Intoxication penalties?

[Viachi]

When characters are in taverns and such, and they are consuming alcohol, do you create intoxication penalties (or potentially a bonus for charisma?)
If so, do the penalties change depending on the drink consumed (wine is more intoxicating than ale, but less so than rum...)

[SilverLeaf167]

Where does this "bonus to charisma" idea even come from? I've seen it a few times. Drunk people might have less reservations, but I definitely don't think they're exceptionally charming or persuasive.

Oddly enough, it's never really come up in my games, but if it did I would use the Drunken Master's abilities as a starting point: An amount of alcohol equivalent to a bottle of wine reduces their Intelligence and Wisdom by 2, for, I don't know, one hour per bottle? So the average person would technically need 5 bottles of wine (or 5 tankards of ale, according to the book...) until they passed out. Probably needs some work...

[Viachi]

Some people are more charismatic when they're drunk, then again, som people are less.

I would assume there is a penalty to dexterity, but what you said makes sense too so I was hoping for an official ruling :/

[Krobar]

Where does this "bonus to charisma" idea even come from? I've seen it a few times. Drunk people might have less reservations, but I definitely don't think they're exceptionally charming or persuasive.

Oddly enough, it's never really come up in my games, but if it did I would use the Drunken Master's abilities as a starting point: An amount of alcohol equivalent to a bottle of wine reduces their Intelligence and Wisdom by 2, for, I don't know, one hour per bottle? So the average person would technically need 5 bottles of wine (or 5 tankards of ale, according to the book...) until they passed out. Probably needs some work...

The more drunk I am, the more charismatic I am. Just ask the ladies.

[Frozen_Feet]

Those thinking drunken people are more charismatic are drunken themselves, as a rule. :smalltongue:

I don't recall special rules for alcohol off-hand, but another d20 system has it cause -2 penalty to Dex and Wisdom.

[SilverLeaf167]

Those thinking drunken people are more charismatic are drunken themselves, as a rule. :smalltongue:

I don't recall special rules for alcohol off-hand, but another d20 system has it cause -2 penalty to Dex and Wisdom.
Yeah, that's what I thought. After all, if Wisdom decreases your mental stats, that impacts stuff like your Sense Motive modifier as well...

Anyway, I guess a Dex penalty is indeed appropriate. It was most likely intentionally left out of the Drunken Master description since they would have been actively weakening themselves, and I think smooth swerving movements are a part of the classic archetype the class is supposed to represent.

Maybe -2 to Dexterity, Intelligence and Wisdom? I wouldn't expect a drunken person to be very agile or precise, their common sense is obviously pretty bad and I can't really expect them to be too good at any of the Intelligence-based skills in D&D, almost all of which include rational thought and logical deduction.

For some reason, the idea that a drunken Sorcerer would definitely beat a drunken Wizard really appeals to me.
Wizard: *mumbles something incoherent and flails hand around, a small useless fizzle is seen*
Sorcerer: *burps fireball at Wizard*

[Slipperychicken]

I think A&EG has rules for it.

Pathfinder has the Drunk template on their site. I think it's -1 CR.

[Zonugal]

As an improv' comedian I can say with complete honesty.

People seem to be more charismatic when they are comfortably drunk.

[INoKnowNames]

Random Mental Stat Penalty of 1d2 based on the type of Booze (or the Dm/Player can roll 1d3 to determine which stat it affects); Fortitude Saves vs DC (based on the type of Liquour + 2X, where X is the number of drinks you've had). The Save can be failed multiple times, and both the DC and Stat Penalty stack based on fails.

A little rough, but seems legit to me. Alcohol is basically a toxin to the body, so having it act like a poison here seems natural. Some people are more resistant to it than others, and it affects certain people differently.

[Venusaur]

Drunken Master gives a -2 to Int and Wis, and a +2 to STR or CON, although that shouldn't be given without the PrC's benefits.

[Slipperychicken]

A&EG says each drink forces a Fortitude save not to get drunk (assuming you're trying to resist it), with increasing penalties based on how many drinks you've had, and every save you fail is 1d2 Dex and 1d2 Wisdom damage.

[Gnome Alone]

I don't actually impose any stat differences, but if I did it'd be something like +2 (hysterical) Strength, -4 Wisdom, +4 through -8 Charisma depending on temperment and BAC.

[SilverLeaf167]

I don't actually impose any stat differences, but if I did it'd be something like +2 (hysterical) Strength, -4 Wisdom, +4 through -8 Charisma depending on temperment and BAC.
Yeah, the one time intoxication penalties did become relevant for our group basically went "no, you're far too drunk to swim half a mile to the lighthouse". Exact stat penalties are probably only necessary in tavern brawls and such.

[Adept_Scholar]

I am currently looking at this issue myself for my campaign and have come thus far to the following:
Alcohol consumption to the point of intoxication would affect Dex, Int, & Wis by varying degrees depending on strength of drink (low, moderation, high, & severe). While the associated penalties are still in the works, I currently have: low=-2 to each, moderate=-4 to each, high=-6 to each, & severe=-8 to each; thus, for example, an average person with a base stat of 10 drinking a "severe" alcoholic drink with the imposed -8 penalty would result in the individual being reduced to a base stat of 2 which still puts them above a "helpless" state (although a person with a score of 8 in such a state could be put in an unconscious and deep sleep associated with a 0 in Int & Wis as stated on pg. 290 in the 3.5 D.M. Guide which typically happens to many individuals upon excessive consumption of alcohol :smalltongue:). Then you have the time frame when a Fort save would be called for: low=20 minutes after first drink (mug equivalent), moderate=15 minutes, high=10 minutes, & severe=5 minutes. Following that, you come to the time when the effects wear off: low=after 1 1/2 hours recover half (+1 to each) while after 3 hours recover fully, moderate=after 3 hours recover half (+2 to each) while after 6 hours recover fully, high=after 4 1/2 hours recover half (+3 each) while after 6 hours recover filly, & severe=after 6 hours recover half (+4 each) while after 12 hours recover fully. I am attempting to include drugs in my world (tweaking the rules for drugs in the Book of Vile Darkness) and am currently working out the DCs for the above (as alcohol is both a drug and a poison), although as alcohol doesn't typically offer a benefit in exchange for penalties like drugs and the negative affects are only temporary like most poisons, I will probably place DCs comparably to those of similar poisons (e.g. a low alcoholic drink which places a total of -6 temporary penalties would have a similar DC to that of a poison which infers a combined temporary initial and secondary penalty of -6). The above is what I have so far as these rules and numbers are not set in stone as I am still adjusting things around. :smallwink:

[Gnome Alone]

Way I see it, if you don't want PCs getting drunk, just say so. Once mah playerz found out they were drug smugglers and the most experienced one adamantly insisted they not sample any of the merch, correctly guessing I'd attached ample stat penalties.

[Gnome Alone]

I thought, why would I mechanically (&predictably!) discourage RPing like that when freaking of course I want them to try the drugs I'd had them unwittingly transporting. If they want to RP drug trips & addiction, great, but I'm not gonna force it.

[tadkins]

On a side note, are there rules written regarding how much a character can drink before actually getting drunk?

[JusticeZero]

Some people are more charismatic when they're drunk, then again, som people are less.
I have never seen anyone who was more charismatic drunk. I have, however, seen people who were completely deluded into thinking that their smelly and crude idiocy was in fact suave.

[Starbuck_II]

I like 5E's version:
Disadvantage on all actions, DR 1d6 damage from all attacks
So you do stuff less accurately but take less damage.