Feeding a zombie a potion.

[Morithias]

Assuming you were some bad-ass guy who apparently liked to kill zombies by pinning them and dumping potions of cure light wounds down their mouths, would that even work seeing how zombies don't have digestive traits? I mean I don't think a potion of cure heals you if you rub it on your skin, and I think the same goes for inflict potions (if you're crazy enough to do that).

[Ravens_cry]

RAW, yes, I am pretty sure it would. Also, I think you CAN pour potions in wounds.
And thematically, it's that badass, so why not?

[Marnath]

I would say yes, it would work. If the DM doesn't like that idea, you can make it as an oil instead for the same cost, and there's no way you could argue that not working.

The bigger point here is how incredibly wasteful of resources and money this would be.

[Morithias]

I would say yes, it would work. If the DM doesn't like that idea, you can make it as an oil instead for the same cost, and there's no way you could argue that not working.

The bigger point here is how incredibly wasteful of resources and money this would be.

Yeah, but you can't beat some bad ass barbarian going "stakes and garlic waste of time, feed it a potion from the item store." (Spoony FTW!)

[BridgeCity]

Well, to be honest, I think brutally stabbing a dude in the chest with a home-made weapon is much more badass than just pouring a liquid into a zombies mouth. Just my view

[FelixG]

I don't see why zombies wouldn't be able to drink a potion, Warforged can and i don't think they have digestive tracts?

[hamishspence]

They might have a little bit of throat though (maybe to contain apparatus for speaking?)

If potions are thought of as "magic in liquified form" and Warforged are assumed to have a very short throat with sides that can absorb the magic, it can make sense. The "living" part of "living construct" might be the source of this.

Any ingested magical substance could be thought of that way- not food at all- the solid or liquid form merely exists to contain the magic.

[Lord Bingo]

The potion should work regardless of whether or not the recipient has a digestive tract as it is a magical effect.

A much more interesting question is what pleasure Zombies gain from eating brains...

[Tyger]

A much more interesting question is what pleasure Zombies gain from eating brains...

Probably the same pleasure everyone else gets.


What?

:) To the OP, while undead do not need to eat, there is nothing to say they can't. The question isn't can you kill a zombie by forcing it to drink a healing potion, the question is can you, RAW, force anyone to drink anything? What's the mechanism for it?

Flavourwise, I think it works and would likely allow it, pending a successful grapple/pin check, but what rule / check would you use to do this? While a living creature that needs to breathe could be forced to swallow or drown, an undead creature would have no reason to actually swallow.

The rules specify that:

From the SRD:
Any corporeal creature can imbibe a potion. The potion must be swallowed.

-and-

A character can carefully administer a potion to an unconscious creature as a full-round action, trickling the liquid down the creature’s throat.

which would lead me to believe that no, you can't force someone, RAW, to drink a potion.

[panaikhan]

Some creatures by RAW cannot benefit from potions.
It states in the Warforged Juggernaut PrC that they 'lose' the benefit from potions and consumable magics when they reach a certain point in perfecting their Construct nature.
I would rule non-living creatures could not use potions.

Oils, however - I could see them working.

[AslanCross]

Probably the same pleasure everyone else gets.


What?

:) To the OP, while undead do not need to eat, there is nothing to say they can't. The question isn't can you kill a zombie by forcing it to drink a healing potion, the question is can you, RAW, force anyone to drink anything? What's the mechanism for it?

Flavourwise, I think it works and would likely allow it, pending a successful grapple/pin check, but what rule / check would you use to do this? While a living creature that needs to breathe could be forced to swallow or drown, an undead creature would have no reason to actually swallow.

The rules specify that:


which would lead me to believe that no, you can't force someone, RAW, to drink a potion.

That's right, there isn't a mechanic by RAW. I'd rule, though, that one can do it through grappling, but that's a DM ruling and not RAW.

[Morithias]

That's right, there isn't a mechanic by RAW. I'd rule, though, that one can do it through grappling, but that's a DM ruling and not RAW.

To be fair, if you're trying to force-feed the zombie, you're probably not caring about the glass cutting it's throat. You're likely literally shoving the potion down it's throat.

[Tengu_temp]

Probably the same pleasure everyone else gets.

I wouldn't be so sure. As someone who ate a brain I can tell you that they're an acquired taste.

[Zhalath]

That's right, there isn't a mechanic by RAW. I'd rule, though, that one can do it through grappling, but that's a DM ruling and not RAW.

But by adding grappling, doesn't that make the ruling worse?

Strangely enough, I'd recommend grappling. Not in reality, as grappling a zombie is a bad idea 1. because it brings you closer to its slow self and 2. because they smell.
But pinning it down and forcing it down seems like it'd work. You can make someone not speak, which requires holding a hand over a mouth or grabbing someone's throat, so put object in mouth+hold mouth shut seems like it'd work.

[Marnath]

It has also occured to me that you could throw it like a spash weapon, except it would actually have to hit the zombie, not just his square.

[Fiery Diamond]

I wouldn't be so sure. As someone who ate a brain I can tell you that they're an acquired taste.

Did it belong to a pig?

I work in a grocery store, and it kind of grosses me out to see the pork brains cans sitting there on the shelf.

[Mewtarthio]

Just chop its head off and pour the potion down its gullet.

[Tengu_temp]

Did it belong to a pig?

Rabbit. It was grey.

[Tyger]

It has also occured to me that you could throw it like a spash weapon, except it would actually have to hit the zombie, not just his square.

Nope, potions don't work by contact, they have to be swallowed.

Now and Oil of Healing might work though.

[Dr.Epic]

And thematically, it's that badass, so why not?

It's badass to kill a monster a level one character can take out by pouring an expensive potion down its throat?

[Morithias]

It's badass to kill a monster a level one character can take out by pouring an expensive potion down its throat?

"Badass" does not equal "efficient". :P

[LibraryOgre]

Probably not RAW, but I'd allow it. A healing potion is, more or less, just liquid positive energy.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I had a DM allow us to use cure potions as basically grenades. We were fighting a juju zombie a particularly nasty variant, as we lacked the ability to harm it normally we decided to try chucking cure potions at it.

[Dr.Epic]

"Badass" does not equal "efficient". :P

Yeah I grasp that, but how is it badass. Badass implies something awesome and I just don't see it here. I mean if the creature was at least some what challenging to kill like a vampire with class level then yeah. But killing a zombie with a potion of cure is like drowning an ant hill.

[Mando Knight]

Nope, potions don't work by contact, they have to be swallowed.

Now and Oil of Healing might work though.

An oil of CLW used this way is almost just an expensive flask of Holy Water, though.

Of course, it also allows you to make a pretty badass Cleric with Zen Archery and a repeating crossbow with vials of high-CL curing oils as ammunition.

[prufock]

Yeah, use flasks of holy water, with the same flavour - you stuff it down their throats. However, it's a) cheaper and b) has a splash effect, so even if the lack of digestive tract is a problem, only contact is necessary anyway.

[Morithias]

Yeah I grasp that, but how is it badass. Badass implies something awesome and I just don't see it here. I mean if the creature was at least some what challenging to kill like a vampire with class level then yeah. But killing a zombie with a potion of cure is like drowning an ant hill.

To be fair, if you can do it to a zombie, one can logically say you can do it to any undead.

Zombie? Not impressive.

Nightwalker? Now tell me THAT isn't badass, killing a nightwalker by shoving a potion of heal down it's mouth.

[randomhero00]

Would be cool to torture a sentient undead with that method...

[Evil DM Mark3]

I think that it would be allowable, but of course this would require grappling.

[FelixG]

Would be cool to torture a sentient undead with that method...

haha convince the paladin to do it :P