D&D (2024) Taking a healing potion as a bonus action?

[tetrasodium]

I hear this enough that it must not come up as much in other peoples games, but healing to single digits, while it makes the player useful, is often more dangerous than being unconscious. I’m not big on targeting unconscious players, but I do have to go after anyone standing and single hp territory is where a failed save or monster crit could be massive damage and not leave you any death saves.

How big is your group. Imagine a group with sayyy.. a fighter a paladin a druid a bard and a celestial sorlock. Nearly every PC has healing word, a healing word analog with a different name or a very similar thing like 1hp LoH. Simply targeting a downed PC doesn't work if the first attack needs to hit->drop the pc ->second attack fail 2 death saves ->3rd attack kill. Players have AC & hp enough to not worry much just starting a fight& by the time one can drop the foes are probably down a few. If even a single player has a turn before the third attack lands the whole process is likely to reset with a tiny heal+ the damage that got nullified by death saves on those first two attacks or the next two worth of HP

edit: it comes up so often because it's so blatantly metagameish gamism in ways where the only meaningful counter is a gm load heavy mass combat pretty much building an encounter to blatantly execute a pc

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Most my groups have made it a bonus action (action to administer it to someone else). It works fine either way. Fundamentally the impact of healing potions is relatively limited because they are a consumable that is (by suggested prices) expensive for what it does and ultimately up to the DM to decide the plentifulness of. If you are making them better in your campaign, by letting them work as a bonus action, just make them a little scarcer and/or pricier.

In fact, since they are a consumable item I consider it potentially less a matter of houseruling general rules than a matter of homebrewing item content to decide that potions work with action or bonus action, or that some work with one but others the other. Perhaps WotC should just include both action potions and bonus action potions in the game.

I prefer bonus action potions because it makes potions (of all sorts) more likely to actually get used and makes for more interesting turns, and hence (with suitable balancing) a better game.

 

[Horwath]

Nah, as said earlier, we don’t need to make 5e easier.

it's not about easier, it's about what is more fun.

wasting a turn to drink a potions is not very fun, same as healing.


that is why ALL healing spells should be bonus actions.

I.E. combining healing word with cure wounds into single spell:

Bonus action + 60ft range: 1d4 per level
Bonus action + touch: 1d6 per level
Action + 60ft range: 1d8 per level
Action + touch: 1d12 per level
1 min cast time + touch: 12HP per level

 

[Smackpixi]

How big is your group. Imagine a group with sayyy.. a fighter a paladin a druid a bard and a celestial sorlock. Nearly every PC has healing word, a healing word analog with a different name or a very similar thing like 1hp LoH. Simply targeting a downed PC doesn't work if the first attack needs to hit->drop the pc ->second attack fail 2 death saves ->3rd attack kill. Players have AC & hp enough to not worry much just starting a fight& by the time one can drop the foes are probably down a few. If even a single player has a turn before the third attack lands the whole process is likely to reset with a tiny heal+ the damage that got nullified by death saves on those first two attacks or the next two worth of HP

I guess, for my thing group size doesn’t matter. And not talking about downed PCs. I’m just bringing up the scenario of being a 25hp guy facing a group of baddies that includes a 27 max damage enemy. Heal that guy to 1 hp and he takes the 27 damage and he’s gone for good, no saves. Would have to heal him to 3hp to not be surfing a knife. Usually though it’s not that close, and need to heal higher, but that’s my point. Am I misunderstanding the rule?

 

[tetrasodium]

I guess, for my thing group size doesn’t matter. And not talking about downed PCs. I’m just bringing up the scenario of being a 25hp guy facing a group of baddies that includes a 27 max damage enemy. Heal that guy to 1 hp and he takes the 27 damage and he’s gone for good, no saves. Would have to heal him to 3hp to not be surfing a knife. Usually though it’s not that close, and need to heal higher, but that’s my point. Am I misunderstanding the rule?

25 hp? My group is level 8, the cleric haS 52 hp & I think that the warlock is similar. The martial types are even higher.. 27 max damage is going to be much loser average & tbh not likely to have good odds of hitting a pc until suddenly they are basically guaranteed to hit. All attacks use the same attack bonus so its not gradual+(bad) lucm

 

[Smackpixi]

25 hp? My group is level 8, the cleric haS 52 hp & I think that the warlock is similar. The martial types are even higher.. 27 max damage is going to be much loser average & tbh not likely to have good odds of hitting a pc until suddenly they are basically guaranteed to hit. All attacks use the same attack bonus so its not gradual+(bad) lucm

Right, but when they face someone with 55 max damage? Doesn’t seem unlikely at level 8. I feel like we’re talking about different things. Also Starting to feel like a thread Jack, sorry.

In battle healing needs some sort of improvement to make it a more useful part of the action economy, for both sides even, that much is clear.

 

[CleverNickName]

This has to be one of the most common house rules in 5e: you can use a healing potion on yourself as a bonus action (it's still an action to use on someone else). Should it just be made canon?

I hadn't heard of this house-rule until I saw it on Critical Role. Maybe that's why it's so common?

It doesn't seem like it would break the game; it's just one more thing that the characters can do in a round. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe the number of things a character is supposed to be able to do in a six-second window of time. Is this even possible?

But now I'm curious, and also thirsty. Is six seconds enough time for me to punch a punching bag twice, then pull an airline-sized bottle of bourbon out of my pocket, open it, and drink it?

I'll let you know. One sec.

EDIT:
Nope. Using a stopwatch with a lap counter, I observed that it took 6.37 seconds just to get the bottle out of my pocket and twist it open. It took another 7.33 seconds to empty its contents through that tiny bottle opening and into my glass of ice. That's two Actions, and I haven't even tasted it yet. Being able to do this as a bonus action--say, while I'm sparring with an opponent, or climbing a ladder--is bonkers.

This myth is BUSTED.

 

[TheSword]

it's not about easier, it's about what is more fun.

wasting a turn to drink a potions is not very fun, same as healing.


that is why ALL healing spells should be bonus actions.

I.E. combining healing word with cure wounds into single spell:

Bonus action + 60ft range: 1d4 per level
Bonus action + touch: 1d6 per level
Action + 60ft range: 1d8 per level
Action + touch: 1d12 per level
1 min cast time + touch: 12HP per level

Taking all risk out of the game isn’t fun.

Healing potions are supposed to be to save yourself or comrades when things are really hairy, not to keep yourself topped up to max health.

With the issues with wealth and what to spend it on. You might as well just give players 2d4+2 bonus hp every round. To keep them in tip top condition. Sure turn everyone into a Twight cleric.

What we need is some more danger in combat, not less. Make falling to zero hp give you a level of exhaustion - all of a sudden players will be less likely to just let themselves fall to zero Hp. Add bleeding, shattered, and broken conditions to the game that can be cured by magical healing. Then that healing potion and it’s action becomes more worthwhile.

It cheapens the Paladins lay on hands, and healing spells that do still require an action - or a precious spells slot. Why bother with these things if you can heal with a bonus action.

The ability to remove peril from the game as a matter of course is not fun either.

 

[Horwath]

Taking all risk out of the game isn’t fun.

Healing potions are supposed to be to save yourself or comrades when things are really hairy, not to keep yourself topped up to max health.

With the issues with wealth and what to spend it on. You might as well just give players 2d4+2 bonus hp every round. To keep them in tip top condition. Sure turn everyone into a Twight cleric.

What we need is some more danger in combat, not less. Make falling to zero hp give you a level of exhaustion - all of a sudden players will be less likely to just let themselves fall to zero Hp. Add bleeding, shattered, and broken conditions to the game that can be cured by magical healing. Then that healing potion and it’s action becomes more worthwhile.

It cheapens the Paladins lay on hands, and healing spells that do still require an action - or a precious spells slot. Why bother with these things if you can heal with a bonus action.

The ability to remove peril from the game as a matter of course is not fun either.

The risk should still be there, but it's just a simple fact, healing is a boring mechanic.

it's worse than simple "auto attack", attack can at least miss or crit.

that is why it should be removed to Bonus action. ALL effects that just heal.

Lay on hands should be Bonus action also. Just the healing part. If you use it to remove conditions, then it should be an Action.
Same with ALL healing spells, if it's just restoring HP, Bonus action. If it removes conditions or give other bonuses: then an Action.

Also, I agree that dropping to 0 HP should give some penalty.
Like exhaustion level that gets removed if you are healed to 50% of max HP.

 

[Horwath]

I hadn't heard of this house-rule until I saw it on Critical Role. Maybe that's why it's so common?

It doesn't seem like it would break the game; it's just one more thing that the characters can do in a round. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe the number of things a character is supposed to be able to do in a six-second window of time. Is this even possible?

But now I'm curious, and also thirsty. Is six seconds enough time for me to punch a punching bag twice, then pull an airline-sized bottle of bourbon out of my pocket, open it, and drink it?

I'll let you know. One sec.

EDIT:
Nope. Using a stopwatch with a lap counter, I observed that it took 6.37 seconds just to get the bottle out of my pocket and twist it open. It took another 7.33 seconds to empty its contents through that tiny bottle opening and into my glass of ice. That's two Actions, and I haven't even tasted it yet. Being able to do this as a bonus action--say, while I'm sparring with an opponent, or climbing a ladder--is bonkers.

This myth is BUSTED.
View attachment 260715

potion usually has an ounce of liquid. that is less than a small shooter to drink.
they also usually come with cork that you can remove with just a thumb.

and I have seen guys drink 0,5L of beer in 3 seconds.