Healing Mushrooms

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

Maybe, like real mushrooms, it's so hard to tell the various species apart that even an expert can get a surprise now and then.

Hence automatic failure rolls.

Alchemical Mushrooms are named such because they usually grow in sewers downstream from the Alchemist district. Roll randomly which potion each mushroom in the patch has the effect of. Chemists and Alchemists can identify their own types as per potions while Expert Naturalists can use the same procedure to identify any type. When used roll 2d6 and if the number rolled is less than the number of days since that mushroom sprouted it has no effect.

[Terquem]

why is it not simpatico with the general rules of the game where low rolls are good. If you roll less than the number of days since it was picked it heals, if you roll 18 it does d6 damage, 17 acts wild, on a 4 it heals and adds +2 to strength for a number of minutes equal to the original target needed, on a 3 those minutes become hours.

[Anomylous]

Originally Posted by Terquem

why is it not simpatico with the general rules of the game where low rolls are good. If you roll less than the number of days since it was picked it heals, if you roll 18 it does d6 damage, 17 acts wild, on a 4 it heals and adds +2 to strength for a number of minutes equal to the original target needed, on a 3 those minutes become hours.

Because if you're aiming to roll less than number of days since it was picked, it gets more likely to work as it gets older. You could roll for (18 - (days since picked)) but that's more math than just trying to roll > (days since picked).

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Terquem

why is it not simpatico with the general rules of the game where low rolls are good.

It is desirable to roll high in some rolls in TFT--reaction and damage rolls, for example.

[Terquem]

What?

If it has been more than 14 days since the potion/concoction was created is is guaranteed to work, unless something went incredibly wrong while it was fermenting - i.e. only a critical fail roll will cause harm. Meanwhile if it is less than 14 days it is risky, might not work at all, but can still be critical dangerous, and on critical success it is always a good thing.

I really do not see hw that is more complicated than what was originally offered

The way it was originally presented, it has a chance of doing harm, always, but if you wait long enough it might be nothing at all because you cannot roll higher than the number of days since it was created.

[hcobb]

My intention would be a scenario specific hand out that wouldn't stick around to be a big deal later.

[phiwum]

I think it's a great idea. Seems likely I'll steal it.

[phiwum]

In fact, I definitely have stolen the idea, with a modest alteration.

I find hallucinations difficult to play, for both the players and the GM. Instead of hallucinations, a roll of 4 produces violent nausea, with the character incapable of action for 12 turns and a loss of 1 ST.

I made both the poison and the nausea have 5/ST save rolls, so that the players think they have a chance to avoid the ill effects (but it's not much of a chance).