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Elrosth
2006-08-23, 08:20 PM
Alright, this isn't quite the normal thing for this section, but I thought I'd throw it out. While most of the stuff here deals with crunchy bits to throw in your games, what fluff or flavor material have people come up with for their games? Flora, fauna, geography, exotic dishes, tavern songs, histories, mysteries, inventions, social customs, and the like. Anything that spices up your games with a minimal focus on PC items, monsters with a CR, or paths of not reserved for those select few that rise above the ranks of commoner.

Perhaps you've written the be-all, end-all mechanics for D&D drinking. Perhaps you've composed the Epic Ballad of Bonnie Earl and you want to share it with an intrigued audience. Perhaps you have a whole notebook full of superstitions and catch-phrases used in various regions of your homebrewed settings. Or perhaps you've extrapolated on any of the reams of material found in the Campaign Setting books, designing the style of dress currently vogue in Sharn or Waterdeep. Whatever it may be, feel free to throw it in here!

ExHunterEmerald
2006-08-23, 08:26 PM
...I dunno if it counts, but my rogue knows a collection of bawdy songs he learned as a keep-boy apprenticed to a chef...
Ask him about "On Religion" sometime and turn off the paladin's hearing aid!

Fax Celestis
2006-08-23, 08:31 PM
I made a language.

Elrosth
2006-08-23, 09:22 PM
Would you wish to share it via post or perhaps linky?

Brickwall
2006-08-23, 09:36 PM
A while ago, in my head, I invented a tavern activity around sea ports, usually only done by men. This activity is a general chant titled "She's my lovely lady". Basically what happens is that all the participants gather around in a circle and clap to the rhythm. Then, one person (the leader) starts off with a single verse describing the woman of his dreams, ending with the phrase 'She's my lovely lady'. After a couple beats, someone else would go. Then another. Then another. Of course, it is poor form to mention an existing person, especially a person there at the time. The chant is open to both drunk and sober alike, though for obvious reasons, very few women participate. Some sailors have heard rumors that there's a version out there for women too. This would be a commonly spread thing, such that any PCs might have heard of it (and know what the common measure was). Nobody knows of any way to do the verse outside the Common tonuge.

That's all I can remember, though.

ExHunterEmerald
2006-08-23, 09:38 PM
I haven't had the chance to use it in-game (but I will. Oh ho ho I will), and it's rather...naughty in a roundabout talk, so I think it'd be best to refrain. Sorry, but when I write the next one, probably about the political systems of the game's nations, I'll share it.

Fax Celestis
2006-08-24, 12:45 AM
This (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11544726 65;start=0#0) is the language, and this (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=homebrew;action=display;num=11558011 40;start=0#0) is part of the associated culture. There's a bunch of rituals, rites, and other flavorful stuff that hasn't made the switch from My Brain to D&D yet, but it shall.

TheOOB
2006-08-24, 04:33 AM
I wrote out the ritual to skin a succubus and use it to become a member of the acolyte of the skin prestige class for one of my characters once. In the interests of not crafting very disturbing images I will refrain from using it agian.

I do however have several less...wrong rituals I've created. Perhaps if I'm lucking I can find my old paperwork somewhere.

The Demented One
2006-08-24, 03:19 PM
I wrote up a fairly decent thing on alcohol in Eberron, along with me own rules for drinking. Here goes nothing.

Aereni Skullwine
Aereni Skullwine, known as Mer Sholi in Elven, is a very weak, very expensive white wine brewed from fermented Covadish leaves, generally served in 2-ounce shot glasses. While few, even among the Aereni, enjoy the drink, necromancers the world over use it to enhance their spellcasting.

Despite a very low percentage of alcohol, the wise avoid drinking Aereni Skullwine in excess, due to its side effects. Anyone drinking a glass of Aereni Skullwine must make a DC 5 Fort save to avoid drunkenness. However, due to the necromantic properties of Covadish leaves, they must also make a DC 15 Will save, or take 1d2+1 points of negative energy damage. However, the DC of the next Necromancy spell the cast within ten minutes of failing the save is increased by 1.

Aereni Sikullwine costs 25 gp per 2-ounces, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 20 to create.

Bottled Dreams
Bottled Dreams, called Quor Kika by the Kalashtar, is a drink made of a variety of fermented herbs with mild hallucenogenic properties, generally served in deep, lacquered, 1-pint tea bowls. It is prized by the Kalashtar for its special properties.

Anyone drinking Bottled Dreams must a DC 16 Fortitude save to avoid drunkeness. In addition, a member of any race capable of sleep, but not dreaming, such as the Kalashtar, gains the ability to dream for ten hours after failing the save. The dreams are not caused by the projection of the spirit to Dal Quor, but by the drink's hallucenogenic properties, triggered by sleep.

Bottled Dreams costs 15 gp per pint, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 15 to create.

Dryad's Blood
Dryad's Blood is a exotic liquer from the forests of Aerenal, generally served in 1-pint goblets made of livewood. Made from fermented fruit of livewood trees, it is savored by those with a strong connection to nature.

Anyone drinking Dryad's Blood must a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid drunkeness. In addition, any creature of the Plant of Fey type, and any druid or ranger who fails the save gets a +2 enhancement bonus to Wis and a +5 insight bonus on all Knowledge (Nature) and Survival checks for 3d10 minutes.

Dryad's Blood costs 50 gp per pint, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 20 to create.

Fiddler's Green
Fiddler's Green is an unearthly brew, tasting of dreams, delight, and delirium. It is said to have been brought to Eberron by the quori when they attacked the Giants of Xen'drik, this eldritch brew can only be found in Xen'drik.

Anyone drinking Fiddler's Green must a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid drunkeness. In addition, any psionic creature who fails the save gets a +2 enhancement bonus to Int and and gains 1d6 temporary power points, both of which last for 3d10 minutes

Fiddler's Green is rare almost to the point of being unpurchasable. Should a bottle, which contains five cups worth of the drink, somehow be put on the market, it generally sells for around 250 gp. The secret of making Fiddler's Green was forever lost when the quori who attacked the Giants died off.

Goodfellow's Boon
Goodfellow's Boon is a wine of remarkable sweetness, favored by the fey of Thelanis, distilled from the very blood of the vinters who create it, mixed with the fermented planar essence of Thelanis. It is generally served in very, very small portions. Even the hardiest don't dare to drink more than a single fluid ounce of it.

Anyone drinking Goodfellow's Boon must a DC 30 Fortitude save to avoid drunkeness. In addition, any creature who fails its save must also make a DC 25 Will save or be plane shifted to a random location in Thelanis.

Goodfellow's Boon costs 400 gp per fluid ounce, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 30, and a Knowledge (The Planes) check of DC 20 to create.

Liquid Keelhauling
Some drinks are the result of years of vintery. Others are discovered by fortuitous accident. Liquid Keelhauling? It's like the Mourning. Its source is unknown, divinations in regard to it fail, and it can't possibly be good for you.

The drink is rumored to have first emerged from the primordial ooze of an airship run by a group of incompetent, malicious pirates, miscreants, and ne'er-do-wells. Its ingredients are rumored to include fermented catnip, improperly mixed Alchemist's Fire, blood scraped off the ship's spiked keel, the rotted flesh of clones of certain pontiffs of the Silver Flame, and the acidic spit of one of the aberrations on board the ship.

Anyone drinking a Liquid Keelhauling must a DC 50 Fortitude save to avoid drunkeness. Should he fail the save, he is treated as failing 15 such saves for determining the effects of his drunkeness. In addition, they must make a DC 25 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Dex, Con, and Wis drain.

Liquid Keelhauling can not be purchased or created. Like artifacts, it can only be found. When some poor fool actually drinks the stuff, its generally done in 1-pint mugs.

Mourner's Mug
A Mourner's Mug is a bitter drink of fermented mint, served in 1 pint mugs. First brewed by Cyran's in commemoration of their lost nation, the drink has gained immense popularity among the people of High Walls, the district of Sharn home to the vast majority of Cyrans.

Anyone drinking a Mourner's Mug must make a DC 12 Fort save to avoid drunkenness. In addition, the drink contains a large amount of depressants, which evoke a great sorrow in its drinkers. Anyone who fails their save to avoid drunkeness must also make a DC 15 Will save to avoid being overcome with sorrow. Should they fail, they take a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls for 5d6 minutes.

Mourner's Mugs costs 6 sp per mug, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 5 to create. Cyrans get a +2 bonus on the Craft check to brew it.

Riedra's Pride
Riedra's Pride is a light drink brewed from rice, generally drunk from 1 pint tea bowls. It has an extremely low alcoholic, and yet, the Inspired sell it to the common folk at vastly inflated prices. However, it is the only manner of alcohol that common Riedrans are pemitted to own and consume. "Riedra's Pride" is an ironic name made by Khorvairian drinkers to express disgust over the drink's low quality and high price. In Riedran, it is called Lakavatha.

Anyone drinking a bowl of Riedra's Pride must make a DC 3 Fort save to avoid drunkenness.

Riedra's Pride costs 3 gp per pint, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 5 to create.

Slag Gin
Slag Gin is a disgusting brew made from alchemical refuse, generally served in 1-pint mugs. While any flesh and blood creature would be sickened by the stuff, the warforged enjoy it because it is one of the few manners of alcohol to have any effect on them.

Any non-construct that drinks Slag Gin must make a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid drunkeness. In addition, they must make a DC 25 Fort save or be nauseated for 3d10 rounds. Even if they succeed the save to avoid nausea, they are sickened for 1d100+20 minutes.

A warforged that drinks Slag Gin suffers no such effects. They do not risk being drunkened, as they are immune to poison, but causes mild feelings of relaxation and cheerfulness.

Slag Gin costs 5 cp per pint, and requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 5 to create.

Sober Pill
A Sober Pill is an invaluable alchemical concoction created by an alchemist tired of hangovers.

Upon ingesting a Sober Pill, the number of saves to avoid drunkeness the ingester has failed drops by 1d4. In addition, he gets a +2 alchemical bonus on all saves to avoid drunkeness for 10 hours. Finally, the duration of any hangover he has in the next 10 hours is halved.

A Sober Pill costs 30 gp for 1 dose. It requires a DC 10 Craft (Alchemy) check to create.

Thunder Rum
This rum, produced by pirates of the Storm Sea from sargullion, a seaweed that, like sugar cane, produces very sweet juice. Thunder Rum is dark drink with a full, molasses-like taste and very high alcoholic content, reputed for inducing "thunder" in the bellies of those who drink it, generally from 2-pint mugs, though some extraordinarily hardy folk drink from "Hurricane Mugs", massive 5-gallon mugs which generally require magical enlargement to lift.

Anyone drinking a mug of Thunder Rum must make a DC 16 Fort save to avoid drunkenness. In addition, if he fails the save, he is nauseated for 1d6 minutes, and sickened for 5d6 minutes more. If he is drinking a Hurricane Mug's worth, the save DC rises to 30, he is treated as having failed 8 saves, the duration for nausea is increased to 2d12 minutes, and the duration of sickness to 10d12 minutes.

Thuder Rum costs 2 sp per two pints, and 1 gp for a Hurricane Mug. It requires a Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 5 to create.

Warfloorbanger
The Warfloorbanger is one of the few drinks served exclusively to warforged. It is made up mainly of an acidic electrolyte, brewed by gnomes, but the key ingredients are copper and silver pieces, placed in the drink. These coins create a current, which, when drunk by a warforged, causes pulses of electricity to run through the warforged's body.

Any non-construct that drinks a Warfloorbanger must make a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid taking 1d2 points of acid damage and 1d2 points of electricity from drinking the primitive battery. In addition, they must make a DC 25 Fort save or be nauseated for 3d10 rounds. Even if they succeed the save to avoid nausea, they are sickened for 1d100+20 minutes.

A warforged that drinks a Warfloorbanger instead must make a DC 20 Fort save to avoid taking 1d6 points of electricity damage. However, if they fail the save, their slam attack, and any other natural attacks they may have due to warforged feats such as Second Slam or Jaws of Death, gain the Shocking special ability for 1d6 minutes.

A Warfloorbanger costs 25 gp, plus the 1 sp and 1 cp required to create the current, and requires a Craft (Alchemy) check of DC 15 to create.

Zilargo Tri-Chambered Alchemical Cocktail
A Zilargo Tri-Chambered Alchemical Cocktail, generally refered to as Tri-Zils, are an extremely unusual drink from the land of the gnomes. It consists of three different alcohols in one glass, which diffuse into three distinct levels due to their vastly different densitites, generally served in large, 1-quart steins. The main ingredients of a Tri-Zil are heavily diluted forms of Alchemist's Flame, Spark, and Chill, which give the drink a distinct reputation for causing gastrointestinal suffering.

The lowest layer consists of a mixture of fermented Zil Potatos and diluted Alchemist's Chill. The next layer consists of various fruit liquers mixed with Alchemist's Spark, and the highest layer is made up of a fiery brandy, and even fierier Alchemist's Flame.

While made by gnomes, Tri-Zils are generally the mainstays of the savage races, who enjoy the drink's kick. Zil alchemists with a talent at drinkmaking can make a fortune selling Tri-Zils to inhabitants of Darguul or Drooam.

Anyone drinking a Tri-Zil must 2 of 3 DC 15 Fortitude saves to avoid drunkeness. In addition, they take 1 point of fire damage, 1 point of cold damage, and 1 point of electricity damage with no save.

Tri-Zils costs 10 gp per quart, and requires 3 Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 8 and 3 Craft (Alchemy) checks with a DC of 10 to create.

Zilargo Quadruple Khyber Shard-Bound Elemental Cocktail of Arcane Supremacy
Tri-Zils are some of the strongest drinks known to gnomekind. A Zilargo Quadruple Khyber Shard-Bound Elemental Cocktail of Arcane Supremacy--commonly known as a Khyber Cocktail--makes it look like watered-down grog. Served in massive, 1 gallon steins, and favored by evokers and warmagi, this drink is considered a lethal weapon in two of the Five Nations.

Like a Tri-Zil, the Khyber Cocktail is a layered drink. The bottom layer is an earthy mead. Above that is, like in the Tri-Zil, vodka. The layer above that is, also like in the Tri-Zil, brandy, and the topmost layer consists of an airy champagne.

What makes a Khyber Cocktail so special? In the bottom of it are four small, edible Khyber Shards. A tiny elemental, one of each type, is bound within each. This turns the Khyber Cocktail into a drink of elemental destruction to intestines and liver.

Anyone drinking a Khyber Cocktail must 3 of 4 DC 25 Fortitude saves to avoid drunkeness. In addition, they take 1d6 points of fire damage, 1d6 points of cold damage, and 1d6 points of electricity damage with no save. Furthermore, he is weighted down by the earth elemental, and is treated as one level of encumberence higher than normal for 1 hour. However, an arcane spellcaster who fails his save gets a +1 bonus for his caster level for all spells with an elemental descriptor that he casts in the next 5d6 minutes.

A Khyber Cocktail costs 500 gp per quart, and requires 4 Craft (Alcohol) check of DC 20. In addition, four small dragonshards with elementals bound in them must be added. Each of these is created as a wondrous item requiring the elemental binding feat to create and with a market price of 250 gp.

Rules for Drunkenness
The exact effects of drunkeness depend on the number of saves to avoid drunkeness that one has failed, as per the table below. The effects of drunkeness are cumulative.
{table]
Failed SavesEffects
1-2-1 to Dex and Wis
3-5-1 to Dex and Wis, -2 on all skill checks
6-7-2 on all skill checks
8-10Must make a DC 15 Fort save every 10 minutes or be sickened for 1d4+1 minutes
11-12-2 to Dex and Wis, -3 on all skill checks
13-15Must make a DC 20 Fort save every 10 minutes or be nauseated for 1d2 minutes
16-17-3 penalty on all skill checks
18-20-2 to Dex and Wis, must make a DC 25 Fort save every half hour or fall unconscious for 1d3 hours
21+-4 to Dex and Wis, -10 on all skill checks, must make a DC 25 Fort save every hour or die
[/table]
A creature immune to poison is immune to drunkeness, and bonuses to saves against poison apply to saves against drunkeness.

Every hour, a drunk creature may attempt a DC 15 Fort check. If he succeeds, the number of saves he has failed dropped as one.

Every hour spent sleeping reduces the number of saves failed by 1d2.

A creature that goes to sleep with 4 or more failed saves is hung over when it awakes. It is sickened for 1d3 hours plus 1 hour for every 3 failed saves over 4. For example, Daine goes to sleep for 8 hours having failed 10 saves against alcohol. When he wakes, the number of failed saves has been reduced by 8d2, which should sober him up, but he is hung over for 1d3+2 hours.

Brickwall
2006-08-24, 03:48 PM
The rules you have for drunkenness seem a bit lax. Some people can go unconcious with far less than 18 drinks, and most people at least a little less. Might wanna work on that.

The Demented One
2006-08-24, 03:57 PM
The rules you have for drunkenness seem a bit lax. Some people can go unconcious with far less than 18 drinks, and most people at least a little less. Might wanna work on that.
Most people die after being stabbed with a sword. This isn't realistic drinking rules, this is friggin' fantasy!

Fax Celestis
2006-08-24, 04:12 PM
Most people die after being stabbed with a sword. This isn't realistic drinking rules, this is friggin' fantasy!
The man has a point.

Brickwall
2006-08-24, 04:21 PM
But think of the commoners! What'll Mrs. Dirtpiler say when her husband is able to stay up long enough to buy that many drinks?! They'll go broke!

martyboy74
2006-08-24, 04:27 PM
Someone should make a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Galactic_Gargle_Blaster). That'd have some high DCs.

The Demented One
2006-08-24, 07:52 PM
Someone should make a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Galactic_Gargle_Blaster). That'd have some high DCs.
The Liquid Keelhauling is basically the fantasy version of that.

martyboy74
2006-08-24, 07:53 PM
The Liquid Keelhauling is basically the fantasy version of that.
Woah...that's some nasty stuff.

The Demented One
2006-08-24, 07:56 PM
Woah...that's some nasty stuff.
You ever heard of the Forgotten Freedom? That's what they drink.

Elrosth
2006-08-25, 04:57 AM
Fantastic stuff! I love the flavor of your flavor. I had been using an Orcish brew awhile ago, it was a basic brew with the extra ingredients of honey and blood. They would come in different flavors based on the source of the blood, elves and dwarves being the most popular. Some experimental brewers have been cultivating new drinks by mixing various amounts of blood from different sources. It's frowned upon by the majority of the standard Orc patrons, but has become quite popular in some circles. On the rare occasions that dragon's blood was available, it was considered a delicacy of the highest level.

Needless to say, the drink was popular with the more bloodthirsty tribes.

It tasted coppery and sweet, and rather thick going down. depending on the blood source, it could cost anywhere from 5 gp for a mug of dwarf, up to 500 gp for a single pint of dragon's brew.

It was called Mrog. I read the idea somewhere awhile ago, but all I could remember when I came back to it was the name and the two main ingredients.

Brickwall
2006-08-25, 02:05 PM
Perhaps that'd do better as a mead? Many meads back in the days of Norse had blood in them, including mythological ones.

Elrosth
2006-08-26, 06:46 AM
I did not know that. Cool.

Another thing I'm working on right now is designing different clothing styles for tribes of shifters from Eberron. They have different looks based on their rank, their role in the tribe, and a bit of flavor to differentiate one tribe from another. Nothing too substantial to show yet, but still fun.

Peregrine
2006-08-26, 07:34 AM
This is the current evolution of my Grand Plot to recharacterise the races. In general, dwarves and gnomes originated from the mountains, elves from the forests, humans from the grasslands, halflings go everywhere. Orcs need to fit in somewhere (maybe just the grasslands, in competition with humans), as do the other monstrous races. Subraces may also be worked out, although that's less important for reasons that will become apparent.

Dwarves are more or less the same as they are traditionally. Dwelling mostly under mountains, in large carved-out cave complexes, they are accomplished miners and smiths.
Gnomes are cousins to the dwarves, essentially an offshoot of the dwarf race that dwells at or near the surface, typically in the hills rather than deep under mountains. They are highly skilled artisans and inventors, as well as shrewd traders -- you often find a few gnomes travelling with halfling caravans (q.v.) They are not wacky tricksters; some of their inventions might err on the side of foolishness, but they don't do it to be kooky. Bard might not fit as their favoured class anymore.

Elves, like dwarves, more or less match the traditional concept for the race. They dwell in the forest and are considered lithe and graceful, if a little wild. (Sorcerer might be more suitable than wizard for their favoured class. Wizard might go back to the gnomes...)
Halflings are kin to the elves, who went wandering from the forests in ancient times. They are still wanderers, by and large, often travelling in large caravans from settlement to settlement. Most of the large settlements (and the roads between them) are dominated by humans, who give the race its name.

Humans are, well, humans. There's a bit more stuff tied into some cosmology I'm working out to explain their adaptability (and inter-species fertility), but it's not essential to the race.

The dwarf/gnome and elf/halfling pairs were decided based on racial stats. Elves and halflings both have good Dexterity, good hearing and resistance to mind-affecting effects (enchantments for one, fear for the other). Dwarves and gnomes share superior Constitution, combat training against goblinoids and giants, resistance to magic (all magic for one, illusions for the other), and good crafting skills.

Orcs might be related to elves, just 'cause. :)

I do plan to write this up a little more formally, eventually, but I felt like throwing it in here as it stands (which is basically 'in my head', written out here for the first time).