Drugs and Addiction

H
ard-drinking heroes, deities of wine and
celebration, and the hazy halls of oracles and
wise men stand alongside the most
memorable tropes of myth and classic fantasy
literature. Thus it's no surprise that the
adventures of fantasy roleplaying games are
filled with similar characters and locales.
After all, countless campaigns have been launched around a
tavern table and all adventurers know the infamous potency
of stout dwarven ale.
For better or worse, all things that one might find in the
real world multiply and take on wondrous and lethal qualities
in fantasy settings, and the vices of alcohol and chemical
abuse are no different. While many games have no place for
realistic bouts of drunkenness or the soul-scouring depths of
addiction, such elements hold great potential for adventure.
Whether one seeks to reenact a feat of fortitude like the
drinking contest between Hercules and Dionysus, have an
encounter with lotus-eater-like decadents, or recreate the
entheogens of religious mysteries, these rules cover the highs
and lows.
From dreamlily to dragon's blood, the shadow markets of
Khorvaire deal in a wide variety of opiates and elixirs that are
better left alone. Many of these are harmful when used over
the course of months or years—but there are a few
substances that can have a terrible effect on the mind or body
of a character after a single use.
Addiction
Drug addiction is somewhat of a mysterious thing. Someone
can become addicted to somethign after one or two uses,
while another spends a life time as a hard user never
developing an addiction. Also one might find a waif girl
drinking heavily that does not become addicted, while the
barbarian quickly becomes addicted to alcohol. So these rules
try to decouple high Con saving throws with proficiency
setting a standard that the character rarely becomes addicted
to something.
As such everytime someone engages in a drug or alcohol
there is a flat chance that the person becomes addicted to the
substance. Frequent use of the substance will increase the
chance of being addicted, while time away from the substance
will set that chance back to the base chance.
While not addicted to a substance the character will not
suffer withdrawal impacts when off the substance. However
once addicted the character will suffer withdrawal effects in
addition to the normal side effects of the substance. As
addictions progress these withdrawal sysmptoms may
increase, and the characters addiction becomes stronger and
stronger.
Use Addiction. How much of a particular substance needs
to be consumed in order for an addiction check to be rolled.
Use Increase. After the initial use if the character uses the
substance again within the aloted days the chance of
addiction increases by the listed amount.
For example, if a character uses Dreamlily there is a 30%
chance of becoming addicted. If they use it again within 2
days the chance increases to 34%.
Abstinance. For a character that is not yet addicted to a
substance, time away from the substance will lower the
chance of addiction.
For example, continuing the the example used above, if the
character then does not use Dreamlily for 4 days the chance
of addiction should they use it again would drop to 32%. If
they did not use it for two weeks the chance of addiction
would have dropped back to the base chance of 30%.
Addiction
Once a character fails a check under the substance abuse
section, the character becomes addited to the drug. A
character starts with a minor addiction in the drug. Every
time the drug is used, the character succeed on the DC listed
under that addiction. After two consecutive failures, the
addiction progresses to a moderate addiction. The DC after
each use becomes more difficult, and again after two
consecutive failures the addiction progresses to a severe
addiction.
Each time the user takes the 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
character must make a saving throw every day to resist the
compulsion of the addiction. If the character fails the saving
throw, they are affected as if by a Suggestion spell to seek out
a fix for the addiction. However the duration of the
Suggestion is either till the addiction is satiated, or the
character recovers from their addiction. The dose in which a
character becomes addicted counts for satiation. The peroid
of satiation becomes shorter the more severe the addiction.
For example, a becomes addicted to Mushroom Powder,
then suffers two failed DC 10 Wisdom saving throws. They
now suffer from the effects of a moderate addiction to
Mushroom Powder.
A character who recovers from an addiction and later
becomes readdicted does so at the addiction rating the drug
had just prior to his recovery.
For example, if a character has a moderate addiction to
Muchroom Powder and they take a dose of it again. Will need
to make a DC 13 Wisdom save to avoid becoming readdicted
at the moderate addiction level.

Substance Abuse
Each drug has some information listed under Substance
Abuse. This is the information that details the chance that a
character can become addicted to a particular drug.
Base Chance. If a character should use the drug this is the
base chance that they may become addicted to the substance
in question.

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 Recovery
When a character tries to recover from his addiction, the
recovery section lists the number of consecutive saves that
will need to be made after a long rest to fight off her
addiction. The number of saves tends to be higher the more
severe the addiction. Only one saving throw can be made
after each long rest. If the character fails the saving throw to
recover, they are affected as if by a Suggestion spell to seek
out a fix for the addiction. However the duration of the
Suggestion is either till the addiction is satiated, or the
character recovers from their addiction.
DRUGS AND ADDICTION
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Drug Effects
All drugs have basic effects. The specific details of these
effects are listed under the particular drug, but the heneragl
effects are listed as follows.
Price. How much the drug costs on a normal market per
dose.
Availability. How available on the (black) market are the
particular drugs.
Type. How the substance is taken into the body for its
effects to take place.
Ingested. The substance must be ingested to have its
effect.
Inhaled. One dose of a substance will fill roughly a 10'
cube, and all within that area must either hold their
breaths or take in a dose of the substance, and thus be
required to make any associated saves.
Injury. The substance must enter the bloodstream directly
to have its best effect. This is usually done through a
needle or similar method of injection.
Duration. How long the primary and secondary effects of
the drug last.
DC. The kind and difficulty of the saving throw required to
avoid the primary and secondary effect of the drug. Each
effect requires a different saving throw. Either of these saving
throws can be voluntarily failed by willing users of the
substance.
Primary effects. The effect is what happens if the saving
throw is failed, with one save indicating if all listed effects
take place.
Secondary effects. The effect is what happens if the
saving throw is failed, with one save indicating if all listed
effects take place.
Side Effects. These effects, if any, take place immediately
upon being affected by a drug.
Overdose. These are the effects of an overdose of a given
substance and the circumstances that will generate an
overose.
Mushroom Powder
Derived from a rare blue mushroom, this powder is
inhaled to produce a state of mild hallucination and
heightened awareness.
Price per dose: 50-75 gp
Availability: Easily Acquired
Type: Inhaled

Effects
Duration. 1 hour
DC: 15 Constitution
Primary effect. +d2 to Wisdom, +d2 to Charisma
Secondary effect. -1 to Strength
Side Effects. As as mild hallucinogen the user
takes a -2 to Intelligence checks for 1d4 hours,
and a disadvantage to Perception 9Wisdom)
checks for 2d4 hours after the first hour.
Overdose. Taking more than one dose within 24
hours deals 2d6 of psychic damage to the
character. Using it more than three times within
24 hours deals 3d6 points of psychic damage
and paralyzes

Substance Abuse
Base Chance: 25%
Use: 1 dose
Abuse Effect: +3% within four days
Abstinance: -1% per two days

Addiction
Minor Addiction
Satiation: 4 days
DC: 8 Wisdom
Withdrawal: -1 to Dex checks, -1 to Cha checks

Moderate Addiction
Satiation: 3 days
DC: 11 Wisdom
Withdrawal: -d2 to Dex checks, -d2 to Cha
checks

Severe Addiction
Satiation: 2 days
DC: 14 Wisdom
Withdrawal: -d2+1 to Dex checks, -d2+1 to Cha
checks, suffer one level of exhaustion

Recovery
Minor: 1 Con save, 1 Wis save
Moderate: 2 Con save, 1 Wis save
Severe: 2 Con save, 2 Wis saves

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