Can i drink a potion by using the "Use obect action"? Specifically, can a Rogue drink potions freely in his turn during combat?
Yes. You can use a potion as an action any time you could use an action, so before, in between, or after any movements in short.
BabyPandaBBQ wrote:
Markhal wrote:
mellored wrote:
Use an Object
You normally interact with an object while doing
something else, such as when you draw a sword as part
of an attack. When an object requires your action for
its use, you take the Use an Object action. This action
is also useful when you want to interact with more than
one object on your turn.
Fast Hands
Starting at 3rd level, you can use the bonus action
granted by your Cunning Action to make a Dexterity
(Sleight of Hand) check, use your thieves’ tools to
disarm a trap or open a lock, or take the Use an
Object action.
So yes, it works.
mellored wrote:
ln combination with uncanny dodge, drinking potions without giving up your actions = broken rogues. yay! guess I'll be playing one.
What is not clear is if you are using the Use an Object action to drink potion, expend rod/wand/staff/ring magic items charges etc...If so, this can be problematic.
I've asked Mike Mearls for clarification.
Plaguescarred wrote:
A potion is an object that requires an action for its use, therefore it falls under the Use an Object action. Fast Hands lets you use your bonus action to take the Use an Object action. So RAW, you can use Fast Hands to drink a potion as your bonus action.
SeanCaruso wrote:
On the other hand, the Use an Object action seems pretty straightforward RAW in saying; (Which would qualify any magic items BTW)
Use an Object: When an object requires your action for its use, you take the Use an Object action.
Did they intended to have rogue with Fast Hand be able to use any magic items as a bonus action instead of an action? I wonder....I have asked Mike Mearls for clarifications.
Here's Mike Mearls answer;
hmmm big danger then that rogues and fast hands is probably broken, at least in a game with potions being common. Not only potions, but wands etc after level 13 with Use Magic Object ability, whatever it's called. Any magic item ability that is use an object = rogue uses it as a bonus action in addition to his usual attack action. That's gonna get broken hard in char ops.
This is the sort of thing that's not supposed to make it through playtesting. Was fast hands in the later playtests?
Psikerlord wrote:
obsid wrote:
Would it really be that bad if rogues could use their cunning action to use magic items?
"Bad"... no, but it seems like a big jump in power once you get a few good items it is a lot more powerful. Lets say your using a Wand of Binding, to cast hold person or hold monster (wis save or be paralyzed) as a bonus action (in addition to your main action in which you attacked and did sneak attack damage). Or Wand of Magic Missles to cast a 3rd lvl version of magic missles as a bonus action (5d4+5 damage). I mean maybe its possible that is what they meant to do, this rogue archatype is meant to be "the item guy" given he can eventually use magic items for any class, but it is a big bump in power.
Yeah Fast Hands is badly broken as written.
FallingIcicle wrote:
Fast Hand is so fast that R&D didn't see it coming
I think this is fantastic for the Rogue. Rogues have always been the little brother to everything else in every edition. Damage (barbarian 3.5/ranger 4e), skills (wizards 3.5/bards 4e), item use (UMD works better with high Cha in 3.5).
Now the rogue will have something that puts him or her in the big leagues. I like it. Though I guess I prefer high fantasy instead of what D&D has been giving us for the past however many years (when it comes to non-casters).
Is it broken? Probably. But wait until we see what else is broken before you fix it because I have a sneaking suspicion that spells may get way to powerful like they were in 3.5 (plus evocation spells will be more powerful too!).
Maybe regulate the use item action for the rogue to work on magic items that only effect him? He doesn't get time to target and activate the item unless it is at himself ?
Psikerlord wrote:
Had a good read of everything and and at first couldn't see a clear way round this in the RAW.
However - wands follow the rules of spellcasting...
"Casting a spell from a wand otherwise follows all the normal rules for spellcasting." (last playtest lacket 'Magic Items' PDF, page 14)
"As an action, you can expend the specified number of charges to cast one of the following spells from the wand." (last playtest lacket 'Magic Items' PDF, page 15)
This doesn't help us much, but, on Page 78 of the Basic Rules;
"Before a spellcaster can use a spell, he or she must have the spell firmly fixed in mind, or must have access to the spell in a magic item."
To bring these together...
"As an action , you can expend the specified number of charges to cast one of the ... spells from the wand and this otherwise follows the normal rules for spellcasting."
'Cast a Spell' is a discrete action in combat (page 72 of the Basic Rules) and the above descriptions do not qualify the action necessary to activate the item. However, the fact that it is a 'Cast a Spell' action is overwhelmingly implicit from the other rules excerpts.
So in essence, when using a magic item to cast a spell, the action expended to activate and thus cast from it is the 'Cast a Spell' action - the capability to cast being supplied by the item, not your own knowledge or power.
The same would be true for scrolls (access to a spell in a magic item), but not a potion - which would be usable, or a mundane object (e.g. vial of acid) which doesn't require the 'Cast a Spell' action to have it's effect.
Thus the 'Use an Object' action would not be usable - magical items which cast spells give you the ability to use the 'Cast a Spell' action with regards to the spells they contain. 
That said - it's about as clear as mud isn't it..? I would hope an erratta that clears up the unclear wording is part of the official release.
I cannot see that 'Use an Object' is an official shoe-in for magic item enabled 'Cast a Spell' actions.... let's hope they didn't say that explicitly in the PHB! 
Slightly off-topic, but is drawing a potion (or wand, etc) from a backpack considered your one free Use Object? Such that you can now move, draw potion, and drink in one turn? Leaving aside the Rogue can do even more in a round with Fast Hands, this sounds like alot for 1 turn.
I'm wondering if drawing out a potion from a backpack is technically interacting with 2 objects - the backpack (opening the flap, searching) and the potion (grabbing and drawing out).
Cheers
Psikerlord wrote:
Plaguescarred wrote:
Depending on the frequency of distribution and the potency of the items, I don't know that this power will be broken. We need to see the magic item list before I can judge.
You can't cast spells with fast hands. You can drink a potion. I think the rules are clear here. If the object you are using does damage, or an attack, or a casting of a spell, it's not really "use an object" action. If it was, you could say "I'm using my shortsword object to attack". Which is clearly not allowed.
Daganev wrote:
They need to nail down what is covered by Use an Object... and then we'll see how problematic Fast Hands is.
Daganev wrote:
SeanCaruso wrote:
The intent (maybe I'm wrong) seems to be that it would let the rogue do "roguey things", such as picking a long or disarming a trap, while still being able to Dodge, or get a shot off...
That's how I read it. [shrug]
mcintma wrote:
New tweet from merls.
@Hadan_Ashcroft : Rogue: Fast Hands (Use an Object) so every round I can drink a potion, use a scroll or wand as a bonus action?
@mikemearls : nope - use an object does not refer to magic items. i made an earlier tweet that was in error.
@mikemearls : magic items are separate.
Clears that up.
thank goodness, fast hands no longer broken, just OP re acid pots etc. although reading "use an object", mearls is wrong. unless there is another action called use magic item not included in basic.
mellored wrote:
mellored wrote:
Psikerlord wrote:
Archon007 wrote:
I don't see an issue with potions. It sounds perfectly roguish to throw acid in someone's face and then stab them.
But wands would be a bit much.
mellored wrote:
Doesn't splashing/grenading require an attack roll? That would shift this from Use Object to Attack Action.
Drinking something and having it instantly cure your wounds never made sense to me. Food takes time, at least a few rounds.
Potion of regeneration, yes, but potion of instant-healing, no.
Thus, I houserule that all potions are actually lotions. You need to smear it on, not quaff it.
Same is true for lotions of invisibility, flying, ect...
So just to clarify then, the response was including potions in the term "magic items", or just wands and other magic items?
i.e. so using a potion via cunning action is not going to be permitted?
Nexus6 wrote:
To reiterate - there are three discrete actions here;
1. Use and Object
2. Cast a Spell
3. Attack
You CANNOT acheive 2 or 3 by using 1 as per my entries above.
Nexus6 wrote:
thing is, it doesnt say that. use an object, according to basic, does include potions (check the potion entry in the equip list), and throwing an acid flask also fits, under use an object description. this is clearly an error, unless they changed designs from the last packet, which specifically referrred to an obejct in the environment. alas, in basic, they combined object in environment, and just using an object, under the same heading. trying to simplify things has made fast hands broken. mearls says magic items dont count, that can only be if there is a use magic item action in phb, as opposed to use object. this wont fix acid flasks, caltrops etc, but they are not as game breaking as free potion use, free wand use, free ring use, etc. if there is no use magic item action in phb, mearls is simply wrong, and fast hands is completely broken and will be amoung the first errata.
I'm confused as to how a rogue (specifically, a rogue who is at least 3rd level and picked the Thief archetype) being able to drink a 50-gp potion that heals an average of 7 hp can be considered broken. And until rules for using wands/scrolls are published, it seems premature to me to worry about that (unless these are detailed in the Starter Set?).
Personally, despite MIke Mearls's response (which IMO still could use clarification since the question was grouping potions with use-activated magic items), I'd let a rogue drink a potion with Fast Hands, and I'd argue that it fits the rules perfectly both RAW and RAI.
SeanCaruso wrote:
mellored wrote:
mellored wrote:
I think Use Object for grabbing an object from your pack makes sense, but throwing that item or using magic (even potions I guess) is a seperate action. I don't think drinking anything should be that fast, so I'm fine with it working like this
BUT WHAT ABOUT DROPPING OBJECTS GUYZZZZ?!?!?!?!
(Awkward caps for amusement.)
ivstin wrote:
would spreading caltrops out be ok for fast hands?
I'd say yes.
ivstin wrote:
SeanCaruso wrote:
I know that rules for using magic items are special, but many of the "free actions" listed in the basic rules seem like they'd be more time-consuming and difficult than drinking a potion... heck "drink all the ale in a flagon" seems like it would cover drinking a potion (though I suppose the action would be to take a potion out AND drink it... but what about if someone is already holding a potion?).
I know my players are now happier with dropping objects being the same vein as releasing a grapple.
So, we're going to keep using it.
They're very reluctant to drop their weapons, either way, because they feel a connection to them. I would, too. That's my weapon. If I drop it, someone else can have it. 