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Herbs, and how to find them.
Herbs, and how to find them.
Herbal medicines have been around for many years. In fact, they were the first known form of treatment for many illnesses. To allow a fantasy game to function without the use of this powerful resource would be shameful. The concepts presented here are guidelines for the GM, allowing an organized way to arbitrate the use of these herbs within a campaign.
First, many players argue over whether an herb is found when a successful skill check roll is made or whether the herb does not exist in the local area reviewed, regardless of the skill check. It is precisely this argument that dissuades most GMs from making Herbalism a significant part of their games. In order to find, cultivate, and apply herbs, three skills must be used, not just one. I will try to detail the uses of these skills and provide an easy-to-use system that incorporates them.
Finding Herbs
Finding Herbs
Finding - This function is part of the Herbalism skill, which provides knowledge of what herbs exist. One cannot find something unless one knows what he is looking for. Wilderness Lore is also required to determine where within a given area the herbs can be found. Further, wilderness lore also provides knowledge as to the best time of the year to search for these herbs. Knowledge of Herbalism and Wilderness Lore alone is not sufficient, one must go to where these herbs are found and Search for them. Many nearsighted Herbalist master have overlooked ripe herbs under their noses because their Search skill is not up to par.
Therefore, we can deduce that Search, Wilderness Lore, and Herbalism skills are all needed to successfully locate, process, and obtain herbs. The issue is further complicated when the GM must determine which herbs exist in which terrain and at which times during the year. A superior skill is useless unless there are actual herbs to find in the area you are searching. A skilled herbalist could argue that he would not be searching in an area that would not yield herbs, but a GM can respond by saying that not every area that is likely to have herbs has them. This argument is the core tug-of-war between players and GMs.
This endless argument must then give way to game mechanics, which may not always be realistic but must be easy to use and understand. A group of players does not like to waste time watching a single party member roll a series of rolls and expend precious role-play time to find a cure for a simple nosebleed. On the other hand, a player that invested hard-won experience points into herbalism and associated skills does not want the skills to be useless.
The following formula is proposed to alleviate the stress associated with this process. As stated before, three skills actually make up a successful master of herbs. Search, Wilderness Lore, and Herbalism combine to provide the knowledge, and the ability to find the illusive materials that provide distilled cures. Although all three skills are not required to actually search for herbs, possessing all three skills increases the chance of finding the more elusive herbs.
Getting the Average – All players start with the Search skill (everyman skill), but not all players will possess the Wilderness Lore or Herbalism skills. The players that wish to search for herbs must possess at least two of the three skills. The maximum value for each dice is then added together and divided by 3 (rounding up, missing skills count as 0). Results of 3 or less are ignored (the individual does not possess sufficient skill to be useful in searching for herbs). This allows standard dice between D4 to D12.
Example: A Priest has a D8 in Search, a D10 in Herbalism, but lacks the Wilderness Lore skill would have a 8 + 10 = 18/3 or a D6 as an average for his three skills.
Example: A Ranger has a D10 in Search, a D8 in Herbalism, and a D10 in Wilderness Lore skill would have a 10 + 8 +10 = 28/3 = 9.33 (rounded up) for a D10 as an average for his three skills.
Now, we must do the same to determine natural aptitude, or the stats commonly associated with the three skills. In this case, Herbalism is paired with Intelligence, Search with Perception, and Wilderness Lore with Intelligence. Once again, take the highest value for these dice and divide by three.
Example (above continued): our Priest has a D8 for Intelligence and a D6 for Perception. His average is 8 + 6 + 8 = 22/3 = 7.33 or a D8.
Example (above continued): our Ranger has a D8 for Intelligence and a D10 for Perception. His average is 8 + 10 + 8 = 26/3 = 8.6 or D10.
Finally, most individuals will possess talents, enhancements, and/or spells that will grant bonuses to either or all of these skills. These bonuses are simply added to the base dice pool as normal without dividing them. This allows us to have a functional Herb Cultivation Dice Pool.
Example (above continued): our priest happens to be a half-elf and thus possesses a racial +1 to Search skill checks. This gives him a base D6 + D8 +1 for his Herb Cultivation Dice Pool.
Example (above continued): our ranger happens to be an elf and also possesses the Alertness Enhancement granting him a +2 and +1, respectively. This gives him a base D10 + D10 +3 for his Herb Cultivation Dice Pool.
Simply have the player roll his Herb Cultivation Dice Pool. At this point, some assumptions are made. First, the player allows himself 2 hours in-game time to search for the herbs. Second, he is assumed to be searching for the best possible area to yield the herbs in question. Finally, he has access to a few basic tools to extract the herbs if they are found.
Teamwork
Teamwork
Optional Rule (teamwork) – Teamwork can be helpful if a group of individuals is helping the main PC search for herbs. Each individual grants a +1 to the base roll. Individuals that possess the Herbalism skill or the Wilderness Lore skills add +1 more. A skilled team can significantly increase the chances of finding rare herbs by working together. The primary PC is still responsible for supervising the search and is limited by the total number of people he can command based on his Charisma Dice (D4 = 1, D6 = 2, D8 = 3, D10 = 4, and D12 = 5). Individuals with other management-based skills can increase these base numbers.
Note: The Herb Cultivation Dice roll does not cover the production of poultices, pastes, or distilled liquids produced from the materials collected. These advanced functions of herbalism most often require more than two hours to produce, typically a small kitchen (lab) and a fire. The production of poultices, pastes, and distilled liquids is a function of the Herbalism (and perhaps Alchemy) skill alone. The products thus produced tend to remain potent for more extended periods of time and usually have a more substantial medicinal value.
Behind the DM screen.
Behind the DM screen.
Now that we have accounted for the player’s side of the equation, we can focus on the GM’s side of the process. The GM rolls dice to represent the random placement of the actual herbs in the location of the searching PC. The GM must decide if the herb in question is in season; if so, he rolls a D6; if not, he rolls a D10 or D12. This value is subtracted from the Herb Cultivation Dice roll made by the players. The result is compared to the rarity of the herb in question, if the roll is sufficiently high, the herb has been found. Positive skill checks will result in something that can be useful. The higher the numerical result the greater the value and potency of the herbs found. GMs are encouraged to develop their own list of herbs specific to their own world.
Typical results range from -9 to 45+ depending on the skill and number of people searching for herbs.
Optional Rule – if the result of the rolls produced a negative number, the PC has located the wrong herb but thinks it’s the correct one. Consuming or applying the herb can have negative results at the whim of the GM.
Example – let’s assume that our Priest and Ranger (in the above examples) are working together. They have traveled to the area best-suited for the herbs they seek. Because the Ranger has the best overall Herb Cultivation Dice pool, he will be the primary person organizing the search. They are looking for an extremely rare herb, and the GM consults the charts of his world and sets the TD for the roll at 22. The Ranger rolls (D10 + D10 + 3) + the priest adds +3 more for a total of 2D10 +6. Fortunately for the Ranger, the herb is in season, and the GM will be rolling a D6 for his subtraction roll. If the GM rolls more than 4, the ranger does not have sufficient skill to find the herb in question. The Priest and Ranger spend days scouring the countryside for the herb, making 6 rolls per day (one every two hours of daylight) for 6 days before they achieve success. The herb can now be cultivated and returned to produce medicine to save a person’s life.
It should be noted that some herbs, especially those that grant permanent magical bonuses, stats, or abilities, have difficulties in the 30s and 40s, often requiring a team of skilled individuals to search for them.
Lets see what we can find
Lets see what we can find
Random Searching: Sometimes, a group of adventurers searches for herbs as they travel. Devoting 2 hours per day to searching is a small price to pay for discovering a batch of herbs that can be sold in the next town for a few hundred silver pieces. In this case, the individuals are not looking for a specific herb but rather any type of herb that can be useful either on their adventure or to make an extra bit of silver coin. Although the skills used and helpers aiding are the same, the search leader uses his Luck + Perception dice rather than Intelligence + Perception for the stat dice used in the Herb Cultivation Dice pool. The GM rolls a D8 for his side of the equation. The resulting number can determine what type of herbs are in the area and how many based on the whim of the GM. Again, only a single roll is needed to determine success.
Optional Rule: A quick and dirty way to determine TDs to find herbs is equal to the Tier of the Herb squared. Where the chance to find a Tier-1 herb is automatic, while a Tier-7 herb would require a roll of 49+.
Alien Worlds
Alien Worlds
Herbalism Use on Other Planes: The laws that govern reality on other planes are commonly different from those on prime material planes. Creatures not native to these planes must also possess additional knowledge about the plane to cultivate herbs from these exotic places. Plane lore specific to the respective plane must possess at least a D8 skill rating before herbalism checks can be made without penalty. GMs can ask for plane lore skill checks in addition to Herb Cultivation checks. Further, the GM may elect to use larger seasonal dice to simulate chaotic planes, environmental conditions, and/or unusual terrain. Finally, the GM may require more than the standard two hours to make a single roll check. Remember, some planes, such as the elemental plane of air or the qazi-plane of vacuum, may not have any useful herbs at all.
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