Drugs and Chems

*Drug Addiction

Taking drugs has many negative side effects, perhaps the worst of these is the addiction. A person who takes drugs, rolls a percentile die and finds that he is addicted requires certain doses of the drug to feel ‘normal’. A person can go for 5 days (120 hours) between drug uses. Taking drugs to “meet the need” has no positive or negative effects. It merely resets this time. A person who does not get the drug ‘fiends’ for it until he does. Until he does he suffers the side effects of a single dose of drugs. If twice this time passes he suffers the side effect of 2 doses, and then of three doses after 360 hours. After this period the target must pass a Fortitude save each day DC of the Craft check for designing the drug or lose a point of Constitution. A target that drops to 0 Con goes catatonic and is in a coma until saved. A person who drops to -1 is killed from drug withdrawal.

Going Cold Turkey: A person who spends a month off of the drugs can recover from his addiction. A month is treated as 30 days or 720 hours. It is not uncommon for people to die of withdrawal from high end drugs.

*Cost of these drugs and chems varies.

Inhaler
This is a method of drug and combat stimulant consumption. A character simply takes a deep breath from a breather and he will immediately be under the effects of the drug. However, stimms and recs which are inhaled have the duration of their effects halved. Each inhaler comes with a single drug dose (drug soled seperately.)

Injection
This is a method of drug and combat stimulant consumption. An injector takes 1 standard action to use and feeds a single drug dose into a character’s bloodstream. An injector may be filled from between 1 to 10 doses of drugs. Needles are the standard method of taking both recreational drugs and combat stimms.

Neutrad
Neutrad is a special hypodermic injection that can be used to neutralize the effects of radiation poisoning. Each neutrad injector contains a specialized analyzer linked to chemical generators. When the needle penetrates the skin of the target, it samples the target’s blood and sends the data back to the analyzer, which determines the nature of the radiation sickness and generates an antidote from stored chemical compounds. Once the neutrad delivers its specially formulated chemicals, the target character is completely cured of the radiation poisoning and its effects in 1d4 hours.

Pill
This is a method of drug and combat stimulant consumption. A pill is a free action to swall and feeds a single drug dose into a character. A pill carries only a single recreational drug or combat stimm.

• Anti-tox
  Antitox is a special hypodermic injection that can be used to save the life of any character infected with a poison. Each antitox injector contains a specialized analyzer linked to chemical generators. When the needle penetrates the skin of the target, it samples the target’s blood and sends the data back to the analyzer, which determines the nature of the poison and generates an antidote from stored chemical compounds. Once the antitox delivers its specially formulated chemicals, the target character is completely cured of the poison and its effects in 1d6 rounds.
  
  
• Barrage
  Barrage is a combat stimulant that can only be taken as an injection. A single dose provides a +4 boost to Strength and Constitution. This stimm works by introducing a cocktail of chemicals that power the muscles and heighten pain resistance. However, it plays havoc with the user’s nervous system and gradually begins to destroy muscle tissue and other vital biological zones. The side effect of the drug occurs after the dose wears off.
  
  Side Effects: The loss of 2d10 hit points. The loss of 5ft from movement (for 1d10 minutes) and a 50% chance of losing 1d3 temporary points in a random ability score. Every time the drug is taken there is a risk of addiction.
  Addiction Rate: 10%. The collective rules for addiction are used.
  
  
• Biocort
  Biocort is a unique chemical compound that enhances the human body’s natural ability to heal. Biocort pushes the immune system into overdrive, and can cause the character to heal from grievous wounds at a greatly increased rate. Any character injected with biocort heals at twice the normal rate for a 24-hour period.
  
  
• Boost
  Boost is a combat stimulant that can be taken as an injection, in pill form, through an inhalant or from gland. A single injection of boost grants the character a +4 bonus to Strength and a +2 bonus on Reflex saves, increases the character’s movement speed by 10 feet, and increases the character’s massive damage threshold by +4. These effects last for 1 minute (10 rounds).
  
  Unfortunately, the side effects of boost almost outweigh the benefits. The side effects kick in after the benefits have worn off.
  
  Side Effects: The character takes a -2 penalty on all Fortitude checks for 24 hours. 25% chance to lose 2 points of Dexterity for 24 hours. Every time the drug is taken there is a risk of addiction.
  
  If the character uses the drug again before recovering from these penalties, the penalties increase and the recovery time extends for an additional 24 hours. For example, if a character uses another dose of boost while still under the effect of the penalties, the character suffers a –4 penalty to Dexterity and –2 on Fortitude saves, and the recovery time increases to 48 hours.
  
  Addiction Rate: 30%.
  
  
• Downers
  Downers are designer drugs that have the effect of slowing you down. Heroin, grind, fall, tranqus, these are all examples of what are referred to as hard downers. In hive worlds they are popular among the downtrodden and weary. In other parts of the galaxy such drug taking might result in jail time, penal service in the IG, or worse lobotimization for use as a Servitor. Downers immediately stimulate you providing you with a serene sense of peace. You get a +4 bonus on Will saves against fear, +2 to Gamble checks and +2 to Concentration checks. The effects last for 10 minutes per dose. The effects also decrease physical ability however, and each also incurs a -2 penalty to Strength.
  
  Side Effects: Sleepiness. After the ten minutes wear off the character is overcome with sleepiness. Until she sleeps off the feeling for an hour or so she is treated as shaken until she can.
  
  Addiction: 45% (extra doses do not stack).
  
  
• Psychon
  This stimm can only be inhaled or introduced from a gland. Psychon boosts strength and agility through quick adrenal rushes. However, it makes the user mentally unbalanced. A character under the influence of Psychon gains a +4 boost to Strength and Dexterity, but also takes a –4 penalty on all mental ability scores. The side effect of the drug occurs after the dose wears off.
  
  Side Effect: 20% chance; the loss of 1 permanent point of Charisma. Users of psychon twitch uncontrollably which impairs them socially.
  
  Addiction Rate: 5%.
  
  
• ‘Slought
  This stimm can only be inhaled or injected. ‘Slaught is short for Onslaught, and the name is given to a variety of stimms that work on the neural parts of the brain, increasing reaction time and heightening awareness. When taken, ‘Slaught gives +10ft to Movement, +2 intiative, and +4 Wisdom and Dexterity.
  
  Side Effects: When the effects wear off the user loses 1 point from all ability scores. These scores can be gained through normal rest at a rate of 1 per day spent resting.
  
  Addiction: 15%.
  
  
• Syn-Skin
  Contained in a small spray can, syn-skin or plastiflesh bonds with human skin on contact and accelerates the healing process by providing a layer of artificial skin to seal the wound. The target of the spray immediately recovers 1d4 hit points. No Treat Injury check is required to use plastiflesh.
  
  
• Uppers
  Speed, crank, rush, jet, these are all examples of what are referred to as hard uppers. In mining worlds they are popular among rebellious youth that go to loud music concerts, though in other parts of the universe such behaviour might result in severe beatings, jail time, penal service in the IG, or worse lobotimization for use as a Servitor. Uppers immediately increase your sense of perception. The effects last for 10 minutes per dose. The bonus is +2 to Wisdom. The effects also decrease dexterity, as it becomes harder to perform tasks that require hand-eye coordination. Each dose lasts 10 minutes and incurs a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
  
  Side Effects: Soreness and exhaustion. Targets suffer a -2 penalty on Fortitude checks and count as being fatigued.
  
  Addiction: 35% (extra doses do not stack).
  
  
• Weeds
  Any light hallucinogen is considered a weed; these drugs are named after the marijuanna plant found on Terra which was amongst the first of this category of light drugs. Weeds tend to produce mellow highs and are less addictive than normal cigarettes.
  
  Side Effects: -1 listen, spot, and initiative checks.
  
  Addiction: 40% (extra doses do not stack)