History Main / AntidoteEffect

** ''FinalFantasyXIV'' has various types of potions, ethers, and status curing potions which are incredibly handy for new players/players using a new class, but the items get outclassed very quickly; healers will have spells that not only restores HP in amounts far beyond what potions can heal, but they also get a spell that removes nasty status effects from a player. Granted, potions are instant use, but they have lengthy cool downs to prevent them from being spammed, which limits their overall usefulness. For example, an Elixir, which restores a few hundred HP and MP at once, requires the user to wait several minutes before they can use another or any other similar item. Spell casting is only limited by cast time and the user's remaining MP. Gold Needles are an exception since Petrification can only be cured with the use of a Gold Needle (Esuna/Leeches doesn't cure it, despite the spells being able to cure everything else).

* ''KingdomOfLoathing's'' soft green echo eyedrop antidote is a cure-all for any status effect. It's possible to perm all skills to heal status ailments, these are easy to farm and preferable to whore. There are many other items with the Antidote Effect that may be hoarded and be left unused at the end of ascension ("Why do I still have a dozen gobs of wet hair, two 8-balls, fourteen chaos butterflies, and a depantsing bomb?")

** Healing items are less necessary than in traditional RPGs, thanks to Pokémon Centers fully healing and curing everything ''for free''. You'll be able to save virtually every item in the game for the Elite Four.

* Several examples from ''Pokémon'':
** Every healing item ''except'' actual Antidotes is rendered obsolete thanks to Pokemon Centers fully healing and curing everything ''for free''. You'll be able to save virtually every item in the game for the Elite Four.
** ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' eventually gave the player the Pokeflute item, an infinite-use cure for sleep that rendered the one-use-only Awakening item completely useless.
** Similarly, in ''VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire'' a set of volcanic glass flutes are available to cure certain status effects at will; Blue for sleep, Red for infatuation, and Yellow for confusion. The latter two are especially useful as the only means to cure those ailments (short of waiting) are single-use hold items that must be set up before the fight.

The Antidote Effect is an illustration of the fact that, although game designers work very hard to implement depth, strategy, and balance into a game's various systems and mechanics, {{Whoring}} something is often exponentially more effective.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'', where you will gain access to a skill that protects your entire party from magic for a turn that is inexpensive enough to be used ''every'' turn. It also blocks your own magic, but items work just fine. Furthermore, the game's battle system uses a party-wide resource bar for special attacks and spells, but items do not consume this bar, so you're indirectly increasing your damage by using items instead of spells. Finally, [[MoneyForNothing the game throws money at you]], especially during the later half, and healing items are always inexpensive.

* ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'' averts the trope. You have one ability that removes poison and another that can remove everything, but costs a bit of parasite energy to use (using too much parasite energy in battle greatly reduces its recharge rate). Items that cure status ailments are plentiful to find and they also have a secondary use; using a curative item while you are healthy will grant you immunity to that status effect once. The sequel uses the same system for items as well.

** Averted again in ''Birth by Sleep'' and ''Dream Drop Distance". Both games make use of the Command Deck for abilities and items, not unlike an ATB bar but just for abilities. Cure Spells and the like require recharge, however Potions and other Items require no recharge. Not only do you not have to worry about not having a Cure Spell available in the middle of a hectic boss fight (unless you simply run out of Potions) you can make use of more Command Deck slots, rather than using extra slots for extra Cure Spells (you get 5 Potions per slot). Also mighty handy during a certain boss fight in ''Birth by Sleep''. [[spoiler: The Secret Boss Fight, Vanitas Sentiment, will COPY any Cure Spell you throw out. So if you decide to lay down a Curaga to heal up, Vanitas will just copy it and heal himself. However he'll do no such thing when it comes to Items. They're pretty much your only way to survive that fight.]]

** Or [[BoringButPractical simply turn into a Dragoon which cures status effects]].

** The ''Call'' command in ''VideoGame/PokemonColosseum'' and ''[[VideoGame/PokemonXDGaleOfDarkness XD]]'' causes a Pokémon not in Hyper or Reverse Modes to wake up from sleep or (in ''XD'') increase their Accuracy, essentially rendering the Awakening and Accuracy X items completely useless.

* The {{Disgaea}} series features "Fairy Dust", a cheap item that removes status effects. It's rendered almost entirely useless once you get a character with access to the "Espoir" spell which does the same thing, and like all spells can be cast at a long range over a wide area with advancement. ''Technically'' it could be useful if you are on a map with lots of Silence GeoEffects, but that's probably not common enough to require carrying one (and Geo Effects never happen on your base panel, so there's always at least one safe place to cast from).

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance'' not only has several spells or skills available to easily get rid of most effects (especially the Paladin skill Nurse, which affects the user and nearby targets, has no cost ''and'' heals some hitpoints), it also makes you choose between being able to use items at all or using the skills from another job instead. And many status effects fade after a few turns anyway. The sequel makes item a bit more useful with Rangers being able to reverse the effect and use them to harm enemies. Unfortunately, the status effect items aren't any more reliable than job alternatives which are often either free or can hit several targets, and may have a wider range and/or deal damage, too. However, there is one job (Alchemist) which gives you Item as a ''third'' slot, leaving you able to use that, your primary class abilities, and a secondary class.

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' it is possible to use GF abilities to refine various antidotes into either magic of a similar effect, or of the affliction they would normally cure. It is also possible for the GF Siren to learn an in-combat Action Ability called "Treatment," which completely cures all status effects on a party member.
** Although the "Treatment" Ability falls even more neatly into this trope than regular antidotes. You can only equip three Action Abilities (not counting "Fight" which is permanent) and equipping "Treatment" means you've spent a slot that could be used for something else.

* Averted (mostly) in the ''Franchise/{{Shin Megami Tensei}}'' series, in particular ''{{Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne}}''. Very few demons tend to learn even one status-healing spell and sometimes a limit on the number of skills a demon/persona can have, eating slots that could be saved for more important things, so such items can be quite valuable. Especially since having even a generally mild status effect like poison can mean death if caught without a status healing item.

* In ''TheLegendOfDragoon'' there are some nasty status effects that do not go away after battle and magic is rare. This ought to make items more useful, except for the fact that the player has a paltry ''32'' inventory slots and nothing stacks. This leaves very little spare room for situational items and so if a particularly nasty enemy manages to poison two of your team members then you may be better off simply reloading your last save.

** [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII The sequel]] has injury kits drop much more frequently (you'll rarely have less than 10 before the last sections of the game, especially since any injuries are healed just by going to Hawke's house, unless playing on the hardest difficulty with a poorly organized party), but considering the fact that you could theoretically have a party with no mages, the lyrium potions become so much free, [[MoneyForNothing overabundant]] cash. The same could be said for the stamina potions in a party with three mages and a single tank.