jgsugden
Legend
I'm curious how potions occur in your games. In my games:
Drinking Potions: It is a bonus action for you to drink a potion and a (full) action for you to give it to someone else. You can hand it to someone else with a 'Interact with Object'.
Frequency Found: In my games, I average 1 potion per encounter. They tend to be congregated in enemies that can use them - and if they have a reason to use them they will. Though the average is 1 potion per combat, they are only found in about 1 in 3 of combats. So, they tend to be found in groups when found.
Random Tables: I use the same random table for potions throughout a campaign. Whether you're first or 20th level, my random table is the same, so you could find a legendary potion that grants a wish or raises an attribute in your first encounter... but it is highly unlikely. You're far more likely to have the wild Sorcerer tpk the group with a fireball mishap.
20% - Healing Potion (1 in 5)
18% - Lesser Common Potion (there are 5 of them, so 3.6% chance of each - 1 in 30)
18% - Greater Common Potion (there are 11 of them, so 1.64% chance of each - 1 in 60)
10% - Greater Healing Potion (1 in 10)
10% - Lesser Uncommon Potion (there are 14 of them, so 0.71% chance of each- 1 in 140 )
10% - Greater Uncommon Potion (there are 25 of them, so 0.40% chance of each -1 in 250)
3% - Superior Healing Potion (1 in 33)
3% - Lesser Rare Potion (there are 16 of them, so 0.19% chance of each - 1 in 525)
3% - Greater Rare potion (there are 24 of them, so 0.13% chance of each - 1 in 770)
1% - Supreme Healing Potion (1 in 100)
3% - Very Rare Potion (there are 31 of them, so 0.10% chance of each - 1 in 1000)
1% - Legendary Potion (there are 19 of them, so 0.05% chance of each - 1 in 2000)
34% of potions are healing. 66% are 'other potions'.
A campaign usually has about 12 or 13 encounters per level on average over 20 levels ... so 250 or so encounters. With that many encounters, PCs find roughly:
50 Healing Potions
25 Greater Healing Potions
9 of each of the 5 most common 'other potions'
8 Superior Healing Potions
4 of each of the 11 remaining most common 'other potions'
2 Supreme Healing Potions
1 or 2 of the 14 most common uncommon 'other potions'
1 of each of the 25 remaining uncommon 'other potions'
Half of the 16 most common rare 'other potions'
A third of the remaining 24 rare 'other potions'
A quarter of the 31 very rare 'other potions'
An eighth of the 19 legendary 'other potions'
Do othe DMs have their own potion system? I have a similar system for scrolls and other 1 use items, but it is more convoluted.
Drinking Potions: It is a bonus action for you to drink a potion and a (full) action for you to give it to someone else. You can hand it to someone else with a 'Interact with Object'.
Frequency Found: In my games, I average 1 potion per encounter. They tend to be congregated in enemies that can use them - and if they have a reason to use them they will. Though the average is 1 potion per combat, they are only found in about 1 in 3 of combats. So, they tend to be found in groups when found.
Random Tables: I use the same random table for potions throughout a campaign. Whether you're first or 20th level, my random table is the same, so you could find a legendary potion that grants a wish or raises an attribute in your first encounter... but it is highly unlikely. You're far more likely to have the wild Sorcerer tpk the group with a fireball mishap.
20% - Healing Potion (1 in 5)
18% - Lesser Common Potion (there are 5 of them, so 3.6% chance of each - 1 in 30)
18% - Greater Common Potion (there are 11 of them, so 1.64% chance of each - 1 in 60)
10% - Greater Healing Potion (1 in 10)
10% - Lesser Uncommon Potion (there are 14 of them, so 0.71% chance of each- 1 in 140 )
10% - Greater Uncommon Potion (there are 25 of them, so 0.40% chance of each -1 in 250)
3% - Superior Healing Potion (1 in 33)
3% - Lesser Rare Potion (there are 16 of them, so 0.19% chance of each - 1 in 525)
3% - Greater Rare potion (there are 24 of them, so 0.13% chance of each - 1 in 770)
1% - Supreme Healing Potion (1 in 100)
3% - Very Rare Potion (there are 31 of them, so 0.10% chance of each - 1 in 1000)
1% - Legendary Potion (there are 19 of them, so 0.05% chance of each - 1 in 2000)
34% of potions are healing. 66% are 'other potions'.
A campaign usually has about 12 or 13 encounters per level on average over 20 levels ... so 250 or so encounters. With that many encounters, PCs find roughly:
50 Healing Potions
25 Greater Healing Potions
9 of each of the 5 most common 'other potions'
8 Superior Healing Potions
4 of each of the 11 remaining most common 'other potions'
2 Supreme Healing Potions
1 or 2 of the 14 most common uncommon 'other potions'
1 of each of the 25 remaining uncommon 'other potions'
Half of the 16 most common rare 'other potions'
A third of the remaining 24 rare 'other potions'
A quarter of the 31 very rare 'other potions'
An eighth of the 19 legendary 'other potions'
Do othe DMs have their own potion system? I have a similar system for scrolls and other 1 use items, but it is more convoluted.