Herbs and spices

[TheThan]

Well mostly herbs.

I’m working on a rather large dnd project, right now I’m focusing on weapons, armor, equipment that sort of stuff. I’ve noticed a lack of medicinal plants/herbs with useful qualities for adventurers.
So I thought I would come up with a list of such handy plants and define what they do. I hope to expand the rather lackluster alchemy options and increase the usefulness of the survival and heal skills. I want to separate this from “alchemical” items, which to me are man-made materials. I’m looking for suggestions on what I could possibly add to this list.

So far this is what I have:

Wolvesbane: used to cure Lycanthropy

Garlic: used to repel vampires

Athelas (also called kingsfoil): a natural anti-toxin. Used to slow poison or distilled into an anti-venom. i imagine when applied topically it delays the onset of poisons.

Blackroot: a natural anti-body. Used to heal diseases, and fortify yourself against them. It'll probably grant a small fortitude save when ingested for a short period of time (say 24 hours).

Holly and mistletoe: used as default divine focus for druids. I’m thinking of changing up holly and mistletoe. I might make mistletoe grant a compulsion effect that makes you want to kiss someone, and an ingredient in love potions. Yes, it’s a play on the Christmas tradition. As for holly, I dunno yet.

Black Lotus: a rare and highly poisonous plant that grows in tropical regions. The plant is highly toxic and a key ingredient in black lotus poison, a deadly poison used by only the most skilled poison brewer. In the smallest of doses, black lotus has a hallucinogenic effect, and is sometime used as a narcotic.

[Bulhakov]

Good herbs/plants guide from the Earthdawn RPG system:

http://barsaive.free.fr/downloads/Herbsandplants.pdf

[Silverbit]

A suggestion, from folklore based on an IRL plant:
Mandrake: screams when pulled up, somewhat hallucinogenic.

This project sounds interesting, I'll be following it.

Edit:
If you are including spices, how about:
The Spice Melange: this orange-brown spice is believed to be secreted by giant sandworms. It slows ageing and provides immunity to some common poisons.

Dune ftw.

[Adoendithas]

Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna) looks edible and tastes sweet, but is actually a deadly poison--two to five berries can be enough to kill an adult human.

None of my players thought that Nature was a useful skill to invest in. :smallamused:

[Rhynn]

Stolen shamelessly from Artesia: Adventures in the Known World...

Althaea (marsh mallow): Root pulverized into a poultice that heals wounds.
Angelica: Leaves brewed into a potion that wards off disease and magic, and cures disease.
Blueweed: Leaves powdered and sprinkled on something to ritually purify it.
Borage (starflower): Flowers brewed into a potion that provides courage.
Calendula (marigold): Flowers brewed into a potion that helps divine someone's future lover.
Cowslip: Flowers brewed into a potion that cures paralysis and restores strength.
Goldenrod: Leaves mashed into a poultice to stop bleeding and cure poison.
Henbane: Leaves dried and hung by an outer door to ward the building and those within against magic.
Horsetail: Leaves powdered and sprinkled on something to ritually purify it.
Hypericum: Leaves and flowers crushed and powdered, sprinkled on a place or person to help with exorcisms and summonings.
Juniper: Berries brewed into a potion to protect from fevers, hexes, curses, the Evil Eye, and to reduce fevers or counter hexes and curses.
Levisticum (lovage): Leaves brewed into a "love" (lust) potion.
Mallow: Shoots brewed into an anti-love/lust potion.
Mandrake: Root (preferrably from below a hanging-site) brewed into a potion of fertility.
Monkshood (aconite, wolfsbane): Juice smeared on a weapon as a poison.
Mushrooms: Brewed into a potion that permits spirit-walking / astral travel.
Myrtle: Leaves brewed into a love potion.
Pennyroyal: Leaves brewed into an abortificant.
Rue: Leaves brewed into a potion that grants second sight (ability to see spirits or magic).
Sealwort: Roots prepared as a poultice to heal incapacitated limbs.
Scorpion: Body powdered and brewed into a potion to ward against poison and cure poison.
Wormwood: Branch hung by a door to ward off spirits and elementals. Leaves & oil juiced and brewed into a potion to protect against magic.
Yarow: Leaves prepared in a poultice to heal wounds over several days. Leaves powdered and brewed into a potion to help with reading the future.

In game terms, these could translate to bonuses to related tests, or require a skill check to work (in A:AKW, the effects require an enchantment and the effects vary by skill and power expended).

[NichG]

The 1ed D&D DMG had a ton of these, taken from mythology and folklore. If I remember correctly, it also had a huge list of magical properties of gemstones (some of which were quite potent; I remember there being one that would automatically protect you from certain attack spells outright - either Lightning Bolt or Magic Missile, though I don't recall which).

That aside though, here are a few ideas:

Finding and harvesting a given plant in the area in which it grows requires a DC 25 Survival check and takes 1d4 hours. The amount found varies depending on the plant, but is 1d4 doses if not otherwise specified.

Tugwort: This plant grows in alpine environments. It shows only a small stalk above-ground, but its roots go down 2-3 feet into the soil. An infusion of Tugwort causes the skin to toughen and mend with unusual speed, granting 3 points of resistance against slashing damage for 8 hours. Fresh Tugwort can keep for up to a week before losing its potency; when dried, it keeps for about a month.

Selpeme Blossom: This florid red/purple blossom is an orchid that grows on jungle vines. When the petals are rubbed on the skin, the user develops an odor that causes fear in animals. Any creature with the [Animal] type suffers a -4 to-hit penalty against the user. Selpeme's effects last for 8 hours. It is only good fresh and keeps for about two days after being harvested. However, if the blossom's fragrance is distilled into a tincture with the right solvents, it creates a perfume that can keep indefinitely though only providing a -2 to-hit.

Nura Stalk: This plant is common in temperate forests. It has a thick stalk, nearly an inch in diameter. When this stalk is broken, the broken ends exude a white sap. This sap has the property that it stops bleeding when applied to open wounds. A little-known effect is that if used within a round of an attack that damages/drains Constitution via blood loss (dire weasels, vampires, etc), it can actually prevent one full point of Con loss from the attack. In other circumstances, it simply heals 1d4 points of damage (so long as that damage was caused by a wound and not e.g. negative energy, cold, etc). Nura sap loses its potency within a matter of hours once exposed to air, but the stalks can be kept for about a week if the bases are kept covered with wet cloth. The sap can be preserved by combining it with soft wax without allowing its temperature to exceed 110F at any point in the process.

Chasmyre Leaf: Chasmyre leaf is a sickly-looking brown-black leaf that grows on short shrubs in swampy environments. If crushed and applied to the eyelids, however, it grants the user Low Light Vision for an hour. Chasmyre leaf keeps for a few weeks.

Hrondis' Tears: These small blue bell-shaped flowers grow in open fields with plenty of sun. Their properties are known only to a few, due to the specificity of their use. If a strand of Hrondis' Tears are wrapped around the hilt of a weapon, that weapon can be used to strike incorporeal undead as if it were a magic weapon. Hrondis' Tears can last for up to a week and still confer this property.

Sherpa's Friend: This small green plant grows in temperate lowlands, which is somewhat ironic given its use. A dose of Sherpa's Friend makes one immune to altitude sickness for 4 hours. It can be dried, in which form it keeps for about a year.

[TheThan]

Dune ftw.

Yeah I stole from both Lord of the Rings , Willow and Conan, what’s one more?

anyway thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming.

[edit]
here's a couple more i just made:

Death cap:
These common mushrooms are highly poisonous when ingested they cause serious illness and even death if not treated quickly. They however look almost identical to normal edible mushrooms, so much so that picking them by mistake is a fairly common occurrence.

A failed survival or knowledge (nature) skill check results while foraging for food results in the PCs picking death caps by mistake. Death caps are an ingested poison, DC 20. The initial effects are 1d4 con damage, vomiting and diarrhea. Secondary effects are 1d6 con damage.

Mad Cap:
These red mushrooms are less poisonous than the death cap but they also produce a strong psychoactive effect which can lead someone to fall into a berserk rage, lashing out at anyone nearby. After the rage subsides, the poisoned person collapses in exhaustion then slips into a coma. These mushrooms are an ingested poison, DC 18 the immediate effects are fall under the effects of a rage spell like effect for 1d10 rounds. Anyone failing the save by 5 or more also suffer from the effects of a confusion spell for the same duration of the rage effect. A secondary effect occurs after the spell like effects wear off, this is unconsciousness.

(see rage ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/rage.htm) and confusion ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/confusion.htm) for further details)

[veti]

There's a pretty long list here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_used_in_herbalism).

Google 'herbs in folklore' for a, let's say, less carefully regulated view.

[Honest Tiefling]

Rather then the awkwardness of being forced to kiss someone for mistletoe, why not have it defeat poison, as it was supposed to in myths? Or relate it to the myth of the death of Baldur?

Several herbs were said to be used to help witches fly on broomsticks, including belladonna and poppies. (However, belladonna is an alternative name for deadly nightshade, which could get extremely confusing if you don't change them or decide to only play with people who know nothing of plants.)

[Adoendithas]

Death cap:
These common mushrooms are highly poisonous when ingested they cause serious illness and even death if not treated quickly. They however look almost identical to normal edible mushrooms, so much so that picking them by mistake is a fairly common occurrence.

A failed survival or knowledge (nature) skill check results while foraging for food results in the PCs picking death caps by mistake. Death caps are an ingested poison, DC 20. The initial effects are 1d4 con damage, vomiting and diarrhea. Secondary effects are 1d6 con damage.

The best part about these is that there is no known antidote.

[TheThan]

Rather then the awkwardness of being forced to kiss someone for mistletoe, why not have it defeat poison, as it was supposed to in myths? Or relate it to the myth of the death of Baldur?
Several herbs were said to be used to help witches fly on broomsticks, including belladonna and poppies. (However, belladonna is an alternative name for deadly nightshade, which could get extremely confusing if you don't change them or decide to only play with people who know nothing of plants.)

Yeah, ‘tis the season.
Anyway that's all very interesting. I'll come up with something cool eventually.


The best part about these is that there is no known antidote.
Yeah, makes them pretty nasty IRL. Don’t go mushrooming… ever. Buy your mushrooms from the store where they’re safe.

I’d say a dose of anti-toxin would work in game terms.

[Silverbit]

Some more:

Inkvine: this long fibrous vine is found in harsh conditions. If turned into a whip, it leaves permanent scars that constantly ache.
Lesser Triffid: these tiny (mouse sized) carnivorous plants are found in jungle conditions, and are capable of slow movement with a constant "clicking" sound. They hunt with long venomous tendrils. Rumours of much larger specimens are unsubstantiated. Triffids are a very potent source of vegetable oil, and are thus sometimes cultivated.
Red Weed: blood-coloured plant life, looks rather like bladderwrack but found on land, specificly around areas of extraplanar incursion. Tastes terrible.

I'd be very interested in seeing the rest of this project; do you have any links to it?

[TheThan]

I'd be very interested in seeing the rest of this project; do you have any links to it?

Not as of yet.

I’ve basically come to the conclusion that star wars saga edition is the best version of the D20 system to date (haven’t tried DnD next, can’t say I’m terribly interested at the moment).

So what I’ve decided to do is rework saga edition into a fantasy system (I’m calling it Dungeons and dragon: Saga Edition). I’m using saga edition’s basic rules as a core and converting a lot of stuff spread throughout the extensive library of dnd 3.x books I have. That pretty much relates to a lot of research & development.

Along the way I thought I'd do some home brewing to patch up some holes I find in the game; such as the lack of useful herbs for pcs to use. I don’t want to turn this into “picking flowers the RPG” or “gardens and farms the RPG”. But I do want to give people a fairly good reason to choose craft: alchemy, knowledge: nature and survival, or at least make them feel smart for picking them.

Pretty much this mini-project boils down to world building, but hey, that makes the world an interesting place. I mean, a ranger makes a DC 10 survival check to hunt/ forage for food. The DM just glosses over it. But if the dm says “ok you find some wild edibles and shoot a rabbit with your bow”, the ranger will feel much more competent and confident then when it's just glossed over.

Plus it makes for some memorable encounters when the ranger bombs his survival check and picks the wrong mushrooms, or they fight that barbarian that bites into a red cap mushroom and goes apesh*t on them. Then they try to replicate it and the guy starts swinging at his own buddies.

As for posting up what I have, I’ll probably can’t post up the system rules because of copyright laws (this is for home use only) and I don’t want to risk it. But I can put up purely home-brewed material, but i gotta finish it first.

[Khedrac]

If you have access to a copy of Dragon 82 there was an article called Wounds and Weeds which gave options for a fair number of plants used as medicines over the years. It will need updating from AD&D though.

[Manly Man]

Yeah, makes them pretty nasty IRL. Don’t go mushrooming… ever. Buy your mushrooms from the store where they’re safe.

I’d say a dose of anti-toxin would work in game terms.

In fact, they and pretty much any other species with amanita for a genus is poisonous enough that breathing spores can be deadly. One thing to remember is that the older, more mature death caps smell comparable to cheese or sour feet (something like strong asiago), if you want to add a bit of info for a Knowledge (Nature) check.

[veti]

In fact, they and pretty much any other species with amanita for a genus is poisonous enough that breathing spores can be deadly.

Not really. Several species of amanita are not only edible, they're delicious. Wikipedia says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita) there are 600 species altogether, and the death cap alone kills more people than the other 599 put together.

To the OP: be sure to keep in mind that herbs are commonly multi-purpose. Wolfsbane, for instance, is one of my favourite herbs: it's associated with lycanthropy, but it's also deadly poisonous, and has been used (with varying levels of care and success) in medicinal applications. And you can confuse your players by calling it 'monkshood'.

And I can't believe no-one has yet mentioned willow bark. If you make a (foul-tasting) tea from it, it's basically aspirin, which is worth having in any first-aid kit.

[Amphetryon]

I like making Mistletoe penetrate DR on beings with Divine Rank 0 or higher. Cookie for the reference.

[Elkreeal]

Pholiota squarrosa and Stropharia aeruginosa are two mildly poisonous mushrooms (fungi could be included).

Also Lophophora williamsii (Peyote) would be cool to include for a little bit of fun, it's a small cactus and a PC who sees it and is in dire need of water might think of interacting with it to retrieve water and find himself in a state of astral projection.

[Manly Man]

Not really. Several species of amanita are not only edible, they're delicious. Wikipedia says (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita) there are 600 species altogether, and the death cap alone kills more people than the other 599 put together.

Huh. Pretty much anything I've seen referred to as an amanita was even more poisonous than passive-aggressive in-laws. Considering that I've spent a good few years in Alaska, where any landscape that isn't dominated by snow is covered in fungi, you'd think I'd know that. :smallfrown:

[Silverbit]

I like making Mistletoe penetrate DR on beings with Divine Rank 0 or higher. Cookie for the reference.

Alas, poor Baldur (Poor Hod too).

Right, I'll be interested in seeing what other home brew gets cooked up for this. I wouldn't have thought of using Saga for fantasy.

More plants:

Kakaw (cacao): a brown bean, can be made into a beverage to honour the gods.
Vanilla: sweet pods. Useful in trade.

[TheThan]

Alas, poor Baldur (Poor Hod too).

Right, I'll be interested in seeing what other home brew gets cooked up for this. I wouldn't have thought of using Saga for fantasy.

More plants:

Kakaw (cacao): a brown bean, can be made into a beverage to honour the gods.
Vanilla: sweet pods. Useful in trade.

Yeah, I’m going to eventually make a thread in the homebrew forum .
I’m probably going to pick 10 for each climate and terrain.
That’s 3 climates, cold, temperate and hot, and 7 terrains, desert, forest, hill, marsh, mountain, plain, underground. I’ll probably do a single category for underground making 6 terrains. So that adds up to 220 herbs and spices to hombrew. That’s not an impossible amount to do, but that’s still quite a bit.

The way I have it set up, is the talent trees modify and open up the class and defines what your character is good at doing. For instance the barbarian has the berserker talent tree, which gives him frenzy type ability, while the ravager talent tree gives him more of an intimidation factor. They’re both barbarians, but they are better at different things.

[Amphetryon]

Alas, poor Baldur (Poor Hod too).

Right, I'll be interested in seeing what other home brew gets cooked up for this. I wouldn't have thought of using Saga for fantasy.

More plants:

Kakaw (cacao): a brown bean, can be made into a beverage to honour the gods.
Vanilla: sweet pods. Useful in trade.

Huzzah! Have a cookie.

[Toungebiter]

Hi, I went through my books last night looking for any good game oriented herb articles and found quite a few. I list the source first, then for each herb list its name, purported effect, and suggested game use. These are summaries only, the full articles include other details like appearance, growing locations, and drawbacks of misuse. All credit to the original authors.

Dragon Magazine #82, "Wounds and weeds", pp 14-19

Aaron's Rod - Painkiller when crushed and mixed with water or wine. Restores 1-4 hit points which disappear in two hours when effect wears off. Lose points immediately if you fight again while still injured.

Adder's-Tongue- Secondary treatment, helps the wounded regain strength. Leaves can be boiled as a tea. Recuperating wounded receive one extra hit point per day of rest, or 1-3 if convalescing with no activity. Used leaves can be combined with animal to make an ointment called "green oil of charity". The ointment cures 1-2 hit points immediately; only usable once per day.

Birthwort- Curative. If leaves and stems are crushed, juice can immediately (within one round) be applied to poisonous bites or stings; provides +2 save against poison. Only works once per poison attack. A poultice can also be made to insure that wounds heal properly; adds and extra point of hit point recovery for first two days of rest; normal rest rate continues after two days.

Comfrey- "Wonder weed" used in many ways. If root is applied immediately to a wound, roll 1-4 to see how many hit points "were never done in the first place" and subtract from damage taken. If used as a tea or mixed with wine during recuperation, has same qualities as adder's-tongue.

Garlic- Strong antiseptic, good for repelling insects (and vampires). Prevents infections when applied to wounds; wounded recover 2 hit points per day for the first three days of rest. Has a 50% chance of repelling attacking insects, giant or otherwise. Juice can restore one hit point per injury that was lost due to poisonous sting or bite.

Henbane- Potent painkiller. Poisonous if taken internally. Boil leaves, seeds or roots in water and apply as a poultice. Will restore 1-6 hit points to a wounded character in a manner similar to Aaron's rod, but only 1-4 of those will "wear off" two hours later when the pain returns. So effective as a painkiller, if you fight while under the effects of henbane you will fight as though moderately intoxicated due to numbing. Can be used daily when recovering from a fever, returning one point of strength and constitution per day. Treat as poison if eaten or drunk, when boiling there is a 40% chance that inhaling will cause hallucinations.

Herb True-Love- Antidote for poisons and an antiseptic. Eating three berries or making a tea from the leaves will add +2 save vs. poison, +3 for halflings or dwarves, if taken within two rounds of the suspected poisoning. As a wound wash it can be used once per injury to restore a single hit point.

Juniper Berry- Less effective poison curative than herb true-love. Also a stimulant for the injured, as eating two berries helps fight off shock. If unconscious with zero or fewer hit points, the berries will add 1-4 hit points possibly restoring the character to consciousness. Character restored in this manner cannot fight or exert himself until he has rested to regain as many hit points as the herb artificially returned to him . If eaten to counter poison, add +1 to save if eaten with two rounds of poisoning.

Marsh-Mallow- Used to treat burns or help with recovery from blood loss. Root should be mashed, boiled in water, and bound to wound; this will give a character 2 hit points per day while recovering, for the first three days. Boiled remains of root can be drunk to counter the effects of blood loss; regaining 1-3 points per day instead of the usual one hit point.

St. John's-Wort- Boil a dozen in wine to make a tincture for wound treatment; it helps close wounds and heal bruises. If immediately applied to a wound, return 1-4 points as having "never been lost". Powdered seeds drunk in a broth will add +1 to save vs. poison if taken within two rounds of poisoning.

Sphagnum Moss- When sterilized, it makes an effective dressing for wounds. When cleaned and dried, can be bound to wounds; character will heal 25% more quickly (four hit points returned every three days of rest.) Moss must be replaced every three days of use.

Woundwort- Styptic, staunching blood and helping to coagulate. Good for all wounds, especially deep cuts. If applied within two rounds to an injury, woundwort will stop bleeding and prevent further weakness from blood loss. Bleeding damage is considered 20% less, reflecting damage that "never took place"

Dragon Magazine #301, "From Field to Cauldron: Alchemy Begins in the Forest", pp 52-58 These require use of the Alchemy skill to prepare properly , each entry includes the Alchemy DC needed to create.

Wittlewort- Dried, treated and powdered, then made into a brew, its use immediately grants creatures under the effects of Enchantment effects another saving throw (unless the effect did not grant an initial save). DC: 15.

Cotsbalm- Sap is used as a base for a clear substance called purebalm. When poured on the skin of a someone poisoned by an injury or contact poison, it turns black as it draws it out of their system. If administered between the initial and secondary onset of a poison, it provides a +8 alchemical bonus to Fortitude save to resist the secondary effects. DC: 35.

Musk Muddle- Boiled leaves used to make a burn salve. Heals 1d6 points of fire damage if applied within two rounds of injury. DC: 10.

Tyrant's Sword- If silver colored parts of the plant are boiled they can be used to make a warm, mushy substance called frost lotion. Heals 1d6 points of cold damage if applied within two rounds of injury. DC: 10.

Prickly Tea- The regular version of prickly tea can be distilled into a substance called Senses. It sharpens the imbiber's eyes and ears for one hour, granting a +1 alchemical bonus to Spot and Listen checks. DC: 25.

Sand Vine- Juice can be combined with common ingredients to make an anesthetic called vine oil. When spread on skin it numbs pain letting the user function when reduced below -5 hit points. This does not stop the normal loss of one hit point per round when a character is reduced to zero or less hit points. Last for hour after application, and can only be used once every 24 hours. DC: 15.

Old Man's Friend- Herb can be crushed and combined to make a thick paste called gash glue. Often carried by soldiers to seal a fallen companion's wounds, one application stabilizes a dying creature. DC: 20.

Elven Willow The sap is the main component in a fluid called elf hazel. When applied over a week to an old wound, it makes the scar vanish completely. DC: 10.

Dwarven Oak- The bark is used to create a liquid called oakdeath that increases toxicity when added to a poison. If added to a poison less than one hour before it is used, it increases the poison's DC by 2. DC: 25.

Orticusp- Makes "night venom"; pulped and mixed with a poison, it adds an additional effect. If a victim fails the initial Fortitude save against an enhanced poison they must make another save at the same DC to avoid falling into a slumber until the poison's secondary effect sets in. Affected characters may be awoken normally. DC: 35.

Wild Fireclover- Stems can make a mind-clouding poison additive called mindfire. When added to an ingested poison it adds the effect of a -2 alchemical penalty to Will saves if either of the poison saves are failed. In addition, spellcasters affected by it must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast spells. Effects last one hour. DC: 30.

Meadow Giant- Powered stem makes a substance called White Sanguine that prevents clotting; it is typically smeared along with a poison onto bladed weapons. If victim fails initial Fortitude save against the poison, the wound continues to bleed for one minute, inflicting 1 point of damage per round in blood loss. Bleeding can be stopped with a DC 15 Heal check. Can only be added to injury poisons. DC: 20.

Wolfweed- Used to make journeyman serum, which provides a +2 alchemical bonus to Constitution checks made to resist subdual damage from making a forced march. DC: 5.

Darkroot- Makes a strong glue called titan gum. Objects bonded with the glue require a DC 20 Strength check to separate. DC: 15.

Goblin Rouge- Juice of the berries can be used to make a waterproof ink that cannot be smeared or affected by the elements. DC 10.

Halfling Thistle- Used to make shinewater, a rust remover and polisher. One dose will de-rust a medium sized metal weapon. DC: 5.

Cave Star- When prepared and stored in glass, it will give off light for four hours, with neither heat nor smoke. DC: 10.

Ice Lotus- Key ingredient in icewalker oil. The substance gives the equivalent to spider climb when walking on ice or snow. Lasts for 10 minutes. DC: 35.

Dragon Magazine #336, "Herbal Remedies" p 98 These herbs require a Survival skill check to use properly. The DC is listed for each.

Fleshshiver- Mushroom used to combat fever in the tropics. Mix with cool mud and compress to head. Gives a +2 alchemical bonus to Fortitude saves made to resist non-magical diseases; lasts for one day. DC: 20.

Goldencup- Oily yellow moss that gives a euphoria that strengthens resolve, often used by natives before combat. When chewed for one minute it gives a +2 alchemical bonus on saves vs. fear and compulsion effects for 30 minutes. When in combat, the user must make a DC 10 Will save or suffer the confusion effect as the spell for the duration. DC: 25.

Lish Nut- Very nutritious, a handful can provide a day's sustenance. Vermin dislike the smell. For two hours after eating a nut (a full round action), the consumer emits the nut's odor, forcing attacking vermin to make a DC 11 Will save or become sickened for 2d4 round after touching the character. DC: 10.

Tereeka Root- Root removes pain and increases healing rate. Chewing it allows the user to remain conscious to -5 hit points and regain hit point damage while resting as though under the care of a trained healer (2 hit points per level). One dose takes a minute to chew and lasts 12 hours. DC: 30.

Visma Paste- The boiled leaves are used to treat burns. One application heals 1d3 points nonlethal damage from heat exposure and a +2 alchemical bonus to the next save to resist further environmental heat damage. Lasts one hour. DC: 15.

Dragon Magazine #357, "Arcane Botanica: Saplings, Sprouts, Spells, and Seeds" pp 52-58 These plants are considered difficult to cultivate and grow. Each has an associated skill check whose DC can be made either with Knowledge (nature) or Profession (gardener).

Djinn Blossoms- Often grown by elves, but originating on the Elemental Plane of Air, the fern-like Blossoms maintains a link to its home plane, emitting a little breeze in all directions. Wearing a plucked djinn blossom provides a +2 bonus on all saves to resist inhaled poisons, gases, and spells that rely on gasses, clouds or fogs. It can also be made into a perfume using a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check that gives a +2 bonus on Charisma skill checks. Both a worn blossom or a dose of perfume last for 24 hours. DC: 20.

Nahre Lotus- These valuable lilies reach into the Elemental Plane of Water and draw fluid across the planes to flow out of their blossoms. Often grown in oases, a properly cultivated lotus can produce 50 gallons of pure, sweet water per day. A dead lotus kept in water can be used as a poisonous blight against other plants (used as a grenadelike weapon, contact; Fort DC 12; initial damage death, secondary 2d6 Con damage). Very rare and expensive. DC: 25 to cultivate.

Orevine- Modified from a version originating on the Elemental Plane of Earth, this plant sends roots through soil and stone to find specific metals. There are several varieties, each keyed to a different metal and having various ways of extracting the metal from the plant. Once per a month a DC 20 Knowledge (nature) check can be made to extract metal, and the plant will exhaust all traces within 100 foot of planting within 3d6 months. Plants keyed to copper or iron produce 400 gp worth of metal per month, silver or gold varieties produce 1,000 gp of metal a month, and one keyed to platinum, mithral or adamantium produce 2,000 gp of metal per month. Purchase price for a plant is roughly five times its per month value. DC: 30.

Salamander Orchids- These plants are seemingly made from brass and produce a smokeless flame drawn from the Elemental Plane of Fire. The light is equivalent to light and heat produced by a torch. Touching the plant without hand protection does 1d6 fire damage each round. When used in the crafting of a flaming or flame burst weapon, the cost is reduced by 500 gp and 100 XP. Cultivating the plant requires feeding it 25 gp of oil per month. DC:30.

Aelfengrape- A grape plant modified by elven wizards, it provides mild illumination equal to a candle and produces fruit that is highly nutritious. A handful of grapes equals one meal. Can also be used to make wine, tea, and various crafts. DC: 15.

Coldwood- Grown by fey, this wood has the strength of iron while having none of iron's deleterious effects on fey. It can be used to craft both weapons and armor. Armor produced using coldwood can also be worn safely by druids. Objects created have the same hardness, strength, weight, and edge-holding properties as good-quality steel. The DC for crafting an item is always 8 higher than when crafting with actual steel. Costs are +2000 gp for medium armors, +4000 gp for heavy armors, +500 gp for sheilds, and +2000 gp for weapons. DC: 15.

Fey Cherry- The effects of weather and wind are reduced around these trees; within the canopy the temperature never drops below 50 degrees or rises above 80, wind is lessened by 20 mph. Once per decade it produces cherries that will give an protection from evil effect for 5 minutes when eaten. The magic lasts for one day after picking but gentle repose cast on the fruit will extend it for its duration. DC: 15.

Flame Clove- A garliclike herb imbued with elemental fire energy. When a clove is boiled in salt water and crushed and blended into food, it keeps the food hot for 1d4 days. Adding a sprig from the plant into alchemist's fire during crafting, it will double the fire damage and causes it to burn twice as long. DC: 15.

Glowvine- The blossoms of this plant give off the same light as a torch during the night. Mages have cultivated varieties for many different climates. DC: 20.

Lakeleaf- This parsleylike herb originated along the banks of the River Oceanus. When rubbed into meat, it prevents the meat from ever drying out even when overcooked. Using a sprig from the plant when casting gentle repose doubles the spell's duration (does not stack with the Extend feat). DC: 15.

Tahtoalehti- Also known as Wishfern, this plant is considered the most valuable of all magical plants. It only blooms once every 1d100 years and always on the night of the winter solstice. On that night it produces a single, white, luminous flower. If properly harvested without bruising or damage, requiring a DC 40 Profession (gardener) check, it grants a single wish, equal to that cast as a level 20 sorcerer. Once day arrives, the blossom withers, leaving behind a single new seed. Extremely difficult to grow, it requires an absence of contact and must not be within 100 miles of any other wishfern. DC: 40 (if this check fails, the plant must make a DC Fort save or die, with a +0 bonus).


The first article was intended for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, and the others for 3rd edition. They can all be adapted or modified with ease. There is one additional Dragon article, in issue 273, called "Van Richten's Legacy: Wicked Garden", pp 44-49. Although interesting, it is less useful for your purposes; each herb and plant has several suggested uses, from the mildly helpful to the cursed and poisonous, or both at the same time (naturally, being meant for the Ravenloft setting).

I have several other sources I will put in a second entry, as they are third party and I wish to keep them separate. All were meant for 3rd edition and are d20 compatible, though may need to be modified for any Pathfinder games.

[Toungebiter]

Occult Lore, from Atlas Game's Penumbra line.

There are two large chapters relating to herbs and spices. First is Herbalism, pp 76-95. It details their version of a skill simply called Herbalism (Int or Wis; trained only). The skill allows the crafting of simple herbal preparations and medicinals, called Concoctions, and magical versions. There is a small discussion on cooking. There is a new feat called Plantbinding which allows the placement of sympathetic spells into plants to make an item called a verdex. There is a ten level prestige class called Master Herbalist and a five level prestige class called Wylderwitch; both preserve full casting levels while granting extra benefits to Herbalism. Finally, there is a section on the equipment used in Herbalism and Alchemy.

The second section is more directly useful, Byron B. Baird's Bountiful Botanical, pp 171-213. It is fairly extensive, listing lots of herbs and the Concoctions that can be made from them using the Herbalism skill. Each herb lists multiple uses based on "traits" as well as possible magical uses. There is too much to list it all, so I'm just going to very briefly summarize each. I am leaving out the potential magical effects, as this will be long enough as is.

Anise- A combination oil used on the skin confers a +1 Fortitude save to resist skin diseases such as leprosy, grave rot, and swamp foot. Lasts two days. Can make a pill that boosts the immune system, giving a +2 Fortitude save against disease for 24 hours. Can be made into a soap that removes odors like skunk musk, or a powder that protects from odor type attacks like stinking cloud, giving a +1 save bonus for two days. An herbal tea relieves respiratory disorders, giving a +2 Heal skill bonus when dealing with breathing pain or congestion type problems.

Bitterroot- Can ferment into an extremely bitter brew that makes a person twice as drunk and for twice as long as normal if they don't make periodic Fortitude saves (DC 17). A special preparation can protect the user against being drunk for a number of hours equal to his Constitution modifier.

Dragon Flower- This plant produces an extremely foul odor; approaching within 60 requires a DC 20 Fortitude check. Saving results in a -2 penalty to all actions while in the area; failing means the creature is overcome with nausea and vomiting, being unable to take any action other than a single move or movement related action per turn. Lasts until you leave the area, plus 1d6 rounds. A preserved pod will keep its effects for 1d4 weeks, and can be used as a purgative. Sap from a pod has anti-toxic characteristics; if swallowed raw it gives a +5 bonus to save vs. poison for 10 rounds. Sap remains viable for 10 days and Herbalists can make it last much longer. Resin from the heart of the flower is an addictive, mind affecting toxin (Fortitude save DC 25 or suffer 12 hours euphoria and hallucinations, 1d6 Con damage and 1d6 days of cramps, vomiting and headaches).

Elysium- Strongly anti-magic. Any area where this grows is effectively covered with an Anti-magic field. This ability ends immediately once the plant is pulled up, but can continue for 2d4 weeks if pulled up with roots and attached earth. Eating it promotes efficient, healthier digestion; filling your stomach with the grass provides all the nutrition you need for two days. If enough grass is collected and drained, it can make a gel that, when rubbed onto the body, will give a +2 Hide check when in tall grass.

Faerie Grass- Stepping on a patch of this grass will disorient; make a DC 20 Will save or lose track of where you are going until you exit the grass. When eaten, the grass lowers blood sugar levels. Unless used to treat a diabetic, anyone eating must a DC 23 Fortitude save or lose 1d4 Constitution points as though starved for a week. A full day's worth of food must be consumed to return each Constitution point.

Fainne Mushroom- Any mortal that enters a fairy ring must make a DC 28 Will save each round or fall asleep for 1d12 hours. When they awake, they have a permanent glamour. The magic is random, an effect like blur, slow, enlarge, or blindness, and so on. Fey creatures can use the ring to plane shift to their homeland. The base of the mushroom can be added to a potion to improve the duration by 25%; an Herbalist can increase this to 50%. The stem acts as an sexual stimulant, giving anyone attempting to seduce the user a Charisma bonus, +2 if they are attracted already, +1 if they are not. This effect lasts four hours.

Grave Mold- Small doses help fight disease and infection. Prepared by an herbalist, a consumed ounce of the mold will give a +3 Fortitude save bonus against all disease for 6 days. Grave mold growing on a corpse can produce a simulacrum due to its highly psionic nature; the simulacrum must stay within 120 feet of the generating corpse.

Hemlock- The seeds can be made into a soporific tincture. If injected, the affected creature must make a Fortitude DC 15 or sleep for three hours. This can be made into a tea that makes the sleep last for five hours. Sometimes this is used as an anesthetic during primitive surgery. Can be used topically against inflammations; grants a +1 Heal skill bonus when used to treat skin-affecting diseases and infections. In small doses hemlock can relax muscles, in large enough doses complete paralysis can result, resulting in asphyxiation when the lungs stop working. Those eating raw hemlock must make a DC 15 Fortitude save or become paralyzed, subsequent damage is determined by suffocation rules until cured with spells or counteracted by a healer using a stimulant.

Henna- Mostly used to make a pigment used in tattoos, it is magically reactive and can be used to make several of the magic concoctions and verdexes mentioned in the book.

Imperial Willow- The bark is used to relieve pain. Can be brewed into a bland tea that cures 4 points of subdual damage. Can also be prepared to relieve infection; giving a +7 Fortitude save bonus against skin disease for a number of days equal to the imbiber's Constitution score. Imperial willow heartwood enhances certain magical effects, such as granting a dryad the ability to teleport without error when they step into the tree. A druid casting a spell within 30 feet can make a DC 20 Will save in order to have their spell augmented with the Enlarge Spell feat. A bard within 10 feet can bolster a song or chant by making a DC 25 Will save; success gains a +4 Perform skill bonus for the song's duration.

Mandrake- Has pain relieving properties; when the leaves are chewed or rubbed on the skin it heals 2 points of subdual damage, usable once per 12 hours. A stronger version may be prepared that will heal 4 points per 6 hour period. Mandrake can have a soporific effect, chewing more ounces than half your Con score will require a DC 25 Fortitude save to avoid experiencing delirium lasting 2d4 hours. Another valuable trait of the plant is that a tea concoction can be made from it that will induce sleep for 2 hours. Country doctors will use this to anesthetize patients before rudimentary surgeries. Finally, the strongest chemical in mandrake is its toxin. Taking too much, or giving a large dose, requires a DC 25 Fortitude save or the character will enter a permanent coma, typically leading to death.

Menhirite- Found naturally on the Elemental Plane of Earth, they can appear elsewhere in tall, rock-like rings where a king or queen has been interred in the ground. The plants are often guarded by a group of ghouls and wights; often they are non-aggressive, attacking only those who seek to harm the plants. Thought to be a gift from the gods, a menhirite ring is often considered holy ground by commoners, who will sometimes brave going near to place one of their dead within the ring. This is unpredictable, sometimes returning the person to life, sometimes raising them as an undead, but more commonly doing nothing (5% chance per month of resurrecting, after a year it rises as if create undead was cast on it.) Uses of the plant include promoting blood clotting, making wounds heal faster. An ounce of sap will instantly heal 6 hit points and stops bleeding as it closes the wound. Pieces of the plant, placed on a dead body, will slow the rate of decay by half.

Mistletoe- A parasitic bush that grows on trees, it is most famous for being revered by druids, due to it appearing to grow out of nowhere and never touching the ground. The berries stimulate the immune system in response to cancers and wild growths. Drinking an extract grants a +3 bonus to all saves against any transformation process, whether natural like cancers, or supernatural like polymorph other. This can be used once per day. Unless this trait is separated by a herbalist, using mistletoe in this manner subjects the user to a more hazardous trait: it can cause agitation and contractions in the abdominal region, including the uterus in women. In pregnant women, this can be fatal for both fetus and mother. If a female eats more than a few berries they must make a DC 19 Fortitude save or take 1d4 Constitution damage and 1d8 damage from bleeding. A successful save results in half damage. In either case, any pregnancy is aborted. Men affected by the toxin must make a DC 12 Fortitude save to avoid 1 point of Con damage due to spasms; a critical failure adds 1d4 damage from internal bleeding.

Nightshade- The powerful nightshade is associated with witches, along with mandrake and hemlock. Extremely toxic, the lower parts of the plant are the most poisonous: the roots are strongest, the stem and leaves less powerful, and the berries are the most harmless. Except for small children, the fruit can be eaten in small amounts; gnomes are immune completely and often make the berries into jam. Small amounts relax muscles and increase blood flow which healers can use to treat such problems as muscle spasms, epilepsy and acute bouts of coughing (make a DC 18 Fort save or become lethargic, suffering a -2 circumstance penalty to all actions - any d20 roll- for 30 minutes). Used as a poison, swallowing more than an ounce requires a DC 18 Fort save to avoid taking 1d6 Con damage. The damage is accompanied by a delirium described as a "sense of flying". This is thought to be the origin of stories about witches being able to fly. A concoction can be made to use its ability to relax the nervous system; such an extract grants a +4 bonus to all Reflex saves for nine hours. More than one dose at a time requires a DC 18 Fort save to avoid becoming paralyzed completely (rules for slow suffocation apply after 10 minutes as the lungs stop working). Paralysis wears off in 60 minutes minus one minute per Constitution point. A trained Herbalist can make the poison deadly nightshade using extracts of the plant- Type: Ingested DC 25, Primary damage: 1d6 Con per round for 3 rounds; Secondary damage: 1d4 Wis per round for 3 rounds; cost: 2,940 gp.

Oak- An astringent oil can be made from the leaves that makes skin contract; used to seal wounds, it can heal 1 point of damage, but only once per wound. Bark can be processed by a Herbalist to make topical treatment used for preventing infections. Used as a poultice it gives a character with the Heal skill a bonus of +4 to his skill check when attempting to treat freshly inflicted wounds. Midwives will use this in childbirth to prevent infection.

Pomegranate- The leaves have antibacterial properties; when crushed and applied to wounds they give a +5 Heal skill bonus. It can be prepared by an herbalist into a form that gives a +10 bonus. The bark is a strong purgative, when consumed it forces a creature to vomit and evacuate its bowels in 1d10 rounds after consuming. There is no save for this. Healers sometimes use it this way to rid a patient of worms or other intestinal disorder. The juice from the pomegranate's fruit can treat such things as dysentery and fever as it reduces body temperature slightly. When drunk it provides a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves to resist extreme heat and hot conditions for one hour. When made into a concoction, it gives a +4 bonus for one day.

Skull Orchid- Highly dangerous to even touch, the skull orchid produces three different poisons, each of which can be extracted by an herbalist from a different part of the plant. Toxin from the leaves targets the brain, causing a cerebral aneurysm. Touching a leaf requires making a DC 17 Fort save to avoid taking 1d4 temporary Intelligence damage and 1d4 temporary Constitution damage. On a critical save failure, the Int damage is permanent. Toxin from the stem shuts down the liver; touching it requires a DC 16 Fort save or the creature loses one Constitution point per hour until cured or dead. The third toxin, obtained from the seeds, targets the heart, forcing it to beat rapidly until it ruptures; touching them will cause 2d6 temporary Con damage and one point of permanent Con damage. Once picked the orchid quickly becomes safe to handle as the toxins are neutralized. If prepared quickly while fresh, several poisons can be made:
Mind Hammer (from the leaves; Contact DC 20; primary damage 1d4 permanent Int; secondary damage 1d4 permanent Con; cost 150 gp)
Golden Embrace (from the stem; Contact DC 22; primary damage 1 Con; secondary damage 1 Con per hour until death; cost 300 gp)
Heart Fire (distilled from the seeds; Contact DC 20; primary damage 2d6 Con; secondary 1 permanent Con; cost 500 gp)

Spriggan Tree- The spriggan tree gets its name from its unusual life cycle; for half its life it grows upwards as a normal tree, then mysteriously begins "un-growing", shrinking until it vanishes back into the ground. The acorns can be used to take advantage of the tree's natural magic to make cheap versions of potions of enlarging and growing equal to a caster level of 5. A trained Herbalist can make one for 22 gp. At the DM's discretion, the effects can be permanent until dispelled or an acorn of the opposite effect is eaten. The bark can be boiled into a tea that kills internal parasites such as tapeworm and blood flukes. Once the tea it taken, making a DC 15 Fort save will kill any in the body and flush them away.

Woad- Woad seed oil has an astringent quality that helps to clot blood and seal wounds. The oil must be spread onto the skin in advance of wounding, however. When an oil-covered area takes damage, 1 hit point heals automatically at the beginning of the following round. A coating of oil is effective for one hour and takes affect for each hit taken during that time. The leaves contain a chemical that reduces inflammation. When used in the raw state, the leaves heal 2 points of burn damage; a person may only benefit once per day. If made into a concoction, it provides a +2 Heal skill check bonus when working with burned tissue, in addition to healing 2 points of burn damage. The raw and prepared uses do not stack. The woad tree is most famous for a blue dye that can be made from its leaves; the pigment will stain skin and clothes for weeks and can be used to make permanent tattoos. Some barbarians know the secrets of enchanting such tattoos to increase their rage power.

Xian Tao- Sometimes called the mythical "Peach Tree of Immortality", the xian tao is very difficult to find. The species is rare and tends to grow on remote mountaintops; it can grow in very cold and icy regions as the tree emits its own heat out to a 200 foot diameter. Once per lifetime a person may eat a fruit and gain its magical healing benefits. All damage is healed, including lost limbs, lost levels, and mental imbalances. The fruit must be eaten within three hours of being picked. If somehow preserved and brought to civilization, it can be sold for a fortune (up to 100,000 gp, assuming it isn't stolen once word of its existence gets out). If the alchemical and herbal secrets needed can be found, a fruit can be turned into the fabled elixir of immortality which, after a 9 month transformation stage where the user can do nothing, gets exactly what is implied: stops aging, immunity to poison and disease, large bonuses to saving throws (+10), damage resistance 20/+4 and spell resistance 15. The character also gains +4 to Wis and Int, but loses 5 levels due to the altering magic, though they may be regained. This makes the user virtually unkillable, though such a thing is still possible with great effort. The value of this elixir is 375,000 gp, and will certainly gain the creator the attention of everyone.

Alchemy & Herbalists, from Bastion Press. This book gives optional rules for greatly expanding the uses of alchemy and herbalism in d20 games. It includes 3 optional prestige classes for alchemists and one for the dedicated herbalist. There are also chapters detailing the schools where those are taught. One chapter details a number of new alchemy creations which can either be made by the aforementioned prestige classes, or simply used as optional alchemical treasures. The chapter of most interest here is Chapter 5: Herbal Catalog, detailing various herbs and their game uses. Briefly summarized:

Acacia- Inhaling acacia smoke as incense adds +1 to any Will saves for 1 hour. Other uses include making dye/ink and its gummy sap can be used in many ointments and salves.

Aconite (Wolfsbane)- Can be used to make antidote vs. animal poisons (+1 to Fort saves). Its special use is, if chewed or eaten within an hour of a lycanthrope's attack, you gain a DC 20 Fortitude save to shake off the effects of the lycanthrope curse. If boiled in hot water it can make a poison that can be infused into food or drink (DC 13 to avoid nausea for 1d4 rounds, then vomiting and 1d4 Str loss).

Amaranth- Stops bleeding and hit point loss when applied to a wound as either a fresh poultice or dried and taken internally as a tea.

Barley- Low grade cereal crop used to make bread or fermented in water to make beers and ales. Barley-laced water is often used as a medicinal by apothecaries and midwives (boil in water and drink to return 1 point of subdual damage).

Basil- Common herb, if 5 fresh leaves are stuffed into a poisoned wound, you gain an immediate Fort Save vs. poison.

Belladonna- Sometimes used in dangerous religious ceremonies, it is mostly used to make poisons. One dose is DC 15/Nausea/1d8 hp damage. It can be prepared as a contact, injury, or ingestion poison. Like wolfsbane, if eaten within an hour of a lycanthrope attack you can roll a DC 20 Fort save to avoid the curse.

Betony- The flowers can be made into an analgesic and a curative for colds (use adds +1 Fort save vs. disease).

Blackthorn- This can be used against evil outsiders and demons in the same way garlic can be used to repel vampires. They can be grown as hedges or simply gathered and strewn about an area.

Borage- Pulping the leaves and flowers, then boiling, makes a medicine for breaking fevers and waking unconscious victims (gain a Fortitude save to fight off illness or poison effects early).

Breeam- Tossing a handful of dried bark onto a fire emits a cloud of smoke that turns undead in a 10' diameter for 1d4 minutes as a 1st level cleric.

Bryony- All parts of this plant are poisonous (primary damage Nausea/ secondary damage 1d3 Str and 1d2 con). The various parts have different saves: stalks or root- DC 14, leaves and flowers- DC 16, berries- DC 17.

Caranator- Chew a piece of root to clear the mind (gain a Will save vs. any charms or enchantments immediately.)

Cloth of Gold- Beyond its ordinary uses as a spell component, dye, or spice, you can chew on a flower or six leaves as a free action to gain a one-round speak with animals effect.

Damiana- The leaves and stalks can be harvested for use in incense. Anyone within the damiana incense vapors has their emotions and personality enhanced (+1 Charisma for one hour).

Dittany (of Crete) Can be heated in ale or wine to clear the head and help resist the lingering effects of poisons (regain 1d3 hp of subdual damage).

Dragon's Blood- The resin of this palm tree can be used as a reagent for many other substances and it enhances many effects without making the concoctions unstable. Adding a pinch of resin to any herbal treatment that is eaten or imbibed has a 50% chance of of increasing its effectiveness by +1 per die of effect.

Dryad's Tears- While commoners use the berries from this climbing vine to make jam and wine, it has a special use: its odor repels lycanthropes in the same manner as blackthorn with outsiders and garlic with vampires.

Euphorbia- The milkly juice of this plant is used as a purgative and a poison (DC 12; primary Nausea; secondary 1d3 Str). Rubbing the oily leaves on the skin will cause rashes and weeping blisters; doing this deliberately is an old beggar trick to make them appear more pitiable while they beg.

Firesnap- Notable only for its strong odor, dried sections of this are often kept to revive an unconscious person. Snap the root under a person's nose to give them a temporary hit point for 1 minute to move them out of danger.

Fool's Weed- Commoners often eat this as a leafy snack like lettuce or infuse it in a tea to help them sleep. Chewing 5 fresh leaves provides a calming effect and allows a Will save to help end any fear or rage effects, including barbarian rages.

Hawthorn- While lots of myths surround the use of the hawthorn tree's wood, there is one interesting use: sprinkling the pollen from its blossoms into the eyes allows anyone to see faeries and fey creatures, despite any invisibility on their part, for up to an hour.

Juniper- Juniper berries are often prescribed as an immediate and sometimes helpful poison antidote (Fort save at +2 only against herbal poisons).

Mandrake- The root, boiled in a tea or a small bit chewed, acts as an anesthetic and removes pain by sedating the imbiber (Fort Save or sleep for 1d4 hours). An apothecary should prepare it for use, otherwise the treatment acts as a poison (DC 17; primary Unconsciousness and Sleep 1d8 hours; secondary 1d2 Con).

Rowan- The wood of this small tree, while having no common uses, has a special one- it naturally protects against magic. Used in such items as staves and shields, rowan wood always gets a Fortitude saving throw against magic, even if not enchanted or treated, and has a 50% chance of naturally boosting an enchantment by +1 when created.

Sukake (Citron)- The lemon-like fruits produced from this tree can induce hallucinations or a dream-like sleep. If properly prepared priests and other spellcasters can eat a sukake fruit as a free action while casting a divination to make the spell act as if cast with a Maximize Spell feat. However, they also must endure its narcotic effects (as poison DC 13; primary damage 1 point Int and 1 point Wis; secondary damage Sleep 1d4 hours).

Sweetspire- This small tree has many uses. Its sap-filled leaves can be boiled down and fermented to make a sweet, white wine that travels well; its dried leaves and resin are highly flammable and make good torches or fire starters; its sap can be smeared onto skin as a guard against cold as it warms on contact. A little known use is to break open two or more leaves and smear the sap onto skin to provide an immediate Fortitude save against paralysis effects.

Tamarisk- Burning this plant produces an effect that is as offensive to any reptilian creature, from snakes to dragons, as garlic is to vampires.

Vervain- Dried and burned as an incense, it grants a +1 level bonus to any turning or rebuking undead or other spirits in the area, for one hour.

Wordwood- Can make an infusion that helps expel internal parasites (as poison DC 11; primary Nausea; secondary 1d3 subdual).

[Toungebiter]

Oathbound, from Bastion Press from pages 43-45

Bowery- This massive tree is often used to support tree homes. It produces an interesting sap that can be tapped and processed in a manner similar to maple syrup. This product can be used to make an item called Sap Hide Armor (Light Armor, Cost 450 gp; Armor Bonus +4; Max Dex: +6; Armor Check: -1; Spell Failure: %10; Move: 30ft. 20ft.; Weight: 15lbs; Don/Doff: 1m/5r/1m). Sap Hide is thicker than leather but more flexible and resistant to cuts. However, it is expensive as every suit must be carefully custom fit to each wearer or the Armor Check penalty increases by -4. A byproduct is Sap Gum, which can be sweetened and chewed for fun, or used to hold two small items together as it becomes very sticky once chewed. Another product is Sap Strips, made like Sap Hide but left with one side very sticky. They are often kept in rolls of 20 six-foot lengths, from which you can pull off an adhesive strip useful for attaching objects together, make repairs, disable traps, jury rig devices, bind and gag prisoners, an so on. Used with the skill Disable Device a 2 foot sap strip adds a +2 competence bonus to the check. Used to bind a prisoner a twelve foot strip adds a +3 competence bonus to the Use Rope check and reduces the time needed to bind someone by half.

Mossfruit -This tree has leaves that look like green fur and produce a green fruit that looks like it is covered in moss. The fruit is very popular, being juicy, sweet, and flavorful.

Alorak- A creeping vine that produces a large ground fruit similar in size and shape to a pumpkin. The fruit has a hard shell and interior flesh that is red and dense. Alorak fruit has the same consistency and flavor as beef. It can be grilled, stewed, or eaten raw, and has a high protein content. It is eaten in place of meat by societies lucky enough to have access to it as it is considered safer, cleaner, less morally objectionable, and more easily replenished.

Sameril- A flowering bush that produces a large network of quick growing roots. Root ends will push up out of the ground and can be cut off and eaten like a potato. It is a useful crop as it can be harvested at any time.

Baban- This small leafy plant has a root that can be roasted, ground, and steeped in boiling water to make a drink called babanth. When imbibed, it numbs the drinker's aches and pains, and gives a mild sense of euphoria. A successful Profession (Herbalist) or Wilderness Lore check vs. a DC of 15 will produce 4 doses from one root. The drink will give a +1 morale bonus to all Fortitude saves as well as a -1 morale penalty to all Will saves, for one hour.

Lantana - A creeping vine popular with druids, who will harvest small sections at a time for their leaves. Lantana clippings can be used in place of mistletoe as a druid spell focus. A single leaf can be used with any druid spell to empower its potency, range, or duration (+1 on each damage die, and a 10% increase in range and duration). A leaf usually sells for 25 gp, or can be successfully harvested with a DC 17 check using either Profession (Herbalist) or Wilderness Lore.

Lumin- A small carnivorous flowering plant that attracts insects with a soft natural glow from its blossoms. Soaking up sun during the day, the lumin only blooms at night. The plants are often domesticated and hung about cities lucky enough to have them as they provide the dual benefit of light at night and pest control.

Nisankh- This strange looking plant has silver blossoms that can dried, powdered and made into a tea that can slow down the effects of aging. Taken at least once a week, the user will age 10% more slowly. Popular with the rich, one dose can be made with a single blossom that usually sells for about 100 gp. Correctly harvesting the nisankh requires a Profession (Herbalist) or Wilderness Lore check with a DC of 20. Failure will kill the plant.

Sathonia- A small seed pod that grows on a low vine in sunny regions. It is a popular spice where it grows; it is simply dried, ground and sprinkled on food. The pods can make a complete, tasty meal when cooked with rice.

Primeval Groves, The Wanderers Guild Guide to Dangerous & Unusual Plantlife, from Goodman Games. Most of the book is new monsters of the plant type, but on pages 10-17 there are useful herbs and plants.

Belly Jelly- This melon-sized fungus feels like a water-filled bladder to the touch. If laid on the ground and either touched or observed for termors across its surface, the belly jelly confers use of tremorsense (as described in the MM), detecting movement in a 60 foot radius. Must be fed flies or it deteriorates in one week.

Bitter Shock- These nuts produce an overwhelming odor when cracked open. If broken and inhaled, they remove non-magical stun, unconsciousness, or sleeping and grant a second save with a +4 bonus against magical versions of those effects. A recovered character is shaken for one round. If thrown about a trail, they can shake off a creature tracking by scent. The creature is allowed a new Scent roll every 10 minutes to reacquire the trail.

Boong Boog- A fruit favored by animals and many sentient races, care must be taken when handling them as they are capable of springing outward many hard, sharp thorns. They can even be used as rudimentary weapons by sticking your hand into the interior of the fruit and squeezing the pulp to make the thorns pop out (when worn they allow unarmed attacks to inflict lethal damage, and also raises the total by 1d4 points; on any roll of 1 or 2 the fruit falls apart from being mashed apart).

Cool Beans- These unusual legumes increase internal body temperate when eaten. Even a few will grant a +2 bonus to Fort saves against environmental cold dangers for eight hours after consumption.

Dean Flower- When crushed and smoked with tobacco, the user sees only in black and white. If mixed in the right quantities with other rare herbs, requiring a Knowledge (nature) check at DC 35, smoking will grant a glimpse into the future. Treat this effect as a vision spell cast at 10th level. Herbalists with this rare knowledge will usually charge a large fee for their expertise.

Delphlour- When the seed cases are crushed and rubbed onto skin, it will attract large amounts of flies and bugs (treat as a summon swarm except it is non-magical and does no damage. All other effects and restrictions are as the spell of the same name).

Desert Pouch- These plum sized fruits are found lying in sand in arid regions. If eaten, a small bite will expand in the stomach delaying the effects of hunger and dehydration for one day. Four bites can be taken from a single fruit, and after the four days have passed, the full effects of hunger and dehydration will catch up with the user.

Dieooning Vine Snags (Kipplin Rope)- The dieooing vine grows as a parasite sapping the life out of any tree that it grows on. The vine makes a good, natural rope capable of supporting up to 400 pounds. The ends must be attached to a rock to keep it from trying to snag other objects. If a rock is removed from one end, the vine can act as a very slow moving grappling hook, as an unrestrained end will attach to a new surface in 3d4 days.

Ethal's Dawn- These small flowers shine at dawn. If kept in a dark sack they can later be pulled out and used to provide light in a 5 foot radius for two hours. A plucked flower only lasts for a single day.

Fire Belly- Eating a few berries from the plant causes sudden belching. If more berries are eaten while belching, they will generate a burst of flame. It shoots outward in a 5 foot straight line causing 1d6 points of fire damage to anyone hit, and 1d3 damage to the eater. Some goblin tribes are known to regularly risk eating and attacking with fire belly berries, especially against foes that they know to have no resistance to fire.

Gas Pags- This strange plant derives its nutrients from the air around it, inflating and deflating like a bag, drawing wind into long tubes across its surface. Bizarrely, the gas pags can be made into a music instrument similar to the bagpipes by affixing a reed into one tube and drilling holes along its length.

Gelon Resonator- This highly unusual plant is topped with large pods that can absorb nearby sounds, and release them later when a pod is broken open. One pod can "record" about 15 seconds of speech, and since the pods grow together in clumps of up to 5, longer conversation can be held and played back by opening several pods in sequence. Each is usable only once. They can even be used to store such things as verbal spell components, useful if you know you might lose your ability to speak.

Gentle Pod- A long yellow and purple dotted seed pod, it can be snipped open at one end to have a dusting of its pollen slowly drift out. The pollen has a calming effect on most beings, and when burst under the nose, a pod will remove a frightened, panicked or shaken condition. Against non-magical effects the pod automatically succeeds. Against magical effects they grant a second save roll at a +4 bonus.

Goobang- The goobang holds its germinating seed within a sticky goo it secretes, allowing them stick to animals passing by. A fruit from the plant can be utilized as a grenade-like weapon, hurled to have its goo explode on the target (treat as a tanglefoot bag).

Gub Nut- When the seeds of the gub nut plant are crushed, a fine oil can be collected and used as lamp oil, with the added benefit of producing a relaxing vanilla odor when burned (it relaxes the mind very well, anyone within 20' of a lamp burning gub nut oil will save against mind-influencing spells at a -1 circumstance penalty).

Heltoo Bind Leaves- The heltoo tree is hideous in appearance, seeming dead and withered with skeletal leaves. However, some tribes who live near such trees have learned that the leaves are very effective when used to bind fresh wounds (using them gives a +5 bonus to the Heal skill check to stabilize a bleeding person).

Henabain- This tree leaks a sap that is used by barbarian tribes as tattoo ink, as a sort of war paint before going into battle, believing that it strikes fear into their enemies. (When ink used to make a pattern on the face is struck with sunlight, it produces a magical effect equal to confusion as cast by a 6th level sorcerer onto anyone gazing upon them, out to a 40 ft. range, a DC 15 Will save to negate). Once ink is exposed to sunlight it dries out in 30 minutes, losing its effectiveness.

Henwood Armor- Some elves and fey know the process for turning the strong and flexible bark from the henwood tree into effective armor. A complete suit is considered Medium armor, with a +4 AC bonus, Max Dex of +5, and weighing 20 lbs. It has no risk of arcane spell failure, no restrictions to movement, and no skill check penalty; however, making the armor is labor intensive. Each suit must be individually fitted during creation, and costs 200 gp.

Hoisin Berries- These unusual plants have an appearance similar to rocks and grow on the side of volcanoes (dormant or active). They live by filtering noxious fumes spewing up from cracks in the ground, and letting normal air continue out a hole in their tops. This air-cleaning quality can be put to good use by picking some berries and sticking them up your nose! Usable for 3 weeks after harvesting them, they provide a +2 circumstance bonus against inhaled poisons when used in this manner.

Hum Nettles- The nettles from this plant begin to vibrate and give off a low hum that people find relaxing. They vibrate for two hours after being plucked, and if placed on the eyes as a person begins his sleep he will find that he needs 25% less time asleep in order to wake feeling refreshed (6 hours instead of 8 for most people).

Jinkle Berries- These small purples berries seem the make the eater friendlier and more prone to smiling (gain +2 bonus to Charisma for 2 hours after eating berries).

Kolg Weed Tobacco- Prepared Kolg leaves can be smoked; some users claim they gain some vision into the future. After 10 minutes of smoking, receive an insight modifier to attack rolls and AC for the next hour. The results vary, sometimes the mind is clouded instead of being helped; the GM should roll 1d4-2 in secret to determine the modifier.

Larper- This unusual plant grows like a sheet, dangling from the upper canopies of trees. Carnivorous, it eats mostly insects that it catches but will occasionally snag a larger animal, in which case it rolls up over its catch and falls to ground below, typically smashing its prey and killing it. The larper can be kept indefinitely in a sack, as long as it is fed the equivalent of a rodent once per week. The larper is treated as a net, and may be used in the same manner as per the net in the core rules.

Luump Root- Fantastically foul tasting, the luump root is nevertheless said to invigorate those who chew on it. A DC 14 Fort save is needed to even stomach this root. If successful, the user gains a +2 Con bonus for 30 minutes, as long as they keep chewing. Failing the Fort roll results in 2 rounds of nausea.

Michi Hut (Gourd House)- Gigantic varieties of vegetables, they are popular in some regions as living quarters. The plant is allowed to grow until it hardens on the outside then it is hollowed out. If well tended, the gourd house can last for about 15 years. (Typical thickness 10 feet; break DC 15; harm DC 8, hp 40, climb DC 20)

Millow Mattress- The fruit of the millow plant is known for inflating in strong winds, and so too may it be inflated by blowing into it. Used as a portable mattress, it can be inflated in 15 minutes and then deflated again for easy storage in your backpack.

Normanton- A potentially dangerous plant to bite into, the fruit of the normanton has a smooth round surface and conical, spike-shaped seeds in the interior. When a ripened fruit falls to the ground, the seeds spread themselves by ejecting violently outward from the flesh of the fruit. Tossed onto surface, the seeds spread across a 10' x 10' area. Treat identically to caltrops as in the core rules.

Omp Stems (Natink)- Sap from the Omp plant has long been used as a natural ink, but a stem may also be cut in such a way that it can be used as a quill. One may be used to write out two sheets of paper before the stem runs out of sap.

Phen Orb- The plant lives inside old tree trunks, where it exudes a jelly-like substance until it fills the stump. Bulging outward and forming a thick skin, it then absorbs sunlight as its food. If skillfully done, the outer layer can be removed and placed upon the eye to enhance nighttime vision. Can be worn as a lens granting low light vision for 6 hours. It is dangerous to wear beyond this point, however, as for each 30 minutes past the first 6 hours requires a DC 10 Fort save to avoid going blind, with the DC increasing by 1 for every 30 minutes that pass.

Surface Weed- This swampweed grows thick leaves on the surface of the water, mostly to protects its roots, which are extremely sensitive to direct sunlight. This quality can be utilized to protect vision in a similar manner by wrapping them around the eyes. They give a +2 circumstance bonus against dazzling effects such as the spell flare. Denizens of the underdark have been known to use surface weed to help them walk about in sunlit lands. Creatures normally subject to bright light receive a DC 10 Fort save to resist such effects as dazzling or blindness. Of course, buying a surface plant in the Underdark can be extremely expensive.

Teffarian Leaf Boats A giant leathery leaf that requires only a little stitching on the ends to make it river ready. Usable as a small canoe for one month.

Ungarella Plant- The strong, flexible stems of this plant support large, broad leaves. Sometimes plucked and used as a sort of umbrella, some know that the sap may also be sipped from the stem as a sweet and nutritious drink (give the effects of the Endurance feat at +2 for four hours after consumption).

Wezzil Faregom- This curious plant grows large, heavy seeds inside pods at the ends of long, narrow stems. At its time of seeding, the stems raise and the seeds fire violently up in a large arc to land far from the parent plant. By holding and squeezing the pods, they can be used as an effective ranged weapon. Requires the Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat to wield effectively ( Damage: 1d10; Range Increment: 110 ft; Weight: 6 lbs; Type: Bludgeoning). A pod will last about 10 weeks after harvesting.

Willow Sound- This bulbous plant grows in holes or knots of willow trees. Making low humming noises as wind passes over their surface, its outer skin is used to catch and dissolve flies. When a layer is peeled away from its skin and placed over the ears, they amplify sounds passing through. When used in this manner, they bestow a +2 to Listen checks.

Yuumm Pods- Merely used to sweeten food or drinks, such as tea. A pod is about as strong as a sugar cube.

[TheThan]

i've been down pretty hard with stomach flu, so I really haven't been on much. i'm still not quite at 100% so it might be another day or two before i feel like working on this project.

Dragon 82 has already been mentioned, but I greatly appropriate all the effort Toungebiter has gone through to dig up all that information. his efforts won't be in vain. Thank you for all the help and suggestions thus far.

[DodgerH2O]

A while ago (over 2 years, wow!) I made this thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=215406

Which lacks real-world plants but has a plethora of ideas from various posters. Always meant to keep updating it but it fell to the wayside...

[Toungebiter]

Think I'm done now, sorry it took so long. It seemed a much quicker write-up in my head. Anyway, that's a good start. I noticed a bit of power creep as I went along, some of the later 3rd party products have plants that straight up replicate spells and alchemy items. As general herbs they are probably too powerful, but I think you could find uses for them; perhaps there is a society of humanoids who have developed a kind of living technology instead of one based on the forging of metals.

[Jachywalcott]

Not as of yet.

I’ve basically come to the conclusion that star wars saga edition is the best version of the D20 system to date (haven’t tried DnD next, can’t say I’m terribly interested at the moment).

So what I’ve decided to do is rework saga edition into a fantasy system (I’m calling it Dungeons and dragon: Saga Edition). I’m using saga edition’s basic rules as a core and converting a lot of stuff spread throughout the extensive library of dnd 3.x books I have. That pretty much relates to a lot of research & development.

If you manage to get this off the ground I'd love to hear more, I always thought it was an awful waste that they never used Saga Edition for any other games

[Rhynn]

I could swear somebody already had a fantasy version of SW SAGA rules out there... I have a PDF somewhere (no access to that computer for now), but I don't recall the name. Googling suggests there's several such attempts, but the one I'm thinking of may be Fantasy Saga Edition (http://fantasy-saga.wikidot.com/).