Medicines vary widely from one region to another. In a fantasy world, there are also hundreds of mysterious ailments that can befall your characters. Rather than provide a list of specific medicines, below is a list of several medicine types and their general cost and stats.
There may be dozens of different medicines of the same type that all serve about the same function and share similar stats. The aesthetic of how these medicines are present in-game varies depending on the GM. Some campaigns may have many different medicines detailed out with their own descriptions and histories; others may simply rely on the generic medicine type when purchasing medicine. While general stats are presented below, the GM may decide to alter these depending on local economy. Some types of antiplague, for instance, may be very rare and maybe have a higher cost and DC, for instance.
Creating medicine uses the standard crafting rules. Medicine checks can be made when crafting most items below, though Craft (Alchemy) may also be substituted for some. Some medicines may be herbal in nature. If so, gathering rules for finding herbs may apply, and crafting checks may be made as a Nature check, as well.
| Medicine Type | Price | Weight | Crafting | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | DC | Cost | Time | |||
| Antiplague | 25 gp. | -- | Average | 20 | 6 gp. | 12 hrs. |
| Antidote | 25 gp. | -- | Average | 20 | 6 gp. | 12 hrs. |
| Balm | 25 gp. | -- | Average | 20 | 6 gp. | 12 hrs. |
| Darkening Drops | 10 gp. | -- | Simple | 15 | 2 gp. | 8 hrs. |
| Nootropic Medicine | 100 gp. | -- | Difficult | 25 | 25 gp. | 24 hrs. |
| Protective Drops | 10 gp. | -- | Simple | 15 | 2 gp. | 8 hrs. |
| Recovery Medicine | 100 gp. | -- | Difficult | 20 | 25 gp. | 24 hrs. |
| Smelling salts | 25 gp. | -- | Average | 20 | 6 gp. | 12 hrs. |
| Stillgut | 25 gp. | -- | Average | 20 | 6 gp. | 12 hrs. |
| Styptic | 10 gp. | -- | Simple | 15 | 2 gp. | 8 hrs. |
| Wound care | 50 gp. | -- | Simple | 15 | 20 gp. | 4 hrs. |
| Specific Medicine | ||||||
| Troll oil | 225 gp. | 1 lb. | Very Difficult | 30 | 56 gp. | 30 hrs. |
| Troll styptic | 400 gp. | -- | Masterwork | 35 | 100 gp. | 40 hrs. |
| Wolfsbane | 5 sp. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
Antiplague grants advantage on Con saving throws against disease for the next hour. Antiplague may come in many different varieties and may be designed to counter specific types of disease.
Antidotes grant advantage on Con saving throws against poison for the next hour. Antidotes may come in many different varieties and may be designed to counter specific types of poison.
These medicines help cure the damage done by extreme heat or cold. When applied you will regain ability damage caused by these sources at twice the normal rate. One dose of balm lasts for a long rest.
These eye drops are added directly to the eyes, darkening the light around you. You perceive any bright light as normal light, and any condition that would dazzle you is mitigated as long as the drops remain active. One dose of drops lasts for 10 minutes.
A nootropic medicine improves mental clarity and function, temporarily suppressing confusion and similar effects. These drugs are typically short-lived, usually lasting 1d4+1 rounds, and the confusion effect returns after the drug wears off.
Protective drops are applied directly to the eyes where they coat the eye and protect it from harm. While these drops don't mitigate the effects of bright light (see darkening drops), they do protect against physical harm (acid, fire, etc.). One dose of drops lasts for 10 minutes.
These medicines help boost the body's own healing abilities, doubling the rate of natural healing for hp and ability damage. Recovery medicine doesn't stack with the doubled healing rate that comes from a medicine check made to provide care, though it can be used in place of such care if no one skilled is available. Bone Reed (see herbs) is one of the more common medicines of this type.
These sharply scented gray crystals cause people inhaling them to regain consciousness. Smelling salts grant you a new saving throw to resist any spell or effect that has already rendered you unconscious or staggered. If exposed to smelling salts while dying, you immediately become conscious and staggered, but must still make stabilization checks each round; if you perform any standard action (or any other strenuous action) you take 1 point of damage after completing the act and fall unconscious again. A container of smelling salts has dozens of uses if stoppered after each use, but depletes in a matter of hours if left opened.
Stillgut medicine helps remove effects that cause nausea or sickness by granting advantage on any saves made to avoid those conditions in the next hour. If you are currently suffering from one of those conditions when you take stillgut, you may make another save at advantage to attempt to recover.
A styptic medicine specializes in stopping bleeding when applied directly to the wound, causing any bleed damage to immediately stop.
Wound care medicines function like healing potions, restoring lost hit points. Basic wound care items heal 1d8+1 and cost (50 gp).
This aquatic grass resembles translucent white horsetail.
A plant with white or yellow umbral flowers, and leaves with thousands of small branches.
A witch's brew of troll blood, powdered plant extracts, and alchemical binders dried into a powder and kept in small packets.
A tall plant with blue flowers.