Why aren't potions labeled?

[Doomhawk]

Alchemists are a spiteful lot; they're personally able to easily identify their own potions by color, consistency, smell, etc. And they figure that if somebody kills them and takes their potions, they deserve to have their life made a little harder.

 

[silentspace]

I remember the first time I had labeled potions in one of my pbp games here, the players were amazed

 

[Cedric]

Random junk treasure potions I give out are sometimes labelled if the person has more than 3 types of potions. If they have 3 or fewer types of potions on them, I usually don't have them labeled.

In a few instances I have had meticulous potion collections sealed with special stoppers with raised numbers. If you reach into a belt pouch, you can feel the number "1" on the stopper and know this is a Cure Serious Wounds, or the like.

However, the PCs then have to find the ledger that translates the numbers if they want to save the time and effort of identifying the potions.

Cedric

 

[Nadaka]

Potions are actually fairly expensive, equivalent to a sword (50 gp) or warhorse (300 gp)... or a laptop or car in modern terms. If possible, you probably wouldn't want to leave your password written on your laptop or keys in the car (especially in a militarized, violent, and/or lawless environment where potions would be used), to discourage theft and looting.

It's reasonable to assume that the owner can easily tell his potions apart (possibly they are indeed color coded), but other armies or manufacturers likely have different coloring schemas. This really shouldn't be a hindrance to characters after awhile. The rules even say:
"PCs can sample from each container they find to attempt to determine the nature of the liquid inside. An experienced character learns to identify potions by memory—for example, the last time she tasted a liquid that reminded her of almonds, it turned out to be a potion of cure moderate wounds."

Also, prior experience isn't even needed if you have a suitably high spellcraft roll (DC 25 to identify a potion).

I don't know... I don't eat anything that tastes like almonds from a source I don't trust. But then I have been known to be paranoid.

 

[mvincent]

I label potions sometimes.

Once, I let a dangerous vampire mislabel his emergency inflict serious wounds potions as cure serious wounds potions on purpose. He knew what they were and hoped for a retributive strike because adventurers wouldn't care to verify the label

The possibility of intentionally mislabeled potions is another good reason why labelling may not be very useful. In the case of a vampire though, he would have every reason to label inflict potions as healing ones, even if he believed they would never be stolen.

 

[mvincent]

In my Eberron games, practically anyone able to trade with legitimate concerns will purchase their potions from House Jorasco, directly or indirectly, and all their potion vials are engraved with an identifying logo and the House crest - so if you kill an NPC in any town or city, chances are his potions will be in labelled Jorasco vials, with the official seals still intact.

I can only imagine seeing small vials of neatly labeled "Jorasco Sauce".

 

[Vahktang]

Presumably, 15th level adventurers would label their own potions, assuming they haven't already acquired a magical, voice-activated beer hat.

I was just thinking of a beer hat.
Cure potions on one side, boosty's on the other.

Alchemists are a spiteful lot; they're personally able to easily identify their own potions by color, consistency, smell, etc. And they figure that if somebody kills them and takes their potions, they deserve to have their life made a little harder.

You get a prize for best reason so far.

 

[Dross]

I label potions sometimes.

Once, I let a dangerous vampire mislabel his emergency inflict serious wounds potions as cure serious wounds potions on purpose. He knew what they were and hoped for a retributive strike because adventurers wouldn't care to verify the label.

Enjoy!

But for the vamp, it would cure serious wounds, so no miss-labelling involved

 

[sydbar]

I wouldn't trust labled potions, unless i made them since I would purposely mislable them so that if i'm caught, and they try that potion of healing they use from me, is really a love potion, and that could sow enough confusion for me to make an escape.

 

[Yair]

I usually label them, usually in Draconic (for arcane potions) or Celestial (for divine potions).

Regardless, military munitions are clearly labeled (for obvious reasons) but often with a number or moniker that might not make sense to those that are not in that particular military or branch. Also, military labels tend to wear off after even a few days of field use.

IME, army munitions have very durable labels (which, however, are typically in cypher), and are often color-coded as well. I'd think this works best for potions too - you don't want to have to read "Cure Light Wounds", "CW-1" can be understood at a glimpse far faster, and the red color on the "inflict serious wounds" may keep you from quaffing it when you've mistakenly picked it up.

Mind you, if D&D had a precedent for having labeled potions, I would instead be giving reasons for that. But the current status quo is unlabeled potions... so I'm merely providing plausible game-world reasons why this might be so. The real reason is a meta-game one (i.e. that's just how the game was designed)

Meh, that's a convention I could do without. I think the game works better with labeled potions, generally.