Larian Studios Forums Baldur's Gate III Baldur's Gate III - Suggestions & Feedback Hill Giant Strength Potions

I can't help but feel like these potions undermine builds. They last until a long rest and are pretty easy to get. I could have my character use one after every long rest, which would always give me a strength of 21.

If I build a strength fighter, for most of the game, I'm better off using a strength potion. My own strength doesn't matter.

If I build a dex fighter, I'm basically better off using a strength potion.

If I build a pact of the blade warlock, I'm better off using a strength potion.

--it's the abundance of these potions that's the problem. Or the length of time they last. Either way, but both together just amounts to too much, imo, and sullies build decisions.

I agree, at least you can only have one potion active at a time so it doesn't get too crazy, and having it active until a Short Rest should probably be the limit rather than Long Rest. Potions are fairly easy to get or make so having a shorter duration just makes more sense and makes potions more valuable.

I got, like, 7 in a single playthrough and I still haven't used 5 of them sparing them for better times.
At little less than 400 golds a pop they don't exactly come as cheap and convenient to abuse without a single worry.

I'm also NOT planning to use them on fighters and so on (which reached STR 20 anyway over time) when the time comes, but on characters like Shadowheart, who could really benefit from a temporary boost in martial prowess.

Why the duration increase I wonder. With spells the trend has been duration nerf.

Can't say I like the focus on consumables that lowers the worth of class abilities. I didn't craft much of anything other than healing potions so I don't know how many giant strength potions you could make.

Because it's a game in real-time without pause (and without an actual time cycle/clock, too), so everything that is meant to be of a certain duration (1 hour or so) has been automatically extended "until next rest" to spare the players the anxiety of "having to do shit really fast" to not waste their most expensive potions.

So in Baldur's gate 1-2 the space bar was pause so you could set up everyone with their actions. BG3 we have Turn base mode (click the hourglass to activate anytime for use.) which has been used for quite a few things and events in game.
So you don't have to do things really fast. so for potions they should last 10 turns due to turn base mode. This would make players be a bit more conscious of when and where to use stuff and make them more tactful in their game play.

Potions of STR in D&D are supposed to last one hour, not 10 turns:

https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Potion%20of%20Giant%20Strength#content

One hour is pretty far from "until next Long Rest". Short Rest should also end it.

Is one hour actually that far from "until next long rest" in BG3 though? How often do players spend more than an hour of real time exploring, after you subtract time spent in combat, dialogue, or in loading screens (where time is effectively frozen)?

I think the issue is they are just way to plentiful. Shouldn't be able to have one through pretty much every part of the game lol.

Yeah, but we already talked about that part, too, didn't we?

It's my previous reply.

but yeah, generally speaking I'd be fine with Short rest also being a limitation for an Elixir duration, eventually.

There are way more than seven of them. As for the price, I'd have to go check the actual price, but it's lower than 400, probably by half.

It's an issue.

Eh, sure. There are as many as you want, IF you keep purchasing them.

I don't know, but I haven't used them once so far. They are sitting there for bad times ( only the ones, I found), but I didn't really needed them.
I don't really see this as an issue.

The issue, as I see it, is that this item -- *if utilized, as with any item* -- undermines every martial class build. It's not even like a wearable item that takes a slot on a character, causing them to miss out on some other vital piece of gear. It does, of course, mean you can't use another elixer, but that's not a significant downside.

Clearly, folks can choose not to use the potions, but I don't think that's necessarily relevant to the issue. The point is that there's an item in the game that can be used after every single long rest, which completely negates the prime stat build of every single martial class in the game.

And as Tuco pointed out, it costs gold to use. But if someone wants to build a character relying on those potions- why not? I personally would never dump the main stat of a class, but if people feel comfortable doing that, who am I to tell them, they shouldn't.

I feel like there's a disconnect between what I'm saying and some of the responses.

I'm not talking about dumping the stat. Even if you max your attack stat, the potion is immediately better, and that remains true for a large portion of the game.

If a player/character is purposefully avoiding using something it means it likely too powerful because they feel it's a 'cheat'. The suggestion to 'just not use it' is a cop out and actually reflects poorly on the game design. That said, bg3 is far from the first game in the series to have 'cheesy items'. *cough* Bg2 *cough* lol

Any STR-based martial class is goin to want their main stat at 20 by the time they take their second feat.
Which in practical terms is exactly the same than the 21 offered by the potion.

Or in case they’ll pick another feat before, they’ll sit at 18 with the potion basically providing a +1.

Using these potions comes as a SIGNIFICANT money sink, too.

And they are ordinary D&D consumable that Larian didn’t exactly invent on the spot.
They just extended the duration to “until rest” as they did for everything else lasting more than a bunch of turns in the game.

I genuinely don’t understand what the fuss is even about. This reminds me the reactions some of you had during EA with the “incredibly overpowered” circle of intellect.

An item that according to WOTC DM guide ranks as “uncommon” and a suitable reward for level 2-4.

Except the objection was never “don’t use it”.

There’s absolutely no issue with using it if you are content with burning cash to match a certain standard of effectiveness, rather that get there more gradually.

And if you think smoking 300-400 golds on a single-use consumable is way too cheap to the point of “feeling like a cheat” I’m not sure what to tell you.

Incidentally there are arguably more powerful elixirs in the game even for martial classes. The one that refund your action after every kill comes to mind.