Herbs And Their Uses[]
A number of herbs are described below which may be identified and picked by player characters with Herb Lore and/or Identify Plants skill. Note that if a character only has the latter skill, all tests are made with a penalty of -10. Additionally, many of the herbs may not be administred unless the character has some other specialist skills. These are mentioned in the description of each herb.
Acquiring Herbs[]
Each herb has an availability rating, just like all commodities in the Consumer Guide. The season when it is most abundant is also given, along with the type of environment where it is most likely to be found. If a character is looking for a herb out of season, the availability becomes two categories worse (e.g., average becomes rare, scarce becomes very rare, rare and very rare cannot be found). The table below may then be consulted to determine the percentage chance of finding a given herb, according to whether the locale being searched is Ideal (the same as the environment given in the description); Similar to that environment; or Unsuitable (different from the described environment).
There are two methods for obtaining herbs; they may either be bought from NPC Herbalists or found and picked by any PC with Herb Lore or Identify Plants. In the first case, you need only note the availability rating and price of the herb and use the table given in the Consumer Guide. In the second case, the character wishing to look for the herb should make an Int test. If this is successful, he or she may check the herb's description to see whether or not the immediate locale is worth searching. Once a search is undertaken, you should use the table below to determine the percentage chance of the herb being found and roll D100. If the result is less than or equal to the percentage chance, the character will find enough of the herb to prepare D4 doses. This will take a number of turns equal to the result of the D100 roll multiplied by the TIme Modifier from the table below. If the character fails the roll by 40 or more, you may decide that he or she has confused the herb with another one and adjudicate the results of the mix-up as you see fit.
Chance To Find Any Given Herb
| Availability | Ideal | Similar | Unsuitable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very Rare | 5% / x30 | 1% / x100 | - |
| Rare | 15% / x20 | 3% / x50 | - |
| Scarce | 30% / x10 | 6% / x30 | 1% / x100 |
| Average | 50% / x5 | 15% / x20 | 5% / x50 |
| Common | 70% / x2 | 30% / x10 | 10% / x20 |
| Plentiful | 95% / x1 | 60% / x5 | 20% / x10 |
For the entry under each suitability of locale, two numbers are listed; before the slash is the percentage chance of finding the herb and the number after the slash is the Time Modifier.
Notes On Herb Descriptions[]
Price: Two costs are given for one dose of each herb (assuming that it is bought from an NPC Herbalist). The first is the cost in season and the second is the cost out of season.
Method of Application: There are four methods of application:
- Brew: The herb must be stood in boiling water for a few minutes and then drunk.
- Ingest: The herb is to be eaten.
- Inhale: The herb must be immersed in boiling water and the fumes inhaled.
- Smear: The herb is made into an ointment or poultice which is applied to the injured part.
Preparation: This is the time needed to dry and otherwise prepare the herb so it can be used. No special equipment (other than a pestle and mortar) or facilities are required. Once prepared, it will remain effective for a period equal to the preparation time. After that, there is a 10% cumulative chance per week that the herb loses its efficacy.
Dosage: This is the minimum time which must elapse before a second dose may be administered. Failure to observe this requirement means that a subsequent dose has no effect and a period of twice this length must elapse before another dose will have any effect. This effect is cumulative.
Skills: Any skills listed here must be possessed by the character administering the herb, in addition to Herb Lore or Identify Plant.
Tests: Lists any tests to be made by the administering character for the herb to be effective.