Did you change potions?

[Staffan]

My real issue with potions isn't whether or not healing potions are ok, its that there isn't enough variety of potions in general.

That's a side effect of putting items in the PHB: there's only so much room. The PHB is 320 pages already, with magic items taking up 33 of those pages.

 

[FabioMilitoPagliara]

That's a side effect of putting items in the PHB: there's only so much room. The PHB is 320 pages already, with magic items taking up 33 of those pages.

that's 2 classes!

 

[keterys]

I'm not entirely sure you need more varieties of potion, but not like it's hard to make more...

Potions of...

Mending (Level 10, 200g)
Spend two healing surges. You gain regeneration 2 until you are no longer bloodied.

Renewal (Level 15, 1000g)
Spend two healing surges. You gain regeneration 3 until you are no longer bloodied. When you roll death saves, you take the better of your die roll or 10.

Rejuvenation (level 20, 5000g)
Spend two healing surges. You gain regeneration 5 until you are no longer bloodied. When you roll death saves, you take the better of your die roll or 10. You gain a +2 item bonus to saves against poison and disease.

Resuscitation (Level 25, 25000g)
(standard) Administer to a creature that has died since the end of your last turn. The target is restored to life at 0 hp.

Aside: It's kinda odd trying to design low level items so they're not worth using during downtime. Like, this had to cost two surges to stop epic people from just tossing back the 200g ones to heal up to bloodied for 'free' healing. Very different.

 

[Hawke]

I didn't mind them to begin with, but when my party rolled up characters they lack a leader. D'oh! I'm starting to wonder whether or not I'm going to have to ramp up potions a bit to counteract the lack of leader... sure there's some abilities here and there but I can definitely see not having a safety net for BBEG to be something problematic when they start dropping.

 

[The Little Raven]

it would take you two turns to draw the potion and drink it.

Drawing a potion is a minor action (without Quick Draw). Drinking a potion is a minor action. This can be done in one round and still give you a standard or move action.

 

[keterys]

I didn't mind them to begin with, but when my party rolled up characters they lack a leader. D'oh! I'm starting to wonder whether or not I'm going to have to ramp up potions a bit to counteract the lack of leader... sure there's some abilities here and there but I can definitely see not having a safety net for BBEG to be something problematic when they start dropping.

Yeah, that's a valid option. I considered making second wind a minor for everyone and a free action for dwarves in a similar situation.

 

[useridunavailable]

I didn't mind them to begin with, but when my party rolled up characters they lack a leader. D'oh! I'm starting to wonder whether or not I'm going to have to ramp up potions a bit to counteract the lack of leader... sure there's some abilities here and there but I can definitely see not having a safety net for BBEG to be something problematic when they start dropping.

Despite 4e's apparent attempt to make the cleric/leader somewhat less vital, it failed utterly in allowing a viable party without one (IME). If you plan on challenging your players at all, you'll probably want to fudge potions somewhat (maybe add some steps in the power progression), make them cheaper or hand them out way more often than suggested, and strongly suggest that they take Quick Draw ASAP. A leaderless party, IME, is just flat out dead meat before very long at all when using the 4e system without any modifications.

 

[Saeviomagy]

Despite 4e's apparent attempt to make the cleric/leader somewhat less vital, it failed utterly in allowing a viable party without one (IME). If you plan on challenging your players at all, you'll probably want to fudge potions somewhat (maybe add some steps in the power progression), make them cheaper or hand them out way more often than suggested, and strongly suggest that they take Quick Draw ASAP. A leaderless party, IME, is just flat out dead meat before very long at all when using the 4e system without any modifications.

There are recommendations in the DMG for handling a variety of parties with missing roles. Any missing role can have a big impact on a party, but that impact is still nowhere near the "we simply can't adventure without a healer" that previous editions have suffered from.