I certainly agree to an extent, and it’s weird that not only is strength the attribute which goes way out of bounds vs normal values but also the optimal strength score for a strength based character is 8.
That being said it’s hardly the only thing which is absolutely breaking the small numbers of 5e in half, Arcane Acuity providing +10 to save DCs is absolutely nuts in the context of 5e, Reverb providing a no save -5 or more to the enemy saves, Bloodthirst providing a no save vulnerability to piercing damage on hit, the spell might gloves in general and especially with magic missile, the list goes on. I agree that damage is at times overrated and the conditions and using them makes for a variety of absurdly powerful builds with limited opportunities for the enemy to act.
Personally the single thing that most breaks D&D’s balance to me (aside from Withers) is the nearly limitless, perfectly safe and consequence free long resting. If you were always, outside of a paid for inn, at risk for a random encounter; if you had relative timers set all over the place and the world changed and adapted depending on your pace as a matter of course rather than in isolated circumstances, and if vendors inventories were not able to be pick pocketed, it would be a very different game and you couldn’t count on always having all your long rest resources for every fight. The reason D&D has the concept of 5-7 encounters per long rest is because otherwise classes with significant long rest resources are much more powerful than those built on short rest or at will abilities. Or maybe the cause and effect there are reversed. Either way, in BG3 absolutely nothing stops me from clearing 4 of those 5 encounters then long resting before taking on the boss at full strength. I have freed prisoners, killed guards, and then rested on their doorstep with no one caring or reacting. To me that’s a far bigger issue than the strength elixirs.
But hey, the game is what it is, nothing wrong with adding whatever constraints you want to make it harder / more “realistic”, but myself I’ll shamelessly use and abuse conditions, long rests, magic pocket chicanery, and of course strength potions.
