Single Use Items as Swift Actions

[Kestrel]

On a personal forum with my players, one of them posted this

As far as expendable items go, I'm all for them, with the following caveat: players should not be using a batch of them before every combat and they shouldn't be designed to wear out before they're useful; nor should they be impossible to use effectively. To be a little clearer on the last point, many potions/scrolls are impossible to use at the moment they are needed most and wasted if they are used under false assumption of what's ahead. I think a good solution to this would be to allow them as free or even interupted actions, maybe with some trade off if this is too unbalanced.

I like this idea...too many times Ive seen potions/scrolls wasted in a fight, or even worse, a player slaughtered when trying to use one.

But how to balance it? The only thing i can think of is timers, like in World of Warcraft, you can drink a healing potion once every two minutes and buff potions have a seperate timer.

Ideas? (As to balance issues, whats good for the goose is good for the gander. NPCs using the same rule should balance it)

 

[Felnar]

Ideas? (As to balance issues, whats good for the goose is good for the gander. NPCs using the same rule should balance it)

actually, a general rule would benefit NPCs much more than PCs
NPCs never need to conserve resources, so they never have a reason to not drink their potion

so how about... yet another feat !

Name: Swift Chugger
Prereqs: none?
You can drink a potion as a swift action. No AoOs. Alternatively, as a move action you can retrieve and consume an easily accessible potion (eg. belt, adjacent table).
Special: At the local tavern, you get +4 to all 'impress the ladies' skill checks

 

[Gerion of Mercadia]

Well, Feat Swift Chugger...

But I would probably make Quickdraw a Prerequisite.


Reason: I want to deter this until about 3rd level or so. A 1st/2nd level barbarian with a lot of Enlarge Person potions... potentially too ugly.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Change it to:

Benefit: As part of a move action you can retrieve and consume an easily accessable potion {eg. belt, unattended potion of a table within reach} without drawing an AoO.
Special: If consuming more than one potion in a round, consult the Potion Miscability table to determine the results

 

[Nifft]

I like Swift Chugger!

Might be nice to have some kind of "slots" for swift or immediate use items, though. For example, a shield with six slots that can each contain a potion (or perhaps a special "slot gem"). When you would take energy damage, the shield Immediately burns potion to give you the potion's effect for 1 round (instead of the usual multi-round duration).

Cheers, -- N