The ability to create poisons, potions or cures is a knowledge at the intersection of herbalism, medicine and magic. If your character needs to use it, he needs to go to a person who knows about it (he has it written in his character sheet). The substance you get from such a person will have a special card attached to it describing its effects. Potions and other substances will have varied effects - some will affect the physiology of the character, such as the healing process, others will affect mood, behavior. Side effects will be possible.
The preparation of poisons, oils and medicines requires collecting ingredients, playing the process of preparing them and going to the Organizers to obtain an ampoule with an attached effects card, which makes the whole process time-consuming.
During the workshop we will show how the markings of potions and pestilence look like. Substances without a card prepared by the organizers, obtained from other people, should be treated as a placebo, the effect of which you can play at will.
If your character can prepare the above substances, then in the character sheet you will find information about it, along with specific recipes.
Preparing substances requires acquiring the right ingredients and preparing them properly. Some of the ingredients will be available for purchase, while for others you will have to venture into less safe areas.
Play the preparation of the substance according to the recipe. After the time required for its preparation, collect from the organizers an ampoule with the substance in question and a description attached to it of how the specific works.
The role of the poison will be played by a mild solution of citric or acetic acid and dark food coloring. It will be sour in taste and will slightly stain the tongue and mouth. All other substances for consumption will only be colored water.
To use the poison, it must be added to the drink. The person who drinks it is poisoned. This means playing out the person's symptoms: these may include nausea, vomiting, malaise, delirium or weakness. Symptoms are played out until the victim gets help from someone qualified to give it or takes the antidote.
Plague is a common phenomenon on the Continent - it drags down armies and follows wanderers. During the larp, your character may fall ill due to contact with an infected person - you will receive a card from them, the same as those with substance effects. Read the instructions written on it, keeping in mind that over time the symptoms will worsen and will not pass without treatment. Relief can be provided by the right medicine, available for purchase at a stall or from a person capable of making it.
The sick character spreads the plague further. You will also get information on how to do this in the aforementioned instructions.
Selected characters on the game will have healing skills. In most cases, this will mean the ability to prepare healing substances, which are prepared as described at the beginning of this section.
Healing requires credibly playing out the giving of help, but the ways and styles can be many! A person taught in an academy, a gulesmith, a priestess of Melitele or a horseman belonging to a criminal group will provide help differently. Depending on the zone of intensity in which help is given, treatment will take different forms, have different drama, course and effects. More details on this will be found by those interested in their cards, but in the most general terms - you can be tempted to have a lot of freedom in terms of playing out the provision of medical assistance.