How to make your own medicine in DND

Dungeons and Dragons is a game full of mechanical intricacies and rules that new players can easily miss. One of the most common roles a party aims to fill is that of healer. While healers often replenish their allies' hit points by using spells that heal their allies, adventurers are also able to heal themselves through the use of potions.

Also, it is very possible to make your own healing potions if your party is in low supply. Aside from just healing potions, you can craft a variety of potions to help your fellow adventurers out of sticky situations. Here's everything you need to make potions in D&D 5E.

Updated January 7, 2025 by Jack Filsinger: With the release of the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, some rules have been changed when it comes to potion brewing. We've updated this guide to reflect these changes and added some additional information regarding the time and materials needed to make your own potion.

Here's what you need to start brewing

Before you start making your health potions, it's important to know that not every character is capable of making potions from the get-go. While Characters of any class are capable of making potionsTo create your own medicine, you must have a character Proficiency with either a herbalism kit or alchemist's supplies.

You can gain these skills through character backgrounds. Proficiency with Herbalism kits is easily gained during character building With a hermit background. you can Gain proficiency with the Alchemist's supplies by Choosing an Artisan Background and choosing Alchemist's Supplies as your Artisan's Equipment Proficiency.

Craft your own healing potions

Once a character is ready, there are two things needed: time and money. Depending on the strength of the potion the character is trying to brew, they will have to spend more time and money to make more powerful potions.

Below, you can see how much Time and money for materials A character needs to spend To make healing potions.

While more powerful drugs may seem rather expensive, it should be noted Making your own medicine is still incredibly affordableThese items cost only a fraction of the standard prices.

How to make other types of medicines

The 2024 Player's Handbook only provides rules for creating healing potions, but the 2024 DM's Guide offers. Rules for creating your own magical items. since Potions are magical itemsWe can apply these rules to making other types of potions in 5E through the use of herbalism kits or alchemist's supplies.

What do you need to craft other potions?

First of all, it should be noted that, unlike therapeutic drugs, Magic items require key ingredientswhich is specified by the DM. Also, unlike healing potions, these items can only be created if a character knows about them The perfect recipeDetermining the ingredients needed to brew the potion at hand, as well as the steps needed to prepare the item.

these Components are often either obtained or are parts of various monsters. The higher the item (or in this case, potion) a character tries to create, the more deadly the monster. This means that creating something other than a healing potion is often a much more involved experience, eg The main resources must be obtained and produced in a specific way.

Determine the time and money required

Once a character obtains the ingredients as directed by the recipe, they must Spend time and money Directed by The rarity of medicine To cook it.

For example, A Growth medicine will be Requires less time and resources Strom to brew than a potion of immense power.

Below, you can see how much time and money A character is required to spend on materials To make medicine of various rarities.

How to make homebrew medicine

Homebrew Existing Medicine

One of the common complaints About brewing medicine This is how long it may take to cook a potion. A whole day's work to make a healing potion seems like a lot for something that should reasonably be taken well in an afternoon, and taking almost a month to make a supreme healing potion is ridiculous.

A good homebrew solution In this issue The need is to shorten the time To create a potion that best fits the pace of your campaign. Working with DM, you can Establish a revised timeline A full day may be required for a supreme medicine to heal, but a regular healing medicine may take a single short rest.

You can too Tweak gold requirements For content, Or possibly add a skill check To determine how long and how expensive your medication will be.

Craft brand new medicine

You can also create entirely new potions in Dungeons and Dragons via homebrew. There are a few quick steps required to make your own custom potion.

1. Determine drug effects – Work with your DM or player to determine what the potion's effect should be. Make sure there are no other drugs that already have the same effect!
2. Determine the rarity – Compare potion effects with others in the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide to determine the rarity of your homebrew potion. This will determine the crafting time and materials needed.
3. Get drunk! – Once you have determined the rarity of a potion in the game, you can now craft the potion for yourself if you have the materials and the necessary time.