Deadly Poultice

From: Grimroot

Lore: The Deadly Poultice is a creation born out of dark experimentation and forbidden knowledge. It is said to have originated from an ancient cult of sinister healers known as the Black Sages, who delved into the darker side of herbal medicine. Seeking to harness the toxic properties of Grimroot for their malevolent purposes, they developed the Deadly Poultice. This foul concoction combines crushed Grimroot leaves with soothing agents, resulting in a poultice that, when applied to open wounds, inflicts excruciating pain and disrupts the natural healing process.

Use: The Deadly Poultice serves as a tool of torture, interrogation, and malevolence. It finds its use primarily among sadistic individuals, cultists, and those who revel in causing suffering. When applied to open wounds, the poultice delivers agonizing pain, incapacitating the victim and hindering their ability to heal naturally. It is often employed to extract information, punish enemies, or invoke fear in those unfortunate enough to be subjected to its effects.

Values (Tier One):

Stats:

• Pain Infliction: The Deadly Poultice causes excruciating pain when applied to open wounds, impairing the victim’s physical and mental capabilities.
• Healing Suppression: The poultice disrupts the natural healing process, slowing down the regeneration of wounds and extending recovery time.

Skills gained:

• Herbalism: Characters skilled in herbalism can effectively prepare the Deadly Poultice, ensuring its potency and maximizing its pain-inducing properties.
• Medicine: Characters proficient in medicine can better understand the physiological effects of the poultice and gauge its impact on different individuals.

Preparation: Crafting the Deadly Poultice requires knowledge of Grimroot’s toxic properties and expertise in herbal medicine. The process involves carefully crushing Grimroot leaves to extract their potent essence. These crushed leaves are then mixed with soothing agents such as aloe vera or healing herbs to create a poultice with a deceiving appearance. The specific recipe and preparation techniques are closely guarded secrets, passed down through generations of twisted healers or hidden within forbidden tomes.

Cost: The Deadly Poultice is a rare and vile creation, often associated with dark rituals and cruel practices. Obtaining such a sinister item comes with a high price. For a level one character, a single application of the Deadly Poultice might cost around 30 to 60 gold pieces, reflecting its rarity, the danger involved in its creation, and its nefarious purpose.

Process:

• Grimroot Extraction: Characters must acquire Grimroot and carefully extract the leaves, ensuring the toxic properties are preserved. This extraction process requires meticulous handling and knowledge of Grimroot’s toxicity.
• Crushing and Mixing: The extracted Grimroot leaves are crushed into a fine powder or paste. This crushed Grimroot is then mixed with soothing agents, such as aloe vera or healing herbs, to create a deceptive poultice that conceals its malevolent effects.
• Application: The Deadly Poultice is applied directly to open wounds or injuries. It adheres to the affected area, delivering its toxic payload upon contact. The pain-inducing effects are felt almost immediately, causing the victim immense suffering.

Tags:

• Torture Tool: The Deadly Poultice is primarily used as a tool of torture, interrogation, or punishment, showcasing its cruel and sadistic nature.
• Healing Suppression: The poultice disrupts the natural healing process, extending recovery time and hindering the victim’s ability to heal naturally.
• Forbidden Knowledge: The recipe and techniques for creating the Deadly Poultice are closely guarded secrets, hidden within the annals of the Black Sages or other twisted sects.
• Additional: Toxic Application, Pain Amplifier, Interrogation Aid, Forbidden Alchemy, Wound Infliction, Dark Ritual Component, Cultist Tool, Cruelty Catalyst, Malevolent Healing, Physiological Suppression

The sale of the Deadly Poultice is a clandestine affair, conducted in the darkest corners of the black market and secret occult gatherings. Due to its sinister nature and potential for harm, it is not openly traded in regular markets or establishments. Here’s more information on where, when, and how this recipe is sold, as well as its usage:

Where: The Deadly Poultice is sold in hidden dens, secret meeting places, and the clandestine chambers of black market vendors. These locations are often tucked away in secluded areas of bustling cities or situated deep within the underbelly of society. Buyers seeking the Deadly Poultice must navigate a network of contacts, informants, or dark practitioners who possess the knowledge and resources to procure and distribute the vile concoction.

When: The availability of the Deadly Poultice can vary, depending on the demand and the resources of those who produce it. Its sale may be influenced by clandestine events, secret rituals, or the rise of malevolent individuals seeking to employ its sinister effects. Rumors and whispers within the underworld may signal the emergence of a source or an opportunity to acquire this vile tool.

How: Access to the Deadly Poultice is typically gained through connections within secretive organizations, dealings with black market traders, or by proving one’s loyalty and commitment to the dark arts. Buyers must often demonstrate their willingness to embrace the malevolent nature of the poultice or establish their worthiness by performing nefarious deeds.

Environment: The Deadly Poultice thrives in environments where darkness, secrecy, and the pursuit of power prevail. It is commonly sought after by cultists, dark practitioners, and those who revel in inflicting pain and suffering. Secretive gatherings, hidden lairs, or ritualistic sites are often the backdrop for its sale and usage.

Usage: The end results of the Deadly Poultice are used in various dark scenarios, including:

• Interrogation: The poultice’s excruciating pain-inducing properties make it a favored tool for extracting information through torture. It is applied to open wounds of captives or targets to coerce them into divulging secrets or complying with demands.
• Punishment: The Deadly Poultice is employed as a means of punishment, especially by malevolent figures and cult leaders. It inflicts unbearable agony on victims, leaving a lasting impression and instilling fear among those who witness its effects.
• Dark Rituals: The poultice may find use in dark rituals, where pain and suffering are integral to the proceedings. Its application during these rituals serves to amplify the negative energy or invoke a specific effect tied to the ritual’s purpose.

It is important to note that the usage of the Deadly Poultice is highly immoral and often illegal. Possession of this item, as well as its application, can attract the attention of authorities, moral factions, or vengeful adversaries seeking justice. The acquisition and use of the Deadly Poultice should be approached with caution and consideration of the consequences it entails.

A Black Sages’ Wound of Agony

In the shadow of forgotten epochs, where whispers of mercy were drowned in the cries of despair, there lived the Black Sages—healers, once benevolent, who turned their craft to the will of darkness. Legends say they wandered the lands, not to cure, but to curse. Among their greatest creations was the Wound of Agony, a poultice birthed of Grimroot’s venomous heart.

The tale begins with a healer named Varnok, a soul burdened by the suffering of his village. Each dawn brought new cries for aid, but Grimroot, the only plant abundant in the cursed marshes, held nothing but death in its leaves. Yet Varnok, desperate to save his people, sought forbidden tomes where hope dared not dwell.

From these tomes, Varnok learned to twist the essence of Grimroot. His first creation, a pale poultice, saved a child on the brink of death. But the child, though alive, screamed in endless torment as the roots’ venom coursed through their veins. Word of this agonizing salvation spread, drawing the desperate and the cruel to Varnok’s door.

In time, the Black Sages emerged, Varnok among them, their hearts hardened to suffering. They refined the poultice, no longer a tool of salvation but one of punishment. Applied to wounds, it became a weapon against body and spirit, breaking the strong and humbling the proud. Kings and warlords sought the Sages’ aid, wielding the poultice as a tool of control and fear.

But the Sages’ triumph was their undoing. A victim, once noble, endured the agony and rose to strike down their tormentors. The poultice, they claimed, not only inflicted pain but revealed the darkest truths of its wielder’s soul. As the Black Sages fell, their creation endured, whispered of in the darkest corners, a reminder of cruelty’s lingering shadow.

Moral: To twist the gifts of nature for pain and control is to invite suffering upon oneself, for no tool of agony spares its wielder from the venom of their own deeds.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Alchemical Torture Tool.
• Skill Required: Art/Craft (Alchemy) (40%) or Medicine (50%).
• Effect: When applied to a wound, the victim must succeed on a CON roll:
  • Success: Suffer 1d4 damage and a penalty die to physical actions for 1d6 hours.
  • Failure: Suffer 2d6 damage, incapacitation from pain for 1d6 hours, and lose 1/1d4 SAN from agony.
• Crafting Cost: $150 in rare herbs and Grimroot.

Blades in the Dark

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Torture Tool (Single-use).
• Tier Requirement: 2.
• Effect: When applied to an open wound:
  • The victim takes Level 3 harm (Excruciating Pain) unless they resist using Prowess.
  • Resistance roll reduces harm to Level 2 but leaves the victim disoriented and distracted (reduced Effect for the scene).
• Crafting Clock: 8-segment clock. Requires Grimroot and a secret alchemical ingredient.

Dungeons & Dragons (5e)

Deadly Poultice

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Single-use)
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the victim must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw:
  • Success: Take 2d6 poison damage and suffer disadvantage on all Strength-based checks for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Take 4d6 poison damage, gain the Poisoned condition, and experience intense pain, granting disadvantage on all ability checks for 1 hour.
• Crafting Requirements: Proficiency in Alchemist’s Supplies or Herbalism Kit. Materials cost 75 gp and require 2 hours of crafting time.

Knave

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Alchemical Torture Tool.
• Effect: When applied to a wound, the target must succeed on a WIL Save or suffer:
  • 1d6 poison damage and a -2 penalty to all actions for 1d6 turns.
  • On a failure by 5 or more, the victim is incapacitated for 1 turn from pain.
• Weight: 1 Slot.
• Crafting: Requires Grimroot, 20 coins worth of herbs, and 1 downtime action.

Fate Core

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Malicious Alchemical Item.
• Aspects:
  • The Pain That Cuts Deeper Than Blades
  • Toxic Balm of Agony
• Effect: Applying the poultice creates the temporary aspect Excruciating Pain, which can be invoked by the GM to reduce the victim’s ability to resist interrogation or perform physical actions.
  • Overcome: Requires a Physique roll to endure its effects.
  • Consequences: Applying the poultice may leave a long-lasting aspect, such as Weakened and Worn.

Numenera & Cypher System

Deadly Poultice

• Level: 4.
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the target must make a Might defense roll (Difficulty 4):
  • Success: Take 3 points of Speed damage and suffer hindered actions for 10 minutes.
  • Failure: Take 6 points of Speed damage, lose 1 recovery roll, and be unable to act effectively for 1 hour.
• Crafting Requirements: Requires Grimroot and an alchemical preparation check (Difficulty 4).
• GM Intrusion: The poultice causes unintended effects, spreading its toxicity to those handling it.

Pathfinder (2e)

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Consumable (Alchemical, Torture).
• Level: 4.
• Price: 40 gp.
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the victim must make a DC 18 Fortitude save:
  • Success: Suffer 1d6 poison damage and become Sickened 1 for 1 minute.
  • Failure: Suffer 3d6 poison damage, gain the Frightened 1 condition, and become Enfeebled 2 for 1 hour.
• Crafting Requirements: Alchemical Crafting feat, Grimroot, and 20 gp worth of materials.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition – SWADE)

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Alchemical Tool (Single-use).
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the victim must make a Vigor roll:
  • Success: Take 1d6 damage and suffer -2 to Trait rolls for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Take 2d6 damage, gain the Shaken condition, and suffer -2 to all rolls for 2d6 hours.
• Crafting: Requires a successful Alchemy roll at -1 and Grimroot.
• Cost: 100 coins or equivalent per dose.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Alchemical Torture Aid.
• Availability: 10R (Restricted).
• Cost: 1,500¥ per application.
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the victim must resist using Body + Willpower (3):
  • Success: Suffer 2S (Stun damage) and -2 dice to all physical actions for 6 hours.
  • Failure: Suffer 3P (Physical damage), become incapacitated by pain for 1d6 Combat Turns, and suffer -3 dice for 12 hours.
• Crafting Requirements: Requires Alchemy (4), access to Grimroot, and 1,000¥ in materials.

Starfinder

Deadly Poultice

• Item Level: 5.
• Price: 2,000 credits per dose.
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the victim must make a DC 19 Fortitude save:
  • Success: Suffer 2d6 poison damage and be Sickened 1 for 1 hour.
  • Failure: Suffer 4d6 poison damage, gain the Staggered condition for 1d4 hours, and be incapacitated for 1d6 rounds from excruciating pain.
• Crafting Requirements: Life Science or Medicine (DC 20) with access to Grimroot.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Deadly Poultice

• Tech Level: 9.
• Cost: Cr1,500 per dose.
• Effect: When applied, the victim must make an Endurance check (Difficulty 10):
  • Success: Suffer 1d6 damage to Strength and a -1 DM to all physical actions for 1d6 hours.
  • Failure: Suffer 2d6 damage to Strength, gain the Impaired condition (-2 DM to all actions), and experience debilitating pain for 1d6 hours.
• Special Effect: If used repeatedly on the same target, recovery time doubles, and further saves suffer a -1 penalty.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Deadly Poultice

• Type: Dark Alchemical Item.
• Encumbrance: Negligible.
• Price: 20 Silver Shillings.
• Effect: When applied to an open wound, the victim must make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test:
  • Success: Suffer 4 Wounds and gain the Fatigued condition for 1d10 rounds.
  • Failure: Suffer 8 Wounds, gain the Poisoned and Stunned conditions, and experience uncontrollable agony for 1d10 hours.
• Crafting Requirements: Trade (Alchemy) Test at -10, requiring Grimroot and specialized materials.