Hi,
In regard to a FB-discussion : Would you, as a DM for AL allow players to craft their own potions of healing in down-time ?
Arguments for yes :
- Potions of Healing are so common that they appear in the regular item list in the Players handbook (p. 150+153).
- You don't need to be a magic-user to craft a potion of healing, you just need proficiency with the herbalism tools and have a herbalism kit.
Arguments for no :
- Potions of Healing are magical and, in down-time, you can only craft non-magical items (PHB p.187, AL-PG p.5).
Consider :
- Crafting a Potion of Healing will consume 10 down-time days and can not be a shared effort.
- A player with Herbalism proficiency can only create one potion of healing after a full episode.
- The lethality of the episodes in the AL.
My opinion ; I would allow it even though current PHB and AL rules indicate that its not allowed. What's your opinion ?
We've already been told not to allow it for AL play. However, they could be purchased from a store in a big city, so not a big deal really. For example, if the party goes to a large metropolis, they will have the opportunity to be fitted for plate armor if they can afford it, as well as stocking up on healing potions. Neither of these options would be available in the first town of Hoard of the Dragon Queen at my table though. Hope that example helps.
Thanks for the info. I had allready tried a search but didn't find it so I decided to post it. Sorry for the inconvenience.
No problem. The search is broken anyways, not an inconvenience for me.
So, we are allowed to purchase magical items in AL, then?
I believe it is restricted to healing potions. You can buy them but not craft them during downtime. It has been a couple weeks since I read the AL players handbook, but that was my understaning. Players cannot buy other magical items such as +1 weapons and armor in AL.
I'm pretty sure that limitation is on *starting* items. Since you are not allowed any magical items starting out, the player's guide specifically allows you to do that. However, there is nothing in the player's guide which allows you to get potions of healing in any other way. Some mods hand them out during the mod, but if it isn't given as a treasure pick at the end, you don't get to keep them.
Of course, I am hoping the AL director's update the player's guide to allow for purchasing potions of healing. The simple fact is the not everyone wants to play a Cleric or Bard or Druid and have to worry about healing the party. There are bound to be groups who don't have healers and who have been buying potions of healing instead.
OBJECTION! (I read the manual.)
Well, I decided to quickly reread the AL Player's Guide. It directly answers both of your questions. Players can only buy mundane gear, not magical items in AL play. There is an exception made specifically for healing potions on p. 6 here:
AL Players Guide wrote:
Yeah, I just did that as well, DM_HEEGZ. Potions of healing can be purchased, which is great! 
I would allow them to craft them.... They could just as easily craft something else, sell it, and buy the healing potion... so I don't see much of a difference.
Coredump00 wrote:
Coredump00 wrote:
Pauper wrote:
If there's one thing I've learned over years of playing D&D, it's that any time someone wants to do something mechanically beneficial for 'roleplaying' reasons, you look really closely at what that thing allows.
In this case, once a character can craft potions of healing, why stop there? What's the logic in allowing potions of healing but not potions of invisibility or potions of flying? Why not spell scrolls? What about +1 armor and weapons? Gauntlets of Ogre Power? How about a +5 holy avenger? Better not to open that box.
--
Pauper
Because potions of healing are already a 'special' class, they can be bought. So apparently there is something inherrently different about them already.... There is no 'mechanical benefit'.... they are not cheaper, you can get what, 1 per 10 downtime days if the only thing you do is create a potion??
To adapt your phrase.....
In this case, once a character can *buy* potions of healing, why stop there? What's the logic in allowing potions of healing but not potions of invisibility or potions of flying? Why not spell scrolls? What about +1 armor and weapons? Gauntlets of Ogre Power? How about a +5 holy avenger? Better not to open that box.
Prolly true, maybe it would be better if banned potions of healing. 
Pauper wrote:
nightwalker450 wrote:
The rules for crafting magic items are in the DMG. In the DnDAL, rules in the DMG (with acceptions we note in the player's guide, such as the tactical grid rules) are not usable by players without specific documentation (like the cleric of Kelemvor certificate from Gen Con that lets you access the Death domain). Since potions are magical, without documentation from the campaign, you may not craft them. That might change in a different season, or maybe we'll give out a crafter cert, or who can say? But at the moment, you can't craft them in the DnDAL.
Skerrit wrote:
The PHB doesn't say it allows you to craft antitoxin and potions of healing. It reads "Also, profieicency with this kit is required to create antitoxin and potions of healing." (PHB, page 154) The rules on crafting magic items (like potions) are in the DMG. We do not use those rules, so even if the PHB does remind you that you would need proficiency with that kit to craft a particular magic item, it in no way grants you the ability to do so. It's just reminding you that it is a componant that you must be proficient in to do. I think there may be some "wishful reading" going on.
Which is fine when parsing a court-room legal argument. But (from memory) this is the *only* such restriction of all the tool kits listed. In every other case, proficiency and the kit is all you need to do all the things they talk about. When the Forgery kit says it 'can' be used to make fake documents, there isn't some 'not so fast' mechanism stating that is only a 'requirement' and not 'sufficient' to do so.
I suspect that is because proficiency with any of the other kits are not required for making any other magic items.
Pauper wrote:
AlHazred wrote: