Blood Vials in Bloodborne are essential consumable healing items that restore a fixed percentage of your character’s health, specifically 40% of your maximum HP with the possibility of increasing this to 42% through certain upgrades. The game’s design allows for quick healing; your character swiftly injects the vial’s contents, which aligns perfectly with the fast-paced and aggressive combat mechanics typical to Bloodborne.

At the beginning of your journey, you start with 10 Blood Vials and have a maximum capacity of 20. However, through specific upgrades and the use of runes, this capacity can be expanded to a maximum of 24. Unlike some games where health regenerates over time or through cooldowns, Bloodborne requires strategic management of these finite resources, as each Blood Vial can only be used once.

To effectively manage your Blood Vial supply, here are several important considerations:

1. Collecting Blood Vials: Defeating enemies is the primary way to obtain additional vials, as they can drop these items upon defeat. Vials may also be found scattered throughout the world, encouraging exploration.

2. Storage System: Any surplus Blood Vials that exceed your carrying capacity automatically transfer to a storage system located in the Hunter’s Dream, the game’s hub area. This serves as a crucial backup for your healing supplies.

3. Death and Respawning: If you die, your carried vials are replenished from your storage up to your maximum carry limit, ensuring you have a fighting chance upon respawning, as long as you maintain some vials in your storage.

4. Resource Management: Running out of both carried and stored Blood Vials leaves you without any healing options, making it vital to assess your inventory regularly and ensure you have a stockpile, especially before difficult encounters.

5. Purchasing Blood Vials: If you’re in need of additional vials, they can be purchased from NPC vendors using Blood Echoes, the game’s currency. This is a viable alternative if you’re finding it difficult to replenish vials through combat alone.

6. Equipping Runes: To increase your Blood Vial carrying capacity beyond 20, you’ll need to equip certain runes. However, be cautious; some players have reported bugs related to the storage system when these runes are active, compelling players to keep a close eye on their vial count.

In conclusion, Blood Vials are a critical resource for survival in Bloodborne, offering significant health restoration instantly. Mastering their collection, storage, and utilization is essential for progressing through the game, particularly to navigate intense exploration and challenging boss battles effectively. A well-managed supply will ensure you can maintain your health and continue your hunt without the dire risk of running dry in critical moments.