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It is a tiny plant, the Beast Weed. Looking at it, it resembles a clover-leaf, yet its leaves are deeply red on the under-side. Under the ground, it is a single thick root with many fine little roots.
The Beast Weed scents and tastes sweetly. But if some animal consumes it, it often gets extremely aggressive, to the point of truly fighting to death (few animals do that). Worse, its power and reflexes are supernaturaly enhanced, even small animals can get dangerous. (Remember Monthy Python’s killer bunnie? Jumping after one’s throat and biting yer head off? THAT kind of dangerous.) Luckily, the Beast Weed is very rare.
Actual effects: this little plant produces a strong toxin, slightly magical, that sends you to the Spirit World, and draws any spirit that might possess your body into it. Usually a spirit of the same kind. Because the spirit came to our world unwilling, and even little cute animals can have steroid-pumped representatives in the spirit world, out comes a killing machine! (Not to mention if the spirit is drawn against its will.)
Even sentient beings usually draw similar spirits to them. This can also mean spirits of deceased fighters, ready to fight anyone, sometimes for any or no reason at all. Your quiet little friend may become a berserker, wielding his sword with incredible skill. But all kinds of spirits can possess you, it is truly random and cannot be relied upon.
Knowledge and possible uses: Druids know of this plant. While it is against their nature to destroy anything completely, they carefully remove the plant from most places it could be found by chance, by animal or man. Druids but do not use it.
Those of shamanistic bent know it well, and they know the risk. At dire times they may seek it, leaves and root. Carefull preparation, special rituals and above all knowledge of spirits lessens the risk, and may call a given spirit into your body.
For those that know about it, and stand alone against a mightier enemy, the Beast Weed may be a last wildcard, a chance when all else fails.
Note: after a few hours, the spirit returns to its world, and your spirit can return into your body. If it is still living, of course.
(And one more note: Truly powerful spirits may leave something of their essence behind…)
March 21, 2003, 16:23
And after a few hours, you could even say that your *true* spirit that got thrown out had to learn the ways of the spirit world so it could try and get back to their body. So the time of possession could depend on the intelligence of the person. A very intelligent person would only be gone for minutes perhaps. They being the natural owners of the body have an easier time re-possessing it so they get even more bonuses to re-entering their own body. Should be a chance to failing again though.
March 22, 2003, 20:17
I like the idea of special preperations giving the ability to draw a certain spirit. Say, add a piece of the intended spirit or have or use one of thier possesions. That would work great into a story line of a warrior tribe with ancestor worship. They would have a ritual of cutting the hair or pulling toenails when one of them dies and then mixing it in when taking the beast weed, to try to call on the skills and might of their ancestors. They would probally have a good sized patch of beast weed they were tending to.
November 6, 2005, 16:50
November 20, 2005, 13:47
January 31, 2006, 22:11
January 31, 2006, 22:26
Take a Paw up!
July 28, 2008, 11:02
January 8, 2009, 16:24
Do the root and leaves have different effects/uses? I might re-label "Actual Effects" as "Side effects."
I will keep this in the GM toolbox.
January 10, 2009, 14:47
I would posit that the root and leaves have a similar effect when accidentally consumed, but are differently used in the rituals or secret recipes. The 'Actual Effects' are what this plant really does and can go wrong (with side effects of course).
I'm glad that you find it useful. :)
January 27, 2009, 10:14
Anyway, good idea!
June 9, 2013, 22:20