Healing Potions in DND 5e

Getting fireballed repeatedly got you down? Looking for a guide on healing potions in DnD 5e? You've come to the right place! In this article, we'll discuss everything you need to know about brewing and using healing potions in your campaigns. We'll start by discussing what a health potion (a potion of healing) is and how it work. Then, we'll go over the different steps involved in making your own health potions. Finally, we'll provide some tips on where to buy health potions. Let's get started!

What are health potions (healing potions)?

A healing potion in DnD 5e is magical item that can be used to restore points (HP)/ or health points for those of us who came to D&D from video games to a character. When consumed, a healing potion provides a burst of healing energy that can help offset the damage taken combat or other hazardous activities. Healing potions are typically made using a variety of herbs and other ingredients, which can be found at most apothecaries or herbalists.

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How does a healing potion work?

When a potion of healing is consumed, the drinker is immediately infused with positive energy that helps to heal their wounds. This healing energy can close cuts, mend broken bones, and even staunch bleeding. A potion might not able to completely restore a character to full health, but they can provide a much-needed boost in the midst of combat or other dangerous situations.

How do I use a potion of healing?

In D&D 5e the rules as written (RAW) in Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition is that it takes an action to drink a potion, or to give it to another person. Drinking potions is spelled out in the Players Handbook on page 153. Basically, you'll spend your whole turn using it. This is super inefficient, and in our opinion, unfun. If your DM is open, we like to use Matt Mercer's (from Critical Role) homebrew rule of drinking a potion yourself uses a bonus action, where as giving it to someone else uses an action. This makes it more likely that someone will actually use a potion of healing in combat vs the official dnd rules.

Another homebrew rule that you can use is that if you use the bonus action rule above, that if the player takes their action to drink a potion of healing it restores maximum health, instead of rolling the dice.

How can you make your own healing potion?

The rules for how to brew a potion crafting a potion of healing 5e, and the price and time to craft are covered in Xanathar's Guide to Everything on page 130. Xanathar's Guide to Everything states that the skill to brew a potion is an herbalism check, but the Dungeon Master may use something else to be more fair based on how your character has been created (we're looking at you alchemy tools) . There are a few different steps involved in making your own healing potion. The first is gathering the components, and then the brewing. Depending on your GM, this may be simple or involved. The time to brew a basic potion isn't long, but the supreme healing potion takes 4 work weeks!

Where can I buy a healing potion?

5e potion costs are one of the most commonly sought things, but the answer here will really depend on your campaign and Dungeon Master. In many campaigns, a healing potions can be purchased at apothecaries and herbalists, or at small vendors. You can also find a potion of healing for sale at magic item stores, and temples to certain gods. You may need to spend some time to search for a place to buy them before you finally locate your first potion of healing.

How much does a potion cost?

The cost of a 5e health potion varies depending on the type and quality of the potion. A simple potion of healing can be purchased for as little as a few gold pieces, while more complex potions can cost hundreds or even thousands of gold pieces. The potion price 5e also depends on the seller, so it's important to shop around before making a purchase. Potion prices in dnd 5e also vary based on what's happening in the region. Generally speaking, a potion of healing is not cheap, but it could be worth it, because the life you save could be your own ;p

How many hit points does a potion of healing restore?

That really depends on the type of potion. The Dungeon Masters Guide includes this starting on page 187, and going over to 188:

• Healing Elixir 2d4+2(from Unearthed Arcana 36)
• Healing - 2d4+2
• Greater Healing - 4d4 +4
• Superior Healing - 8d4+8
• Supreme Healing - 10d4+20

We like this section because it also includes the potions rarity. A nice DM might include homebrew a lower level potion that' acts as a healing word, restoring maybe two hit points. Just enough to stop someone who is in death saves from dying. It's also important to note that there isn't a dnd lesser healing potion, just a "healing potion".

Are there mana potions and stamina potions in D&D 5e?

There could be if your DM decided to add items to the basic list in D&D. A mana potion would do something like restore a spell slot, and a stamina potion would do something like an instant rest. The different levels of these potions would act as longer rests, or restore higher level spell slots. While we argue above that a bonus action for drinking a potion is "more fun" it's important to realize that these are powerful magic items, and a full action to drink one may be more fair to the other players since they aren't your typical potion of healing.

What does an Elixir of Heath do?

It doesn't "heal" you, but it does remove diseases, several conditions, including blinded, deafened, paralyzed, and poisoned. 

What does a potion of cure disease 5e do?

It cures any disease that is afflicting you, and several conditions, including deafened, paralyzed, and poisoned. 

Is there such a thing as a healing potion kit?

The answer to this is "not really" in RAW DND5e. HOWEVER, since Xanathar's states that it's a herbalism check, and there is such a thing as an herbalism kit, its basically a healing potion kit in disguise. Since a standard potion of healing doesn't require a lot of time or GP value in components, a few days of downtime could yield a game changer.

Can you dispel magic on a healing potion?

This is a question that's come up at our table. A magic potion is* a magic item, and dispel magic can disable magical effects. So, we don't think it's entirely clear, but remember, if you do this, your DM can too....

In Conclusion

In conclusion, healing potions are a powerful tool that can be used to heal wounds and restore health. They can be purchased from vendors or brewed using herbalism kits, and come in different levels of potency. The dnd 5e potion costs will vary based on your Dungeon Master. Typically DM's will rule that potion costs dnd will be based on the location and other realm specific variables. Be sure to check with your Dungeon Master before using one in your game. Thanks for reading! 

Other Blog Posts You Might Like:

Our Complete Magic Item Guide HERE.

Want a character that makes magic items? Check out our Artificer 5e Guide!

Want to learn more about the gods in D&D? Check out our Deities 5e Guide

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Last updated: January 27, 2019

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