Hyperhydration

[Aldrick Tanith]

There really is no strategy when playing a melee character.  It's all pretty straight forward.  Use as many consumables as you can then attack.  Fighter's drink more water than a fish.  Every PvP fight between a fighter that I've seen has devolved into a drinking game, which is hilarious.

It'd be nice to see some side effects to drinking all those potions, akin to limits placed upon a wizard with spell slots.

Hyperhydration is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain function that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits by over-consumption of water. Nearly all deaths related to water intoxication in normal individuals have resulted either from water drinking contests, in which individuals attempt to consume a lot of water over the course of just a few minutes, or long bouts of intensive exercise during which electrolytes are not properly replenished, yet massive amounts of fluid are still consumed.

So, I'd say limit the number of potions consumed to 15 every rest period.  After the 15th potion you'd have to make a Fortitude Save vs a DC of 15, each time you consume a potion,  with the DC increasing by +1 each potion consumed thereafter.  Failing the save results in a number of effects found on a table which could include any of the following:

1.  Stunning.
2.  Confusion.
3.  2d12 damage taken.
4.  Dazed.
5.  Blindness.
6.  Unconsciousness.
7.  1d6 damage taken.
8.  Something.
9.  Something.
10.  Instant Death.

This would result in several instant changes.  First, the rush-rush of doing quests would go away, as people would rest more between battles and use herbs.  Second, buffers would actually feel more useful during a quest, not simply replaceable by potions.  Third, the healing skill would be much more useful for reason number one.  Fourth, melees would actually have to make strategic choices:  What is more important drinking this barkskin potion or waiting to drink this healing potion?  Fifth, melee characters would actually have to rest like a wizard to reset their potion counter.  Sixth, PvP would become less of a drinking game.  Seventh, certain one-shot items that no one really cares about on quests suddenly become rather useful.

And most importantly, number eight:  I can run around with dispel in PvP and laugh as fighters, not knowing what to do or how to react, panic and commit suicide. :p

[Random_White_Guy]

Sadly alot of this would push for even more use of Wands on fighters.

Pure fighters are hella rare as it is. If anything there should be some perk given to them. Its rare to see a Fighter without some multiclass for wand use.

[Vendayan]

I love it personally.  Currently straight melees only have to manage 2 resources.  Their HP and their healing potions.  It'd be nice to see a L8 melee have to do more in PVP than simply suck down a few buff potions, then click their target and hover their mouse over their healing potions till the target is dead...

Though I must admit, the fact that melees are so easy to play is likely the only reason that more interesting, but less survivable classes such as mages and rogues can even find front liners on the server.

[Aldrick Tanith]

Wands are expensive, and gold on EfUA is rare compared to how easy it was to obtain on EfU.

Also, the number of consumable items is vastly increased from EfU.  I can name one quest where it's not uncommon to find an item that has 10 charges of either endurance or bulls strength, and another quest where it is not uncommon to find an item with 6 charges of bull strength.  There are likely other quests like this as well.

Potions are actually required less in EfUA if people use the items that drop.

[DeputyCool]

Then lets get rid of Dragons because they are not scientifically feasible as well.

Fairies and Orcs, too.

[Aldrick Tanith]

It's not about being scientifically feasible it's about game balance and strategy.

[Sternhund]

It's definitely one of the more interesting ideas I've heard of, yet I'm not sure potion boat really is that big of an issue. Plus, I'm not sure we want to encumber players with more complicated ideas. NWN is a pretty complex game as is, and we already take it to the hardcore level.

[Aldrick Tanith]

True, it'd make things slightly more complex and make playing a fighter more difficult.  (Roughly, I'd say it'd be on par with playing a Wizard.)

I have also watched a ton of fighter vs fighter duels recently.  I sit there and watch them consume more potions than I have total spell slots, and I secretly wish there was a way for them to get choked and strangle on them.  :p

I admit I have fighter envy.  It sucks to be able to manipulate the fabric of reality, and still be frightened of the guy with a pointy stick. >_>

[AKMatt]

The effect this would probably have is to reduce the number of fighters, making life more difficult for wizards who no longer have anyone to run them through quests.

[lovethesuit]

POTION BOAT

hahahaha stardog

But really. This is wholly unnecessary. People who drink a lot of potions have already been punished with having to buy more potions. This is only curing the symptom.

[Pup]

Slightly off-topic:

I must say that not everyone fits "melee","support","scout", or whatever.  Some chars have many skills and abilities, that rules like this will have little to no effect on.  Though RWG touched on this already.

Regardless, it seems to be an awful amount of work for the DMs, who are in short enough supply these days.

[ScottyB]

While it's a very neat idea, this isn't exactly the kind of change you make to a long-running server with a dedicated player base on a long-lived game. I don't think Fighters are that great a threat or imba towards other classes.

No, the real threat to other classes is the stigma against them by DMs and vets who happened to play a PC of that class once and owned the shit out of everyone, and now think any change that doesn't nerf them is giving too much to an imba class.

[MisterPAIN]

This would just mean people would multiclass would-be pure fighters to a divine class and hurt the already not-so-prominent healing potion selling economy to get around that.  Then take a bard level.

[Nihm]

I like this idea.

[Aldrick Tanith]

This would just mean people would multiclass would-be pure fighters to a divine class and hurt the already not-so-prominent healing potion selling economy to get around that.  Then take a bard level.

This is true, which invalidates the idea...which sucks. :(

I'd just like to see Fighter's have to actually do more planning and strategic thinking, similar to how a wizard must plan and think ahead when preparing spells.  

I mean, after all, it'd only effect potions, not the consumable items dropped on quests which are numerous on EfU:A.  Suddenly, some of those one shot healing items become really useful.