Psi-Drugs in Blight Years

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

Banisteriopsis caapi, also known as ayahuasca, caapi or yajé is the root held by the shaman in ALTERED STATES, one of the latter names might be good for the Catalyst drug.

Yes, perfect! Thank you.

Originally Posted by JP42

So, as an example, something like "McGillicuddy's Number 7 Nerve Lubricant" for Catalyst Drug

More-or-less. Catalyst Drug is probably one of the ones more commonly made by the new age-y people rather than the patent medicine people.

Originally Posted by LokRobster

For 'Brainstorm', here's an actual product:
Dr. Sawen's Magic Nervine Pills: "The Great Nerve Vitalizer"

Shatter:
East Texas's Famous Agitating Elixir

Trance:
Jack Houston's Mesmerizing Redolence

Catalyst Drug:
Astral Moon Dust

Mind Hype:
Stellular Alignment Enhancer

Those are are good, thank you!

Originally Posted by tantric

As background, you should read this: Paranormal experiences on DXM. Real world psi drugs. Really.

Interesting:
a) Is DXM possible at TL5 or TL6?
b) What game effects do you reckon it has that makes it like one of the existing drugs or unlike them enough to warrant separate inclusion?

[tantric]

DXM is VERY unlike other drugs. It makes weird things happen. I'm not at all kidding - other people notice, people not on the drug. It, like ketamine, it tied to a very strange mythology centered around Coincidence Control Central. The idea is that there are these ultra-terrestrials who want humans to evolve into a similar state. But, lacking corporeal bodies, there is little they can do to help up. Thus they contact people who are zonked on ketamine or DXM and recruit them. They teach you to use your probability altering powers, and in return they use you as a lens to make coincidences happen that further human evolution. John Lilly, the Altered States guy, was all about this. In that movie, there is a piece of equipment labelled DXO, which is the demethylated and much stronger version of DXM.

Besides all that, there is a special level of DXM intoxication called 'Plateau Sigma'. In this state of mind, one has full blown indistinguishable from reality hallucinations of religious figures. I can testify - I tried it. I saw Xochipilli, the Aztec god of dance, drugs and flowers, who promptly tried to eat me. I'm not sure what other people saw, but I came out of that with bruises all over my body and a concussion. I talked with another person who encountered Erzulie, the Loa of Love, despite this person being utterly white bread and having no interest in voodoo.

DXM and ketamine are part of a family of drugs called 'dissociatives'. I had the rare privilege of being the first human to try an experimental dissociative called MK-801. I spent 10 hours consumed with involuntary telepathy. I could hear hundreds of people thinking, all at once, with no control over it whatsoever. It was *awful*.

DXM is pretty high tech, but there are two natural dissociatives, Salvinorin and Ibogaine. Salvinorin comes from Salvia divinorum. It comes with a 'plant teacher' - a persona that people often see while using the drug. She is Dama Maria Pastoral, Guardian of the Gateway Between Worlds and she's one mean bitch. Ibogaine has the ability to completely cure most addictions, by inducing a profound religion experience. There are also DMT Elves, but that's a different class of drug.

PCP is the epitomal dissociative. In the RW, it causes violent psychosis in a percentage of users. In a psi real world, I'd also have it cause a kind of psychic supernova, all kinds of wild powers to go along with the rage and insanity. It's also MUCH easier to make, maybe TL 6.

Yeah, reality is stranger than fiction. I'd tie DXM and ketamine to probability psi, and make it possible to actually summon stuff on Plateau Sigma. Note that DXM is severely incapacitating. There is no way to act normal on this drug, this coming from a person who can eat five tabs of acid and you'd never tell it.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by tantric

Coincidence Control Central. The idea is that there are these ultra-terrestrials who want humans to evolve into a similar state. But, lacking corporeal bodies, there is little they can do to help up

Yes, this belief is present in the Haven religion in Blight Years, in fact, it's their explanation for the apocalypse.

DXM is pretty high tech, but there are two natural dissociatives, Salvinorin and Ibogaine. Salvinorin comes from Salvia divinorum. It comes with a 'plant teacher' - a persona that people often see while using the drug. She is Dama Maria Pastoral, Guardian of the Gateway Between Worlds and she's one mean bitch. Ibogaine has the ability to completely cure most addictions, by inducing a profound religion experience. There are also DMT Elves, but that's a different class of drug.

Sounds like a Booster for Astral Projection, or do you reckon it has different game mechanics?

[tantric]

I tried salvia, once. First She was there, and she was terrifying. Then I was a different person in a different world with a completely separate identity. Then I was that person and me for a moment, then I was back. Never tried it again. So really, it's a kind of Jumper drug. But Astral Projection booster is much simpler.

[sir_pudding]

That's a good point, the names of naturally occurring drugs are also good for this. Thank you.

[jeff_wilson]

If the campaign is at least partly historical Western, "Mormon Tea" is a plant that yields a strong stimulant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra ) related to modern meth and cold medicine. Like most stimulants it's used to sharpen the mind, reduce fatigue, and increase alertness, so it could be good for patent medicine-y or home remedy boosters, and the stronger concoctions could be the ones that cause damage or other bad side effects.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

If the campaign is at least partly historical Western,

It's post apocalytic future western, actually. But it is in California so

"Mormon Tea" is a plant that yields a strong stimulant (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephedra )

is totally appropriate.

related to modern meth and cold medicine. Like most stimulants it's used to sharpen the mind, reduce fatigue, and increase alertness, so it could be good for patent medicine-y or home remedy boosters, and the stronger concoctions could be the ones that cause damage or other bad side effects.

Any of the existing drugs I could associate it with?

[jeff_wilson]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

It's post apocalytic future western, actually. But it is in California so is totally appropriate. Any of the existing drugs I could associate it with?

My copies of the drug effects are home while I am away at grad school. :(

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by jeff_wilson

My copies of the drug effects are home while I am away at grad school. :(

Blocker causes headaches and increases telepathic resistance.
Catalyst Drug awakens latent abilities (although I agree yajé is excellent here and being non-native can be explained by using pre-apocalyptic seed seed stocks).
Mind-Hype "focuses the user on his inner self, dissolving the boundaries between body and mind." Giving attribute and skill bonuses with Absent-Mindedness as a side effect.
Muffler shuts down all psionics.
Psi-Boosters give a 50% level bonus or a +50% enhancement to a specific ability.
Shatter causes intoxication in psis (and the effect worsens as powers are used) and has no effect on normals.
Trance lowers psi resistance
Window gives a bonus to Telepathy talent but lowers Mind Shield and inflicts Supersensitve.

[tantric]

If you want a stimulant with a cool name, assume that khat has naturalized. As for the ephedra - it takes very, very low tech to turn that into methamphetamine.