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

[pawsplay]

A healing potions weighs half a pound. That's around 250ml of Liquud. So a smallish glass. If you are not trained to drink that, it will take you 9 seconds, if you get proficiency in drinking you can do it in 5 seconds: Drinking Actual-Size D&D Potions *SWIRL Method #dungeonsanddragons #dnd

"A typical potion consists of 1 ounce of liquid in a vial."

The entry on the equipment list presumably includes the container, as well as a significant amount of rounding.

 

[AlViking]

No, the dmg says a potion is typically 1 ounce. Not that all potions ever are 1 ounce.

And then the adventuring gear table and the (dnd beyond) items description say, that healing potions weighs 1/2 lbs. The specific weight rule of healing potion weight beats the general rule of "most potions weighs 1 ounce".

So we either assume that they're one ounce unless specified otherwise or we make assumptions about the weight of the container, so we can get the weight of the liquid inside. Why not just assume that the container for the liquid is on the heavy side? Why can't the container weigh 15 ounces? Perhaps in order to maintain the magical healing properties it has to be carefully shielded. An interior made of glass or ceramic surrounded by an inch or two of lead would do it. Just as logical and doesn't require any rules parsing and gymnastics.

To me the simplest answer is that they rounded up but I'm not going to argue about it any more because we're just repeating the same argument.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

So it sounds like there are definitely a range of opinions on the topic!

Sorting through the various adjustments to play-style intended by the rules people have been using, I think I'm going to give the bonus action potions (for self use) a try and see how it affects play.

I'm most interested in seeing if players start using buff potions in combat. I've seen them use them very occasionally before when they had time to scout, plan, and prepare for a combat, but since that isn't usually the case, most of those buff potions just sit in party inventory forever.


This will equally apply to NPCs, so they will actually have a chance to use their potions too (which were rarely a good choice for them to use an action on either). Having NPCs use them might also show the players it can be useful.

 

[Seramus]

making it reasonable to assume that it is half a pint of liquid.

Could just be sturdy. Nobody likes broken healing potions.

 

[Tessarael]

For those with realism issues, consider an equipment item along these lines:

Medical Bandolier, sturdy leather weighing 1 lb unloaded + 1 lb with the following items loaded, 350gp cost (365 cost in total when summing together the individual components).

• 3x Healing patch restoring 2 HP, that can be applied as a free object interaction to yourself or an ally within your arm's reach. Refill cost 20gp per patch.
• 3x Healing mouthful restoring 2d4 HP as a bonus action. It is 1 oz. of healing liquid with a thin membrane around it that dissolves on contact with saliva, allowing you to swiftly swallow the liquid therein. Refill cost 50gp per item.
• 3x Healing potion restoring 10 HP as a standard action. These are 2 oz. healing liquid in a light-weight glass or metal vial (4 oz. in total when filled) that can be reused. Refill cost 50gp per item.

The bandolier itself is non-magical and cheap to replace if needed, 5gp for a sturdy version that protects well the contents.

With sufficient alchemical tool skill (DC 15 roll) and appropriate materials (typically costing 25gp per membrane), a membrane for the healing mouthfuls can be made. As such, 2 oz. of healing liquid can make two such healing mouthfuls with carefully crafted membranes then stored in the bandolier until usage.

I adjusted the amount healed such that you're paying about 10gp per 1 HP healed as a free or bonus action, and 5gp per 1 HP healed as standard action. The healing patch giving +2 HP works out that you're getting 2d4+2 HP as a bonus action + free object interaction for the round, consistent with D&D 2024 rules.

 

[James Gasik]

Alternately, you could have variant potions! Here's three from 3.5:

 

[M_Natas]

In that case, a greater healing potion, superior healing potion, and supreme healing potion are 1 oz of liquid because they're not listed as equipment in the PHB?

But
they are listed in the DMG as one item with 4 variants:

 

[Blue]

Our game is 2014, but I have reviewed the 2024 PHB and DMG and selected some things as inspiration for house rules. Mostly individual elements, like upgrading the damage to a particular spell, or adding a weaker version of an extra clasd feature. In general, the core of our game, house rules aside, is solidly 2014.

My immediate reaction to the idea of potions as a bonus action wasn't terribly positive. I'm just imagining a potion of healing Camelback added to game that's already easy mode and wondering why I would want that.

Potions as a bonus action was across all the tables I played or ran, including at a FLGS and a D&D club, the #1 most common house rule. Basically, it's almost never worthwhile to replace any generic Action in combat with a potion, except for corner cases like standing someone else up who is at zero.

(Just for completeness, #2 most common was doing something with Inspiration, though that went from ignoring it completely to making it more worthwhile and able to be used retroactively so it's not forgotten as often. But that's really a whole category, as opposed to multiple separate gaming infrasystems adopting bonus action to drink your own potion.)

 

[M_Natas]

To be fair, assuming it’s 250 mL is making a lot of assumptions.

The potion bottle could be a lot of heavy, shatter resistant glass with relatively little volume. The liquid itself, which is magical, could be much higher density than the 1g/mL of water.

But this are way more assumptions and making up details where there are none.

If you want to make a bonus action reasonable, just say the actual volume is only 20-30 mL.

But that's the point, there are "ounce" or "20 ml" vials/very small vials in the Gear Guide, that have no weight.
Like, yes, if you want to houserule that drinking a healing potion is a bonus action, than 20ml makes sense. It is just not RAW. It is your homebrew.

But it is obviously wishful thinking that the creators were thinking RAW and RAI of a shot sized potion, just to justify the homebrew bonus action potion.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Since nobody as brought it up, and there is a lot of discussion going on about how much you can drink...

The 2014 PHB includes "drink all the ale in a flagon" as one of the examples of a free object interaction.