```metadata title: 'Rules: Faerie Dust' description: Drugs in D&D tags: '' systems: - 5e renderer: V3 ``` ```css /*=======--- Example CSS styling ---=======*/ /* Any CSS here will apply to your document! */ .page .footnote { width: 500px; } ``` # Faerie Dust {{watercolor6,top:-100px,right:-150px,width:300px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:80%}} F _aerie Dust_ is an addictive, brownish red powder made from a combination of psychotropic mushrooms and minor enchantments. The effects of the drug, when consumed, follow a consistent pattern of three general phases. In the first phase, the user experiences a pleasant feeling of general euphoria. The second phase is identified by a sense of empowerment which is accompanied by an _advantage to all skill checks_. This phase peaks approximately 2 - 4 hours after initial consumption, after which the effects diminish rapidly culminating in the third and final phase. In the third phase, the user experiences a dramatic crash in their mood and energy level. In phase three, the user suffers _1 point of exhaustion and their maximum hit points are reduced by 10 for the next 24 hours_. The exhaustion and decreased hit points cannot be recovered with a long rest within this period. While under the influence of _faerie dust_, the user experiences a loss of appetite, which continues until the effects have fully worn off, at which point they are ravenous. Frequent users have found that the exhaustion (but not the hit point decrease) can be temporarily offset by consuming _more_ _faerie dust_ before the effects of the drug have entirely worn off. This comes at a cost, however, as the exaustion doesn't ever completely go away, it's only forestalled, and the second dose (and subsequent doses) adds an additional point of exhaustion. _Faerie dust_ users can quickly become addicted due to the rapid withdrawal symptoms as well as the enhanced abilities while peaking, and frequent users (colloquially known as "dusters") can become emaciated from not eating while under the influence, as well as the constant HP reduction. While it is possible to become a regular user without becoming a _duster_, the drug has long-term side-effects which become more pronounced over time and vary based on the method of ingestion. ## Usage _Faerie dust_ can be consumed in a variety of ways. Each delivery system has a unique set of effects and side effects. ### Inhalation **Delivery:** Inhaled through the nose, often through a straw or rolled up parchment. Small snuff boxes are sometimes used by the elite to contain small amounts of _faerie dust_ (2 - 3 doses) and inhaled directly from the snuff box, or else placed on a finger and inhaled. Larger snuff boxes, approximately the size of a deck of cards, have been commissioned in a variety of styles that often include ornate carvings, made from expensive materials (for example gold, or marble) and often include a small straw made of the same material. **Dosage:** Getting the right dosage from a snuff box or container, or "doing a line" of _faerie dust_ with a straw or rolled up parchment allows for a lot of variation. When rolling on the Dosage Table, take a -4 penalty for inexperienced users, -3 for experienced users and -2 for addicted users (-4/-3/-2). **Effects:** Inhalation is one of the most rapid delivery methods of _faerie dust_ with the effects taking effect almost immediately. The euphoric sensations last 10 - 15 minutes, followed by the peaking period which can last up to 1 hour. **Short-term Side-effects:** The crash and withdrawal from this method is most dramatic and becomes exponentially worse the more _faerie dust_ has been consumed. In addition to the decreased hit points and point of exhaustion, the user feels an ache in their entire body which increases in intensity based on the amount consumed. **Long-term Side-effects:** Prolonged usage over a long period of time (several weeks to months) can result in damage to the cartelidge in the user's nose. Over time, the abrasive substance and repeated act of inhalation can cause a hole to form in the cartelidge which can continue to get worse, ultimately leading to a full collapse of the nose if left to continue. ### Ingesting by mouth **Delivery:** _Faerie dust_ powder can be dissolved into drinks (like teas), or mixed into food. Due to the enchantments placed on the powder during production, it is resistant to heat up to 315º Celcius (600º Fahrenheit). Cooking at lower temperatures creates a miasma that extends 20 feet around the heat source for the first hour, and an additional 10 feet each additional hour which produces a milder variation of the drug's effects. **Dosage:** Dosing _faerie dust_ for edible concoctions is a delicate art, and easy for beginners to get wrong and use a "heavy hand". Subtract 1d8 - 2 if an inexperienced user is adding the _faerie dust_ to food, 1d6 - 2 for experienced users, and 1d4 - 2 for addicted users (-1d8 - 2/-1d6 - 2/-1d4 - 2). **Effects:** Given that the drug needs to be processed by the user's stomach and liver before the effects are fully felt, consuming in edible form is the slowest, and longest-lasting, of the delivery methods. A mild euphoric sensation is felt 15 - 20 minutes after initially consuming, which increases in intensity for approximately an hour. The next 4 - 6 hours, the user gains advantage on their skill checks as well as +2 to any Charisma-based checks. After the peak period {{pageNumber 1}} {{footnote FAERIE DUST | USAGE}} \page {{watercolor1,top:-100px,left:-160px,width:300px}} (about 2 - 3 hours after initial consumption), the effects slowly fade. **Short-term Side-effects:** Unlike inhalation, there is no dramatic "crash" from this delivery method as the user's body processes the drug naturally. However, mixing into food or drink means accurate dosing is much more difficult, and it's much easier to overdose. When preparing _faerie dust_ in food or drink, roll a d20, on a 12 or higher, too much of the drug is used. Roll on the Overdose Table to determine the effect. **Long-term Side-effects:** A regular diet that includes _faerie dust_ over a period of a month or more can lead to a resistence to the effects. After 2 months of regular usage (3 or more doses per week) in food, the length of the effects is halved (unless the dose is doubled, which leads to a doubling of the negative, crash symtoms), and the bonus to Charisma checks is dropped. After 4 or more months of regular usage, the length of the effects is halved again, and the advantage on skill checks is only applied 50% of the time (any method of determining whether the advantage is given is acceptable, the easiest being rolling a d6 and only applying the advantage on even numbers). In addition, after 2 months of regular use in food, the user gains disadvantage on saving throws against being _charmed_. ### Burning or smoking **Delivery:** The powder is mixed with traditional tobacco or other plant matter, rolled into a cigarette and smoked. The _faerie dust_ powder is inhaled with the smoke, where it is absorbed into the lungs and tramsitted to the blood stream. It is important to note that the powder that is consumed by the flame and ember itself is of a lesser potency (see _ingestion by mouth_ above). Doses in cigarettes are often increased for this reason, as well as cut with other herbs to improve the taste. It is also possible to fashion a small oven-like device that is better able to regulate the temperature, to activate the _faerie dust_ compounds without burning them. Hookah-like ceramic vases have been developed to separate the drug from the heat source and the smoke and vapor inhaled through tubes attached to an enclosed bulb at the top where the powder is placed. **Dosage:** Rolling a cigarette with _faerie dust_ allows the user to control the amount much more accurately. However, it's easy for inexperienced users to not be sure of their own tolerances or how much is the "right" amount. Add a -5 penalty for inexperienced users, - 1d4 - 2 for experienced users and no penalty for addicted users (-5/-1d4 - 2/-). **Effects:** Similar to _inhalation_ (see above), the effects of burning or smoking _faerie dust_ take effect very rapidly, about 10 - 15 minutes after exposure. The first phase lasts approximately 1 - 2 hours before the second phase, and associated advantages, begins and lasts between 2 - 3 hours. Exhaustion follows quite quickly, approximately 3 - 5 hours after initial ingestion and is accompanied by increased irritability, a hacking cough and bloodshot eyes. **Short-term Side-effects:** In addition to the cough (which can last anywhere from a couple hours to several days) and the eye irritation, immediate side-effects of smoking _faerie dust_ include fever or chills, increased heart rate and thinned blood, which can result in a decreased ability for blood coagulation. **Long-term Side-effects:** Smoking of any kind, increases the possibility of lung disease. Beyond that, however, the presence of enchanted material absorbed into the blood stream in addition to the increased blood flow can lead to long term heart and organ damage. Prolonged, regular use (more than 3 doses per week) for more than a month results in -1 to the user's constitution. That constitution decrease is increased by 1 for each month of continued use. These constitution decreases are temporary, but recovering those lost points takes 1 * _(the number of points lost)_ months of being 100% clean to recover each point. That is, if 4 points were lost in this way, full recovery would take a rehabilitation period of 10 months (4 + 3 + 2 + 1). ### Injecting **Delivery:** By far the most dangerous method of consuming _faerie dust_, the powder is heated over an open flame in an airtight container until it melts into a liquid. The airtight container is essential to prevent evaporation. After the liquid is cooled, it is poured into a syringe and injected into a vein. _Faerie dust_ in this form is generally called _faerieland_, _feywild_, _dreamland_, or _feysleep_. **Dosage:** Like smoking, injecting _faerie dust_ allows more control over the amount, but inexperienced users are more likely to get this wrong. Additionally, foreign substances used to cut the _faerie dust_ powder may have more harmful side-effects when injected directly into the bloodstream. Add a 3d4 - 3 penalty for inexperienced users, 2d4 - 2 for experienced users and 1d4 - 1 for addicted users (-3d4 - 3/-2d4 - 2/-1d4 - 1). **Effects:** Injecting _faerie dust_ (or _feywild_) directly into the vein results in an immediate, intense surge of pleasurable sensation that lasts up to 15 minutes. The second phase and advantages takes over, accompanied by a general sense of heaviness and drowsiness which can last several hours. Finally, after the initial effects wear off, in addition to exhaustion and decreased hit points, users have disadvantage on all ability checks and saving throws as their body slows down in all regards. **Short-term Side-effects:** During the initial rush, _feywild_ users experience a rapid flushing of their skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in their extremities. They may also experience nausea, vomiting and extreme itching. After the first two phases have passed, their mental function is clouded, their heart rate slows and breathing is severely slowed, sometimes to a degree that is life-threatening. {{pageNumber 2}} {{footnote FAERIE DUST | USAGE}} \page **Long-term Side-effects:** _Faerie dust_ in its condensed, liquid form is the most addictive delivery method as it is most likely for the user to develop a physical dependency on it. The naturally occurring opiods of the body fail to produce after sustained use of _feywild_, leading to an increased dependence upon the drug. Regular use (more than 3 doses per week) for at least a month leads to a disadvantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma checks and saving throws. Continued use and dependence for each additional month results in a permanent -1 to one of those ability scores (roll 1d6/3 to determine which) for each month of continued use. This is a _permanent_ effect, representing irreparable damage to the brain's chemistry and physiology as a result of continued use of the drug. ### Resistance to restoration spells In addition to the idiosyncratic effects of the different delivery methods, regular usage (more than once a week for at least a month) causes the user to be resistant to _lesser restoration_ (caster must make a DC 15 check against their spellcasting ability) and _greater restoration_ after continued use for more than two months. The DCs increase by 1 for each subsequent week. (For example, a user who had been consuming 3 times a week for 6 weeks would have a resistance to _lesser restoration_ with a DC 17. A user who continued use for 12 weeks would have resistance to _lesser restoration_ with DC 23 and resistance to _greater restoration with DC 19). ## Dosing and Overdosing Doling out the proper dose to produce the desired effects is tricky and difficult. In addition, the "right" amount varies based on body chemistry and built-up tolerance from frequent use. Use the Dosage Table below to determine if a character was able to separate the proper amount of _faerie dust_. In the event of an overdose, roll on the Overdose Table to determine the effect. ### Accidental ingestion and mild doses Accidental ingestion is sometimes possible (the most common example is when a small amount is inhaled when checking the powder for a scent). Accidental ingestion shares the same experience for the user as a _mild effect_. In either the case of a _mild effect_ or accidental ingestion, the effects of each phase last half the normal time. In addition, advantage is gained only on skill checks for which the user is proficient. The crash of _mild effects_ is diminished as well. The user still suffers 1 point of exhaustion, but does not lose HP. ### Increasing the dose Some frequent users, especially those that have developed a dependency on the drug, may be frustrated by the milder effects they get from the drug due to the tolerance they have built. They may choose to "double up" before the effects of the first dose wear off, or have a larger dose to start with. The risks of overdose in these cases are severe. For the purposes of the Dosage Table, consider all increased doses as if they were taken by an inexperienced user. The effects are cumulative, too. If a _mild effect_ is rolled twice on the Dosage Table, consider the effects to be that of a normal experience. A normal experience (indicated in the Dosage Table by a - ) rolled twice would result in an overdose (see the Overdose Table). A _mild effect_ plus a normal experience is 1 1/2 times stronger than normal. The user gains advantage on all skill checks _and_ ability checks, but the phase three symtoms are increased as well. The user takes 2 points of exhaustion instead of 1 and their maximum hit points are decreased by 15. Both of these effects last 48 hours instead of the normal 24 and they cannot be recovered with a long rest. ### Overdosing The effects of an overdose supercede any benefit the drug may impart in the second phase of the drug's effects. That is, if the overdose effect would give _disadvantage_ on skill checks, where the drug would normally grant _advantage_, the overdose effect replaces the normal effect. In addition, a user who overdoses takes 2 points of exhaustion instead of the usual 1, and their maximum HP is reduced by 20 points. These effects last for 48 hours and are not affected by a long rest. {{watercolor2,top:570px,right:100px,width:300px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:80%}} {{pageNumber 3}} {{footnote FAERIE DUST | DOSING AND OVERDOSING}} \page {{wide ##### Dosage Table | d20 | Inexperienced User | Experienced User | Addicted User | |:----:|:----:|:----:|:----:| | 1 - 3 | Overdose | Overdose | Overdose | | 4 - 5 | Overdose | Overdose | Overdose | | 6 - 7 | Overdose | Overdose | - | | 8 - 9 | Overdose | - | - | | 10 - 12 | - | - | Mild Effect | | 13 - 14 | - | - | Mild Effect | | 15 - 16 | - | - | Mild Effect | | 17 - 19 | - | Mild Effect | No Effect | | 20 | Mild Effect | Mild Effect | No Effect | }} ## Frequent Use and Addiction "Frequent use" is defined as 3 or more doses per week. Frequent use for a month or more increases the likelihood of addiction. For each month of frequent use, calculate your Addiction DC. Addiciont DC is calculated by adding +2 for each consecutive month of frequent use, adding the appropriate Delivery Method Modifier and subtracting your Constitution bonus. For example, a character with a Constitution score of 16 (+3) who was using _faerie dust_ for 4 months would add +5 to the roll (4 months(+2) - 3 Con modifier). If you have used multiple different delivery methods over the course of the month, create a modifier based on the average of those methods used, at the DM's discretion. ##### Calculating Addiction DC