Question regarding the "Drink a potion" action

[power2084]

Hi,

The other day, during a fight, my character decided to drink a Haste potion. I had a free hand, so thats not a problem. The PHB on page 141 states that it's a standard action. But since I didn't already have the potion in hand (it was on my belt), my Dungeon Master
told me I also had to spend a move-equivalent action to pick it up !!

Which meant that drinking the potion took my full round. I would have liked to make a move also during that round but wasn't allowed (I tried telling my DM that I wanted to make a move AND pick up the potion at the same time (as a free action), but he refused, stating that only a few actions like Draw a Weapon can be combined with a move to become a free action).

What would you guys do in your game ? Does the "Drink a potion" action, as a standard action, assume that you pick it up from an easily-accessible area (not your backpack) as well as drink it ?

Thank you for your replies.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

The "drink a potion" action requires that you have the potion in hand.

If you don't, you need to pull it from wherever it is, which is usually a move action.

There're items - like masterwork potion belt, which first appeared in FRCS - that allow you, 1 / round, to draw a potion as a free action.

 

[blargney the second]

Your DM had the right of it, from the sounds of things.

My PCs usually pick up a potion bracer if they plan on being in melee at all. It lets you chug a brewsky as a standard action without AoOs and without having to retrieve it. It's mundane eq in Sharn: City of Towers.

 

[XCorvis]

I run my game exactly like that, and it's the same for every other game I've played in. It's kind of annoying at times, but it's pretty explicit in the rules. IMO, it's not worth the bother of changing but I can certainly see why you'd prefer an alternative.

 

[mvincent]

I tried telling my DM that I wanted to make a move AND pick up the potion at the same time (as a free action), but he refused, stating that only a few actions like Draw a Weapon can be combined with a move to become a free action.

The rules for drawing a weapon say:
"This action also applies to weapon-like objects carried in easy reach, such as wands." and
" If you have a base attack bonus of +1 or higher, you may draw a weapon as a free action combined with a regular move. "

Assuming the potion was in easy reach (i.e. in your belt rather than your backpack), I would side with you.

Does the "Drink a potion" action, as a standard action, assume that you pick it up from an easily-accessible area (not your backpack) as well as drink it ?

No. You still have to have an item in your hand before you can use it.

 

[power2084]

What about the alternative thing I wanted to do ?

My character wanted to "get the potion in hand" as a free action while he was taking a move. Here's how I see it: it doesn't require much concentration so it should be allowed much the same as "Draw a Weapon" is a free action when combined with a move.

Other reason it should be allowed: if instead of a Haste potion, it would be a burning oil potion (to use as a grenade), I would be allowed to "Draw" it as a free action since it's clearly a weapon.

 

[blargney the second]

I can see how you'd think it ought to be the same. The rule's pretty straightforward though: weapons and shields can be drawn during the movement of a move action, anything else takes its own move action to draw. I'm not sure why, that's just the way it is. *shrug*

 

[power2084]

But I could certainly tell my DM that I intend to use the Haste potion as (improvised) weapon ! To be thrown at the enemy. Then I can draw it as a free action while moving.

Once drawn, of course, I drink it

It still respects the rules !

 

[Hypersmurf]

The rule's pretty straightforward though: weapons and shields can be drawn during the movement of a move action, anything else takes its own move action to draw.

It's not that straightforward, because it's weapons, shields, or weapon-like objects carried in easy reach.

You end up with a judgement call required on what constitutes a weapon-like object. We know that wands are; we don't have an explicit definition for anything else.

-Hyp.

 

[mvincent]

The rule's pretty straightforward though: weapons and shields can be drawn during the movement of a move action, anything else takes its own move action to draw.

That appears to be incorrect. As mentioned earlier, the rules say:
"This action also applies to weapon-like objects carried in easy reach, such as wands."

From the Rules of the Game (if desired):
"The draw a weapon action (and nonaction) also applies to weaponlike objects carried in easy reach. The rules don't give much guidance about which objects are "weaponlike," other than to use a wand as an example. As a practical matter, I suggest treating any object that is no bigger than a weapon for the character as weaponlike for this purpose. To be retrieved as a weapon, the weaponlike object also has to be stored in some convenient place, such as a sheath or loop in a belt or on some kind of harness or bandoleer."