Herbs And Their Uses A number of herbs are described below which may be identified and picked by player characters with Herb Lore and/or Identify Plants skill. Note that if a character only has the latter skill, all tests are made with a penalty of -10. Additionally, many of the herbs may not be administered unless the character has some other specialist skills. These are mentioned in the description of each herb.
Acquiring Herbs Each herb has an availability rating, just like all commodities in the Consumer Guide. The season when it is most abundant is also given, along with the type of environment where it is most likely to be found. If a character is looking for a herb out of season, the availability becomes two categories worse (e.g., average becomes rare, scarce becomes very rare, rare and very rare cannot be found). The table below may then be consulted to determine the percentage chance of finding a given herb, according to whether the locale being searched is Ideal (the same as the environment given in the description); Similar to that environment; or Unsuitable (different from the described environment). There are two methods for obtaining herbs; they may either be bought from NPC Herbalists or found and picked by any PC with Herb Lore or Identify Plants. In the first case, you need only note the availability rating and price of the herb and use the table given in the Consumer Guide. In the second case, the character wishing to look for the herb should make an Int test. If this is successful, he or she may check the herb's description to see whether or not the immediate locale is worth searching. Once a search is undertaken, you should use the table below to determine the percentage chance of the herb being found and roll D100. If the result is less than or equal to the percentage chance, the character will find enough of the herb to prepare D4 doses. This will take a number of turns equal to the result of the D100 roll multiplied by the Time Modifier from the table below. If the character fails the roll by 40 or more, you may decide that he or she has confused the herb with another one and adjudicate the results of the mix-up as you see fit.
Chance To Find Any Given Herb Availability Very Rare Rare Scarce Average Common Plentiful
Ideal 5% 15% 30% 50% 70% 95%
x 30 x 20 x 10 x5 x2 x1
Environment to be Searched Similar 1% x 100 3% x 50 6% x 30 15% x 20 30% x 10 60% x5
Unsuitable 1% 5% 10% 20%
x 100 x 50 x 20 x 10
For the entry under each suitability of locale, two numbers are listed; before the slash is the percentage chance of finding the herb and the number after the slash is the Time Modifier.
Notes On Herb Descriptions Price:
Two costs are given for one dose of each herb (assuming that it is bought from an NPC Herbalist). The first is the cost in season and the second is the cost out of season.
Method of Application: There are four methods of application: • • • •
Brew: Ingest: Inhale: Smear:
The herb must be stood in boiling water for a few minutes and then drunk. The herb is to be eaten. The herb must be immersed in boiling water and the fumes inhaled. The herb is made into an ointment or poultice which is applied to the injured part.
Preparation:
This is the time needed to dry and otherwise prepare the herb so it can be used. No special equipment (other than a pestle and mortar) or facilities are required. Once prepared, it will remain effective for a period equal to the preparation time. After that, there is a 10% cumulative chance per week that the herb loses its efficacy.
Dosage:
This is the minimum time which must elapse before a second dose may be administered. Failure to observe this requirement means that a subsequent dose has no effect and a period of twice this length must elapse before another dose will have any effect. This effect is cumulative.
Skills:
Any skills listed here must be possessed by the character administering the herb, in addition to Herb Lore or Identify Plant.
Tests:
Lists any tests to be made by the administering character for the herb to be effective.
Herb List Agurk In the Moot we call this herb Shiverweed. It is also known as Zitterwort in the Empire, Trema in Tilea, and Gysenblat in Norsca. The Elves call it Echryddeillen. it grows in open grasslands where the soil is well-drained but not too sandy. To prepare it, pick the leaves, strip and discard the stalks, and hang up to dry beside the fireplace for at least a week. This herb is useful for improving air circulation and also for helping a patient sweat out a heavy cold. Never use it for a fever, since it can cause the patient's temperature to rise. To use the herb, add the leaves to a dish of boiling water, let stand for a minute or two until the water begins to take on a little colour, and then let the patient inhale the fumes for three or four minutes. After this time, the patient should start to shake; make him comfortable and keep an eye on him for three or four hours. If the trembling has not subsided by this time, you may safely administer a mild sedative. Dispose of the infusion carefully and never let it be drunk - it can cause fatal convulsions if taken internally. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Rare. Autumn. Grasslands. 1 GC and 5 GCs. Inhale. 1 week. 1 week. None. Int. Inhaling the fumes from an infusion of Agurk causes mild shaking unless a successful T test is made (Immunity To Poison +10). If the test is failed, the fumes cause mild shaking (Dex -20) for D4 hours.
Alfunas Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce. Summer & Autumn. Coniferous forest (Reikwald, Drak Wald). 1 GC and 10 GCs. Smear. 2 weeks. 1 week. Heal Wounds. Int. This herb halves healing times for dislocations and breaks.
Cochlearia (Shallya-Rose) Standing fifteen to thirty centimetres high, the plant has a rosette of long-stalked, almost circular leaves. Its flowers are white and pleasantly fragrant. The common name Shallya-Rose is derived from the stories of Klaustistis, famous for sailing the world. Legend has it that Shallya gifted the rose to him after he was shipwrecked, and was cast ashore ill and dying. He recovered, eventually escaping his island exile with a group of pirates. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Common, Late Spring to early autumn, meadows near beaches. 5/- and 1 GC. Ingest. None. Twice a day. Cure Disease. None. Typically, the plant grows near beaches and can be used as a preventative against Scurvy. The herb must be administered to the patient twice a day for one to two weeks. This gives +20 to Cure Disease against scurvy. (Citrus fruits have the same effect.)
Herb List (continued) Earth Root Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Average. Summer. Grasslands (Stirland, Mootland, etc.). 1 GC and 10 GCs. Ingest. 3 weeks. 1 day. Cure Disease. Int. This herb is an effective treatment for Black Plague. Each day that the patient receives a dose during the disease's active period, he/she gains a +10 modifier to all tests which determine the disease's effects. Application of the herb at the start of the recovery period gives a +20 bonus to both Risk tests.
Faxtoryll Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Very rare. Spring. Mountains. 5 GCs and 20 GCs. Smear. 4 weeks. 3 days. Heal Wounds. None. Application of this herb stops all bleeding automatically and, if the patient requires surgery, it will keep him or her in stable condition for up to 48 hours.
Fieberhitzen A light-brown fungi growing in shadowy and damp places. It is said to be used by the Fimir, but to what end is unclear. Certainly the tales of Dwarfs using it in their beer-making processes are false. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce, spring, summer, and autumn. Dense planted marsh, bog or swamp. 2 GCs and 20 GCs. Brew. 2 weeks. 1 day. Cure Disease. Int. The Fungi itself is poisonous in large quantities, but the prepared brew is able to minimize the effect of fevers. All fever modifiers are reduced by 1 or 10 points, as appropriate. The brew is not cumulative, and death can be caused from heavy overdosing. The brew only works for one day.
Gesundheit Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce. Winter to Spring. Mixed forest (Reikwald, Great Forest, Drak Wald). 15/- and 3 GCs. Smear. 2 weeks. 1 day. Cure Disease. Int. When applied to an infected wound, this preparation will halt the effects of the infection, restoring all lost Dex points in D6x10 game turns. It will not restore any W.
Herb List (continued) Graveroot Also known as Grabwort, Dead Man's Fingers, Ghostbane, and Mórr's Root, this plant is attracted to shady, sheltered locations with slightly damp soil. It flourishes especially in graveyards, which, together with its well-known magical properties, has led some people to theorise that it somehow feeds on the magical energies of the bodies buried beneath it. The root, when dried and grated, may be used in a number of preparations and magical spells concerning the Undead and it seems to affect them as poison would a living creature. An infusion of the root seems to have no particular effect on a living patient, except to cause vomiting at higher concentrations. Less well known is the fact that a hot poultice made from both the leaves and roots of this plant speeds the healing of infected wounds caused by Undead creatures and can also be effective in the treatment of the disease known as Tomb Rot. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Very rare. Autumn and Winter. Forest clearings, graveyards. 5 GCs and 20 GCs. Brew, blade venom, or smear. 2 weeks. N/A against Undead; 1 week to treat diseases. Herb Lore or Prepare Poisons, according to the circumstances. Int. Against Undead, as described in Poison. Treating infected wounds: halves healing times and adds a +20 bonus to the patient's T test against permanent W loss. Treating Tomb Rot: adds a +20 bonus to all tests made by the patient.
Hysspous (Bauchbaum) "Hysspous in his stew, like the wind he flew." So goes the (rather poor) translation of a line from a Tilean rhyme. Nevertheless it encompasses the two widely known uses of the herb: as a spice and as a laxative. It is a treelike herb found in the areas around the Southern and the Tilean seas. Its leaves are shiny, and when it flowers, it does so with a beautiful blue flower. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Common, Late Spring to late summer. Light woods and meadows in the southern Old World. 15/- and 5 GCs. Stomach diseases: Ingest. Infection: Smear. 1 week. Twice each day. Cure Disease. Int. It is used as a medical cure against stomach diseases (including bowelworms) and infections. It does act a laxative, but only when used in heavy doses. As a dried spice, the herb counts as being unprepared (of course it doesn't require Cure Disease skill to use it as a spice) and only has a minor curative effect. As a cure against infections, this herb gives a +5 bonus to T tests when determining if W are lost permanently.
Juck Also known as Nettlesap, Klosaft, Itching Weed, and by several other names with the same meaning, this plant is well-known to young boys who live in rural areas, who use it for all kinds of practical jokes. Growing in woodlands and flowering before the trees put on enough leaf to block sunlight from the forest floor, the sap of this plant can also be used to help restore feeling to the skin in cases of numbness caused by cold or injury. On one occasion, I used it in a concentrated form - boiled until it reached the consistency of hot custard - as a treatment for frostbite and was able to restore feeling to a foot which otherwise might have had to be amputated. Because of the itching it causes, you may sometimes need to administer a mild sedative to the patient, especially if you use Juck repeatedly or over a large area, such as an entire leg. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce. Spring. Forest. 1 GC and 13 GCs. Smear. 2 weeks. 1 day. Chemistry. Int. D6+4 minutes after application, the treated area begins to itch horribly. The effect lasts for D20+40 minutes and, in that time, the afflicted character is -20 on all tests (halved on a successful WP test) from the distraction.
Herb List (continued) Liverwort A small, flowerless, primitive, moss-like, green land plant characterized by horizontal growth. Its ability to ease kidney complaints has long been known, and has been enshrined in its name. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce. Usually found growing in moist places all year round. 5/- and 2 GCs. Brew. 4 weeks. 3 days. Cure Disease. None. Adds +20 to all Cure Disease rolls against diseases affecting the liver.
Mage-Leaf I was unsure at first as to whether to include this herb, since it has no known medicinal value. However, its magical properties are sufficiently well-known that I thought it might be useful at least to mention the different names by which this plant is known, to avoid any mistaken impression that there are several different plants with similar properties. The Elven name for Mage-Leaf is Daionillyseiwyn, which I am told means "the good plant". In Norsca, it is known as Troldblat, in Bretonnia as Feuille Sorceiere, in Tilea as Folimaggi - a corruption of the Classical Folia Magii - and in Albion as Draodill, meaning "the leaf of the Druids". Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Very rare. Spring. Hills. Cannot be cultivated. 10 GCs and 60 GCs. Ingest. None (see below). See below. None. Int. Mage-Leaf is eaten raw and remains effective for three days after picking. As its name suggests, it is used exclusively by spellcasters. Each dose restores one Magic Point, up to the character's power level. Roll a D6 each time a dose is taken; if the score is less than the number of doses already taken that day, the dose has no effect.
Nightshade Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Rare. Autumn. Coniferous forest (Reikwald, Drak Wald). 2 GCs and 8 GCs. Ingest. 4 weeks. 1 week. None. None. D4 hours after consuming a dose of this herb, a character must make a successful Poison test or fall into a deep sleep for D6+6 hours.
Salwort Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Plentiful. Autumn & Winter. Mixed forest (Reikwald, Great Forest, Drak Wald). 5/- and 1 GC. Inhale. 2 weeks. 12 hours. None. Patient's T. Holding a dried sprig of this herb beneath the nostrils of a stunned/concussed character will bring him/her round in 1D4 rounds, providing that he/she makes a successful T test.
Herb List (continued) Schlafenkraut Known in the Moot as Dreamleaf, in Tilea as Dormifolio, and to the Elves as Paraudiel, this plant grows mostly in open grasslands and is especially prolific when the last snows of winter are melting. It also grows well in open marshy areas and beside streams whose banks are not too high. It is a very good sedative and sleeping-draught and may be combined with other preparations with no fear of any ill effects resulting. The dried leaves are steeped in water which has boiled and been left to stand for a minute or so - if the water is boiling when the leaves are put in, then they will scald and the resulting infusion will be unpleasantly bitter, as well as less effective. The leaves can also be added to tea or mulled wine; a little honey will soften any sharpness that it adds to their flavour. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Rare. Spring. Grasslands. 10/- and 10 GCs. Brew. 2 days. 3 days. None. Int. The infusion takes effect 10+2D10 minutes after drinking, bringing on a normal sleep; for the first four hours of this sleep, the patient's chances of being woken by noise are halved. If the patient wakes within this time, he will be drowsy (as if poisoned) for 3D10 turns unless he makes a successful T test (Immunity To Poison +10). After 4 hours, the herb's effect wears off and the patient is now sleeping normally. A character who wishes to resist the effects of Schlafenkraut must make a WP test (Immunity To Poison +10); if this is successful, a T test (Immunity To Poison +10) is still required to avoid drowsiness. These tests are repeated every 30 minutes for the four hours of the herb's effect.
Sigmafoil Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Common. Summer. Marsh, bog, or swamp. 5/- and 1 GC. Inhale. 2 weeks. 1 day. Heal Wounds. None. Lightly wounded characters who are treated with this preparation will recover 1 W point that day, no matter how they exert themselves, but provided that they do not lose any more W.
Slowmind I know that there are those who regard this plant as nothing more than a poison, but I have found it useful in extreme cases of nervous hysteria where the patient must be kept still to avoid self-inflicted injuries and also in cases where the pain of a wound or infection makes it difficult for the patient to fall into a healing sleep. Provided the dosage is strictly controlled and the patient's temperature and breathing are watched, I believe there is no significant risk. The root of this plant, which grows in marshy areas and is often found together with water-lilies, is first soaked in salt water for three days and nights to leach out any impurities, then dried on a pan in front of the fire for two days or until it sounds woody when tapped with a fork. Then, it is finely grated - mixed with a little nutmeg if available - tied in a cloth bag and hung in the chimney to smoke for two weeks. The powder is then boiled for two days in water with a little vinegar, strained, and added in small quantities to a sweet tea or mulled wine. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Rare. Autumn. Swamp. 10 GCs and 15 GCs. Brew. 4 weeks 2 weeks. Chemistry or Prepare Poisons. Int. Slowmind is a very mild nerve toxin. The infusion has a distinctive bitter taste and, if it is added to a drink, there is a normal chance to detect it (+10 if the character has tasted it before). Any character who drinks an infusion of Slowmind must make a successful T test (Immunity To Poison +10) or suffer -10 to Int and WP for 2D10+4 hours. Only one dose may be administered at a time.
Herb List (continued) Speckled Rustwort Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Rare. Spring. Hills. 2 GCs and 8 GCs. Ingest. 4 weeks. 1 day. Cure Disease. Int. This herb may be used to treat the Red Pox. Provided that the patient receives one dose per day for as long as the disease lasts, the period of illness will be reduced by 50%.
Spellwort Spellwort is the name by which this plant is known in the Moot. Other names include Unzauber, Wizard's Bane, Feuille Contraire, and Witch-Hunter's Friend. It is similar in appearance to Mage-Leaf and someone without the proper herbal training may easily mistake the two. Made into a tea, the dried leaves can help a patient resist any ailment that comes from a magical cause. It is well to store dried Spellwort away from ingredients such as Graveroot and Mage-Leaf, since I have found that their magical properties are sometimes diminished by sitting too close to Spellwort for a time. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Very rare. Summer. Forest. 10 GCs and 20 GCs. Brew. 4 weeks. 3 days. None. Int. Spellwort is related to Mage-Leaf, but has a slightly different effect. Instead of increasing magical energy, it interferes with it. A spellcaster who drinks an infusion of Spellwort loses D4 Magic Points (which may be regained as normal) and anyone drinking the brew enjoys a +10 bonus to all WP tests against spells and magical effects for the next D4 hours.
Spiderleaf Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Common. Autumn. Coniferous forest (Reikwald, Drak Wald). 15/- and 5 GCs. Smear (external) / Brew (internal). 3 weeks. 1 week. Heal Wounds. Int and see below. Characters suffering from the effects of critical hits may be treated to prevent further wound loss from bleeding (internally as well as externally). If the character administering the dose makes a successful Int test, all bleeding stops immediately (or after D4+1 rounds, if the test is failed).
Herb List (continued) Stellaria Media (Feverfoil) Famed for its white flowers, this is one of the most common plants in The Empire. It stands two to four centimeters tall and has been popular with herbalists and healers since before the time of Sigmar. It is widely, and falsely, believed to be able to ease fever. Availability Price Method Of Application
Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Common, almost whole year. Meadows. 5/- and 1 GC. Rash: Smear. Eye infections: Smear (eye dropping). Lung tuberculosis: Inhale. Smear: 2 days. Inhalation: 1 day. Once each day. Cure Disease. Int. This herb has multiple uses. The first temporarily heals rashes on the skin through bandaging with the herb. The second uses the plant's juices to treat eye infections. It also eases lung tuberculosis (but has no effect on Galloping Consumption). Successful use of the herb on a patient with plain tuberculosis expands the disease tests required to every third month.
Tarrabeth Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Average. Summer. Mixed forest (Reikwald, Great Forest, Drak Wald). 10/- and 3 GCs. Smear. 3 weeks. 1 week. Heal Wounds. Int. Heavily or severely wounded characters will fall asleep for 24 hours, recovering 1 (severely wounded) or 1D3 (heavily wounded) W points on awakening. Thereafter, they are treated as lightly wounded (always assuming that severely wounded characters are not still suffering from broken bones, etc. - the herb has no effect on these injuries).
Trinkwort According to the Halfling tradition, the knowledge of this plant was given to us by Esmeralda herself, soon after her first husband Bibogenitus brought the knowledge of brewing and winemaking to the Moot. We know it as sober-root, although the Elves call it Corrylliamid. It is found in the deepest forest, often growing between the roots of the lornalim tree or next to ancient oaks. The bulb is peeled and roasted in a slow oven until it is as soft as a well-cooked apple and then eaten. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Very rare. Autumn. Forest. 1 GC and 3 GCs. Ingest. 1 week. 3 days. None. None. Trinkwort is a bitter-tasting onion-like plant, which has the strange property of neutralizing the effects of alcohol. A character who eats one bulb will suffer half the normal characteristic reductions as a result of alcohol; this effect is cumulative with Consume Alcohol skill.
Herb List (continued) Valerian Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Common. Spring. Mixed forest (Reikwald, Great Forest, Drak Wald). 5/- and 1 GC. Brew. 1 week. 1 day. Heal Wounds. Int. Restored 1 W point to lightly wounded characters.
Vanera Some herbalists in the Empire and Tilea believe that the name of this plant comes from the human goddess Verena. I don't believe this myself, since it is also known by this name is Norsca and Kislev, where Ulric is worshipped instead of Verena. It grows on the south side of chalk hills, where there is plenty of sun and not too much wind. The leaves are picked, cleaned, soaked in salt water for two weeks, and then boiled and served like spinach. A little butter and black pepper helps the flavour enormously. I personally don't use it for convalescents, because the headache that occurs when the herb wears off can often undo any good that the patient received from the herb's stimulant effect. However, I will prescribe it for those on watch or required to search all night for missing travellers or anyone else who needs to stay awake when they should be asleep and who doesn't mind paying the price later. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce. Spring. Hills. 2 GCs and 4 GCs. Ingest. 2 weeks. 3 weeks. Heal Wounds. Int. Vanera is a stimulant that removes the need for rest. It is most commonly used for convalescence, if the patient cannot rest for some reason. For D8 hours after the dose is taken, the character is treated as resting, but may undertake any kind of activity. If the character rests, the benefits of rest are doubled. When the dose wears off, the user suffers a splitting headache for D4 hours, with -10 to both Int and Fel.
Verbena Often mistaken for many of its similar looking (and more common) cousins, Verbena grows up to three foot high plant, covered in summer with small blue-lilac flowers. It is typically found around the less well-travelled roads and villages of The Old World. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Rare, summer. 3 GCs and 20 GCs Stomach diseases: Ingest. Infection: Smear. 1 week. Once each day. Cure Disease. Int. The herb is used as a universal medicine against Jaundice, menstruation problems and Scabies.
Herb List (continued) Vigwort Also known as Fidget, Jumpweed, and Folia Vitae, this plant grows in sunny open areas, especially those that are being left fallow after grazing last year. The root is dried, grated, and left to steep in diluted vinegar for ten days. The mixture is then boiled, strained, and left to stand in a cool, dark room for four more days. Sweetened with honey and added to hot tea or mulled wine, this preparation gives temporary relief to patients suffering from headaches, drowsiness, or lethargy. It should only be used for short-term results; when it wears off, the patient can often be worse than they were to start with. Availability Price Method Of Application Preparation Dosage Skills Tests Effects
Scarce. Summer. Grasslands. 1 GC and 5 GCs. Brew. 2 weeks. 1 day. None. Int. This herb is a mild stimulant and increases a character's I score by 10 for D6+4 turns (minutes). After this time, the character must make a T test (Immunity To Poison +10) or become drowsy (the same as the poison effect) for 2D6-T hours.
