Motion in the Potion

[Xyrlove Woodsoul]

How many potions should a character be able to carry and have access to, as in, right away, i.e., draw it as a minor action?

How many potions can a person carry before it starts getting ridiculous?

Is being able to create 1 potion a day a good house rule?

 

[DanmarLOK]

I was asked this question by a player recently and off hand said, "oh four or five". It's not a major issue with my group, most only carry one or two at a time. As far as limiting potion creation, I just let the gold limit it but then I run a low gold/magic campaign since I have house rules that do away with the need for constant gear upgrades.

 

[babinro]

I would assume only one potion can be held in hand at a time and ready for use. If you want to try and justify more, so be it. But in most instances, potions are being used in combat under duress. Seems highly likely they'd be dropped or destroyed if you were trying to manage several at a time.

There is a magical item somewhere <I think Adventurer's Vault 2> that allows the user to have access to 6 potions readily. I'll just call it the Bat Belt.

I've never had to worry about potions in my party as a DM. We've never had players care or use potions in the game. In my mind, this is a huge tactical mistake, but the only use of a potion has been to force feed a knocked unconscious PC. I really doubt its something you need to limit though seeing as there is a cost to all potions.

The more use they get out of your party, the less they'll have to spend on other magical items and the like. As a DM, if you really wanted to put some form of control on it, you could just ease off the gold treasure and give out more magical items.

You could also limit certain potions based on ingredient components being unavailable as a means to control abuse. Only x vials available in the city.

 

[fba827]

As far as I can tell, by the rules, there is no set limit -- anything in your pack (be it potions or other) can be retrived with the same minor action. So I would think as long as your pack has the space capacity for it and you aren't at max load, then you're "good to go" by the plain rules. That is in line with the concept of reducing the micromanaging.

If it does approach ridiculous levels, your only recourse (by the rules) that I can see is to monitor capacity on the backpack (they have to start emptying out other gear after a while) and/or load capacity would slow them down. Of course, that will just lead to the player in question wanting to get a bag of holding or similar.

If you're willing to go to "DM say-so" then there could be added dangers -- if you have a pack full of vials, whenever you take falling damage, there is some chance that a vial or two breaks.

Or the town doesn't have any more components to sell since the PCs have bought it all from the mass potion making!

Having said that, I (personally) find 5 to be a reasonable number after which it starts to seem kind of silly. If in the middle of combat you have only a faction of your turn (ie a minor action) to reach in your pack and grab just the right vial .... it just starts to seem silly after a bit.

Incidently, there is a belt (called potion belt or something like that - it's in AV2) that lets you store 6 potions at your waist that can be removed as a free action. So, yeah, if has the potential to get out of hand fast if you have players who (rightfully or wrongfully) just want to stock up on mass potion production ...


As for being able to create 1 potion a day as a house rule: it's a simple enough rule that's easy to remember, so if you want/need to slow down the potential mass production, sure, go for it.

 

[UltimaGabe]

I really don't see how, in 4e, having a ton of potions could become a problem. In 3e, sure, it was easy for players to have a hundred potions of Cure Light Wounds (a mere 50gp) for tons of healing between encounters, but in 4e, most (all?) potions spend a healing surge, typically for a lesser benefit than actually spending one (at least in the case of healing potions). So even if your PCs have a ton of potions, there's only so many they can benefit from, and said benefit is either going to be suboptimal (with healing) or situational (with resistance and such). I mean, what's so bad about a player having a hundred healing potions, when he could only ever benefit from, say, ten per day (and if he does so, he won't be able to heal by any other means)?

And in any case, I've always tried to refrain from using expendable magic items in out-of-combat situations unless it was absolutely necessary, but that's just me. But even still, I don't see how it could become a problem- unless there's specific potions that don't cost surges and provide some amazing benefit, but in that case, that'd be a problem with those potions, not with potions in general.

 

[wedgeski]

The action economy essentially puts the brake on abuse, and I'm happy for PC's to have as many potions as they like to hand as a Minor. You never know what last-minute saves, surprise reprieves, or moments of downright coolness are going to come virtue of that little vial that's been chinking around in the bottom of their packs for months.

 

[Destil]

The action economy essentially puts the brake on abuse, and I'm happy for PC's to have as many potions as they like to hand as a Minor. You never know what last-minute saves, surprise reprieves, or moments of downright coolness are going to come virtue of that little vial that's been chinking around in the bottom of their packs for months.

Two minors, since you need to retrieve it. And hopefully you've got a hand free (maybe I'm just a bastard, too).

 

[Turtlejay]

Why does a belt need to be magic to hold potions? What is wrong with a hard leather bandolier holding your potions? Does the magic keep them from breaking? Is it an extradimentional space? Does it just give you the magic of the potion without you having to drink it?

Seems odd to me.

Jay

 

[Ryujin]

Why does a belt need to be magic to hold potions? What is wrong with a hard leather bandolier holding your potions? Does the magic keep them from breaking? Is it an extradimentional space? Does it just give you the magic of the potion without you having to drink it?

Seems odd to me.

Jay

It doesn't have to be, but with the magic bandolier they leap into your hand when you wish it.

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Yeah - my take on it is that the rules assume that all "retrieve as minor" items are easily available - when on a belt, in a pouch, or in a quiver/sheath. As a DM I do not accept that a minor action allows you to somehow rummage through your backpack (while its still on your back) and pull out the McGuffin you've had at the bottom of it for the last 6 levels.

Instead, my interpretation of the rules is that it just assumes you've got the important stuff readily at hand (so, on your belt), with the DM being able to rule otherwise when that doesn't make sense.

So, a magic belt that allows you to retrieve as a free is, like Ryujin says, making the stuff leap into your hand.