Wounds and Weeds
Wounds and Weeds by Kevin J. Anderson, published in Dragon Magazine and from Ultimate Wilderness
(Editor's Note: This article is intended for use as a supplement of the AD&D game system. It is NOT intended as a guide to woodland plants for player to find and eat themselves! Eating strange plants is a very risky thing to do and is best left to experts; it should also be remembered that even experts can make dangerous or fatal mistakes.)
Derlrel the fighter stumbled weakly through the dense forest, crawling and staggering through thickets which clawed at his wounds. Blood flowed form uncounted cuts into his mangled armor. Tattered scraps of bandages lay over some of his most serious injuries, no longer giving any benefit. Some of his wounds had stopped bleeding of their own accord, but were not becoming infected.
The forest grew darker, and by the pounding in Delrael's head and the buzzing in his ears, he knew that the darkness he sensed had nothing to do with the coming of nightfall. " I am done," he moaned softly through cracked lips.
Then he saw a light ahead, swimming in his unsteady vision, and as he stumbled closer he could make out the dim outline of a rickety hut. Delrael tried to cry out for help, but could not force any audible sounds from his throat. He collapsed with a crash into the thick underbrush near the hut….
And then he awoke to the acrid smell of strong vinegar, discovering at the same time that he had enough strength to grimace and turn his head.
"Hah! The vinegar always wake's em up!"
Delrael's gaze fell on what at first appeared to be a mushroom with eyes. Then, as his vision cleared, he saw it was the face of a withered old woman bending over him. She tossed a dampened rag off to one side and addressed him.
"Now then, what's happened to you?"
Delrael swallowed several times before he managed to speak. "My friends…all slaughtered by orcs. I escaped…hurt…bad…"
"Well don't you bother to care for your wounds? How did you expect to get healed?"
"No cleric…killed…"
"Bah! who needs a cleric? That's no way to heal wounds. You won't always have one by your side--as you now know."
"I tried to make bandages, from some clothing…"
"Humph! You call those bandages? I thought that were a new style of body decoration--and they may as well be, for all the good they're doing! Did you soak those rags in wine to clean them before you slapped them on yourself? Did you even clean your wounds? No! You should have used mud for a bandage--it would have been cleaner than those filthy stripes of cloth. Now your wounds are infected, on top of all the blood you lost."
"Please help me…get me to a cleric..." Delrael gasped.
"I'll get you into my house---that's the best thing anyone could do for you now. Well, come on! You don't expect these old bones to carry you, do you? maybe some more vinegar in the face will get you going!"
Delrael groaned and began to move toward the old woman's hut. He made it almost to the doorway before fainting…And awoke again, this time surprised to find himself stretched out on a wooden cot. The old woman had peeled off his armor, cleaned his wounds, and applied some sort of salve to them. Strange smells assaulted his nostrils as he turned his eyes toward the smoky fireplace, where a pot of clear brown liquid was bubbling and steaming. Bunches of dried herbs dangled around the mantle.
"It's about time you wok up! Bloodrust and battlerot! You'd think all you have to do is go to sleep, and everything will be fine when you decide to open your eyes. "Here, drink this." The old woman shoved a cup of the brown liquid at him.
Delrael frowned and instinctively started to turn away from the foul-smelling stuff, which only made her more determined. "Drink! It’s a decoction of adder's tongue--to help you heal quicker, get you out of my house."
While he drank, the old woman continued her scolding. "While you were thrashing about in the forest, you must have crawled over every sort of herb you could have used to help yourself. When you staggered toward my door, you ended up falling right on my best patch of comfrey. Anyone who travels in the forest should know that healing plants are all around--but you have to know them and how to use them. And in my experience, human fighters have never been too bright."
Delrael held his tongue and kept sipping the herbal brew. The more the woman talked, the less gruff her tone of voice became.
"Well, one thing's for sure. Before you're well enough to leave here, you're going to learn how to help yourself when you're wandering in the forest. And you know how and teach some other, too--I've got enough to do without every beat-up warrior staggering up to my door, to have his hurts tended to. And you don't have to worry---what I will teach you is not magic, and not the work of the gods. It's just ordinary common sense, as anybody's grandmother can tell you." It's about time common sense became a little more common in these parts! Go to sleep now, so your brain won't be addled when we start our work."
Over the next few days Delrael learned quickly as he got stronger; he wanted to leave the old woman's house almost as much as it seemed, she wanted to get rid of him. Now it was examination time, and she held up leaves for him to identify.
"Woundworrt," he said.
"And this one?"
Marsh-mallow. comfrey, Herb truelove." Delrael rattled off the names as quickly as she thrust the plants into his view.
"Ah, she said, there is room in that thick skull of yours for a few brains after all. Now that you know how to tell what the important herbs are, this is how to gather them. For leaves, you must pick only the freshest and greenest ones, and cast away those that have begun to wilt; if you mix them in, they will weaken the healing power of the fresh ones. Pick the leaves carefully to keep them from bruising them--save the heavy-handed maneuvers for when you're swinging that mighty sword of yours.
"Pick leaves from plants that have not yet gone to seed, or even begun to flower, if possible. If you want to keep them with your for when you aren't in a forest--I know you fighter types like to creep about in dungeons and caves and the like--then you must dry the leaves in the sunlight, not in the shade. When they are dried, do not let them get wet again, and keep them out of the sunlight after that. Now, did you understand all that so I don't have to repeat myself any more?"
Delrael nodded.
"Now, sometimes you will want to use the flowers of a plant. Gather them in their prime, and during full sunlight, for then they'll be all the way opened and not tainted with dew. Dry these, too in the sun, and they will hold their healing power as long as they keep their smell and color.
"And last of all you will want to use roots. Clean them before you use them--I know that's only common sense, which why I feel you need to be told. Don't use rotten or worm-eaten ones, either. Dry out the soft roots in the sun, and the hard ones anywhere. Can you remember all that?"
Delrael nodded again, anxiously this time because he felt the lessons were coming to and end.
"Fine, Now you only have one little task left--to memorize the ways that all these herbs, and plants can be used. If we're both lucky, you'll be ready to leave here in just a couple weeks more."
Delrael groaned.
* * *
The plants described in the following text are the most common and the most potent of all the herbs the old woman taught Delrael about during his convalescence in her hut. If characters are actively searching for healing herbs, the DM should assign a 50% chance of locating any given plant (roll once per hour of searching for each character involved), provided the search is being conducted in the proper terrain for the plant being sought and the character makes a DC 13 Survival Check or a DC 10 Knowledge (Nature) Check, harvesting 1 gp. worth of raw material, of a single specific herb.
Even if this "chance to locate" roll is successful, there is a possibility that an improperly identified plant has been found instead. The chance of proper identification of a certain plant is 80% for a character who has been specially instructed about the appearance of that plant, [having a Knowledge (Nature) skill rating of +8 or better, or a Survival skill rating of +12 or better] and only 20% for a character who has not had such instruction. This identification roll is not necessary for garlic and juniper, both of which are so abundant (in the proper terrain) and so distinctive that they cannot be misidentified. The identification roll may be waived for druids, hunters, rangers, shamans, slayers, and witches, who would always recognize these plants without fail, thanks to their training in their profession and/or their adventuring experience. Identification rolls are made by the DM, in secret.
If a character fails to properly identify an herb, he has found something similar in appearance, but which may have vastly different properties (as in the case of herb true-love). However, most "herb-imitators" are harmless, and recipients of "healing" will not usually be harmed if a character administers the wrong plant--but, obviously neither will the injured or wounded person receive any of the sought-after healing properties. Members of some races will react differently to certain herbs; the DM, and any characters with extensive training in healing, should note the precautions mentioned in some of the particular plant descriptions. Except for nightshade there is no known adverse effects to using a “herb-imitator.”
Proper use of a healing herb is a DC 15 Heal check, those with a Knowledge (Nature) skill rating of +5 gain a synergy competence bonus of +1, those with a Knowledge (Nature) skill rating of +10 gain a synergy competence bonus of +2 and those with a Knowledge (Nature) skill rating of +15 gain a synergy competence bonus of +3 to their Heal check. Druids, ranger, and witches are considered to be pure naturalists and gain an insight bonus of +2 to their Heal check to use healing herbs and a further insight bonus of +2 per 5 levels (+4 at 6th, +6 at 11th and +8 at 16th). Hunters, rangers, shamans, and slayers are considered to be practical naturalists and gain an insight bonus of +1 to their Heal check to use healing herbs and a further insight bonus of +1 per 5 levels (+2 at 6th, +3 at 11th, and +4 at 16th). Barbarians are considered to be dilatant naturalists and gain a +2 insight bonus to their Heal skill to prepare and use healing herbs. Skalds and anyone with a fey bloodline or archetype are considered to be dabbling naturalist and gain a +1 competence bonus to prepare and use healing herbs. Changeling, elves, gathlain, ghorans, and gnomes again a +1 racial bonus to their Heal skill to prepare and use healing herbs. It is important to note that the same bonuses don’t stack, but competence and insight bonuses do stack.
Regardless of the result of the Heal check one dose of the healing herb is consumed. If an herb is misidentified and applied to a creature then unless it is nightshade, mistaken for herb true-love there is no effect and no healing. If nightshade is used, then the affected creature must pass a DC 14 Fort save or die.
Raw healing herbs sell for one-third their cost. Prepared healing herb poultices, bandages, dried and prepared herbs, and other prepared applications can be sold for one-half their cost and prepared with a DC 15 Heal check, at the rate of 1 day per 1 gold piece of value, note this is different than the rules for crafting. Only one type of herb, and one preparation of it can be worked on at a time. Alchemists gain a +2 to the Heal check to prepare healings herbs as do practical naturalists and a further bonus of +2 per 5 levels (+4 at 6th, +6 at 11th and +8 at 16th). Investigators gain a +1 to their Heal check to prepare herbs as do part-time naturalists, this bonus increases by +1 per 5 levels past 1st (+2 at 6th, +3 at 11th, and +4 at 16th). There is always a risk to using healing herbs, a 20% chance of them being false healing herbs; except for garlic and juniper or those healing herbs collected by pure and practical naturalists which are automatically identified. Merchants who are evil aligned may sell misidentified herbs, most merchants have practical and pure naturalists check their supply of healing herbs.
ANGELSTEP Source: Piazo's Ultimate Wilderness
Scientific name: Anglestep
Appearance:: An iridescent whitish toadstool that grows on the side of a tree or post
Location: Temperate or warm deserts
Preparation: Can be used raw or as a pigment. Processing a a dose of pigment takes 4 hours and a DC 15 Craft (Alchemy)
Uses: To help dying creatures survive, by either applying it as part of a Heal check to Stabilize or if worn before combat. 1 dose of angelstep costs 25 gp., 1 dose of angelstep pigment costs 50 gp. Fresh angelstep lasts for 24 hours. Prepared angelstep pigment lasts for 1 month.
Game Effect: As part of an attempt to stabilize a dying creature, a dose of raw angelstep can be rubbed on the creature to grant a +4 bonus on the Heal check to stabilize the creature. A dose of angelstep pigment applied to the skin of a Medium or smaller creature helps to protect that creature against death for 2d4 hours. The next time the wearer of angelstep pigment drops to negative hit points, it gains a +4 Alchemical bonus on its next 1d6 Con checks to stabilize. The pigment loses its effects once all these checks are attempted or once the victim is stabilized.
ARRON'S ROD
Scientific name: Verbascum thapsiforme
Other names: Great Mullein, King's Candle, Candlestick Plant
Appearance: Aaron's rod has many larger pale silvery-green leaves that feel like soft felt. These leaves surround a think, tapered stalk of larger flowers and smaller leaves, which grows to four or five feet in height. According to tradition, this prominent spike of flowers was dipped in suet and then burned as a ceremonial candle. The flowers are bright yellow, bearing five petals each. Aaron's rod has a long, white, wood-like root.
Location: Aaron's rod grows in rocky or clay soil, most often on sunny slopes, cliff faces, and terrain such as that found around rock quarries; sometimes it is found the edges. The flowers appear in mid-summer.
Uses: Aaron's rod is useful as a painkiller. At least five flowers should be crushed and mixed with water or, better still, wine. This mixture is applied directly to fresh wounds and will deaden the pain from an injury. Five flowers, one dose, costs 1 gp. Properly dried and pressed Aaron’s rod last 1 year.
Game effect: Since the pain itself is a critical part of an injury, this herb will restore 1d4 hit points immediately. These hit points will be lost again, however, after two hours; because the pain-killer has worn off. Aaron's rod can only restore hit points once every two hours and only once per injury; multiple applications before the first application has worn off are not cumulative.
Precautions: If a character uses this painkiller to help him get back on his feet and fight again while still wounded, or within six hours, he will lose an additional 1d4 hit points when the solution wears off because he has aggravated his injuries in the meantime and not felt the pain of the aggravated injury.
Image Source: Arron's Rod: Wikipedia.com
ADDER'S TONGUE
Scientific name: Ophioglossum vulgatum
Appearance: Adder's tongue has one large leaf, at the base of which rise a thin stalk covered with tiny bumps or knobs; on closer inspection, this stalk is seen to be a spike of tiny, yellowish-green flowers.
Location: Adder's-tongue grows in moist meadows and shady clearings. It is most easily found in late spring.Uses: This herb is used as a secondary treatment, to help wounded characters regain strength. Use four fresh leaves steeped in boiling water to make a potent tea which can be drunk three times a day. This helps reduce inflammation associated with wounds, and restores strength. The dried leaves are pressed into a bandage used to cover the wound. Also, an ointment can be made by boiling the cut-up leaves in hog's fat and then straining out the sediment. This ointment is soothing and promotes rapid healing, so much so that it has been called the "green oil of charity." Four fresh leaves, or one dose costs 4 sp. A pre-prepared tea costs 7 sp. The adder’s tongue tea lasts for 6 months while the ointment lasts for 1 year.Game effects: A character recuperating from injuries normally receives one hit point per level per day of rest. However, convalescing with the aid of adder's-tongue will allow a wounded character to regain 1d3 extra hit points per day (roll separately each day). Using the ointment made from adder's-tongue will restore 1d3 hit points immediately per application, but it can only be administered to the same character once a day and only once per wound (note not multiple times on different wounds).Image Source: Adder's-Tongue: Wikipedia.com
BIRTHWORT
Scientific name: Aristolochia clematitis
Appearance: Birthwort is a bushy climbing vine that can grow to about three feet in height. The leaves are rounded and heart-shaped with a deep cleft at the top; the leaves are set on long stems. The flowers are thin and yellow, and tubular in shape.Location: Birthwort grows wild along hedges and fences, and in thickets exposed to the sun. It flowers in mid-summer.Uses: This herb has been used frequently all over the world. The Greeks and Romans valued it highly, using the leaves and roots boiled briefly to make a poultice which they placed on wounds that were healing poorly. The snake charmers of India and North Africa claim that the juice of the birthwort will instantly kill a snake, and if the juice is rubbed into a snake bit, it will help neutralize the venom. A collection of harvested leaves and stems cost 1 sp. A prepared poultice costs 5 sp. The dried leaves and stems last for 6 months and a poultice lasts up to 1 year.Game effects: If the leaves and stems of this herb are crushed to make a juice, and this juice is promptly (within 1 round) applied to a poisonous bite or sting, the character receives an additional +2 on his Fort save against the poison. This effect only works once on any poison incident. If birthwort is not used to originally treat the poison, using a poultice made from birthwort will insure that poisoned wounds will heal properly, without complications; the wounded character will regain one extra ability point per day for the first two days after application, and then will heal normally thereafter.
Precautions: All non-human characters have a 20% chance of suffering an adverse reaction to this herb. If a wounded character reacts badly to birthwort, he will become temporarily paralyzed. This paralysis is so severe that it is indistinguishable (by sight) from death, and it will last for 1-8 rounds beginning 2 rounds after application of the herb. This effect of birthwort is not common knowledge; even characters who are familiar with birthwort have only a 50% chance of knowing about this side effect before they experience it or witness it.
Image Source: Birthwort: Wikipedia.com
BLACK AMARANTH Source: Piazo's Ultimate Wilderness
Scientific Name: Black Amaranth
Appearance: A black fungus that grows from the remains of the dead
Location: Temperate or warm forests and plains
Preparation: The flowers and stalks must be carefully ground into a paste. This requires a DC 12 Craft (Alchemy) check and 1 hour of work.
Uses: Slows the decay of a dead body. 1 dose costs 100 gp. Raw black amaranth lasts for 24 hours while prepared black amaranth lasts for 1 month.
Game Effect: A dose of black amaranth paste can be applied to a dead body to slow decay. One dose used on a Tiny or smaller creature delays the onset of decay for 3 days, as per gentle repose. Two doses are needed for Small creatures, 3 for Medium creatures, 6 for Large creatures, 12 for Huge creatures, 24 for Gargantuan creatures and 48 for Colossal creatures. Each dose applied requires a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.
BLOODY MANDRAKE (from Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific Name: Bloody Mandrake
Appearance: An unsettling tubor that has a humanoid shape and grows from the corpse of an intelligent creature who had supernatural powersPreparation: The root is harvested from under corpses in plains or swamps, with a DC20 Craft (Alchemy) check or Profession (Herbalist) to gather, harvesting 1d4 doses. The root is pulped, so the sticky red sap can be harvested, skimmed and dried into a sticker and thicker paste requiring a DC 15 Craft (Alchemy) Check after 1d4 hours of work.Location: Underground, under the corpse of a dead intelligent creature who had supernatural powers.Uses: Rumored to increase fertility, actually can be used to increase the effectiveness of spells cast to remove afflictions or conditions. 1 dose costs 15 gp. Raw Bloody Mandrake root lasts for 24 hours, while prepared Bloody Mandrake is effective for up to 1 month.Game Effect: Increases the caster level by +1 when smeared on the lips as an additional material component when casting a spell to remove an affliction or condition.
BONE REED (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Bone Reed
Appearance: An aquatic grass with a translucent horsetail typically found in swamps.
Location: Swamps
Uses: Increases the healing of a sleeping creature for hit points or ability damage. Gathering Bone Reed is requires a DC 25 Craft (Alchemy) or Profession (Herbalism) check. It is then pressed and dried requiring a DC 10 Craft (Alchemy) check and 8 hours. 1 dose costs 75 gp. Raw Bone Reed lasts for 24 hours, while prepared Bone Reed lasts for 1 month.
Game Effect: When bound to the leg or arm of a creature if they sleep for 8 hours they will recover double the hit point loss and ability damage they would normally recover. If the patient is given the treatment and complete bed rest for 24 hours then the patient will recover triple the normal hit point and ability damage that they would normally recover.
CAYENNE Now Trending: healthy food choices 365
Scientific Name: a type of Capsicum annuum
Appearance: Cayenne peppers are a group of long, tapering, 3” to 10” long, generally skinny, mostly red colored peppers, often with a curved tip and somewhat rippled skin, which hang from the bush as opposed to growing upright. It is quite spicy.Location: Cayenne peppers prefer warm, moist, nutrient-rich soil in a warm climate. Chilis are mostly perennial in subtropical and tropical regions; however, they are usually grown as annuals in temperate climates.Uses: the fruits are generally dried and ground to make a powdered spice called cayenne powder. They grow on a bush 2 foot to 3 foot tall. Peppers are sold individually at a cost of 1 sp each. Raw peppers last up to 1 year, ground peppers last up to 4 years.Game Effect: It provides a +2 resistance roll for one hour to any saving roll against infestation or infection by a fungus, mold, or parasite.Precautions: Cayenne enhances blood flow; doubling any bleed effect that the creature may be under. Elves are used to a subtler spice, taking a dose of cayenne sickens an elf or half-elf for 2+1d6 minutes. They can also act as an aphrodisiac on orcs and half-orcs if they fail a DC 12 Fort save, socially serving cayenne pepper to an orc is an invitation.Image Source: Cayenne pepper on Wikipedia.com
CLOUD PUFF (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Cloud Puff
Appearance: An odorous pale grey fungus, breathing it its spores will cause light-headedness
Location: Mountains
Preparation: Gathered/Harvested with a DC 18 Craft (Alchemy) or Profession (Herbalist) check. The harvested spongy spore filled ball is soaked in salt water for 1 hour, then dried; a delicate process that requires the Cloud Puff to be turned 4 times an hour and a DC 12 Craft (Alchemy) check.
Uses: Provides resistance to outside mental influences. 1 dose costs 100 gp. A freshly harvested cloud puff loses its effectiveness after 24 hours, a preparation lasts up to 1 month.
Game Effect: By crushing a dried cloud puff it creates a cloud of spores, which are then inhaled. The creature then becomes lightheaded and gains a +2 alchemical bonus on any saves vs. mind affecting effects for an hour. However it also causes a -2 to any Wisdom based skill check.
COMFREY
Scientific name: Symphyum officinale
Other name: Healing HerbAppearance: Comfrey has large, hairy green leaves and hairy stalks which can grow 2-3 feet in height. The stalks are hollow, and the leaves have a gummy resin which is apparent if the leaves have a gummy resin which is apparent if the leaves are chewed gently. At the tops of the stalks are small, bell-shaped flowers of a violet, or occasionally white, color that bear tiny black seeds. Comfrey has a large root system; its roots are black on the outside and white on the inside. The roots are brittle and are filled with a clear, nearly tasteless sap.Location: Comfrey grows by ditches, watersheds, and moist fields. The plant flowers in mid-summer and goes to seed in late summer.Uses: This herb can be employed as both an immediate first aid and a secondary treatment. Almost all of the parts of this "wonder-weed" can be used. the root is most effective on fresh wounds--clean one root, bruise it so that the clear sap flows out, then bind it up against the fresh injury. This will bring about rapid healing. Similarly, the root dried and powdered can be sprinkled on a fresh wound. To use the herb as a strength restorer, boil a dozen flowers (either fresh or dried) along with the leaves to form a tea, or mix the flowers and several leaves with wine and drink the liquid twice a day. 1 dried plant cost 1 gp and 1 dose of prepared tea cost 15 sp. A dried plant lasts for 6 months, a prepared tea lasts for 1 year.Game effect: If comfrey root is applied immediately to a wound, roll 1d4 to see how many hit points the wounded character "never lost in the first place" and subtract this number from the damage done. If comfrey is used as a tea or mixed with wine during recuperation, it has the same qualities as adder's-tongue (see above).Image Source: Comfrey on Wikipedia.com
CUCUMBER SEEDS [From Now Trending: healthy food choices 365
Scientific Name: Cucumis sativus
Appearance: a widely cultivated plant green gourd cultivated as a creeping vine.Location: Cucumber typically is cultivated, but it also grows wild along fences.Uses: It is typically served sliced and can be stored for months when pickled. Cucumbers have been cultivated for a long time, caution must be taken in how they are pollenated or the healing effects will be reduced. When taken orally it has anti-parasitic properties against rot grubs, tapeworm and their eggs. A dried cucumber costs 6 cp and makes 3 doses. A dried cucumber lasts 6 months and pickled cucumber lasts for 3 years.Game effect: If taken orally it provides a +2 to the saving roll against rot grub and tapeworm infestation.
DESNA’S STAR [from Pathfinder Player’s Companion: Heroes of the Wild page 10]
Scientific name: Desna’s Star
Appearance: A flowering herb with orange petals that grows a few feet off the ground.
Location: It grows wild and is cultivated for its restorative effects. It can be found in damp areas growing across ditches and other areas where water tends to collect. It grows in mostly temperate areas.
Uses: When the orange petals are cured and left to steep in hot water, the leaves make a mild, aromatic teas that facilitates restful sleep. When taken before sleeping, this tea grants the drinker the benefits of a full 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep in only 6 hours. One dose of Desna’s Star makes enough tea to serve six. One dose of Desna’s Star costs 5 gp. The dried petals only last for 6 months, however the prepared tea can last up to 1 year.
Game effect: One dose makes enough tea for up to 6 people. If taken before sleep it puts the person into a deep meditative sleep adding +4 to the DC of any perception checks to wake up. After 6 hours the person recovers and has slept deeply enough to qualify for a full 8 hours of rest. One prepared dose cost 5 gp.
DRAGON ROSE (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Dragon Rose
Appearance; A vivid rose, admired for its hardiness as well as its difficulty to grow.
Location: Mountains or forests
Uses: Grants a weapon the ability to bypass DR X/Magic. The rose must be removed delicately from the stem and soaked in a solution of the flowers sap (harvested from the stem or roots of the rose) for 2 hours, requiring a DC 15 Craft (Alchemy) check. A dose of Dragon Rose costs 25 gp. The flowers are crushed and applied to the weapon as a Standard Action.
Uses: When applied to a weapon it does not provide any magical bonuses, but for up to 1 hour it allows the weapons to bypass DR X/Magic.
DREAM LICHEN (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Dream Lichen
Appearance: :A multicolored shimmering lichen
Location: Dream Lichen grows in areas where the boundaries between the Material Plane and the Dimension of Dreams grows thin.
Uses: When worn or applied to a sleeping creature it provides vivid dreams and helps a creature recover from a supernatural affliction.
Preparation: The fibrous outer layer of the lichen must be gently scrubbed off, exposing the soft core, which must then be dried after being sprinkled with various alchemical powders, requiring a DC 25 Craft (Alchemy) check and 8 hours of work. 1 dose of Dream Lichen costs 2,000 gp. Raw Dream Lichen lasts for 24 hours, while a prepared infusion can last up to 1 month.
Game Effect: After sleeping for 8 hours with a dose of Dream Lichen applied to a patient, upon waking the creature may attempt a new saving roll vs. a single curse or a mind-affecting effect, from which the creature is currently suffering. Alternatively it can be used to remove one temporary negative level, providing an automatically successful saving roll against the negative level.
FAIRY CAP (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Fairy Cap
Appearance: A toadstool with a pale-gray cap that is stippled with yellow spots.
Location: It can be found in nearly any terrain where ley lines flow or where fey bowers can be found.
Uses: The lichen comes in two varieties; one with orange spots which can cause a creature to increase in size, or one with brown spots which can cause a creature to shrink. These effects happen to any creature who chews a prepared fairy cap.
Preparation: A fairy cap must be gently simmered (not boiled) in a solution with some natural ingredients for 1 hour, requiring a DC 20 Craft (Alchemy) Check. At the end of this time the yellow dots either turn orange or yellow (50% chance for each). One dose of Fairy Cap costs 250 gp. A fresh Fairy Cap lasts for 24 hours after harvested. A prepared dose of Fairy Cap lasts for up to 1 month.
Game Effect: When eaten without proper preparation it acts like a mild poison (Fort save DC 13, onset 1 minute, frequency 1/minute for 6 minutes, effect nauseated, cure 1 save. When properly prepared Fairy Cap has a tangy taste. Orange spotted Fairy Cap causes Large or smaller creatures to grow one size category. Brown spotted Fairy Cap causes any creature to shrink one size. The effect of either cap lasts for 10 minutes and acts as enlarge person or reduce person, but it acts on any creature. Fairy Cap is quite chewy and taking one does is a full round action.
GARLIC
Scientific name: Allium sativum
Appearance: Garlic has long, hollow leaves, dark green in color, on top of which appear large, spherical clusters of tiny white flowers. The entire plant has a very strong smell, which becomes doubly apparent if the leaves are crushed. Garlic is so well known and so easily identified by its distinctive smell that characters will always locate and identify it correctly if they search for it in an area containing suitable terrain.Location: Other than in its garden habitat, garlic often grows on damp grounds, in meadows, and in sparse forests. The cluster of flowers appears in early to mid-summer.Uses: Crushed garlic cloves, or diluted garlic juice, makes a strong antiseptic--so potent that garlic was used, along with sphagnum moss (see below), in field hospitals during World War I when other supplies ran short. Garlic also eases bites and stings from venomous creatures, and it can act as an insect repellent. [From Now Trending: healthy food choices 365 Kills over 20 sorts of bacteria and 60 types of fungus, can also act as an antioxidant. They can spoil the eggs and larvae of parasites, and amoebas. They can be used to treat scabies, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, candida, staphylococcus, shigella and streptococcus.] 1 clove of garlic equals 1 dose and costs 1 sp. A clove of garlic lasts for 1 year.Game effect: The antiseptic properties of garlic are such that a wound will heal more rapidly, and without chance of infection. Wounded characters will recover 2 hit points per day for the first three days after application. If garlic is used as an insect repellent, the juice must be rubbed generously over exposed body parts. This repellent has a 50% chance of working against attacking insects, giant, or otherwise. If used to ease bites and stings, garlic juice can be used one time per injury to restore 1 hit point that was lost from either the bite/sting or the poisonous effect of that attack. [New data: if infected with a parasite, pinworms, hookworms, or an amoeba and treated it allows another saving roll against it. If use to treat scabies, malaria, tuberculosis, or cholera it provides a +2 to the next saving roll against the disease.]
Precautions: Garlic has a bad reputation among herbal healers. Some claim it is a dangerous plant with many supernatural properties. However, in AD&D lore it is really only directly harmful to vampires. But if garlic is used for any remedy, especially as an insect repellent, the strong odor may give away the presence of the character using it and increase the chance of attraction wandering monsters.
Image Source: Garlic on Wikipedia.com
GINGER From Now Trending: healthy food choices 365
Scientific name: Zingiber officinaleGinger is a pungent spice that has flavored Asian foods for thousands of years. It was one of the first spices be cultivated in different parts of the world. Location: The plant is most successfully cultivated in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and ginger is extracted from its underground stem, or rhizome, which is often mistakenly referred to as a root. It most often grows in summer.Uses: It enhances digestion and can treat sickness and nausea. 1 dose costs 5 sp. Fresh ginger root lasts for 1 year, ground ginger root lasts for 2 years.Game effect: If taken orally, while suffering sickness or nausea it a +2 to any saving rolls made against the conditions for 1 hour. If taken while suffering an ingested poison a dose of ginger provides a +2 to the saving roll for up to 30 minutes.Image Source: Ginger on Wikipedia.com
GOBLINVINE [from Pathfinder Player’s Companion: Heroes of the Wild page 10]
Scientific name: Goblinvine
The leaves of this invasive creeper produce oil that irritates the skin, causing, itchy splotches to cover the affected area.
Location: it grows freely in forests, swamps, mountains, and plains. It is ruthless weeded out by gardeners and farmers. Of course, goblinoid creatures favor it growing outside of their lairs and often sow seeds of it in their wake.
Preparation: 1 minute of work and a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to weave it into a compact fist sized ball with the leaves facing inward. If the check is failed by 5 or more the leaves are torn and ruined (if gloves or gauntlets are not worn the worker is automatically exposed to one dose of Goblinvine, if the result is a natural one then the worker is automatically exposed to one does of Goblinvine regardless of what they wear on their hands). The prepared ball must be allowed to sit in the sun for 1 hour so the leafs can sweat and the oil can concentrate.
Uses: the raw leaves are dried and ground in to a powder which collected, and loosely wrapped in cloth so that it will unwrap and scatter when thrown. It can also be used as ropes, but with 1/2 the hardness, hit points and weight capacity. Goblins are immune to any effects of Goblinvine. A prepared dose of goblinvine, when it can be found, is worth 30 gp. and weighs 1 lb. Goblinvine is very persistent and lasts for up to 3 years.
Game Effect: Raw goblinvine leaves can be used as an improvised thrown weapon with a range of 10’ that causes one creature to be affected as if with itching powderUE, but with a save DC of 10. Creatures with the goblinoid subtype are immune to goblinvin (itching powder normally has a DC 12) Those suffering the effects take a -2 to all 1d20 rolls for 10 minutes or until a DC 12 Heal check is made as a full-round action..
HENBANE
Scientific name: Hyoscyamus nigerAppearance: Henbane has large, thick soft leaves covered with hair and deeply cut. These leaves lie near the ground. Henbane also has many short and thick stalks, spread with branches bearing smaller leaves. These stalks have hollow yellow flowers with large sepals covering much of the petals; the petals are laced with purple veins. The flowers bear tiny gray seeds. The root is thick and branched, much like a parsnip root. The plant has a heavy, offensive smell.Location: Henbane grows in clearings and along paths. It flowers throughout most of the summer.Uses: This herb is a potent pain-killer, deadening virtually all discomfort from a wound. Boil the leaves, seeds, or roots together in a small amount of water and apply as a poultice. 1 dose of the plant costs 1 gp, while 1 dose of prepared tea costs 15 sp. A dried dose of henbane lasts for 6 months, while a prepared tea lasts 1 year.Game effect: Henbane applied to an injured character will immediately restore 1-6 hit points, similar to the effect of Aaron's rod; however, only 1-4 of these hit points will "wear off" two hours later (along with the pain-killing effects). so the characters has a chance of regaining more than just temporary hit points. If a character attempts to fight or engage in other strenuous activity while being affected by henbane, he will do so as if he were moderately intoxicated (as defined in the DMG), because of the numbing effects of the drug. When used against fever, henbane will restore 1 point of lost strength and constitution per day; this treatment can be used daily until the victim has fully recovered.
Precautions: Henbane is very poisonous if taken internally. If ingested in any form and any amount, the herb will cause 2-12 points of poison damage (save for half damage) in the round following ingestion, and the affected character will be unconscious for 30-60 minutes thereafter. This herb also has hallucinogenic properties that may affect the character who prepares as poultice. While boiling the henbane plant, the character has a 40% chance of inhaling fumes that will act as a hallucinogen. If this happens, the DM may moderate the effects or , optionally, roll 1d6 to determine what happens; 1-2 , the character sees imaginary enemies in the distance and runs off to fight them; 3-4 he becomes unaware of his surroundings and refuses to respond to any stimulus; 5-6, he sees other party members as enemies and attacks them immediately. The hallucinogenic effect will last for 1-6 minutes.
Image Source: Henbane on Wikipedia.com
HERB TRUE-LOVE
Scientific name: Paris quadrifoliaOther names: Herb Paris, One-BerryAppearance: Herb true-love has a small creeping root just below the surface of the ground, from which spring clusters of leaves, some of which have one star-like white flower or one blackish-purple berry. A leaf has four leaflets set at right angles to each other, in a cross pattern.Location: Herb true-love grows in woods and copses, sometimes on the borders of fields. Clusters of leaves appear in mid-spring; berries are ripe in late spring.Uses: This herb is useful as an antidote for poisons and as an antiseptic. If poison is suspected in a wound, the victim should eat at least three berries of herb true-love, or somehow ingest several leaves, either by eating them raw or (more effective) mixed with wine or as a tea. To speed healing and prevent infection in a wound, crush, the leaves and use them to clean wounds, or boil four leaves in a small amount of water and use the broth so obtained as an antiseptic wash to rinse or soak wounds. Three berries or 3 leaves equals 1 dose and costs 1 gp. Herb True-Love Berries and dried leaves last for 1 year.Game effect: The use of herb true-love will add +2 to saving rolls vs. poison, +3 for halflings and dwarves, if it is ingested or applied to the affected area (depending on the type of poison) within 2 rounds of when the poisoning took place. As an antiseptic wash, herb true-love can be used once per injury to restore one hit point (or one ability point) to a wounded character.Precautions: If a character searches for herb true-love and fails to identify it properly, he has found another plant that looks very similar but is deadly; nightshade. If a poisoned character ingests nightshade as a remedy, he must make another saving roll vs. poison (in addition to the saving roll that was already required). Failure to make the save vs. nightshade means death; making the save means no damage. Nightshade will be harmless and ineffective if applied externally.
Image Source: Paris quadrifolia on Wikipedia.com
JUNIPER BERRY
Scientific name: Juniperis communisAppearance: Juniper is a bush with thick branches bearing short, scale-like needles similar to pine needles. The bark is rough and has a shredded appearance, and the entire bush is very fragrant. Clusters of berries are green in the first year of their growth, and turn dark purple when they ripen the following year. Each berry has a strong, distinctive taste. Like garlic, juniper is so well known that characters will automatically be able to locate it and identify it properly if they are searching for it in appropriate terrain.Location: Juniper grows upon heaths and in sparse forests. It is an evergreen.Uses: Juniper berries help to counteract all forms of poison, but not so effectively as herb true-love (see above). Most importantly, juniper is a powerful stimulant for those who are severely wounded and near death. If a character is able to, or can be forced to, eat two juniper berries, he may gain the strength to fight off some of the effects of shock. One juniper berry or one juniper leaf costs 1 sp. Dried juniper berries and juniper leaves last 1 year.
Game effect: If a character is brought to zero or fewer hit points, and is unconscious, the stimulant effect of juniper berries will add 1-4 hit points to the character's total, possibly bringing him back to consciousness, or at least out of a coma. A character revived in this manner cannot fight or engage in any other strenuous activity until he has rested long enough to regain as many more hit points as he "artificially" got back from the juniper. (Note, however, that hit points restored by juniper berries do not "fade"; as with Aaron's rod). If used as an antidote to poison, juniper berries will add +1 to a victim's saving throw if they are eaten within 2 rounds of the poisoning.
Precautions: Juniper berries may have a strange effect on elves and half-elves. If a member of either of those races eats even one juniper berry, that character must make a saving roll vs. poison or be affected by an uncontrollable attraction to the first member of the opposite sex (same sex if the character is gay) that the character sees. The object of the character's attraction may be of any race as long as the elf's or half-elfs' normal preference of that race is not hostile to begin with. This effect will wear off in 2-8 rounds, and does not negate the other, beneficial effects that the juniper berries will bring. An infatuated character may be too weak to do anything about the feeling, but will feel it nonetheless.
Image Source: Juniper Berry on Wikipedia.com
LEECHWORT [from Pathfinder Player’s Companion: Heroes of the Wild page 10]
Scientific name: Leechwort
Appearance: mottled red and gray bark of a shrub that grows wild in swamps or jungles.
Preparation: A time consuming process that takes 1 week, as the fibers of the shrub must be dried and ground until they achieve a powdery texture. A single herbalist can prepare up to 12 doses at once, with a DC 15 Craft (Alchemy) check, failure indicates all doses are spoiled.
Uses: When dried and ground into a powder and applied to a wound it grants a bonus on Heal checks. One pound of leechwort is enough for 10 uses, and with a successful DC 15 Craft (Alchemy) check, a pound of leechwort can be used to restock and exhausted healer’s kit. One pound of Leechwort is worth 25 gp. Well perserved Leechwort can last up to 3 years.
Game effect: One pound provides up to 10 doses; when applied to a wound it provides a +1 bonus to all Heal Checks, and a +2 Alchemical bonus to Heal Checks to staunch bleeding wounds.
LOVE-IN-IDLENESS (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Love-in-Idleness
Appearance: a deep red flower with a rich nectar and a honey scent.
Preparation: Gathering is a DC 20 Craft (Alchemist) or Profession (Herbalist) check. A dose must be extracted and stored in an alchemical vial with a DC 14 Craft (Alchemy) check and 1 hours work.
Uses: Can cause the subject to be more susceptible to the power of suggestion or mind-affecting effects. 1 dose costs 150 gp. Fresh Love-in-Idleness lasts for 24 hours, A prepared dose of Love-in-Idleness can last up to 1 month.
Game Effect: As a full-round action a dose of Love-in-Idleness can be poured into the ear of a helpless or willing animal or humanoid. Causing the subject to take a -2 penalty to Sense Motive and a -1 saving roll penalty to mind-affecting effects for the next 2d4 hours. This is a poison effect.
MARSH-MALLOW
Scientific name: Althaea officinalisOther names: Mortification Root, Sweet WeedAppearance: The marsh-mallow has soft, hairy white stalks that can grow up to 3-4 feet in height and have many branches. The wide leaves are soft and hairy, with serrated edges. The plant has many large pink flowers with purple centers, and an extensive system of long roots that are pliant and tough, whitish-yellow in color. The roots are filled with a clear, slimy juice that thickens like jelly when mixed with water.Location: Marsh-mallow grows abundantly in salt marshes, and in damp meadows near the seashore. It flowers during all the summer months.Uses: This herb is effective both as an immediate treatment for burns, and also as a secondary cure for those severely weakened from blood loss. The root is used for both applications: smash it, then dip the pulp into boiling water and use it in a pot of water until one third of the original water in the pot has boiled away, then drink this decoction once a day to help recovery from severe blood loss. A prepared poultice costs 2 gp. A prepared poultice lasts for 1 year.Game effect: Used as a poultice for burns, marsh-mallow speeds healing to such an extent that a character will receive +2 hit points per day for each of the first three days of rest, following application, and will recuperate normally thereafter. When the decoction is used to help counter the effects of blood loss, the victim will regain 1d3 hit points per day (as with Adder's Tongue and comfrey) instead of the usual one hit point per level, for up to 1 week. If the poultice is applied to staunch a bleeding wound (Bleed damage) then the administering creature gains a +3 to their Heal check to stop the bleeding.
Image Source: Marsh-Mallow on Wikipedia.com
MERFOLK'S COMB (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Merfolk's Comb
Appearance: A vibrant yellow and pale green seaweed with wide fronds and lines of narrow fringe along the upper edge.
Preparation: The seaweed is dried for 7 days and then rubbed with alchemical oils once daily, requiring 7x DC 14 Craft (Alchemy) checks once every 24 hours, if one of those checks fails then the dose is ruined. 1 dose of Merfolk's Comb costs 750 gp. Raw Merfolk's Comb lasts for 24 hours, while a prepared dose can last up to 1 month.
Uses: Eating a dose of Merfolk's Comb gives the subject the ability to equally breathe water or air for 8 hours.
MIMAMEITH (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Mimameith
Appearance: The bark of a wide trunked, but relatively squat tree that is resistant to fire and cutting.
Preparation: A living Mimameith tree has hardness 7 instead of wood's normal hardness of 5. A living Mimameith tree has fire resistance 5. When the tree's bark is burned and the tree recovers with pale-gray scales. Once this bark is harvested and processed alchemically up to 5 lbs can be soaked in water for 8 hours, and then after a DC 20 Craft (Alchemy) check a thin layer of tacky paste is created.
Uses: The paste can be used to provide DR, fire resistance and immunity to the Bleed condition for up to 1 hour.
Game Effect: A single dose can be applied to a subject's skin giving them DR 2/Bludgeoning, fire resistance 5, and immunity to the bleed condition for up to 1 hour.
MOLY (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Molly
Appearance; A plant with flowers white as pure milk and roots as black as night. Found in forests or plains
Preparation: The flowering herb must be picked whole and boiled with water until the entire amount is reduced by 50%. The resulting mixture is strained and poured into a shallow pan to evaporate. The resulting crust is scraped off as a powder to prepare one dose requiring a DC 25 Craft (Alchemy) check.
Uses: The powder can be sprinkled on a creature, object, or area to remove a spell. Fresh Moly lasts for only 12 hours, regardless of any attempt to preserve it. Powdered Moly can last up to 1 month. A dose of Moly costs 1,200 gp. A dose of fresh Moly lasts 12 hours, while powdered Molly can last up to 1 month.
Game Effect: Fresh Moly can provide a +4 resistance bonus for saving rolls against spells and spell-like effects. Moly Powder can be sprinkled on an object, creature, or area to end a spell or spell-like effect as if a dispel magic was cast by a 6th level caster.
NEPENTHE (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name:: Nepenthe
Appearance: Foot tall blue-green pitcher that produces a pollen that smells faintly of mint and lures insects and small verbates towards its dangerous mount.
Preparation: It takes a DC 20 Craft (Alchemy) or Profession (Herbalist) check to find and properly gather Nepenthe. The pollen must be mixed with alchemical reagents with a successful DC 16 Craft (Alchemy) check and left to sit for one hour.
Uses: The potent vapors of this pollen acts on unpleasant thoughts or memories. 1 dose of Nepenthe costs 400 gp. Fresh Nepenthe lasts for 24 hours, while prepared Nepenthe can last for up to 1 month.
Game Effect: When a dose is inhaled, as a standard action, it grants the creature a new saving roll vs. a single mind-affecting effect that is affecting the creature (effects that do not allow a saving roll still may not be avoided using this herb). An unwilling creature can be dosed as a touch attack, that provokes an attack of opportunity. A creature can only be dosed with Nepenthe pollen once per day.
NETHYS’S DAGGER [from Pathfinder Player’s Companion: Heroes of the Wild page 10]
Scientific name: Nethys’s Dagger
Appearance: A fragrant purple blossom of a night-blooming wildflower so rich in color that they appear almost black. Found wild in jungle areas and cultivated by wise healers.
Uses: When the stems of a nightsage plant are dried and burned, they produce a bitter smoke that repels unintelligent undead. One dose costs 10 gp and weighs 1 pound. A dose of Nethys’s Dagger can last up to 2 years.
Game effect: Unintelligent undead must succeed at a DC 13 Will save each round to stay in or enter a square of burning nightsage or any square adjacent to it. An undead creature under the control of another can use its master’s Will save modifier in place of its own for this roll. This has no effect on incorporeal undead or mindless undead of larger than Medium size. A bundle of nightsage burns for 10 minutes.
NIGHTSAGE (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name: Nightsage
Appearance: A fragrant purple blossom of a night blooming wildflower that are so deep in color that they are almost black.
Location: Jungles
Preparation: To gather requires a DC 14 Craft (Alchemy) or Profession (Herabilist). The dose must be sprinkled with holy water over an 8-hour drying period in natural sunlight requiring a DC 12 Craft (Alchemy) check and one flask of holy water.
Uses: Forms an incense that grants corporeal undead a +2 bonus vs. positive energy. Necromancers often give their corporeal servants a censer of incense to protect them against positive energy. 1 dose of Nightsage costs 400 gp and burns for 10 minutes protecting a 5' radius. Fresh harvested Nightsage lasts for 1 day, while the prepared incense can last up to 1 month.
Game Effect: When dried nightsage is burned it creates a thin almost pleasant smelling smoke that burns for up to 10 minutes. It can be burned, extinguished and reignited but each use consumes one minute of the incense's duration. Each corporeal undead within a 5' radius of the burning incense grants that undead a +2 saving roll bonus vs. the effects of positive energy.(including that of channels to harm undead). A moderate or stronger wind can extinguish a burning Nightsage incense.
PAPAYA
Scientific name: Carica papayaOther Names: papaw or pawpawAppearance: a soft amber hued or orange fruit growing from a sparsely branched tree with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leave and fruit were borne. The leaves are large 20”-28” in diameter and have seven lobes like a palm. The flowers are five-parted with the stamens fused to the petals.Location: Typically grown in tropical areas.Uses: When combined with honey it can give an intestine cleanse. A honeyed drink (1 dose) costs 2 sp. A honeyed drink of payaya lasts for up to 3 years.Game Effect: it speeds up the metabolism of ingested poisons allowing the affected creature to make saving rolls twice a round and at a +3 to each saving roll.Image Source: Papaya on Wikipedia.com
ST. JOHN'S-WORT
Scientific name: Huypericum perforatumOther name: All Saint's WortAppearance: St.-John's Wort grows about knee high, on hard, wood-like stalks. The leaves are smooth and oval, appearing in pairs from opposite sides of the stems so that they form a shape similar to a figure-eight. The leaves have very tiny holes, like pin-pricks, in them, which are visible only when the leaf is held up to the light. St.-John's Wort bears large yellow flowers with five petals; the petals, when bruised, yield as reddish, resinous juice. The flowers bear small blackish seeds. The root is hard and wood-like and brownish in color.Location: St.-John's Wort is found in shady woods and copses, and also at the edges of forests. It flowers in mid-summer, and bears seeds by the end of the season.Uses: The oil from fresh flowers is especially good for healing wounds; boil a dozen flowers in wine to make a tincture to be applied to injuries. This will help close wounds and help heal bruises. A teaspoon of powdered seeds drunk in a broth helps to combat the effects of venom. One dose/tincture is equal to 8 oz. of wine and herb and costs 3 gp. It can be applied directly to the wound or drunk as if a potion. A tincture of St. John’s Wort lasts for 2 years as does a wine potion.
Game effect: If a tincture of St. John's Wort is applied immediately (within 2 rounds) to a wound, roll 1d4 to see how many hit points the victim "never lost in the first place" and subtract this number from the damage suffered. When the broth is drunk as an antidote to poison within 2 rounds of the time of poisoning, the powdered seed will add +1 to the victim's Fort saving roll against poison and continue to add +1 for the next 10 minutes.
Image Source: St. John's-Worst on Wikipedia.com
SEEING SLIME (Paizo's Ultimate Wilderness)
Scientific name; Seeing Slime
Appearance: A violent slime mold found in rock formations containing nodules of agate
Location: In among rock modes containing nodules of agate, underground.
Preparation: The mold must be mixed with mineral salts and stored in an airless jar a DC 5 Craft (Alchemy) check..
Uses: It causes a mild skin rash, but it can grant Darkvision. One dose of prepared Seeing Slime costs 100 gp. Fresh Seeing Slime mold lasts for 24 hours, after harvested. A preparation of Seeing Slime last for up to 1 month.
Game Effects: Grants Darkvision 30' for 24 hours, if applied to the eyes, a full-round action, that provokes attacks of opportunity. Frequent use of this preparation, more than 6 days, causes permanent purple blotches around the eyes. If a creature already has Darkvision than a dose of Seeing Slime will extend it by 30', further doses do not extend the duration or increase the range.
SPHAGNUM MOSS
Scientific Name: Sphagnum cymbifoliumAppearance: Sphagnum moss is a pale green in color, although it may turn yellowish or reddish. It consists of many tiny branches of leaves tangled into a clump of moss which grows into large cushions. It has no roots, but absorbs water directly through its leaves; this absorbent quality makes it almost as effective as a sponge.Location: When sterilized, this moss is an ideal dressing for wounds; two ounces of it can absorb up to two pounds of liquid. Sphagnum moss must be collected beforehand to be used, then cleaned and dried, and stored loosely in cloth bags.Uses: The moss is kept in a sealed container to keep it fresh and moist. The raw moss is applied directly to the wound, which is then bandaged. 1 dose of sphagnum moss costs 4 sp. Typically it is sold in flasks that hold 4 applications/doses for 2 gp. A sphagnum moss bandage lasts for one week when kept in the open, a sealed container can keep the bandages fresh for up to 6 months.Game effect: Getting a proper dressing on a wound is one of the most important steps in healing. If an injury is bound up with clean sphagnum moss, the victim will heal 25% more quickly; that is lost hit points will be regained at the rate 1.25 x level. This dressing must be changed after three days and replaced with fresh moss in order to keep receiving this quick-healing benefit.
Image Source: Sphangnum Moss on Wikipedia.com
TURMERIC from Now Trending: healthy food choices 365
Scientific Name: Curcuma longaAppearance: Found in tropical regions that have a high annual rainfall. Turmeric is a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches up to 3 feet, it is highly branched, yellow to orange, cylindrical, aromatic rhizomes are found. The leaves are alternate and arranged in two rows. They are divided into leaf sheath, petiole, and leaf blade. From the leaf sheaths, a false stem is formed. The petiole is 20” to 45” long. The simple leaf blades are usually 30” to 45” long and rarely up to 91”. They have a width of 15” to 18” and are oblong to elliptic, narrowing at the tip.Uses: boiled in water for 30 to 45 minutes then dried in hot ovens and ground into a deep-orange-yellow power. One dose of powder costs 8 sp. Ground turmeric can last up to 4 years.Game Effect: It has anti-inflammatory properties, a dose, taken orally, returns 1d4 hit points once per day.Precautions: Elves are used to a subtler set of spices and turmeric can be quite spicy for them causing them to be sickened for 1d6 minutes. Turmeric can be a mild aphrodisiac to orcs and half-orcs if they fail a DC 6 Fort save.Image Source: Turmeric on Wikipedia.com
WINTERBITE [from Pathfinder Player’s Companion: Heroes of the Wild page 10]
Scientific name: Winterbite
Appearance: A white-tipped leave of a wild mint, that grows in cold forests and mountain areas.
Preparation: Gathering Winterbite requires a DC 14 Craft (Alchemy) or a Profession (Herbalist) check, collecting 1d4 does. The harvested Winterbite needs to be dried near an open flame in which certain sawdust and wood chips are burned, requiring a DC 12 Craft (Alchemy) check and 1 hour for work.
Uses: When held under the nose and crushed, winterbite releases a pungent sharply sweet odor that clears the sinuses and sharpens the senses. One dose costs 1 gp. Freshly harvested Winterbite lasts for 24 hours. A dose of winterbite mint lasts for 1 month.
Game effect: For the next hour, a user of winterbite gains a +2 alchemical bonus on scent-based Perception checks.
WOUNDWORT
Scientific name: Stachys palustris
Other names: Clown's woundwort, downy woundwort, marsh woundwort
Appearance: Woundwort has rough, slender green stalks, up to two feet high, bearing long and narrow dark green leaves covered with fine hairs. The leaves are pointed, with jagged edges. The flowers of wound-wort are large and purplish-red, with white spots. The roots are long and stringy with small tubers growing among them. The plant has a strong, acrid smell.
Location: Woundwort grows in or near ditches, or by the sides of paths and in fields. The marsh woundwort, identical in healing properties, grow in marshy areas. The plant flowers in mid-summer.
Uses: This herb is very effective as an immediate treatment for all wounds, especially deep cuts such as those produced from sword thrusts. Woundwort is a remarkable styptic, staunching bleeding almost immediately and quickening the coagulation of blood to form scabs. To use it, bind enough fresh leaves up against the wound to form as dressing, or steep the leaves in hot water and apply them as a poultice. Leaves bound to a bandage costs 4 sp per bandage. A poultice costs 5 sp. Dried leaves, bound into a bandage lasts up to 4 weeks, when the bandage is wrapped in wax they can be stored for up to 6 months, a prepared poultice lasts up to 8 months.
Game effect: If applied immediately (within 2 rounds) to an injury, woundwort will stop Bleeding providing a +5 competence bonus to any Heal check made to stop bleeding.
Precautions: While woundwort will always stop bleeding and benefit its user as described above, dwarves will sometimes suffer an adverse reaction to it. If woundwort is used on a dwarven character, he has a 25% chance of becoming temporarily (1-6 rounds) blinded.
Image Source: Stachys Palustria on Wikipedia.com
* * *
Despite her words to the contrary, the old woman seemed rather downcast when Delrael made ready to leave her hut.
"No, my young fighter," she said, "you know how to care for yourself without the aid of a cleric." She wagged a finger at him. "Just think of those who struggle to survive in worlds where no magic exists."
"I have heard stories of such worlds," Delrael answered, "but I always thought them to be no more than fantasies."
The old woman began puttering with her herbs, looking away so he did not see the sadness in her eyes. "Ah, but one man's fantasy is another man's reality. Don't doubt it."
Delrael thought about that as he went off into the forest.
The cost given for healing herbs assumes that a practiced or practical naturalist has inspected them and prepared them and that they are at most one-quarter of their life span old or younger. A gentle repose spell can treat up to 50 doses of most healing herbs of any type and for each caster level the length of the healing herb’s life span may be increased by one unit. Healing herbs that last for weeks can have their lifespan increased by one week per level, healing herbs that typically last for months can have their lifespan increased by one month per caster level, while a healing herb that typically lasts for 1 or more years can have their lifespan increased by one year per caster level. The lifespan of certain herbs may actually be longer, but they lose their healing effects, if the lifespan listed under uses for the healing herb, is exceeded. Healing herbs can even become harmful if aged too long, and you will not always know when their lifespan is exceeded.
