Health Potions are serious business in the game I’m running.

Health Potions are serious business in the game I’m running.

Health Potions are serious business in the game I’m running. I want them to be alchemical creation that is potentially addictive. Why? Health Potions with a downside are fun. I also like the idea of addicts taking them when they don’t need to just to feel “alive.”

I want a custom move based around the addiction part though and I’m drawing a blank. Anyone use addiction of any kind in their game?

13 thoughts on “Health Potions are serious business in the game I’m running.”

  1. Just want to echo emphasizing the cost of ‘magic potions’. In my games, health potions can’t be bought at any shop, and procuring them can become an adventure hook in itself. Make them a larger-than-life product and players will follow suit!

  2. Hmm. Something like when you drink one you’re defying danger with WIS (Willpower.) Partial failure gives you a confused debility (- 1 WIS) until your next hit; 6- means doing anything other than getting your next hit is defying danger.

    (Interestingly, since you’re talking about health potions, throwing yourself recklessly into harms way could count as acting towards getting your next hit.)

  3. Try these three moves (off the top of my head):

    Urge of Addiction

    When you consume {x} number of {source of addiction} in {interval}, roll + (CON or WIS):

    10+ Your character feels no urge to consume {source of addiction}.

    7+ Your character has the urge, but continues to resist the siren call of {source of addiction}.  -1 Forward to their next roll for Urge of Addiction to {source of addiction.

    6- Your character is addicted and has a great need to consume {source of addiction.  See Resist Addiction

    Resist Addiction

    If your character becomes addicted to {source of addiction} and has not consumed one in {interval}, roll + (CON or WIS):

    10+ Your character can choose to resist the urge to consume {source of addiction} for another {interval} with no penalties.

    7+ Your character can choose to resist the urge to consume one for another {interval} but choose one from below if they do.

    6- Your character can choose to resist the urge to consume one for another {interval} but all of the below occur if they do:

    * -1 Ongoing until you consume a healing potion (stacks for consecutive Resist Addiction and Kick the Monkey on Your Back rolls to a max of -3)

    * -1 Forward to your next Resist Addiction roll (stacks for consecutive Resist Addiction and Kick the Monkey on Your Back rolls to a max of -3)

    * Take a disability in an attribute of your choice.  This disability cannot be healed until the character takes another hit or kicks the addiction.

    Kick the Monkey on Your Back

    When you have successfully resisted taking {source of addiction} for {x} number of {intervals}, roll + (CON or WIS) – :

    10+ Congratulations, your character has kicked their addiction.  Try not to relapse, ok?

    7+ Your character is on the mend, but still not out of withdrawl.  +1 Forward to Resist Addiction and Kick the Monkey on Your Back rolls.  This bonus stacks to a max of +3.  This bonus is completely lost if a 6- is rolled when trying to Kick the Monkey on Your Back.

    6- Nope.  You still want it bad.

    Every drug is different.  Some are psychologically addicting (WIS) and others physically addicting (CON).  The drug itself will determine which attribute is used to resist it.

    What about drugs that cause both kinds of addiction?  YMMV.  Players choice, GM’s choice, or keep track of both as separate addictions.

  4. For simplicitys sake, you could tie the interval of “feeding the health-potion monkey” to another move like Make Camp. Want to get a good nights sleep, junkie? Better have a health potion.

  5. I prefer to keep things simple as that is what makes dungeon world great. If it gets too convoluted and confusing it becomes less fun. How about this?

    •Addiction resistance

    When you consume a substance

    roll+CON or WIS.

    (You do not roll if you are already addicted to the current substance).

    10+ No adverse effects

    7-9 You feel the urge to consume another. Take -1 to next addiction resistance roll.

    (This effect does stack and does not go away until you pass or fail the next addiction resistance roll)

    6- You have become addicted to this substance. You take a permanent debility (GM choice) until the addiction is removed. You may drink the substance to alleviate the debility for the current Scene.(gm discretion)

    ———————–

    •Addiction Withdrawls

    When you make camp or rest in comfort roll +Con or Wis per addiction.

    (debilities do affect this roll)

    10+ You have kicked the addiction and may rest as normal. You also remove any permanent debilities associated with this addiction.

    7-9 You are still addicted and may rest only if you consume your addictive substance.

    6- Withdrawls

    You must take the substance or suffer a new permanent debility.

    However you do not gain the benefits of resting unless you take two doses.

    You could also have addictions be removed by a cure disease or something similar.

  6. My problem with addictions as fronts is that I feel I might be imposing on how the character wants to view their addiction instead of telling me what’s happening. A countdown clock sounds cool though. Especially if you give each addiction its own clock with things that happen based on that items addiction. Like maybe it gives the gm new hard moves to make while you are addicted on failed rolls.

    Like hallucinations etc

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