Paralyzing Tincture – GearAscendancy.com

From: Shadowvine

Lore: The Paralyzing Tincture is a recipe that originated from an ancient order of assassins known as the Nightshade Sect. Legends tell of a revered master assassin who discovered the recipe after a perilous journey into a forbidden realm known as the Veiled Gardens. Deep within this mystical garden, the master assassin encountered a rare combination of Shadowvine and moonflower, plants renowned for their potent effects. Through their ingenuity and alchemical expertise, the master assassin unlocked the secrets of these plants, creating the Paralyzing Tincture. This recipe became a closely guarded secret within the Nightshade Sect, passed down only to the most skilled and trusted assassins.

Use: The Paralyzing Tincture is a valuable tool for assassins and those seeking to incapacitate their targets without causing immediate harm. When ingested or injected, the tincture induces temporary paralysis in the victim, rendering them unable to move or defend themselves. The subtle nature of this poison allows the assailant to manipulate the circumstances, strike with precision, or create an opportunity for escape.

Stats:

Level Requirement: Tier 1

Skills:

Alchemy: Characters with proficiency in Alchemy have an advantage in preparing the Paralyzing Tincture and ensuring its effectiveness.
Medicine: Characters skilled in Medicine can accurately administer the tincture and determine the optimal dosage for paralytic effects.

Preparation:

Skill Requirement: Alchemy (DC 15)
Time Required: 2 hours
Resources: Shadowvine leaves (2), moonflower petals (5), distilled water (1 vial), crystal vial

Cost:

Shadowvine Leaves: 20 gold pieces (GP) per pair of leaves
Moonflower Petals: 10 GP per five petals
Distilled Water: 5 GP per vial
Crystal Vial: 25 GP per vial

Process:

Collect two Shadowvine leaves and five moonflower petals, ensuring they are fresh and undamaged.
Crush the Shadowvine leaves and moonflower petals together in a mortar and pestle, creating a fine paste.
Transfer the paste into a container and add distilled water to it.
Stir the mixture gently, ensuring that the paste is evenly dispersed and dissolved in the water.
Strain the liquid into a crystal vial, removing any solid particles.
Seal the crystal vial tightly to prevent leakage or evaporation.

Tags:

Paralytic: The Paralyzing Tincture induces temporary paralysis in those who consume or are injected with it, rendering them immobile for a limited duration.
Alchemical: The preparation of the tincture requires alchemical knowledge and expertise.
Valuable: The rarity of the ingredients and the delicate process involved in creating the tincture make it a valuable asset in the underground market.
Additional: Stealth, Incapacitation, Non-lethal, Assassin’s Tool, Clandestine, Subterfuge, Covert, Temporary

The Paralyzing Tincture and its recipe are typically not openly sold in legal marketplaces due to their dangerous and potentially illicit nature. Instead, they are most commonly found in the clandestine underworld of assassins, secret societies, or specialized black market establishments that cater to those seeking poisons or forbidden substances.

Black Market Apothecaries:
- In the hidden corners of bustling cities or discreet back alleys, there exist secretive apothecaries known as “Shadowscale Bazaars” or “Nightshade Emporiums.” These establishments specialize in catering to the needs of assassins, rogues, and those involved in the darker arts. These apothecaries operate under the radar, often hidden behind fronts or accessible only to those with the right connections. They may offer a wide range of lethal concoctions and poisons, including the Paralyzing Tincture. Potential customers must prove their trustworthiness or have a referral from a reliable source to gain access to these secretive establishments.
Underground Assassins’ Guilds:
- Within the hidden world of assassins, there exist powerful and secretive guilds that operate in the shadows. These guilds maintain extensive networks and contacts, ensuring the availability of rare and dangerous items. Assassins seeking the Paralyzing Tincture or its recipe may approach these guilds and negotiate for access to the recipe or the prepared tincture. However, gaining the trust of the guild and proving one’s worth may be challenging and require completing perilous tasks or assassinations on behalf of the guild’s interests.

Use: The Paralyzing Tincture finds its primary application in situations where a covert, non-lethal approach is desired. Assassins, spies, or characters with a need for subterfuge utilize the tincture to temporarily incapacitate their targets without causing immediate harm or raising suspicion.

When the Paralyzing Tincture is ingested or injected into a target’s system, it induces temporary paralysis, rendering the victim unable to move or react for a limited duration. This effect allows the user to manipulate the situation, carry out a specific task or theft, gather information, or create an opportunity for escape. The paralyzed state of the victim can be exploited by the user to gain the upper hand or execute a carefully planned sequence of actions.

Due to its non-lethal nature, the Paralyzing Tincture is commonly employed in scenarios where the objective is to immobilize a target discreetly, such as kidnapping, interrogations, or thefts that require finesse and stealth. The tincture allows characters to neutralize threats or obstacles temporarily, providing a tactical advantage and minimizing the risk of collateral damage.

It is crucial for characters to exercise caution when using the Paralyzing Tincture, as the temporary paralysis can wear off, and the victim may regain mobility. Additionally, the misuse or inappropriate administration of the tincture can result in unintended consequences or even fatal outcomes. Characters must employ their skills and judgment wisely, as the line between incapacitation and harm is a delicate balance when utilizing such a potent and controlled substance.

Paralytic Draught of Shadowvine

In the mists of time, where stories are but whispers, there is tale of a potion, known as the Draught of Paralysis, born from the Shadowvine. The lore speaks of an ancient guild, the Nightshade Sect, whose members were veiled in shadow and silence. Their leader, a master of deadly arts, journeyed into a land forbidden, called the Gardens of Veils, where they found the Shadowvine and moonflower, plants of great power.

With skill and hidden knowledge, this master crafted from these plants a liquid to still the limbs of men. The recipe, a secret kept by shadows, was passed only to those with hands skilled enough to wield it, those who could touch the veil between life and motion.

This potion was not for the open light but for the hidden hand. When given to an enemy, it would bind them in place, their limbs as heavy as stone, their will trapped within a body that would not obey. Assassins used it to seize their moment, spies to cloak their deeds in stillness, and thieves to move through silence while their targets lay frozen.

But the tale tells of a price; for the master who crafted this draught was once ensnared by it. In a moment of haste or perhaps of hubris, they drank their own creation, finding themselves trapped within their own body, a silent statue to their art, a lesson in the dangers of one’s own craft.

Moral of the Story: Beware the tools you forge in darkness, for they may turn and bind you just as easily as your foe.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)