A pointless question: how do your healing potions work?

[Sindal]

So this is just me musing but humor me if you like.

In your dnd world, is it assumed that healing potions are all drunk or are they applied differently.

Do they even have a different form?
Are they pills you pop?
Are they ointment or salves?
Maybe a healing mist?
Perhaps a powder or aromatic to be enhaled?

In thr world I run, the 'common' healing potion are inspired by life gems from Dark souls 2. A crystallized formula that sinks into the skin of whoever crushed the gem in their hand.

Anyone else have any other flavourful variances? Or do uou just stick to 'I'm using z healing potion' and call it a day.

[Mastikator]

Potions with a liquid in them, but the merchant asks if you want with or without pulp.

[Kane0]

Potions with a liquid in them, but the merchant asks if you want with or without pulp.

That got a chuckle, +1 to you.

Most of my healing potions are questionable fluids in glass, ceramic or bladder vessels which are supposed to be ingested. Some less reputable alchemists create varieties to be injected straight into the recipient via syringe, and herbalists often have alternative competitors in poultice form that are smeared on the affected area. The more magically inclined might place enchantments on small handheld objects intended to be crushed in hand to elicit a similar effect, and though they are more convenient and transportable they cannot be used on others like more traditional methods (although scrolls, runes and wands are available to that end).

[Tanarii]

Just eat the vial like a normal person.

[Zhorn]

In your dnd world, is it assumed that healing potions are all drunk...
Wait, you only drink the juice of the potion? Why don't you eat the whole thing?
Warning, contains red food dye
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjXOwUnJzA0


Edit:
Damn, take a couple of minutes to dig up the clip and get beaten to the punchline by Tanarii

[Sindal]

No joke
The responses have been a good chuckle so far 🤣

[JackPhoenix]

As a suppository, of course.

[Mastikator]

As a suppository, of course.

Good news everyone, I've invented a potion of dragon breath that also doubles as a potion of flight.

[Jophiel]

Just eat the vial like a normal person.
Reminds me of the "candies" of my youth which were some sugar water contained in a wax tube/bottle. Not that you were supposed to eat the wax but you just bit into it to squirt the goop into your mouth. That would make a good vessel for emergency healing potions instead of fumbling with little crystal bottles.

[nickl_2000]

Good news everyone, I've invented a potion of dragon breath that also doubles as a potion of flight.

I'm pretty sure you just invented jet propulsion :smallbiggrin:

Also, that gives a completely new take on the song Ring of Fire and the potion of gaseous form...

[ImproperJustice]

Just eat the vial like a normal person.

This. Any damage from the consumed glass is healed. It’s why there are no bottles left over.

[Phhase]

Healing potions can be drunk liquids, but there isn't just one formula for them. One herbalist couple makes them from cactus fruit juice and a couple other ingredients. It has a nice tang. One elven brewer (based on Kiwi the bard from Wandersong, though I named him Gavlan for laughs) makes healing potions with an ingredient he loves called Frission Mint, which makes his version taste like winter - in your mouth! Some alternate formulae may have additional benefits or drawbacks.

Alternatively, potion formulae can also be converted to be injectable. Loading potions into a hypo makes them a bonus action instead of an action.

[Kane0]

One herbalist couple makes them from cactus fruit juice and a couple other ingredients. It has a nice tang.

Drink cactus juice, it'll quench ya. Nothing's quenchier! It's the quenchiest!

[JonBeowulf]

Grab some Brawndo! It's got electrolytes and it's what plants crave.

[Zhorn]

One ingredient; crushed snakes.
Gotta be vitamins in there somewhere

[BerzerkerUnit]

You can drink them as an action. This grants their full benefit as Regeneration 1 at the start of their turn for rounds equal to full effect. So a standard potion is 10 rds.

Dropping to 0 renders you unconscious, healing does not automatically cause you to awaken, but it certainly makes you harder to kill.

My players usually dislike this change because enemies that want you dead take actions to make you dead if they see you drink a potion.

You can splash them on someone as a bonus action, splashing is half as effective, you roll normally, but grants all the hp in one shot. So a standard potion heals 1d4+1.

[Sigreid]

Potions in my world are drunk. Because they are potions. But there can be and are other things that are not potions that doe the same things as potions. So a salve is not a potion, but a healing salve and a healing potion are provide the same benefit through a different application method for example.

[Tanarii]

One ingredient; crushed snakes.
D&D general store owners are snake oil salesmen :smallamused:

[SociopathFriend]

Well my healing potions vary depending on setting and what I'm aiming for.

If I want to really play up a military theme or the like- they can be small pills or gelatin-like things (Tales fan) that you can easily choke down mid-fight.

If I want more of a fantasy feel- they'll be potions but I might play up that you really need the whole potion to work. For example fluffing with the players that, "As the last drop goes down your throat- your injuries heal."

[kingcheesepants]

Potions are drunk and all have a distinct flavor.
Potion of Healing- Cherry Flavored
Potion of Greater Healing- Strawberry Flavored
Potion of Superior Healing- Fruit Punch Flavored
Potion of Flying- carbonated and light
Potion of Speed- Extra tangy
Potion of Strength- tastes like a protein shake
Potion of Invisibility- has no taste
Potion of Mind Control- tastes like Tequila
Potion of Vitality- like strong coffee
Potion of Fire Breath- like drinking tabasco

[Martin Greywolf]

Potions are made of GamerCoins which can be purchased in bundles of 4999 GamerCoins for a low, low price of $47,99 (Canadian).

Swipe that credit card, adventurers!

[Zhorn]

Gamercoins went out of fashion during the last elf war.
These days folks are basing their economic decisions off supposedly non-replicable spell glyphs. They get recorded on these stone blocks, all hanging from a chain suspended in some dwarven citadel somewhere.
Sure dwarven society used to work off the gold standard, but made swapped when they figured this method would attract less dragons. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.
In any case, folk liquidate their assets to invest in this system, and that liquid is what potions are made of :smallbiggrin:

[Tanarii]

What I want to know is when the standard for health potions became red. :smallamused:

[Segev]

Ever since I realized what the material component for spider climb was in 2e, I have imagined drow having candied spiders as their spider climb potions.


What I want to know is when the standard for health potions became red. :smallamused:

I blame Diablo.

[Tanarii]

I blame Diablo.
It was already an industry standard by the time of Final Fantasy, which was a decade earlier.

It has to have been specified in one of the LBBs or AD&D for it to become to standardized so early on.

[JLandan]

What I want to know is when the standard for health potions became red. :smallamused:

I believe it was when Diablo was first released.

[Joe the Rat]

Most are the typical cordial, but the Mad Doctor Alchemist does his different.

1) It's injected
2) There's a 5 silver co-pay
3) It's green
4) Where as most healing potions do that whole warm glowy positive energy evocation rejuvenation, his is more transmutation based - it fast-stitches the physical body back together, which means you feel your wounds zipping closed and your bones clicking back into place.
5) Since it reconstructs the body, it works on undead. This is particularly important, since the Mad Doctor in question is somewhat living-challenged.

[Demonslayer666]

As normal potions. Requires a free hand, an object interaction to get one out (if readily available), and an action to drink. I've been toying around with allowing it as a bonus action, but haven't figured it out yet.

Those of you that use healing pitons, you are a strange lot.

[Zhorn]

Those of you that use healing pitons, you are a strange lot.
Helps your hitpoints climb and scale easier

[nickl_2000]

Those of you that use healing pitons, you are a strange lot.

Don't disparage healing pitons, I have a stake in the company!

Also, they are really darn effective against 3.5e and earlier vampires.

[bid]

Good news everyone, I've invented a potion of dragon breath that also doubles as a potion of flight.

From The Missing Link (1980):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7v6J6TrzgFI

[Segev]

Most are the typical cordial, but the Mad Doctor Alchemist does his different.

1) It's injected
2) There's a 5 silver co-pay
3) It's green
4) Where as most healing potions do that whole warm glowy positive energy evocation rejuvenation, his is more transmutation based - it fast-stitches the physical body back together, which means you feel your wounds zipping closed and your bones clicking back into place.
5) Since it reconstructs the body, it works on undead. This is particularly important, since the Mad Doctor in question is somewhat living-challenged.

He also has a really catchy jingle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BnOUOkcr9c), and assures us that we will ask for more of his "green color."

You might want to ask about side-effects if you use it on otherwise-fatal wounds, though.

[Witty Username]

My bard had a big keg of healing potion, with a tap for small amounts, and we would pop the lid if we needed alot. BTW basic potions of healing are the best for out of combat recovery.

[Monster Manuel]

Grab some Brawndo! It's got electrolytes and it's what plants crave.

Party's stranded in a desert wilderness, and our water's run out. As the group gets thirstier, DM asks the group to make a save or start taking exhaustion. One player says "Actually, I have some healing potions. I'm gonna drink one to cure the exhaustion"

DM replies, "Healing doesn't remove exhaustion, just works on damage"

Player answers, "Yeah, but liquids work to remove dehydration"

"...you know what? Sure, go ahead"

Since then, yes, healing potions have had electrolytes.

When I DM, I let healing potions take on any form that's appropriate to the source; potions made by a druid herbalist may be poultices, potions made by an artificer may be some kind of sticky rubber bandages in a paper wrapper, potions from a bard could be a scrap of paper with a healing affirmation you have to read. Whatever form it takes, they always have the same in-game effects (consumable, negligible weight, 1 action to use). They can also always be identified as healing items; that's part of the magic. "Looking over the plate of cookies, you immediately recognize that the ones with the cross-shaped frosting are enchanted to act as potions of minor healing". Which means that a healing potion can be differentiated from another type of potion without any kind of check, or the Identify spell, but I'm OK with that.

[Mjolnirbear]

Mine are usually potions that must be drunk, or poured onto the wound if subject is unconscious. However ever since Monte Cooke's Arcana Evolved, my consumables can be made in far more forms than potions or scrolls. I'm particularly fond of snapping thin wood disks or breakable glass globes with gaseous spells inside.

Mine are also not d4-based. Each option gives you a couple of hit dice you may immediately roll for healing. So a fighter will get 2d10 and a sorcerer 2d6, along with their respective con modifiers.

Since martials are the most likely to need them, this tends to also give martials the most benefit from them.

And the rogue poition-healer becomes a slightly more viable build.

[Danielqueue1]

Potions; instant effect. drunk or applied directly to a wound. Exactly like DMG.

Salves; applied directly to the skin. slower effect easier to make but no guild regulations so there is no quality control. Healing salves have a tendency to go off hit dice or for lower quality, give mostly temporary HP and be addictive.

Mist capsules; originally intended as ranged inhaled poison application method also works with specialized potions usually severely reduced effectiveness, but can be applied at range using an attack roll.

I also play that HP isn't just "meat points" so sometimes healing clears the ringing in your ears, the stiffness in your knees, the soreness in your shoulders, etc making it easier to turn those deadly hits into close calls.

[Battlebooze]

I believe it was when Diablo was first released.

I wouldn't be shocked if there were red healing potions before Diablo, but Diablo was such big a game for me that I can't imagine healing potions being anything other than red.

I guess it kind of makes sense, red being the color of blood after all. Get hurt, lose blood, drink a red potion to get more red back. :D

[nickl_2000]

I wouldn't be shocked if there were red healing potions before Diablo, but Diablo was such big a game for me that I can't imagine healing potions being anything other than red.

I guess it kind of makes sense, red being the color of blood after all. Get hurt, lose blood, drink a red potion to get more red back. :D

My google fu says that red healing potions were a thing before Diablo, but Diablo popularized/codified it.

[SirDidymus]

Only the really good ones are red. Once you drink them, they turn blue.

[Melphizard]

In my own game world, healing potions have multiple forms considering there are multiple methods of healing that exist. Warlocks, Sorcerers, Druids, Artificers, Clerics, Bards, and Rangers all have access to healing spells, so potions relating to such all exist. Artificer healing pills/sprays, normal potions, berries, ect. All typically speed up the healing process for a creature to a rapid degree, but only in short spans.

[Foolwise]

Only the really good ones are red. Once you drink them, they turn blue.

Thank you.

Stunned these kids think a 1997 video game started the red potion trend.

[Dimers]

My potions are soft balls that can be thrown at the target, releasing a magical dust on impact. Kinda like a cross between a hacky sack (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacky_sack) and a chalk line (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalk_line).