Potion Glutton. What does it actually do?

So I imagine this little abomination has come up before. But what exactly is it supposed to do and what is it capable of doing? I ask primarily for Society where "Ask your GM" isn't really going to work due to too much table variation and you'd never get a concrete answer.

Official answers preferred, naturally, would love for a developer to jump on and give us their opinion on the matter but as that is unlikely to happen I would welcome everyone else's opinion.

What do you think this thing does and what would you consider is a potable?

Potable is something safe to drink or drinkable. In this specific instance I would think anything that would normally be a move action to drink can instead be used with Potion Glutton to be drank as a swift action that doesn't provoke. I believe this could include alcoholic beverages from Drunken Monks/Barbarians. Though how you would get an alcoholic beverage into your hand each round would be a problem.

Edit: Just noticed that the CRB seems to state that drinking a potion is a standard action, not a move action. Regardless, this sets it to a swift.

Indeed. Anything your character would generally drink can now be drank as a swift action. I think the "move action" in the normal section was erroneous and should be corrected to "standard action".

I think that the Normal text is what is in error, not the Benefit text. So it makes it a swift to drink potions, elixirs, and other potable things. I'd define potable in this instance as liquid based items whose mode of use is to drink them as a standard action (or less, as the case may be).

And remember that the actual Prerequisite is "Worshiper of Urgathoa"

As people have stated, with the definition of potable this would allow people with Alchemy to drink their extracts as that is their intended purpose. The problem being that you do need a way to get those extracts into your hand(usually a move) so unless you have some way to get extracts into your hand for free(through tumour familiar perhaps) then you are using a feat to use your move+swift to replace your standard action. It's not overpowered in my opinion as it simply allows for quicker buffing(which is part of what makes alchemist's/investigators good)

I knew a guy who could just hold open his esophagus and literally pour things down his throat without needing to swallow. It was a freaky thing to see, but I imagine this feat is about like that.

I imagine it looks something like this.

I imagine it looks something like this.

Yup. More or less.

As people have stated, with the definition of potable this would allow people with Alchemy to drink their extracts as that is their intended purpose. The problem being that you do need a way to get those extracts into your hand(usually a move) so unless you have some way to get extracts into your hand for free(through tumour familiar perhaps) then you are using a feat to use your move+swift to replace your standard action. It's not overpowered in my opinion as it simply allows for quicker buffing(which is part of what makes alchemist's/investigators good)

When drinking an extract the retrieval is a free action much like a spellcasters material component retrieval is a free action. That might put this into "overpowered" mode. I admit that this purpose is what most intrigued me as I am a little bit of a power gamer and I love Alchemists but I also don't want to "break" the game with it using a feat that might not actually be meant to do this.

Actually, bomb retrieval is a free action. Extracts are specifically stated that, "An alchemist can draw and drink an extract as a standard action." So, this feat would let him drink as a swift; he would still have to draw the extract with a move action.

Helcack wrote:

As people have stated, with the definition of potable this would allow people with Alchemy to drink their extracts as that is their intended purpose. The problem being that you do need a way to get those extracts into your hand(usually a move) so unless you have some way to get extracts into your hand for free(through tumour familiar perhaps) then you are using a feat to use your move+swift to replace your standard action. It's not overpowered in my opinion as it simply allows for quicker buffing(which is part of what makes alchemist's/investigators good)

When drinking an extract the retrieval is a free action much like a spellcasters material component retrieval is a free action. That might put this into "overpowered" mode. I admit that this purpose is what most intrigued me as I am a little bit of a power gamer and I love Alchemists but I also don't want to "break" the game with it using a feat that might not actually be meant to do this.

I don't think that the feat was meant to do it, but as other spellcasters can quicken their spells it doesn't really break the game in my opinion even if it is only a swift action. Maybe wait to pick it up until 11th level when most other spellcasters have their quickened spells in tow and the other spellcasters in your party shouldn't complain that you're being OP(as they are the ones getting 9th level spells, you aren't). I do believe it puts you at the top of third tier though so unless most of your other party members are optimizing/full casters you shouldn't do it.

Actually, bomb retrieval is a free action. Extracts are specifically stated that, "An alchemist can draw and drink an extract as a standard action." So, this feat would let him drink as a swift; he would still have to draw the extract with a move action.

Per FAQ: "Alchemist: What kind of action is it to use an extract, mutagen, or throw a bomb? It is a standard action to use an extract, mutagen, or throw a bomb. This action includes retrieving the necessary materials from the alchemist's supplies, in the same manner as retrieving a material component is included in the act of spellcasting."

Helcack that might be a good way of handling it. Just waiting until later when the other spellcasters are whipping about swift action spells too. I like it :)

Yes, retrieving it is part of the standard action. This allows you to drink as a swift. It does nothing for the retrieving of the potion/elixir/potable. Therefore, if you as an alchemist wanted to drink an extract as a swift action, you would have to have already drawn the extract via a move action. Since the drawing is not included in this swift action.

Yes, retrieving it is part of the standard action. This allows you to drink as a swift. It does nothing for the retrieving of the potion/elixir/potable. Therefore, if you as an alchemist wanted to drink an extract as a swift action, you would have to have already drawn the extract via a move action. Since the drawing is not included in this swift action.

Ah I see what you mean now. Hmmm interesting. Were it to work that way I wouldn't feel too bad about using it. Good catch Tarantula.

Yes, retrieving it is part of the standard action. This allows you to drink as a swift. It does nothing for the retrieving of the potion/elixir/potable. Therefore, if you as an alchemist wanted to drink an extract as a swift action, you would have to have already drawn the extract via a move action. Since the drawing is not included in this swift action.

So you are saying this feat makes it slower to drink extracts? I think that doesn't really make any sense. Drawing the extract and drinking it is all one action, and this feat would make it a swift imo

Tarantula wrote:

Yes, retrieving it is part of the standard action. This allows you to drink as a swift. It does nothing for the retrieving of the potion/elixir/potable. Therefore, if you as an alchemist wanted to drink an extract as a swift action, you would have to have already drawn the extract via a move action. Since the drawing is not included in this swift action.

So you are saying this feat makes it slower to drink extracts? I think that doesn't really make any sense. Drawing the extract and drinking it is all one action, and this feat would make it a swift imo

Incorrect, the feat only changes the time to drink an extract. It does not make it slower, but the benefit may not be as big as you'd like it to be. Normally it would require a standard action. With this feat it requires a move + swift. One is not worse than the other necessarily. Arguably, only using a move and a swift is better than using a standard as alchemist do not often use swift actions and you can do more with a standard action than you can move action.

This reminds me of the Accelerated Drinker feat, which allows you to drink stuff as a move action if you already have it out.

This reminds me of the Accelerated Drinker feat, which allows you to drink stuff as a move action if you already have it out.

I'm actually planning on taking both of them so that I have a lot of freedom in my action economy.

Accelerated Drinker was FAQ'd to not work with extracts though. So the real question is:

Does the difference in wording make Potion Glutton work with extracts where Accelerated Drinker doesn't? The wording is certainly more lenient and would by reasonable readings (IMHO) include extracts. However, so too (again, IMHO) did Accelerated Drinker. It seems like the FAQ for Accelerated Drinker was done for balance rather than clarifying RAW. If that is true, how long is it before this feat is subjected to similar FAQ'ing?

I agree that RAW it should work, and also that it would take a move to draw + swift to drink. Having only one swift action keeps prehensile tail and spring-loaded wrist sheathes from breaking that economy too. That said, being able to take 2 extracts a round is pretty crazy... even if you were to wait until other casters have quicken spell, they need to use slots 4 levels higher for the same effect you'd get for free on all your extracts (except of course, not really, due to the move action to draw. Which is another reason it's so important to note that).

A warning though: I was going to make an alchemist with this a while back for PFS, but my thread was met with a number of cautions and debate (unlike this one), so I nixed the idea. Be warned that at a PFS table, YMMV. If you have generally good success at tables with it though, please let me know. I'd love to hear that I could dust off the concept with a bit more confidence.

I fully expect this feat to be FAQ'd/Errata'd much like Accelerated Drinker but in the meantime I think I'm going to try and abuse it while I can.

I was never in the boat of people that thought Accelerated Drinker would work on Extracts because it says nothing to indicate that it works on anything other than potions. Potion Glutton however does so it will be interesting to see if it gets the same treatment as Drinker or not, though I suspect it will.

I regularly play with the Venture Lieutenant of my area so I will run it by him first before I even try. If I run this at a PFS table I'll post in this thread to let you know my results.

Accelerated Drinker was FAQ'd to not work with extracts though. So the real question is:

Does the difference in wording make Potion Glutton work with extracts where Accelerated Drinker doesn't? The wording is certainly more lenient and would by reasonable readings (IMHO) include extracts. However, so too (again, IMHO) did Accelerated Drinker. It seems like the FAQ for Accelerated Drinker was done for balance rather than clarifying RAW. If that is true, how long is it before this feat is subjected to similar FAQ'ing?

Except that Accelerated Drinker explicitly says potions, of which extracts aren't (despite working like them). This says potions, elixirs, and potables. The difference in wording there is rather huge. So while Potion Glutton might be changed to balance, the FAQ on Accelerated Drinker was flat out a clarification on RAW, not a balance change.

DrakeRoberts wrote:

Accelerated Drinker was FAQ'd to not work with extracts though. So the real question is:

Does the difference in wording make Potion Glutton work with extracts where Accelerated Drinker doesn't? The wording is certainly more lenient and would by reasonable readings (IMHO) include extracts. However, so too (again, IMHO) did Accelerated Drinker. It seems like the FAQ for Accelerated Drinker was done for balance rather than clarifying RAW. If that is true, how long is it before this feat is subjected to similar FAQ'ing?

Except that Accelerated Drinker explicitly says potions, of which extracts aren't (despite working like them). This says potions, elixirs, and potables. The difference in wording there is rather huge. So while Potion Glutton might be changed to balance, the FAQ on Accelerated Drinker was flat out a clarification on RAW, not a balance change.

Yeah... except the extract is consumed as a potion. So if you're personally capable of drinking a potion faster vs. accelerated drinker, you should be able to do the same for something that says you're drinking it just as you would a potion. But either way, yes, this wording is MUCH more open, such that the connection to extracts is direct rather than via one intermediary step.