Chapter 1 - Non-weapon Proficiencies
Herbal Brew Non-weapon Proficiency
(must be Druid and have Herbalism*3)
A character with the herbalist proficiency may use herbs as an adjunct to the healing skill, as explained in Chapter 5 of the PH59). However, some druids possess exceptional herb lore, which enables them to produce magical herbal brews. Druids who devote at least three slots to the [NWP-Herbalism|Herbalism]] proficiency can create these brews.
An herbal brew is a concoction of several herbs (and sometimes fungi or tree bark) that produces exotic effects. The name of a brew does not refer to the herbs in it, but to its effects. Herbal brews require no magical plants; power comes from the combination of herbs and the secret techniques herbalist druids use in each stage of preparation.
Locating the Herbs
Finding an herbal brew's ingredients requires first locating the right place to look. The druid must search in the proper terrain for the time indicated in the brew's listing (starting on p. 105). Then, make an herbalism proficiency check, applying the brew's search modifier and a -4 penalty for snow-covered ground or darkness, if applicable.
Success means the druid locates enough herbs to produce one brew; failure means the character finds none. In either case, additional searches may be made, though a druid really should search only once per square mile of appropriate terrain. Repeated searches of an area carry a cumulative -2 penalty--there may be nothing there to find!
Some Common Herbs
Druids find these herbs especially useful in their magic. Others may be included, real or unique to your own campaign world.
Angelica root - Mustard seed Anise seed - Myrrh gum Cassia buds - Peppermint leaf Chamomile flowers - Poppy seeds Cloves - Sage leaf Damiana leaf - Sarsaparilla root Elder flowers - Thyme leaf Gentian root - Valerian root Marjoram leaf - Yerba mate leaf Preserving Herbal Ingredients
Most herbs work best while fresh, but druids may wish to store some for future use rather than immediately turning them into brews. Preserving ingredients by drying, powdering, and packing the herbs takes six hours per set of ingredients (enough for one brew) and requires a successful herbalism check.
The DM makes this roll, informing the player whether the ingredients have spoiled only when the druid tries to use them in a brew. A successful roll ensures the herbs stay fresh while in a waterproof container. Failure indicates they will spoil in 1d6 days.
Making an Herbal Brew
To create an herbal brew, the druid must have the appropriate ingredients, either fresh or preserved. The brewing process requires a quiet place that fosters deep concentration. It involves both physical work (chopping and cleaning herbs, mixing the ingredients in proper portions, steaming them, etc.) and ritual gestures and prayer. As with granted powers and spells, if the druid has not remained faithful to the Order, the herbs fail to take on their magical properties.
After preparing the concoction as long as the brew's description requires, the druid rolls another herbalism proficiency check, using the modifiers shown. In addition, a -2 modifier applies if the druid used preserved rather than fresh herbs. A successful check means the druid creates the brew. Failure means the druid ruins the ingredients; a roll of 19 or 20 always fails.
A druid with several sets of ingredients for the same herbal brew may mix multiple batches at the same time. If the final proficiency check succeeds, the druid concocts all the batches; if it fails, the ingredients all go to waste.
Types of Herbal Brews
The next several pages offer descriptions of various herbal brews. Feel free to create new ones for your own druid characters.
Each brew entry includes these details: Terrain tells where to find ingredients for the brew, as well as any special notes (gather only at night, etc.).
Search Time/Modifier indicates how many hours a druid must search for the brew's ingredients and offers a modifier to the herbalism proficiency check that determines whether the druid finds them.
Preparation Time/Modifier suggests how many hours it takes the druid to prepare the brew and offers a modifier to the herbalism proficiency check needed for successful brewing.
Application tells how to apply the brew: either as a tea, ointment, poultice, or vapor.
A tea consists of a mix of broken or crushed dried herbs infused into water. The rules for drinking potions apply to herbal teas, which keep indefinitely in dry form.
An ointment is a brew mixed with lard, beeswax, lanolin, or another similar base and rubbed onto skin. Treat it as a magical oil.
A poultice consists of a damp herbal brew bandaged onto a wound or area of skin. The contents of the poultice soaks into the skin gradually. Applying a poultice takes two rounds; it can be applied only to an unresisting or grappled subject.
A vapor, a mixture intended to be inhaled rather than drunk, usually affects an area. The dry ingredients must be stirred into boiling water so the brew's recipient can breathe in the steam. Administration requires two rounds and a source of hot water.
Effects describes what the brew does.
Save explains what kind of saving throw, if any, can resist the brews effects. Most saving throws are against poison even if a brew is not actually deadly.
Crawlbane Terrain: Swamp and deep forest Search Time/Modifier: 6/-1 Preparation Time/Modifier: 2/-1 Application: Ointment Effects: This ointment strongly repels insects. Anyone covered head to foot in it remains unaffected by normal insects, even those summoned by spells such as creeping doom and insect plague. Giant insects still may attack the character, but do so at a -3 penalty, due to their revulsion. Save: None
Darkweed Terrain: Desert oasis Search Time/Modifier: 6/-2 Preparation Time/Modifier: 10/-4 Application: Ointment Effects: A character who smears this ointment over both eyes becomes blind within two rounds. However, the character can see invisible, astral, ethereal, or illusory objects as if they were real and fully visible. Save: Neg. if save vs. spell
Deathmock Terrain: Mountain slopes
Search Time/Modifier: 4/-3 Preparation Time/Modifier: 6/-3 Application: Tea Effects: Deathmock causes drinkers to fall into a cataleptic trance; characters display muscle rigidity and do not appear to breathe or have a heartbeat. While injuries cause them little bleeding, they otherwise suffer normal damage. Those under the influence of this tea sleep for 2d4 days, during which time they need no food or water. They need only one-twentieth the air unaffected people do and can survive freezing temperature. Save: Neg. if save vs. poison
Fiendflower Terrain: Deep forest or jungle Search Time/Modifier: 12/-4 Preparation Time/Modifier: 8/-3 Application: Tea Effects: Characters who drink this bitter tea see horrifying visions that drive them temporarily mad. After 1d20 turns, drinkers suffer an episode of 2d6 minutes, during which they turn enraged, violent, and homicidal; such a PC should be played by the DM. Afterward, drinkers cannot recall what happened during the episode, which recurs once per day (at irregular intervals) for the next 2d4 days. A neutralize poison spell ends fiendflower's effects. Save: Neg. if save vs. spell
Ghostroot Terrain: Old graveyards at night Search Time/Modifier: 8/-4 Preparation Time/Modifier: 4/-6 Application: Vapor Effects: This mixture's luminous vapors repel undead. Any undead attempting to draw near must save vs. spell. Failure prevents them from approaching within 10 feet of the steaming brew. Success allows them to ignore its effects; once they save, they remain immune to the brew for the rest of the day. The vapors last for one turn. Save: Neg. if save vs. spell
Nevermind Terrain: Forest clearings or caverns Search Time/Modifier: 8/-3 Preparation Time/Modifier: 8/-7 Application: Tea Effects: Characters develop amnesia one minute after drinking this tea, permanently forgetting all events since they last slept. Save: Neg. if save vs. spell
Hushthorn Terrain: Forests at night Search Time/Modifier: 4/-3 Preparation Time/Modifier: 4/-3 Application: Tea Effects: This tea causes drinkers to fall into a deep, natural sleep, from which they cannot be awakened for 2d10+13 hours. Save: Neg. if save vs. poison
Snakesalve Terrain: Jungle Search Time/Modifier: 6/-1 Preparation Time/Modifier: 2/-1 Application: Poultice Effects: If applied to a living snake-bite victim, this poultice neutralizes the poison. Save: None
Springberry Terrain: Moonlit spring meadows Search Time/Modifier: 8/-3 Preparation Time/Modifier: 8/-7 Application: Tea Effects: Within an hour of drinking the tea, characters fall in love with the first person of the opposite sex they see. The drinkers, while not charmed, act besotted and devote all efforts to wooing their love. The effects last for 2d4 days unless a player rolled a 20 on the save; in that case they are permanent. Save: Neg. if save vs. spell
Wintersalve Terrain: Mountain slopes or tundra Search Time/Modifier: 6/-3 Preparation Time/Modifier: 6/-3 Application: Ointment Effects: This ointment, when smeared over exposed body parts, provides the same protection against cold that a heavy fur coat would, but without the encumbrance. Combined with winter clothing, it allows for survival below zero and gives a +1 bonus to saving throws against cold-based attacks. Save: None
