D&D 5E Potions: Rules Clerification needed.

[transcendantviewer]

I'm playing in Adventurer's League and need some help resolving a problem. I grabbed Hermit Background, as did another player in the party, so we've both got Herbalist's Kits. So yeah, cool, potions! Nope. According to the rules, it's less costly in time and money to just buy potions. Is this an oversight or the rules just screwing us over? Potions are Common Magic Items, meaning they'd take 4 days and 100 gp to produce, but they cost 50 gp to buy at a town.

 

[Mistwell]

You will likely find a lot of potions are not easily purchased in town, and it will come in handy then (this is why a hermit would have it - they can't go to town to buy them). But, it's just a background, and just one item of a background. It's not like a feat - it's not intended to be a major power for your character, just a minor one. That said, if you're dissatisfied with the background, you can always change it until you're level 4. In The League, you can change anything on your character until level 4.

 

[Dausuul]

I'm playing in Adventurer's League and need some help resolving a problem. I grabbed Hermit Background, as did another player in the party, so we've both got Herbalist's Kits. So yeah, cool, potions! Nope. According to the rules, it's less costly in time and money to just buy potions. Is this an oversight or the rules just screwing us over? Potions are Common Magic Items, meaning they'd take 4 days and 100 gp to produce, but they cost 50 gp to buy at a town.

There must be a way to create healing potions for 50 gp or less, or you end up like these people. Although the downtime crafting rules on PHB 187 technically apply only to nonmagical items, I would rule that you can use them to create any item on the PHB equipment list. Thus, with an herbalism kit, you could craft a healing potion for 25 gp, taking 10 days.

That said, I'm not sure how Adventurer's League resolves these questions.

 

[S_Dalsgaard]

Don't consumables cost half the normal price, making the 50 gp for a potion of healing accurate for a common item?

 

[Remathilis]

http://dndadventurersleague.org/tag/potions/

How much is a healing potion to craft?

Using the downtime crafting rules from p187 of the D&D Player’s Handbook, a healing potion costs 25gp and 10 Down Time days to craft.

 

[aramis erak]

I'm playing in Adventurer's League and need some help resolving a problem. I grabbed Hermit Background, as did another player in the party, so we've both got Herbalist's Kits. So yeah, cool, potions! Nope. According to the rules, it's less costly in time and money to just buy potions. Is this an oversight or the rules just screwing us over? Potions are Common Magic Items, meaning they'd take 4 days and 100 gp to produce, but they cost 50 gp to buy at a town.

You (and your GM) are overlooking that making one-use items is half-cost.

The value of a consumable item, such as a potion or scroll, is typically half the value of a permanent item of the same rarity.

 

[jeffh]

Halving the price still doesn't solve the issue that the economics don't make sense. You're still only breaking even on materials, getting nothing back for considerable labour. No-one would ever make potions under those conditions without an extremely compelling non-financial incentive.

 

[Remathilis]

Halving the price still doesn't solve the issue that the economics don't make sense. You're still only breaking even on materials, getting nothing back for considerable labour. No-one would ever make potions under those conditions without an extremely compelling non-financial incentive.

You spend 25 gp to make a potion. It takes 10 days. While crafting, you can maintain a modest lifestyle (1 gp) for free. You then sell said potion for double its cost to make it.

25 gp in, 50 gp out + 10 days living wages = 60 gp, or 35 gp profit. Do this three times a month, and you've spent 75 gp but lived "free" all month and made 75 gp in pure profit post expenses.

Now, spending a month to make 75 gp clear isn't the best use of an adventurer's opportunity cost vs. raiding dungeons, but it is a safer route to consistent, if not spectacular, coin. I guess its the difference between investing in a savings bond vs. day trading on Wall Street; higher risk, higher reward.

But we didn't come to play Dungeons & Accountants, did we?

 

[jeffh]

I was addressing the point about making them as common magic items in Adventurer's League. Under those rules, even after halving for being a consumable they'd take 50 gp to make, albeit in less time.

 

[Paraxis]

There are two ways to make potions of healing.

Herbalist kit, 25gp

Magic item crafting, 50gp

I assume temples, churches and things sell them at cost because they are expected to for the community, and midwives and alchemists make money from them and don't undercut the churches so they can make a good profit.