Potions and Poisons
I have some personal feelings about the use of potions and poisons. Here are some house rules to hopefully make them feel more impactful.
With regards to potions:
With regards to potions:
- If you want to take a quick swig of your healing potion or whatever in the midst of combat, it's an action or bonus action. Once per turn, whichever you prefer but not both.
- If you want to use a potion on somebody else, that's still an action. It's still awkward handfeeding someone a potion over their shoulder while they're busy stabbing someone.
- If you decide you want to take a healing potion of some sorts out of combat, you don't have to worry about sloshing it and losing some drips while getting stabbed. Go ahead and take the max roll for whatever potion it is that you're drinking (i.e. a Potion of Greater Healing would net 20 hitpoints out of combat).
- The PHB states that it takes an action to coat a piercing/slashing weapon or up to three pieces of ammunition with a vial of poison.
- Alternatively, you can apply poison (1/3 of a vial) to a piece of ammunition using your bonus action if you forgot about it and really want to use it the same turn as application.
- If you're character is having a bad day, they could also drink their own poison as a bonus action but… that's usually not recommended