I require an Action not just because it gives more value to Rogue Fast Hands and Healers but also because it makes sense from a realism standpoint.
It also creates opourtunity for great gaming experience:
*hit*
potion
*hit*
potion
*hit*
potion
*hit*
potion
*hit*
potion
*hit*
potion
*hit*
potion
...
Allready feeling the fun! ^_^
THAT is why you have other members in a party. It's TEAM-based. Your fighter is up close and personal, with high AC of 17 or 18. So, they're dealing damage here and there and getting hit here and there. Their HP gets reduced to 10 or less. Cleric casts Healing Word and heals them 8 HP. Back up to 18 so the fighter keeps going. That's RAW 5e. The team works together. The fighter isn't solo-ing the enemies. He's playing a role in a team working together to defeat them. The cleric's role is to do some damage, buff allies and heal them (speaking in generalities for clerics). Clerics make it so that fighters and other classes can keep attacking regularly, so they don't have to hit, potion, hit, potion. That's the point.
BG3. Fighter is up close and personal with high AC of 17 or 18. Gets hit. Second Wind. Attacks in return. Gets hit twice. Fighter needs some health. Potion and attacks. Fighter takes two more hits. Hmmm. HP is now roughly around 10. Superior Healing Potion and heals up to 20 HP and Attacks again. Gets hit 3 more times. Down to 5 HP. Superior Healing Potion back up to 15 and Attacks again. No cleric necessary. Just keep stocked on potions and Fighter wins without needing your healer.
So, is that somehow MORE fun? There's no strategy or thinking involved. Wash, rinse and repeat. Just run up as a fighter or barbarian and bash the crap out of your opponents without fear of getting hurt because you can Bonus action a Potion every round if you need to.
Again, that by itself, however, isn't that broken. It's adding that to everything else that's homebrewed that makes it extreme. I'm not opposed to something like Bonus Action Potions if that's the homebrew they decide makes the most sense for the game. It's the Bonus Action Potions + Cure Wounds from clerics + Healing Word as well from clerics + allies being able to throw potions all in the same round.
Whenever you make a homebrew, you have to be so careful. There are reasons for every rule. If you allow Bonus Action Potions, then fine. Fast Hands isn't great for rogues. They can live with that. Don't suddenly give rogues another Bonus Action so they can Dash as an Action, Dash as a Bonus action and Dash a third time as another Bonus action - or allow them to Attack once with Sneak Attack as a primary attack, Attack again with the off hand as a Bonus Action and then attack a third time as a Bonus Action, so that the Rogue is dealing 2d6+2 (shortsword) damage for their main attack, 1d6 for second attack (shortsword), and another 1d6 for a third attack for a potential total of 4d6+2 in a single round - while the fighter attacks once per turn with 2d6+3 damage only. Fighter doing half damage that a rogue can do? What? Come on now.
