Subject: Plant Lore

From: "Loren J. Miller" MILLERL@WILMA.WHARTON.UPENN.EDU

System: Stormbringer

[this is the first of two articles that I've retrieved from the old
 Stormbringer mailing list.  This was the second set of Stormbringer
 Plant Lore rules that Loren proposed.  He said that he based it on
 Find Healing Herbs from the Chalana Arroy cult in Cults of Prax -sda]

HUNTING HERBS

I.   Depending on the terrain, the searcher has some number
     of attempts to find herbs per four hour period (the
     standard search time) with a chance of his Plant Lore
     or Search skill, whichever is higher.

     Terrain                            Searches
     woods                              5
     river bank                         4
     fields                             3
     cultivated land, oasis             2
     marsh, chaparral                   1
     tundra, above the timberline       1/2
     snow, desert                       0

     Note it is impossible to find Special plants within
     cultivated or grazed lands.

II.  Ordinary successes earn the searcher a D10 roll on the
     following table. Critical successes allow the searcher
     to choose which entry he wants (most will take choice
     10, and then roll 2D6 and add the highest class of
     Plant Lore which he is capable of using successfully.

     Plant Type
     Roll Type of Plant Found
     1    Inedible but useful (such as rope, preservative,
          insect repellant, sun block, or the like. use your
          imagination.)
     2-7  Edible (the lower the roll, the worse it tastes.
          the higher, the better.)
     8-9  Poisonous
     10   A special or unique plant. Imagine 4 leaf clovers,
          then stop being so ordinary and imagine the Young
          Kingdoms' equivalent to such freakish plants.
          That's what was found. It isn't a normal plant of
          its species; it has an extra leaf, or its root is
          in the shape of a human heart, etc. It is capable
          of being prepared many ways. Roll 2D6 and add or
          subtract any number of an absolute value up to
          Class on Special Plant Type table.

     Roll 2D6 on the Special Plant table, adding or
     subtracting any number of your choice (choose before
     you roll) of an absolute value up to the highest Class
     of Plant Lore mastered by your character. If the result
     is a plant of a class higher than you have mastered,
     then you lack the skill to use or save that plant.

     Special Plant Type
     Roll           Usefulness
     <= 4           Edible Plant (Plant Lore class 2)
     5-6            Poisonous Plant (Plant Lore class 3)
     7-8            Sorcerous Plant (Plant Lore class 4)
     9-10           Healing Poultice (1D6 Healing) (Plant
                    Lore class 5)
     11-12          Healing Potion (2D6 Healing) (Plant Lore
                    class 6)
     13-14          Infection or Disease Cure (complete
                    recovery in 1D6 days) (Plant Lore
                    class 7)
     15-16          Hallucinogens and Emotion Affecting
                    drugs (Plant Lore class 8)
     17-18          Attribute Affecting drugs, usually last
                    2D10 hours with 1D6 effect (Plant Lore
                    class 9)
     19+            Potion of Invulnerability (only in the
                    Forest of Troos) (Plant Lore class 10)

III. The searcher now makes his Plant Lore skill to preserve
     the plant he has found. It will be preserved (i.e. it
     will not spoil) for a number of hours equal to the
     margin by which the skill was made times the class of
     Plant Lore skill needed to use it. Preservative potions
     may be used to keep plants "fresh and lively" for an
     almost limitless time.

[Following are a couple of Examples of Special Plants that were
 included in another article by Loren -sda]

Quylstrey (a.k.a. My Cup Overfloweth)
Range: Oceanside in Melnibone, variant strains grow worldwide
Level: 9
Effect: key ingredient in a potion which raises Str, Con, and Dex
     up to 12 if they were below, lasts 3D8 hours per dose. Typical
     patches of Quylstrey supply 1D8 doses. Is highly poisonous if
     not combined with appropriate co-ingredients.

Angelwort
Range: Tall grass
Level: 5
Effect: Makes a good healing poultice. Typical growths supply 2D8
     doses.

Blessed Niritsine
Range: Mountains
Level: 6
Effect: Makes a good healing potion, healing 2D6 damage. Typical
     growths supply 1D8 doses.

Gumstave
Range: Tall grass
Level: 6
Effect: Makes a good healing potion, healing 2D6 damage. Typical
     growths supply 1 dose. It has been successfully cultivated.

Deadly Nightshade
Range: Deciduous forests
Level: 3 (level 1 poison)
Effect: 1D8 damage if ingested. May be prepared as a blade venom as
     well, which will do identical damage.

Eight Rare Plants from the Forest of Troos
Range: Forest of Troos
Level: 10
Effect: These eight rare species, when properly prepared and
     combined, may be formed into the Potion of Invulnerability.

Noidel
Range: Short grass and Scrub
Level: 8 Hallucinogen and poison
Effect: One of the plants which the Imryrrians used to influence
     their dreams, the Noidel bush is covered with "lush, poison
     fruit glimmering a purplish blue, a night-colour which even
     the light of day [does] not disperse."

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