Crafting potions ideas help.

[Sir cryosin]

So I'm crafting my next campaign and it going to a gritty one. I'm going to use the optional rules for longer rests. And optional rules for leveling. Where players to lv they have to spend so many days and gold to level up. I don't like the crafting so for potions. I was thinking for healing potions if you are proficient in a herbalism kit. you can make up to your proficiency bonus irregular healing potions. Then up to half of your proficiency bonus for greater. Then one superior a day. Now for other potions I'm trying to come up with a system for uncommon, common, rare, very rare, legendary.



So what are your thoughts and any advice for anything. Also

[Falcon X]

You might make the potions expire at the end of the day or in a few days so the player doesn't stockpile or sell them. For lasting ones you use the PHB rules.

Here is a fan supplement you might be able to mine ideas from:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7CIGCMCtoETVmhDNEZMbUVweTg/view

[Kurt Kurageous]

So I'm crafting my next campaign and it going to a gritty one. I'm going to use the optional rules for longer rests. And optional rules for leveling. Where players to lv they have to spend so many days and gold to level up. I don't like the crafting so for potions. I was thinking for healing potions if you are proficient in a herbalism kit. you can make up to your proficiency bonus irregular healing potions. Then up to half of your proficiency bonus for greater. Then one superior a day. Now for other potions I'm trying to come up with a system for uncommon, common, rare, very rare, legendary.



So what are your thoughts and any advice for anything. Also

Consider making hit dice a requirement. Call it "exertion." And it makes for an interesting tradeoff (a d8 you may really need later in a short rest, or 2d4+2 you can drink as an action). Especially in a GR setting, given how long it takes to regain spent hit dice.

[Theodoxus]

I have a pretty elaborate (but not like the Herb and Pot document - omg, play WoW much?!?) homebrew for potions and scrolls. I'll post the whole thing later, if desired, but the gist is it uses your spell slots.

You can make a mundane healing pot (2d4) with an herbalism kit, but outside of that, spell casters can - generally with a feat in my game, but even the DMG talks about tomes for item creation - create other potions.

Brewing a potion takes an hour per spell level. Potions come in 3 forms:
Elixir: drunk for effect; healing potions, Detection potions, etc.
Oil: Poured on an item for effect: Magic Weapon, Barkskin, etc.
Grenade: Thrown for effect: Fireball, Create Campfire, Cone of Cold, etc.

Each potion locks your spell slot while it remains unused. However, after a number of days equal to the spell level used, the slot returns to the caster, and the potion retains its potency (this last bit was for a high powered game, if you feel it's too powerful by letting players stockpile potions, you can nix it).

Scrolls worked in the same fashion - only their spell slots were locked for a week, regardless of spell level. Made for letting the mage types build up an arsenal during long downtimes...

[Mith]

I have a pretty elaborate (but not like the Herb and Pot document - omg, play WoW much?!?) homebrew for potions and scrolls. I'll post the whole thing later, if desired, but the gist is it uses your spell slots.

You can make a mundane healing pot (2d4) with an herbalism kit, but outside of that, spell casters can - generally with a feat in my game, but even the DMG talks about tomes for item creation - create other potions.

Brewing a potion takes an hour per spell level. Potions come in 3 forms:
Elixir: drunk for effect; healing potions, Detection potions, etc.
Oil: Poured on an item for effect: Magic Weapon, Barkskin, etc.
Grenade: Thrown for effect: Fireball, Create Campfire, Cone of Cold, etc.

Each potion locks your spell slot while it remains unused. However, after a number of days equal to the spell level used, the slot returns to the caster, and the potion retains its potency (this last bit was for a high powered game, if you feel it's too powerful by letting players stockpile potions, you can nix it).

Scrolls worked in the same fashion - only their spell slots were locked for a week, regardless of spell level. Made for letting the mage types build up an arsenal during long downtimes...

My only problem with this is that I have understood that there is a spell level cap on potions. After a certain level you have to switch to scrolls/staves/other form of stored magic power.

[Theodoxus]

My only problem with this is that I have understood that there is a spell level cap on potions. After a certain level you have to switch to scrolls/staves/other form of stored magic power.

Is there? I'd have to check - but since this is purely homebrew anyway, it'd be up to the individual DMs discretion to even implement it. As such, removing any cap could be done at the same time...

[Fishyninja]

I have a pretty elaborate (but not like the Herb and Pot document - omg, play WoW much?!?) homebrew for potions and scrolls. I'll post the whole thing later, if desired, but the gist is it uses your spell slots.

You can make a mundane healing pot (2d4) with an herbalism kit, but outside of that, spell casters can - generally with a feat in my game, but even the DMG talks about tomes for item creation - create other potions.

Brewing a potion takes an hour per spell level. Potions come in 3 forms:
Elixir: drunk for effect; healing potions, Detection potions, etc.
Oil: Poured on an item for effect: Magic Weapon, Barkskin, etc.
Grenade: Thrown for effect: Fireball, Create Campfire, Cone of Cold, etc.

Each potion locks your spell slot while it remains unused. However, after a number of days equal to the spell level used, the slot returns to the caster, and the potion retains its potency (this last bit was for a high powered game, if you feel it's too powerful by letting players stockpile potions, you can nix it).

Scrolls worked in the same fashion - only their spell slots were locked for a week, regardless of spell level. Made for letting the mage types build up an arsenal during long downtimes...

Hmm interesting so to make sure I understand this correctly (still newish), so instead of say a warlock being able to use a level 3 spell slot he can reserve that to make a potion of some sort? If so, I like this as it adds more utility! Also with the helaling pot you described, does that heal just one person or the group?

[Shaofoo]

Note that there isn't any hardset rules for crafting, you can make whatever design you want.

But potions would clash with the gritty realism scenario since everyone can heal themselves at will. You could potentially make up to 9 potions of healing every day the way I am seeing.

Also the way some people are making suggestions sounds like the Artifacer class from UA in the way that they imbue random stuff with spells. Also the DM Guide already has a system of rarity for certain potions but if you want a baseline I think that Potions that would require concentration are basically very rare/legendary since those don't use up your concentration when drunk.