Addiction to drugs

[logan9a]

Mind you, I don't see too many players saying "Say, I hear heroine is a hoot! Let's all try that!" However, there are some arguably useful drugs in parts of the campaign that the players may say "Why yes, let's shoot it between our toes, as is the custom!"

Believe it or not, I'm mainly trying to work on the plot stuff (I can fake rules better than deep plot) but I come across things like this from time to time and put it up here for any ideas people care to give.

I'm going to use cigarettes as an example in this. These are not meant to be REAL cigarettes - they are Mutant Cigarettes. (So don't say 'surely real cigarettes don't work like that' - I know. It's an example.)


Using a drug, you write down a new skill:

Addicted to cigarettes.

Cigarettes are not all that addictive so willpower x8. (Super addictive stuff might start at Willpower x1).

This is a special skill that the players keep separate from the rest of their skills. You never get a check in it, it never goes up.

Every dose, -1% to the skill.

Each time you take the drug, you need to succeed in your skill roll. If you fail, you are now an addict.


Becoming an addict might give something bad right away.

Example: -10% to con/health/endurance skill (may go below base).


Then, you need the drug daily. (In real life, you might need it more or less - I'm thinking 'daily' is enough of a fuck you, on average).

If you don't get the drug daily, something bad happens (in this case, -1 willpower and -5% sanity.) And you look like a drugee who needs a fix. All the time.

So you can either carry on with getting your daily fix every single day or attempt to rehab.


I'm just thinking aloud (so to speak) here. If anyone has an easier or better way, let me know.


Some things like stim packs (yes) are drugs and will be addictive. And really really useful. Hence, I need rules.

[bentpaperclip]

So 10 days without cigarettes will drive insane and kill the average smoker? (-50 SAN, -10 Willpower)

[logan9a]

No - no. Well, yes. But no to the stat losses. I was thinking that was more of a 'one time thing'.

Since rule 1, I'm thinking that rather than saying "Hey, you're at a -X% to all actions because you're an addict in need of a fix." it might be better to say "You're all addicted and messed up. Here's some stat and san loss. Just note that down. Maybe you'll get clean later."

But seriously - don't mess with my cigarettes.


Edit: Different drugs would have different 'so you're missing doses' as well as different 'so you want to get clean' penalties and requirements.

Also, the player would never lose their 'drug skill'. If someone had say gotten their heroine percentage down to 45% then become addicted, then got clean, they'd be stuck with that percentage on their sheet. Where as in real life you are kind of 'always' addicted to a drug (or drugs if you are broad minded) in this you can pick up where you left off - trying to keep rolling below that 45% and not get re-addicted.


This also came up because I was reading some fantasy book in which a lady got addicted to healing potions. I forget the title and it was rather rubbish but eventually she had to cut on herself a bit so she could pop a healing potion and slip into 'happy healing space'. I can see that happening with stim packs and other meds like that.

Remember kids! Only losers and cybered up killers do drugs! Or something.

[bentpaperclip]

Do you plan on exploring the long term effects of drug addiction in your next game? Is that one of the themes? I'm not sure the point of these rules unless you're just trying to create rules to dissuade PCs from using drugs. Have you had a lot of issues with PC abusing performance enhancers in the past?

I think that you may be adding a layer of complexity where it isn't needed.

[logan9a]

Mar 3, 2017 21:23:49 GMT bentpaperclip said:

Do you plan on exploring the long term effects of drug addiction in your next game? Is that one of the themes? I'm not sure the point of these rules unless you're just trying to create rules to dissuade PCs from using drugs. Have you had a lot of issues with PC abusing performance enhancers in the past?

I think that you may be adding a layer of complexity where it isn't needed.

Well, right now I am writing one of the sections (there are many different sections) that drugs will be a pretty big thing.

Exploring drugs isn't a theme but popping stim packs or performance enhancers like it 'ain't no thang' should have some sort of drawback.

If there is a simpler way of doing the drugs (after addiction, here's your stats ON the drug, here's your stats OFF the drug, whatever) I'm interested. But I'd like to have some sort of skeleton of a system in place - just in case.

Even just some basic ideas in case the PC's say "A sausage maker? I'd better reach my hand down in there...."

[matchstickman]

Make a Willpower x1-8 roll. Pass=Awesome! Fail=Suffer now, nothing later, that's KISS.
It's not often that anything good comes out of modeling real life for a fantasy style game, as has been said on the boards "I'm not here to play an office worker", equally I'm not here to role play a drug dependence with harrowing problems, rarely is that called entertainment, and even more rarely is it handled well.

[logan9a]

Hum. That could be a way to do it.

Example (do NOT think these are the stats - I'm just making shit up for an example)

Stim pack

+1 HP/round for the next six rounds if not doing anything more strenuous than say being drug around.

Downside - somewhat addictive. Willpower x5 roll when taken. If fail, -1 willpower (and HP) permanently. If fumble, double that. Note - if you are hanging on by a thread when you first take this, it may kill you.


Something like that Richard?

[matchstickman]

Pretty much.
But permanently was not permanent in HC, you could always claw your stats back up.

[logan9a]

Mar 3, 2017 23:53:17 GMT matchstickman said:

Pretty much.
But permanently was not permanent in HC, you could always claw your stats back up.

Oh sure if someone get's their willpower (for example) lowered and then gets a check in it, rolls and it goes up that's great.


So basically, all drugs would lower stats or skills immediately if taken and the roll required (probably a stat) not made. Stats and skills could then be built back up.


Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Scott]

I know a thing or two about psychology. Despite what D.A.R.E. may have told you nobody gets addicted to anything on the first dose. I guess that it can appear that way anecdotally, but true addiction can be measured neurobiologically and this is just not a thing that happens.

[logan9a]

Well, maybe not with drugs in the real world.

However three things are factors here:

Bioengineered super drugs from futuristic worlds.

Magic drugs.

Players dislike book keeping and 'forget'. Remember rule 1.

[logan9a]

Also, with the 'Richard method' (TM) there wouldn't really be an 'addiction' thing.

You either get the good effects or a kick in the teeth every time you take the drug.

That's it.

On the up side it does make drugs something the PC's would say "Man, it's just not worth it" or at least "We should be careful how much of this we use."

On the downside, we don't have Pete's character crawling through his own filth to hold up a liquor store to get enough money for one more hit of his 'special solution'.

Which is a little sad, but I got over it in the time it took me to finish typing this sentence.

[Edit: Not talking about Pete doing drugs but was referring to his Holmes persona doing whatever drugs Sherlock Holmes was famous for. I know Pete got that but I didn't want others to think I believed Pete would crawl anywhere.]

[Scott]

Mar 4, 2017 21:04:22 GMT logan9a said:

Players dislike book keeping and 'forget'. Remember rule 1.

That's why I'd rather ad hoc than have hard rules. I'd just have the GM say, "okay, you've been taking stuff repetitively, make a willpower roll." Then if you fail impose an arbitrary penalty until they do something to get better.

[logan9a]

Mar 4, 2017 23:08:45 GMT Scott said:

Mar 4, 2017 21:04:22 GMT logan9a said:

Players dislike book keeping and 'forget'. Remember rule 1.

That's why I'd rather ad hoc than have hard rules. I'd just have the GM say, "okay, you've been taking stuff repetitively, make a willpower roll." Then if you fail impose an arbitrary penalty until they do something to get better.

As the GM, I'd rather concentrate on what plot is going on than what meds/drugs the players have been taken.

Also, ongoing penalties violate rule 1.

I'd rather just have some sort of permanent deduction "Say, that stuff really messed up your running - minus 10% from your sprinting skill. Have fun on the sauce!" Over and done.

[logan9a]

I suppose that you could always think of any unexpected penalties (and crippling pain, impotence, sudden explosive bowel movement, loss of skills, loss of stats and hair loss) as 'side effects' rather than addiction.