Drugs function like poisons, allowing the imbiber an initial and a secondary saving throws to resist their effects. Delay poison, neutralize poison, and similar effects negate or end a drug’s effects, but they do not restore hit points, ability scores, or other damage caused by the substance.
A creature that willingly takes a drug automatically fails both saving throws. It is not possible to intentionally fail the initial save but attempt to save against the secondary damage, or vice versa. DCs are provided for situations in which a character is drugged against his will.
Drugs in Your Campaign: Depending on your campaign, drugs may be difficult or easy to obtain—the decision is a matter of taste. However, whether drugs are illegal (as might be the case in a restrictive but good-aligned civilization) or commonplace, pushers will exist. Pushers are those who directly or indirectly want to see a drug dispersed into a population. Usually profit motivates them. A pusher’s typical tactic is to offer the drug at only 1/10 of its normal price (or even free) to potential new customers, in hopes of addicting the customer to the drug. Once the customer seeks out the pusher for the drug (usually, once he or she is addicted), then the pusher charges full price for the drug, or even a premium.
Adding drugs into your campaign is probably most easily accomplished through a nonplayer character (NPC) pusher. Player characters (PCs) can expect to run into pushers illicitly in a civilization where drugs are outlawed, or in bazaars in a society where drugs are common. In a society where magic potions are commonplace, drugs might be legal, too.
Drug addiction functions much like diseases as described in the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide. Upon initial exposure (anytime a character imbibes or applies a drug with an addiction rating), the character must succeed at a Fortitude save or become addicted, as shown below. Addiction proceeds like a disease—while addicted, the character takes ability score damage each day unless he succeeds at a Fortitude save against the given DC.
Name: The name of the drug (and its common nickname, if any).
Type: This column gives the method by which the drug is introduced into a creature’s system—either ingested, inhaled, or via an injury—and the DC of the Fortitude save necessary to avoid the effects of the drug. Injury also includes methods such as pouring the drug into a wound or applying it as a poultice.
Price: The price of a single dose, assuming the drug is publicly available. If a drug is banned, the price is generally two to five times higher.
Alchemy DC: The DC for the Alchemy check required to make the drug. The check can only be made in a properly outfitted alchemical laboratory.
Addiction: The addiction rating of the drug (see the Addiction section above). 1 This drug is mag
Addiction Rating: Drugs are rated according to their addictive potential. For example, many popular stimulant drinks have a negligible addiction rating, but have addictive qualities all the same. Sometimes, an individual’s long-term addiction increases a drug’s addiction rating for that individual. Drugs with a negligible rating are not subject to this change. Stronger drugs increase their rating by one step for every two full months a character remains addicted to thedrug. A character who recovers from an addiction and later becomes addicted again does so at the addiction rating the drug had just prior to his recovery.
Satiation: Each time a user takes a drug to which he is addicted, he is satiated and staves off withdrawal symptoms for the given period of time. After the satiation period wears off, the DC of the Fortitude save to resist the effects of addiction increases by +5. The dose in which a character becomes addicted counts for satiation. For example, a character unfortunate enough to become addicted to devilweed (low addiction) on his first use of the drug must succeed at a Fortitude save every day or take 1d2 points of Wisdom damage. As long as he continues to smoke devilweed every 10 days, his saving throw DC is only 6. If he stops smoking devilweed for more than 10 days, the DC of the addiction saving throw increases to 11. If he starts using it again, the DC drops back to 6.
Damage: Addiction deals the listed damage each day unless the character succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw or is satiated. Ability score damage is temporary, and characters naturally heal 1 point in each ability score per day. Recovery: If a character makes two successful saving throws in a row, he has fought off his addiction and recovers, taking no more damage. Of course, he can always become addicted again later by taking another dose of the drug and failing his Fortitude save to resist addiction.
A lesser restoration or restoration spell may negate some or all of the ability score damage caused by an addiction, but on the next day the victim may accrue more ability score damage if he continues to fail his Fortitude saves. Remove disease immediately causes the user to recover from the addiction, but it does not restore lost ability score points. Greater restoration or heal causes recovery and restores all ability score damage from the addiction.
Other characteristics are spelled out in a text entry for each drug. After a general description of the drug, the following characteristics are provided. Initial Effect: The effect of the drug if the initial saving throw is failed. If multiple effects are given, the result of one saving throw indicates whether all or none of these effects occur.
Secondary Effect: The effect of the drug if the secondary saving throw is failed. If multiple effects are given, the result of one saving throw indicates whether all or none of these effects occur.
Side Effects: Side effects, if any. These occur immediately upon taking the drug. Overdose: What constitutes an overdose and the effects of the same.
This thick, reddish liquid is the distilled essence of pain, captured using special spells or items (see the Pain as Power section of Chapter 2). It is highly sought after by outsiders.
Initial Effect: User is stunned for rounds and can take only partial actions for minutes after that.
Secondary Effect: roll:1d4+1] enhancement bonus to Charisma for minutes.
Side Effects: Feelings of intense pleasure last for hours.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 24-hour period, the user immediately falls unconscious for hours (Fort DC 18 negates).
This pasty substance is dried and kept as a powder or sometimes left as a paste. The ingredients are numerous and difficult to obtain.
Initial Effect: points of Strength damage.
Secondary Effect: minutes.
Side Effects: Those under the effect of baccaran take a –4 circumstance penalty on saving throws involving illusions for hours after using this mild hallucinogen.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 24-hour period, the user immediately takes points of damage and the side effect is doubled.
Initial Effect: 1 point of Wisdom damage. Secondary Effect: The smoker gains a +2 alchemical bonus to Strength for 1d3 hours.
Side Effects: A creature under the effect of devilweed is easily confused and acts skittish (treat as shaken).
Overdose: None.
Initial Effect: 1 point of ability score damage to all ability scores.
Secondary Effect: The imbiber gains a +2 alchemical bonus to all ability scores for 1d2 hours.
Side Effects: For the first minute of application, the user feels intense pain. During the time that the secondary effect is in effect, the user is immune to pain (including the effects of spells such as symbol of pain). The character takes damage as normal, but may not react normally to that damage.
Overdose: Those who take this drug more than once in 24 hours must make a separate save (Fort DC 25 negates) or die in terrible pain.
Mordayn Vapor (“Dreammist”): Made of roughly ground leaves of a rare herb found in deep forests, mordayn is so potent that it is taken by steeping a small amount in hot water, and then inhaling the vapors of the resultant tea.
Raw mordayn powder and mordayn-tainted water are deadly poison; taking the powder directly or drinking the water produces an immediate overdose. Dreammist is renowned for the beautiful visions it induces and the deadly peril of its sinister embrace.
Initial Effect: Exotic visions of incredible beauty enthrall the user for the next d20+10 minutes. During this time the user has a 50% chance to lose any action he attempts, as described in the bestow curse spell.
Secondary Effect: 1d4 points of Constitution damage and 1d4 points of Wisdom damage.
Side Effects: The visions of a dreammist user are incredibly beautiful and poignant. His normal life seems drab and futile in comparison, and he aches to experience the transcendent beauty of his drug-induced dreams again. When the dose wears off, the user must succeed at a Will save (DC 17) or fall under a compulsion to do whatever is necessary to repeat the dreammist dose (treat this as a compulsion similar to that of a suggestion spell). This compulsion lasts for 1d4 hours before fading.
Overdose: If two doses are taken within the space of an hour, or if raw mordayn powder or mordayn tea are ingested, the drug is a deadly poison (ingested DC 17, 1d10 Con/1d10 Con). Mordayn vapor addicts often throw out the tea as soon as they inhale and make sure that only one dose is available at a time in order to make sure they cannot overdose on the deadly drug.
Initial Effect: +2 alchemical bonus to Intelligence and Charisma for 1 hour.
Secondary Effect: 1 point of Strength damage. Side Effects: This is a mild hallucinogen. The user takes a –2 alchemical penalty to Wisdom for 1d4 hours and a –2 alchemical penalty to Strength and Constitution for 2d4 hours.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 12-hour period, the user takes 2d6 points of damage. Using it more than three times in any 24-hour period deals 4d6 points of damage and paralyzes the user for 2d4 hours.
Initial Effect: None.
Secondary Effect: As a move-equivalent action, the user may focus his attention upon a particular creature. If he follows that action with an attack against the creature, he gains a +4 competence bonus on the attack roll. This ability lasts 10 minutes.
Side Effects: None.
Overdose: Taking a second dose before the first has worn off causes the user to be nauseated for 1d4 × 10 minutes.
Initial Effect: 1 point of Wisdom damage.
Secondary Effect: The user becomes numbed to pain for 1d4 hours, immune to pain-induced penalties (such as from a symbol of pain).
Side Effects: Sannish causes euphoria. While the drug is in effect, the user takes a –2 penalty on all initiative checks.
Overdose: A second dose taken while the first dose is still in effect causes a numbing stupor for 2d4 hours. The user can only take partial actions until the stupor wears off.
Initial Effect: +2 alchemical bonus to effective caster level for 1d20+20 minutes.
Secondary Effect: 2 points of Constitution damage.
Side Effects: None.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 8-hour period, the user immediately takes 1 point of Constitution damage.
Initial Effect: +2 alchemical bonus on Intimidate checks and saving throws against fear effects for 1d4 hours.
Secondary Effect: –4 alchemical penalty on Diplomacy and Bluff checks for 2d4 hours.
Side Effects: Mild euphoria and fierce confidence while the drug is in effect.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 4-hour period, the user becomes catatonic (Fort DC 15 negates).
A creature that willingly takes a drug automatically fails both saving throws. It is not possible to intentionally fail the initial save but attempt to save against the secondary damage, or vice versa. DCs are provided for situations in which a character is drugged against his will.
Drugs in Your Campaign: Depending on your campaign, drugs may be difficult or easy to obtain—the decision is a matter of taste. However, whether drugs are illegal (as might be the case in a restrictive but good-aligned civilization) or commonplace, pushers will exist. Pushers are those who directly or indirectly want to see a drug dispersed into a population. Usually profit motivates them. A pusher’s typical tactic is to offer the drug at only 1/10 of its normal price (or even free) to potential new customers, in hopes of addicting the customer to the drug. Once the customer seeks out the pusher for the drug (usually, once he or she is addicted), then the pusher charges full price for the drug, or even a premium.
Adding drugs into your campaign is probably most easily accomplished through a nonplayer character (NPC) pusher. Player characters (PCs) can expect to run into pushers illicitly in a civilization where drugs are outlawed, or in bazaars in a society where drugs are common. In a society where magic potions are commonplace, drugs might be legal, too.
Drug addiction functions much like diseases as described in the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide. Upon initial exposure (anytime a character imbibes or applies a drug with an addiction rating), the character must succeed at a Fortitude save or become addicted, as shown below. Addiction proceeds like a disease—while addicted, the character takes ability score damage each day unless he succeeds at a Fortitude save against the given DC.
| Addiction Rating | Fort DC | Satiation | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | 4 | 1 day | Dex (can be 0) |
| Low | 6 | 10 days | Dex |
| Medium | 10 | 5 days | Dex, Wis |
| High | 14 | 2 days | Dex, Wis, Con |
| Extreme | 25 | 1 day | Dex, Wis, Con |
| Vicious | 36 | 1 day | Dex, Wis, , Str |
| Name | Type | Price | Alchemy DC | Addiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agony ("liquid pain") | Ingested DC 18 | 200gp | 25 | Extreme |
| Baccaran | Ingested DC 14 | 10gp | 20 | Low |
| Devilweed | Inhaled DC 15 | 6gp | 20 | Low |
| Luhix | Injury DC 25 | 2,000gp | 30 | Vicious |
| Mordayn vapor ("dreammist") | Inhaled DC 17 | 200gp | 20 | High |
| Mushroom Powder | Inhaled DC 15 | 100gp | 25 | Medium |
| Redflower leaves | Ingested DC 10 | 300gp | 27 | Low |
| Sannish | Ingested DC 9 | 15gp | 20 | Medium |
| Terran brandy | Ingested DC 19 | 500gp | 30 | Low |
| Vodare | Ingested DC 13 | 40gp | 15 | High |
Type: This column gives the method by which the drug is introduced into a creature’s system—either ingested, inhaled, or via an injury—and the DC of the Fortitude save necessary to avoid the effects of the drug. Injury also includes methods such as pouring the drug into a wound or applying it as a poultice.
Price: The price of a single dose, assuming the drug is publicly available. If a drug is banned, the price is generally two to five times higher.
Alchemy DC: The DC for the Alchemy check required to make the drug. The check can only be made in a properly outfitted alchemical laboratory.
Addiction: The addiction rating of the drug (see the Addiction section above). 1 This drug is mag
Addiction Rating: Drugs are rated according to their addictive potential. For example, many popular stimulant drinks have a negligible addiction rating, but have addictive qualities all the same. Sometimes, an individual’s long-term addiction increases a drug’s addiction rating for that individual. Drugs with a negligible rating are not subject to this change. Stronger drugs increase their rating by one step for every two full months a character remains addicted to thedrug. A character who recovers from an addiction and later becomes addicted again does so at the addiction rating the drug had just prior to his recovery.
Satiation: Each time a user takes a drug to which he is addicted, he is satiated and staves off withdrawal symptoms for the given period of time. After the satiation period wears off, the DC of the Fortitude save to resist the effects of addiction increases by +5. The dose in which a character becomes addicted counts for satiation. For example, a character unfortunate enough to become addicted to devilweed (low addiction) on his first use of the drug must succeed at a Fortitude save every day or take 1d2 points of Wisdom damage. As long as he continues to smoke devilweed every 10 days, his saving throw DC is only 6. If he stops smoking devilweed for more than 10 days, the DC of the addiction saving throw increases to 11. If he starts using it again, the DC drops back to 6.
Damage: Addiction deals the listed damage each day unless the character succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw or is satiated. Ability score damage is temporary, and characters naturally heal 1 point in each ability score per day. Recovery: If a character makes two successful saving throws in a row, he has fought off his addiction and recovers, taking no more damage. Of course, he can always become addicted again later by taking another dose of the drug and failing his Fortitude save to resist addiction.
A lesser restoration or restoration spell may negate some or all of the ability score damage caused by an addiction, but on the next day the victim may accrue more ability score damage if he continues to fail his Fortitude saves. Remove disease immediately causes the user to recover from the addiction, but it does not restore lost ability score points. Greater restoration or heal causes recovery and restores all ability score damage from the addiction.
Drug Characteristics
Some characteristics of drugs are summarized on Table 3–5: Drugs.Other characteristics are spelled out in a text entry for each drug. After a general description of the drug, the following characteristics are provided. Initial Effect: The effect of the drug if the initial saving throw is failed. If multiple effects are given, the result of one saving throw indicates whether all or none of these effects occur.
Secondary Effect: The effect of the drug if the secondary saving throw is failed. If multiple effects are given, the result of one saving throw indicates whether all or none of these effects occur.
Side Effects: Side effects, if any. These occur immediately upon taking the drug. Overdose: What constitutes an overdose and the effects of the same.
Descriptions
Agony (Liquid Pain)
This thick, reddish liquid is the distilled essence of pain, captured using special spells or items (see the Pain as Power section of Chapter 2). It is highly sought after by outsiders.
Initial Effect: User is stunned for rounds and can take only partial actions for minutes after that.
Secondary Effect: roll:1d4+1] enhancement bonus to Charisma for minutes.
Side Effects: Feelings of intense pleasure last for hours.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 24-hour period, the user immediately falls unconscious for hours (Fort DC 18 negates).
Baccaran
This pasty substance is dried and kept as a powder or sometimes left as a paste. The ingredients are numerous and difficult to obtain.
Initial Effect: points of Strength damage.
Secondary Effect: minutes.
Side Effects: Those under the effect of baccaran take a –4 circumstance penalty on saving throws involving illusions for hours after using this mild hallucinogen.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 24-hour period, the user immediately takes points of damage and the side effect is doubled.
Devilweed
Leaves from the wyssin plant are dried and rolled into a tobaccolike substance and smoked.Initial Effect: 1 point of Wisdom damage. Secondary Effect: The smoker gains a +2 alchemical bonus to Strength for 1d3 hours.
Side Effects: A creature under the effect of devilweed is easily confused and acts skittish (treat as shaken).
Overdose: None.
Luhix
Powdered stalks of plants that grow only in the Abyss, luhix is normally sprinkled onto a bleeding, selfinflicted wound. Then the wound is sealed either with magical healing or tightly wound bandages.Initial Effect: 1 point of ability score damage to all ability scores.
Secondary Effect: The imbiber gains a +2 alchemical bonus to all ability scores for 1d2 hours.
Side Effects: For the first minute of application, the user feels intense pain. During the time that the secondary effect is in effect, the user is immune to pain (including the effects of spells such as symbol of pain). The character takes damage as normal, but may not react normally to that damage.
Overdose: Those who take this drug more than once in 24 hours must make a separate save (Fort DC 25 negates) or die in terrible pain.
Mordayn Vapor (“Dreammist”): Made of roughly ground leaves of a rare herb found in deep forests, mordayn is so potent that it is taken by steeping a small amount in hot water, and then inhaling the vapors of the resultant tea.
Raw mordayn powder and mordayn-tainted water are deadly poison; taking the powder directly or drinking the water produces an immediate overdose. Dreammist is renowned for the beautiful visions it induces and the deadly peril of its sinister embrace.
Initial Effect: Exotic visions of incredible beauty enthrall the user for the next d20+10 minutes. During this time the user has a 50% chance to lose any action he attempts, as described in the bestow curse spell.
Secondary Effect: 1d4 points of Constitution damage and 1d4 points of Wisdom damage.
Side Effects: The visions of a dreammist user are incredibly beautiful and poignant. His normal life seems drab and futile in comparison, and he aches to experience the transcendent beauty of his drug-induced dreams again. When the dose wears off, the user must succeed at a Will save (DC 17) or fall under a compulsion to do whatever is necessary to repeat the dreammist dose (treat this as a compulsion similar to that of a suggestion spell). This compulsion lasts for 1d4 hours before fading.
Overdose: If two doses are taken within the space of an hour, or if raw mordayn powder or mordayn tea are ingested, the drug is a deadly poison (ingested DC 17, 1d10 Con/1d10 Con). Mordayn vapor addicts often throw out the tea as soon as they inhale and make sure that only one dose is available at a time in order to make sure they cannot overdose on the deadly drug.
Mushroom Powder
Taken from a rare blue mushroom, this powder must be inhaled. It is popular among arcane spellcasters.Initial Effect: +2 alchemical bonus to Intelligence and Charisma for 1 hour.
Secondary Effect: 1 point of Strength damage. Side Effects: This is a mild hallucinogen. The user takes a –2 alchemical penalty to Wisdom for 1d4 hours and a –2 alchemical penalty to Strength and Constitution for 2d4 hours.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 12-hour period, the user takes 2d6 points of damage. Using it more than three times in any 24-hour period deals 4d6 points of damage and paralyzes the user for 2d4 hours.
Redflower Leaves
These crushed leaves of a tiny red bog flower are known for their ability to improve hand-to-eye coordination.Initial Effect: None.
Secondary Effect: As a move-equivalent action, the user may focus his attention upon a particular creature. If he follows that action with an attack against the creature, he gains a +4 competence bonus on the attack roll. This ability lasts 10 minutes.
Side Effects: None.
Overdose: Taking a second dose before the first has worn off causes the user to be nauseated for 1d4 × 10 minutes.
Sannish
A bluish liquid distilled from wolves’ milk and a powdered desert plant, this concoction is very popular. Addicts are easily found by the permanent blue stains on their lips.Initial Effect: 1 point of Wisdom damage.
Secondary Effect: The user becomes numbed to pain for 1d4 hours, immune to pain-induced penalties (such as from a symbol of pain).
Side Effects: Sannish causes euphoria. While the drug is in effect, the user takes a –2 penalty on all initiative checks.
Overdose: A second dose taken while the first dose is still in effect causes a numbing stupor for 2d4 hours. The user can only take partial actions until the stupor wears off.
Terran Brandy
A potent alcohol, this magical drink is favored by heartless spellcasters of all types. This green liquid is distilled from the essence of dying fey.Initial Effect: +2 alchemical bonus to effective caster level for 1d20+20 minutes.
Secondary Effect: 2 points of Constitution damage.
Side Effects: None.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 8-hour period, the user immediately takes 1 point of Constitution damage.
Vodare
An extremely bitter brown powder, vodare is usually mixed with honeyed water or sweet wine to dilute the taste. It is made from the crushed petals of a flower that grows only on the graves of those who dedicated their lives to the worship of Rallaster.Initial Effect: +2 alchemical bonus on Intimidate checks and saving throws against fear effects for 1d4 hours.
Secondary Effect: –4 alchemical penalty on Diplomacy and Bluff checks for 2d4 hours.
Side Effects: Mild euphoria and fierce confidence while the drug is in effect.
Overdose: If more than one dose is taken in a 4-hour period, the user becomes catatonic (Fort DC 15 negates).