Booster and healing potions

[Gkeckley]

The way these work is you drink the potion and it adds to your next recovery test over the next 24 hours. It does not provide the immediate use of a personal recovery test. A healing potion allows you to roll 2d6 immediately if you have no recovery tests left. It also instantly heals a wound. Has anybody house ruled that they allow the immediate use of a personal recovery test so it can be used in combat as a standard action?

[Mataxes]

I never have, but that's a tone thing for me. I've never been fond of the 'chugging a potion in combat' thing from D&D et al.

I wouldn't allow it with a booster potion. Maybe a healing potion (though I might personally restrict it to just the Step 8 as if you didn't have a recovery test available).

I would be concerned about treading into territory marked out by certain talents like Wood Skin or Fireblood.

[Baravakar]

[Gkeckley]

It only immediately grants it if your out of recovery tests. Otherwise I agree with you. As far as stepping on fireblood I would think the cost alone would be prohibitive and keep it from stepping on fire bloods toes. My thinking is if you do not have an elemetalist there are limited ways to heal in combat. I think it is mostly a tone you are setting as stated by Mataxes.

[etherial]

[emeketos]

we have played with and without healing potions in combat. Our conclusion is not allowing healing potions to be used in combat give more value to fireblood. Earthdawn is a particularly deadly game which means be careful as to what you attack its bite might be bigger than you first thought. Also with grove renewal being able to be used in combat as water spear(which basically sucks) there are alternatives. Grove renewal generally offers 40 points of healing over 10 turns that's generally better than what a normal recovery test will give you. It can also be augmented to be +6 giving 60 points of healing over 10 turns.

also Grove renewal + fire heal are a spectacular combination. Get extra recovery tests use them to heal party members in combat.

[Razan_GM]

PG p.381

"Characters must also wait at least one hour after engaging in combat before they
can make a Recovery test".
As for me that means even if you drink Healing Potion you still cant use Recovery test during combat. Thats why there are spells that shorten the 1 hour period between Recovery tests, or specifficaly let you heal during combat.

Lets see how it would look in fight. You drop weapon or stick in ground. You take potion, uncork it, take your head back a bit to drink it showing your throat to enemy (not giving full attention to enemy is bad idea). He can attack your hand (Str vs his Dmg step, and possibly damage) or bottle (destroyed if hit) or kick your weapon out of reach.

But maybe you got shield, so: You drop weapon or stick in ground, you cover yourself with shield so he cant attack your hand/potion/throat which means you totally cant see him (Blindsided). Even worse situation.

I used to fight in medevial reenacting, drinking in fight means youre on your way to grave.

[Mataxes]

Even setting aside the "realism" involved, there's a gameplay reason as well.

Combats can take a while to resolve. Providing more opportunities to extend that (beyond what's already in the game)... not really a fan.