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<blockquote data-quote="redrick" data-source="post: 6574782" data-attributes="member: 6777696">Hmm, I see that here in the DMG. &quot;Activating some magic items requires a user to do something special, such as holding the item and uttering a command word ... If an item requires an action to activate, that action isn't a function of the Use an Item action, so a feature such as the Rogue's Fast Hands can't be used to activate the item.&quot;It then goes on to list potions as requiring the action of &quot;drinking,&quot; so, yeah, that does seem to be the RAW.The good news for all those potion pushing Thieves out there is that I imagine most DMs haven't read the DMG half as carefully as they've read the combat section of the PHB/basic rules. (I certainly haven't gone cover to cover on the guy, and I run a session every week. It's The Best Game of D&amp;D Ever And I'm Sure The Players Love Every Minute Of It And Wouldn't Want Me To Change A Single Thing.)For my own game, I might rule this the other way? Or I'd rule that administering a liquid requires an action in all cases? (Can I pour a flask of brandy down the throat of my teammate, but not a healing potion?) I guess if, at medium levels, the rogue is a walking apothecary and is just running around popping healing potions in everybody's mouth for some easy bonus action healing that is now affordable because mid-level characters have gobs of cash, well, this restriction might make sense. Or I might do something else to limit the number of healing potions the rogue can stockpile and administer quickly. (You can keep one potion in a readily accessible place, but if you walk around like some sort of Wayne Reynolds drawing with a bandolier of healing potions around your chest, expect to lose a lot of healing potions.)I'll probably never have to worry about it, because I can't see any of the players in my game building a Thief character. These guys are assassins through and through.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="redrick, post: 6574782, member: 6777696"] Hmm, I see that here in the DMG. "Activating some magic items requires a user to do something special, such as holding the item and uttering a command word ... If an item requires an action to activate, that action isn't a function of the Use an Item action, so a feature such as the Rogue's Fast Hands can't be used to activate the item." It then goes on to list potions as requiring the action of "drinking," so, yeah, that does seem to be the RAW. The good news for all those potion pushing Thieves out there is that I imagine most DMs haven't read the DMG half as carefully as they've read the combat section of the PHB/basic rules. (I certainly haven't gone cover to cover on the guy, and I run a session every week. It's The Best Game of D&D Ever And I'm Sure The Players Love Every Minute Of It And Wouldn't Want Me To Change A Single Thing.) For my own game, I might rule this the other way? Or I'd rule that administering a liquid requires an action in all cases? (Can I pour a flask of brandy down the throat of my teammate, but not a healing potion?) I guess if, at medium levels, the rogue is a walking apothecary and is just running around popping healing potions in everybody's mouth for some easy bonus action healing that is now affordable because mid-level characters have gobs of cash, well, this restriction might make sense. Or I might do something else to limit the number of healing potions the rogue can stockpile and administer quickly. (You can keep one potion in a readily accessible place, but if you walk around like some sort of Wayne Reynolds drawing with a bandolier of healing potions around your chest, expect to lose a lot of healing potions.) I'll probably never have to worry about it, because I can't see any of the players in my game building a Thief character. These guys are assassins through and through. [/QUOTE]

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