Potion Question

[sdt]

Are Haste Potions a rip off? They last for 5 rounds (standard) but you can't use it the first round so you only get 4 rounds of haste. Should I allow the characters hold the potion in their mouth until next round?

 

[frankthedm]

Could you explain why you think the potion delays a round? You most certainly can use the speed boost and AC bump. if you don't like having to use your standard action to drink the potion, have your party caster 'cast' the spell. One way or the other an action is being used.

I think all potions should delay a round, but they start up when quaffed IIRC.

Activation
Drinking a potion or applying an oil requires no special skill. The user merely removes the stopper and swallows the potion or smears on the oil. The following rules govern potion and oil use.

Drinking a potion or using an oil on an item of gear is a standard action. The potion or oil takes effect immediately. Using a potion or oil provokes attacks of opportunity. A successful attack (including grappling attacks) against the character forces a Concentration check (as for casting a spell). If the character fails this check, she cannot drink the potion. An enemy may direct an attack of opportunity against the potion or oil container rather than against the character. A successful attack of this sort can destroy the container.

 

[Infiniti2000]

The ruling on this is arguable, but the effect ends N rounds later at the same time. So, if you quaff a potion of haste (CL 5) in round 3, it's effect will end in round 8 at the end of your turn. This is the same as if you cast the spell.

Now, if you rule that spells always end at the beginning of your turn, then you'd have to have the same rule for spells. However, if anyone has evidence of when exactly a spell-like effect expires, please provide it.

 

[frankthedm]

The ruling on this is arguable, but the effect ends N rounds later at the same time. So, if you quaff a potion of haste (CL 5) in round 3, it's effect will end in round 8 at the end of your turn. This is the same as if you cast the spell.

Now, if you rule that spells always end at the beginning of your turn, then you'd have to have the same rule for spells. However, if anyone has evidence of when exactly a spell-like effect expires, please provide it.

Nope, the effect right before your turn in round 8. The caster/user benefits from the effect during the round it is cast.

The Combat Round
Each round represents 6 seconds in the game world. A round presents an opportunity for each character involved in a combat situation to take an action.

Each round’s activity begins with the character with the highest initiative result and then proceeds, in order, from there. Each round of a combat uses the same initiative order. When a character’s turn comes up in the initiative sequence, that character performs his entire round’s worth of actions. (For exceptions, see Attacks of Opportunity and Special Initiative Actions.)

For almost all purposes, there is no relevance to the end of a round or the beginning of a round. A round can be a segment of game time starting with the first character to act and ending with the last, but it usually means a span of time from one round to the same initiative count in the next round. Effects that last a certain number of rounds end just before the same initiative count that they began on.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Good quote, if a bit large. That ruling does seem to reduce the duration. It's not really 5 full rounds, but 4 full rounds and a little bit.

 

[Bad Paper]

Two ways to handle this:
1) Model the effect after boots of speed. Make the activation free in the first round. This offsets the fact that it's a multiple-target spell getting only one target. This suggestion will probably give frankthedm a heart attack.

2) What I do: the PC gets five rounds of effect. Drink potion in round 1, get AC, Ref, move effects immediately, but get your full attacks starting on round 2. After you have had your full attack in round 6, the potion is blown (you do not get to keep the effects to AC etc past your turn). Maybe this counts as 5.5 rounds of effect, whatever. It compensates for the fact that it's a relatively expensive potion (group spell and all that).

 

[werk]

Are Haste Potions a rip off? They last for 5 rounds (standard) but you can't use it the first round so you only get 4 rounds of haste. Should I allow the characters hold the potion in their mouth until next round?

By that reasoning, all potions are a rip-off, and therefore, it's fine.

 

[KarinsDad]

Two ways to handle this:

Third way to handle this:

3) RAW - you get 4+ rounds of the AC, Reflex, attack bonus, and movement increases. You get 4 rounds of potential extra full round attack.


This really is not different than any other potion. A one minute potion gives you 9+ rounds of effect. There is no reason to modify the potion rules because they work the same for all potions, PCs, and NPCs. Ditto for Scrolls. Nothing is lost here. The rules apply the same to everybody.

The fact that you are using a multi-target spell in a single user potion is also irrelevant.

 

[Pyrex]

Also you can't make potions of True Strike because it's Rangeersonal.

The real rip-off of a Potion of Haste is that it only affects the drinker and not drinker & four friends within 30'...

 

[Infiniti2000]

Also you can't make potions of True Strike because it's Rangeersonal.

Yeah, but no one mentioned potions of true strike.

This really is not different than any other potion.

True, but note that the same thing applies to spells and spell-like effects. Now, obviously half a round (or so) lost will not be a big deal, so maybe that's why this is a non-issue. On the other hand, houseruling that the effects end at the end of your turn is a reasonable decision.