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The Adventurers League Player's Guide v8.2 states that characters may purchase potions of healing for 50 gp, potions of greater healing for 100 gp, potions of superior healing for 500 gp, and potions of supreme healing for 5,000 gp. It also states that an herbalism kit may be used to brew potions of healing during downtime using the rules found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

But the rules in Xanathar's make it more expensive to brew potions of greater, superior or supreme healing than it is to buy them at the prices given in the ALPG. For example, one must spend three workweeks (15 downtime days) and 1000 gp to brew a potion of superior healing, when one can just buy a potion of superior healing for 500 gp.

Am I missing something, or is it really only worthwhile for Adventurers League characters to brew regular potions of healing using an herbalism kit, and not any of the more powerful healing potions?

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While there are a lot of issues with AL pricing and "treasure points", this is a reasonable structure.

One, if it was cheaper for players to make the potion then it becomes a "get rich quick" scheme. Spend downtime to brew potions and then sell them off to NPCs.

Two, if they were the same price, there would be no reason to brew as it would become just a drain on downtime. So why bother?

Which leaves, making it more expensive. Which actually makes sense. There are plenty of things that we as everyday folk can do one-off, but it becomes an economical hardship compared to a profession can perform the task in mass production.

So why have it at all?

Because PCs don't always have the convenience of running down to the local convenience store and picking up a 6-pack of potions. They can brew what they need on the road; but it comes at a cost.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Being able to make potions at less than the cost of purchasing them doesn't make it a way to get rich quick. First of all, there's the opportunity cost of not adventuring (and profiting from that adventuring) for the time required to brew the potion, and second, PCs rarely get the same price when selling an item to the market, unless they're willing to spend even more time finding a buyer willing to pay. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ryan C. Thompson
    Commented Dec 30, 2018 at 18:58
  • \$\begingroup\$ AL in general is pretty hostile to crafting, usually hauling out the "get rich" excuse which never actually made sense to me. If nothing else, it's borderline insulting to have the baseline supposition that all adventurers are in it just for the money, and at the same time provide so few uses for that gold. Apparently crafting something for the satisfaction of doing it yourself or for the personal touch on a gift isn't a thing. Sorry, still very bitter about AL after years away from it. \$\endgroup\$
    – JamesB
    Commented Jul 12, 2019 at 17:11

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