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I keep getting disgusted with the action economy of trying to use potions. I'm trying to find a way to make potions more combat friendly. I've decided this is probably best used for an alchemist: mutagens, infusions, extra duration for potions, brew potion feat... seems to fit best.
So I've got a basic outline of combining these elements to allow a potion to be used in same round as an attack, similar to using a different weapon in same round as attack.
Components:
Tiefling (prehensile tail: alt racial trait): Many tieflings have tails, but some have long, flexible tails that can be used to carry items. While they cannot wield weapons with their tails, they can use them to retrieve small, stowed objects carried on their persons as a swift action. This racial trait replaces fiendish sorcery.
Trait
Accelerated Drinker: You may drink a potion as a move action instead of a standard action as long as you start your turn with the potion in your hand.
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Putting these together:
Could said character:
swift (tail) - draw potion
move - drink
leaving a standard for attack, 2nd move, whatever?
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Where I'm concerned about this build is "Accelerated Drinker: You may drink a potion as a move action instead of a standard action as long as you start your turn with the potion in your hand"
Does this translate to preventing the grab and drink of a potion in 1 round, do to the swift (tail) happening after the start of this turn?
Would any DM really have enough of an issue with this to prevent it?
Yes, I realize this can be avoided with the swift grab being done at end of previous turn, but now we're back to 2 rounds vs 1.
Also, if I "feed" the potion to the ally next to me, does that require standard action, or is it still a move action, since I have the trait and I'm performing the action?
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Compare potion vs weapon
Normal:
potions =
move - retrieve potion
standard - drink
vs
weapons =
free - draw
standard - attack
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so... with both hands free... I can draw 2 weapons, make 2 attacks, and still have a swift and move available
but
with both hands free... I can draw 1 potion (provoking aoo), drink (provoking 2nd aoo), have only a swift available?
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Can someone help me make sense of all this, please?
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The two problems I see with potions are cost, and action economy. Yes, cost, I said. A potion of cure light wounds costs 50 gp, as opposed to a less expensive option such as the happy stick -- the wand of cure light wounds, where each charge costs 25 gp. Assuming both the potion and the wand were created at 1st caster level.
It's more cost-effective for adventurers to carry around happy sticks, provided someone on the team has the ability to use them, rather than potions.
As far as action economy goes, I've never really understood why potions take an entire move action to retrieve, whereas something as unwieldy as a long sword can be drawn as part of an attack action. If you're a professional adventurer, you're going to put your potion vials somewhere easily accessible, where they can be grabbed, taken to the mouth, and swallowed all in one smooth motion. And since these things become vital to your ensured success, you're going to design better places to store that potion and better methods of unstoppering during a crisis.
In my games, drawing any item from a dedicated storage location -- sword from a scabbard, potion from a bandolier or pouch -- is a simple (move) action, or a free action if done as part of an attack action to use the item, so long as the character has a BAB of +1 or greater. So you can draw and drink a potion as an attack action. Note this applies to potions and not extracts, which have their own rules. As an extract is a spell, you can't use this rule to use two extracts when hasted or you otherwise have been granted extra actions.
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I don't intend to re-start the extract vs potion debate. I'm cool with the established FAQ answer that extracts are NOT potions. I also get the wand economy, but if:
a wand capable person isn't around, out of range, dying in a pool of their own blood, ect: potions can be used by ANY meatshield. So, if I'm crafting potions (lowering initial cost), diluding (2 for 1 potions), enhancing (using a CL 1 at CL equal to my class level, extending (double the duration), ect. Now it's a lower cost vs wand, and useable by anyone in party, on anyone in party.
Here is why I'm trying to make it work better in combat, and justify taking these various discoveries for potions.
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I was excided to see "bandolier" originally, thinking it would change the "move" action to a "swift" action.... but alas.... bandolier (mechanically) is no different than pulling something from my backpack. So, other than "looking cool", what good is it?
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If you're wandering around with a potion at the ready it works. Or if you cast a spell/extract on the first round, ready a potion as a move action the same round, then on round 2 you can drink the potion as a move action leaving you free to do something else with your standard action.
It's not directly useful with this trait but Alchemical Allocation lets you use potions to buff or heal without expending them.
Step 1. Get your GM to read a lot of Batman comics
Step 2. Get your GM to allow your PC to have a Bane costume
Step 3. Swift or Free action to mainline potions from the suit injected directly into the character's veins
If you're looking for a RAW, PFS-approved way then probably spring-loaded sheathes.
The feat says you have to have the potion in hand at the beginning of the turn. To me, that means that you could retrieve the potion with your tail on turn one while making a move and standard action, and drink the potion as a move action on turn 2.
As for potions vs weapons, without the Quickdraw feat, a character with +1 BAB can draw a weapon as a free action as part of a move action.
From the SRD:
"...you may draw a weapon as a move action, or (if your base attack bonus is +1 or higher) as a free action as part of movement."
So it is not Draw+Move+Standard, but Draw/Move+Standard.
Glove of storing (10,000gp) works but it's expensive.
Sipping jacket (5,000gp) also works, but you put in a potion to have it avaiable as a swift action for 24 hrs.
After that, used or not, the potion is gone.
Lincoln: My old Juicer Assassin from Rifts, Ed McMahon, would beg to differ. When, on full-juice, I can wrangle a giant crab-monster as big as a skyscraper back through a rift and survive 1 pt of megadamage everything's A OK. See also: Steve Rogers; Captain America.