I just made a halfling rogue based on Hobbits. Since Hobbits have an affinity for the smoking of pipeweed, I have some questions. How much would these cost? How much would they weigh? How much would pipeweed last? Would my halfling have to make endurance checks against lung cancer?
Ask your DM on the endurance. If you intend to make this a cultural thing of your PCs background, he may want to know so he can work it into the setting. This is especially important for the lung cancer business, as he may not want Halflings to be self-destructive. But remember DnD does not have the same flora or fauna as the real world, and halflings may have stumbled upon a happy plant with no ill effects! (Or at least, no permenant ones).
If you are set on modeling it on modelling it after a real world plant, keep in mind other things are smokable, and no, I am not speaking of weed. After all, what if the region the halfling is from can't farm a tobacco like plant very well? I think tobacco needs a warm climate to grow in, so if he's from a temperate area that would indicate a lot of trade for luxury items into his home town.
Price would be dependent on demand for the plant, how easily it is grown, and how long it will keep. I suggest letting the DM make these decisions.
That was very informative and helpful. Thanks!
If the hobbit were to use a magic vaporizer +1 to smoke his pipeweed he would not get lung cancer. Also according to the alchemists of the liberation pipeweed does not in fact cause lung cancer. Studies show that babylon sticks, of which many hobbits also smoke when pipeweed is not available, are the cancer causing culprit, being laced with a variety of arcane components that gives it that smooth, cool flavor.
Pipeweed sales depends on primarily on legality. In empires in which it is illegalized expect to pay anywhere from 50-70sp for one unit which lasts for 1d4 days, modified by how much work the hobbit has to get done that week.
Aside from game world availability and legality, your DM has to be on board.
Discuss with the DM how you see your character making use of it ("He smokes when he's thinking"), and whether you intend there to be mind-altering effects.
I think if you want a "drug" version, many more DMs will be inclined to price it very highly, or just disallow it, but a pure "fluff" version may be little cost to free.
This is totally a "fluff" thing. Don't worry about weight, cost, etc. Just have fun with it. And don't tick your dealer off. They have ogres.
This is totally a "fluff" thing. Don't worry about weight, cost, etc. Just have fun with it. And don't tick your dealer off. They have ogres.
This.
1> A Clay Pipe, the most common type in a medieval setting, will cost round about 2sp, and last you a good year if you don't drop it. A Briar pipe, if well cared for, will last you a life time, and probably costs 1 gp, as briar is hard to carve, and requires skill.
2> No rules in 4e, but in 3.5 one pound of cured tobacco cost 5sp. A pound of tobacco, if you smoke two pipes a day, will last ROUGHLY 32 days.
3> Cured, dried tobacco will last for years if it doesn't get wet. If you let it get water logged and don't dry it properly it will mold. In general, Pipe tobacco can be considered to last like Tea. Same thing, Dried cured leaves.
4> Lung Cancer? Really? Do you play with rules for pickling your liver? How about black lung from all the OIL SMOKE YOU BREATH IN in those taverns lit by lanterns? Roughly 6% of deaths are caused by Lung Cancer. Meanwhile, 12+% of Americans are "Heavy Smokers" as defined by the medical community... But hey, lets ignore that stuff. The point is, we don't bother with things like CANCER in D&D. You don't wory about getting it from chronic drinking. You don't worry about getting it from being exposed to Oil Smoke. You don't get it from being exposed to magical pathogens like CLOUD KILL. Why do you worry about getting it from a pipe of tabacco? If it makes you feel better, remember that every time you get magically cured, it purges any precancerous cells from your lungs.
As far as lung cancer goes. The modern tobacco plant is cross-bred strain to increase it's nicotine concentration, cigarettes also have other ingredients added to it to help it burn smoothly, (such as butane, propanes, tars, etc) As well as containing reconstituted tobacco (stems, offal, particles etc that normally are thrown out while curing the tobacco leaf) which has more potent nicotine as well as additives to make the nicotine more volatile .
In short the modern cigarette contains significantly more nicotine and is far more potent then naturally, organic grown leaf, which orriginally contained as little as a quarter (or less) what the modern cigarette now contains. Not to mention that the procesing of mordern tobacco (as mentioned above) makes the nicotine more volatile and with additives to deliver it more potently. The more natural product as orriginally grown was far less dangerous then it is today. Although certainly not healthy, it wouldn't be as potent and dangerous as it is now.
Also add to the fact that there is less invironmental dangers in the air in a pre-industrial society. Air polution from factories, cars, espestos, etc, all of which are also contributers to lung cancer in additon to the dangers of smoking. Your hafling smoking natual leaf in a pipe is far, far less likely to develop lung cancer then someone tossing back a pack or 2 of cigarettes a day.
Not to mention the quanity that you would likely smoke, natural pipeweed like this is not something you smoke while running in the woods, or doing work. It goes out too much and really is a waste since you aren't sitting and enjoying it. That would be like sipping a fine wine while playing a game of football, or opening a bottle of champaigne with your breafast cereal.
As a social habit, your hfling would likely sit and enjoy his pipe after dinner, while sitting at the campfire, or at a similair time of extended leisure, where there is time to sit back and enjoy it. Which is likely to be equivelent of smoking only 2 or 3 single cigarettes a day. (compared to people who smoke a half a pack to 2 or 3 packs per day)
So given the strength of the weed, the comparatively less amount smoked and that there is no other contributing lung damage from other sources, the risk level to your hafling is small indeed. As he is only getting maybe a small fraction of the, less then 1/100th of the amount of nicotine that those smoking in the modern world are getting.
Sorry, but I don't think people of the dark ages actually knew smoking was bad for them and that you could get cancer. Imma go with the fluff thing. Thanks!
Sorry, but I don't think people of the dark ages actually knew smoking was bad for them and that you could get cancer. Imma go with the fluff thing. Thanks!
In the real world, no. However, D&D does not take place in any point in real world history. It's entirely possible that someone has discovered that smoking is hazardous to your health in D&D. It's also possible that what you're smoking isn't tobacco and thus isn't hazardous.
To be fair medieval medical technology in medieval europe was so bad no one lived to be old enough to die from cancer. And I assume your PCs know that shoving poo into the river that supplies drinking water is a bad idea and that hygiene is important. So I will also say that using analogous medical technology of a certain era might not be appropriate, depending on how gritty your setting is.
Sorry, but I don't think people of the dark ages actually knew smoking was bad for them and that you could get cancer. Imma go with the fluff thing. Thanks!
In the real world, no. However, D&D does not take place in any point in real world history. It's entirely possible that someone has discovered that smoking is hazardous to your health in D&D. It's also possible that what you're smoking isn't tobacco and thus isn't hazardous.
Bolded for emphasis.
Pretty sure sucking smoke of any sort into your lungs is hazardous and can contribute to lung cancer.
Tobacco is, Argueably, worse than many other things, but Pot, Maple Leaves, Tea, Rose Petals, or any other vegetable, animal, or mineral substance you want to burn and suck into your lungs is going to contribute to your chances of lung cancer.
Also worthy of note, if you're NOT an idiot, you don't suck Pipe smoke into your lung. You roll it through your mouth, but do not inhale it. Smoking a pipe, as smoking a cigar, is about flavor.
To be fair medieval medical technology in medieval europe was so bad no one lived to be old enough to die from cancer. And I assume your PCs know that shoving poo into the river that supplies drinking water is a bad idea and that hygiene is important. So I will also say that using analogous medical technology of a certain era might not be appropriate, depending on how gritty your setting is.
To be fair, medielal europe didn't have tobacco, the plant is native to the Americas and it wasn't until the europeans discovered america that they found out about the tobacco plant, which was orriginally brought over as a medical herb to Europe. lol
True, but I doubt anyone will claim Hobbits are based off of Native Americans. And if there is a plant that is smoked like tobacco, then it only supports my theory that the game is not 100% true to our knowledge of Medieval Europe.
True, but I doubt anyone will claim Hobbits are based off of Native Americans. And if there is a plant that is smoked like tobacco, then it only supports my theory that the game is not 100% true to our knowledge of Medieval Europe.
Theory? It's pretty stonkin' obvious, innit? 
True, but I doubt anyone will claim Hobbits are based off of Native Americans. And if there is a plant that is smoked like tobacco, then it only supports my theory that the game is not 100% true to our knowledge of Medieval Europe.
It is rather obvious, most of the armor for example isn't very accurate, nor were their haflings, elfs or dwarfs. The game is rather derived from fantasy concepts and not reality.
Slightly off topic but considering your typical hobbit was easy going, always hungry and a bit lazy, I don't think it was tobacco they were smoking. 
I'm not making judgements about people who smoke pot just using the generalizations to make a joke. Don't flame me.
While Middle Earth was based off of basically a medieval technology, it's clear that the Hobbits' use of Sweet Galenas is based off of Professor Tolkein's own habits. As has already been pointed out, you don't draw the smoke from a pipe into your lungs, so at the most you'd end up getting throat or mouth cancer. As one Big Tobacco executive pointed out recently, you'd get cancer from smoking lettuce. I wouldn't worry about cancer in a D&D game though unless your DM is a sadistic bastich.
The price suggestions for a pipe and tobacco sound eminently reasonable to me. It's fluff. Thinking back to when I smoked a pipe, a 1.5 ounce pouch would last me about a week or so, smoking a couple times a day. A pound might last more than a month, and would be a fairly large bag, maybe the size of a loaf of bread.
That would be like [...] opening a bottle of champaigne with your breafast cereal.
OK everyone, raise your hand if you've done this!
*raises hand*
Slightly off topic but considering your typical hobbit was easy going, always hungry and a bit lazy, I don't think it was tobacco they were smoking.I'm not making judgements about people who smoke pot just using the generalizations to make a joke. Don't flame me.
You said it, not me...to be fair, I think it's just their nature as fun loving creatures of leisure, not necessarilly a byproduct of pint-sized rastafarianism.
Or perhaps a more credible source, "Your love of the 1/2'lings weed has dulled your mind." -Saurumon. You should see the extended version of prt 1 during the celibration in Hobbiton (beginning). Gandalf & Bilbo are, uh, pretty damn ripped basically. Artistic license?
Anyway, cancer: it's caused by irritation to the cell. Rub a spot on your hand long enough, you'll get cancer. Dump enough soot & tar on some sensitive ones, namely, your avioli, same thing. You'd have to smoke a Hell of a lot of weed to get there basically. A joint puts out about 10X's as much tar as a cigarette, but the latter is technically worse for you (more synthesized) if you can believe it. Plus, you've got to take tolerance/strength into the equation. A pipe's worth of norweigan shag might be a nice treat for the Gordon's Fisherman after dinner, however, that same quantity of green is likely going to result in some serious "alone time".
Which brings up price. Easy out is to make it the same as tobacco. However, biomass output, ease of growth and cultivation, etc would technically make it cheaper. That is, most any climate will host it, not just temperate ones, insects won't really touch it/low maintainence, and it puts out significantly more matter than a tobacco plant, especially in terms of surface area of a field thereof.