Giving potions to unconscious characters

[Aeson]

I hope this is the right place

How would you guys handle giving healing potions to those below 0 hp? Groups I've played with always poured it in their mouth then messaged the throat to coax it down. I went along with it but never cared for it much.

 

[Ace]

I hope this is the right place

How would you guys handle giving healing potions to those below 0 hp? Groups I've played with always poured it in their mouth then messaged the throat to coax it down. I went along with it but never cared for it much.

You just pour the potion in their mouth and don't sweat the details -- That way the party can be saved if the Cleric is KO'd

 

[Bront]

It's a magic item. It magicly works by entering though the mouth (or other oriface if you have a Rat Bastard DM). Beyond that, I know our group doesn't realy care, so you don't have to be consious to take one (though you will need help to take one unconsious).

 

[Thrash]

It's magic in a fantasy world don't overthink it........potions always work on ko'd pc's for me. Now if you were playing in a world that was very low magic were the potion was actually a mix of herbs and stuff then I would think there would be a problem......other than that I haven't had a problem with allowing it yet.

 

[genshou]

Potions are always used either by drinking (or forcing/coaxing someone else to drink), or in some cases by pouring or rubbing the potion onto the body of the affected. No matter how you do it, it is a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity.

So yes, you may pour a cure potion, liquid poison, or water down the unconscious cleric's throat, but it's risky to do in threatened squares (foes may use their attacks of opportunity to strike the potion).

 

[azhrei_fje]

Hmm. Is using a potion considered to be the "activating a magic item" action? If so, would a successful Concentration check eliminate the AoO?

Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[Arkhandus]

Nah, that's not activation. No Concentration check needed. You just uncork the potion shove the open end into any helpless idiot's craw, and force them to swallow it reflexively. No real focus on mystic energies is needed.

 

[Corbert]

Under potions in the DMG 3.0 p. 191 it says "a character can carefully administer a potion to an unconscious creature as a full-round action..." I had to look this rule up when a character in my group had to give a cure light potion to the cleric. Unfortunately, she didn't have the heal skill, which would have let her know this, and just dumped the potion down his throat. So, I looked up drowning rules and the cleric failed every single save. I think I even gave him an extra Fort save to cough up the potion. Needless to say, (though I say it anyway) the cleric drowned, giving rise to the saying Death By Healing Potion!

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Death By Healing Potion!

And to think. . . my players call me wicked! You've just got NO mercy.

I admire that in a DM.

 

[azhrei_fje]

Nah, that's not activation. No Concentration check needed.

I guess what I'm asking is, "Could the attack of opportunity be avoided by rolling a Concentration check, the way AoO's can be avoided when casting spells or activating other magic items?"