Drugs and Addiction

When a character takes a drug, he immediately gains the effects, ability damage, and must make a Fortitude save to resist becoming addicted to that drug. The DC of a drug’s saving throw increases by +2 every time a character takes a another dose of that drug while still suffering from ability damage caused by that drug.

Crafting Drugs

Drugs can be manufactured using Craft (alchemy). The DC to make a drug is equal to its addiction DC. Rolling a natural 1 on a Craft skill check while making a drug exposes the crafter to the drug.

Addiction

While a character is benefiting from the effects of the drug he is addicted to, he does not suffer the penalties of his addiction disease. As soon as the drug’s benefits expire, the disease’s effects return.

As addictions are diseases, they can be cured as such, through the use of spells like remove disease or by succeeding at Fortitude saves over time. Unlike with other diseases, an addicted character can only make a Fortitude save to overcome his addiction after a day of not taking the drug he is addicted to. The DC of this Fortitude save is equal to the highest addiction DC his drug use has reached. This DC decreases by –2 for everyday the character does not make use of the drug, to a minimum of the drug’s base addiction DC. Should a character take a dose of the drug he’s addicted to, he immediately relapses, causing the addiction DC to instantly return to its highest DC and negating any successful past saves.

Minor Addiction

Type: disease, variable; Save variable
Onset: 1 day; Frequency 1/day
Effect: -2 penalty to Con
Cure: 2 consecutive saves

Moderate Addiction

Type: disease, variable; Save variable
Onset: 1 day; Frequency 1/day
Effect: -2 penalty to Con and Str, cannot naturally heal ability damage caused by this drug
Cure: 3 consecutive saves

Severe Addiction

Type: disease, variable; Save variable
Onset: 1 day; Frequency 1/day
Effect: -2 penalty to to Dex, Con, Str, and Wis; cannot naturally heal ability damage caused by this drug
Cure: 3 consecutive saves

AEther

Cost: 20gp sniff
Type: drug (inhaled); Moderate Addiction, Fortitude DC16
Effect: 1 hour; +1 caster level
Effect: 1d4 hours; must make a caster check to cast spells, DC15 + spell level
Damage: 1d2 Con damage

Produced mostly by halflings from “fermenting” the gases produced by various mushrooms.

Blood Sap

Cost: 150gp dose
Type: drug (ingested); Moderate Addiction, Fortitude DC20;
Effect: 30 minutes; +1d4 Str and +1d3 Dex
Effect: after 30min; 3 hours of Slow
Damage: 1d4 Con

Blood sap is distilled from the crimson sap exuded by a pale green vine native to the Vanara Plateau. Blood sap addicts often display vividly red lips and teeth.

Dwarven Fire Ale

Cost: 50gp pint
Type: drug (ingested); Moderate Addiction, Fortitude DC20
Effect: 1d4 rounds; Rage
Effect: 1 hour; cold resistance 5
Damage: 1d2 Con damage

Common in the colder Dwarf Fortresses.

Elven Absinthe

Cost: 500gp small bottle
Type: drug (ingested); Moderate Addiction, Fortitude DC16
Effect: 1 hour; +1d4 Cha
Damage: 1d4 Con damage

Not sold to non-elves and very rare outside of Elflands.

Pesh

Cost: 15gp dose
Type: drug (ingested or inhaled); Moderate Addiction, Fortitude DC20
Effect: 1 hour; +1d2 alchemical bonus to Str, -2 saves vs illusions and mind-affecting effects
Effect: after 1 hour; 1d2 hours of fatigue
Damage: 1d2 Con and 1d2 Wis damage

A common and easy to make drug used mostly by lower classes to escape their boring, depressing lives.

Zerg

Cost: 50gp dose
Type: drug (injury); Minor Addiction, Fortitude DC18
Effect: 1 hour; +1 alchemical bonus to initiative.
Effect: If addicted, +1d4 alchemical bonus to Str
Damage: 1d2 Con damage

Popular amongst gladiators, thugs, soldier, and thrill seekers.