Potion Container with Multiple Doses

[doktorstick]

Howdy.

If you find a container that contains multiple one ounce doses of cure light wounds, how many can you drink as a standard action? The rules in the DMG, under potions, aren't clear unless I missed some text. It says that potions typically come in one ounce vials. Typically. Later it says that drinking a potion is a standard action.

/ds

 

[drowdude]

Hmmm... I would *not* allow this... if someone were to try it I would say that the net result is that you just have to drink more to get any effect out of the potion. I would allow the highest caster level of the potions mixed take precedent however... just to be a nice guy and all

 

[Vaxalon]

I use multi-dose bottles in my game. They inevitably come with one-ounce cups. You can either drink them carefully, measuring out the cups, or you can down the whole bottle.

 

[drowdude]

There's a first... something *I* am more strict on than Vaxalon

 

[AuraSeer]

A rule like that makes healing potions far cheaper. A potion of Cure Serious Wounds costs 750 gp and cures 3d8+5 hp. But a four-dose bottle of Cure Light Wounds would cost 200 gp and cure 4d8+4. If you can drink either one as a standard action, why would you ever pay extra money for the higher-level potion?

 

[Crothian]

A rule like that makes healing potions far cheaper. A potion of Cure Serious Wounds costs 750 gp and cures 3d8+5 hp. But a four-dose bottle of Cure Light Wounds would cost 200 gp and cure 4d8+4. If you can drink either one as a standard action, why would you ever pay extra money for the higher-level potion?

Becasue you can't drink either as a standard action. That's just it. Sure, the 4 cure light wnd potions costs a lot less, but it takes 4 times as long to drink. Great if the combat is over, but not o useful if you have a Dragon bearing down on you.

 

[AuraSeer]

I was referring to Vaxalon's use of multi-dose potion containers. Unless I misunderstand, he allows PCs to carry many doses of a potion in a single bottle, and down the whole thing at once (i.e. during one action). I was just pointing out that such a rule is potentially unbalancing.

If you can only drink one dose per action, even from a large bottle, then the bottle size is just "flavor text" and has no game effect. In that case, the whole question is moot.

 

[Crothian]

I see. I think having them all take effect as sooin as they are drunk would be unbalancing. Maybe allow them each to take effect on the following rounds and have the drinking of the super potion (all 4 small potions) be a full round action. So, you spend a full round action drinking your 4 potions of light wounds. Then that round, and the next 3 rounds you heal 1d8+1 damage.

 

[Python27au]

multi dose potions have been around since the very beginning, but none of my players has ever tried drinking more than one dose at a time during combat. I've always played it as if they had multiple bottles one round per dose as you need to take a measured swig then wait for the effect.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

No.

Otherwise, you’ll end up with adventurers continually refilling their growlers at Ye Olde Cure Light Wounds & Magic Missile Spamming Inne.

It’s not like 5e is so lethal you should have to worry about it.

edit- note to self. Threads are like the milk in the fridge, always check the date before diving in.