I am a both a player and a DM, and last night, in the campaign in which I am a player, my ally wanted to use a healing potion on another ally of ours who had just been downed. Because the healing potion was in the inventory of the downed ally, our DM ruled that he'd need to succeed an Investigation check to successfully find it and administer it. Although we were in initiative, I felt that this ruling seemed a bit arbitrary and needlessly crunchy. Am I way off base in thinking that you shouldn't need to investigate an ally's unconscious body in order to find and give them a potion of healing? Or is this how other DMs would rule this same type of action?

By default, only a potion in your inventory is usable, so you have to first get it into your inventory (by taking it from them). How much effort this requires is a DM call.

I think thats pretty shoddy DM'ing - most tables its BA to drink a potion - Action to adminter to someone else - Free Object interaction to grab it from your pack or an allies pack.

I mean really the group is all out there slaying the evil monsters and you what - hide the healing potions from each other - meh 

Now if the DM made the DC super low and had in mostly as a flavor thing (like a dc 5) I can maybe see it but its still not a thing I would do in one of my games  - it feels too much like ooo look at me I'm in charge and you can't do that nah nah nah nah nah. 

But hey everyone has their own style so whatever floats the DM's boat. 

Quote from James_Bard >>

I think thats pretty shoddy DM'ing - most tables its BA to drink a potion - Action to adminter to someone else - Free Object interaction to grab it from your pack or an allies pack.

Worth pointing out that under the 2024 rules it's a bonus action to do either.

Quote from SquintsTheNearsighted >>

I am a both a player and a DM, and last night, in the campaign in which I am a player, my ally wanted to use a healing potion on another ally of ours who had just been downed. Because the healing potion was in the inventory of the downed ally, our DM ruled that he'd need to succeed an Investigation check to successfully find it and administer it. Although we were in initiative, I felt that this ruling seemed a bit arbitrary and needlessly crunchy. Am I way off base in thinking that you shouldn't need to investigate an ally's unconscious body in order to find and give them a potion of healing? Or is this how other DMs would rule this same type of action?

 I would, and have, ruled the same way.  Going through someone else's gear is different from going through your own, and should not be a free action. 

The DC for the search can easily be adjusted depending on where the potion is located; 5-10 for an easily accessible and obvious place would be typical.  You use your action to search and your bonus action to administer.

Eh, if a character packs their potions for easy of accessibility in combat, it shouldn't be hard for another character to get access to them when the first character is down and in need of medical assistance.

I would say it's fine. Making the action more complicated doesn't add anything to the game.

I tend to let the players find things in unconcious allies' packs (and anything else that doesn't feel like a struggle to overcome) for free, because I don't think a check would make it more fun or add anything to the game.
That said, it's the DM's choice and I don't think it's a huge deal. If they're going for realism, or it's a dice-heavy game, having you make a check might be more appropriate.

I think making it require an action, no investigation check required is fair. Yes, I would house-rule that even if playing in 2024 rules.