Effect of smoking pot?
- Thread starter Alcamtar
- Start date
mirzabah
First Post
Speaking from past personal experience and ongoing observation I would say that the effects of "dreadweed" would be predominantly negative.
The effects can also vary from individual to individual and, for the same individual, from one experience to the next. Though a given person will generally react in a predictable way to being stoned.
Common short-term effects would be:
1) User loses inhibitions - becomes more social (Cha may improve). In some cases, the feeling of mild euphoria accompanying this kind of experience can lead to delusional thoughts - the user feels super-intelligent and charming when in fact he or she is acting like a drivelling idiot.
2) User becomes introspective and disengages from environment (Cha drops).
3) User suffers "stone paranoia" - Why is everybody looking at me? Oh my god, I must look like I'm off my face. In some cases this can progress to a full-blown panic attack.
In all cases, Int, Dex and Wis would all *drop*. Cha may improve or drop.
As someone mentioned earlier, there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to suggest that regular use of marijuana can trigger psychosis in some individuals. Schizophrenia was mentioned, but another common experience (and mine) is the development of a Panic or Anxiety disorder. However, studies on the subject are rare and inconclusive. It may be that people who are prone to certain types of mental disorders are drawn to marijuana in a subconscious attempt to self-medicate.
Long term effects on occasional users seem non-existant. Most regular users become increasingly socially withdrawn, but some don't seem to suffer any long term effects.
I used to work as a sound engineer and noticed that the effect of pot on a musician's performance was variable. Generally they all *felt* that it helped their performance, but in fact it would detract from their playing as often as it would improve it. Sometimes it appeared to help them hit the groove, other times it sent them all over the shop. My rule of thumb (and advice to my clients) was that they should never go on "stoned cold" - they should always wait until after their first set, or a good warm up session before lighting up. In D&D terms, this would translate into a penalty on Performance checks if the PC hadn't warmed up properly, a bonus otherwise.
A shamanistic prestige class specializing in divinatory magic involving drug use could very well work. It could certainly make a very good NPC class
The effects can also vary from individual to individual and, for the same individual, from one experience to the next. Though a given person will generally react in a predictable way to being stoned.
Common short-term effects would be:
1) User loses inhibitions - becomes more social (Cha may improve). In some cases, the feeling of mild euphoria accompanying this kind of experience can lead to delusional thoughts - the user feels super-intelligent and charming when in fact he or she is acting like a drivelling idiot.
2) User becomes introspective and disengages from environment (Cha drops).
3) User suffers "stone paranoia" - Why is everybody looking at me? Oh my god, I must look like I'm off my face. In some cases this can progress to a full-blown panic attack.
In all cases, Int, Dex and Wis would all *drop*. Cha may improve or drop.
As someone mentioned earlier, there is a great deal of anecdotal evidence to suggest that regular use of marijuana can trigger psychosis in some individuals. Schizophrenia was mentioned, but another common experience (and mine) is the development of a Panic or Anxiety disorder. However, studies on the subject are rare and inconclusive. It may be that people who are prone to certain types of mental disorders are drawn to marijuana in a subconscious attempt to self-medicate.
Long term effects on occasional users seem non-existant. Most regular users become increasingly socially withdrawn, but some don't seem to suffer any long term effects.
I used to work as a sound engineer and noticed that the effect of pot on a musician's performance was variable. Generally they all *felt* that it helped their performance, but in fact it would detract from their playing as often as it would improve it. Sometimes it appeared to help them hit the groove, other times it sent them all over the shop. My rule of thumb (and advice to my clients) was that they should never go on "stoned cold" - they should always wait until after their first set, or a good warm up session before lighting up. In D&D terms, this would translate into a penalty on Performance checks if the PC hadn't warmed up properly, a bonus otherwise.
A shamanistic prestige class specializing in divinatory magic involving drug use could very well work. It could certainly make a very good NPC class
Black Omega
First Post
I would hesitate to give a wisdom bonus off of this. Wisdom in the game is used to show being in tune with your surroundings. You are better at wilderness lore and your senses are keener. I'd lower Wis if anything.
Buttercup
Princess of Florin
Penalties to dex and wis, certainly. The other thing you would want to simulate somehow are the discontinuities between perception and reality. For example, the stoner thinks something is quite funny, when in fact, it isn't. Or he thinks he's driving fast, when in fact he's only doing 20.
Also, as others have said, short term memory suffers. So I would think that you could give the player a 50% chance of forgetting a random prepared spell.
Finally, it sounds like this guy is annoying you. You can deal with this using in-game penalties like the ones mentioned in this thread, or you can talk to him outside of the game and tell him to knock it off. For what it's worth, he doesn't sound all that entertaining to me, either.
Also, as others have said, short term memory suffers. So I would think that you could give the player a 50% chance of forgetting a random prepared spell.
Finally, it sounds like this guy is annoying you. You can deal with this using in-game penalties like the ones mentioned in this thread, or you can talk to him outside of the game and tell him to knock it off. For what it's worth, he doesn't sound all that entertaining to me, either.
Wolf72 said:
That'd be khat. The book the movie and documentary are based on describes it as a mild amphetamine, watercress-like in appearance.
It makes people "wired and jumpy", and from the way the fights were described, also seems to dull pain a bit. I'd say something like +2 initiative, a couple of temporary hit points and -1 to all rolls requiring precision or careful thought ought to do it.
evileeyore
Mrrrph
First I have no personal experience, but a number of my friends are hard core stoners.
thusly i think this would be a good game balance:
They gain a +1 temporary HP/lvl and a -2 to dex and str. Not because they become clumsy and weak, but because they move slightly slower and don't have the motivation to push to their limits. Then roll a d4:
1-2 they are happy, mellow, and introspective. +2 to cha, no penalty to int or wis but any checks take twice as long, +2 on concentration, scry, and spellcraft checks for research. -2 on bluff, sense motive, intimidate, and knowledge
3 they become paranoid. -2 on cha, again no int or wis penalties and checks still take twice as long (becase they spend extra time making sure they are right), -2 to diplomacy, bluff, performance (yes compounded with the stat pen), and concentratoin, +2 spot, search, sense motive
4 they become withdrawn and apathetic. -2 on all mental stats (this doesn't effect saves). They need to make will saves at a DC 20 to take part in anything other than sitting around doing nothing. They will move to protect themselves, ussually by leaving combat and finding a good spot to hide. On the up side they gain a +4 morale save to willpower as there mind is so clouded it is hard to change.
These rules will represent the fact the weed is uncultivated and likely to be found in different strengths (just like in the real world with wild plants).
Aside from that I might allow a prestige class to slowly overcome the more negative aspects of the -2 to dx and str, and allow the user to pick which roll the d4 comes up as.
thusly i think this would be a good game balance:
They gain a +1 temporary HP/lvl and a -2 to dex and str. Not because they become clumsy and weak, but because they move slightly slower and don't have the motivation to push to their limits. Then roll a d4:
1-2 they are happy, mellow, and introspective. +2 to cha, no penalty to int or wis but any checks take twice as long, +2 on concentration, scry, and spellcraft checks for research. -2 on bluff, sense motive, intimidate, and knowledge
3 they become paranoid. -2 on cha, again no int or wis penalties and checks still take twice as long (becase they spend extra time making sure they are right), -2 to diplomacy, bluff, performance (yes compounded with the stat pen), and concentratoin, +2 spot, search, sense motive
4 they become withdrawn and apathetic. -2 on all mental stats (this doesn't effect saves). They need to make will saves at a DC 20 to take part in anything other than sitting around doing nothing. They will move to protect themselves, ussually by leaving combat and finding a good spot to hide. On the up side they gain a +4 morale save to willpower as there mind is so clouded it is hard to change.
These rules will represent the fact the weed is uncultivated and likely to be found in different strengths (just like in the real world with wild plants).
Aside from that I might allow a prestige class to slowly overcome the more negative aspects of the -2 to dx and str, and allow the user to pick which roll the d4 comes up as.
well I can only comment on what it does to me personally...
First off I get hurt much more than most people from pot it effects me quite a bit.
-5 to listen
-5 to spot
-2 to dex
+2 to cha
no change to int or wis
Id also have him make a con roll/fort save or be fatigued =)
Or you could just smoke a bowl and see what it does for yourself. =)
I actually logged in for this so you should feel special =)
First off I get hurt much more than most people from pot it effects me quite a bit.
-5 to listen
-5 to spot
-2 to dex
+2 to cha
no change to int or wis
Id also have him make a con roll/fort save or be fatigued =)
Or you could just smoke a bowl and see what it does for yourself. =)
I actually logged in for this so you should feel special =)
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