During our game this week, we came up with some rules questions... any answers would be greatly appreciated.
1) If a player has drunken a potion which lasts an hour, and during a battle is knocked unconscious, then healed back to life... is that originally drunk potion still active? or does dropping to 0 hit points (or lower) and being brought back end the effects of the potion?
2) During a combat, can a player or NPC attempt to pick someone's pocket? If the picker and victim are not stealthed? If the picker is hidden or stealthed?
3) Opinion more than a rules question... IF you and your party while DEEP in a mountain lair system, miles inside, you find a open room in the caverns a onyx bricked archway with a door in the center. But this doorway is in the center of an empty room, standing solidly in the middle of the room by it self. (Yes, horror movie feel). Like the door was discovered and escavated around, but left there undisturbed. Just above the door is a sign, a sign that is readable to each and every person in their own natural language. Strange... you have a key (which was found in two seperate parts that screw together to form the entire key. The sign above says. "Death awaits all who enter." Would YOU enter?
1) Does the potion says that the effect ends if the person who drank it is knocked unconscious? If not, the effect would not end. (Also, being knocked unconscious is not the same as being dead re being healed back to life).
2) Yes, but it would probably be very difficult due to the nature of the situation. You don't need to be hidden to pick someone's pocket and in most cases being hidden from the person you want to pickpocket would mean you are too far away to pickpocket the person.
Yes, sorry, the potion drinker is killed, at negative hit points, but then healed back up.
~Mad
What do you mean by "at negative hit points"? There is not such condition in D&D 5E. If you are at zero hit points and you take damage you start failing death saving throws. Or do you mean that the damage taken was enough to instantly kill the character?
In either case, I'd look at the description of the potion to look for any clue as how to interpret its effect. If it just says "for the next X minutes/hours..." I'd say that the effect is ongoing (just like alcohol stays in your blood even if you take a short nap). If the description says somthing about lasting only while the drinker is conscious then it would have ended.
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
I’d say the potion stays active, though I could see ruling otherwise enough that if that was my DMs ruling, I wouldn’t argue it. But I’d remember that next time my character dropped and had some negative effect active, it should work both ways.
Pickpocket without the target knowing, or just yoinking something off their belt and not caring if the target notices? I’d say both are possible but very difficult. Probably a high DC roll with disadvantage, with an easier dc if they don’t care if they are discovered.
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
Thanks
~Mad
If you're making death saves you are not dead yet. Since the description of the potion says the duration is one hour, I'd say that you'd still be under the effect even after being unconscious and being healed back up.
2.) If you disengage and move behind / beside target while in combat it could work I guess -- depends on lighting, the situation, the player, the story, etc. etc.
3.) I would go through that door right after I cast suggest on an NPC or player to go first.
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
Thanks
~Mad
If you're making death saves you are not dead yet. Since the description of the potion says the duration is one hour, I'd say that you'd still be under the effect even after being unconscious and being healed back up.
Actually the temp hp from heroism wouldn’t revive you. From the PHB section on temp hp:
“If you have 0 hit points, receiving temporary hit points doesn't restore you to consciousness or stabilize you. They can still absorb damage directed at you while you're in that state, but only true healing can save you.”
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
Thanks
~Mad
If you're making death saves you are not dead yet. Since the description of the potion says the duration is one hour, I'd say that you'd still be under the effect even after being unconscious and being healed back up.
Actually the temp hp from heroism wouldn’t revive you. From the PHB section on temp hp:
“If you have 0 hit points, receiving temporary hit points doesn't restore you to consciousness or stabilize you. They can still absorb damage directed at you while you're in that state, but only true healing can save you.”
It sounds to me like the player was under the effects of the potion, went to 0 HP, then brought back up. The temp HP were gone after using them, but the Bless effect should still be up since the potion says no concentration needed and neither the potion nor the spell suggests it ends early if you are knocked unconscious.
The sleight of hand question suggests that the attempt was made without trying to give away the fact, otherwise it would likely be a strength check. There isn't anything that says that you can't make skill checks during combat, and the DC of the check would be dependent on several factors. Due to the wording of opportunity attacks (not that this is an opportunity attack, just drawing inspiration from the description), I'd think that the sleight of hand would be made at disadvantage unless made from behind or while unseen, which would make it a straight check. Advantage would be impossible in combat in my opinion.
The door would be a no for most of my characters. However, some would choose to do so. More of those characters would do so if there were motives that were not mentioned.
Think of it this way: If you get black out drunk and pass out for a few minutes, then someone wakes you up, do you wake up sober? No. The potion's effects on your body last until the potion is out of your system, ie 1 Hour in this case.
1 - The potion is still in your body so it shouldn't wear off. Only potions that have an effect that say something like ends when creatures goes to 0 hp.
2 - Picking the pocket of an unaware target is far different than picking a pocket of somebody in combat. There is no facing in 5e, so there is no "I sneak up behind him where he won't see me." I'd make the DC very high and give disadvantage. MAYBE if you grappled first and you were not the only one in combat.
3 - Heck yes, I'd go in. This is Dungeons and Dragons in which you play heroes. Not Wimps and Gimps, where you play cowards (well you could RP a coward but that's not fun in my opinion). I expect the dangers beyond the door to be dangerous but not an instant kill. There is not enough foreshadowing to justify and instant kill. Killing of the PC would be a GM dick move especially after the party went through the trouble of finding the keys. Dangerous, YES, insta kill, no. So yeah, jump in with both feet.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
Thanks
~Mad
If you're making death saves you are not dead yet. Since the description of the potion says the duration is one hour, I'd say that you'd still be under the effect even after being unconscious and being healed back up.
Actually the temp hp from heroism wouldn’t revive you.
This thread has suddenly given me the inspiration as a Necromancer to carry around small corpses (in a bag of holding, or body cart, whatever) pre-saturated with helpful potions like Potion of Fire Breath. Considered drunk at the moment that the creature comes into existence, so you can raise Fire-breathing zombies with Animate Dead?
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
Thanks
~Mad
If you're making death saves you are not dead yet. Since the description of the potion says the duration is one hour, I'd say that you'd still be under the effect even after being unconscious and being healed back up.
Actually the temp hp from heroism wouldn’t revive you.
This thread has suddenly given me the inspiration as a Necromancer to carry around small corpses (in a bag of holding, or body cart, whatever) pre-saturated with helpful potions like Potion of Fire Breath. Considered drunk at the moment that the creature comes into existence, so you can raise Fire-breathing zombies with Animate Dead?
As a GM, I'm totally doing that!
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
This thread has suddenly given me the inspiration as a Necromancer to carry around small corpses (in a bag of holding, or body cart, whatever) pre-saturated with helpful potions like Potion of Fire Breath. Considered drunk at the moment that the creature comes into existence, so you can raise Fire-breathing zombies with Animate Dead?
That potion only lasts for an hour, and it's unclear if it would work if you poured it down the throat of an unanimated corpse (or if undead can even use them). But with a bit of preparation it could perhaps work in certain situations...
But is it "drinking" the potion to pour it from one inanimate container (flask) into another (corpse)? Or is the potion only drank once the corpse awakens, to become a creature with potion in its stomach/veins?
Obviously no real RAW answer there either way, comes down to DM interpretation. I just thought it was a fun idea for alchemical zombies that I hadn't really thought of before this thread. :)
Potion ... I would rule it as it takes 1 hour to metabolize the potion. If you drop to zero and come back up, you still have the potion duration left to be played out.
Pick-pocket ... sure, roll for success instead of using your action for something else. Might be at disadvantage because this guy is watching your hands like a hawk.
Door in the lower levels ... It goes to the Nether. Death awaits you here, so what if it awaits you there too? I'm probably going to go through the door ... after a long rest.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Unless the Potion says otherwise, it lasts the full duration. If a potion were to behave differently, it would describe that mechanic.
Picking someone's pocket would depend on the nature of the situation. If the pickpocket is Hidden, then they'd have a much better chance of success. If the target is aware that someone is attempting to steal from them, then it would be harder. If the target is more concerned with fighting, the attempt would be more likely to succeed against them, but they'd be more likely to detect the thief. Etcetera and so forth. This would likely cost the pickpocket their Action for the turn, however.
As for the archway.... there is nowhere near enough context for that. Why are we in the cavern? What events led us to locating the key pieces, and do we have any idea what they are really for? Is it part of some quest or story that brought us here? Was the archway and/or cavern system guarded by anything not a natural denizen of the caves? What is the party's status?
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During our game this week, we came up with some rules questions... any answers would be greatly appreciated.
1) If a player has drunken a potion which lasts an hour, and during a battle is knocked unconscious, then healed back to life... is that originally drunk potion still active? or does dropping to 0 hit points (or lower) and being brought back end the effects of the potion?
2) During a combat, can a player or NPC attempt to pick someone's pocket? If the picker and victim are not stealthed? If the picker is hidden or stealthed?
3) Opinion more than a rules question... IF you and your party while DEEP in a mountain lair system, miles inside, you find a open room in the caverns a onyx bricked archway with a door in the center. But this doorway is in the center of an empty room, standing solidly in the middle of the room by it self. (Yes, horror movie feel). Like the door was discovered and escavated around, but left there undisturbed. Just above the door is a sign, a sign that is readable to each and every person in their own natural language. Strange... you have a key (which was found in two seperate parts that screw together to form the entire key. The sign above says. "Death awaits all who enter."
Would YOU enter?
Thanks for your thoughts.
~Mad
1) Does the potion says that the effect ends if the person who drank it is knocked unconscious? If not, the effect would not end. (Also, being knocked unconscious is not the same as being dead re being healed back to life).
2) Yes, but it would probably be very difficult due to the nature of the situation. You don't need to be hidden to pick someone's pocket and in most cases being hidden from the person you want to pickpocket would mean you are too far away to pickpocket the person.
3) Depends on what character I play.
Yes, sorry, the potion drinker is killed, at negative hit points, but then healed back up.
~Mad
What do you mean by "at negative hit points"? There is not such condition in D&D 5E. If you are at zero hit points and you take damage you start failing death saving throws. Or do you mean that the damage taken was enough to instantly kill the character?
In either case, I'd look at the description of the potion to look for any clue as how to interpret its effect. If it just says "for the next X minutes/hours..." I'd say that the effect is ongoing (just like alcohol stays in your blood even if you take a short nap). If the description says somthing about lasting only while the drinker is conscious then it would have ended.
Was making Death Saves, then the cleric healed me back up to 10 hit points... during the 'Drop' do I lose the effects of the potion (a Potion of Heroism)?
Thanks
~Mad
I’d say the potion stays active, though I could see ruling otherwise enough that if that was my DMs ruling, I wouldn’t argue it. But I’d remember that next time my character dropped and had some negative effect active, it should work both ways.
Pickpocket without the target knowing, or just yoinking something off their belt and not caring if the target notices? I’d say both are possible but very difficult. Probably a high DC roll with disadvantage, with an easier dc if they don’t care if they are discovered.
I would go through that door 100% of the time.
If you're making death saves you are not dead yet. Since the description of the potion says the duration is one hour, I'd say that you'd still be under the effect even after being unconscious and being healed back up.
1.) Yes you lose the buffs
2.) If you disengage and move behind / beside target while in combat it could work I guess -- depends on lighting, the situation, the player, the story, etc. etc.
3.) I would go through that door right after I cast suggest on an NPC or player to go first.
Actually the temp hp from heroism wouldn’t revive you. From the PHB section on temp hp:
“If you have 0 hit points, receiving temporary hit points doesn't restore you to consciousness or stabilize you. They can still absorb damage directed at you while you're in that state, but only true healing can save you.”
It sounds to me like the player was under the effects of the potion, went to 0 HP, then brought back up. The temp HP were gone after using them, but the Bless effect should still be up since the potion says no concentration needed and neither the potion nor the spell suggests it ends early if you are knocked unconscious.
The sleight of hand question suggests that the attempt was made without trying to give away the fact, otherwise it would likely be a strength check. There isn't anything that says that you can't make skill checks during combat, and the DC of the check would be dependent on several factors. Due to the wording of opportunity attacks (not that this is an opportunity attack, just drawing inspiration from the description), I'd think that the sleight of hand would be made at disadvantage unless made from behind or while unseen, which would make it a straight check. Advantage would be impossible in combat in my opinion.
The door would be a no for most of my characters. However, some would choose to do so. More of those characters would do so if there were motives that were not mentioned.
Think of it this way: If you get black out drunk and pass out for a few minutes, then someone wakes you up, do you wake up sober? No. The potion's effects on your body last until the potion is out of your system, ie 1 Hour in this case.
1 - The potion is still in your body so it shouldn't wear off. Only potions that have an effect that say something like ends when creatures goes to 0 hp.
2 - Picking the pocket of an unaware target is far different than picking a pocket of somebody in combat. There is no facing in 5e, so there is no "I sneak up behind him where he won't see me." I'd make the DC very high and give disadvantage. MAYBE if you grappled first and you were not the only one in combat.
3 - Heck yes, I'd go in. This is Dungeons and Dragons in which you play heroes. Not Wimps and Gimps, where you play cowards (well you could RP a coward but that's not fun in my opinion). I expect the dangers beyond the door to be dangerous but not an instant kill. There is not enough foreshadowing to justify and instant kill. Killing of the PC would be a GM dick move especially after the party went through the trouble of finding the keys. Dangerous, YES, insta kill, no. So yeah, jump in with both feet.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Well, no-one has claimed it does...
This thread has suddenly given me the inspiration as a Necromancer to carry around small corpses (in a bag of holding, or body cart, whatever) pre-saturated with helpful potions like Potion of Fire Breath. Considered drunk at the moment that the creature comes into existence, so you can raise Fire-breathing zombies with Animate Dead?
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Sorry. I read your post wrong. My mistake.
As a GM, I'm totally doing that!
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
That potion only lasts for an hour, and it's unclear if it would work if you poured it down the throat of an unanimated corpse (or if undead can even use them). But with a bit of preparation it could perhaps work in certain situations...
But is it "drinking" the potion to pour it from one inanimate container (flask) into another (corpse)? Or is the potion only drank once the corpse awakens, to become a creature with potion in its stomach/veins?
Obviously no real RAW answer there either way, comes down to DM interpretation. I just thought it was a fun idea for alchemical zombies that I hadn't really thought of before this thread. :)
dndbeyond.com forum tags
I'm going to make this way harder than it needs to be.
Potion ... I would rule it as it takes 1 hour to metabolize the potion. If you drop to zero and come back up, you still have the potion duration left to be played out.
Pick-pocket ... sure, roll for success instead of using your action for something else. Might be at disadvantage because this guy is watching your hands like a hawk.
Door in the lower levels ... It goes to the Nether. Death awaits you here, so what if it awaits you there too? I'm probably going to go through the door ... after a long rest.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
Unless the Potion says otherwise, it lasts the full duration. If a potion were to behave differently, it would describe that mechanic.
Picking someone's pocket would depend on the nature of the situation. If the pickpocket is Hidden, then they'd have a much better chance of success. If the target is aware that someone is attempting to steal from them, then it would be harder. If the target is more concerned with fighting, the attempt would be more likely to succeed against them, but they'd be more likely to detect the thief. Etcetera and so forth. This would likely cost the pickpocket their Action for the turn, however.
As for the archway.... there is nowhere near enough context for that. Why are we in the cavern? What events led us to locating the key pieces, and do we have any idea what they are really for? Is it part of some quest or story that brought us here? Was the archway and/or cavern system guarded by anything not a natural denizen of the caves? What is the party's status?