Thursday 23 January 2020

A Lotus For All Seasons





































Lotus Flowers were one of the main currencies of the old monster kings as popular as gold or silver and for it's ability to control addicts. Ancient barges crossed the world selling drugs. Certain drugs are now found on certain continents. The Black Lotus Emperor rules much of the west through these drugs from his secret underground city. Black lotus because wizards and sorcerers crave it world wide is the most well known. Many lands ban lotus resin and some have become dependant on the criminal smugglers and pedlars who lend nobles money for influence.

This is how the Emperor spreads his influence. The drugs were commonly used as 
alternate spell components in the prehuman monster ruled age. Some say the emperor is a immortal deity from beyond. Many alien wizards are users also. Some areas there are lotus cults who use it in secret rituals and cover up failures. Some of these cults might have own strains. Some say lotus grew in conditions where outer gods were slain from their brain matter. The art of growing them requires a hard gardening roll to cultivate seeds and another to have them grow seeds. Cults might operate a secret garden. Some states operate gardens for nobility and royalty or only allow priests to use it. Natural animals, beast folk and barbarians and many tribal peoples shun them. Wherever you go people have strong opinions for against it. 

D12 Lotus Types

1 Pink Lotus
2 Ivory Lotus
3 Golden Lotus
4 Silver Lotus
5 Scarlet Lotus
6 Grey Lotus
7 White Lotus
8 Jade Lotus
9 Amber Lotus
10 Violet Lotus
11 Blue Lotus
12 Black Lotus

Dosage Effect if Save Effect if fail Cost
Mild Dose Mild Effect (d4 hours) Fail + sick for d4 rounds 10sp dose
Pure Dose Strong Effect Fail + save vs addiction + Mild Effect 40gp dose

Flower Extracts in wine or made into resin for pure doses
Fresh flowers in wine dissolve the narcotic and mixes with wine
Resin keeps for years and comes in pellets or blocks often with a guild symbol in gold
Rest of flower and stems make tea or smokes with only minor effects
Pipes across the world feature dragon designs
Most of these types are rare and seldom would you ever see all of them unless in the stash tin of a god or elf king. Any one big trade city might have 3 available.Some wizards tried to cross breed other types but most are fake

1 Pink Lotus
Fail – grow hideous wattles and dulaps like a turkey, more drugs worse they get
Mild Effect – euphoric, aroused, more sociable and charming +1CHA
Strong Effect – develop a petty mutation, hallucinate being one with all flesh through Xor
2 Ivory Lotus
Fail – when you die you arise as a skeletal undead, more drugs more powerful
Mild Effect – icy logic, fearless, analytical, good for research, hear whispers of dead +1INT
Strong Effect – immune to fear and charm magic, seem dead, commune with death d10 hours
3 Golden Lotus
Fail – body smoulders on first contact with sunlight losing a d4 HP, effect stronger with more drugs
Mild Effect – confident, warm and powerful feelings +1WIS
Strong Effect – immune to level or attribute drain from negative energy for hour
4 Silver Lotus
Fail – go into deep trance for day, second time week, then month then coma
Mild Effect – objectivity, calm, emotionless +1INT
Strong Effect - temporary psionic ability or petty mental mutation
5 Scarlet Lotus
Fail – become angry and violent, go on troublesome rampage for hour, temper gets worse over time
Mild Effect – aggressive, confidant, energetic will go berserk if fight starts in next turn
Strong Effect – heart stops, visions of souls destiny, first aid can revive you
6 Grey Lotus
Fail – drool like a idiot, reduced to infant state for d4 weeks, longer each time
Mild Effect – cold detachment, good for analytical skills, limited vision of own past +1WIS
Strong Effect – witness maddening things in past epochs then void hounds persue you
7 White Lotus
Fail – temporary blindness, eventually eyes become white, giggling addicts tear out own eyes
Mild Effect – heal 1HP
Strong Effect - see in dark, perceive squirming alien beings from beyond everywhere d4 hours
8 Jade Lotus
Fail – develop slimy skin and webbing, eventually turn into frog folk hybrid
Mild Effect – euphoric, gregarious, hungry, elaborate speculation and theories +1WIS
Strong Effect – Visions of frog gods and ancient rites dedicated to them for d12 hours
9 Amber Lotus
Fail – ephoric memory loss as long as keep smoking daily, slavers use this to dominate victims
Mild Effect – visions of some other worldly court drama you don't understand  +1CHA
Strong Effect – communicate directly with the unspeakable outsider god, the lord of madness for 3d10 hours
10 Violet Lotus
Fail – develop a minor mutation, eventually after too much they evolve into a horrible beast
Mild Effect – sense magic in 30 foot
Strong Effect – see magic and identify spells and magical effects on sight d6 hours
11 Blue Lotus
Fail – giggle like a idiot and become very compliant
Mild Effect – numbness, flushes, mild visual distortions  +1DEX
Strong Effect – cosmic visions of all reality, immune to illusions d6 hours
12 Black Lotus
Fail – haunted by maddening occult dreams, join a cult or several
Mild Effect – incredible dreams of alien realities, disorientation, ranting, foaming at the mouth, recover one spell or spell energy level, mostly used by power level magicians
Strong Effect – communicate with alien wizards beyond time and space for d4 hours

2 comments:

  1. You still keep the hits coming, man. This is really great! I think I will use it in my home game in the City-State of the World Emperor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lots of my stuff fits in there well
      guild stuff very sandbox table based gaming

      Delete

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