Drugs in the Span
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.
| Addiction Rating | Fort DC | Satiation | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Negligible | 4 | 1 day | 1d3-2 Dex (can be 0) |
| Low | 6 | 10 days | 1d3 Dex |
| Medium | 10 | 5 days | 1d4 Dex, 1d4 Wis |
| High | 14 | 2 days | 1d6 Dex, 1d6 Wis, 1d2 Con |
| Extreme | 25 | 1 day | 1d6 Dex, 1d6 Wis, 1d6 Con |
| Vicious | 36 | 1 day | 1d8 Dex, 1d8 Wis, 1d6Con , 1d6 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.
