D&D 5E The Potion of Healing

[KarinsDad]

That's the thing ... I don't think wands or potions of healing will be as necessary.

So how come WotC handed a dozen of them out as treasure in the Starter Set? I think WotC thinks that they are necessary to the point of them being the number one magic item handed out. By a factor of 12 to 1 AFAICT.

Course at higher levels, potions of healing will be next to worthless. By the time one is quaffed in combat, a monster will hit that PC for 2x or 3x as much damage.

 

[BryonD]

So how come WotC handed a dozen of them out as treasure in the Starter Set? I think WotC thinks that they are necessary to the point of them being the number one magic item handed out. By a factor of 12 to 1 AFAICT.

I mentioned this in your other thread, but I suspect the reason there is so much healing in this set is the word "starter". They want the players to "win".

Future modules may show this to be overly optimistic on my part.
Keep in mind that WotC also doesn't have a very good reputation for adventures. Maybe that fits in as well.

 

[Gargoyle]

I have to believe that they chose to set prices for things like potions of healing at 50gp to make it just out of reach of a beginning 1st level party. You wouldn't want everything easily obtainable at 1st level, particularly a magic item, even a low power one. The herbalist able to create one in 10 days has the same effect; you still don't start with a potion unless your DM allows you to delay the adventure for 10 days which seems unlikely.

I agree with BryonD about the proliferation of the potions in the starter set. Also, if you think about it, it makes sense that they would place more potions of healing than might be necessary; consumables are a safe choice for not breaking campaigns, and there is every possibility that new players are not going to bring a cleric and that they will make mistakes requiring more emergency healing. Maybe they should learn of their mistakes with a TPK instead, but obviously that's sometimes not very fun, and of course the TPK's are going to happen anyway. Probably with several unused potions of healing written on the back of character sheets, which teaches them something else.

 

[SilentBoba]

I mentioned this in your other thread, but I suspect the reason there is so much healing in this set is the word "starter". They want the players to "win".

Future modules may show this to be overly optimistic on my part.
Keep in mind that WotC also doesn't have a very good reputation for adventures. Maybe that fits in as well.

It seems it's every DM's job to come up with a challenge for the PC's, but ultimately to allow them to "win" if they play well. Do the potions in the starter game make it too easy? With what I've read of some TPK's, I'm not sure it is.

 

[KarinsDad]

It seems it's every DM's job to come up with a challenge for the PC's, but ultimately to allow them to "win" if they play well. Do the potions in the starter game make it too easy? With what I've read of some TPK's, I'm not sure it is.

I agree. I suspect that healing will be a sore point for 5E and something that gets houseruled quite a bit.

And even if the dozen healing potion treasures in the Starter Set are for beginning DMs and players (although I think 95+% of those people playing the Starter Set will be experienced D&D players), I think that even the experienced players will need those potions a lot based on healing rules.

 

[Shiroiken]

I 'm not sure I like magic healing potions available at the corner drugstore like 5 hour energy drinks. I'm going to run the starter adventure RAW and see how things play out first though.

They are not, even by RAW. Once play begins, the DM completely controls the availability of all items, based on the local economy. Just as not every armorer is going to have a suit of Plate Mail for sale, or every trader having a spyglass, the DM can limit the number of potions available and how to get them. I would strongly suggest (as was done in previous editions) that PCs need to purchase them from local churches (who may only have a limited supply) who sell them to supplement their expenses.

 

[CM]

I agree. I suspect that healing will be a sore point for 5E and something that gets houseruled quite a bit.

And even if the dozen healing potion treasures in the Starter Set are for beginning DMs and players (although I think 95+% of those people playing the Starter Set will be experienced D&D players), I think that even the experienced players will need those potions a lot based on healing rules.

If I change any of my campaigns over from 4e, one of the first things I will be doing is creating a bard college for healing, a paladin oath for healing (knight hospitaller?), a battlemaster option for inspirational healing (warlord), and a druid circle for healing (shaman).

If I'm lucky these will already be present in the PHB, though.

 

[KarinsDad]

If I change any of my campaigns over from 4e, one of the first things I will be doing is creating a bard college for healing, a paladin oath for healing (knight hospitaller?), a battlemaster option for inspirational healing (warlord), and a druid circle for healing (shaman).

If I'm lucky these will already be present in the PHB, though.

My first change might be an addition to the Healing Word spell (and maybe to similar spells for other classes):

"Once per encounter, Healing Word can be used one level lower as a reaction spell. For example, using Healing Word as a third level slot this way will do 4d6 + your spell casting level healing as if cast in a fourth level slot. It can be used this way as a Cantrip instead of a first level slot."

This would still allow a PC to use multiple Healing Words in an encounter, just one of them costs less (a cantrip instead of a first level spell, or a 5th level spell instead of a 6th level spell, etc.). This effectively hands out one free mini-heal at range once per encounter.

It also allows for healing in response of a PC taking damage and for healing without using an action. It could be used, for example, to immediately prevent a PC from going unconscious. Although I am not sure of the adjudication here, if reactions are immediate interrupts, then the PC would be healed before taking the damage and may or may not be unconscious depending on the foe's amount of damage. If reactions are immediate reactions, then the PC would be prone and dropped his weapons and be unconscious and then he would be healed. Either way works for me.

And if used to prevent unconsciousness, even at high level, the cantrip version might be sufficient.

 

[Stalker0]

I mentioned this in your other thread, but I suspect the reason there is so much healing in this set is the word "starter". They want the players to "win".

I think KDs point is that for many players this will be their first introduction to Dnd...or at least 5e.

So their first impression is going to set the tone for how 5e games are "supposed to work" going forward. If they are used to get healing potions like candy and then in the DMs campaign they get very few...they will think the DM is running a low healing game.


Note: I did not say the players would think that the adventure was "right" in its level of healing or the DM "wrong"...but it will set what is "normal". Normal healing will be getting potions all of the time, low healing will be getting them rarely.

 

[BryonD]

I think KDs point is that for many players this will be their first introduction to Dnd...or at least 5e.

So their first impression is going to set the tone for how 5e games are "supposed to work" going forward. If they are used to get healing potions like candy and then in the DMs campaign they get very few...they will think the DM is running a low healing game.


Note: I did not say the players would think that the adventure was "right" in its level of healing or the DM "wrong"...but it will set what is "normal". Normal healing will be getting potions all of the time, low healing will be getting them rarely.

Maybe. Of course, when they get HD and 100% healing like candy every night, I'm not seeing the issue.

Seriously, I'm not particularly supporting it, but I'm not really opposed either. I think being pampered on Module #1, having fun and living, then getting hurt on module #2 but learning as you move to Module #3 is better than getting killed in Module #1 and walking away.