Swallow a potion as a free action

[Conaill]

Thinking back on my Chug / Improved Chug feats... how powerful do you think is this ability to drink potions in one gulp? Is it worth one or two feats? There's a continuum between having a single feat that allows drinking of a potion as a free action without AoO, and needing a second Improved Chug feat but still drawing AoO's.

I get the feeling this ability is all in all not that powerful...

 

[James McMurray]

I would never spend two feats to do that. I might spend one feat to do it, but only if I was a caster with brew potion.

 

[rkanodia]

As far as I can tell, the 3.5 SRD doesn't have any proscription against making potions out of personal-range spells. I'd take those feats, get a reach weapon, and drink a potion of true strike every round... Nothing like paying 50 gold for +10 attack, +20 damage!

 

[Conaill]

As far as I can tell, the 3.5 SRD doesn't have any proscription against making potions out of personal-range spells. I'd take those feats, get a reach weapon, and drink a potion of true strike every round... Nothing like paying 50 gold for +10 attack, +20 damage!

Yeah, that would have been nice. Except that the second paragraph under "Creating Potions" says "Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions." Bummer, dude...

So, one feat seems reasonable to drink potions as a free action? With or without an AoO? Only one potion per round?

 

[rkanodia]

Oh. Of course that's what I get for looking up 'Potion' instead of 'Item Creation'.

I can still see some brokenness issues with people buffing themselves in combat with no cost to their attack routines. Or healing themselves in combat with no cost to their attack routines. Or drinking a potion of Sanctuary after every full-round attack. Still, for two feats, it's worth giving a try, leaving in the AoO. Tell us how it works out.

 

[AeroDm]

That Quicken spell potion/pill thing intrigues me. How would that work with the given game mechanics, or would it be entirely impossible?

 

[Arc]

That Quicken spell potion/pill thing intrigues me. How would that work with the given game mechanics, or would it be entirely impossible?

Those tasty SRD quotes we've all been waiting for:

QUICKEN SPELL [METAMAGIC]
Benefit: Casting a quickened spell is a free action. You can perform another action, even casting another spell, in the same round as you cast a quickened spell. You may cast only one quickened spell per round. A spell whose casting time is more than 1 full round action cannot be quickened. A quickened spell uses up a spell slot four levels higher than the spell’s actual level. Casting a quickened spell doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity.

POTIONS AND OILS
A potion is a magic liquid that produces its effect when imbibed. Magic oils are similar to potions, except that oils are applied externally rather than imbibed. A potion or oil can be used only once. It can duplicate the effect of a spell of up to 3rd level that has a casting time of less than 1 minute.

There's your problem
Still is a nifty idea though. I like the feat idea myself, seems fairly balanced. A single feat would probably be enough, as two seems a bit much for an ability that gets mediocre at higher levels.

 

[jgsugden]

If you want a spell effect as a free action with a one time use restriction, you are not restricted to potions. There are other options. Plenty of magic items have 'charges'. A ring of three wishes. A necklace of fireballs. Ability score tomes. Scrolls.

Designing a one use magic item with a single charge is perfectly reasonable. Designing it to work as a free action will probably make it pretty expensive, but it should be able to be done.

 

[James McMurray]

I'd have it not provoke an AoO. I do't think you'll have problems with it, because its a fairly expensive tactic at lower levels and a fairly weak one at high levels (since you'll already have items that buff, and healing a couple of d8 hit points isn't likely to save you from the foe's next full attack.

Definitely keep a close eye on it though, and let your players know that you might put the AoO back in if it gets out of hand. Just the suggestion of it is likely to keep things from getting out of hand.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

To the original post, don't forget that digestion begins in the mouth. I'd have the potion go off as soon as it hit saliva.