls and just sort of loose track of them? Any suggestions to remedy this?

Make them more available. If the players are hoarding their consumable items then they're not confident of replenishment.

 

[Ath-kethin]

As a DM, this situation falls firmly into the "not my problem" category. It's not my concern if players don't use their resources. Whether it's a potion, a scroll, a get out of jail free card, or a greatsword +3.