Redcaps Venom

From: Twisted Labyrinth of the Fae

This potent venom, extracted from the fangs of a rabid redcap, can be used to coat weapons, causing them to inflict additional poison damage. It can also be distilled into a powerful elixir that temporarily enhances strength and agility, but with the risk of inducing a berserker rage.

Lore of the Redcap’s Venom: In the days when the Whispering Woods were a sanctuary of peace and harmony, the redcaps were known for their playful pranks and harmless mischief. Their caps, though stained with the blood of their victims, were more a symbol of their playful nature than a sign of malice. However, as chaos seeped into the heart of the woods, it twisted the redcaps into savage creatures fueled by bloodlust and rage.

The venom that once coated their fangs, a byproduct of their playful bites, intensified in potency. Now, it is a potent concoction that can corrupt and twist the minds of those who come into contact with it. The venom seeps from their caps, dripping onto their victims and leaving behind a trail of madness and despair.

Some say the venom is a manifestation of the redcaps’ corrupted souls, a physical manifestation of their twisted desires and violent tendencies. Others believe it to be a gift from the chaotic forces that have taken hold of the labyrinth, a tool for spreading discord and madness throughout the land. Regardless of its origin, the Redcap’s Venom is a dangerous substance, to be handled with extreme caution.

Use of the Redcap’s Venom: The Redcap’s Venom is a double-edged sword, offering both power and peril to those who dare to utilize it. When applied to weapons, it can inflict grievous wounds, its potent toxins weakening and debilitating foes. It can also be distilled into an elixir that temporarily enhances strength and agility, granting the user a burst of superhuman abilities.

However, the venom’s corrupting influence is not to be underestimated. Those who ingest the elixir risk succumbing to a berserker rage, their minds consumed by bloodlust and aggression. They become uncontrollable, attacking friend and foe alike, their actions driven by primal instincts rather than reason.

Even those who merely coat their weapons with the venom are not immune to its effects. The toxin can seep into their skin, causing hallucinations, paranoia, and a gradual erosion of their sanity. Prolonged exposure can lead to permanent madness, turning the user into a rabid beast, no different from the creatures from which the venom was harvested.

Redcap’s Venom

• Tier: 1
• Type: Poison
• Cost: Rare (200 gp)
• Weight: Negligible
• Requirements: None

Properties:

• Weapon Coating: When applied to a weapon, the Redcap’s Venom deals an additional 1d4 poison damage on a hit. The venom lasts for one attack or until the weapon is cleaned.
• Berserker Elixir: When distilled and consumed, the venom grants the user advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks for 1 minute. However, the user must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of their turns or be consumed by a berserker rage, attacking the nearest creature, friend or foe, until the rage ends or they are incapacitated.

Tags: Poison, Fey, Madness

Due to its volatile and dangerous nature, Redcap’s Venom is not openly traded in reputable markets. Instead, those seeking this illicit substance might find it in the following clandestine locations:

• Shady Apothecaries: In the seedy underbelly of larger cities, there are rumored to be apothecaries that specialize in rare and dangerous ingredients. These establishments might offer Redcap’s Venom in small, unmarked vials, often at exorbitant prices. Buyers should beware of unscrupulous dealers who may attempt to dilute or substitute the venom with less potent substances.
• Underground Fight Clubs: In the brutal world of underground fighting, where strength and aggression are prized above all else, Redcap’s Venom might be used to enhance the fighters’ performance. Unscrupulous trainers or gamblers might offer the venom to desperate competitors, promising them victory at the cost of their sanity.
• Dark Rituals and Occult Practices: Some cults or individuals who delve into forbidden magic might seek out Redcap’s Venom for their dark rituals. They believe the venom’s corrupting influence can be harnessed to commune with malevolent entities or to empower curses and hexes.
• Desperate Adventurers: Those who have ventured into the Twisted Labyrinth of the Fae and encountered the rabid Redcaps might attempt to extract and sell the venom themselves. This is a dangerous undertaking, as the Redcaps are fiercely protective of their venom and will fight to the death to defend it.

The use of Redcap’s Venom is most prevalent in environments where violence and aggression are commonplace. This could include:

• Battlefields and Arenas: In the heat of battle, the temporary boost in strength and agility granted by the Berserker Elixir can be a deciding factor between victory and defeat. However, the risk of succumbing to a berserker rage and turning on one’s allies makes it a dangerous gamble.
• Criminal Underworlds: Assassins, thieves, and other criminals may use Redcap’s Venom to enhance their weapons or to give themselves an edge in a fight. However, the long-term effects of the venom’s corruption can lead to paranoia, violence, and ultimately, a descent into madness.
• Dark Rituals and Sacrifices: Cults and practitioners of dark magic might use the venom in their rituals, believing it to be a conduit to otherworldly powers. The results of such practices are often unpredictable and dangerous, with the potential to unleash unimaginable horrors upon the world.

The end results of using Redcap’s Venom are invariably destructive. While it may offer temporary power and advantage, the cost is often too high. The venom’s corrupting influence can lead to madness, violence, and a loss of self-control. Those who succumb to its allure often find themselves on a path of destruction, their lives consumed by the same rage that fuels the rabid Redcaps.

Activation Perception of Redcap’s Venom:

• Sight:
  • Perceived: The venom shimmers and pulsates with a faint, dark energy. When applied to a weapon, it leaves a thin, oily coating that reflects light with an unnatural sheen.
  • Description: The venom’s movement is subtle, like a living organism writhing beneath the surface. The unnatural sheen on a weapon gives it an ominous, menacing appearance.
  • Positives: Visually indicates that the venom is active and potent, potentially intimidating foes.
  • Negatives: The visual cues are subtle and may be overlooked in the heat of battle or in dimly lit environments.
• Sound:
  • Perceived: A faint sizzling or crackling sound as the venom reacts with the air or a weapon’s surface. When consumed as an elixir, a low, guttural growl might be heard, as if the venom itself is alive.
  • Description: The sounds are subtle and fleeting, easily missed in a noisy environment. The growl, if heard, is unsettling and primal, hinting at the venom’s corrupting influence.
  • Positives: Can provide an auditory cue of the venom’s activation, alerting the user to its effects.
  • Negatives: The sounds are easily missed and may be misinterpreted as other noises in the environment.
• Smell:
  • Perceived: A pungent, metallic odor, similar to blood but with a sharp, acrid undertone. A faint whiff of decay and rot lingers in the air, adding to the unpleasantness.
  • Description: The smell is repulsive and nauseating, causing a visceral reaction in most creatures. It is a potent reminder of the venom’s toxic nature and its connection to the Redcaps’ bloodlust.
  • Positives: Can be used to track the presence of the venom or identify those who have been exposed to it.
  • Negatives: The overpowering stench can be distracting and overwhelming, potentially hindering combat or social interactions.
• Touch:
  • Perceived: A sticky, oily sensation coats the skin upon contact, leaving a residue that is difficult to remove. The venom feels warm and slightly tingly, as if it were actively working its way into the body.
  • Description: The tactile sensation is unpleasant and unsettling, a constant reminder of the venom’s insidious nature.
  • Positives: Provides immediate feedback of contact with the venom, allowing for swift action to mitigate its effects.
  • Negatives: Can cause irritation or allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Taste: (Not applicable as it would be inadvisable and potentially lethal to taste Redcap’s Venom)
• Extrasensory Perceptions:
  • Empathy: A wave of anger, aggression, and bloodlust washes over the user, amplifying their own violent tendencies and making it harder to resist the venom’s corrupting influence.
  • Aura Sight: The venom glows with a faint, crimson aura that pulses with chaotic energy and a thirst for violence.
  • Danger Sense: A primal instinct warns of the venom’s dangerous nature, urging caution and avoidance.

Activation perception of Redcap’s Venom is a multi-sensory assault that warns of its potent and corrupting nature. The combination of repulsive smells, unsettling sounds, and unpleasant tactile sensations, coupled with the emotional and extrasensory warnings, creates a sense of dread and caution in those who encounter it.

Distilling Rage: The Extraction and Concoction of Redcap’s Venom

• Materials Needed:
  • Redcap Fangs: Fangs extracted from a freshly slain Rabid Redcap. The fangs must be removed quickly and carefully to preserve the venom’s potency.
  • Blood of the Berserker: A vial of blood taken from a creature in the throes of a berserker rage, preferably a creature known for its ferocity and aggression.
  • Nightshade Extract: A concentrated extract derived from the poisonous nightshade plant, known for its ability to induce hallucinations and heighten aggression.
  • Moondew: Dew collected from moonlit nights, believed to enhance the potency of magical concoctions.
  • Alchemist’s Fire: A volatile alchemical substance used to activate and amplify the venom’s properties.
• Tools Required:
  • Poisoner’s Kit: A set of specialized tools for extracting, handling, and storing venomous substances.
  • Alchemist’s Alembic: A distillation apparatus used to purify and concentrate liquids.
  • Silvered Dagger: A dagger with a silver blade, used to make precise incisions and collect the venom without contamination.
  • Heat-Resistant Gloves: Protective gloves to prevent accidental contact with the venom and Alchemist’s Fire.
  • Glass Phials: Small, airtight containers for storing the extracted venom and the finished elixir.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Poisoncraft: Expertise in handling and extracting venoms is essential to safely collect and preserve the Redcap’s Venom.
  • Alchemy: A thorough understanding of alchemical processes is required to distill the venom and combine it with the other ingredients to create the Berserker Elixir.
  • Herbalism: Knowledge of poisonous plants is necessary to identify and handle nightshade safely.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Extract the Venom: Using the silvered dagger and poisoner’s kit, carefully extract the venom from the Redcap’s fangs. Store it in a glass phial, taking care to avoid any contact with the skin.
  • Distill the Venom: Place the extracted venom in the alchemist’s alembic and apply gentle heat. As the venom vaporizes, collect the condensed liquid in a separate phial.
  • Combine the Ingredients: Add a small amount of Blood of the Berserker, Nightshade Extract, and Moondew to the distilled venom. The exact proportions are a closely guarded secret, known only to the most skilled alchemists.
  • Activate with Alchemist’s Fire: Carefully add a single drop of Alchemist’s Fire to the mixture. The concoction will react violently, releasing a burst of heat and energy. Seal the phial quickly to prevent the volatile mixture from escaping.
  • Age and Stabilize: Store the phial in a cool, dark place for a period of one lunar cycle. During this time, the venom will stabilize and the elixir’s potency will increase.

The resulting concoction is the Redcap’s Venom, a potent and dangerous substance capable of both empowering and corrupting those who use it. Remember, this is not a potion to be taken lightly, for its effects can be unpredictable and devastating.

Chant of Crimson Curse

In the before-days, when mirth filled the wood, Redcaps danced in twilight, their laughter understood. Yet, darkness descended, a shadow’s cold hand, twisted their joy, into a blood-soaked demand.

From fangs dripping crimson, a poison so vile, a curse they did brew, with a wicked smile. A drop of this essence, a potion so dread, could empower the strong, but weaken the head.

Those who imbibed, felt strength surge within, but madness soon followed, a descent into sin. Eyes burning with fury, hearts filled with rage, their minds lost to chaos, on life’s darkened stage.

The venom, a weapon, a tool of the damned, a path to destruction, by darkness unplanned. Beware its allure, its seductive embrace, for power unchecked, leaves a bitter taste.

So, heed this chant, of the crimson curse’s might, for the path of madness, is a perilous flight. And remember this well, as you seek strength untold, that power unchecked, leaves a heart turned cold.

The Moral: Let not power consume your soul, for in seeking darkness, you lose control.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Type: Poison
• Description: A viscous liquid that, when applied to a weapon, causes it to inflict an additional 1D4 damage. If ingested, the venom temporarily increases Strength and Dexterity by 20% but forces a POW x3 roll each round. Failure indicates a berserker rage, causing the character to attack the nearest living creature until the rage subsides or the character is incapacitated.
• Sanity Loss: 1/1D8 on contact with the venom, either through ingestion or a wound.

Blades in the Dark

Redcap’s Venom

• Quality: Alchemical
• Effect:
  • When applied to a weapon, it inflicts the poisoned effect on a successful hit.
  • If ingested, it grants a +1d to actions involving Strength or Dexterity for the next two actions, but the character must resist the urge to go into a frenzy (controlled by the GM).

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Potion, uncommon
• When you drink this vial of viscous red liquid, you gain advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks for 1 minute. However, at the end of each of your turns, you must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be consumed by rage for 1 minute. While raging, you have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, but disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws. Additionally, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. When the rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Knave

Redcap’s Venom

• Type: Poison
• Effect:
  • When applied to a weapon, it inflicts an additional 1 damage on a successful hit and the target must make a CON save or be poisoned.
  • When ingested, it grants +1 to Strength and Dexterity for 3 rounds, but the user must make a WIS save each round or go berserk and attack the nearest creature for 1d4 rounds.

Fate (Accelerated Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• High Concept: Elixir of Rage and Madness
• Trouble: Corrupting Influence
• Aspects:
  • Potent Toxin of Twisted Fey
  • Burning Fury in a Bottle
  • Descent into Bestial Rage
• Extra: When used to create an advantage related to physical prowess or overcoming obstacles, grant a +2 bonus or reroll. May be invoked once per scene to gain a significant boost in physical ability at the cost of a major consequence (e.g., Frenzy).

Numenera & The Cypher System

Redcap’s Venom

• Level: 1d6
• Form: Oddities (Poison)
• Effect:
  • When applied to a weapon, the venom adds +2 damage to a single attack.
  • When ingested, the user gains +2 to their Might Pool for a short duration (GM discretion) but must make an Intellect defense roll to resist a berserker rage. Failure results in the user becoming uncontrollable and attacking everything in sight.

Pathfinder (Second Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Potion, uncommon
• When you drink this vial of viscous red liquid, you gain advantage on Strength and Dexterity checks for 1 minute. However, at the end of each of your turns, you must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be consumed by rage for 1 minute. While raging, you have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, but disadvantage on Dexterity checks and Dexterity saving throws. Additionally, you have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. When the rage ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion.

Savage Worlds

Redcap’s Venom

• Type: Hindrance (Major)
• Trappings:
  • Poison: Inflicts 2d6 damage (ignores armor).
  • Berserker Rage: When applied to a weapon or ingested, the user gains a +2 bonus to Strength and Fighting, but must make a Spirit roll each round to avoid going berserk (Wild Attack).

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Type: Toxin
• Rating: 6
• Vector: Contact or Ingestion
• Duration: (Contact) 3 Combat Turns, (Ingestion) 1 hour
• Effects:
  • (Contact): The target suffers 4S damage per Combat Turn.
  • (Ingestion): The user gains +2 to Strength and Agility for 1 hour but must make a Willpower Test (4) each Combat Turn or suffer the Berserk condition.

Starfinder (First Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Level: 1
• Price: 500 credits
• Type: Poison
  • Stage 1: 1d4 Con damage, 1d4 Con damage
  • Stage 2: 2d4 Con damage, 2d4 Con damage

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Type: Poison
• Price: Cr250
• Effect:
  • Contact: Target must pass an END test or suffer 1d6 damage each round for 3 rounds.
  • Ingestion: User gains +1 to STR and DEX for 1 hour, but must pass an END test each round or go berserk for 1d6 rounds.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Redcap’s Venom

• Type: Poison
• Availability: Rare
• Effect:
  • Contact: Target suffers 1d10 Poison damage.
  • Ingestion: Grants +10 WS and +10 BS for 1d10 rounds, but the user must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower test each round or go berserk for 1d10 rounds.