Senior Member
EXP: 61,139, Level: 10
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EXP required for next Level: 3,861
Possible Plant Lore?
So - New here, Hi! (Some people have already met me in chat, but I figure not everyone goes there). I saw that flora are fairly lacking in the bestiary, outside of, well, blood vines and stone carpet moss. I've been thinking about this for the last day or two, and while I don't have specific examples for everything yet, I did come up with some stuff? - Note, my RPC is an alchemist which prompted me looking into what he could work with.
Medicinal herbs, or plantlife that can be used for medicines, poisons, antidotes. These are beyond the standard "Can I eat it, without dying?" classifications, and require some level of herbology, alchemy, or wilderness survival to recognize and utilize as a resource. General categories:
Neutral:
Plants that on their own, have no effect on a living individual. These can be used as a base for potions, salves, tonics and the like, as they generally carry no properties of their own, but will take on properties of things that they are mixed with - as a filler substance.
-Sub Category:
Some plants listed as neutral also refer to plants that can be either Beneficial or Aggressive, depending on the dosage involved, and other ingredients.
Beneficial:
Plants that fall in this category are generally recognized as having some kind of healing or positive effect on someone who takes the plant in. These do however, require a skilled hand to prepare, but generally will not harm one unless horribly mishandled. These are used to make stimulants, light sedatives, anaesthetics, antidotes, and the like. These plants also include the type that have positive effects on the environment – biochemical reactions that can give light for example, have soothing properties,
Aggressive:
Plants in this category are used to affect the world around the user more so than the user themselves. This is because their impact is generally negative in some way, or otherwise aggressive, not strictly beneficial. Poisons are the most obvious selection – but plants that have powerful narcotics would also fall in this category, as well as plants that contain hallucinogenic properties, powerful sedatives, and plants that when combined properly have acidic, basic, or explosive properties. Plants in this category require care in handling, as only a select few can be used in medicine, and the majority are more likely to be seen as dangerous – improper care can harm even the person utilizing Aggressive plants in a concoction.
Tier 0:
Plants in any of the categories at this level can be obtained without much hassle – albeit plants classified as 'Aggressive' might draw some concern and a visit from local constabulary if they are made aware. Neutral and Beneficial plants of this tier are used in common remedies, and feasibly could be grown in most gardens without special care.
Above this level require effort to get (Actually have to get them in a thread? Not sure how this would work.)
Tier 1:
This is when things begin to get interesting in herbology and related fields. Plants that are labeled as T1 have actually taken on, in general, some kind of magical property. The magic is generally mild, and are most often seen as a cousin to a T0 plant – that is, they have the same, or similar, effects to a completely mundane plant, and can usually be recognized as related to a normal plant. Their results in a mixture of any kind though, are an order of magnitude more pronounced than normal plants. Not only are the plants themselves mildly magical, but the process of using them to make something also requires at least some connection to the Tap – a magical presence is required in the crafter in order to draw the full potential out of these plants, otherwise they give only mildly improved results compared to the norm. If cultivation is attempted outside of their natural environment, a magical tender is required.
Tier 2:
When looking at plants on this level, there is an immediate difference to be seen between those that are easier to find and these. That is, that they are regionally specific, and require more hospitable climes to grow. These plants are typically seen growing in harsher environs, and are almost entirely magical in some regard – and if a relation to a normal plant can be seen, it is superficial at best. Advanced training or experimentation is require to know the full effects of plants at this level, and even then that knowledge is usually kept to alchemists or herbalists who live in that region. Care is required in handling these plants – they are quite magical, and often volatile in some regards, even Beneficial plants can be dangerous if handled improperly. Cultivation of plants of this level outside of their natural environment require careful environmental controls, usually best achieved with magic, and an active magical influx – a source of magic being constantly exerted somewhere nearby that they can draw on. These plants will wither and die if grown without magic to feed off of, in addition to their other nutritional requirements.
Tier 3:
CAUTION. Plants at this level are actively magical, often possessing magical defenses against harvesting or utilization. Be prepared before attempting to gather ingredients of this tier. Tier 3 plants are additionally secrets – only known in specific regions, often mythological, and require great skill and determination to even reach. These plants often have potent magical properties, and can be considered as highly valuable resources. Usually only seen in remote, extremely harsh environs, they can give staggering benefits if properly prepared – but even their methods of preparation are kept secret, as many of these plants could be seen as worth their weight in gold. Cultivation of plants of Tier 3 is almost impossible outside of the exacting conditions that they originate in, and should only be undertaken by skilled magical herbalists or alchemists who are prepared for what they are getting into.
Tier 3.5/Tier 4/Tier EX:
Plants of this level are myths, legends. Unique existences in and of themselves, they are dismissed by even most masters as non-existent, or extinct. Highly magical, possessing impossible properties – finding even a piece of one of these plants is a cause for excitement – and for extreme caution, because others will be trying to find out what you know, and how you found what you did. Cultivation: Hah.hahaha.No. Whatever circumstances went into the growth of a Unique level plant, you are not going to mimic it unless you have somehow come across an ancient formula for growing it – and even then, that might (will) not work, unless you are extremely lucky. Cherish what you have, and be prepared.
I'd be happy for any feed back, or if people can think up examples that fit one of these!