D&D 5E (2014) Thoughts on bonus action potions?

[DrJawaPhD]

And for goodness' sake, realism arguments? About drinking a magical elixir to spontaneously restore yourself? Guys, this is about as inherently un-realistic as it gets. We're already talking about a health mechanic (hit points) which is terribly unrealistic at its core, and magic. Realism isn't even in this zip code.

Not to mention that in terms of all the things that are supposedly doable in 6 seconds of combat, the act of chugging a potion falls soooooo far down the list of unrealistic things the game allows. Chugging a pint of beer in under 3 seconds is totally doable for anyone who learns the technique. It's legitimately realistic as a bonus action for anyone who's been in a fraternity

 

[AlViking]

Not to mention that in terms of all the things that are supposedly doable in 6 seconds of combat, the act of chugging a potion falls soooooo far down the list of unrealistic things the game allows. Chugging a pint of beer in under 3 seconds is totally doable for anyone who learns the technique. It's legitimately realistic as a bonus action for anyone who's been in a fraternity

I don't get too concerned about how long an individual round takes, I view them as shorter at low levels and longer at high. If I cared it would be easy enough to say they're 12 second and anything that has duration of 1 minute lasts for 2 minutes instead, but I don't care enough.

On the other hand you aren't chugging a pint of beer, you're drinking a shot glass that hasn't been completely filled since potions are an ounce not a pint. Unless of course you're trying to drink 16 potions at once which could have interesting results.

 

[James Gasik]

I started using bonus action potions a couple years back. What I've found is, it's still painful for many characters, as the bonus action has become way too overused for features.

I started running Tales of the Valiant recently. They don't have it as a rule, but there's a fairly cheap magic item, a bandolier, that can hold three potions and you can use them as a bonus action. It's a nice way to square the circle between "realism" and game mechanics, because of course magic can let you use potions faster, lol.

 

[Li Shenron]

So, for those with experience both ways, what do you think. Do potions as a bonus action get used more in fun ways, or is it just healing Camelback that makes the game easier?

Well mostly I do think it just makes the game (even) easier.

Potions more or less are like stored spells. They already have the advantage of going beyond the daily slots limits of your party's spellcasters, and obviously being usable directly by the target without even requiring a spellcaster in the first place. But apparently that was not enough and people also wanted them to take only a bonus action.

To stay with the original spirit of 5.0, I would maybe try first to allow combining attacking with drinking a potion. To have it formalized a bit, it could be an ability that "allows drinking a potion as a bonus action (only) when taking the attack action". So no drinking a potion and casting a spell in the same round for instance. Such ability could have been a freeby for Fighters for instance.

 

[mellored]

Hussar's group follows the roll for HP if you use a bonus action to quaff a potion, max healing if you spend a full action on it. I've found that that makes for an actually interesting trade-off. In a party with minimal healing, it's pretty important for avoiding death.

And for goodness' sake, realism arguments? About drinking a magical elixir to spontaneously restore yourself? Guys, this is about as inherently un-realistic as it gets. We're already talking about a health mechanic (hit points) which is terribly unrealistic at its core, and magic. Realism isn't even in this zip code.

Potion drinking test.

Honestly, slapping on a magic bandaid seems more realistic.

 

[DrJawaPhD]

On the other hand you aren't chugging a pint of beer, you're drinking a shot glass that hasn't been completely filled since potions are an ounce not a pint. Unless of course you're trying to drink 16 potions at once which could have interesting results.

Are there any official rules on how large a potion is? In my mind you are correct and it's closer to a shot glass size, but as far as I am aware this is unofficial interpretation up to the DM. I mentioned chugging a pint of beer because I'm confident there's no damn way anyone considers a potion to be larger than 16oz, and many people don't realize how easy it is to swallow an entire pint in one sip if you know how to do it.

 

[Tessarael]

Part of the realism problem is how short a round is in modern D&D. 6 seconds is very little time, vs. 1 minute in AD&D. There are advantages of the longer original round, where it is assumed to be the outcome of an exchange of blows, rather than each side only getting one or two blows.

That video demonstrates quite well that accessing the potion takes far too long, so it needs to be stored in an easily accessible manner. I typically assume that a potion is 1 oz. of liquid. A character that wants to access and drink them quickly would have them in a potion bandolier across their torso. I had a 3E D&D character where I carefully detailed this, with a bandolier of potions, and another bandolier crossing diagonally the other way with throwing daggers.

For those with realism issues for the bonus actions, maybe instead assume it is a magical pill that characters pop in their mouth, having grabbed it with their free object interaction from an easily accessibly container.

 

[Tessarael]

D&D 2024 lists potion weight as 0.5 lb (i.e., 8 oz.). That does included the weight of the container. So, maybe just 4 oz. for the liquid itself.

3E D&D and 5E D&D use 1 oz of liquid for a potion, which makes more sense for the quick bonus action chugging thereof.

 

[AlViking]

Are there any official rules on how large a potion is? In my mind you are correct and it's closer to a shot glass size, but as far as I am aware this is unofficial interpretation up to the DM. I mentioned chugging a pint of beer because I'm confident there's no damn way anyone considers a potion to be larger than 16oz, and many people don't realize how easy it is to swallow an entire pint in one sip if you know how to do it.

In both 2014 and 2024 DMG > Chapter 7: Treasure > Magic Item Categories > Potions are 1 ounce. I don't remember for 4e, but I believe it was also listed as an ounce in 3e.

Videos like the one posted above that say it can't be done are just silly to me. It's a completely made up item. If the rules say it can be drank quickly then it can, there's no reason for it to be 4-6 ounces. Why not make it sound completely ridiculous and make it a gallon? Video games only make them big because of the visuals.

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[AlViking]

Part of the realism problem is how short a round is in modern D&D. 6 seconds is very little time, vs. 1 minute in AD&D. There are advantages of the longer original round, where it is assumed to be the outcome of an exchange of blows, rather than each side only getting one or two blows.

That video demonstrates quite well that accessing the potion takes far too long, so it needs to be stored in an easily accessible manner. I typically assume that a potion is 1 oz. of liquid. A character that wants to access and drink them quickly would have them in a potion bandolier across their torso. I had a 3E D&D character where I carefully detailed this, with a bandolier of potions, and another bandolier crossing diagonally the other way with throwing daggers.

For those with realism issues for the bonus actions, maybe instead assume it is a magical pill that characters pop in their mouth, having grabbed it with their free object interaction from an easily accessibly container.

I always assume much the same with some kind of potion bandolier, in 5e potions are 1 ounce. I've done the walking test when the person walking wasn't stumbling like a drunkard, covering 30 feet at a fast walk was fine. On the other hand don't expect to get much of anything out of your backpack during combat. I still think something like a 10 or 12 second round would make more sense, I've always wondered why they settled on 6 seconds.

I also like the idea of a magical pill, or something like an oversized grape you bite.