Alchemy and herbs for my setting - ideas needed [Archive] - Wizards Community

Alchemy and herbs for my setting - ideas needed [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Dhaerow
06-30-06, 08:09 AM My setting is a gigantic forest with scattered ruins of a once great elven kingdom. It's inhabited by humans, dwarves, kobolds, apecats and gnolls. There are no large human kingdoms or cities, only small, isolated settlements.

I have described the setting here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=9501721#post9501721).

This is going to be a low tech, low magic campaign, very low magic, in fact. Since the setting is a huge forest with all kinds of strange plants, I would like alchemy and herbs to play a big part. I was thinking of making up a whole lot of interesting herbs with properties such as healing, antitoxin, addicting, poisonous, microbe killing (the sort you would put in drinking water), ability boosting/draining and so on. Some might grow on dangerous living plants or only be found in certain dangerous forest areas. For each herb I was thinking of making a little table of the survival/knowledge nature DC's needed to locate and identify it in different kinds of forest areas, while traveling. I also want to make a list of potions that can be created (with craft alchemy) out of these herbs, boosting their effects or creating new ones by mixing them. In my game craft alchemy isn't going to be as advanced a skill. It won't require a laboratory or anything. What do you think of this idea? Have any suggestions how I could make it interesting? I you want to, I'd appreciate if you could suggest some interesting herbs or potions that could be mixed from them.
Dhaerow
06-30-06, 10:24 AM I made this standard format for the different herbs and potions. What do you think of it?

Herbs

Name(s):

Way of working: Pulverized and smeared unto wound, ingested, inhaled, and so on.

Effect of one dose:

Number of doses: The number of doses that usually grow together. 1, 1d4, 4d4, etc.

Occurrence rate: For specific areas or different area types. Number of times a person will pass the herb and have a chance to spot it, per hour, when walking half his speed. Double occurance rates for hustling (but smaller chance to spot, see below). 1d4-2, 1d20-19, etc.

Spot DC to notice: -4 panalty if spotter is unable to identify the herb. -5 penalty if spotter is distracted (not looking actively counts as being distracted). When looking actively spotter can move no faster than half his speed. +2 bonus if 5 or more ranks in knowledge nature. +2 bonus if 5 or more ranks in survival.

Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: The DC to identify a herb and determine exactly what type it is. Many are hard to discern from each other. If a character can recgognize the type, he is assumed also to know its properties. DC should usually be higher for herbs that are hard to find.

Describtion:

Potions

Name(s):

Ingredient(s): In doses.

Other ingredient(s): If required.

Way of working:

Effect of potion:

Craft alchemy DC to create:

Craft alchemy DC to identify:
Tarionz_Cousin
06-30-06, 10:41 PM Bastion Press has a good book on Alchemy and Herbs. I own it, although I loaned it to one of my players six months ago. So I don't have it on hand to verify anything.

It can be found here, along with a free 15-page download preview:
http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/alchemy.htm
BRJN
06-30-06, 11:53 PM If you can find a book titled something like Plants of Indiana (or wherever) you will get a lot of nifty ideas.
- Plant has nettles that cattle will not eat
- Plant makes cow's milk poisonous to man
- Plant can be boiled to get dye
- Leaf (only) of plant is useful
- Flower, leaf, stems, roots each have a different use (but related somehow)
- Plant exudes an oil that makes it waterproof. The oil is highly flammable.
- Tuber on plant is nutritious unless cooked over open flame; then is an irritant
- Plant smells bad to bugs
- Plant when burned produces smoke that soothes cough and cold

You should also look for books on folklore, herbal medicines, and the like.
Andorxor
07-01-06, 01:38 AM Name: Darkwoodbark,tea of the night

Way of working: tea/pulverized

Effect of one dose: darkvision for 1d3h/blindness for 2/d2h

Number of doses growing together: 10d20

Obccurance rate:
Deep forest: 1d3

Spot DC to notice: 5

Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: 20

Describtion:
The rare darkwoodtree grows deep in the forest and is often confused with a oak,it can be identified throught the fact that the underside of the leafes are a real dark almost black.
The bark of this tree makes the eyes more sensible for light.That can cause blindness when is diggested undilluted.If you cook a tea from it ,it enables the drinker to see better in the dark.

Name: Burning berrys,Shadow biter

Way of working: smeared on target

Effect of one dose: 1d3 acid damage

Number of doses growing together: 1d3

Obccurance rate:
Deep forest: 1d4

Spot DC to notice: 20

Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: 10

Describtion:
This small plant grow under bushes and other places in the shadows and is often overlooked because of this.
The small brown berrys on this plant contains a juice that burns like fire,when it comes in contact with skin.

Name(s): Berry acid

Ingredient(s):20 burning berry

Other ingredient(s): salt

Effect of potion: 2d6 acid damage

Craft alchemy DC to create potion:15

Craft alchemy DC to identify:10
Dhaerow
07-01-06, 06:44 AM I appreciate your input! That was some good suggestions, Andorxor.

Do you think my idea of how players find these herbs will work? If someone has a better idea, I would love to hear it :)
Lazzmaniandevil
07-01-06, 07:47 AM The best reference I've seen about herbs and plants are from a Scarred Lands's site called La licorne de Tanil (http://a.piboule.free.fr/DetD3/index.html). Unfortunately, it's in french, but I thought I would give the link just in case you understood that language: here is the direct link to the herbs download (http://a.piboule.free.fr/DetD3/aides_de_jeux/Herboristerie.zip).
snakefing
07-01-06, 03:11 PM Quatrefoil Herb
Alternate Names: Dameflower, Queen's heart

Way of working:
Fresh: Break fresh leaves, steep in oil for 5 minutes, spread on wounds.
Prepared: Break fresh leaves, work into tallow with mortar and pestle, store in a pouch or small pot. Remains vital for up to 2 months. Spread on wounds.
Dried: Steep dried leaves in oil for 15 minutes, spread on wound. Only 50% as effective as fresh.
Potion: Break fresh leaves, steep in hot water, activate with secret alchemical ingredients, store in a flask or phial.

Effect of one dose:
As a dressing for wounds, doubles the normal rate of healing for one day, or allows normal healing even if the character does not get sufficient rest. However, this is only effective on damage due to wounds and poison; it is not effective on burns, frostbite, or other forms of damage.
As a potion, increases the character's speed by +10 for 20 minutes, but the character takes one point of Con damage when it wears off due to the strain on their system.
Multiple doses overlap, they do not stack.

Number of doses: When harvested in spring when it is blooming, a plant provides a single dose; at other times of year it takes two plants. This herb usually grows in stands of one or two dozen plants.

Occurrence rate: Common in temperate open meadows where it grows.

Spot DC to notice: 12 in spring when it is blooming, 25 other times of year.

Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: 15

Description:
Quatrefoil is a small white flower with red center that grows in open meadows in temperate climate. A single plant usually generates 4-6 blooms during the spring. It can also be cultivated in pots, so it is commonly available wherever healers or herbalists are found. The leaves contain a substance that increases the metabolic rate, which can be used to speed healing, or create potions.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dhaerow 06-30-06, 08:09 AM	My setting is a gigantic forest with scattered ruins of a once great elven kingdom. It's inhabited by humans, dwarves, kobolds, apecats and gnolls. There are no large human kingdoms or cities, only small, isolated settlements. I have described the setting here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=9501721#post9501721). This is going to be a low tech, low magic campaign, very low magic, in fact. Since the setting is a huge forest with all kinds of strange plants, I would like alchemy and herbs to play a big part. I was thinking of making up a whole lot of interesting herbs with properties such as healing, antitoxin, addicting, poisonous, microbe killing (the sort you would put in drinking water), ability boosting/draining and so on. Some might grow on dangerous living plants or only be found in certain dangerous forest areas. For each herb I was thinking of making a little table of the survival/knowledge nature DC's needed to locate and identify it in different kinds of forest areas, while traveling. I also want to make a list of potions that can be created (with craft alchemy) out of these herbs, boosting their effects or creating new ones by mixing them. In my game craft alchemy isn't going to be as advanced a skill. It won't require a laboratory or anything. What do you think of this idea? Have any suggestions how I could make it interesting? I you want to, I'd appreciate if you could suggest some interesting herbs or potions that could be mixed from them.
Dhaerow 06-30-06, 10:24 AM	I made this standard format for the different herbs and potions. What do you think of it? Herbs Name(s): Way of working: Pulverized and smeared unto wound, ingested, inhaled, and so on. Effect of one dose: Number of doses: The number of doses that usually grow together. 1, 1d4, 4d4, etc. Occurrence rate: For specific areas or different area types. Number of times a person will pass the herb and have a chance to spot it, per hour, when walking half his speed. Double occurance rates for hustling (but smaller chance to spot, see below). 1d4-2, 1d20-19, etc. Spot DC to notice: -4 panalty if spotter is unable to identify the herb. -5 penalty if spotter is distracted (not looking actively counts as being distracted). When looking actively spotter can move no faster than half his speed. +2 bonus if 5 or more ranks in knowledge nature. +2 bonus if 5 or more ranks in survival. Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: The DC to identify a herb and determine exactly what type it is. Many are hard to discern from each other. If a character can recgognize the type, he is assumed also to know its properties. DC should usually be higher for herbs that are hard to find. Describtion: Potions Name(s): Ingredient(s): In doses. Other ingredient(s): If required. Way of working: Effect of potion: Craft alchemy DC to create: Craft alchemy DC to identify:
Tarionz_Cousin 06-30-06, 10:41 PM	Bastion Press has a good book on Alchemy and Herbs. I own it, although I loaned it to one of my players six months ago. So I don't have it on hand to verify anything. It can be found here, along with a free 15-page download preview: http://www.bastionpress.com/Products/alchemy.htm
BRJN 06-30-06, 11:53 PM	If you can find a book titled something like Plants of Indiana (or wherever) you will get a lot of nifty ideas. - Plant has nettles that cattle will not eat - Plant makes cow's milk poisonous to man - Plant can be boiled to get dye - Leaf (only) of plant is useful - Flower, leaf, stems, roots each have a different use (but related somehow) - Plant exudes an oil that makes it waterproof. The oil is highly flammable. - Tuber on plant is nutritious unless cooked over open flame; then is an irritant - Plant smells bad to bugs - Plant when burned produces smoke that soothes cough and cold You should also look for books on folklore, herbal medicines, and the like.
Andorxor 07-01-06, 01:38 AM	Name: Darkwoodbark,tea of the night Way of working: tea/pulverized Effect of one dose: darkvision for 1d3h/blindness for 2/d2h Number of doses growing together: 10d20 Obccurance rate: Deep forest: 1d3 Spot DC to notice: 5 Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: 20 Describtion: The rare darkwoodtree grows deep in the forest and is often confused with a oak,it can be identified throught the fact that the underside of the leafes are a real dark almost black. The bark of this tree makes the eyes more sensible for light.That can cause blindness when is diggested undilluted.If you cook a tea from it ,it enables the drinker to see better in the dark. Name: Burning berrys,Shadow biter Way of working: smeared on target Effect of one dose: 1d3 acid damage Number of doses growing together: 1d3 Obccurance rate: Deep forest: 1d4 Spot DC to notice: 20 Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: 10 Describtion: This small plant grow under bushes and other places in the shadows and is often overlooked because of this. The small brown berrys on this plant contains a juice that burns like fire,when it comes in contact with skin. Name(s): Berry acid Ingredient(s):20 burning berry Other ingredient(s): salt Effect of potion: 2d6 acid damage Craft alchemy DC to create potion:15 Craft alchemy DC to identify:10
Dhaerow 07-01-06, 06:44 AM	I appreciate your input! That was some good suggestions, Andorxor. Do you think my idea of how players find these herbs will work? If someone has a better idea, I would love to hear it :)
Lazzmaniandevil 07-01-06, 07:47 AM	The best reference I've seen about herbs and plants are from a Scarred Lands's site called La licorne de Tanil (http://a.piboule.free.fr/DetD3/index.html). Unfortunately, it's in french, but I thought I would give the link just in case you understood that language: here is the direct link to the herbs download (http://a.piboule.free.fr/DetD3/aides_de_jeux/Herboristerie.zip).
snakefing 07-01-06, 03:11 PM	Quatrefoil Herb Alternate Names: Dameflower, Queen's heart Way of working: Fresh: Break fresh leaves, steep in oil for 5 minutes, spread on wounds. Prepared: Break fresh leaves, work into tallow with mortar and pestle, store in a pouch or small pot. Remains vital for up to 2 months. Spread on wounds. Dried: Steep dried leaves in oil for 15 minutes, spread on wound. Only 50% as effective as fresh. Potion: Break fresh leaves, steep in hot water, activate with secret alchemical ingredients, store in a flask or phial. Effect of one dose: As a dressing for wounds, doubles the normal rate of healing for one day, or allows normal healing even if the character does not get sufficient rest. However, this is only effective on damage due to wounds and poison; it is not effective on burns, frostbite, or other forms of damage. As a potion, increases the character's speed by +10 for 20 minutes, but the character takes one point of Con damage when it wears off due to the strain on their system. Multiple doses overlap, they do not stack. Number of doses: When harvested in spring when it is blooming, a plant provides a single dose; at other times of year it takes two plants. This herb usually grows in stands of one or two dozen plants. Occurrence rate: Common in temperate open meadows where it grows. Spot DC to notice: 12 in spring when it is blooming, 25 other times of year. Survival/Knowledge DC to identify: 15 Description: Quatrefoil is a small white flower with red center that grows in open meadows in temperate climate. A single plant usually generates 4-6 blooms during the spring. It can also be cultivated in pots, so it is commonly available wherever healers or herbalists are found. The leaves contain a substance that increases the metabolic rate, which can be used to speed healing, or create potions.