Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Beholder Bob" data-source="post: 1115107" data-attributes="member: 12866">) yep, no herbs actually listed.  You could make a list, but in reality is should vary with region, and instead of using a tiny corner a character sheet, would require a sheet or two.  I wanted a system that was abstract enough to encourage use without being too (for me) confusing.  In play, I name some herbs (the rare, capitalized ones).  In actual herb use, dozens of plants, roots, barks, mushrooms, etc. would qualify for each of these categories.  I initially started out with herbs for each category, but was quickly overwhelmed by the data.  Using modern herbalism as a source, there are just too many of them.  You would also need to incorporate a climate and location list to help determine which herbs are found in what location.2) you got it right.  The polarity (+, - and ' ' neutral) was added to prevent easily mass produced herbal products.  In practice, I found that without it, it was just too easy.3) the excel file is actually much easier to read.  The - between each ingredient was for ease of reading, so you are again correct.  No formula specifies a + or - value.4) finally - here is some more data on herbsCOMMON USES FOR HERBS - NO PREPARATION REQUIRED        4 sp    a    A popular medicine for aiding in breaking fevers, this herb has many medicinal uses.6 sp    A    Thought by many to have religious significance, this herb is used for both medicine and religious practices.4 sp    B    Believed to make unborn children be born stronger and healthier, so is often chewed by expecting mothers.3 sp    d    A popular herb for drinkers, when chewed or crushed and mixed with drinks, it reduces the duration and intensity of hangovers.8 sp    N    When chewed, it relieves upset stomachs and negates stomach acids.  While not with game mechanics, it is a popular medicine.8 sp    S    Cloth soaked in a broth made of this herb is used in the treatment of sprains and achy muscles, and as a treatment for arthritis.6 sp    V    This herb is typically crushed and smeared over insect bites to reduce swelling and reduce discomfort.9 sp    Y    In the hands of a professional dyer, it produces vibrant dyes in high demand.3 sp    y    In the hands of a professional dyer, it produces good cloth dyesDC    HERB GATHERING                23    In the wild but within 1 day of town or larger settlement    20    In the wild but within 2-5 days of a town or city, within 1-2 days of a village or thorp                18    In the wild but within 3-5 days of a village or thorp16    In the wild no closer then 6 days from any settlement                DC increased by 4 if the day is not entirely focused on herbalism (I.e. traveling, tending to the wounded, etc.)DC is increased by 4 if gathering under poor conditions (rain, in fog, etc.)DC is increased by 2 if gathering is done in unfamiliar territory.Roll bonus: +1 for 1 helper, +2 for 2-4 helpers, +3 for 5+ helpers.Roll bonus: helpers who have 5+ ranks in herbalism or survival grant and additional +1 for each such helperSurvival of 5+ ranks gives a +2 synergy bonus for gathering herbsWith a base success, a single herb is found for 8 hours work.  Every 3 points the roll exceeds the base, 1 additional roll is made.HERB FOUND    1    a2    b3    c4    d5    I6    n7    p8    r9    s10    t11    v12    w13    x14    y15-16    crops: find 2 doses, roll again, ignore 15+ rolls17-18    crops: find 3 doses, roll again, ignore 15+ rolls19    choose herb found20    find fine herb (capitalized), roll again, ignore 15+ rollsPolarity of herbs found: roll d8 - (1-3) = +  (4-6) = -  (7-8) = neutralPolarity of rare herbs (ie. capitalized): roll d8 - (1-4) = +  (5-8) = -The cost for making herbal products is 1/4 the cost to buy the herb, but all herbs required must be found.Why are herbs so hard to find: herbs are not hard to find, but the herbs must be perfect and gathered under stringent conditions.  If the moon phase is wrong, if a steel instead of silver or copper bladed knife is used, if not wrapped and tied with lemon grass, etc.  The difficulty is for finding the proper conditions and a herb in the correct condition for theherbalist to use.  Improperly collected, the herb has no value for herbal concoctions.Failing in a roll to make a concoction ruins all the herbs used.Buying herbs: herbs can be bought, but buyer beware.  The conditions the herbs were gathered in is not always clear.Remember - if not gathered correctly, they are worthless, and ruin all herbs used in the mix with them.Market value for herbs: Herbs sell at 6 SP each, 12 SP for rare herbs.re-done version of the intro section    Plants useful for herbalism have a letter code associated with them used to determine what mixtures can be made from them.    A capitalized letter code matters: a lower case letter is a common variety of herb useful for mixes that require them, while the upper case letters denote rare herbs.  These herbs are used with mixtures that require them, but can also substitute for the more common herbs of the same letter. For example, a 'N' herb is used in mixtures that require 'N', but can also be substituted for mixtures requiring 'n').        When searching for herbs, the herbs can have 1 of 3 values, a '+', '-', or ' ' (the absence of either).  These are referred to as positive, negative, and neutral.  When creating mixtures, the mixture can not mix both positive and negative herbs.  Neutral herbs can mix with either type.        The formula used for herbal mixes takes the form of 'x-2V-y'.  The 2 denotes 2 doses of that herb.  The dash between the herbs is for ease of reading and does not indicate a positive or negative value to the herb.  Positive, negative, and neutral values are for the gathering of herbs and determines which herbs found can mix with which other ones, but is not part of the mix formula.</blockquote>

Verification