Potions

Potions are Items depicted as small bottles of liquid. They are used throughout the Diablo series in varying capacities for recovery, enhancement, and protection.

Lore
''One form of magic that is still strong in the West is the brewing of elixirs that can have a variety of beneficial effects on the imbiber. By far the most common of these draughts are healing potions, which can instantly mend torn flesh and knit broken bone back together. Mana potions are infused with raw magical energy to restore the abilities of spell casters that have expended their power. The old church is sure to have a strong supply of both types of potions, as the clergy used them to care for the sick and wounded. Locals skilled in herbcraft may also be able to supply your character with potions, for the right price. It’s known that the greatest of the Horadrim alchemists created strange concoctions that permanently affected the drinker.''

Consumable Potions
In Diablo I, potions can be consumed to help the character by replenishing Life with Potions of Healing, Mana with Potions of Mana, or both with Potions of Rejuvenation.

Each type comes in two levels, a regular potion and a full variant. The normal ones instantly recover a portion of their respective stat, while the full potions instantly recover 100%.

Elixirs
Elixirs are prevalent in Diablo I, adding 1 point to the appropriate attribute when they are consumed.

In Diablo: Hellfire, Magic Elixirs completely refill a character's mana, and Vitality elixirs completely refill a player's life. Dexterity and Strength elixirs provide no bonus other than to the stat they boost.

As well as being dropped by monsters in the lower levels of the dungeons, elixirs are sold by both Pepin and Adria in single-player mode after having reached Level 13 in regular Diablo, and also after visiting the Nest and/or the Crypt in Hellfire, although Adria sells them infrequently. Adria also sells them on a random basis in multiplayer to players who have attained lv. 26 . All elixirs cost 5000 gold, and elixirs of Vitality cannot be purchased.

They lost popularity because players thought the elixirs 'broke' the game. Their easy availability from Pepin the Healer at higher levels as well as the infamous item cloning trick led to many balance issues. It created a large number of characters with full stats fighting at low levels. Because of their infamy, elixirs were only available in Diablo II as quest rewards.

Diablo Demo Elixirs
The Elixirs used in the game's alpha were a bit more randomized, more often than not adding more than 1 point into the stat they affected. In addition, there were elixirs with effects that are negative, subtracting 1 to 5 points from one attribute.

Consumable Potions
In Diablo II, many types of potions can be consumed to help the characters by replenishing Life, Mana, and Stamina or curing Poison and Cold.

Throwing Potions
Other potions are used as deadly weapons that are thrown, they are carried in stacks like other Throwing Weapons. There are two classes of throwing potions, Poison Potions which deal Poison damage and Fire Potions which deal Fire and Physical damage. To use them, simply equip them as one would any weapon. Some monsters, such as the Slinger, use them against players.

Later in the game, their small damage is negligible. However, during the early and middle stages of the game, these potions are rather effective, allowing players to barrage oncoming monsters with area of effect damage. These potions are often more effective in dungeons and enclosed areas, as enemies will have less space to maneuver and will often clump up.

Elixirs
Elixirs made a small comeback in Diablo II, but only as quest rewards. These mystical elixirs which may be brewed by talented alchemists like Alkor in Kurast. They permanently raise a character's attribute by a fixed number. The only example is the Potion of Life.

Diablo III
Potions have seen a reduced capacity in Diablo III.

All resource-regenerating potions have been removed from the game. Health Potions still exist, but have been partially replaced by Health Globes as a main source of in-combat and mid-combat healing. The remaining healing potions share a single 30-second cooldown among all types. As of patch 2.0, there is only one level of regular health potions, restoring 60% of maximum life regardless of level. Potions do not interrupt any other actions, and can be drunk even while channeling an attack, but cannot be used while Frozen or Stunned.

In Reaper of Souls, elixirs are partially implemented in legendary health potions, which are endless (not consumed upon drinking, but can still be salvaged), require level 61 and provide additional effects after healing:


 * Bottomless Potion of the Tower increases armor.
 * Bottomless Potion of the Leech increases Life on hit.
 * Bottomless Potion of the Diamond increases all resistances.
 * Bottomless Potion of Regeneration heals additional fixed amount of Life over time.
 * Bottomless Potion of Mutilation increases Life per kill.
 * Bottomless Potion of Kulle-Aid allows phasing through the walls summoned by Waller Elite monsters.
 * Bottomless Potion of Rejuvenation restores a portion of maximum primary resource, but only if used when injured.
 * Bottomless Potion of Fear makes nearby enemies flee in Fear.
 * Bottomless Potion of Amplification increases healing received from all sources.
 * Bottomless Potion of Chaos teleports the character away, distance depending on missing Life.
 * Bottomless Potion of the Unfettered makes the character briefly immune to Crowd Control.

Development
A couple elixirs (Elixir of Willpower, and Elixir of Vitality) were seen in pre-release gameplay, but were removed from the final game.

Before patch 2.0, Health Potions existed in ten levels of quality, with each level after the lowest one possessing a level requirement. Like in Diablo I, they healed a fixed amount instantly rather than over time. However, the fixed amount was not a percentage.

Offensive potions will not be added to Diablo III&mdash;they are meant to be defensive in nature.

Originally, the game was supposed to feature Power Potions, which would increase Critical Hit chance to 100% for 30 seconds, described as follows:

''"How many tyrants and fools have traded their lives for one chance at victory? Such power comes with great risk." —Warzecha's Treatise on Magical Means''