Fix for healing potions

[Firebeetle]

I have reveled in the lack of significance of healing potions in 4e, I've referred to it as "weening" as PCs used to suck down healing potions all the time in my various 3e campaigns.

However, it would be nice if they were important to some degree again. My fix is simple.

Healing potions give you their stated amount of healing as well as the opportunity to spend a healing surge.

Thus, they can work exactly as they do now, or they can give you a chance to spend a healing surge in combat (which are rare enough as it is.) Technically, the same amount of resources are being spent.

 

[fba827]

if you don't have any leaders in the party, it is true, not many ways to trigger a healing surge. So, sure, a decent enough patch for your group.

i would not recommend it for any/all groups though (particularly if you have a leader PC or if you suspect you might ats ome point have a leader PC). it would minimize the value of a leader PC and the party would burn through surges in a single encounter, rather than 4-5, resulting in the need to take extended rests often to get back surges.

 

[KahnyaGnorc]

If you want to make healing potions more potent/useful, I'd recommend making these strong potions rarer. Perhaps the secret to brewing them is not well-known, so they are of limited availability. (The PCs couldn't make it, and the chance of being able to buy any is slim . . . so, they are only obtained by being found in treasure or the very rare shop find)

However, if you lack a leader (or your leader struggles to keep people up, either due to a large group or the DM throwing a lot of hard encounters at the party), you can make them more accessible, but still not as cheap and easy as the current weak potions are.

 

[keterys]

Let them trigger your second wind, instead of a generic healing surge. That way it's more of an action economy option, rather than a flat out boost that high level characters could use to burn more resources in a single encounter.

 

[the Jester]

Thus, they can work exactly as they do now, or they can give you a chance to spend a healing surge in combat (which are rare enough as it is.) Technically, the same amount of resources are being spent.

"Hi, I'm 30th level, and for 50 gp a pop, I can regain 75 hit points!!"

That right there is the reason that low level healing potions do a set value instead of a surge. If you allow a spent surge via healing potions, I suspect that you'll find that there is no other magic item in 4e that gives you more bang for your buck at high levels.

"50 gp a pop?? Given me two thousand!!!"

The party will never have to worry about healing again.

 

[SparqMan]

Perhaps they can earn a stock of a specific reagent that mixes with healing potions to add your desired effect, but the supply is finite or their source is destroyed to avoid the late-level super-healing.

 

[fba827]

To sort of assemble some of the ideas/concepts posted by others, how about something like:

*Leave Healing Potions as they are written
*Invent a new potion that is a unique/rare conction (called "Blood of the Troll" or "Blood of the Dwarves" or "Merlin's Potion of Second Life") or whatever name you want to give it, but just don't make it a generic sounding name). There are only 10 (? 2 per PC) known to remain in existance and the recipie is forgotten. These potions let you spend a surge to regain surge value. Once they are done, they are gone. But the option is there for those moments when you want a surge value rather than 10 hp from a regular healing potion. And finding them as loot should be a big deal (maybe that is the goal of a minor quest or it's in a vault with some other rare item that the PCs are after, etc).

 

[SparqMan]

To sort of assemble some of the ideas/concepts posted by others, how about something like:

Invent a new potion that is a unique/rare conction (called "Blood of the Troll" or "Blood of the Dwarves" or "Merlin's Potion of Second Life") or whatever name you want to give it, but just don't make it a generic sounding name). ... And finding them as loot should be a big deal (maybe that is the goal of a minor quest or it's in a vault with some other rare item that the PCs are after, etc).

You can make it even more interesting by making them valuable to the quest giver or community. The son of an sick, aging noble sends them to retrieve the Blood of the Troll, but the heroes may be enticed to use them. Or if you have some really sympathetic players, give them a community in need. One potion might revitalize a hero, but it could also be distributed into the well of a sick community.

 

[TarionzCousin]

"Hi, I'm 30th level, and for 50 gp a pop, I can regain 75 hit points!!"

That right there is the reason that low level healing potions do a set value instead of a surge. If you allow a spent surge via healing potions, I suspect that you'll find that there is no other magic item in 4e that gives you more bang for your buck at high levels.

"50 gp a pop?? Given me two thousand!!!"

The party will never have to worry about healing again.

You're not accounting for the fact that they taste horrible!

 

[Firebeetle]

The high level is a problem. What about a limit of one per encounter? The potions don't work if you take more than one in a certain timespan.