Author: Taylor
Potions are an essential part of the many worlds of D&D. Caverns, lairs, shops, and hideouts are filled with them. This guide will help you navigate through the sea of consumables and poisons to keep you from drinking the wrong one. It will also give dungeon master's some ideas on how to implement the most useful and fun potions in D&D.
Potion of Healing
2d4+2 healing
While not glamorous, this classic potion of healing is an adventurer's best friend. Even though at higher levels the healing will fall off, this potion is essential at all levels of play. It has a low cost of around 50 gold and will allow you to cheaply stock up on instant life savers. Much better than taking your chances on a medicine check to stabilize your downed teammates! Simply pop a potion of healing in their mouth and they are back in the fight.
Potion of Greater Healing
4d4+4 healing
The potion of greater healing is a must for adventurers at low to mid levels of play. With one action, you can undo most damage a typical monster may deal at these tiers of play. At low levels, these potions will have you feeling revitalized. This potion will be a staple of your low to mid level of play. So go slam a potion of greater healing and keep helping out your party!
Potion of Poison
3d6 poison damage
This is our first offensive choice and a very common find in a fantasy world. As you delve through monsters' lairs and encounter traveling merchants, you will inevitably find a Potion of Poison. This poison takes on the appearance of other potions such as a Potion of Healing. Because of this, it is easy to stealthily conceal amidst your belongings. A crafty adventurer will find a way to slip a dose into an enemy’s wine glass or soak a doctor’s wash rags to poison their sick patients. Poison is great for sparking creativity in its utilization. The versatility and role play potential make this an excellent choice for any adventurer or group of monsters.
Burnt Othur Fumes
3d6 poison damage
This poison is an interesting one, shrouded in mystery. The source material simply describes this as “an airborne poison that takes effect when inhaled”, leaving it to the DM to imagine what form it will take on. One thing is for certain, this is a brutal poison that can add a lot of damage if your target is failing their Constitution saving throw. That makes it perfect for characters that can impose disadvantage on Constitution saving throws. Think casters with the Hex spell.
Serpent Venom
3d6 poison damage
Harvested from giant snakes or produced by an alchemist with a brood of serpent pets, this poison will certainly leave a sting. Grab your sword, coat the blade, and start stabbing! Whether the target succeeds on their constitution saving throw or not, they will be taking poison damage. A reliable source of this poison can lead to a nice increase in your damage output. Mechanics and raw damage numbers aside, the theatrics of using a poisoned dagger to assassinate your target completes a character type that is both iconic and rewarding to play.
Dust of the Mummy
3d6 decreased max hp
Foul magic was left to fester for hundreds of years in mummified remains and now the dust of the mummy is ready to spread its curse. The organs of these putrid mummies are harvested and manufactured into a poison, it is capable of ending the life of an adventurer outright.This contaminant pretty much writes the encounter for you. Whether a group of adventurers go stomping around in an ancient tomb, or a necromancer raises his undead mummy legion this poisonous dust will surely make an appearance. Should a party member fall victim to its effects, immediate actions should be taken to cure them.
Potion of Superior Healing
8d4+8 healing
After dealing out all of that poison damage it's time to heal up. A whopping average of 28 healing is enough to heal almost any mid level character. This is going to be a reliable means of sustaining your party’s dungeon delving. This potion is a worthy prize inside any dungeon and worth its weight in gold at the market. Make sure to stock up when you come across them in shops, because these rare potions may not be available in the next town over.
Midnight Tears
9d6 poison damage
Thematically, this may be the coolest potion on this list. The impact of this small container could send ripples throughout your world. It could topple an empire, eliminate a corrupt official, or even usurp a throne. With a difficult saving throw and many discrete ways to deliver this poison, this is a highly sought after prize for any group of adventurers.
Wyvern Poison
7d6 poison damage
A mighty beast once used this poison to rule the skies, and now you have harnessed it and turned it into guaranteed additional damage. By coating your weapons in this venom, you could quickly turn the tides on a challenging foe. Well worth the lengths it takes to harvest this lethal venom, Wyvern Poison’s 7d6 damage is a reminder of just how deadly upper level D&D can be. The gold you will spend or the effort of slaying a wyvern yourself will be well worth it…just try to stay away from its teeth.
Potion of Supreme Healing
10d4+20 healing
This potion is the biggest and most rare of all the potions of healing. This potion can even help stave off wounds after taking the brunt of a dragon’s breath weapon. This is the potion your front liners will turn to when the night is darkest. A downed mage will be brought back into the fight at near full strength. This is not a potion to be used unless the situation is dire.
Torpor
4d6 hours of incapacitation
Your party has been challenged to a duel. A mighty knight of the king's royal guard has discovered that you have been making some persuasion checks against his wife. Unless your group can slip a potion of torpor into the knights meal the morning of the duel, your friend is a goner. This potion allows you to gain a decisive advantage against a foe for many hours. Should this crippling concoction find its way into your body, it will leave you hoping for a long rest to relieve yourself of its incapacitating effects.
Holy Water
2d6 radiant damage
Clerics and Paladins will become very familiar with this seemingly harmless vial of holy water. But, almost every town has a priest who could arm the party with holy water as well. No matter where you get this useful potion it will give you an edge against any fiend or undead creature. These enemies can be difficult to deal with as many are resistant to mundane forms of assault, but are often vulnerable to radiant damage. A party equipped with a few doses of holy water will be able to wade their way through undead hordes with ease.
These potions are some of the most classic and useful potions available in D&D. Each has its own specific dice needed and rules around them which can be difficult to remember. We at College of Creation have crafted a convenient wooden chest that houses all of these potion vials. With our potion chest you will have the correct dice, rules of the potions, and a beautiful treasure chest to house your potions that is sure to wow your entire table. This is a great accessory to keep at your table as you delve through dungeons and slay epic monsters with your friends.