Best Potions In DND

Summary

• Potions can provide crucial advantages in combat, stealth, and puzzles, including spells like Giant Strength and Gaseous Form.
• Potions like Invisibility, Heroism, and Possibility can offer temporary buffs and unique abilities to enhance gameplay.
• New potions like Dragon’s Majesty and Maximum Power bring exciting and powerful effects to D&D adventures.

Potions are one of the most underrated aspects of Dungeons & Dragons. Many look at their power and abilities based on their weapons, spells, armor, or their stats as a character. However, it’s always worth thinking about how you can change and adapt to scenarios based on some incredible potions.

Whether they’re used for combat, infiltration, or just to help your party solve a puzzle, potions can change the game. They can provide you with hints or even solutions to problems that you and your party may not think about in a fast-paced puzzle-solving environment. Nevertheless, if you want to mix up your D&D sessions with some potions, these are the ones to get.

Updated January 7, 2025, by Alfredo Robelo: Potions are a key way for adventurers to survive the many perils in the dungeons they delve into, be it because they cure their wounds or give them an edge in battle. With the release of the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide, many potions were updated to meet new standards, so we’ve updated this article to reflect that.

19

Potion Of Giant Strength

While other potions give you more than just a Strength boost, the Potion of Giant Strength is something far easier to find, especially at the early levels of a campaign. The most basic of these potions raises your Strength to 21, a clear boon for any low-level adventurer.

At the later stages of a campaign, you can find even greater boons, depending on the giant the potion is based on. The legendary version of this potion, based on the mighty storm giants, raises your strength to 29, a score hard to achieve even for the most seasoned of players.

18

Potion Of Gaseous Form

Drinking a potion instead of using a spell with a similar effect is often preferred, particularly when the spell needs concentration to maintain. This is because the effect of the potion requires no concentration, making it so, in the case of the Potion of Gaseous Form, you can turn into a puff of smoke and no one can revert you to your regular form other than yourself.

You can go back to your regular form before the time limit as a bonus action.

The uses for becoming an incorporeal being are many, since you resist all physical damage, you can pass through narrow openings, and you can even fly. Of course, the combat implementation of this is limited beyond positioning yourself, since you can’t attack while transformed, and you treat water surfaces as a solid object.

17

Potion Of Comprehension

Even in combat-focused campaigns, understanding what someone is saying is key for the plot to move forward. In these situations, simple spells like Comprehend Languages go a long way, although you might not have a spellcaster around to use the spell in your party.

Keeping a potion of Comprehend Languages around can solve this problem without anyone spending a spell slot, and as a common potion, it will never cost you too many gold pieces. Keep in mind, though, that the effect only lasts for an hour, so be sure to finish all your negotiations before the 60-minute mark.

16

Potion Of Water Breathing

Did you know that around 71 percent of the Earth is covered in water? If you thought our world was big before, imagine what we could be doing with all of that extra space!

It’s the same in D&D. Perhaps even more so, since we can create fictional societies that thrive under the waves. If you want to explore all of this usually unused space, you’ll probably need a Potion of Water Breathing (which does exactly what you’d expect).

15

Potion Of Fire Breath

Dungeons & Dragons has such a vast universe that you can literally come up with any powers and abilities you want, provided you’ve discussed them with and gotten approval from your GM. However, there’s something to be said about the classics and the simple joy that comes with the fantasy of being able to breathe fire.

If you’re not Draconian but still want heat in your belly, then this is the potion for you. Potion of Fire Breath gives you a cool fire-based ranged attack that can cause 4d6 fire damage against a failed DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. This potion is quite handy in a pinch for when a melee attacker wants more options in battle.

14

Potion Of Healing

The classic potion that everyone knows about. But, interestingly, the Potion of Healing is often overlooked by many players, both seasoned and beginner. After all, that’s what healers are for, right? Sometimes healers are there to give the fighter or barbarian a little boost to their health as the boss looks like he’s about to drop, but sometimes, they’re not.

There are many occasions in which your healer is down, or you need a boost to health quickly; this is where the Potion of Healing comes into its own. It’s quite literally a lifesaver. Especially the higher-level versions. Every party member must have a Potion of Healing on their person at all times. You never know when you might need it.

13

Potion Of Speed

If you play as a rogue, a fighter, a monk, or really any class that can benefit from more than one attack per round, the Potion of Speed is perfect. It saves a spell slot for the casters and has the potential to change the tide of any battle if used correctly.

Essentially, the Potion of Speed will give you the effects of the Haste spell for one minute. So once you drink this, for one minute, you have double your speed, a plus-two on your armor class, and you get an additional action. While this sounds awesome, you do suffer after the spell ends (you can’t move anymore or take any actions for a turn). However, with any luck, the enemy will have been felled by the time it runs out. After all, a minute is a long time in combat.

12

Potion Of Invulnerability

The Potion of Invulnerability is a relatively simple potion to understand but one that will annoy your DM to no end if you use it right. This wonderful potion will grant you resistance to all damage. It’s an incredible potion that will absolutely save your life. That being said, the Potion of Invulnerability is probably best avoided if you’re a barbarian who likes to rage, since you’re already resistant to most damage dealt to you anyway.

If you’re playing any other class, particularly an up-front fighter then this potion is a game-changer. It’s ideal to use if you’re fighting pretty much anything that packs a punch. Especially if it means you’ll be receiving half the damage they do to you.

11

Potion Of Mind Reading

When it comes to potions, it certainly seems like the up-front fighters get all the fun. Luckily, this potion is for anyone, especially those with relatively high charisma and a love for roleplay. The Potion of Mind Reading will grant you the Detect Thoughts spell for one minute (unless the spell ends).

Ultimately, this wonderful potion can be used at any point. It’s perfect for trying to understand the boss’ motive, or someone suspicious in a bar. However, it’s worth mentioning that the person does know if you’re using this spell on them so be very careful. Although, with this potion, that risk is well worth taking as you can discover some unbelievably valuable elements that could change the entire story.

10

Potion Of Mind Control

Of all the powers that one can wield, any that allow someone to affect the mind will always be dangerous. It’s not easy to picture a benevolent character that has the ability to manipulate minds, but role playing allows you to make excuses for all kinds of abilities. You’ll need to make some good ones to wield the power of this potion.

The Potion of Mind Control comes in three variants, one for each main type of creature. Being able to Dominate a potentially life-threatening being to make them harmless, or a potent ally, is an opportunity that is hard to pass up. Just cast it and if the target fails the DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, they follow your whim without you needing to maintain focus.

9

Potion Of Maximum Power

Another potion that’s just made for a spellcaster. The Potion of Maximum Power is unbelievably powerful if the right person uses it for the right spell at the right time. Namely, the likes of Disintegrate or Meteor Swarm if you want to practically clear the battlefield of any enemy that stands in your way.

Once you drink the Potion of Maximum Power, the next fourth-level spell that deals damage (within one minute of drinking) will do maximum damage. You just take the highest possible number for each dice you roll and that’s the damage it does. Using some of the more powerful spells means you could do up to 120 damage in one spell. For a magic user, this is stunning.

8

Potion Of Giant Size

There are two similar potions, the Potion of Giant Strength and the Potion of Giant Size. Many people favor one or the other, but the Potion of Giant-Size seems to topple any other strength-based potion in Dungeons & Dragons. After all, what barbarian doesn’t want to be huge for 24 hours with a strength of 25 and double your maximum hit points?

Not only that, but you will also be able to reach further for your attacks, and you get to roll three times the normal number of dice for your melee attacks. For 24 hours, you’ll be unstoppable. It’s also with mentioning that, once the effect ends, any extra hit points you have will become temporary hit points, so you don’t even lose that buff.

7

Oil Of Sharpness

While it may not be called a potion, the Oil of Sharpness is a particularly useful element to have in your bag of holding. Again, unfortunately, it won’t be great for the magic users of the party, but for the Artificers, or anyone who uses a slashing or piercing weapon, this oil is great to have ready to use if you need to do a little extra damage.

It’s worth mentioning from the offset that applying this oil to your weapon, or to five pieces of slashing or piercing ammo, will take one minute to do. However, it does last for an hour and will give you a plus-three Bonus to your attack and damage rolls. It’s a wonderful temporary upgrade for your weapon and is perfect if you and your party just can’t hit that pesky dragon and need to take it down fast.

6

Oil Of Etherealness

Stealth is not the way for every type of character, but there are many scenarios that require a touch of finesse. Now, while Invisibility is the popular and obvious choice, it comes with a number of rules that you still need to follow. For more freedom, you can try out this phantom-like Oil of Etherealness.

The first advantage it has is that it can be rubbed on both creatures and objects for added effect. Since it sends you to the Ethereal Plane, you can walk around with more confidence as you walk through walls and observe beings on the physical plane. The only threats you have to worry about are those on your plane and certain magical effects.

5

Potion Of Flying

While it would probably be a real struggle to choose what potion you would have in the real world, no one could deny their excitement if they had the Potion of Flying in real life. Even then, no party member would argue about having a Potion of Flying in D&D either. After all, it’s incredibly fun to use and a pretty useful element of travel, stealth, or combat advantage.

Lasting for an hour, the Potion of Flying allows you to fly at a speed equal to your walking speed. You and your party will have a lot of fun playing with these potions. Just be careful of the hour — if it runs out, and you’re in the air, then you’ll find yourself falling pretty quickly.

4

Potion Of Invisibility

Another potion many would love to use in real life. The Potion of Invisibility does what it says on the bottle really — it makes you invisible for one hour. It’s a wonderful spell for a little bit of stealth, so it would probably be best on the rogue of the party.

The only drawback, just like the Invisibility spell, is that if you attack or cast a spell, the invisibility drops. So it’s probably best to avoid using this in a battle — maybe stick to the stealth missions. Nevertheless, it’s always useful to have a potion like this in your party.

3

Potion Of Heroism

Not every party is blessed with a Paladin or a Cleric, or sometimes those players are too busy fighting off the enemy and healing other players to even think about casting some spells to buff the party. So, why not do it yourself by drinking the Potion of Heroism?

This wonderful potion will grant you ten temporary hit points for one hour. It will also put you under the effect of the Bless spell, something your Paladins and Clerics know a lot about. Essentially, it will grant you the ability to add a d4 onto your attack roll or saving throws for an hour. Every time you make an attack, you get this buff. It’s great.

2

Potion of Dragon’s Majesty

Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons added this incredible potion to the game: the Potion of Dragon Majesty. The game is called Dungeons & Dragons, after all — it’s time to turn the tables on your enemies and make yourself the Dragon. That’s because this potion literally lets you become a dragon!

If you can swing it, we recommend making it yourself, since the kind of dragon you become will depend on the way it’s made.

1

Potion Of Possibility

Anyone who has heard some of the unfortunate and sometimes hilarious campaign stories players have shared will know that all it takes is one bad dice roll to ruin everything. On the other hand, the same goes for just one good roll. For more chances at those, you can turn to the Potion of Possibility.

It basically makes it so that you have two potential d20 rolls floating around your person at all times, and it greatly increases the chance of coming across the perfect opportunity to retry a bad dice roll. Since they can be applied to any kind of dice roll, some really amazing possibilities can happen.