Ye Olde Inn

This topic has already been touched upon in various other threads, but as far as I can tell usually as a side topic from the main event, so can be hard to locate from the subject, so I've made a dedicated topic.

Other topics that contain pertinent information are here:
ATOH: Heroes return full health between quests as series, right?
Potions: how do they work?
Potions, Traps and Throwing Weapons

The Problem (1)

US Edition introduced the following new rule section that wasn't in the UK/EU version on p22:

How A Hero Escapes Death

p22 As a Hero, if your Body Points have been reduced to zero, there are two situations where you can save yourself:

1) If you have a Healing Potion in your possession, you can immediately drink it. The potion will instantly raise your Body Points above zero, restoring you to life.

2) If you are a spellcaster with a Healing Spell, and you have not already performed an action on your turn, you can be healed by casting the spell on yourself.

Important! After your Body Points have reached zero, you can never be saved by a fellow Hero's spell or potion. It will be too late. You will have died by the time it is your fellow Hero's turn - the only time when he can cast a spell or give you a potion.

Prior to this edition, the general interpretation was that being reduced to zero Body Points killed you straight out, although there was a common 'exploit'
that went something like this.

Monster attack dropped his Hero to zero BP
"Ha you're dead"
"No, I've got a Healing Potion so I'm drinking it"
"You can't you're dead"
"But am I? Death isn't always instantaneous, I'm not dead for another few seconds, right now I'm just dying, and whilst dying I'm going to drink my Healing Potion"

Many years later, when I discovered this forum and US Edition of the rules I was pleasantly surprised that this exploit was common enough that it had been written into the US rules. The Important! note from the quote above seems to support the logic in a backwards kind of way

You will have died by the time that the next turn starts, could be taken to mean that you don't die until the end of the current turn. A small healing window.

The Proposal (1)
That said it does open up the tactical option for Heroes to never use their Healing Potions until death, which I don't like, so I modified the rule so that a Healing Potion taken by a dying Hero (the Death Save) restores 1 BP, if taken by a Hero with 1+ remaining BPs then it restores D6 BP

The Problem (2)

In terms of part (2) of the above rule, the problem is more around what scenario it can actually be invoked. The only common ways in which you can be reduced to zero BP on your turn is through a search resulting in a Wandering Monster or Hazard card, but in both those instances the search uses up your action, or as a result of springing a trap, but generally traps state that the effects of springing a trap, end the Heroes turn..."This ends your turn"

So does part (2) of the above new rule really just boil down to - when a trap 'ends your turn' it really just ends the movement part of your turn, if you still have an action remaining then you can use it (includes using that action to cast a healing spell on your zero BP / dying self/corpse) or does it mean that you ONLY get to use the action for that Healing spell but not anything else?

In terms of problem (2) I think it means that one really can only save themselves via spell if in a hallway or stepping into a room with a trap on that unsearchable square adjacent the door, as these are the only times that you would be setting off a trap by walking over it instead of using an action. I would also interpret it to mean that casting the healing spell on yourself is the -only- last-ditch action you are allowed to take, since you are in the process of falling over dead. Other actions just wouldn't be viable; not enough time to search, too weak to attack, vision fading so can't target a spell beyond yourself. Likewise, the non-action activities like opening doors and picking up or handing off items would just be too difficult with rapidly fading strength and senses.

I have a suggestion for a house rule that would make the game a little grittier, yet possibly more survivable at the same time.

Proposal: Being reduced to 0 BP does -not- result in permanent death at the end of the current turn. Instead it results in immediate incapacitation, with death occurring at the end of one full -round-. Under this rule, one cannot auto-save themselves; it falls to their companions. If a hero falls during Zargon's turn their companions have until the start of Zargon's next turn to save them via casting a spell or administering a potion. Similarly, if one is dropped during their own turn, they have until what would have been the beginning of that hero's next turn. Party members must follow the normal rule of only being able to act on their own turn. Healing spells still require line of sight. Administering a potion requires adjacent proximity. In this specific case, however, pouring a potion down the throat of an incapacitated hero requires the use of an action, vs simply handing an item to a conscious recipient.

Benefit: Players are less likely to hold potions for the moment of death, as they may end up in a situation where their compatriots are unable to reach them in time.

Drawbacks: This rule obviously cannot be applied during solo quests. It would also tend to discourage the heroes from splitting the party (given that in most adventure games it's a generally bad idea to split up, this aspect may be seen as a benefit. It all depends on whose side you're on.)

Well pragmatically the game isn't about 1 vs 4. It's about fun. As Zargon we're not supposed to play to win we're supposed to play to put our heroes through adventures while forcing them to overcome obstacles we lay in front of them.
Yes, there are scenarios where the hero must die due to bad luck of the dice roll or some other unforeseen circumstances.
But yeah, if they have a potion of healing, which is a free action, I see nothing wrong with a hero saving himself from death in this way.
Furthermore, if a hero dies and has no potion of healing, but is adjacent to another hero that does, the hero with the potion may then pass it to the dying hero. I came across such a scenario in the Fire Mage Quest, when the spell Firestorm killed the Wizard, but the Elf had a potion of healing and was adjacent to the dying hero. I allowed such a transaction to take place.

As Zargons we don't really WANT to kill the heroes, unless it's the end of a quest pack. But in such cases leniency can be a allowed. A dead hero is no fun because that player has nothing to do for the rest of the quest.
Plus it adds to a concentric storyline if it's the same group of heroes going from quest-to-quest.

wallydubbs wrote:Well pragmatically the game isn't about 1 vs 4. It's about fun. As Zargon we're not supposed to play to win we're supposed to play to put our heroes through adventures while forcing them to overcome obstacles we lay in front of them.
Yes, there are scenarios where the hero must die due to bad luck of the dice roll or some other unforeseen circumstances.
But yeah, if they have a potion of healing, which is a free action, I see nothing wrong with a hero saving himself from death in this way.
Furthermore, if a hero dies and has no potion of healing, but is adjacent to another hero that does, the hero with the potion may then pass it to the dying hero. I came across such a scenario in the Fire Mage Quest, when the spell Firestorm killed the Wizard, but the Elf had a potion of healing and was adjacent to the dying hero. I allowed such a transaction to take place.

As Zargons we don't really WANT to kill the heroes, unless it's the end of a quest pack. But in such cases leniency can be a allowed. A dead hero is no fun because that player has nothing to do for the rest of the quest.
Plus it adds to a concentric storyline if it's the same group of heroes going from quest-to-quest.

I agree with most all your points. Even the auto-save rule isn't unlivable to me. A D&D game master I played with for years had a rule that healing potions didn't have to be swallowed, they could work if applied topically, so the characters were allowed to wear potions strategically on their bodies in thin-walled vials and simply smash them as they took a lethal blow. Later on, everyone was carrying specialized spell-storing gems that would only hold healing spells and could be activated by anyone. Get skewered, tap a gem, keep going.

However, my suggestion was aimed primarily at the complaint that the auto-save rule results in players never using potions except when dying, which strips some of the variety and flavor out of the game. Also, as you said, a dead hero is no fun. The major downer to the auto-save rule is that if you die during Zargon's turn and aren't carrying a potion it's game over, there simply is no help available the way the rules are written. Your scenario of the dying hero taking a potion from an adjacent party member technically would be outside the wording of the rules, because free-actions other than using a potion can still only be done on the hero's turn. The elf can't hand the barbarian a potion during Zargon's turn. Even if the barbarian were dying on their own turn due to a trap, I would have to argue against -taking- an item from another player as a free action if said item weren't first being offered. At least to my reading, the rules seem to imply that the exchange of an item needs to happen on the giver's turn. In which case, our hapless barbarian is irretrievably dead before the elf is allowed to hold the healing potion out to him, even if the elf's turn is the very next in order. The house rule I suggested actually gives the hero's -more- opportunity to not simply die from an unfortunate roll of the dice. In my, admittedly biased, opinion it's also a more consistent rule, even if it does mean the hero's can't chug an elixir on thier way to the floor.

Markus Darwath wrote:I agree with most all your points. Even the auto-save rule isn't unlivable to me. A D&D game master I played with for years had a rule that healing potions didn't have to be swallowed, they could work if applied topically, so the characters were allowed to wear potions strategically on their bodies in thin-walled vials and simply smash them as they took a lethal blow. Later on, everyone was carrying specialized spell-storing gems that would only hold healing spells and could be activated by anyone. Get skewered, tap a gem, keep going.

However, my suggestion was aimed primarily at the complaint that the auto-save rule results in players never using potions except when dying, which strips some of the variety and flavor out of the game. Also, as you said, a dead hero is no fun. The major downer to the auto-save rule is that if you die during Zargon's turn and aren't carrying a potion it's game over, there simply is no help available the way the rules are written. Your scenario of the dying hero taking a potion from an adjacent party member technically would be outside the wording of the rules, because free-actions other than using a potion can still only be done on the hero's turn. The elf can't hand the barbarian a potion during Zargon's turn. Even if the barbarian were dying on their own turn due to a trap, I would have to argue against -taking- an item from another player as a free action if said item weren't first being offered. At least to my reading, the rules seem to imply that the exchange of an item needs to happen on the giver's turn. In which case, our hapless barbarian is irretrievably dead before the elf is allowed to hold the healing potion out to him, even if the elf's turn is the very next in order. The house rule I suggested actually gives the hero's -more- opportunity to not simply die from an unfortunate roll of the dice. In my, admittedly biased, opinion it's also a more consistent rule, even if it does mean the hero's can't chug an elixir on thier way to the floor.

Markus Darwath wrote:I agree with most all your points. Even the auto-save rule isn't unlivable to me. A D&D game master I played with for years had a rule that healing potions didn't have to be swallowed, they could work if applied topically, so the characters were allowed to wear potions strategically on their bodies in thin-walled vials and simply smash them as they took a lethal blow. Later on, everyone was carrying specialized spell-storing gems that would only hold healing spells and could be activated by anyone. Get skewered, tap a gem, keep going.

However, my suggestion was aimed primarily at the complaint that the auto-save rule results in players never using potions except when dying, which strips some of the variety and flavor out of the game. Also, as you said, a dead hero is no fun. The major downer to the auto-save rule is that if you die during Zargon's turn and aren't carrying a potion it's game over, there simply is no help available the way the rules are written. Your scenario of the dying hero taking a potion from an adjacent party member technically would be outside the wording of the rules, because free-actions other than using a potion can still only be done on the hero's turn. The elf can't hand the barbarian a potion during Zargon's turn. Even if the barbarian were dying on their own turn due to a trap, I would have to argue against -taking- an item from another player as a free action if said item weren't first being offered. At least to my reading, the rules seem to imply that the exchange of an item needs to happen on the giver's turn. In which case, our hapless barbarian is irretrievably dead before the elf is allowed to hold the healing potion out to him, even if the elf's turn is the very next in order. The house rule I suggested actually gives the hero's -more- opportunity to not simply die from an unfortunate roll of the dice. In my, admittedly biased, opinion it's also a more consistent rule, even if it does mean the hero's can't chug an elixir on thier way to the floor.

Ok, I do see a point by the "free action" wording. After all you can't open a door on Zargon's turn, but this is noted as a "free-action".
However on the flip-side of that argument, various potions can work on Zargon's turn, such as a Potion if Defense and Potion of Magic Resistance. This does indeed indicate that some potions CAN be used on Zargon's turn.

Perhaps the hero passing on a potion on Zargon's turn does fit with what you're saying. But desperate times call for desperate exceptions.
Most generally when a hero falls into a trap, that's it! That's the end of his turn. However the rule book gives clear exceptions, by allowing a hero who has not used his action, but still has a healing spell, may save himself from death (though not necessarily in those words).
This seems like a rare but extreme case, but I've seen it happen. The Wizard fell victim to a Falling Block Trap and had not used an action. When the skells were rolled and she dropped to 0 she said, "I'm dead." I was quick to point out that the rulebook DOES make such exceptions and allowed her to cast Heal Body on herself.

So under the most extreme cases, yes, I'd allow the passing of a potion to work.

But ya know, not all Zargon's are the same. Some are more stern about their rules and such, but if allowed your way I see no injustice there.

Heroes (and their allies, which include animal companions and mercenaries now) die when they are reduced to zero body points (they can't go negative), but in the North American version of the game, they are allowed to save themselves from death under certain circumstances, so being killed isn't necessarily the end of the game for that character. I realize that the way the game is setup isn't to everyone's liking. I don't have a problem with the way the game was setup. So obviously a person could decide to change it to something else at their own table.

Normally a Spell (Spell Scroll is effectively a Spell but in the form of an item that could change hands and doesn't recharge between quests if used) requires an action, but a Potion can be used "anytime" unless the card says otherwise. Artifacts are another story... sometimes they require an action to use, and sometimes not, so you have to read the card. The Elixir of Life is a really cool Artifact, but it is extremely vague on how it is supposed to work, leaving a lot of room for interpretation.

Using the NA rules (here classic, but they don't really change with any of the remake material released so far with one exception I'll relate later) as a base, let's look at the common scenarios:

Hero's turn... Rolls to move, steps on a trap, reducing his body points to zero. He's got a Potion of Healing, the Armband of Healing artifact, a Spell Scroll for Heal Body, and the Water of Healing Spell.*
At this point, any of these can be chosen to automatically kick in and restore him to life. If the thing that brought him back to life was an action then that's his action for the turn. Let's say he doesn't have any of these, then he's dead, and he will remain dead for the rest of the quest, unless someone finds an Elixir of Life that can bring him back at any point. It would be too late by the time another hero had their turn to use a potion or healing spell on him to save him from death.

Hero's turn... He searches for treasure, drawing a Hazard card, that drops his body points to zero. He's got the Spell Scroll and Spell cards, but these can't be used because they require an action, which he's already done. But he could use a Potion or other healing item that didn't require an action.

Hero's turn... He searches for treasure, drawing a Wandering Monster card. The monster does damage in its attack reducing his body points to zero. Same as the above scenario.

Hero's turn... as in the above scenario, but he survives the Wandering Monster's attack. But let's say he is the last Hero in the round order and then it's Zargon's turn. Zargon can use the Wandering Monster to attack AGAIN (the initial attack was part of the Hero's turn) and this time he reduces the Hero's body points to zero with his attack. It's not the Hero's turn, so he can't do any actions, right? Wrong. When it's Zargon's turn there's a special exception that allows the Hero to use an unused healing spell in this scenario to save himself from death IF he has one. Another Hero can't do it for him of course. The same would apply for a Spell scroll since it's treated identically to a Spell. Yes, if he had a healing Potion or other Healing item he could use it here as well.

Zargon's turn... a monster attacks a Hero, reducing the Hero's body points to Zero. That Hero may use any healing item or unused Healing spell he has in that moment to save himself. Despite the healing spell requiring an "action" this is a special exception, the Hero goes to use it even though it's Zargon's turn. Elsewhere in the game there are other exceptions where Zargon gets to do things on the hero's turn as well.

What about unconsciousness? In the expansions, being reduced to zero MIND points has different effects. In Kellar's Keep it's the same as death. Only an Elixir of Life can restore a hero in such a state. Some speculated that anything that could immediately restore your mind points (Potions from the Alchemist Shop in the NA edition for instance) could also be used to save a hero in this scenario. What about after the fact? In Return of the Witch Lord, such a hero reduced to 0 Mind Points is simply unconscious. This implies he is restored to normal so long as at least one other hero makes it out of the quest alive (he dragged his friend's body out too I guess). But gameplay wise an unconscious hero is the same as a dead one, but is his gear lost if a monster stops by (to "loot" the body?). Can someone use a Mind Point restoring potion on him at some later point to restore him mid-quest? You could lose Mind Points in the EU editions as well but recall there were no Alchemist Shops there, so no potions that restored mind points (and no Elixir of Life except that one from Dark Company that brought you back from death with 1 BP only).

In EQP/BQP zero mind points doesn't mean you're dead or unconscious, but rather going into shock with reduced powers. It was never clarified in the classic era whether a Hero could escape the state of shock (before the next quest when everything would be restored to normal it could be assumed) but in the remake era "Into the Northlands" online quest clarified that anything that raises the Hero's Mind Points above zero would cure the state of shock immediately, so this could take place even after the incident from the action or item of another character. Going into shock isn't death obviously, but it's here for the sake of completeness.

* This obviously isn't exhaustive, I'm just including the various things. There are skills (Knight's Stalwart) that can heal too, but Spell Scrolls are treated like spells (costing actions to use) and Potions are free actions. Combat Cards and things like that are homebrew so I didn't really include them. There's also that mulligan spell from the Elf pack that let's you replay a turn that could "undue" a death sequence altogether.

What about Potions, Spell Scrolls and Artifacts? Unlike Spells, these are items that, as a free action, can be handed from one adjacent character to another, right? But remember that a player can only pass an item to another character ON HIS TURN. The receiver is the one who is in trouble so he can't get the item until it's too late! In the EQP/BQP (and in the remake era, in the New Beginnings online quest) the designers introduced the idea that an item can't be passed to an adjacent hero if they are also adjacent to a monster. New Beginnings does NOT specify that it has to be on the turn of the one making the pass. It also doesn't literally say it can only be one item at a time, however Zargon could always choose to interpret it the way he wishes or interpret it strictly based on the earlier rulebook/instructions (no mention of adjacent monsters preventing it but has to be on the turn of the passer) or from the stricter EQP/BQP (has to be on the turn of the passer, adjacent monsters prevent it). Are diagonally adjacent monsters considered "adjacent" ?

It may matter little for most death saves, because most monsters don't have ranged (or diagonal) attacks and so you can expect to be adjacent to a monster that kills you and it won't be the turn of the hero when this happens in most cases... though it does leave a loophole for New Beginnings if you interpret it literally in a few scenarios. The Hero with the healing Item (not spell) can pass while it's Zargon's or the victim's turn, right? Since the one making the delivery isn't taking an action to do it. This was designed to be an alternative "beginner" quest so it makes sense that the rules here would be a little more lenient. Then again some gaming groups may decide that this is "the rule" until clarified later (it may be a long, long time before they get to EQP/BQP in their sequence especially if they follow the various 'suggested chronologies" floating about online).

Now I think this is the closest to the intentions of the designers when it comes to the NA quests. Some people don't like this. They think it makes the game too easy. Difficulty is relative, as there are many ways that the EU editions were easier than the NA edition while in this area it was much stricter on player character death. There are many ways to make it more difficult. One is to say that you just can't save yourself from death, period, just like the EU editions. Or maybe say you just can't do it with Potions, or make potions "expire" (similar to the EU editions, can't carry treasure potions from one quest to another). I don't have a problem with this, you do what you like in your games. The death of a hero in most cases is more a psychological blow than anything (I know of heroes who despite knowing they can come back to life with a potion nevertheless will use their potion when they are at 1 BP because they don't want Zargon to have the satisfaction of knowing he actually killed them), because the player can just come back with an identical hero with a new name in the next quest and still have success, so long as at least one other hero finishes the mission (or escapes to the stairs alive) and while loot can be lost, on a replay of the quest new loot can be found (Treasure deck is replenished) including any necessary Artifacts which Zargon is supposed to put back in as special treasures early in the adventure. Of course a person who doesn't like these rules can just change them.

Rogar's Hall (suggested by Baker as another alternative beginning quest or before the main sequence, though later retconned in the opinion of other AH people that it should come later in the sequence) free quest throws this all to the wind by having "Mentor" automatically heal any dead heroes with the only limitation being the stock of Healing Potions from the Treasure deck. This blatantly violates the basic rule, but it's a training quest (and one that is actually meant to end in failure most likely) so all bets are off. As written, there is a severe limitation here in that there are only three healing potions (determined by die roll so they might only give you back 1 body point!). Of course the Heroes also will have the same opportunity to escape death using the two available healing spells as with any other quest using the default spell options. This quest seems merely to be meant to be experienced, because whether they succeed or fail, they move on to the regular quests after with little to show for it but the bruises.

The Japanese edition of the game handles things a bit differently. No last minute saves, but the first time you die, you get restored at a Temple (and return in the next adventure) but lose any gold you had. The next time you're dead for good until someone finds the Talisman of Lore. Like the NA's Elixir of Life, it's a bit vague how it is to be used, but one might imagine that it brings any (or all) dead hero(es) back to life on the spot... or it could be used to bring a dead hero back from an earlier adventure even (though no provision is made for more than four heroes at a time) or simply as a behind the scenes thing that happens between quests to retain the name of the old character that otherwise would have perished. This Artifact (Artifacts are called "legendary treasures" in this edition) stays with the Heroes for the remainder of their adventure. Strictly as written, the Talisman allows you to come back to life over and over again, making you (and your party) essentially immortal, with the only downside that each resurrected character loses their gold (gold in this edition is used to "level up" your max body points... though it doesn't say if this progress can be lost by dying). What is the "range" of this thing? Again like the Elixir of Life, it isn't really clarified and so is up to Zargon (or Grimdead, as the evil GM character is known in this case)'s discretion. One who was more difficulty minded might interpret it to mean that the quest ends but you all get to come back again in the next one without having to change characters rather than instantly "respawning" though I think that interpretation is perfectly valid.


In the end, HeroQuest can be whatever you want it to be, as long as everybody at the table agrees! (Zargon is the ultimate authority, by agreeing to play, you agree to abide by his rules)

Kurgan wrote: Hero's turn... as in the above scenario, but he survives the Wandering Monster's attack. But let's say he is the last Hero in the round order and then it's Zargon's turn. Zargon can use the Wandering Monster to attack AGAIN (the initial attack was part of the Hero's turn) and this time he reduces the Hero's body points to zero with his attack. It's not the Hero's turn, so he can't do any actions, right? Wrong. When it's Zargon's turn there's a special exception that allows the Hero to use an unused healing spell in this scenario to save himself from death IF he has one. Another Hero can't do it for him of course. The same would apply for a Spell scroll since it's treated identically to a Spell. Yes, if he had a healing Potion or other Healing item he could use it here as well.

Zargon's turn... a monster attacks a Hero, reducing the Hero's body points to Zero. That Hero may use any healing item or unused Healing spell he has in that moment to save himself. Despite the healing spell requiring an "action" this is a special exception, the Hero goes to use it even though it's Zargon's turn. Elsewhere in the game there are other exceptions where Zargon gets to do things on the hero's turn as well.

Could you be so kind as to cite where the rules specify an exception to allow casting the healing spell on Zargon's turn? I did not catch that in my reading (note that I currently only possess the remake rules version) and thus assumed that casting a healing spell to save from death could only occur in those rare cases that the hero dies on their own turn and without having taken an action. But I did notice the specific statement that a healing potion can be taken at -any-time.

I would agree with Markus but it is (as usual) a little ambiguous.

2) If you are a spellcaster with a Healing Spell, and you have not already performed an action on your turn, you can be healed by casting the spell on yourself.

Some would argue that the line above could be taken to mean that if you are reduced to zero BP in Zargon's turn but you didn't take an action on your own (last) turn, then you have an action 'in the bank' that could be used to cast a healing spell on yourself. However I disagree due to the line that follows below

Important! After your Body Points have reached zero, you can never be saved by a fellow Hero's spell or potion. It will be too late. You will have died by the time it is your fellow Hero's turn - the only time when he can cast a spell or give you a potion.

I take that to mean that by the time it is the next turn (75% of the time that would be another Hero but potentially Zargon's turn depending on the order of battle) you would already be dead so the spell action would have to be taken on your own turn, so you wouldn't be able to save yourself using a Healing Spell on Zargon's turn.

manaknight14 wrote: ...anything that makes it impossible for a hero to die ruins the tension of the game. While the rule proposed in this thread (and by ABNB) of last-second saves only raising you to 1BP is a nice penalty to disincentivize players from always holding potions until they hit 0, the fact that holding one means you can’t get unexpectedly killed by anything still ruins that tension I described. There has to be at least some risk that keeping the potion in your pocket won’t be enough to save you.

I get your point but I think my 'healing potion used to save you from death restores only 1BP' does still retain the tension, yes, you survive that powerful blow from the Gargoyle that would otherwise have killed you by using your Healing Potion but you then don't have a Healing Potion left (probably) and have only 1BP remaining and now have exactly 1 turn to dispose of the Gargoyle before it strikes again against your vulnerable Hero on his last BP ... tension!

The thing that I don't like about the auto-drinking of a potion on death is that it takes a decision away from the player. Deciding whether to drink it beforehand might waste it if you don't take much damage. It's a calculated risk that adds a bit more depth to the game.

I agree about the calculated risk, I think of it as "how low do you go" but if drinking it at zero BP only restores 1 BP then that doesn't take the decision away from the player, it just gives them another option to decide upon, get it wrong and you are potentially throwing away up to 5BP!

And...

Kurgan wrote:New Beginnings does NOT specify that it has to be on the turn of the one making the pass

Whilst you may be correct, I haven't checked, but if that is the case then I think it is an error/omission, the rules quoted from the rulebook above 'You will have died by the time it is your fellow Hero's turn - the only time when he can cast a spell or give you a potion' rule out being passed anything when it isn't your turn

My point from my first post, which I managed to put very badly was this

So does part (2) of the above new rule really just boil down to - when a trap 'ends your turn' it really just ends the movement part of your turn, if you still have an action remaining then you can use it (includes using that action to cast a healing spell on your zero BP / dying self/corpse) or does it mean that you ONLY get to use the action for that Healing spell but not anything else?

I was considering two different options

a) On a Hero's turn, he springs a trap that reduces his BP to zero, but if he hasn't yet taken an action and is a spellcaster with a Healing Spell then he can use his action to cast it and save himself (in which case we may want to limit that restoration to 1BP also)

OR

b) On a Hero's turn, he springs a trap but hasn't yet taken his action, does the trap really 'end his turn' or just end the movement part of his turn, leaving him with the chance to use his action. Using that action would include the usual attack/cast and other actions AND if the trap effects reduced his BP to zero and he was a spellcaster with a Healing Spell then he could use his action for that