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...)
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? Responses (12)
The initial possession should cause some damage and be painful, sort of like ripping out your essence. From the outside it could look like somebody was being shot by arrows from many directions, one at a time causing their body to convulse to each new hit. It is basically a fight of mental strength, the new spirite fighting the current owner. They should have a chance to resist, albeit a low one. Once done they should be weakened (lower HP) whether or not the spirit took over.
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.
All hail the Vorpal Bunny!
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.
I remember this one from before the move. I always thought it had potential, and might incorporate it into my world.
I like the idea mucho I think, but it doesn't feel entirely fleshed out.
I like the implications of such an unpredictable and dangerous plant. I can see it sprouting in places of massacre and death, as if the spirits of the slain disperse its seeds.
I did not remember ever seeing this one before or after the move. I think the toxin idea is interesting. I think the side effect of your sould got booted and something else comes is a bit off, but useful.
Take a Paw up!
Weed for animals, is the first thing i though when i read the title
I like the idea of a buff for wild creatures. I asked myself the same questions as Zylithan.
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.
Which questions?
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. :)
I used this in a forum game, and never even commented on the sub?! Strange, I distinctly remember commenting on this. Weird.
Anyway, good idea!
I have a thing for strange and magic plants. This is defiantly one of those.
Esp. like the deviousness of the last line in this sub.