Toxic Smoke Pellets

From: Shadowvine

The lore surrounding Toxic Smoke Pellets tells a tale of an ancient order of assassins known as the Shadowstalkers. These skilled and elusive individuals are known for their mastery of stealth and deception. The recipe for Toxic Smoke Pellets has been passed down through generations, providing the Shadowstalkers with a potent tool for incapacitating their enemies and executing their missions undetected.

The ingredients required to create Toxic Smoke Pellets are as follows:

• Dried Shadowvine vines: These vines are harvested from the dangerous and elusive Shadowvine plant. Known for its toxic properties, the vines are carefully dried and ground into a fine powder, becoming a key component in the creation of the toxic smoke.
• Saltpeter: Saltpeter, also known as potassium nitrate, is a crucial ingredient in the recipe. It is commonly found in natural deposits or can be obtained through alchemical processes. Saltpeter aids in the combustion and release of the toxic smoke when the pellet is ignited.
• Charcoal: Charcoal, usually derived from burnt wood or other organic materials, acts as a fuel source within the pellet. It helps sustain the combustion process, ensuring a consistent release of the toxic smoke when ignited.
• Sulfur: Sulfur is an additional component used to enhance the potency and stability of the toxic smoke. It adds a distinct odor and can contribute to the paralyzing effects experienced by those exposed to the smoke.
• Small cloth pouch: A small cloth pouch is used to contain the powdered mixture of ingredients. The pouch is designed to withstand the combustion process and hold the toxic smoke until it is released.

The process of creating Toxic Smoke Pellets involves the following steps:

• Grind dried Shadowvine vines: The dried Shadowvine vines are carefully ground into a fine powder using alchemical tools or traditional mortar and pestle. The grinding process ensures a consistent texture and maximizes the potency of the toxic properties within the vines.
• Mix with saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur: The powdered Shadowvine vines are combined with saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. This mixture is thoroughly blended to achieve a homogenous composition, ensuring that each component contributes to the desired effects of the smoke.
• Fill the small cloth pouch: The powdered mixture is then carefully transferred and packed into a small cloth pouch. The pouch is secured to contain the mixture effectively, allowing for controlled release when ignited.

The use of Toxic Smoke Pellets by the Shadowstalkers serves their purposes of stealth, incapacitation, and assassination. The following are some scenarios in which the pellets are employed:

• Stealthy Retreat: When the Shadowstalkers find themselves in a compromised situation or need to make a swift escape, they ignite the Toxic Smoke Pellet, releasing a cloud of noxious fumes. The smoke causes disorientation and temporary paralysis in their pursuers, allowing the Shadowstalkers to vanish without leaving a trace.
• Subduing Targets: The Shadowstalkers utilize the Toxic Smoke Pellets to incapacitate their targets silently. By throwing or strategically placing the pellets near their intended victims, the toxic smoke envelops the area, causing coughing, dizziness, and temporary paralysis. This provides an opportunity for the Shadowstalkers to approach and neutralize their targets swiftly and efficiently.
• Distracting and Disorienting Enemies: Toxic Smoke Pellets can be deployed as a diversionary tactic. When faced with a group of enemies or guards, the Shadowstalkers ignite the pellets, creating a dense cloud of toxic smoke. The disoriented and paralyzed enemies are momentarily incapacitated, allowing the Shadowstalkers to slip past undetected or execute their mission with reduced resistance.

Assigning values to the various aspects of Toxic Smoke Pellets:

• Level One Stats:
  • Duration of smoke effect: 30 seconds.
  • Severity of smoke effects: Moderate.
  • Paralysis duration: 1 minute.
  • Area of effect: 5-meter radius.
• Skills:
  • Alchemy: Intermediate.
  • Stealth: Beginner.
• Preparation:
  • Skill required: Alchemy (Intermediate).
  • Time required: 3 hours.
  • Success rate: 85%.
• Cost:
  • Dried Shadowvine vines: Rare and dangerous to obtain. Acquired through risky means or from specialized suppliers.
  • Saltpeter: Moderate cost. Available through alchemical suppliers or specific marketplaces.
  • Charcoal: Inexpensive. Can be obtained from various sources, including burning wood.
  • Sulfur: Moderate cost. Sourced from alchemical suppliers or specialized markets.
  • Small cloth pouch: Inexpensive. Easily obtainable from general marketplaces or crafts stores.
• Process:
  • Harvest and dry Shadowvine vines in secret locations.
  • Grind the dried vines into a fine powder using alchemical tools.
  • Combine the powdered vines with saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur, ensuring proper proportions.
  • Thoroughly blend the mixture to achieve a homogenous composition.
  • Fill a small cloth pouch with the powdered mixture, securing it tightly.
• Tags:
  • Assassination: Toxic Smoke Pellets are a favored tool for the Shadowstalkers in their covert operations.
  • Stealth: The pellets are employed to create confusion and incapacitate enemies silently.
  • Tactical Advantage: The toxic smoke provides the Shadowstalkers with an edge in combat situations, allowing for strategic maneuvers and surprise attacks.
  • Additional: Incapacitating, Disorienting, Evasive, Covert, Paralyzing, Volatile, Tactical, Illicit, Noxious, Subterfuge

The recipe for Toxic Smoke Pellets is not openly sold or available in conventional markets due to its dangerous and potentially lethal nature. It exists in the realm of clandestine operations and secret societies, often restricted to exclusive circles of assassins, spies, and individuals involved in covert activities.

The recipe is typically passed down through secretive networks, carefully guarded by those who possess the knowledge. It may be shared within specialized organizations or underground communities that specialize in providing tools and resources for covert operations. These networks operate in hidden locations, away from the prying eyes of authorities and the general public.

To acquire the recipe, one would need to establish connections within these secretive networks. This can be challenging, as trust and discretion are crucial factors. It may involve proving one’s skills, loyalty, or involvement in the underground world of espionage and assassination.

Once someone gains access to the recipe, they can use it to create Toxic Smoke Pellets for personal use or potentially sell them to individuals involved in covert activities. The distribution of Toxic Smoke Pellets usually occurs through discreet channels, such as secret meetings, encrypted communication, or specialized black market exchanges.

The end results of using Toxic Smoke Pellets are aimed at incapacitating opponents and gaining a tactical advantage. When ignited, the pellets release a toxic smoke that has several effects on those exposed to it. These effects can include coughing, dizziness, and temporary paralysis, rendering the targets vulnerable and unable to defend themselves effectively.

The toxic smoke provides a strategic advantage in various scenarios:

• Stealth and Escape: The Shadowstalkers or other individuals utilizing Toxic Smoke Pellets can deploy them to create a dense cloud of smoke, which hinders visibility and disorients pursuers. This allows the users to escape without being detected or pursued effectively.
• Subduing Targets: Toxic Smoke Pellets are employed to incapacitate specific targets. By throwing or strategically placing the pellets near the intended victims, the toxic smoke envelops the area, causing coughing, dizziness, and temporary paralysis. This provides an opportunity to neutralize the targets or extract valuable information.
• Distraction and Diversion: The toxic smoke can be used as a diversionary tactic to confuse and disorient enemies or guards. By igniting the pellets at strategic locations, the smoke creates chaos and temporarily immobilizes the opponents, allowing for easier infiltration or diversion of attention.

It is important to note that the use of Toxic Smoke Pellets is typically associated with illegal and covert activities. In the world of espionage, assassination, or organized crime, these pellets serve as a potent tool for those who operate in the shadows.

The Shadowvine’s Whisper

In the distant ages when the moon wove shadows into the hearts of the daring, there was born a vine, known not by men, but by the silence it left in its wake. The Shadowvine, as tongues now stammer to name it, grew in the forgotten groves, where light dared not tread. It was a thing of poison and mystery, with vines that oozed a darkness no sun could cleanse.

It is told that an order, veiled in secrecy and bathed in treachery, came to know the vine’s truth. These were the Shadowstalkers, those who walked unseen and spoke with the finality of the dagger. From the vine’s heart, they wrenched a gift—a pellet born of poison, smoke, and cunning. Bound in humble cloth and filled with a powder of shadowed death, these pellets became the breath of the assassins’ art.

One tale speaks of a single pellet that felled an empire. A king, proud and mighty, sat upon his golden throne, his armies bristling with steel. Yet, as a Shadowstalker loosed the pellet at his feet, the room filled with a smoke so foul that even the bravest fell silent. The king, choking on the unseen hand of vengeance, left his throne unguarded, and by the morning sun, the kingdom had crumbled into whispers.

Another story tells of a Shadowstalker betrayed by their own craft. Fleeing their hunters, they sought to vanish into the smoke they had birthed. But the pellet, eager to obey no master, broke too soon, and the stalker’s breath turned sour. When the fog cleared, only silence remained, for not even the assassin could escape the vine’s curse.

Through the centuries, the Shadowvine’s whisper persists. Its pellets, small yet mighty, are the tools of chaos and betrayal, wielded by those who live not in light, but in the shifting dusk of forgotten oaths.

Moral of the Story: That which hides in shadow serves no master; its gift is fleeting, and its cost eternal.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Type: Alchemical Weapon
• Cost: 60 USD (black market only)
• Effect: When activated, the pellet releases a 10-foot radius cloud of noxious smoke lasting 1d6+1 rounds.
  • Characters within the smoke must make a CON Roll:
    • Regular Success: Suffer 1d3 damage and disorientation (-20% to all skill rolls for the next round).
    • Failure: Suffer 1d6 damage, temporary choking (roll CON each round to avoid unconsciousness), and disorientation (-40%).
    • Extreme Success: No damage, mild coughing (-10% skill rolls for 1 round).
• Use: Requires a Throw Roll to land accurately. Failure scatters the smoke 1d4 yards in a random direction.
• Crafting: Requires Craft (Alchemy) and access to Shadowvine vine and other listed components.
• Drawbacks: Crafting exposes the alchemist to Shadowvine’s toxins, requiring a CON roll to avoid hallucinations or temporary madness.

Blades in the Dark

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Item Load: 1
• Effect: Creates a dense toxic smoke cloud in a small area (room-sized), lasting for 4-6 rounds.
  • Characters within the cloud must resist using Prowess:
    • Failure: Suffer Level 2 Harm (“Paralyzed by Toxins”) and take disadvantage on actions while inside.
    • The smoke obscures vision, increasing the difficulty of perception and ranged actions by 1 Tier.
  • Crafting: Requires a Tinker Roll (4-segment clock) and access to Shadowvine vine, saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.
  • Position and Effect: Using the pellet is typically Risky with Standard Effect.
• Special Notes: Generates Heat if used in public or detected by authorities.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Wondrous Item, Uncommon (requires Alchemist’s Tools to craft)
• Cost: 50 gp
• Weight: 1/2 lb
• Use: Action
• Effect: When activated, the pellet creates a 15-foot radius cloud of toxic smoke, lasting for 1 minute.
  • Creatures in the cloud must make a DC 13 Constitution Saving Throw:
    • Failure: Take 2d6 poison damage and become poisoned for 1 round.
    • Success: Half damage, no condition.
  • The cloud heavily obscures the area, imposing disadvantage on perception and attack rolls relying on sight.
• Crafting: Requires Alchemy Supplies and a DC 13 Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check with the listed ingredients.
• Special Notes: A strong wind disperses the smoke early.

Knave

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Category: Consumable, Single-Use
• Weight: 1 Slot
• Effect: Creates a 30-foot radius toxic cloud, lasting 1d4 rounds, when activated.
  • All creatures within the smoke must make a CON Save (DC 12):
    • Failure: Suffer 1d6 poison damage and disadvantage on all actions for 1 round.
    • Success: Take half damage and no further effects.
• Crafting: Requires Alchemist Tools, Shadowvine vine, and 2 hours of preparation.
• Special Rule: If exposed to fire or force while carried, there’s a 1-in-6 chance of accidental activation.
• Notes: Treated as contraband in most lawful settlements.

Fate Core

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Type: Alchemical Tool
• Cost: 1 Refresh or gained as part of a Stunt.
• Use: Create an Advantage, Attack, or Overcome Obstacles.
• Mechanics:
  • Create an Advantage: Release a toxic smoke cloud in a zone, creating an aspect like “Obscuring Smoke” or “Paralyzing Fog.” Roll Crafts or Shoot vs. the highest Physique in the zone.
  • Attack: Roll Shoot or Crafts vs. the target’s Athletics or Physique to inflict 2 stress and apply a temporary aspect like “Disoriented” or “Weakened.”
  • Overcome: Use Crafts to neutralize traps or disable a group of opponents temporarily.
  • Area: A single zone. The smoke persists for 2 exchanges unless dispersed by strong winds.
• Crafting: Requires a downtime action and access to Shadowvine vine and related alchemical components.

Numenera & Cypher System

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Level: 3
• Cost: 50 shins
• Effect: Creates a Short Range cloud of toxic smoke lasting 1d4 rounds.
  • Targets in the cloud must make a Might Defense Roll against Difficulty 3:
    • Failure: Take 5 points of damage and gain the Hindered condition for 1 minute.
    • Success: Take 2 points of damage with no condition.
  • Special: The cloud imposes a 1-step penalty to sight-based tasks.
• Crafting: Requires an Intellect Task (Difficulty 3) and access to Shadowvine vine, saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Type: Consumable, Alchemical Bomb
• Level: 3
• Price: 12 gp
• Bulk: L
• Activate: [Single Action] Strike (Thrown, 20 feet)
• Effect: Creates a 10-foot radius smoke cloud lasting 1 minute.
  • Creatures in the area must make a DC 15 Fortitude Save:
    • Critical Success: No effect.
    • Success: 1d6 poison damage.
    • Failure: 2d6 poison damage and sickened 1.
    • Critical Failure: 3d6 poison damage and sickened 2.
• Crafting: Requires Trained Crafting, Shadowvine vine, and the alchemical formula.
• Traits: Consumable, Alchemical, Poison, Thrown, Splash (5 feet).

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Type: Alchemical Weapon
• Cost: $60
• Weight: 1 lb
• Range: 3/6/12
• Effect: Creates a Medium Blast Template of toxic smoke lasting 1d4 rounds.
  • Characters in the area must make a Vigor Roll at -1:
    • Success: No effect.
    • Failure: Take 2d6 damage and gain the Distracted condition for 1 round.
    • Critical Failure: Take 3d6 damage and gain both Distracted and Vulnerable conditions for 1 round.
  • Special: The smoke heavily obscures vision, imposing a -2 penalty on ranged attacks and perception rolls targeting or made by those inside.
• Crafting: Requires Weird Science or Alchemy, access to Shadowvine vine, and other ingredients.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Category: Chemical Weapon
• Cost: 350¥ (black market only)
• Availability: 6R
• Effect: When activated, the pellet releases a 10-meter radius smoke cloud lasting 5 Combat Rounds.
  • Characters in the cloud must roll Body + Willpower (2):
    • Failure: Take 2 Stun damage and suffer a -1 dice pool penalty to actions for as long as they remain in the smoke.
    • Critical Glitch: Gain the Paralyzed condition for 1 Combat Round.
  • Vision within and through the cloud is heavily obscured, imposing a -3 dice pool penalty on ranged attacks and Perception tests.
• Crafting: Requires Chemistry 3 and Shadowvine vine. Crafting time is 6 hours.
• Special Notes: Gas masks or chemical protection negate all effects.

Starfinder

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Level: 3
• Cost: 300 credits
• Bulk: L
• Type: Consumable (Grenade)
• Range: 20 feet
• Area: 15-foot radius
• Effect: When shattered, the pellet releases a toxic smoke cloud lasting for 1d4 rounds.
  • Creatures in the smoke must make a DC 14 Fortitude Save:
    • Success: Take half damage.
    • Failure: Suffer 2d6 poison damage and gain the sickened condition for 1 round.
  • The smoke heavily obscures vision, granting concealment (20% miss chance) to creatures inside.
• Crafting: Requires Engineering (DC 16) and access to Shadowvine vine, saltpeter, and sulfur.
• Special Notes: Environmental protections negate the effects.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Tech Level: 9
• Cost: Cr 150
• Mass: 1 kg
• Effect: Creates a 5-meter radius toxic cloud lasting for 1D6 minutes.
  • Any character entering the area must succeed on an Endurance Check (6+):
    • Failure: Take 1D6 damage and suffer a -1 DM penalty to actions for the duration.
    • Success: Take half damage and no penalties.
• Crafting: Requires Science (Chemistry) or Engineer (Explosives) (Difficulty 6+) and Shadowvine vine.
• Special Notes: Protective gear (e.g., respirators) negates all effects.

Warhammer (4th Edition)

Toxic Smoke Pellet

• Encumbrance: 1
• Price: 1 Gold Crown (illegal markets only)
• Availability: Rare
• Effect: When activated, releases a 10-yard radius smoke cloud lasting 1d10 rounds.
  • Creatures in the area must make a Toughness Test (Challenging, +0%):
    • Failure: Take 3 Wounds, ignoring armor, and gain the Stunned condition for 1 round.
    • Critical Failure: Suffer 6 Wounds and gain 2 levels of Fatigue.
  • Vision in and through the cloud is heavily obscured, imposing a -20% penalty to ranged attacks and Perception checks.
• Crafting: Requires a Trade (Alchemy) Test (Challenging, +0%) with access to Shadowvine vine and other materials.
• Special Notes: Improper use may incur Corruption Points due to its nefarious origins.