Drugs

If accounts of 1970's West Berlin are to be believed, West Berlin is Sodom and Gomorrah, the “heroin central” of Europe where black tar is as ubiquitous as candy. To reflect this theme we have devised a specific Addiction and Withdrawal mechanic for drugs.

If intoxicated, your character may take the Tilt **Drugged**.

#### **Drugged (Tilt)**

A generic narcotic can be represented with one set of modifiers: the character suffers a −2 modifier to Speed (and static Defense, if used) and a −3 penalty to all rolls in combat, including Defense and Perception. The character also ignores wound penalties.

A generic narcotic lasts for 10 – (victim’s Stamina + Resolve) hours. This time is halved by medical help, such as pumping the victim’s stomach or flushing his system.

#### **Other Drug Effects**

As found on p.177 World of Darkness Rulebook.

**Alcohol**: Subtract one die from any Dexterity-,Intelligence- and Wits-based dice pools for every drink your character consumes in excess of his Stamina in an hour. (Defense is also reduced accordingly.) Meanwhile, Social rolls can gain a +1 bonus per drink (maximum +3). If your character is a mean drunk, turn this modifier into a Social penalty. These effects fade at the rate of one die per hour until all the alcohol is purged from your character’s system.

**Marijuana**: Lose one die from any Dexterity-, Intelligence-, Resolve- and Wits-based dice pools for every hit your character takes from a joint or bong within an
hour. (Defense is also reduced accordingly.) This effect fades completely an hour after the last toke, unless your character continues to “medicate” himself.

**Hallucinogens**: All dice pools lose one to three dice and traits such as Defense lose one to three points depending on the strength of the hallucinogen. Your character may experience confusing, frightening or enraging hallucinations, although he may manage to realize that
they exist only in his drugged mind. (Roll Intelligence + Streetwise or Empathy, with the -1 to -3 penalty in place, to gain any such “clarity,” after which Stamina + Resolve
rolls can be made to resist the effects.) Composure is likely to be affected by a “trip,” with a bonus or penalty depending on whether your character hallucinates when he sees anything, or he assumes that anything he sees is a hallucination. He might see an ordinary person and interpret her as a monster, or see a monster and interpret her as an ordinary person. The effects of hallucinogens persist for (8 minus Stamina) hours.

**Cocaine/crack/speed**: Your character may gain a bonus die in Strength- or Stamina-based rolls, although he may also become edgy and paranoid (-1 to Social rolls). The Storyteller bases the effects of the drug on the volume that your character takes, on how pure it is and on your character’s state of mind.

**Heroin/morphine/barbiturates**: Pain subsides (wound penalties are ignored), but your character enters a dreamy state for (8 minus Stamina) hours. All dice pools and Resistance traits such as Defense are reduced by two during that time.

### **Addiction and Withdrawal**

This mechanic only applies for highly addictive drugs, like cocaine and heroin. It does not apply to low dependency drugs such as marijuana, or drugs that will take months or years to build up a habit, such as alcohol.

A character may have the “Drugged” Tilt (for the same type of drug) present for a number of days equal to the lower of their Stamina or Resolve. If the tilt is present for longer, the character will have to roll Stamina + Resolve to check for Addiction. To avoid rolling for Addiction, the character must go 48 hours without the drug.

Every time the roll is made, it takes a cumulative -1 penalty. This is similar to Vitae addiction.

Upon failing the roll, you gain the Condition: Addiction: <drug of choice>. Being unable to feed your addiction can result in the Deprived Condition (see below).

#### **Addiction (Persistent)**

If you are addicted, you need to indulge your addiction regularly to keep it under control. A specific addiction should be chosen upon taking this Condition; characters can take this Condition multiple times for different addictions. Being unable to feed your addiction can result in the Deprived Condition.

**Possible Sources**: Alcoholism, substance abuse, Vitae Addiction.

**Resolution**: Regain a dot of Integrity, lose another dot of Integrity, or achieve an exceptional success on a breaking point.

**Beat**: Your character chooses to get a fix rather than fulfill an obligation

#### **Deprived**

Your character suffers from an addiction. She is unable to get
her fix, however, leaving her irritable, anxious, and unable to
focus. Remove one from her Stamina, Resolve, and Composure
dice pools. This does not influence derived traits; it only
influences dice pools that use these Attributes.

**Possible Sources**: Your character is Addicted but cannot get a fix.

**Resolution**: Your character indulges her addiction.

**Beat**: n/a

### **Withdrawal**

Any character addicted to narcotics who
avoids taking a drug for more than one or two
nights suffers withdrawal. The character
experiences nausea and vomiting (of blood),
cramping, tremors and anxiety. All dice pools
and Resistance traits such as Defense suffer a
–2 penalty. Furthermore, a Willpower point
must be spent each night that the vampire
wishes to take any actions other than stay in
her haven, fighting symptoms. Assuming the
character continues to avoid taking the drug,
withdrawal effects last for seven nights and
then subside. Psychological addiction to drugs
may last years, however.