D&D 5E Why are potions of healing so expensive?

[Blue]

You said nothing about 6 seconds, just "characters being able to heal fulling after every combat" (direct quote). And a PC can only take one HP in 6 seconds, so unless we're talking 1st level or a minor damage, that's not full healing.

Got it, thought you were on the other part. My mistake, too many threads.

But neither of those fulfills the requirements of being to heal all the way up every combat even without the six seconds, so they still don't apply.

 

[Maxperson]

I probably misspoke : Put silver in place of gold for every price given in the PHB for a first approach to be more realistic.

20 gp today is worth about your 30k $ if you asume 1 gp is something like a kruegerand (which i do) so your modern times comparison is not quite correct.

Translated back your 5gp (might be wrong on that but lets assume its 5gp for a dagger) results in your dagger costing 7500 $. I hope you understand what i am trying to point out now.

D&D isn't the real world obviously. I've always looked at gold as $20, silver as $1, and copper as small change. That made electrum $50 and platinum $100. Of course, when WotC came in and changed 20 silver to a gold to 10 silver to a gold, they mucked that up a bit.

 

[Maxperson]

If you're doing it for verisimilitude or some sense of historical accuracy, gold coins were commonly used for currency well into the 10th century so it's not that far fetched. In addition, I think you're significantly off on the size of the coin. The standard gold solidus (later called the nomisma) was 4.5 grams (0.156 ounce) or even smaller.

D&D coins are about a 3rd of an ounce, so a bit more than double that size.

 

[Maxperson]

This only makes sense if you translate HP as "wounds," but they're not - at least not mostly. They're an abstraction that mostly represents bodily fortitude. This has always been the case, but more so in the last two editions with healing surges and HD. If they were "wounds" then they wouldn't heal via HD, which in turn replenish after a long rest.

Except that in 5e, dropping below half hit points explicitly leaves you with cuts and bruises and dropping to 0 leaves you with a serious injury, all of which can still be healed with hit dice and overnight healing.

"When you drop below half your hit point maximum , you show signs of wear, such as cuts and bruises. An attack that reduces you
to 0 hit points strikes you directly, leaving a bleeding injury or other trauma, or it simply knocks you unconscious."

The last portion was very likely put in there, because there are effects that can reduce to 0 without a major wound/trauma.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

D&D isn't the real world obviously. I've always looked at gold as $20, silver as $1, and copper as small change. That made electrum $50 and platinum $100. Of course, when WotC came in and changed 20 silver to a gold to 10 silver to a gold, they mucked that up a bit.

Sure, it is fantasy, but to people who have some vague understanding of real historical prices the gold being so worthless feels weird. It probably is one of those D&D things that many people don't notice any more as it has been that way for so long, but personally I find it a tad jarring. I usually switch from gold to silver standard, in effect dividing prices and all treasure values by ten. Then you can eliminate platinum coins and keep gold as actually feeling somewhat precious.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Except that in 5e, dropping below half hit points explicitly leaves you with cuts and bruises and dropping to 0 leaves you with a serious injury, all of which can still be healed with hit dice and overnight healing.

"When you drop below half your hit point maximum , you show signs of wear, such as cuts and bruises. An attack that reduces you
to 0 hit points strikes you directly, leaving a bleeding injury or other trauma, or it simply knocks you unconscious."

The last portion was very likely put in there, because there are effects that can reduce to 0 without a major wound/trauma.

In 5e you can be beaten so badly that you're literally seconds from dying, but as long as you manage to pull trough, you're perfectly fine the next day. The healing rules make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

 

[Mort]

In 5e you can be beaten so badly that you're literally seconds from dying, but as long as you manage to pull trough, you're perfectly fine the next day. The healing rules make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

The default healing rules are meant to be cinematic not realistic.

There are variant rules in the DMG which are much grittier - plus, 5e being as popular as it is, there have been many variants developed. You can certainly find one to your taste.

 

[Maxperson]

The default healing rules are meant to be cinematic not realistic.

There are variant rules in the DMG which are much grittier - plus, 5e being as popular as it is, there have been many variants developed. You can certainly find one to your taste.

Hit points in 1e -3e were not particularly gritty unless for some reason no one could case a cure wounds spell.

 

[Oofta]

In 5e you can be beaten so badly that you're literally seconds from dying, but as long as you manage to pull trough, you're perfectly fine the next day. The healing rules make absolutely no sense whatsoever.

Same as most video games.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The default healing rules are meant to be cinematic not realistic.

There are variant rules in the DMG which are much grittier - plus, 5e being as popular as it is, there have been many variants developed. You can certainly find one to your taste.

The 'gritty realism' healing rules are highly unrealistic, but will work as 'cinematic'. The standard healing rules are 'cinematic' only if the film in question is Looney Tunes.