Using potions in combat is harder than you think! |

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Healing potions are often spammed in fantasy video games but how easy are they to drink while being attacked?
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[@RamseyDewey]

Now we need to see how practical it is to heal during battle by eating 15 cabbages, a mammoth snout, 4 cheese wheels, 7 apples, 4 potatoes, 3 raw 10 kilo chunks of venison, 2 sweet rolls, a giant's toe, and a bowl of Elsweyr fondue.

[@jellythejellyfish7035]

Or my favorite tactic from breath of the wild, *STUFF APPLES IN MY FACE TILL IM FULL HEARTS*

[@AndrewAce.]

Hahahahahaha

[@TechnicallyGrey]

Got to give this one a like

[@jamesmurphy8968]

Do it!

[@cocacola4blood365]

Eeeeuuuugh! I think I'll just weather the damage.

[@LMF1716]

Everybody knows in the rules of combat it's only fair to let your enemy use the pause menu to access their two hundred healing potions and five thousand cheese wheels

[@SuperDeadzombeh]

my enemies don't let me pause to eat i bend the laws of reality and freeze time my self cause i want to see thee fear in their eyes

[@Intranetusa]

Yep, drinking 50 jars of sujamma to make your character as strong as an adult elephant in the game TES III: Morrowind so you can kill the god-king Vivec and steal his stuff is one of the ways to speed-run the game.

[@Merilirem]

@@Intranetusa I really don't think an elephant could kill Vivec in 1 hit.

[@Intranetusa]

@@Merilirem You can multiple hits on Vivec before he can even get one hit on you since his attacks are pretty slow and you can might be able to avoid getting hit altogether if you are good at dodging.

[@georgemorrison458]

i feel like this is showing that as shad using potions in combat isn't reasonable but would a warrior in his peak really be as fat as shad and oz????/ are you sure you couldn't have a lot of training and be peak in body and be able to do it easily???

[@the_senate8050]

This is why skilled alchemists brew their potions in Capri-Sun containers for maximum sip speed without the need for a head tilt.

[@84rinne_moo]

Lol I was just thinking of filling your camelbak with healing potion and strategically place your straw for hands free sipping at any time!

[@onasknox9284]

Lol, yes

[@brianherold1835]

I was thinking something similar, but with replacing the top pouch of Shad's bandolier with a metal flask with a straw so all that's needed is a slight head turn to take a sip.

[@settheshallow8913]

Alternativley: Have Alchemists make Pellets/Pills

[@robertpopa2628]

Pez of healing?

[@thecolclough]

19:03 Shad confirms 'Tree is a good tactic'... well, of course it is: we already knew Stick is a good tactic, and Tree is basically a big Stick

[@Tree_-wp5zn]

Yea I am.

[@graywolfdracon]

Unless it's one of the trees from Melcior 7. They are 300 ft. tall and breath fire.

[@American-Aristocrat]

This comment needs more likes

[@thomascranfield7136]

@@graywolfdracon those trees do make very fine desks though

[@xraystudios3693]

I guess the stick leaves him satisfied ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@brothertaddeus]

Worth mentioning that while drinking a potion in a one-on-one may not really be feasible, in a group combat where you have allies it'd be a lot easier. Think of it like a modern army squad when someone needs to reload: You get out of the line of fire, call out that you're reloading, and get it done in about a second. Your allies cover you while you are temporarily not combat effective.

[@sergeantbrother6940]

Yeah, it would be like the ancient Romans where the front line falls back and rests while others move forward to replace them. They could take potions to heal wounds or regain stamina while other soldiers move in to defend them.

[@LynSain]

And that's why some people call magazine as energy drink. XD Although some games implement auto-potion. No drink animation, and in some fantasy setting some potion is consumed via injection with special tool made by certain alchemist. They can be in many form like gauntlet as example. That can be useful for one on one combat but of course there will be limitations. If it's activated manually, then shield user will have problem. Still, if the user has no time to find safe distance because the opponent is too fast, that also not working. Also how you will replace the empty potion is another problem which in the end is pretty similar with the classic drinking method. It's pretty much the same like reloading alone with no ally nearby under heavy fire.

[@plastictouch6796]

It would support a numbers advantage, if you were out outnumbered or even equal in numbers you would still be skrewd.

[@Lucky13Ravens]

That is a moderate to large unit of people in a highly trained and organised army as is the Roman legions comment. In a melee i.e. most party based RPG's, medieval European warfare, Roman Era Celts, Gauls, Scythians and Germans or just most combat in history. It is much harder than even one on one. You can be struck from any direction at any moment by any enemy or, in real life examples, an ally with blood in their eyes. And that ignores any ranged assailants.

[@gerbo8018]

@@Lucky13Ravens Actually even in medieval europe it wouldn't be to hard as you'd fight in lines with backup behind you. Sure it would require a different way of handeling it like you do now (as it is shoulder to shoulder and hard to swap in and out) but perfectly possible. even without backup behind you if you fight in line lets say 5 people you fall back drink a pot and get back in in 30 seconds its fine. (ofc it is dangerous and could provoke attacks of opportunity)

[@voodoodummie]

The obvious solution to this dilemma is to combine your favourite full helmet, say the classic crusader's bucket helmet, and merge it with a classic American Beer hat. You load multiple potions onto the helmet and have its blessed healing run through some straw analogue, bonus points if you don't use lead for creating the straws.

[@zealotguy]

Ah yes. The Smitty Jorganmanjenson hat.

[@KoreyMacGill]

i mentioned an IV system. this is better. this is far more superior. animal intestine cords and route em to a drip in your mouth or something.

[@Techstriker1]

I swear I've seen that in a game.

[@myscreen2urs]

Nice idea. The bucket would support nachos too 🙃

[@alexanderdiaz4417]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@veggiedragon1000]

I feel like Dark Souls games handle potions a lot more realistically in that you need to wait for the enemy to miss with a large attack, run away, or otherwise find an opening, because drinking an estus locks you into a relatively long animation. If you attempt to heal at an inopportune time, enemies WILL take advantage of that, with some bosses even having specific animations for doing so and usually leading to death.

[@firenter]

Was gonna come here and say this if I couldn't find a comment about it!

[@wolffang489]

Same with Monster Hunter. Recent games even scale their effectiveness to how much of the bottle you manage to chug through (a change which is an entire discussion on the game meta).

[@its_dey_mate]

Witcher 2 handles it really well as well. In the books Geralt never drinks during a fight, naturally he fights beings that are ten times faster and deadlier than humans and you need all of the sweet sweet witcher reflexes not to die, so they drink everything before a fight. The witcher 2 is exactly like that, you can't drink during a fight, you have to prepare before and sometimes you get effed up because you want as much of the time remaining of a potion, but not know when a cutscene will play indicating the beginning of a battle.

[@formless.chicken]

that's why bloodborne is good, healing time is fast

[@anonyme4881]

In dnd 2e drinking a potion in battle is usually a death sentance

[@fluffywise686]

Forget the in battle part. Imagine attempting to fight someone who has had years of micro dosing healing potions and strength trained. Out of combat training would be insane. Run as fast as your body and lungs can take you. Heal and get stronger. Lift a bolder 3 times your size. Heal, get stronger. Combat training that involves a lot of punches to the face. Heal, get stronger. Abs...just abs... Heal get stronger. And that's just a Monday. Tuesday is worse.

[@herbderbler1585]

In a story I'm reading, healing potions are actually avoided during strength training because they repair all the micro-tearing of muscle fibers that leads to growth, negating any potential gains. The idea of being able to skill train in ways that would be too dangerous without healing potions is still be very legit though, as well as building up a tolerance for extreme pain and learning how to fight with debilitating wounds.

[@QFinixian]

@@herbderbler1585 That's actually a really good point because, if "it heals everything" it will only help the psychological part of the training not much of the physical and come to think that, like medicine, you could probably get "resistance" or become less effective a potion if you continue abuse of it

[@antiboyscout]

@@herbderbler1585 The Wandering Inn? It does have an interesting take on healing potions with interesting limitations

[@herbderbler1585]

@@antiboyscout ha, good to meet a fellow innworld reader

[@noradlark167]

@@herbderbler1585 This is not how muscle building works. Muscle growth is not a function of muscle micro tears. You produce growth signal proteins and muscle damage is a negative on top of it. What the commenter mentions can be done with anabolics as some of them do increase healing. Athletes like fighters are likely micro-dosing for more practice.

[@DangerKiwi]

I’m now just imagining a medieval warrior with a beer hat contraption with straws going to his mouth aggressively drinking potions like a madman.

[@mcwolf1096]

Now _I_ am just thinking of the Juicers from "Rifts" (the old RPG, not the recent computer game)

[@oncreativemode5486]

Now i imagine fantasy knights drinking on those soda hats from spongebob

[@thanoseid2883]

That’s honestly one of the only practical ways to do it.

[@Jpeg.g]

The magical helm of vitality, a metal beer hat.

[@yeetyeet5079]

@@thanoseid2883 there’s a Minecraft splash potion type thing where it just needs to contact you skin to work

[@SpaceSoups]

I can imagine a group of high level adventures casually taking potions/shots while fights some goblins.

[@estaticethan1752]

Goblin Slayer

[@ADogNamedStay]

Snorts a line of coke "WHOOOOOOOOO LETS FUCKING GO BOYS" "But sire, you're arm is gone" "SO IT FUCKING IS, LEEEEEEEROOOOOY JENKINS" -götz von berlichingen probably.

[@_Ekaros]

I can't. If they are high level adventures goblin army should be considered difficult terrain. Not something that needs potions. It's not like they get hit, but climbing over the dead bodies is constant cutting down is an exercise...

[@Wintermute909]

That used to be called Saturday night in Cabramatta back in the day

[@mysticmarbles]

If potions were real the meta would be to have a camelback or "beer hat" setup where you could keep your hands free and keep chugging potions.

[@tael3081]

... And now I'm just imagining every battle in history... with everyone on both sides wearing very anachronistic beer hats...

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

@@tael3081 hey, good polycarbonate protects just as well as steel does, just it's less scratch resistant.

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

A more boring but more plausible alternative would be a waterskin with a straw that stays on your back, no different to what they use in modern conflicts.

[@lyricrichards6547]

I was thinking that but now iam thinking viking helmet beer hat

[@theoverpreparerlamenters3r436]

Along with bottles to use after a fight.

[@Berserk_Knight]

The joke helmets with drink containers instead of horns, used in various fan animations and joke skins (such as Brolaf from LoL) would actually make sense. Go full plate armor and winged great helms, with the wings holding potions. Tubing is internal with this design, further reducing potential weak points such as exposed potion tubes. You'd probably need to get hit with siege weapons to die in any reasonable time frame.

[@VegetaLF7]

Hell, a camel pack backpack filled with health potion placed under the armor would also be a good pick.

[@Topstormking]

A hydration pack but filled with potion instead of water.

[@brettbridger362]

@@VegetaLF7 That was my thought. Either combining with the idea of a bag of holding, so what you suck out is what you want, or a couple of tubes and you pick the tube you want.

[@johnstockley6976]

Lol. My first thought too.

[@khajiitimanus7432]

That profile picture is from TES4: Oblivion, isn't it? Evidently a screenshot of modded Oblivion (if it is), but am I correct in that guess?

[@stonecoldscubasteveo4827]

How about a camelbak-style thing with a long flexible straw, full of potion? Keep the straw clenched between your teeth as you fight, just take a sip at any time. You could even have armor made with a spot for the reservoir. Run the straw on up the inside of your helmet and you are good to go. I'd think you would want at least a lower face guard.

[@357Dejavu]

I was thinking some thing similar

[@robbydonaghy8735]

Could add a fun extra target of trying to sever the straw, that'd be a neat mechanic in a boss fight. The other thing I was thinking of was armor covered in potion tide pods, so if you get cut through, the opponents blade will carry the potion right to your wound, assuming it is topical.

[@allopez8563]

Can healing and strength potions can be mixed? And then have them injected directly into a vein or bone? Like Bane.

[@evmarekaj]

Can also having the beer drinking hats

[@gamerguy8105]

You could also do something a little more primitive like a flip cap unless the potion needs to stay under pressure. The flip cap could be a little faster than cork cap but definitely camelbak-style would be way faster.

[@friedrichsanktgermain7632]

Shad: talking about how he’s using lemonade as his potion stand-in Me: Let me introduce you to my brand, Lemon-Aid! Whether it’s restoratives, cure-alls or stat boosters, we have it for you in all your favourite lemon drink flavours!

[@kelvinsantiago7061]

Now I kinda want to drink Lemon Aid! too!.

[@dangerdash4393]

Just make sure you're not buying it from Insanity Wolf.

[@durandol]

The lemon is a mighty fruit.

[@SheyD78]

Reminds me of the Dresden Files, where Harry would make potions out of gatorade and stuff and put them in sports drink bottles.

[@Likexner]

I think all these "clever" ways to spell things are a major factor in why most young people nowadays have horrible spelling skills.

[@someeejit]

Imagine if there was a game with an insanely hard boss that got more and more fed up with you every time you died and respawned, after a while it gets so fed up with killing you it just lets you pass

[@yds6268]

Dormammu, I've come to bargain

[@MrNationalWonder]

Some games do this by offering to lower difficulty 😂

[@jackielogan9104]

It will be a nice hidden mechanic in a Souls-like RPG

[@MalakaiXed]

Sounds like an Undertale inspired game

[@TheTerrorHamster]

Ask the boss how it feels about every time you loose you argue that was just a try and repeat the fight but that one time you are lucky and win that's the match that actually counts

[@gogroxandurrac]

7:30 stamina potions would change battles a huge amount. Rotating formations would become even more popular as apart from the rest of not being in active combat every second it would also allow for potion consumption.

[@crusadr_4966]

Reminds me of the German Blitzkrieg units who used Crystal Meth as a "Stamina potion".

[@Rahzma]

You know, in a world that has these magical potions, I don't see anyone using a corked bottle to hold them. People love convenience. Even in a medieval setting, they would see how hard it is to pull it out, un cork, and down it in the middle of a fight. You'd think they would try to invent a better method of getting to their potions. Maybe a flip lock they can just thumb open instantly without fighting it open. Or keep the potions in small dissolvable pouches, like healing fruit gushers kinda thing. That or just paint a big "We're Number 1" on their helmet and attach potion holders on the side with silly straws.

[@ronweber1402]

I immediately went to one of those ridiculous drinking helmets as well.

[@TheFadedMusic]

Immediately began thinking of ways to make a cork a quick open. Or even using wax to seal it like those coke bottle candies.

[@entropy11]

healing fruit gushers ftw

[@setcheck67]

I'd say most medieval fighters would take the simple approach. Just break the end of it on some metal piece of their suit and guzzle the liquid from the air. It's messy, but it's fast and speed is pretty much all that matters in life or death situations.

[@darkfishthedestroyer139]

if it were possible in medieval times, they could invent one of those water bags hikers, bikers and even soldiers wear on their backs, filled with water and has a straw leading to the mouth where you can drink it from.

[@CtrlFreak1337]

I like the way Nioh handles "potions"- they're actually solid medicinal pellets that you just eat. Much quicker and easier to make use of. The containment and administration method (solid vs. liquid, bottle or vial vs. pouch or something easier to open, or even injection) makes a HUGE difference in the viability of healing items. Imagine a healing PEZ dispenser...

[@KirkGrimm]

I would said Bloodborne is even better. Your character uses blood vials by injecting them with a syringe in the leg.

[@TheBonePirate]

my healing pez has a batman head

[@semajniomet981]

Or the stimpacks from the Fallout series.

[@galadballcrusher8182]

i have to say though that nioh doesnt make much sense compared to Fallout Stimpacks because in general a pill is farslower to take effect given first stomach enzymes and acids have to break down the structure and in pills there often is an outer layer (specialy by capsule types) before the important healing agent get absorbed , enter blood and start work.... compare this to stimpacks which are intravenal ...like the hyposprays in star trek....

[@harlannguyen4048]

RE6 uses a capsule dispenser for healing.

[@wafflingmean4477]

Oz: *tries to murder his boss* Shad: "Aim for the neck next time."

[@eldrenofthemist2492]

XD

[@tuseroni6085]

"shoulda aimed for the head"

[@williamturner6192]

No. Shad would have done that himself if he thought of it, right?. Can't drink if he doesn't have a neck for it to go down.

[@e1123581321345589144]

7:09 I've actually used that in real life. Not while fighting though, but climbing a mountain or on a difficult bike ride. If you're really drained, you can take these dextrose tablets with a bit of magnesium and it restores your stamina in a few minutes. And the effect lasts for hours. p.s. this would make an interesting story, in a world where everyone uses potions, this alchemist finds a way to refine his potions in tablets that instantly dissolve in the user's stomach.

[@Esvald]

Warfare in such world would be more about poisons than direct combat I think, since potions would be so wide spread and commonly used.

[@VeryPeeved]

that is actually a thing in the Quest for Glory franchise: rather than potions, the various restoratives are in pill form.

[@chakatfirepaw]

That's something I use/allow in my games: "Potions" can come in multiple forms with various advantages and disadvantages. Baking them into a biscuit/cookie means you have something easy to handle that is less vulnerable to breakage, (it broke? eat both parts), but you can't do things like dribbling the potion into someone's mouth. The syringes a more technologically advanced group might use are quicker to use and easy to use on others, but are more breakable and run into problems with armour. (Of course, once you start playing in genres like urban fantasy you might have 'potions' loaded into injection pumps so 'taking a potion' is just a button press.)

[@Jpeg.g]

@@Esvald why even need potions if you have a mage in the back throwing heal spells at anyone who gets hit. They only have to worry about mana pr stamina or so fourth. But they are the only ones needing to drink poitions.

[@en0n126]

"Stamina potions are underrated and would be a game changer in a fight." Yeah, we call those amphetamines and they've been researched and used by militaries throughout recent history, especially during WW2.

[@oli3645]

Hans get me the panzerchocolate France won’t be capturing itself!

[@MayBeSomething]

Shad Facts: The potion bottles he throws away here are thrown into a demi-plane he created. In the demi-plane, the potions are refilled, then redistributed back into his packs.

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

save for the corks, the corks upon touching the ground enter the same dimension your socks occasionally find themselves in.

[@observantowl1726]

@@cdgonepotatoes4219 I was wondering why there was a cork in my sock this morning...

[@johngroves3536]

On the note of how much of the potion would be needed to heal your injuries: one fantasy story that breaks from the usual "drink one whole potion" is The Chronicles of Narnia. Lucy's healing potion only requires the application of a single drop directly to the wound(s) for full healing.

[@Timbo_Boy]

My idea to solve this would be what Skipping Rock Lab does with Ooho. Basically edible balls filled with liquid. Or you fill grapes as potions.

[@thanoseid2883]

That opens up a whole other can of worms though. Could you pop pills while fighting? How much do they heal? Etc. this is quite a deep subject if you think about it.

[@Slowsilv]

can we all take a moment and appreciate how dope Oz was stealing his opponents dagger and stabbing him with it... that was super smooth

[@stevenmckenna745]

"Do you need to drink the entire potion?" that reminds me of reincarnated as a slime. Their healing potions were made from a magical plant and the level of concentration determined it's effectiveness. a full heal was defined at 100%, but the lesser potions ~25% were commonly made by diluting greater(might of been suprior) potion 99% with water. If this was defined as the norm, I would then assume theirs a minimum amount required for it to work. Bonus Fact: in the same series they stipulate the actual effect was rapid cell regeneration, meaning bacterial infections would spread at the same rate the potion healed you

[@ShadowKingthe7]

Regard the rapid cell regeneration, the OVAs go even further. There is a noble who pay a lot for a full potion for his sick and dying wife only to find out that if he had given it to her, she would have died immediately because she actually had cancer

[@stevenmckenna745]

@@ShadowKingthe7 that's actually the episode that came to mind when posting this. It was so funny when the great sage said he could of given her honey

[@LadyViolet1]

I guess it'd be a bit more boring, but healing pills or snacks sound like they'd probably be more effective, since it's a solid thing you can plop into your mouth quickly instead of holding a bottle up to your mouth for awhile

[@cmoore6547]

You would have to chew something something solid. In actuality you would have to metabolize anything you ingest. So if you could apply it to the wound would be better. Perhaps a sponge or rag moistened with the potion. ..

[@Chronuz]

This how Monster Hunter World handled their healing consumables. Potions were slow healing and can get your character smacked in the middle of the animation (characters can still move while drinking). Pills can instantly heal and quick to consume but limited in quantity that can be brought due to gameplay balance I assume.

[@akl2k7]

@@cmoore6547 Maybe a chewable gummy with a hard outer shell and liquid inside would be best. Therefor, you'd only have to bite once, swallow, and keep fighting.

[@christopherkecun8349]

Avengers use prior-inserted syringes to get the magic flowing fasta.

[@DeadMeat991]

@@akl2k7 Like the gels in the Tales of series.

[@natashasurvivallady8021]

All potion talk aside, good on you, Oz! That last fight had quick thinking, knowing the terrain, and preparation that a lot of experienced fighters even forget. Especially packing the dagger for close up work. Well done!!

[@yarashuran6309]

I'm over here laughing my *** off at the thought of two people fighting while each is holding an opened potion bottle, desperately trying to not spill any of it

[@tedarcher9120]

Just have a jar in your backpack and a small tube you can sip on

[@bretalvarez3097]

@@tedarcher9120 Or in a waterskin so there is no risk of breaking the container that holds the potion. The only problem would be getting a flexible and reliable tube in a middle age/renaissance era fantasy.

[@Fallenangel_85]

You don't really need to go for killing blows against potions. Disable the hands/arms and drinking it becomes impossible in a fight :) Or "liberate" the potions from it's owner so he can't use them.

[@foxtrotzero3184]

In the name of god... What a good idea! How come i never think of this,now i can leave my enemy to *SUFFER* more! Thx dude 😁☺️😁

[@santi_super_stunts2573]

Or you can liberate their life and not deal with any of that crap

[@viniciussoarescamargo4550]

Yeah, also if the enemy is more vulnerable while drinking a potion, hurting him will be worth it, since he'll need to use his potion.

[@marcuslobo5765]

George Lucas took your advice to heart before u posted this

[@BretekV]

Private: Sir, who needs fighting skills in a potion fight anyway. Instructor: put your hand on that wall *throws dagger and pins the hand to the wall* Instructor: The enemy cannot drink his potion if you disable his hand. Medic!

[@MrWarlord396]

In regards to "do you need to drink the whole potion?", apparently the original Dungeon Siege let the player just sip as much as needed from a potion and cork the rest for later

[@doopdoopdopdop7424]

And in dark souls the potion has a few sips.

[@StickNik]

Yeah there's a handful of games which have a flask type mechanic like Souls. I think one Indiana Jones game had a refillable flask, but even more flexible than the fixed number of drinks you can take from an Estus flask, but simply drink as much as you need to heal you to full or as much as is left in the flask, so no wasted overhealing.

[@erikvale3194]

@@StickNik Horizon: Zero Dawn has similar. Albeit for a herb pouch, but you use it in combat with no animation.

[@Dagrizzb]

"Stamina Potions". AKA, colored cocaine water.

[@Fjuron]

10:40 very interesting. Fighting recklessly and treating your health like a resource - sounds like a video game 😂

[@Missiletainn]

Also fighting in full armour, with a helmet would be more difficult to use the healing potions, so helmet design in a world with healing potions would be very different. Maybe even designed like those beer hats where you can drink without your hands, also potions maybe designed with pop off lids instead of corks, though that depends on how easily the potions will spoil if not stored properly.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

So it would be a "pot helm," then?

[@AegixDrakan]

Yeah, a pop-off lid with a simple metal clamp on it would be WAAAAAAY more convenient in the middle of a fight.

[@verzeihturncoat27]

Myth Viking Helmets. Drink horns -> potion horns

[@kirgan1000]

If healing potions was a thing, "beer hats" will be the standard, or helmets that have a intergrated "beer hat" function.

[@plzletmebefrank]

I prefer the camelback thinking other people in these comments are going with. Adding weight to the head sounds... Not awesome. Especially when it's full of liquid that's attached to the side which would really throw off your balance, and also you'd crush them when rolling and dodging...

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

Ever done cardio immediately after drinking water?... It's not a fun time for the stomach after drinking a full bottle. Beer Hats will be useful but then the question is... How much potion liquid is too much?

[@Sebbaasdungeon]

It's easier in a skirmish or battlefield situation, where your buddies can cover you, while you drink the potion. In my experience from larp though, no one ever drinks potions in mid-combat. You drink it if there is a pause in combat, or if the healers feed it to you, when you are already on the ground.

[@jean-sebastienmatte2358]

Yep, LARP do give us a way to "experience" potions in combat. And yeah, solo fight? Never, but, as you said, if you have buddies to cover you? Doable.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@jean-sebastienmatte2358 The LARP I used to play had a low-level spell, Disarm, that would force you to drop any hand-held item the caster named. There were plenty of "I disarm you of your potion!" spells just before rogue's backstab or a fighter's timely blow.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@jean-sebastienmatte2358 Another point I forgot is that potions are for the non-healers to carry to get other people up from the ground, especially the healer. People who use their potions on themselves mid-combat are desperate and/or not in a group with an attentive healer.

[@randomthegreat2329]

Regarding Shad's last experiment - I think it would be much easier with a straw in sealed bottle/flask that runs into/near your mouth. Also if you need to swallow liquid for potion to have an effect, might be even better to put some liquid in your mouth before the fight and swallow as it goes. But overall, imho, the better kind of mechanic would be a slower regeneration potion that you drink before a fight. Also I liked how one game specifically handled healing potion (not a potion tbh, they decided to go with healing ointment but the purpose is the same). When you are out of combat you can actually heal (although you need other specific stuff for serious injuries that maim you). When you are in combat - you can try and quickly apply the same ointment to stop bleeding, but no healing is done.

[@jean-sebastienmatte2358]

@@MonkeyJedi99Your disarm, sneak attack technique would work in smaller engagements, however, in a skirmish, where both sides are big enough to form a battle line, a secure support second line and supporting "light infantry" screen to protect the flank and rear, it would quickly lose efficacy. I do agree, however, that potions are rarely used by fighters for themselves, as they are usually a costly resource (at least in all LARPs I have ever attended) and are only used when other methods of healing are not available.

[@terrorcop101]

2:48 After watching your intro skit, I'm thinking the epi-pen would've been invented quite a bit sooner in history if health potions existed. 10:23 Alternatively, instead of a cork, you could have a cap on a hinge. Edit: or a straw

[@MrPort]

Like inhalers from Cyberpunk?

[@terrorcop101]

@@MrPort never played so maybe

[@lockwoan01]

In the Discworld series, specifically the book "The Truth", there's a vampire who wants to be a journalistic photographer. Problem is, every time he takes a picture, a bright light goes off, and Poof! - he becomes a pile of ashes, and the only way to revive him is to pour blood onto said ashes - any blood will do. Leads to a funny situation when his black coat takes on the colors of the carpet in the home of the place he takes some pictures in, after being restored from a pile of ash. Later on, in "Monstrous Regiment", said vampire photographer shows up as a side character - even giving the main character of that some advise about how to deal with their own vampire friend - and while he still turns into a pile of ashes when he takes a later famous picture, he negates the main annoyance of waiting for blood by carrying a glass vial containing blood - vial shatters upon hitting the ground, ashes soak up the blood, und hez ba-ha-ck (sorry, my Uberwald axcent iz terrible).

[@ender7278]

What does this have to do with potions?

[@lockwoan01]

@@ender7278 Think of the blood in the vial as a Vampire's Healing Potion - don't even need to drink it. Splash it on the ashes, and Boom! He'z Back!

[@ericward8459]

Hm, your accent sounds fine to me 😅

[@lockwoan01]

@@ericward8459 Ah, Thanka you, good zir.

[@homeworksdone2378]

The potion can be held in a hand behind a small shield, or just attached to the shield. Alternatively, a teammate is incredibly valuable as you can watch each other’s back as you take turns drinking.

[@adaeptzulander2928]

I was going to say. Did Shad ever see how this was done in Dragon Age: Origins? That is exactly how they do it, and PC and NPC can drink their potion very fast.

[@bendover9620]

That teammate suggestion, wouldn't it make more sense to have a healer with healing powers instead of having a dude stacking a shit-ton of potions?

[@kaderloop785]

@@bendover9620 Depending on your magic system, the effectiveness of healing powers (if they even exist) and/or their drawbacks, it might

[@VegetaLF7]

@@bendover9620 I don't know, I do love the idea of a dude just chugging potion after potion like a frat boy's first party just behind the front lines.

[@leandersearle5094]

@@bendover9620 I don't know, if it took spell slots, and the entire team treated you like that was all you were good for, you would probably burn through a lot of healers that way.

[@LoneWolf20213]

that is why a healer in a party is so valuable, they prevent the need for using healing potion's till you have no other choice

[@taurock96]

That would make an interesting video : How practical healing magic would really be in combat, magic usually recquire rituals or focus and stuff, so when you're in the middle of a whole melee ? I guess that depends on the situation

[@LoneWolf20213]

@@taurock96 right, and it depends on how the magic is able to be used, if you need a chant then the healer needs time to chant, if it’s range is limited then you need to move in range, and if there are other combatants to distract the enemy to heal you, all that comes to play

[@Tohob]

"a potion you could drink that would restore your energy would be a game changer" -shad "i'm 7 monster energy's per night ahead of you" -my old night shift supervisor

[@alexanderschweinehunde167]

I think the estus in dark souls fills this role nicely. Extremely long time that leaves you exposed…only a quick swig from a flask. The pvp revolves around avoiding insta kills and borderline suicidal tactics like poise backstabs

[@-ShiraZen-]

- "I think the estus in dark souls fills this role nicely." In Dark Souls 1 maybe. In 2 and 3 your character chugs like it's a college frat party, and it's impossible to stop people from healing without never getting out of their face.

[@DS_DoggerX]

@@-ShiraZen- You've never played DS2, have you?

[@tbc1880]

Or old monster hunter with the flex potions. Though the run and chug also kinda works.

[@Blue-fg8vt]

@@tbc1880 Yeah I mean who would sit still. Sure you can't run without choking or spilling but you can walk

[@darkrager872]

@@-ShiraZen- Man literally doesn't even know what dark souls 2 is

[@ericrawlins6849]

I imagine trying to drink a healing potion in the middle of combat would be risky for all of the reasons you mentioned, but also, if you inhale at the wrong time, you could spend several precious seconds coughing and choking, ample time for your opponent to do whatever they want.

[@erikvale3194]

I'm now imagining militaries issuing beer hats lf healing. Or the marathon running backpacks that have a straw that goes from the bag to your mouth. Also, NWN has animations for drinking healing potions mid combat. And using them results I'm you getting attacked by close by enemies.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

30s into the video and wondering if one of those hats is going to show up.

[@elvacoburg1279]

even better, build a beer hat into a helmet - protects and heals

[@ghostfox7826]

Beer helmet with health pot on one side and stam pot on the other)

[@realdragon]

Great idea for modern fantasy

[@TheNetsrac]

I was just about to suggest beer hats as well or rather potion helmets 😄

[@Kreb0225]

This is why most adventure games are featured in the woods. After chugging a hundred potions, our hero will need to heroically relieve themselves on a nearby tree.

[@phoenixkingtheo]

"How many of those do you have?" "About 500." Ah yes, but a certain number of that 500 are super rare potions, which you keep saving incase you really need them so at the end of the game, you're left with the rare potions

[@KairuHakubi]

"How many do you have?" "One." "Sell me two" "Now i have 255"

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

But you would never really use those 500x Potions because you're hording those items or it's too rare in rarity to use. lol

[@wastelesslearning1245]

Adventures may need those cheesy beverage (potion) sipping hats. “It was his hat mr crabs; he was number one!”. Potion Sippy Hats aside, it could also be posable perhaps; instead of using glass and corks to instead use some sort of edible liquid tight membrane; so the adventurer can quickly Shove the entire bottle into his mouth chew and swallow- to avoid having to uncork or open a lid. Potion gushy gummys or magically pressurized Syringes? Or like Shad said keep a mouthful of healing potion prepared before battle; then simply swallow if your injured.

[@ymiros0953]

Yep, potion sippy hats was also my first thought. Doesn't even need to be a hat though, you could have a waterskin or something strapped to your bag with a tube to your mouth (Although that would mean you'd have to first suck out some air out of the tube)

[@vineveer4358]

The edible membrane is a pretty good idea. Like a tide pod. xD Don't eat tide pods.

[@mystikalmadness8739]

That edible membrane thing exists already irl so its not so far fetched an idea

[@agsilverradio2225]

Or if the potion can work as an injectable, an I.V. hookup could would too.

[@abyssaljoey7695]

Like "Tales of" gels???

[@halfmask3]

I have heard that "giving quarter" was a concept done both in duels and in battles. Combatants would tire, get confused, or entire squads would get lost somewhere. So taking a period of time for both sides to get sorted out, or for duelists to take a breather, was considered appropriate. Not giving/taking quarter would end with mass confusion, armies killing their own troops on accident, and duels ending with both sides looking exhausted and messy rather than heroic.

[@TheAlison1456]

That makes the pun name from the intro cutscene of Shovel Knight actually somewhat funny.

[@hydraulichydra8363]

I thought "giving quarter" meant taking prisoners (as opposed to simply killing defeated enemies.)

[@johnstockley6976]

Just imagine a larp viking helmet made practical: the horns act like a beer helmet with the strawtube attached to healing potions mounted to the horns.

[@mathis8210]

Considering that in some games like e.g. Skyrim you can just go to the inventory and munch some 50 loafs of bread in the middle of combat, i think games like dark souls are handling this really well with restricting your movement a bit and actually making you vulnerable during drinking it.

[@overlorddante]

Same with stimpacks in fallout. Unless you're paused in the menu, there's not only an animation you're locked into, your health doesn't instantly return which prolongs your vulnerability. I quite like that idea.

[@snuckytoes8427]

That’s part of my love for the Monster Hunter games. You can’t run or attack while drinking a potion.

[@jonathant8575]

@@snuckytoes8427 The Black Masses (Early Access Steam game) does this too. In order to heal you need to actually drink the potion, and you heal by one point per ml of potion drunk.

[@fate3071]

Let's not forget that even red dead redemption makes you use an animation for using items, even if it doesn't have "potions" per se

[@christinabunbun9272]

I imagine a good game balance is that health potions are real, but are incredibly alcoholic, and overuse would make you too out of it to fight. It could also tie well into addiction etc

[@randomthegreat2329]

Sounds a lil bit like Witcher potions (at least in games they are all brewed with quite decent alcohol and are quite toxic lore-wise) xD

[@thex9165]

the final fight will be fun

[@Rakaziel]

Go Westerly does this xD

[@jamoecw]

kingdom come:deliverance does this (all potions are a bit alcoholic in the game).

[@Merilirem]

Not sure i would make them alcoholic but the idea is good. Personally i just think it would make sense for them to have effects like a Stamina or healing potion making you even more exhausted when it runs its course. Like coffee or a sugar rush. Anything that pushes your system to its limits or beyond would exhaust you after its effect ends. Other things might just inhibit your bodies natural functions due to the potions taking that role. That happens with drugs too.

[@jamesm783]

in pathfinder 1e, there's a thing called "divine fighting styles" Martial techniques inspired by some of the gods, and used by their followers. One of these styles is called "Cayden Cailean's Blade and Tankard" and is inspired by a god of drink, revelry, and general heroics. It involves fighting with a weapon in your main hand, and a tankard in the offhand, using the tankard to bludgeon your opponent with, while also storing a liquid in it, sometimes a healing potion to take a quick swig of, sometimes just booze to splash in the face of your opponent. your talk of fighting one-handed with a potion in the offhand reminded me of this

[@Greideren]

Huh not a bad idea. Keep the handle of your dagger hollow (or a small tube in a small, relatively light shield) and fill it with a healing potion/s. Drink as needed.

[@cmleibenguth]

In Blasphemous, the Penitent One just smashes the flask against his face So I guess the idea is absorbing the effect through your skin rather than having to ingest it like a drink Today we have those camel backs backpacks that hold water on your back and let you drink. Get a fantasy version of those but filled with healing liquid.

[@charlesmartinez5869]

The beer dispensing football helmet is the ultimate piece of practical adventuring gear.

[@Voltaic314]

Yes Shad, and not just potions, we can see this also in Chivalry 2, in that game you have the option to bandage yourself up, and every single time I'm dueling with someone, if they activate bandages it's a death sentence, they immediately get rushed and die. The only time you'll ever see anyone (who is sensible) bandaging in that game is when they are in retreat. I think the same should be with potions. Also, we can see this in games with drinking & healing animations too. Unlike games like Skyrim where it's just a click of a button to drink and time is paused.

[@kelvinsantiago7061]

As S&S Munitions (from Borderlands 1) motto said "Reload?, That's something you do after the enemy is dead) the same applies here! Drink your potion after the enemies are dead.

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

@@kelvinsantiago7061 Me: "I chug plastic potions with aluminium foil tops. It's better than the traditional glass potion with a wooden cork top. Just don't drink the aluminum foil, and carry plenty." Also me: "Heals in front of a Black Knight then parries his heavy two handed great sword with ease... But then dies to a Black Knight Lance."

[@trevorh6438]

@@absolstoryoffiction6615 lic a litl or whatever that wax bottle candy is- make potions with that?

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

@@trevorh6438 Basically... You don't want the liquid to react with the bottle nor spill out. Then, create a potion which can be used with one hand or no hands. Spiral Potion, Trigger Potion, and Liquid Flow Masks are useful for this.

[@Schleicherfreund]

*Laughes in Darksouls*

[@22yhjjjj]

If potions were a real thing, science would have advanced to the point where they could be a chewy gummy. You just keep it in your mouth, bite on it for a bit to get the material into your saliva, and drink your saliva to heal. ... Someone should write about that.

[@Merilirem]

Nice idea but it depends on the actual method of its effect. You can't turn anything into a gum and have it work. Science doesn't just gradually make things possible at certain speeds. I read a lot of Chinese comics and the healing pills they often use in those definitely seem more practical.

[@Matias_el_Mago]

Just like in Tales of Phantasia, I use that in my writings.

[@Takamiki]

@@Merilirem a novel i been reading has one type of healing potion they could get as drops from dungeons has the liquid in a plastic like capsule, and what some adventures would do is keep 1 or 2 in their mouth and bite down when they need it, downside of these potion types is they are harder to get, cause you need to fight and defeat a dungeon monster to have a chance to get one to drop, and they have diminishing effect after consecutive use in a day.

[@Merilirem]

@@Takamiki I sure hope the capsule melts or something. That seems like a choking hazard.

[@Takamiki]

@@Merilirem they do melt the moment the capsule is broken, cause dungeon magic xD

[@kyltredragmire4939]

There is only one game I ever played that put more thought than normal into potions. It was Dungeon Siege, from back in the 90s. Characters drank the potions in real time. They also would only drink as much as they needed to heal. I really liked that. You're ability to heal is based on your ability to CHUG.

[@maurobianchin8862]

A possible solution would be to use something solid instead of a liquid. Pills, crystals or even just a slice of bread soaked in a potion and then dried would be easier to carry and use, but it depends on the rules of that world concerning potions and magic. Also depending on how effective the potion is, you just need to avoid a fatal blow while consuming it since it could heal you from any injury sustained during the process. Again, it depends on the setting.

[@t.w.7057]

Something like a fish oil tablet’d work to if it must be liquid

[@imo098765]

@@t.w.7057 I was thinking what could be used to hold the liquid. I thought something along the line of hollowed egg shells or some other waterproof container that can be bit through.

[@Hawk013]

Senzu beans yo...

[@Merilirem]

They use pills a lot in Chinese and Korean stuff.

[@CtrlFreak1337]

@@imo098765 So... Health-potion Tide Pods?

[@philipjohnson3225]

Imagine being mortally wounded, and being too weak to get the cork out of your Greater Health potion, so you have to turn to the Lesser Health Potion (which has a screw top) just to gain the strength to open your Greater Health potion.

[@accywacky2699]

I mean, dark souls is pretty much The game where chugging healing potions was not easily done in the middle of combat. For tabletop, in D&D 3e, chugging potions generally provoked an aoo, giving enemies in reach a bonus chance to strike you, also unless you had a feat to do it faster, drinking was a move action (with you generally getting 1 standard action and 1 move per turn, or 1 full round action instead, which means if you drink potions you couldnt do full round actions at all). Point is, the action-logistics of drinking potions has been accounted for in game systems before.

[@Schadrach42]

It's also worth noting that in D&D 3e, potions are approximately one ounce of fluid, making them a fair bit less volume than Shad's bottles, which helps reduce many of the issues.

[@Texmatt21]

Exactly, and a full round action takes 6 seconds!

[@kidneybean5688]

In adnd 2e it takes a full round action, which is 1 minute. The phb or dmg has a whole section narrating it.

[@Texmatt21]

@@kidneybean5688 Oh wow, I didn’t realize DnD and Pathfinder were so different. A minute seems like a crazy long time for a round

[@kidneybean5688]

@@Texmatt21 yeah this is 2e so it's from the late 80s-early 90s, not very similar to 5e. As a DM I just rule the time however it makes sense in the round. Later supplements change the rounds to 10 seconds with optional rules, but I haven't played w that yet. Combat is super fluid and unstructured in adnd as well, so having rounds take a bit more in game time does feel more natural.

[@spencerbowman5658]

Gives a whole new appreciation for something like a senzu bean, where you can just keep a bunch in your pocket and pop one quickly without worrying about a bottle apparatus or anything like that

[@VestedUTuber]

SENZU BEAN! (throws bean)

[@Casedilla73]

“Honey, it’s time to stop drinking health potions now.” “But Mom, just 500 more minutes! One for each of my health potions!”

[@ZiemniakzUa]

Tying the vial to your belt by a cork seems the most logical to me. So they're just hanging there safely, and when you need to use one you just pull it down, and then you have an opened vial in your hand, and a cork hanging by your belt. No problem with those pesky corks anymore ;)

[@jonash7119]

Doing that kind of opens up the potion for attack. So it shuld be in a protected or even armored pocket. Being able to open the potion with just one arm and without using theet is ideal.

[@ZiemniakzUa]

@@jonash7119 First of all in HEMA you usually don't go for the legs, because you get less reach atacking this low. Secondly even then there are ways around the issue. The simplest one would be to attach them to the back of your belt. That way they're only at risk from attacks from behind, and if you open your back to the opponent you have bigger problems, than some broken bottles. The more complex way would be to... armor up those vials! Use metal ones, or if for some reason you can't - put them in protective containers. Maybe something similar to basket hilt? I guess it depends on how common and expensive potions are. If they're abundant, and cheap, you wouldn't mind if some get destroyed in a fight, otherwise - basket hilts for vials it is!

[@Koushakur]

That would for sure spill out a sizeable portion of the potion. You'd need to pull fast and hard and you'd kinda literarily pull the bottle away from the liquid.

[@greentjmtl]

Or you just end up with a bunch of corks hanging on your belt when you need a potion.

[@ZiemniakzUa]

@@greentjmtl Placement doesn't really matter in that scenario. If you run out of potions - you ran out of potions.

[@Bacteriophagebs]

The question isn't "can you drink potions in combat?" the question is "can you drink them fast enough to counteract all the wounds you get while trying to drink during combat?"

[@marcusc9931]

that's the reason why in-combat healing by clerics is often considered suboptimal - they can keep their side healthier by just smiting the enemies with divine power.

[@ruga-ventoj]

@@marcusc9931 it's only sub optimal if ever thing else is optimal. Everyone hits their damage, everyone gets average damage or up, and if all focus fires properly. However combat can get super messy, super quick. Barbarian is charmed, paladin is hypnotized, wizard is crit'ed on. Having a Cleric to emergency Mass Heal is never sub optimal when you need it.

[@heathmorris6100]

10:10 I’ve always viewed potions as having a healing ability that matches the volume consumed. So the more you drink the more you heal

[@ampeyro]

Beer hat, but with healing potions = best tank build ever.

[@jonash7119]

is ther even any way to counter that, besides like an explosion to the face to cnock it off, anything that wouldnt just kill the person anyway?

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

"You should've gone for the head

[@jollysword]

Speaking of enemies that allow to heal you (i.e. doesn't interrupt), my mind takes me to Rubicante from Final Fantasy IV. He actually heals you before the battle with him, as he believes in fair fights and disavows cheating.

[@arcticbanana66]

Also if you cast a fire spell on him (which heals him) while his cloak is closed, he casts Life on your whole party. At least he did in the original, I don't know if he still does that in any of the remakes.

[@TheManofthecross]

@@arcticbanana66 that so? If that’s the case when your party is on the ropes use fire attacks on him for a party regen? Clever

[@jackstephenralston]

You could have designed "pouches" for quick use, that when you pull the potion the Cork is connected to somthing that pulls it off. The Makarov pistol I think has a similar type of holster that you push it down to draw and it works the slide and Chambers a round.

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

Create a canister where you pull an unlocked trigger in order to both open the cap and to access liquid flow at once. Then apply a second trigger or a level 2 pull trigger in order revolve the multiple position vials for use. If you to refill the Trigger Potion, then access the refill cap at the bottom of the bottle. Think of a Beer Mug for the dwarves. That's how the Trigger Potion: Revolver Variant looks like. The normal Trigger Potion is simply one or two clips of liquid, depending on liquid capacity. ... Oh, and Whistle Potion (Pipe Potion) can work too, since it uses a liquid tight canister or bag in order to push the liquid out, instead of depend on gravity or sucking on the drinking pipe like a straw.

[@dionjaywoollaston1349]

In the goblin slayer manga the slayer and his party tie knots around their potions to let them know which ones are which while in the heat of battle

[@emikochan13]

This is why it takes an entire action to drink a potion in dnd, though there are the healthstone type ones that you just smash onto yourself that are quicker to use. You'd probably have them under your armour so they'd break if anything got through. I have seen in many worlds the potion bottles are made of a very brittle/edible sort of glass that you can easily crack with a thumb as you take it out.

[@Ludendorf01]

Yes...that enhances dnd's realism - along with the wheelchair accessible dungeons :)

[@ericmotta1]

I like that in DS1 you can't chug in your enemy's face and have to make a tactical retreat to heal, like getting some distance or wait for your opponent to miss an attack and heal during the recovery animation or the most ridiculous of all, healing with your back against the wall.

[@fallbranch]

The alchemists of old were trying to reduce lead back into the base form of matter: the philosophers stone. The matter from which god sculpted the elements. They thought that if they walked back this transformation, they could then manipulate this alchemical precursor into other, more useful things, and so thought that drinking it might grant immortality.

[@fallbranch]

I reposted this comment here, cause I saw that last video after it was too late, and no one saw.

[@jollimaiahtacksworth]

Do you mean mercury? That's the one that's liquid at room temperature. If you're talking about something fictional then forget I said anything.

[@ApollyonZKX]

They were sort of onto something. Basically fusion and fission.

[@fallbranch]

@@jollimaiahtacksworth I'm sure they tried everything. Are you talking about a specific story? Also: The reason the health potion is red is, because it's the "color of gods blood" (Which was actually orange, but they didn't have a seperate name for that color back then)

[@jollimaiahtacksworth]

@@fallbranch nah the comment just seemed like it was referring to a game's lore or a book in general. I didn't know about the "colour of God's blood" thing though, I wonder why it would be orange

[@hdnfbp]

Imagine in a steampunk world, where hazard workers and soldiers have injectors in their bodies to avoid death from accidents and combat, aside from keeping them moving with stamina potions

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

Injectors are extremely volatile if it's like Bloodborne's healing vials. One miss on the specific blood vain... Dead. Although, something like Bane (Batman) would be a better injector but without the overly sized and revealing clear tubes.

[@hdnfbp]

@@absolstoryoffiction6615 depending on the universe, those could even be deep on the skin and muscle to try countering it, obviously, it depends on the type of potion, if it's a magic potion you could even use a perfume spray

[@SergioLeonardoCornejo]

Made me think of Bioshock.

[@hoffenwurdig1356]

In the movie called “The Ninja”, the antitoxin potion was both very small and integrated into the sword pommel, which (with a little better design than was the case in that movie) might have been made relatively easy to take with little or no need for the off hand. A further issue is the question -- how easy is it to accidentally break the potion container, because of it slipping from your hand, or if you receive a strong blow, or if you fall to the ground? In Quest for Glory V, potion containers appeared to be of reasonably tough ceramic, often with glaze and painted symbology to indicate the potion’s contents. Also, there is the question of wether you can or cannot have healing substances formed into solids or semisolids, such as a taffy, a false tooth, or beads on a necklace or bracelets. Edible beads that contained healing substances would be easier to access with almost no pause. Sometimes, ninja would soak their clothing in coagulants in case the cloth needed to be used for emergency bandages. One herbal agent in which clothing was soaked for this purpose is from a type of green gentian.

[@jacobstaten2366]

That movie was so terrible. 🤣

[@BarokaiRein]

I'd wager that if I can find openings to keep drinking beer during a bar fight I'd probably be able to shug down a tiny potion real quick in combat as well.

[@goodoldgrim]

If potions were real, soldiers would carry potion-filled camelbacks, like long distance cross country runners do now with water.

[@marcusc9931]

@ye or maybe nah or there would be an arms race of poison effects that disable healing

[@guyclykos]

@@marcusc9931 or something that goes boom... like a warhead.

[@colinmoore7460]

@ye or maybe nah resident evil used blue herb to cure poison, and if I remember correctly red stopped bleeding, green restored health and a mix of all three was the all in one.

[@marcusc9931]

@@guyclykos they already have fireballs. obviously, if you one-shot someone, he won't heal.

[@filfil9902]

They do but it is in tablets instead of drink. It is just easier to transport Light tablets than liquid that can spill.

[@existentialchib411]

I personally think that if health potions were to be used in combat maybe have them in syringes or some medieval fantasy type EpiPen. Would be quick to use without limiting your attack/defense capabilities for more than a couple seconds if that. Thanks for the idea though, Might even ask my DM if this would be a suitable replacement/more expensive versions of standard potions

[@Tuclix]

Have a straw leading into your mouth with a bite attachment so it doesn't fall out. You could drink the potion whenever you wanted, hands-free.

[@thunderstrike101]

Minecraft is a good example, having splash potions of healing that are throw on the ground and you or an ally immediately recover health. In "reality" after throwing, it could form a puff of magic smoke or something that you'd need to be careful not to accidentally heal your opponent, which can also happen in Minecraft

[@Chronuz]

Bloodborne has healing syringes.

[@akl2k7]

The syringe thing sounds like it could be super dangerous with certain potion systems (eg. when potions are basically alcoholic) since it goes right into your bloodstream.

[@DragGon7601]

You want to use a EpiPen mid combat? OK, roll to hit through your Full Plate...

[@TheMermaidSewist]

That’s why in D&D it takes a full action (6sec) to consume a potion. I always kinda thought about it taking some effort to break combat and take a potion, but seeing the practicality in person it makes even more sense.

[@henrideveroux8690]

A house rule I use in my pathfinder game is that outside of combat potions have their maximum effect, but you have to roll for them in combat. This is to represent a bit of "spillage"

[@patriciaschonrock2929]

I think that covering for an ally drinking a potion would be something practiced and it would make supply lines in battle even more important as the side with better healing would have a massive advantage. I wonder if you could have people in combat uncorking and handing out potions, they would be a target, but if the others are defending them, or if they are viewed like medics?

[@TheManofthecross]

Of course fire attacks can null and void healing potions

[@cyboot214]

In a universe with easily accessible, fast acting healing potion (already a lot of conditions) the point of a fight might be to make your adversary surrender when they are out of potions, and maybe a good move would be to aim at said potions. Most duels and fight are not to the death anyway, so if people fell safe having potions it would play a big role in morale... So imagine large scale fighting and logistics around that. Control of a renowned potion shop might be strategic goals of armies !

[@eldrenofthemist2492]

I like your way of thinking. :3

[@Zarchonum]

one item in the Pathfinder games that is interesting with this concept is the Sipping Jacket: essentially a vest you can wear with the potion inside of it that has a straw running from the reservoir to your mouth that you can just drink hands free. That being said this would be helpful if you could predict which type of potion you'd need before the fight.

[@drogadepc]

Kinda like those water bladders people use in outdoors activities?

[@jacobstaten2366]

They have camel packs like that in real life. They're kind of a pain to clean and I'm not sure how much of the potion you actually have to drink to make it work.

[@Dmobley9901]

Maybe in a world with healing potions, high level fighters would train to hold potions in their mouth during fights, so that they just need to swallow to gain their effects, I also think one of the biggest flaws in this method of healing potions is the delivery method/container, likely if people wanting to access potions fast, they'd do what all people do throughout history, innovate and make things. I'd almost imagine a better container to keep a potion in would be like maybe a water skin or pouch almost where it's a things where you can just untie a knot or cut/tear it open and drink, or maybe put it in like a pill-like capsule that you keep in your mouth, so you can bite into it and swallow and keep going, one example which may or may not work is like a potion-sausage, where it's like stuffing a sausage but instead of meat you're stuffing a potion into it, and again, just bite into it until the potion pops out and swallow, there's plenty of delivery methods people may try, and that's all just for ingesting potions, depending on the potion and the world, maybe a healing potion would work more like a liquid salve/ointment, just splash it on and keep going, maybe some potions can even be cooked into food and prepped that way, like if you were an adventurer, you already need food, so what if you carried something like health buns with you? Or regen jerky? Really, if potions exist, and using them with certain things would have no ill effects, why wouldn't a smart asventurer learn to put that shit on everything? Especially since people tend to take anything they know is digestible and remotely palateable and use it in as many ways as they can think of, maybe a world with magic that's slightly more advanced in cooking techniques would even have things like health candies: sugary treats that both heal and satisfy your sweet tooth. Health potions/sauce: I put that Sh*t on everything.

[@AnotherDuck]

The point about just taking a hit or two and heal up afterwards is pretty much how a lot of games function. The ability to avoid damage is very often limited, so your ability to continue fighting is then usually dependent on potions or some other type of constant healing. Or simply a large health pool and armour that mitigates damage. I'm also reminded of Achaea, a MUD I used to play many years ago (still exists). There you do take sips from potion vials. Like every few seconds in all battles you're in that aren't simple grinding. And you heal afflictions with salves, smoking pipes and stuff. And magic. Combat is probably the most complex I've seen in any game that isn't turn based.

[@thatnerdygaywerewolf9559]

This reminds me of how, in the Tales of series, the most common healing items are in the form of edible gummies (called gels) instead of potions (though bottled potions exist too). That immediately simplifies things, because you don’t have to worry about bottle stoppers and can just quickly pop them into your mouth and start chewing.

[@BionAvastar3000]

That dagger backstab was very inventive, points to Oz!

[@adrianmedeiros8431]

Maybe people would develop edible potions. Little pellets of instant healing one could carry in a pouch. Or even syringe potions. Just one jab in the leg and you're good to go. I think the classic drinkable potion in a flask would be much more useful in a battle, where other people could cover you while you retreat and drink, as opposed to a duel.

[@ashholiday123]

Something tells me making syringes would be unbelievably difficult in the medieval world.

[@AnotherDuck]

Syringe potions. Like stimpaks in the Fallout series. Or any other similar item in many other games. But as mentioned, they're probably all modern.

[@jmoneyjoshkinion4576]

@@ashholiday123 the hollow needle did originally (I think) come from cactus/cacti so there is a natural/old school needle for injection.

[@plzletmebefrank]

@@jmoneyjoshkinion4576 true, but it's finicky and not the least fragile thing... Not that hollow steel needles are impervious to the many rigors of a battlefield either...

[@plzletmebefrank]

Honestly though... I think pellets would be much easier to use than a syringe. Unless you mean some sort of hypospray-esque design. Injections are not the easy instant videogame version of themselves. Pellets though, that'd be fairly straightforward.

[@DerFauleHund]

*laughs in witcher 1 and 3* This going to be great.

[@abcdef27669]

Shad: "Can you drink healing potions in combat?" Some Chaotic Neutral character: "Nobody tells me what to do!"

[@MonkeyJedi99]

I just had an idea to shorten potion time. The cork/stopper is secured to the pouch/belt with a short lanyard, letting you open the bottle with a short downward tug.

[@christopherlibrary9265]

Thorough and entertaining as always. 7 years ago, the vid "Dead Fantasy 2" had a 45 second fight sequence entirely centered on a team trying to give just one member an opportunity to drink a stamina potion while the enemy team did all they could to prevent it.. Quite amusing. Start at 5 and a half minutes in.

[@guyclykos]

Just use an enerpearl and then splash potion your feet.

[@bobcat_named_bob]

yo enerperals no way

[@louisgrafenstine6699]

Just make them out of sugar glass, smash on person and make them work like aromatherapy.(TRADEMARKED)

[@duxduxanor6641]

Fair point, but that's not the question, it's can you DRINK n fight.

[@guyclykos]

@@duxduxanor6641 You're not out of the fight. You just need to get some distance to heal up safely.

[@umbralgaming3443]

Perhaps make splash potions about 30% as effective and lf its duration based, it's about 20% as long for ease of use and immediate activation + it affects everything in radius

[@alexanderwsm6296]

To access the potion quickly, you just need a "drinking helmet" with tubes ending with mouthpieces that you can manipulate with your tongue to stop the potion from flowing into your mouth.

[@theoverpreparerlamenters3r436]

Or alternatively, a steel straw attached to a steel backpack filled with health potion.

[@aubreyackermann8432]

Maybe something like a guinea pig bottle, with a bearing in the straw you can push with your tongue. I would worry about your teeth with a metal tube in your mouth as you fall or get hit

[@vvoid8416]

"most likely he'll rush you while you're drinking your potion" I think the best example of this in a video game medium is dark souls, and the answer is always to put on your dark wood grain ring and flip a mile away, take a sippy, and then flip back in.

[@achabotte]

I like the randomness in DND, why you roll for HP restored so you can narrate the difficulty in drinking a potion during combat.

[@Sir_Kibble]

The Goblin Year One story has a pretty good bit about how he learned to fill his pouches with cotton, because potions are likely to break in the hustle of combat, and in the main story he shows that tying small bits of rope into knots on the bottles makes it easier to pick the potions he wants, so as to avoid things like 9:24 happening. ALSO the best way to drink a potion would be with one of those beer hats.

[@TheDSasterX]

Topical: Something like Dune's moisture tubes would be perfect for feeding a liquid in at a consistent convenient rate throughout combat Also, I'd refer anyone wanting to see what it's like trying to drink a pot during combat to Dark Souls dueling. If you don't exhaust your opponent and roll/run away before drinking, you're immediately hit for as much -- if not more -- damage than your recover.

[@morgality]

A camel Pak...

[@potatomatop9326]

If your life is turn based then yes. If no, you can just dodge roll til you get to the mariana trench for safety then drink the potion.

[@RoninCatholic]

Assuming a turn-based system where every action you could take is a single turn, that is. There's a big difference between a turn-based system where turns are about six seconds (D&D, where you can move a considerable distance, attack one or several times, and so forth; six seconds is plenty of time to pull out, open, and drink a small bottle of liquid), where they're only one or two seconds (pulling the potion out, uncorking it, and drinking it would be three separate actions spread across multiple turns), or where they're completely abstract and divorced from any reality (most JRPGs where they haven't abandoned turn-based systems entirely, as exemplified in Mother 3 where a single turn action could be swinging a stick once, eating a full meal's worth of a food item, or telling a sad story to inflict a depression-themed debuff).

[@matusfekete6503]

I'd love to see this tried in full-on sparing. Let's nerd out and dive into real fighting. Drinking potions may be plausible. Normally in combat you try hit your opponent while defending from his attacks. It's not wise to only defend - you will eventualy get hit and die. But changing mode to 'defense only' for few seconds may give you enough window to take the potion. Big problem is injury itself. If you get hit hard enough to significatly lower your HP, your real-life fighting (and defending) ability will be hugely inhibited. Intentionaly letting to be injured is ill-advised. It's very hard to predict how sever will be received injury and you may not be capable of taking the potion or even insta-die.

[@seanlynch9000]

The thing I could see potentially working is if people were able to put an amount of a potion into a helmet. Potions aren’t usually very big so it would be a small amount of liquid so it shouldn’t impede too much. Then if they found a way to loop a straw so liquid doesn’t flow through with movement and it’s permanently attached to the piece by the chin, you might be able to just give a quick suck during combat.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

Ya the potions should be tiny vials, not tiny bottles lol. Barely enough to wet your tongue, and they'd most likely be set up so they're much easier to pop the cork off. Thinking nice tall easy to grip cork. Either way it's still going to be pretty tough without a tactical retreat of some kind.

[@Ryanowning]

Beer hats suddenly become the meta head-gear.

[@absolstoryoffiction6615]

Spiral Potions for discrete use... Trigger Potions for speed chugging... Beer Hat for Gass Mask breathing... And maybe, a potion as the pummel or as the handle of a weapon...

[@thelastnoise9210]

Imagine tactics to destroy potions. Imagine the environment playing a factor, like if the bottle was shattered from the environment.

[@DavidM_10]

I've been playing Oblivion, and while there are potions that you drink to immediately restore your health, there are also potions that restore your health over time -- essentially giving you Wolverine-style enhanced regeneration for a couple of minutes. They'd probably be more practical in combat. Drink your potion before the fight, focus fully on your fighting, and your body heals any wounds you suffer at an accelerated rate. Of course, the duration these potions last would be crucial. If you can get regen potions that last for ten minutes, great; but maybe they only last a couple of minutes max, meaning you'd want to finish your opponent off as soon as possible, or you're back to square one of trying to drink in the middle of a fight.

[@mattb9343]

Here's an idea for your fantasy story potion needs: Camel packs. I lived in the mountains where hiking was popular and one solution to water bottles we had was a pouch or sling with water in them and a straw going near your mouth with a button you press to open a valve and suck the water out. What if you had potion pouches or potion skins with straws in them for immediate potion access? You could even have multiple pouches for your health potion, stamina potion, mana potion, etc. Another solution could be a potion injector. Like an epi-pen with potion in it and you just jab the potion in your arm or gut and heal up.