Drugs and Addiction In Shadowrun 4

Drugs and Addiction In Shadowrun 4

Drugs and Addiction There are five degrees of addiction. Character start with the casual degree for every consumable drug unless they bought one of the additiction degrees for a specific drug as a negative quality and develop their addiction as a result of consuming. Addiction degrees are either mental or physical addiction. The negative quality can only be bought with an equal degree in physical and mental addiction to a specified drug. When it comes to determing the necessary consuming rate of a drug, the higher degree takes effect mental and physical addiction do not stack, although they are developed separate and cured seperate. New Skill: Drug Tolerance (Body or Willpower) Your dice in drug tolerance add to every roll to resist addiction. Use body as base attribute when resisting physical addiction and willpower when resisting mental addiction. You also have to roll when trying to get clean. Default: Yes Skill Group: - Specializations: Mental, Physical, Get-ting Clean When characters consume a drug they have to resist its addiction threshold. Addiction thresholds are, like addiction degrees, either mental addiction or physical addiction. You check versus mental addiction with willpower + drug tolerance and versus physical addiction with body + drug tolerance. Most drugs require you to resist versus mental and versus physical addiction. If you have ever been addicted to a drug, add one (1) to the threshold of those addiction types you were addicted to.if a character doesn t get enough hits to achieve success, he fails and becomes addicted. If he rolls a glitche, he suffers from a horror trip or some other nasty side effect made up by the gamemaster, but may still have rolled enough hits to not become addicted. If he rolls a critical glitche, he becomes automatically addicted and suffers a bad trip like from a normal glitche. Yeah, getting addicted is half the fun of drugs. I prefer good old cyberware. Mister Ed The use of drugs is far older than cyberware. Drugs have been used by cultures as old as the egyptians. Drek, even animals use drugs and if you take into account the damage cyberware deals to your psychological stability, drugs are at least not worse than cyberware. Mocca I uploaded the current version of the internation classification of diseases (ICD) checklist to diagnose substance dependence. It serves as a good guideline - at least it has been accepted by therapists for the last 100 years. Doc Octagon i Download...ready Access File...ready Criteria for Substance Dependence A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12- month period: 1. Tolerance, as defined by either one of the following: (a) a need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve Intoxication or desired effect (b) markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance. 2. Withdrawal, as manifested by either one of the following: (a) the characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance (b) the same (or a 1

closely related) substance is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms. 3. the substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended. 4. there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use. 5. a great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance (e.g., visiting multiple doctors or driving long distances), use the substance (e.g., chainsmoking), or recover from its effects. 6. important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of substance use 7. the substance use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance. State With Physiological Dependence if either Item 1 or 2 is present. File ends Cure Addictions If you want to cure an addiction, you have to choose whether you want a drop-out or a slow exit. If you choose to drop-out, you have to pay the stated amount of karma. This lowers your degree of addiction to casual use. A drop-out takes a number of days equal to the amount of karma spend during which you can do nothing else but relax or cure wounds. You may drop-out from mental and physical addiction at once, paying both costs, but counting only the longer of both durations. In fact, it is quite often that you awake after a long stay in hospital not being addicted anymore. After the duration, pass the appropriate addiction resistance rolls. If you fail, you stay addicted and have to start from the beginning. If you interrupt your drop-out phase for anything, you automatically fail and have to start from the beginning. You do not lose the spend karma, but it keeps frozen until your drop-out is sucessfull. If you chose a slow exit, you have to pay the stated amount to become one level less addicted. A slow exit takes a number of days equal to twice the amount of karma spend. You may act normal during this time. You may not choose a slow exit when getting cured by magic. After the duration, pass the appropriate addiction resistance roll. If you fail, you stay addicted and have to start from the beginning. You do not lose the spend karma, but it keeps frozen until your slow-exit is sucessfull. You may not slow exit from physical and mental addiction at once, only one after another, and only by one step each. If you consume any drug during a drop-out or a slow-exit, you automatically fail your resistance rolls and have to start over. Treatment cost: Stationary treatment: Medicine + Psychology x 50 per day 3 bonus dice Ambulant treatment: Medicine or Psychology x 20 per day No bonus dice Magical treatment: Spell Force x 250 per day Only drop-outs You may take the help of specialists when you try to cure your addiction. This can happen either stationary or in an ambulancy. You have to show up for two (2) hours daily during an ambulancy treatment. You may not leave the area of a stationary clinic, but may meet visitors. You may add the medicine skill for physical and the psychology skill for mental addiction resistance rolls when checking for the effect of the cure and add three bonus dice. Magical treatment is the expensive version of ambulant 2

treatment. You may add the force of the spell to both resistance rolls. Getting physically clean is only a matter of a two hour ritual. Curing mental addiction has the same duration as an ambulant treatment, but, you may deduct the level of the force of the spell from the number of days necessary to drop-out. Addiction Levels Casual Use Your character either never used that drug or is not addicted to it. You are not required to consume this drug. The drug takes effect normally. If you consume a specific drug, you have to resist its addiction threshold or become mildly addicted. Your chance of addiction becomes higher if you regularly consume this drug. For every act of consuming during the last seven (7) days, substract two (2) from your resistance rolls. For every act of consuming during the last day, add one (1) to both addiction thresholds. Both modifiers are cumulative. Drop-out: You re not addicted, man! Mildly addicted Your character consumes this drug habitually. You are required to consume this drug at least once every seven (7) days or suffer a modifier of - 2 to all dice pools until you consume this drug. The drug takes effect normally. Every time you consume this drug, you have to resist its addiction threshold or become moderately addicted. For every act of consuming during the last seven (7) days, substract two (2) from your resistance rolls. For every act of consuming during the last day, add one (1) to both addiction thresholds. Both modifiers are cumulative and your required trips count in. Drop-out: 5 Karma Slow Exit: 5 Karma Moderately addicted Your character consumes this drug regularly. You are required to consume this drug at least once every day or suffer a modifier of -4 to all dice pools until you consume this drug. If you consume this drug as one of your required trips, you do not need to resist addiction and are not affected by its positive effects, but by its negative modifiers and its side effects effects. Every additional use takes effect normally and you have to resist the drugs addiction threshold or become severely addicted. For every act of consuming (counting your required trip in) during the last day, substract two (2) from your resistance rolls. Drop-out: 10 Karma Slow Exit: 5 Karma Severely addicted You are required to consume this drug at least twice every day or suffer a modifier of -3 to all dice pools until you consume this drug. If you consume this drug as one of your required trips, you do not need to resist addiction and are not affected by its positive effects, but by its negative modifiers and its side effects effects. If you use the drug an additional time, it takes effect normally and you have to resist its addiction threshold or become a burn-out. For every act of consuming (counting your required trips in) during the last day, substract two (2) from your resistance rolls. Drop-out: 20 Karma Slow Exit: 10 Karma 3

Burn-Out Your character consumes this drug like food. You are required to consume this drug at least twice every day or suffer a modifier of -6 to all dice pools until you consume this drug. If you consume this drug as one of your required trips, you do not need to resist addiction and are not affected by its positive effects, but by its negative modifiers and its side effects effects. If you use the drug an additional time, it takes effect normally and you have to resist its addiction threshold. For every act of consuming (counting your required trips in) during the last day, substract two (2) from your resistance rolls. Every thirty days or if you fail a resistance roll, you permanently lose one (1) essence, attribute, magic or resonance point (lowering your attribute maximum). Drop-out: 30 Karma Slow Exit: 10 Karma A good friend of mine, a magic user, rapidly declined after becoming addicted. He thought he could improve his abilities without the implantation of cyberware. He gambled and lost all. Sergej But there are magic drugs, enhancing your ability to be in tune with magic. Native americans shamans have, just like european witches and druids, a long tradition of anointments and potions. Wizz Kid Which drekhead told you the old traditions are good? Try relying on the R&D of hermetic universities and corporates. Morrisey Purchasing Drugs Drugs can be purchased over-thecounter or on the streets. Drugs bought on the street are usually stretched, sometimes contaminated and, of course, illegal. Some street drugs can not be purchased over the counter, while over the counter drugs become terribly expensive when bought on the streets in the same purity. Every drug states whether it can be bought over the counter. The purity level of a drug you recently purchased on the streets, depends on its availability factor. You purchase drugs as per the standard black market purchasing rules (SR 4, p. 302). For every two net hits above the minimum required you may add an additional purity level. The purity level of street drugs starts as stretched. The purchase roll should be made by the gamemaster in secrecy, following the. When you roll a glitch, the drug is either a placebo or contaminated. On a critical glitch, the drug is an overdose. Drugs purchased over the counter are always pure, but you need a proper license. A buyer can not find out about the real purity level of a drug unless he checks it with chemistry and at least an appropriate chemistry tool kit. If you are dumb enough to rely on drugs instead on good old cyberware, find a dealer you can trust, as this is especially useful if you plan to survive as a junkie! Mister Ed Sure Ed, trust some street doc not implanting you some nasty stuff while you lay knocked out on his shambles. If you can t trust your connections you are dead anyway. Mocca Overdose The drug is in a concentration too high for your body and you are dealt physical damage equal to eight plus the physical addiction threshold of the 4

drug. You may resist with body. The drug still takes effect, lasting twice as long as usual and with double the usual side effects effect. Contaminated The drug is so unpure, it comes close to a fatal toxin. The consumer is dealt physical damage equal to twice the physical addiction threshold and may resist with body. The drug takes standard effect. Placebo The drug is no drug or is so stretched that it doesn t work. There is no effect for casual users. Consumers do not have to resist addiction. But if the consumer is at least mildly addicted and fails on a roll to resist versus mental addiction, he believes the drug works and the side effects effects spring in as usual. Stretched The drug is stretched with some nonlethal substitution. It takes effect normally but the treshold for addiction glitches is one step lower. Pure The drug is pure and follows the standard rules. Blended The drug is blended with special antagonists and less addicting. Its addiction thresholds are reduced by one to a minimum of zero. I advise circumventing as much middlemen as possible. You might have to buy more at once, but the drug is usually purer. Mocca Consumption and Vector Drugs are consumed in different ways. The may be adminstered orally, intravenously, rectally, nasally, vaginally, as a patch or in many different ways. Modern technology allows nearly every agent to be transferred into different vectors. It goes beyond the scope of this booklet to describe different effects for different vectors. As a guideline, a drugs effect is more intense when adminstered intravenously. Suppositories usually last far longer, but less effective, while the other vectors are as usual. Cool! Break the ice on parties by bingerectally-inserting of syntahol-suppositories. That s modern science. Binge Bob Watch out from where you got those unusal vector drugs. Changing a usual vector might come with the risk of contamination as an additional carriersubstance is needed. Hedon Man That s not all. Rectal administration of alcohol might come with low effect at first but a very long duration. You might die of an overdose while you try to get high and insert on suppository after the next. Mocca Another problem which can not be described fully is the mixture of drugs. As a guideline, if two drugs give similar benefits, only count the higher effect but both side effectss and count both as consumption when it comes to addiction. Drugs with contradictous effects usually counter each other and drugs with different effects work both usually. The easiest option is lowering the addiction glitch threshold by one per drug already active in a body and applying the rules for overdose or contamination according to the glitch. The design of new drugs is a thing between the director and an interested player character with knowledge in chemistry and medicine. 5

DRUGS DIVERSITY Every drug has a description which states informations about their medical use and background and common vector for consuming. Additionally, its effect on the consumer is described. Some drugs have side effects effects. Unless stated otherwise, these take effect after the drugs effects wear off. Some side effects effects are linked to the level of the consumers addiction and take effect continously. AAS Description: Anabolic androgenic steroids are a class of natural and synthetic steroid hormones that promote cell growth and division, resulting in growth of several types of tissues, especially muscle and bone.they are widely used by bodybuilders to build up strength. Effect: Improving strength costs only half the usual amount of karma, improving body only one quarter. The bonus point stays only as long as you consume one dose of AAS per week per improvement. If you stop taking AAS, you lose the acquired points and the spent karma. Side effects: All glitches rolled for body and strength tests cause heart failure equal to twice your body physical damage. When severely addicted, you develop signs ofs gender change women develop beards and hair growth, men develop breasts. This may make you lose two dice during social interaction rolls. ACTH Description: ACTH is the natural adrenocorticotropic hormon. Continous use may cause diabetes and weight loss and affects your immune system. Effect: Triggers an adrenaline pump. 6

Side effects: While moderatly addicted, you lose two dice when resisting versus illness and toxins. While severely addicted, you additionally lose one (1) point from body. When on burn-out level, you acquire permanent diabetes. Alerlene Description: Similar to Long Haul, Alerlene is a drug designed to keep you awake. It is often used by military and paramilitary troops as its detrimental effects are less severe. Effect: You may stay awake for a 24 hours period without the need to rest. Side effects: You have to sleep four (4) hours per 24 hours you were kept awake by the drug in addition to your normal rest time. Alert Description: A mixture of coffeine and other stimulants, alert is used in critical situations or to resist sleepinducing drugs. Effect: You automatically awake from sleep. You add four (4) dice to all rolls to resist soporific drugs. You develop pain resistance 1 versus stun damage only. The effect lasts for one (1) hour. Side effects: You are dealt 1S without resistance roll. Amboathorphin Description: Amboathrophin is a universal nerve gas andidote for metahumans and used as standard emergency cure by military troops. Effect: If taken as a cure, it allows to reroll the resistance roll versus nerve gas. If taken in advance, it adds six (6) dice to resist the effect of nerve gas for a duration of 24 hours. Side effects: You develop diarrhea and sickness for a number of days equal to the level of the nerve gas. You can not heal physical damage during this time. Anacept Description: The technologic progress of the 21 st century gives you total control over family planning. Effect: If taken fifteen minutes in advance, males are sterile for the next 100 hours. Females are sterile for the next 28 days and abort any possible pregnancy caused by interaction during the last two days. Side effects: None. Andeline Description: Andeline is a standard medical drug in all medikits and stimulates your bodys recuperation. Effect: You cure one (1) physical damage box. Side effects: You are dealt one (1) stun damage box without resistance. Andrex Description: Andrex boosts the size of your pulmonary alveoli, increasing your lung capacity. Effect: You are allowed to resist fatigue damage with body for the next 30 minutes. During this time, resistance rolls versus gaseous attacks lose four dice. Side effects: You are dealt 2P as some pulmonary alvioli explode. Arelenex Description: Usually bought as a spray, arelenex relieves from sneezing by drying up the nose. Effect: You can ignore the symptoms of a common cold for the next 24 hours. Side effects: None 7

Blank Description: Dulls your thought processes, making you feel laconic and docile. Effect: You resist fear and intimidation with two (2) additional dice for the next hour. Side effects: During the effects duration and 1 hour after, your reaction and logic is halved, affecting initiative. Bliss Description: The opiate synthetisized from poppy plants is a tranquilizing narcotic. It makes you feel like floating on clouds, dulling your senses to everything but pleasure. Effect: The user gains Pain Resistance 3 and Reaction -1 for (6 - BOD) hours, at least 1 hour. Side effects: For 1 hour your reaction is lowered by 1 and all thresholds are raised by 1. Bolster Description: Bolster is a special mood-altering hormon and hypes the user into an aggressive state, drawing on physical resources. Effect: The user adds two points to strength and body, altering the physical damage track. The effects lasts for 6 hours. Side effects: During the effects duration you have to pass WIL (3) to break from combat or resist starting one when possibilty arises. You sleep for 4 hours after the duration. Burn Description: This highly concentrated synthaholic drink has its name from the effect it has on brain and throat. You have to consume 2 doses before checking for addiction. Effect: You are dealt 3S which you may resist with body. Side effects: - CraM Description: This most recent amphetamine is especially made to give the user an additional energy kick. Effect: Reaction +1, one additional iniative pass. Last for 12 - BOD hours, at least 1 hour. Side effects: You are dealt 6 stun damage boxes whitout resistance. Cocaine Description: Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant, creating a euphoric sense of happiness and increased energy. Effect: Perception and Charisma +1. Lasts for 1 hour. Side effects: Willpower and Charisma halved for 1 hour. Colorama Description: Another popular and primarly visual hallucinogenic. Colors seem more intense and conversation verges on the cosmis. Effect: Charisma +1. User has to pass WIL (2) or start conversation about random topic with anybody near. All thresholds are raised by one. Lasts for 2 hours. Side effects: - Darlon Description: This specialized neurofacilitator causes the user to enter a state of calm self-certainty. Effect: Willpower + 2. You have to pass Willpower (3) to enter a combat 8

or act in a aggressive way. Lasts for 6 BOD hours, at least 1 hour. Side effects: Your charisma and willpower are halved for 6 BOD hours, at least 1 hour. Decilage Description: A micro-organism with an incubation time of 30 minutes. Effect: Destroys all toxins or dangerous micro-organisms in the digestive and circulary bloodstream. Side effects: Your urine becomes neon-yellow and you develop a mild diarrhoe for two days. Deepweed Description: This substance is derived from the awakend form of kelp and mixed with nicotine and THC. Effect: Willpower +1, forces awakend characters to astrally perceive. Lasts for 6 BOD hours, at least 1 hour. Side effects: Suffer a -1 dice pool modifier for an equal duration. Doet-3 Description: A creativity drug, doet-3 boosts the users right brainfunctioning. Effect: All rolls for artistic conceptualization or holistic understanding receive a dice pool modifier of + 4. Lasts for 12 BOD hours, at least 1 hour. Side effects: User becomes dull. Intuiton is halved for an equal duration. Empagine Description: This drug acts on the user s own defensive neural structures, weakening them and releasing the user from the harsher aspects of his personality. Most often used to counter the personalitydestabilizing effect of massive cyberware implants or as an aid in psychotherapy. Effect: The threshold of tests to resist compulsive behaviour is lowered by one (1). Lasts for one week. Side effects: Your dicepool to resist intimidation or psychological treatment is lowered by two (2). Enkephalog Description: This drug can only be adminstered as direct injection into the brain, requiring a Medicine + Logic (2), or appropriate (cyber)implants like a catheter. Effect: User gains pain resistance 10. Lasts for 2 hours. Side effects: The director keeps track of your damage tracks. Eternal Flower Description: This substance is derived from the blossom leaves of the eternal flower found in the mojave desert. Effect: User gains the critter power Regeneration Lasts for a number of hours equal to essence rounded down. Side effects: You lose one overflow damage box per 20 damage boxes regenerated this way. Hemoflux Description: Acts on spleen and liver, caused greatly accelerated blood production. Patient must be kept hydrated. Effect: You lose all toxins in your circulatory system. If you have physical damage overflow, you are stabilised for the drugs duration. If you had no physical damage overflow, your blood is completely replaced after 2 hours and you heal four (4) physical damage. 9

Side effects: You lose all symbionts. For the next day, all dice pools are lowered by four (4) dice. Hemosclerex Description: Often used to treat hemophiliacs, this synthetisized thrombocytes immediately clot wounds. Effect: You heal one (1) physical damage box per combat round up to a number of boxes up to the number of hits on a BOD test. Side effects: You are dealt one (1) stun damage box per physical damage box healed without resistance. Hemosclerex-III Description: Even better than hemosclerex, this drugs eventually closes all wounds on your body. Effect: You heal one (1) physical damage box per round up to a number of boxes equal to your body. Side effects: You are dealt one (1) stun damage box per physical damage box healed without resistance. Heroin Description: Chemically known under the term Diacetylmorphin, heroine gives you a feeling of nothing matters and as a consequence a feeling of euphoria. Effect: You gain pain resistance 6 that lasts for 6 BOD hours, at least 1 hour. Additionally, you gain a feeling og invulnerabilty, leading to an increase of one to your glitch threshold. This effect lasts for 30 minutes. Side effects: You feel frustrated. Your dice pools are lowered by 2 for an equal duration. Human Growth Hormone Description: Usually used to treat dwarfism, this body derivate activates the thyroid and other glands. One dose must be consumed once per week over the course of 1 month to take effect. Effect: You grow by one centimeter. Side effects: You gain in weight correspondendingly. Hyper Description: Acts as a direct neural stimulator, increasing all sensations to painful experiences. Effect: All thresholds are raised by one (1). All rolls that involve concentration lose four (4) dice. All physical damage dealt during the duration deals an additional number of stun damage boxes (no resistance) equal to half the physical damage dealt. Lasts for 10 minutes per net hit on an opposed test between the drugs strength and the users body. Side effects: All rolls that involve concentration lose four (4) dice for an equal duration. Hypnos Description: Causes user to enter a trusting hypnotic state which allows easy suggestions and age-regression. Effect: Willpower is reduced by three (3). If it reaches zero or less, user can be controlled by anybody giving him orders. Otherwise, he may resist by passing on an opposed test between the controllers charisma psychology and the users willpower x2. All other threshold are raised by one (1). Lasts for 10 minutes per net hit on an opposed test between the drugs strength and the users body. Side effects: User loses all memories on things happened during the duration. 10