Can I pour a Healing Potion directly into a wound?
If so, does it burn like Peroxide or does it sooth like Pepto-Bismal?
Either way, will it still cure the wound, or does it have to be administered orally?
If I tipped my arrows with Healing Potion Salve, can I cure my wounded team-mates from afar?
There are lots of things D20/D10 GuideBooks don’t cover, kinda like the things above; does anyone know a great forum location where people can ask troubling questions of the DnD/White Wolf/etc. Elites to cover off-the-wall ideas that could mean the difference between life and death in a Table-Top Roleplaying environment that the Guidebooks just ‘have’ no reasonable answers for?
Things not covered explicitly in the rulebook are going to be at the DMs discretion. I’d sink the salve tipped arrow thing, though. I don’t think you’d deliver enough potion to overcome the trauma of the arrow wound, let alone heal previous damage.
Plus, it’s distracting in combat, having your medic shoot you with an arrow, no matter his intentions.
I think it’s a funny idea. At a low level, chances are, the curing power of the potion will definately outweigh the damage of the arrow; especially if you do a called shot and just barely hit, you can get away with curing your Victim/Patient without dealing any damage at all. All though, by the end of battle, asking for your arrows back might be a bit much.
Potions are ingested; strictly speaking you have to swallow the liquid for the effect to occur. Something that is applied externally (or to an object that cannot swallow) is an oil.
In the rules on potions it says this :
And this.
Thus strictly speaking, no you can’t apply a potion of curing externally.
I can’t see any reason not to allow oils of healing though; there is the precedent of Keoghtom’s Ointment which is externally applied and can heal wounds. I’d even consider the case for an item which works however employed (although I’d likely increase the associated costs to make and obtain).
Putting it on the end of an arrow has inherent risks. One, you might miss and waste the healing item. Secondly you’re also damaging the creature you want to heal, potentially wasting the healing item.i
I should point out that in D20 Modern there are bullets of healing.
… yes, I bought some when I played. And used them with enthusiasm. Sometimes at the smirking CEO types who thought they were above the law. It mostly didn’t hurt them, and it certainly gave them new perspectives on things.