D&D 5E Players forgetting about potions and scrolls

[Afrodactyl]

My players are pretty on the spot with inventory management, so potions aren't an issue. As far as Scrolls are concerned, I make my players add whatever spell it is to the bottom of their spell list with (scroll) next to it. I generally also give my players Scrolls containing spells that they either wouldn't normally have access to, or ones that fill a gap for them. For example I gave our warlock a scroll of lightning bolt as he didn't really have any aoe spells. Needless to say he definitely remembered he had it when the party had giants storming through a castle gate at them.

 

[Bitbrain]

Any other DMs out there feel like their players rarely use their potions and scrolls and just sort of loose track of them? Any suggestions to remedy this?

Nope. Our new D&D group never forgets about potions.

In the words of my dad "in our old group, going to town meant the Sorcerer would paint a picture for the lord-mayor, the Tiefling would do a brothel-crawl, and the Gnome would need to be kept watch over so she didn't get thrown in jail . . . In this new group, going to town means the Wood Elf blows his money on potions for everyone else and the Dwarf gets lost in the local smithy."

 

[cmad1977]

As a DM: sometimes it’s like I know what items the players have acquired better than they do.

As a player: I pound my consumables at the earliest opportunity. ‘Potion of diminutive size(or something)? Why yes I drink that and slip through the door jam!’

 

[CapnZapp]

Make them more available. If the players are hoarding their consumable items then they're not confident of replenishment.

If they aren't limited, then what's the point of making them consumable?

In other words, no, that's backwards thinking.

 

[Quartz]

If they aren't limited, then what's the point of making them consumable?

I'm not suggesting making them not limited. Certainly not in a long rest / short rest way. But if a player has a potion or scroll and no reasonable expectation of getting another one, she's not going to use the one she has if at all possible. But if she knows that once her PC gets back to civilisation she'll be able to buy another, or that potions / scrolls / whatever are a reasonably common form of treasure, then she'll be much more comfortable using the ones she has.

 

[Eltab]

I've had a DM give me (as a player) a Potion of Gaseous Cloud because quote "You'll get the best use out of it". Due to IRL I had to leave the campaign two weeks later.
As a DM I've handed out potions and scrolls as treasure (or let the PCs know 'You can buy whatever you can afford in Big City') if I see the group struggling with something.

I'm currently playing in Yawning Portal; I want to know if an Arcane Trickster can write his own scrolls, or if I'll have to hand over something valuable to the Harpers in exchange for the scroll I want.

We just used two Identify scrolls and two spell slots (from 2 different characters) to figure out four magic items. Members of the group just upgraded their equipment, plus I took the booby-trap Cursed Armor because I want to offer it as a gift / bribe. We figured out how to use the curse against its future owner and in our favor.

 

[Satyrn]

I've thought about this, but I'm not sure if it justifies the extra bookkeeping. It would mean that potions are rare, and that nobody has a reason to keep more than one or two in stock, but that's not the worst thing in the world.

Yeah, the bookkeeping had me rejecting the idea the moment I thought of the idea, but I offered up the suggestion because I still thought the idea was neat

 

[Ancalagon]

I've seen this used in my game too...

 

[wellerpond]

I remind them they have potions and scrolls.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Put best before dates on their potions.

(It prevents potions in ancient tombs from being usable, though, but that might actually add a little bonus flavor to the setting)

I have an idea that solves 2 problems:

Using xanathar's guide's potion creation rules, you need to open and examine the liquid, possibly even observing the effect.
And then after the potion was opened, it is only usabke for maybe a few weeks give or take.