Contemporary Drugs (5e Other)
|
This page is incomplete and/or lacking flavor. Reason: Seems more like an encyclopedia entry then something designed for D&D.
|
|
This page is of questionable balance. Reason: Needs to be rewritten to use D&D 5e standards. Applying temporary bonuses and penalties to base ability scores is not _broken_ but misunderstands basic principles of 5e design.
|
| Attention! |
|---|
| This page contains adult content which some may find offensive. Do not view this page if you are a minor or are offended by such material. |
This page is meant to aid a DM in using contemporary street drugs in their campaign. It is not meant to condone or encourage any drug use, it only offers some mechanical solutions for how the D&D 5e system might describe them. Note that both a DM's internal judgment and the player's internal judgment of a drug's effects are only one facet of a situation; the perception of the character under the influence is an entirely different and sometimes more insightful suggestion of the events' recollection.
Following are the rules which you can use to implement drugs in your campaign. Feel free also to consider alternative sets of rules for addictive drugs on this site, such as Tome of Flaws: Substance Addictions or Drugs and Medicines. The rules presented on this page are basically a revision of some of Tome of Flaws: Substance Addictions rules for the sake of simplification.
General rules[edit]
Drugs are notorious for their highly addictive nature. The addiction is an offset to the pleasant effect of the drug. In a worst-case scenario, the user turns into a junkie who struggles to perform mundane tasks without getting high first.
Every time upon taking the dose of a drug, a person must succeed the CON save with a drug-specific DC or become addicted. Following a satiation period noted in the drug description, every next day a victim must succeed the CON save against the same DC or suffer the withdrawal symptoms. A character can eliminate the withdrawal symptoms by taking another dose(s) of the drug. In that case, failing the CON save increases the level of the addiction from which a character suffers.
Each drug has low, medium, and high levels of addiction. These vary in satiation period, tolerance, and withdrawal effects. Tolerance means that a drug user needs more and more of a drug for satisfaction. As level of addiction grows, to negate the withdrawal effects, a player must take more doses of the drug. If a player can’t secure all the needed doses to meet tolerance requirements, she suffers withdrawal effects but also gains the drug’s beneficial effects. Note that a person with a higher tolerance level has to roll CON save only upon taking the functional drug dose that corresponds to her current level of addiction.
- Drug overdose. Usage of heavy drugs carries danger to health and, in some cases, may result in death. If a PC rolls a natural 1 on an exposure CON save, he is overdosed. Overdosed character is poisoned (has a disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks), or suffers other drawback described in the drug description, but gains the drug’s beneficial effects.
- Stacking overdoses. It is upon DM’s discretion whether some other negative effects should be added on top of poisoning if a PC fails several exposure CON saves in a row, in case of taking multiple functional doses of one or several types of drugs. For example, a PC may lose consciousness or suffer other penalties.
- Lethal dose. Heavy drugs also can kill very quickly. In case of consumption of the total dose marked as lethal in the drug description within one day, a character should pass DC 20 CON save or die immediately. The risk of lethal overdose is much higher in the case of mixing different types of drugs, and the threshold of lethality for individual drugs should be substantially lowered by DM in that case. The tolerance level, on the contrary, multiplies the amount of lethal dose for the character by the level of addiction he is currently on. Still, in case of simultaneous overdose on multiple heavy drugs, DM should consider having a player to roll a CON save against immediate death. Such near-death experience may force a victim to re-assess his life and decide to overcome the addiction. However, even that is not enough for some junkies who desperately cling to the old habit despite the danger it poses.
To lower the addiction level, a character must succeed two CON saves in two subsequent days against withdrawal symptoms. If two recovery saves were made in two days in a row by a character with a low addiction level, he is cured of addiction and no longer suffers any withdrawal effects.
- Social addiction. It’s often the social situation that pushes people to the path of addiction. Upon DM’s discretion, an addicted PC may be required to throw a WIS save if she finds herself in the proximity of the drug or in a place designated for drug usage – for example, entering the opium smoking house or a cocktail party. If it fails, the character can’t resist asking around for the dose and can be manipulated by the NPCs into paying extra or doing things a PC wouldn’t normally do. The DC of the WIS save is the same as the drug’s CON exposure save.
- Forced overdose. There might arise the situation when players would want to forcibly induce the overdose to either PC or NPC. Administering 3 functional doses of the drug at once will be considered as if the target rolled natural 1 on the exposure CON save and is therefore overdosed. If the dose was forced on an unaware recipient or without any intent on his side, he can not get addicted to the drug.
Sample drugs[edit]
Withdrawal from addiction is always accompanied by damage to one or several character's Abilities. The implementation of additional penalties is up to DM and players. In DnD 5e, the Ability Damage described below should be understood like this:
- STR damage: penalty to melee damage rolls and skill checks/Saves
- DEX damage: penalty to AC and skill checks/Saves
- CON damage: penalty to max HP and skill checks/Saves
- INT damage: penalty to Spell DCs and skill checks/Saves
- WIS damage: penalty to Spell DCs and skill checks/Saves
- CHA damage: penalty to Spell DCs and skill checks/Saves
Alcohol[edit]
Probably the most popular recreational substance. Alcohol comes in a lot of varieties, from beer to wine and heavier distillates. Throughout history, alcohol had religious significance in many cultures, revered in some communities but banned in others. Despite its current commonsense acceptance and spread, alcohol is a powerful drug and has a devastating effect on victims of alcoholism and their families.
- Drinking. The inner sensations, the strength of the effect, and danger of overdose depend on the type of beverage. Alcohol user gains the advantage on Charisma-based skill checks and +1 to all attack rolls, as alcohol brings more self-assurance, including in fight, for 1d3 hours. An overdose carries a disadvantage to WIS and DEX-based skill checks, and a repeated overdose makes a character fall asleep at the closest convenient place for 2d4 hours.
Dose cost: varies
CON save: DC 10
Lethal dose: 25 normal doses (strong alcohol)
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 5 days | 1d4 CHA dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 3 days | 1d6 DEX+CHA dmg | 2 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d6 DEX+CON+CHA dmg, paranoia, hallucinations | 3 doses |
Benzodiazepines (and barbiturates)[edit]
Benzodiazepines are a class of sedative drugs which have a relaxing effect and reduce anxiety. Benzodiazepines come as pills; known brand names include Valium or Xanax. Each pill has a manufacturer’s brand marking on it and a measure of active substance.
- Oral ingestion. You eat a pill and wash it down the throat with water. You gain an advantage to fear-related checks but suffer a disadvantage on DEX skill checks for 1d8 hours. An overdose makes a character fall asleep at the closest convenient place for the duration of the drug effect.
- Barbiturates. Pills on a barbiturate base historically fulfilled the role benzodiazepines play now in medicine for treating anxiety disorders and sleep problems. Barbiturates are uncommon as prescription drugs but can be found on the street. It is easier to overdose on this drug, and it was often chosen as a mean of suicide in the past. In DnD mechanics, barbiturates should be treated as benzodiazepines, yet with a lethal dose of 20 normal doses instead of 80.
Dose cost: 2 gp
CON save: DC 11
Lethal dose: 80 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 4 days | 1d4 INT dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 2 days | 1d6 DEX+INT dmg | 2 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d8 DEX+CON+INT dmg, heavy paranoia | 3 doses |
Cannabis[edit]
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a popular recreational drug. The leaves or inflorescences of cannabis plant are dried and then smoked. Burning marijuana is accompanied by a characteristic strong smell.
- Smoking. To smoke cannabis, you need a heat source and a pipe. The smoke feels like it rips up your lungs from the inside and can evoke an uncontrolled cough. You gain bloodshot eyes and a somewhat protracted reaction to the unfolding events. Marijuana smoker suffers a -5 to Initiative roll but gains +5 to Concentration rolls for 1d4+1 hours. Marijuana overdose invokes paranoia (disadvantage on all fear-related checks).
Dose cost: 2 gp
CON save: DC 7
Lethal dose: none
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 5 days | 1d4 WIS dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 4 days | 1d4 WIS dmg | 2 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d6 WIS dmg | 2 doses |
Cocaine (and crack cocaine)[edit]
Cocaine is a white powder extracted from the leaves of coke. It is particularly popular among the high class as a party drug due to its sociable effect. Cocaine as a stimulator is deceptively soft and acts for a short period of time, which contributes to the immense risk of overdose with this drug. It is usually snorted but can also be taken orally.
- Snorting. You snort a thin line of coke from a smooth surface using a straw or straw-like implement. For a moment, it almost freezes your sinuses; it has a slight metallic taste. Cocaine user gains an advantage to CHA and DEX-based skill checks for 30 minutes, is energetic and talkative. Overdose leads to nausea, paranoia, and may result in death, especially if combined with other substances.
- Smoking. Crack cocaine is a lower-class, cheap substantive of cocaine that is typically smoked. It has a form of yellow-ish rock crystals that resemble soap. You need a small glass pipe and a heat source. Crack has an aggressive smell of burnt rubber when smoked. The user gains an advantage to CHA and DEX-based skill checks for 15 minutes and is energetic and talkative. Overdose leads to nausea, paranoia, and may result in death, especially if combined with other substances.
Dose cost: 20 gp for cocaine, 4 gp for crack
CON save: DC 15
Lethal dose: 12 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 6 days | 1d4 CON+WIS dmg | 2 doses |
| Medium | 2 days | 1d6 CON+WIS dmg | 3 doses |
| High | 2 days | 1d6 STR+CON+WIS dmg, rotten teeth, violent outbursts | 5 doses |
Ether[edit]
Ether is an anesthetic in the form of a transparent liquid smelling like medicine. Due to its cheap price, it is popular among blue-collar workers and in rural areas. The high resembles the one from alcohol but is stronger. As a substance, ether is highly flammable.
- Inhaling. To inhale ether, you pour a few drops on a piece of cloth and press it against your nose. It has a strong smell of medicaments. When inhaled, it grants +1d6 Hit points and +1 to all attack rolls but also a disadvantage on Charisma-based checks as ether can be smelled by others for 20 rounds. The overdose makes a character immediately fall asleep for the duration of the drug's effect.
- Drinking. Drinking ether requires diluting drops of it in liquid like water or alcohol. It adds a noticeable sweet taste to the drink. When drunk, it grants +1d6 Hit points and +1 to all attack rolls but also a disadvantage on Charisma-based checks as ether can be smelled by others for 15 minutes. The overdose makes a character immediately fall asleep for the duration of the drug's effect.
Dose cost: 5 cp
CON save: DC 10
Lethal dose: 50 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 5 days | 1d6 INT dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 3 days | 1d8 INT dmg | 2 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d8 INT+WIS dmg | 3 doses |
Heroin[edit]
A pale brown resinous powder that can be smoked, snorted, or injected. Comes in amounts of about 0.1g or so in a small glassine bag, which is stamped with a manufacturer’s or dealer’s brand’s label.
- Snorting. You cut yourself a thin line of heroin and snort it using a straw or straw-like implement. It tastes bitter in your sinuses, like the chemical stink of potent vitamins, and a little like rancid hot dogs. Snorted heroin grants +2d4 temporary HP for 1d4+1 hours. User is cheerful in a softened subtle way.
- Smoking. With a long glass piece or sheet of thin metal you place a pinch of heroin and heat it to inhale the thin wisps of white smoke. When you do this with tin foil, it is called ‘Chasing the Dragon.’ The name comes from opium’s Asiatic origins, and because the melting substance creates a serpentine drip on the foil, the smoker must chase the drip with a straw in their mouth to inhale the smoke. Glass pipes can also be used, but it can be wasteful because it’s easy to burn the heroin, which won’t yield any smoke. Smoked heroin grants +1 character’s HP Dice of temporary HP for 1d4+1 hours, an advantage on all CON saves. User is cheerful in a softened subtle way.
- Injecting. The most infamous method of heroin use is the most potent, but also the most tedious and time-consuming. Many serious diseases can be contracted through this method. In order to inject, you must have tourniquet, syringe, small metal cup, controlled heat source, cotton or other filter, citrus (optional). You first empty your dry powder heroin into the metal cup, along with the water and the small source of citrus, which helps dissolve the heroin and makes injection easier on the veins (note that excess citrus fruit can cause fungal infection). You then heat the solution slowly so as not to burn it, and soak your cotton into the solution to filter out what impurities you can; so that when you finally pull out your injectable heroin and tie off you can shoot it into your veins as effectively as possible. Injected heroin grants +2 character’s HP Dice of temporary HP for 1d6+2 hours. You also gain advantage on rolls against any fear-type effects, and advantage on all CON saves. User is cheerful in a softened subtle way, but keeps a vacant emotional distance.
Dose cost: 5 gp
CON save: DC 19
Lethal dose: 7 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 7 days | 1d6 CON+CHA dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 3 days | 1d8 CON+CHA dmg, insomnia | 2 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d8 STR+DEX+CON+CHA dmg, insomnia, diarrhea | 3 doses |
Metamphetamine[edit]
Meth is a heavy drug which produces a strong and long-lasting high. It can come in a powder form, either white or with colors ranging from rose to orange and yellow or even blue-ish. Fresh meth has a chemical smell, resembling one from a paint marker or a glass cleaner, although some types might not have any smell at all. Another form of meth is white, almost translucent crystals that resemble ice, which are typically smoked.
- Snorting. You snort a thin line of meth from a smooth surface using a straw or straw-like implement. You feel a strong bitter taste of chemicals as it swims down your throat. You gain +1d4+1 temporary HP and an advantage on the Intimidation check for 3d4 hours. User behaves compulsively, often engages in repetitive and obsessive behavior, and is socially reckless.
- Smoking. You need a small glass pipe and a heat source to smoke crystal meth. It has a tender and sweet smell. You gain +1d6+2 temporary HP and an advantage on Intimidation check for 3d4+2 hours. User behaves compulsively, often engages in repetitive and obsessive behavior, and is socially reckless.
Dose cost: 4 gp
CON save: DC 17
Lethal dose: 20 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 2 days | 1d4 STR+CON+CHA dmg, paranoia | 1 dose |
| Medium | 2 days | 1d6 STR+CON+CHA dmg, rotten teeth | 2 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d8 STR+CON+CHA dmg, rotten teeth, psychosis, violent outbursts | 3 doses |
Methadone[edit]
Methadone is a chemically synthesized opioid in form of pills, which is commonly used by rehab centers to treat patients from heroin addiction. It is, however, a potent drug in itself and addictive on its own.
- Oral ingestion. A methadone pill tastes slightly bitter in your mouth; you wash it down the throat with water. You don’t feel euphoria as with other opioids. Methadone user gains +1d6 of temporary HP and an advantage on all CON saves for 2d4 hours. It also negates the withdrawal symptoms from heroin, morphine, or opium.
Dose cost: 10 gp
CON save: DC 13
Lethal dose: 15 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 2 days | 1d4 WIS+CHA dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 2 days | 1d6 WIS+CHA dmg | 1 dose |
| High | 1 day | 1d6 CON+WIS+CHA dmg, insomnia, mouth odor | 2 doses |
Morphine[edit]
Morphine typically comes as a dark tincture in a small antique-looking glass jar and is injected. As heroin is a more potent form of morphine synthesized chemically, the latter has milder effects but also an easier withdrawal process. Morphine is not commonly found on the street as it is hard to produce with a non-professional setup.
- Injection. In order to inject morphine, you must have tourniquet, syringe, small metal cup, controlled heat source. Morphine shot gives a user +1 character’s HP Dice of temporary HP, and an advantage on all CON saves for 1d6+2 hours. Morphine user feels euphoric but also dreamy. The overdose makes the user immediately fall asleep for 8 hours.
Dose cost: 15 gp
CON save: DC 16
Lethal dose: 10 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 7 days | 1d4 CON+WIS dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 4 days | 1d6 CON+WIS dmg, runny nose | 2 doses |
| High | 2 days | 1d6 STR+DEX+CON+WIS dmg, runny nose, diarrhea | 3 doses |
Opium[edit]
This historically infamous substance is commonly found in the form of a dark resinous putty. Like its more refined forms, opium is vulnerable to burning and must be vaporized in order to smoke. Opium pipes can be beautifully crafted and are typically paired with a lamp to facilitate the intake.
- Smoking. To smoke opium, you must have a glass implement or opium pipe & lamp, controlled heat source. Opium user gains +1 character’s HP Dice of temporary HP, advantage on rolls against any fear-type effects, and advantage on all CON saves for 1d6+1 hours. User has lethargic but cheerful manner.
Dose cost: 8 gp
CON save: DC 16
Lethal dose: 13 normal doses
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 8 days | 1d4 CON+WIS dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 5 days | 1d6 CON+WIS dmg, insomnia | 2 doses |
| High | 2 days | 1d6 STR+DEX+CON+WIS dmg, insomnia | 3 doses |
Tobacco[edit]
A popular stimulant, tobacco is infamously one of the harder addictions to overcome known to humanity. It does not bring consciousness-altering effects like alcohol and other drugs. Nevertheless, habitual tobacco usage carries substantial health risks to the smoker and may result in death. Tobacco is most often smoked using a pipe or a roll but can be chewed or sniffed.
- Smoking. In order to smoke tobacco, you need a heat source and a smoking device if the tobacco is not rolled into a cigar or a cigarette. After having a smoke, the user gains an advantage to Perception check for 1 hour.
Dose cost: 2 cp
CON save: DC 15
Lethal dose: none
| Addiction level | Satiation period | Withdrawal penalty | Tolerance |
| Low | 3 days | 1d4 INT dmg | 1 dose |
| Medium | 2 days | 1d6 INT dmg | 10 doses |
| High | 1 day | 1d6 WIS+INT dmg, binge eating | 20 doses |
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → 5e Other