Herbarium A Botanical 5th Edition Supplement (Fez Inkwright) (Z-Library)

First published in 2022 by Crow & Crown All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. www.crowandcrown.store

INTRODUCTION Introduction.................................................................5 PART 1: FORAGING CHAPTER 1: Foraging Basics Organised and Categorised.........................................6 Fresh as a Daisy............................................................6 Knowing Roots from Leaves......................................7 Buying, Selling, and Trading......................................7 CHAPTER 2: Creating & Adapting Plants Colour Me In...............................................................8 Shapes and Sizes..........................................................8 CHAPTER 3: The Seasons Spring............................................................................8 Summer.........................................................................9 Autumn.........................................................................9 Winter...........................................................................9 CHAPTER 4: Climates & Biomes Coast............................................................................10 Farmland.....................................................................11 Marshland..................................................................12 Mountain....................................................................12 Scrubland....................................................................14 Tropical Forest...........................................................14 Woodland...................................................................15 CHAPTER 5: The Plants Quick Reference Tables............................................17 Registry of Plants.......................................................21 PART 2: CRAFTING & ITEMS CHAPTER 6: A Primer on Crafting Introduction...............................................................41 Potions and Poisons...................................................41 Trial and Error...........................................................41 CHAPTER 7: Potions, Oils, & Ointments Introduction...............................................................41 Registry of Items........................................................42 CHAPTER 8: Poisons Introduction...............................................................44 Registry of Items........................................................45 CHAPTER 9: Magic Items Registry of Items........................................................48 Contents CHAPTER 10: Armour, Weapons, & Apparel Registry of Items........................................................58 PART 3: THE PLAYERS CHAPTER 11: Player Backgrounds Alchemist...................................................................66 Forager.......................................................................66 Wise One...................................................................67 CHAPTER 12: Guilds The Botanist’s Guild..................................................68 CHAPTER 13: Spells Class Spell List...........................................................71 Spell Descriptions......................................................71 Corpse Crushed..........................................................71 Deathlight...................................................................71 Hexenringe.................................................................71 Jordfast........................................................................72 Last Words.................................................................72 Mother’s Blessing.......................................................72 Offring.........................................................................72 Trollhare.....................................................................72 Watcher of the Roads...............................................73 CHAPTER 14: Subclasses Bard: College of Arcanists.........................................74 Paladin: Oath of the Endling....................................76 Rogue: Poisoner.........................................................78 Sorcerer: Deep Roots................................................79 Warlock: The Flower Bride.....................................80 Warlock: The Crone.................................................82 PART 4: CREATURE STATISTICS Feldgeister...................................................................85 Waldgeister Guard....................................................86 Waldgeister Captain..................................................86 Honey Beast................................................................87 Samovila......................................................................88 Samodiva.....................................................................88 Mazzeri........................................................................89 Numian Plant.............................................................90 Patasola.......................................................................91 Alraune........................................................................92 Lieschi.........................................................................93 Tikbalang....................................................................95 Rusalka........................................................................96 Cinstita........................................................................97 PART 5: CREDITS Credits.........................................................................99

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Introduction For wounds of sword and spear or arrow, the plant to heal them all is yarrow. Placed o’er the scars where cuts have been, dock and sanicle keep all clean… - Brian Jacques, The Taggerung Contained within this book are wild and varied stories of plants, folklore, and mythology. In the tales we tell at the table and in the campaigns that we play, our worlds can be so infinitely grand and magical that the mundane becomes easily overlooked. Yet beneath our feet is a whole world of tiny, leafy lives, and with their slow and careful growth comes generations of healing knowledge, poisonous warnings, magical uses, nature deities, and wild monsters. Within these pages, you will find an entirely new and flexible foraging system that can be easily introduced into any existing 5th Edition game (and easily adapted for other TTRPG systems besides) as well as support for introducing and designing custom plants that fit more neatly into your game world. There are monsters based on real-life folkloric creatures, such as the Filipino tikbalang and the Germanic waldgeister. There are also new, nature-inspired subclasses – such as the Deep Roots Sorcerous Origin, and Warlock patrons based on old Celtic goddesses – in addition to an assortment of player backgrounds for those who wish to brew poisons and create their own talismans. Craftable items, legendary fey weapons, botanical potions and poisons… There is much creativity hidden in the niches of oral storytelling that this book has dragged out, wriggling and biting, and rewritten it into 5e mechanics for you to use. Permission to Play Everything in this book has been designed with narrative gameplay in mind. Rules aren’t fun if they’re overly complex and restrictive, and we encourage you to adapt and improvise them however best fits your playstyle. Are you someone who couldn’t tell the difference between a bluebell and a foxglove, but want to offer more in-game options for the green-fingered amongst your players? Consult the Creating & Adapting Plants section for tips on how to simplify your visuals for both you and your tablemates. Want the benefit of the items and consumables in this book without having to keep an eye out for the plants you need to make them? We’ve even supplied you with a handful of NPCs that you can introduce to sell all of the crafting components that you’ll need. Ultimately, have fun. Be inspired. And most importantly… don’t eat mushrooms until you’ve identified them. The Inspiration All of the properties of the plants contained in this book, along with the items, creatures, and pertaining legends, have been drawn from early medicine, mythology, and folklore from all over the globe. The ‘magical’ properties of each plant are inspired by real-world historical occult uses and genuine medicinal or toxic value; each item is based on a real historical trinket or inspired by existing mythological tales. For the purposes of this supplement, specific deities and cultures have been re-flavoured to fit within the Forgotten Realms. In the Credits chapter of this book is a section which names many of these stories and origins for those curious to learn more. For the sake of brevity not all origins have been included, but for those who are interested, all of these realworld inspirations can be found in folklorist Fez Inkwright’s other publications: Botanical Curses & Poisons, and Folk Magic & Healing. Prior to their publication these books were originally intended to be pocket guides for gamers who wanted to incorporate plants into their games, and Herbarium is now the sum of those years of research, rewritten for the TTRPG community. And honestly, it’s bigger and better for having had that time to grow, develop, and turn into something truly beautiful. Encounter Seeds Throughout this book you will find boxes that look like this. These boxes contain Encounter Seeds – prompts and scenarios to draw your players into the botanical and fantastical. They’re a great way to introduce some of the more obscure plants of the world, or to have your players cross paths with some of this book’s more horrifying monsters. Some contain DM suggestions with extra mechanics that can be used throughout the encounter to make it more challenging. Stories of Stories Boxes of this colour contain old folklore or legends pertaining to the items or plants that they appear next to. Use the stories contained therein to bulk out the lore of your world, introduce some flavour to a new location, create new NPCs, or inspire stories of your own. 5

Part 1: Foraging Chapter 1: Foraging Basics The majority of this supplement’s contents require an interest in the natural world. As a player, you’ll learn how to turn your surroundings into resources for crafting items and potions to aid you in your adventures. As a DM, the plants in this book will help you to flesh out your game world, corral the seasons into a narrative tool, and introduce new and nature-themed encounters. As your players traverse your world, they will be able to find plants growing along the roadside, or in the wilds beyond it. Common plants, which can be edible or provide minor utility charms or buffs, can be found with ease while travelling and do not require extra effort or time to gather. Rarer plants either grow in hard-to-reach places or provide their own unique gathering challenges, such as growing in creature-infested territory or only appearing at a specific time of day or year. To locate rarer plants, players can use Nature skill checks to work out where they are most likely to be found. Player characters who have proficiency with the herbalism or poisoner’s kit will likely know these things beforehand and can make this roll with advantage. Alternately, the location of rarer plants can be found in books, world lore, or by asking NPCs who have proficiency in these skills. Two NPCs with this sort of information – members of the illustrious Botanist’s Guild – can be found in the Guilds section. Once your players are on the trail, the Climates & Biomes section will help you to plan and describe the landscapes around them, and in the Plants section, each entry lists the applicable biomes for each plant. You’ll even find quickreference roll tables in the Climates & Biomes section, enabling you to quickly populate an area with interesting surroundings and encounters. Organised and Categorised Each plant in this book has been grouped into one of three categories: healing, harming, and utility. Plants with healing properties can be used in crafting healing potions and items with medicinal or buffing abilities, whereas harming plants do the opposite and are useful only in causing damage. Utility plants have properties that make them effective components in functional spells, divination, and practical crafting. Some of the plants have no category, but are instead story and world prompts, or serve as homes for creatures described in the Creature Statistics section of the book. The plants are also labelled as ‘edible’ or ‘non-edible’. For those that fall into the edible category, the parts that can be ingested are listed. Though this serves no mechanical purpose, this information can be used by DMs and players alike as narrative flavouring for the natural resources that they encounter on their adventures. At the beginning of the Plants section there are several quick-reference roll tables for these categories, allowing for on-the-fly identification of plants by use. Fresh as a Daisy Whereas some items can be crafted with dried or preserved components, some potions or poisons require fresh-cut plants for true potency. Once gathered, plants will not retain their freshness for long. As a rule of thumb, refer to the table below for how long plants will remain fresh after cutting. In order to preserve their properties, many plants can be dried, pickled, or preserved in other forms during periods of downtime and rest. As these processes are often simple to perform, there is no rolling mechanic for this, though it is left up to the DM’s discretion whether they wish to add complications for rarer plants. Dried and preserved plants, so long as they are kept in a cool location away from sources of moisture, will remain viable for up to one year. Some rarer or more powerful components may lose their potency entirely once they are no longer fresh; this adds an element of time pressure for any intrepid foragers looking to use their components for a specific spell or item. Either they will have to make careful plans, or they may use spells such as gentle repose or seek out items such as Liffson’s ice box to extend the duration of the plant’s freshness. Plant Freshness Guide Plant Rarity Freshness Duration Common 10 days Uncommon 7 days Rare 5 days Legendary 3 days Death and Blight Tales of blight emerge throughout history, rare but always a potential threat. These plagues are caused by the touch of evil, spreading from plant to plant and changing, or killing off, all that they infect. During a blight, forests can be turned into thorny, desolate landscapes, or wildflower meadows into carnivorous, poisonous fields: sometimes in the space of a single night. The first blight was instigated by the slaying of the vampire Gulthias. The stake that was used in the slaying was infected by Gulthias’s raw power, and afterwards grew into a tree, the seeds of which were infused with such wickedness that they spread a vile rot wherever they landed. Gulthias trees continue to appear in areas that have been marked by great evil. DM suggestion: Typical blights cause the death and corruption of all plants in a given area. A subtle way to hint at the onset of a blight before it becomes obvious is to change the nature of the plants that are infected – for example, plants with healing properties might begin causing poison damage, or might start to show the defensive properties (flammable auras, cannibalistic juices, etc.) of more aggressive plants. Build up a sense of things not being quite right as your players discover these changes and put the pieces together. 6

7 Knowing Roots from Leaves If your players have proficiency with the herbalism or poisoner’s kit, they may gain the following boons whilst gathering plants. Rolling on or above the DC set by the DM either increases the amount of the plant that can be gathered or increases the plants’ potency. Plants of a higher quality or potency may provide extra bonuses when used in crafting potions or items, or may require less time or a lower DC to craft. This latter can be applied at the DM’s discretion. If no players have these proficiencies, other skills – such as Medicine – may be used to identify harming or healing plants, and the Survival skill may be useful in identifying edible plants. Buying, Selling, and Trading If you’re too busy hunting goblins or rescuing owlbear cubs from trees to go foraging, the plants you need can be found for sale or trade across the land. While you might find the more common components for sale at a regular market, you can also visit any of the Botanist’s Guild guildhouses to trade for uncommon and rare plants, sell any unneeded botanical supplies, or discover the location of hard-to-find specimens. You can also pick up extra work or quests from the guild to earn some additional coin. The costs for plants and plant components listed below are a guide to be used at the DM’s discretion. Plant Cost Guide Plant Rarity Cost Common 5 sp Uncommon 1 gp Rare 10–50 gp Legendary 100 gp The Old Guardians Legends tell of five ancient guardian trees, which exist only in the depths of the oldest woodlands of the world. Many thousands of years ago, a stranger came to the court of Neverwinter and offered to the Covenant a branch from which grew multiple fruits: an acorn, a yew berry, an apple, a hazelnut, and a sycamore seed. Though he did not give his name, the stranger instructed that the first four fruits be taken to the four corners of the earth, the fifth fruit to the centre, and all planted. The trees that grew from these fruits, he said, would become sacred guardians of the land, ensuring that tragedy would never befall it. The trees’ power would come from the size to which they would grow: their roots would pierce downwards to the Shadowfell, and the branches would reach outwards into the Feywild, drawing magic from both places with which to protect the world from disaster. If any of the trees should be damaged or die, this ancient protection would collapse. Each seed was taken by a wizard of the Covenant and carried to the far ends of the world. These five wizards were never heard from again, thus ensuring that the location of the trees would never be discovered – and though this knowledge has never yet come to light, the five guardian trees came to be known as the following: The First The First is the mighty oak that was planted deep in a woodland at the centre of the world. The acorn from which it grew is thought to have come from the World Tree itself. Unlike the other four guardian trees, the First continues to grow all five original fruits from its branches, just like the branch from which the seeds were originally obtained. Popular stories suppose it to be somewhere in Gulthmere Forest. The Second Planted in the far north, the Second is a great yew tree that is rumoured to have grown so many trunks that it has practically become its own woodland. Supposedly located in the Border Forest, tales abound of men who have tried to cut it down to bring back its wood as a souvenir, only to discover that the wood is so dense that even the sharpest axe cannot cut it. The Third The Third was planted in the east, beyond the Alambar Sea and perhaps even further than Murghôm. Little is known about it, save that it grew from the third fruit, the apple. As apples bear more than one seed, rumours occasionally arise of other trees that were grown from the same fruit, or optimistic fruit merchants might try to sell their wares as having grown from descendants of the original apple. The Fourth The hazelnut was sent to the south, and grew into the great guardian tree known as the Fourth. There are so many rumoured locations of this tree that it would take a man a lifetime to confirm all of them as false – or perhaps even true. The Fifth The sycamore that became the Fifth was planted in the west; perhaps in the Cloak Wood or the Wood of Sharp Teeth, or maybe even further beyond the coast – on one of the many islands that comprise the Moonshae Isles.

8 Chapter 2: Creating & Adapting Plants N ot all players will come to the table with a knowledge of plant identification, just as no DM should be expected to memorise every plant in this supplement. For that reason, all the plants described in this book can be simplified in ways that forgo the need to memorise complex descriptions, environments, and seasonal changes, while still making the process of searching and gathering an enjoyable challenge. Rather than sticking fast to the supplied information, a little creativity can be used to describe your plants in a way that both hints at their mechanical uses and converts them into fantastical, fictional species with which to fill out your game world. Colour Me In The plants in this book are already divided into the categories of ‘healing’, ‘harming’, and ‘utility’ – but instead of expecting your players to know what they’re looking for by use alone, you can assign each of these categories a colour for easy memorisation. For example, ‘green’ plants could provide buffing and healing properties; ‘red’ plants are harmful; and ‘blue’ plants can be used in practical magic such as spells and divination. Using this system, a DM can introduce the plants in as many various appearances as they wish without even having to name them – they can simply describe the colour of leaves or petals to guide the players to the plants that they’re looking for. Any further required information can be gleaned with successful ability checks. Shapes and Sizes Another alternative is to use shape and form to indicate a plant’s use. This technique adheres to a medical concept originating in the 1500s, called the Doctrine of Signatures, which theorised that plants that resembled certain parts of the body were effective in treating ailments of the corresponding anatomical area. For example, the brainlike shape of the walnut indicated its efficacy in curing headaches, and sunflower seeds were considered helpful for toothaches. The heart-shaped petals of violets made them suitable for heart ailments, mushrooms were prescribed for earache… The Doctrine of Signatures was a pseudoscience that did more harm than good, but in your game setting, it’s a great way to make the properties of plants immediately identifiable. In a high-magic setting, this could be extended even further to include audible or visible magical effects created by the plants themselves which hint at their uses, such as puffs of flame for plants with flammable properties, or scents of cooking for edible plants. For players who do not have proficiency with the herbalism kit, trying to determine a plant’s properties based on the information they’ve been given can be a fun challenge. Chapter 3: The Seasons Depending on the season, plants will be either actively growing or dormant, and certain parts of each plant can only be gathered at specific times of year. Having your players take seasonal changes into account when foraging can add an extra layer of challenge to the task, make that rare item a little harder to acquire, or encourate them to plan ahead when it comes to preparing components. Some fruit may only grow in autumn, certain flowers may only be found in spring... but with a little forward planning, these valuable items can be dried, preserved, and stored for use later in the year. Spring Spring is typically the season when new growth starts to sprout from barren earth and fresh leaves begin to grow on trees. This is the time to gather buds, green shoots, and young plants (such as the edible ‘fiddleheads’ on ferns) before they begin to toughen. This is also the time of year when fruiting plants start to blossom, and early herbs are sweet and tender. Early flowers such as bluebells and pimpernels are also in bloom. For farmers, gardeners, and botanists, this is the period in which to lay seeds and propagate cuttings from adult plants. New bulbs can also be planted, though young shoots will need to be protected from marauding birds and other pests. Seasonal Complications Though it’s a relief to feel the sun again after a long winter, spring isn’t always kind – or predictable. In this season, it’s not uncommon to have to deal with late frosts, heavy rains, and fierce gales. Strong winds are challenge enough to remain standing in, but if they pick up any loose items or debris, these can become dangerous, high-speed projectiles – hazards to the unwary. Any unsecured equipment is also likely to be ripped off and lost. The tides can be unpredictable, leading to upturned boats or damage to coastal towns. High and violent tides may provide a challenge to travelling coastal roads, or the tide may recede entirely – an ominous warning of an incoming tsunami. Unpredictable or changing tides may be the cause of

9 unrest amongst the occupants of fishing towns, leading them to be less welcoming to your party. Summer Plants grow fastest during the longest days of the year, and summer flowers such as poppies, foxgloves, and wild roses are in full bloom, busy with the activity of bees and other pollinators. This is the ideal time for foragers to be gathering leaves, bark, roots, and wood. Long, warm days mean that it’s also perfect weather in which to dry herbs and components, ready to use throughout the rest of the year. Gardeners will do well to keep the ground free of weeds during summer, and make sure that their plants are well fertilised to make the most of the growing season. Plants that will bear fruits or berries later in the year will be in particular need of feeding to make sure that they can thrive. Seasonal Complications Summer is hot and harsh, making areas of exposed earth hard and cracked. Towards the latter months of the season, fields and grass are often brown and dry… susceptible to even the slightest spark. Wildfires rage fast and unstoppable once they get going. Even those who manage to escape the flames will suffer from the extreme heat and drought that follows, and once the fires have passed, there’ll be much to rebuild. Though they are a great danger to any caught in their path, wildfires do serve a purpose: the ground, once scorched, is more fertile for new life to take hold. Autumn Autumn is the season of harvests, and the ideal time to gather fruits, berries, and vegetables. Some late flowers are still growing at this time of year, such as yarrow and verbena, but most plants are beginning to quieten down, and their leaves and stems are past their best. With wetter weather incoming, fungi abounds on patches of dead wood and shelter. Farmers and other growers will be busy gathering their harvests during these months, making sure that their crops are carefully collected and stored. It’s wise to leave the first, and last, fruits of the harvest on the tree or stalk – a suitable offering for the nature spirits that have helped them to grow. Failure to do so could result in giving offense to the fey who have tended their growth. Seasonal Complications With autumn comes seasonal rains. In countries where the climate is hotter and more intense, these downpours come in sudden and heavy, leading to flash floods, landslides, and monsoons. These are particularly dangerous in mountainous areas or low-lying regions such as the floors of valleys and canyons. Water becomes contaminated, wild animals and other dangerous creatures are displaced, and ground or buildings that you might think is still sturdy is likely to be unstable. Any rations your players may be carrying will spoil if they get wet, leaving them without supplies. Winter With the growing months over, most plants are entering dormancy and will be losing their leaves or dying off entirely, retreating underground until they can start anew in the spring. Now is the perfect opportunity to gather and dry seeds ready for planting in the new year and a great time to gather the leftover seedpods for crafting, such as the spiny combs of teasel heads. Bear in mind that this season is different for evergreen plants. Evergreens continue to bear leaves throughout the winter: and as such, leaves, bark, and wood can continue to be gathered from these plants. During the dark months, botanists would be wise to protect their less-hardy plants, covering roots to protect against frost and brittle branches against ice. Even in climates where it does not snow, the unpredictable weather can spell the end for many delicate cultivars. Seasonal Complications A ‘snow day’ is a fun distraction for a child, but when it gets extreme, it’s dangerous. Those in colder areas frequently find their homes completely buried under snow, making it hard to resupply or even find fresh air. Out in the blizzards, visibility is practically nothing: landmarks and roads are hidden by the weather, so navigation is a far greater challenge. Even walking in this environment is tiring – there are only so many deep drifts you can wade through, especially with ice packed underneath, and the wind relentlessly opposing you. With these sorts of conditions, exhaustion won’t be far behind.

10 FORAGING | CLIMATES & BIOMES Chapter 4: Climates & Biomes N ot every plant can survive in every environment, and you’re as likely to find an orchid in the tundra as you are a crocus in the jungle. Every plant in this book is listed alongside the climates in which it can be found. These can be used to help you flesh out the types of flora your players may encounter as they travel – but don’t be afraid to be flexible! For example, if your players are searching for a datura shrub, but you know they won’t be entering a tropical jungle any time soon, why not invent a cultivar that’s evolved to grow in that swamp they’ve been crossing? Perhaps it’s so unusual that one of the representatives at the Botanist’s Guild has only ever heard rumours of it, or perhaps its presence has attracted rare monsters that are now causing trouble in nearby settlements. You can even draw inspiration from some of the other plants that are native to the area to make it fit in. In this chapter, you’ll find descriptions of the biomes that are listed in these pages. This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are plenty more location-specific areas (such as oases and cave systems) that we’ve not included – but it should be enough to get you started. Coast Coastal environments are areas that are exposed to saltwater, changing tides, and harsh weather systems. Any plant that grows here has to be adaptable enough to weather storms, take root in difficult terrain, and survive the saline waters. Coastal vegetation is usually hardy, with deep roots and stalks that bend to accommodate for high winds off the seas. A coastal biome may consist of sandy dunes, rocky shores, mangrove woods, or high, chalky cliffs. The Sea of Fallen Stars and the Sword Coast are particularly notable coastal regions. Coastline Plants Quick-Reference Table Asphodel Henbane Banyan Oak Black Bryony Ocotillo Boneset Seaweed Coastline Roll Table d6 Environment 1 This is an area of clean, golden coastline. The beach here is long and shallow, and at low tide, the sand can stretch up to a mile wide. Above the tideline, sand turns to tufty grasses and banks of asphodel, with campion flowers hiding in sheltered nooks of the dunes. Gulls wheel high above, circling something in the distance… 2 The jungle ends abruptly at the coastline. The river delta is so wide that it’s hard to tell where river ends and sea begins. Where the ground has been eroded backwards, trees that once stood on the muddy banks now sit in the water itself, their arching roots exposed to the hot, humid air. In their shadows, colourful fish dart out of the way of predatory lizards and turtles, and above them, the branches are heavy with mosses, ferns, and squabbling birds. Beneath the muddy waters, an ancient creature stirs…

11 Farmland Any well-travelled adventurer would be hard pressed to go anywhere without encountering the distinctive patchwork fields of agricultural land. Whether crop fields, paddy fields, or land for grazing, farmland is vital for most settlements to survive. Though these environments are carefully tended by their caretakers, they’re also prime growing areas for wildflowers, hedgerow trees, and weeds. Thesk and the Great Dale are particularly renowned for their agricultural land and farming practices, and diverse farming communities exist across the entirety of the Realms. Coastline Roll Table (continued) d6 Environment 3 This coastline is grey and rainy, dense with seasmoothed pebbles that are slippery underfoot. Tattered strips of seaweed mark the tideline, and bleached driftwood lies, storm-flung, amongst the stones. High waves push new detritus onto the shore, and drag it back out again. Clusters of larger rocks hold onto the remnants of the last tide, and the saline stink of brine is strong amongst the rockpools. Slimy seaweed and beached mussels edge these pools, and in the crags of the rocks, tiny fish and the occasional octopus hide until the sea comes in once more. 4 Harsh winds have whipped this coastline into a bleak environment. Sand dunes emerge, steep and crumbling, between jagged rocks and optimistic patches of sea holly. Black bryony and poppies grow amongst scrubby clusters of grass, hiding black-shelled crabs and old, bleached bones. 5 This area of coastline is so hot and arid that it seems startling to find so much water here. But the sea is so thick with salt that the ‘beach’ – if it can be called that – is white and crusty with it. Nothing grows so close to the water, just the sea and the salt and the occasional, crystalline bones of a long-dead seabird. Further away from the water, the thick-grained sand is scattered with ocotillo, henbane, and stunted cacti. 6 The sunny, blissful stretch of cliff is wide and peaceful, far above the distant crash of waves. Sheep-grazed grass grows right up to the edges, and a curious (and brave) peek over the edge will reveal hundreds of feet of chalky rock and flint dropping steeply downwards. Amongst the grassy tussocks, colourful spots of clover, daisies, and poppies appear. Bees and other pollinators drift lazily in the warm sun, oblivious to the huge, cavernous cave complex far underneath them. Farmland Roll Table d4 Environment 1 The sound – and smell – of cattle travels well through the rain. Though the doors of the main farmhouse are closed, the barn is open; inside is the warm glow of a lantern, and the comforting smell of fresh milk and cream. A cat sits on the threshold, licking its paws, before it darts away to take shelter under a rose bush, the flowers upturned to the rain. A cow calls out; the rest of the herd answering from a distant shed where they, too, take shelter from the elements. 2 Ten or twenty years ago, this must have been a thriving farm. But those who tended it are long gone, dead or moved on, and what is left of the barns, the sheds, and the main building amount to little more than crumbling, jutting ruins. Orchard trees hang laden with unpicked fruit, overripe and fermenting, alive with drunken wasps. A nearby field is overtaken with weeds, the occasional straggly remnant of what was once a proud crop of wheat still growing optimistically through tangles of hogweed, ivy, darnel, and hawthorn. Wild animals have made a nest in one of the collapsed barns, their musky smell clear even from a distance. And in the ruins of the main house, something else has made its home… 3 Though not yet ripe for harvest, this farmer’s fields are lush with wheat and corn. Their heavy heads ripple in the breeze, causing the fields to undulate like a peaceful ocean. At the edges, bluebells and poppies nod their lazy heads. It is a beautiful day – warm, still, peaceful. And yet, a sense of unease hangs over the scene, its origin undeterminable. 4 This is a farm in harvest. Busy with gathering their bounty, the workers have little time for outsiders; they rush to and fro, backs bent low beneath bushels of grain and fruit and vegetables. On the edges of the fields, dogs weave here and there, watching out for wild animals. At the corners, small shrines stand laden with a loaf of bread, a cup of cider – one of each foodstuff produced here. They are offerings to the harvest spirits: thanks for what has been grown, and a prayer for a kind winter to come. Farmland Plants Quick-Reference Table Bluebell Mugwort Daisy Mulberry Darnel Oak Garlic Poppy Giant Hogweed Rose Hawthorn Thyme Ivy Yew

12 Mountain Alpine climates are a tough sell for anyone looking to put down roots, but the plants here have managed it anyway. Mountainous areas are often rocky, with steep inclines and thin air, and most of the local flora tends to be small and durable, or otherwise tenacious enough to survive the cold temperatures, harsh winds, and frequent snows. The Spine of the World and the Galena Mountains are prime examples of how diverse this environment can be. Marshland Bogs, fens, swamps, and marshes may not sound like the most likely places for diverse plant life, and yet they’re teeming with it. Where nutrient-poor soil abides, many plants have turned predator and adapted to a more carnivorous diet, trapping their prey with sticky hairs and deceptively sweet pitchers. Grey, wet, and full of the drowned, this is the sort of land where any keen traveller should take care to watch their step. Prominent marshland areas in the Forgotten Realms include the Farsea Marshes, the Mere of Dead Men, and the Flooded Forest of Cormanthor. Mountain Roll Table d4 Environment 1 The snowdrifts are deep on the mountainside, muffling all sounds with their perfect chill. The day is a clear one – the sky is blue, and visibility is good enough to see some way back down the trail. Camellia and azalea bushes, still in flower, are weighted down by a blanket of snow – their flowers a rare splash of colour among all the white, the ground bare and dry beneath their thick branches. 2 It is dusk, and yet the heat of the day remains, escaping the rocks that have spent the brighter hours absorbing the sun. From a distance, this mountain looks brown and dry – but up close it is lush with stubborn, scrubby willows, tiny pimpernels causing spots of colour to bloom between the outcrops like stars. Scorpions soak in the last of the warmth, scuttling away when they are approached. Fireflies gather about the mandrakes that grow in the crevices, their lights glowing faintly in the dim evening gloom. In the centre of the valley, where the sun must fall hottest during the day, a large dragon’s blood tree stands – alien in its appearance, with a bald, thick trunk and umbrella of tiny leaves. Another once stood nearby, before it was felled by woodsmen: part of its trunk has been left abandoned on the ground, red sap dried like blood upon its broken end. 3 The eruption was last year, they say. And yet, the ground is still hot – it still steams in places, deep cracks opened in the black rock to reveal flashes of orange and red. Nature has already begun to reclaim what it can, scrubby mosses growing in fissures and tiny daisies nodding at the edges of the old lava flow. It’s safe, supposedly, and your guides show you how to climb on it. Yet you swear you feel it rumble, somewhere deep beneath the earth. And from the open mouth of its peak, a curl of ominous smoke… Mountain Plants Quick-Reference Table Azalea Mandrake Camellia Mosses and Lichens Dragon's Blood Tree Mulberry Elder Pimpernel Foxglove Rowan Fungi Snapdragon Henbane Verbena Marshland Roll Table Juniper Willow d4 Environment 1 The fenlands stretch away either side, a vast marshland uninhabitable to any not willing to work for it. Houses on stilts dot the surface of the soft ground, and men on shallow-bottomed rafts use poles to navigate about, checking on woven eel traps set into the waters the day before. A heron flies overhead, its latest catch hanging from its beak; occasionally, a flash of cerulean catches your eye as a kingfisher flits by. Beneath the waters, eels and sharp-toothed pike haunt the mud, looking for a meal. And on the distant air, the sound of a peewit, warning of a flood… 2 This huge stretch of freshwater smells anything but. Shallow waters and stinking mud make it impossible to navigate by boat, but the ground isn’t solid enough to walk on, either – unless you know the one path through. A semi-permanent twilight seems to hang over this land, making the way dark and dangerous, and as you travel it, you have to wonder: was that a face you just saw under the water? A body, swollen and drowned, caught in the reeds? 3 The willow groves are thick and tangled. What used to be a woven canvas of estuary riverbanks is now a mat of branches and roots, the trees forming bridges by which to cross the waters that still run deep and fast beneath them. In their branches, crows call to each other from their nests, and the scent of saltwater lingers on the air. There is a heavy atmosphere here – the sensation of secrets, of old knowledge, of being watched… 4 The mudflats are cold and bleak. Every day, the tide carves new riverbanks, flooding what was dry and exposing what was once covered. Paths here are changing and perilous, trustworthy one day and gone the next. Watching over it all are the bleak cottages of a nearby settlement – built just above the tideline, always wary of a storm. Marshland Plants Quick-Reference Table Belladonna Giant Hogweed Boneset Mosses and Lichens Butterwort Verbena Calla Lily Willow

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14 Tropical Forest Tropical forests are hot, wet ecosystems where the trees often grow so densely that daylight rarely reaches the ground beneath. As a result, many plants here grow tall, learn to climb, or even live their entire lives in the canopies of other, bigger trees. With high temperatures, high annual rainfall, and predators eager to catch their next meal, these areas are often largely undeveloped, left to nature and the few adventurers daring enough to visit. Areas of the Forgotten Realms that fit into this biome include Zakhara and the Jungles of Chult. Scrubland Scrubland is characterised by an overabundance of short, shrubby plants, dwarf-sized trees, grasses, and cactuses. It is a dry area with very few rivers or lakes, leaving its flora and fauna to develop new tactics to survive. With a distinctive summer-winter seasonal pattern unbroken by any milder seasons in between, plants that grow here are often small and hardy, and adaptable animal species such as hares, goats, and jackals thrive. With such intense periods of dry weather, this habitat is particularly vulnerable to wildfires. Shaar, the Glaur Barrens, and the Stonelands of Cormyr are examples of the scrubland biome. Tropical Forest Plants Quick-Reference Table Banyan Ferns Corpse Flower Rattan Datura Sandbox Tree Dragon's Blood Tree Upas Tree Scrubland Roll Table (continued) d4 Environment 2 Heather and gorse flower bright and yellow amongst the brown grass, and in the sheltered lee of the rocks, plants such as yarrow, boneset, and aconite grow voraciously. Hardy wild horses graze across the land, warily eyeing those who use its paths, and high above, kites and kestrels float on the thermals, watching for movement below. Somewhere on this heath is rumoured to be the location of a spring that can heal all ills. But exactly where it is, no one can say… 3 Once an old farmer’s field, it has been years since this ground has been tilled and planted. Any crop plants have long been strangled out by wildflowers; and the hedgerow – an old barrier of oak, rowan, and hawthorn – has started to spread to form a tight thicket of trees. Wild roses grow through its branches, long past blooming but heavy with rosehips. At the heart of the thicket, a young deer bleats for its mother, and a spider spins her web amongst a set of old bones… 4 This town was once thriving, but for reasons unknown, it now lies abandoned. In the old square, which once saw many markets, festivals, and celebrations, the paving now sits uneven and neglected. An old basket lies faded and abandoned on the ground; not far away, a broken wagon wheel is propped up against a wall. Boneset, mandrake, and poppies grow through the cracks, oddly colourful in such a bleak place, and a raven drinks from the water that has puddled at the base of the old fountain. Mountain Roll Table (continued) d4 Environment 4 The mountains stand in steep defiance of gravity, a difficult climb on one side and disappearing into a sheer drop on the other. Wind-whipped rocks are bare but for the stubborn, gnarled branches of elder and juniper trees, and the tenacious mosses and lichens daring to grow in the face of such bleakness. In the lee of one mountain, protected from the elements, a verdant meadow grows in surprising dissent – snapdragons and foxgloves clinging to the rocky bluffs. Small, arctic foxes hop nimbly through their leafy cover, hunting crickets and mice in preparation for the colder months. Scrubland Plants Quick-Reference Table Aconite Mandrake Alder Mosses and Lichens Aloe Mugwort Asphodel Oak Blackthorn Ocotillo Black Bryony Poppy Boneset Rose Coyotillo Rowan Elder Saguaro Foxglove Snapdragon Giant Hogweed Verbena Hawthorn Yarrow Henbane Yew Scrubland Roll Table d4 Environment 1 The sand is packed hard and stony underfoot, a far cry from the sort of sand found on soft, golden beaches. This sand is grey in places, sharp and tainted with ash and old dirt, and when the wind whips it up in the baking heat, it’s like broken glass scouring your skin. Ocotillo and saguaro cactuses break up the landscape, the only plants well-adapted enough to grow tall in this place, while aloes as wide as a man’s arm-span grow in their shade. Tropical Forest Roll Table d4 Environment 1 If there was ever a road here, it has long been lost to time. The forest is thick and tangled, and only the sharpest of blades – and the most determined of travellers – are likely to make it through the undergrowth. Rattan grows tall and thin, rattling its cautions not to go any further to passers-by. Banyan trees have persisted long enough that their host trees

Woodland These ancient, territorial borders are deep and dense, filled with swathes of bluebell meadows, veteran trees, and trickling brooks. Made distinctive by their prominent number of trees, their interlinked canopies form a continuous cover over the plant life that grows beneath; communities of plants and animals that can’t be found anywhere else thrive here, alongside a wealth of unique mosses, lichen, and fungi. Notable woodlands in the Forgotten Realms include the Neverwinter Wood, the northern Moonwoods, Cloak Wood in the west, and its neighbouring Wood of Sharp Teeth (formerly called Glimmerwood). Woodland Roll Table d4 Environment 1 Spring has come in warm and sunlit, and the woods have responded in kind. This woodland is full of young, thin-trunked trees – rowan, alder, and hawthorn covered in flowering blooms, letting through golden sunlight that speckles the ground. Basking in that sunlight is a blanket of bluebells, bright and clean and perfect, with small white anemones peering their heads through where they can find space. Along the borders, lady’s mantle grows small and sweet, filling the air with the fragrance of flowers. 2 This woodland is so dark and foreboding that few wander this deeply. Due to a lack of light and an overabundance of water, most of the trees here died a long time ago, and where their trunks lie at odd angles, they have become overrun with moss, ivy and fungi. Spiders and snakes make their homes in the damp hollows of the trunks, hunting what small animals remain. Ferns grow in deep pockets of shadow, reaching up to what scant sunlight penetrates the gloom. And further in, where the mushrooms and the moss are thickest, something emerges from its lair… 3 Old hedgerows once bordered this woodland but have since begun to grow wild – trees interlinking until they form a copse so deep and thick that only the wiliest creatures can wriggle through. Oak, hawthorn, elder, rowan, and birch all share their canopies, holding safe in their arms nests of young birds and the dreys of the squirrels that leap through their branches. At night, moths and bats will use the hedgerows as pathways, flitting over the mice that dig their way through the yarrow and hellebore that bloom beneath the bushes. 4 The edge of this old woodland once bordered fields that have long since been forgotten. The only thing that separated the two was a steep ditch to keep cattle from wandering. Now the ditch has filled with stale water, a layer of algae floating on its surface. Beneath the scum the water teems with gummy frog spawn, half-grown and blind, waiting to grow legs to move to fresher waters. Crickets call from the grass, and a pigeon answers. A birch tree leans over the ditch, yarrow and foxgloves blooming around its base. Woodland Plants Quick-Reference Table Alder Garlic Anemone Hawthorn Belladonna Hellebore Birch Ivy Blackthorn Juniper Black Bryony Lady's Mantle Bluebell Mistletoe Daisy Mosses and Lichens Elder Oak Ferns Pimpernel Foxglove Rowan Fraxinella Thyme Fungi Yarrow Tropical Forest Roll Table (continued) d4 Environment have long since died away, leaving dark hollows inside the net-like trunks of the vines. Deep inside the forest comes a single sound – a loud, sharp thump. Perhaps it is the tikbalang, ready to warn away intruders… 2 Woodsmen have been here, and what was once lush forest is now an area of open land, scattered with the trunks of felled trees and piles of greenery ripped from the ground. Deep grooves indicate where timber has been hauled away, carving lines through the earth, and the world seems to have been stilled into silence – no birds, no animals, only the distant sound of industry as those trees are turned into furniture, wagons and weaponry. The forest is still. And the forest is angry. 3 The river’s water is thick with silt, brown and slow and too opaque to see what beasts lurk just beneath its surface. Along the banks, mangroves grow so closely together that their roots form a bridge that can be walked across. White datura flowers bloom amongst them, half-submerged, occasionally swaying as something in the water brushes by. There’s something down there – and it knows it’s not alone. 4 This is a jungle in the prime of its existence. Huge, lush, green leaves open to catch the warm rain that falls, scenting the air with the pollen of a hundred fragrant flowers. Brightly coloured parrots shriek and flit between the trees, dipping past the grasping hands of wide-eyed monkeys and prowling cats. Vibrant frogs blink and stretch beside pools of rainwater caught in the trunks of trees, and in the darker recesses, bats sleep, awaiting the night-blooming trees and the moths that will visit them. At the heart of the jungle stands a tree – the land for a mile around it bereft of life, so potent is the poison that drips from its leaves. Men have tried to approach it, and men have died in the process, their bones scattered across the barren ground to warn the next set of plucky adventurers. 15

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17 Chapter 5: The Plants In this section you will find each plant listed alphabetically. alongside information about the biomes it might typically grow in, its rarity and category, and items in this supplement that it can be used to craft. Each entry also includes a description to help players identify the plant in question, as well as encounter seeds – story hooks inspired by the real-life folklore of these plants. Encounter seeds can be used as standalone prompts or combat encounters to help a DM introduce new plants to their players, as well as to make foraging for rarer or more powerful types more challenging. The specific items, potions, and spells that can be crafted from these plants can be found in later chapters. Quick reference tables Healing Plants Plant Name Page Aloe 21 Bread Moss 33 Lion's Mane 29 Mugwort 34 Ocotillo 35 Scarlet Fey Cup 30 Shiitake 30 Sphagnum Moss 34 Thyme 37 Verbena 38 Willow 38 Yarrow 39 Harming Plants Plant Name Page Aconite 21 Anemone 21 Azalea 22 Belladonna 23 Blackthorn 24 Black Bryony 24 Coyotillo 26 Darnel 26 Elder 27 Fraxinella 28 Giant Hogweed 30 Hellebore 31 Inky Cap 29 Ivy 31 Mandrake 32 Poppy 35 Rubroboletus 30 Sandbox Tree 37 Utility Plants Plant Name Page Alder 21 Aloe 21 Asphodel 22 Black Bryony 24 Bluebell 24 Boneset 25 Butterwort 25 Camellia 25 Daisy 26 Datura 26 Dead Man's Skull 33 Dragon's Blood Tree 27 Ferns 27 Foxglove 28 Fly Agaric 29 Garlic 30 Goblin Gold 33 Golden Jelly 29 Hellebore 31 Henbane 31 Juniper 31 Lady's Mantle 32 Mandrake 32 Mistletoe 32 Mountain Clubmoss 33 Mulberry 34 Oak 34 Ocotillo 35 Pimpernel 35 Poppy 35 Rattan 35 Roccella tinctoria 33 Rose 36 Rowan 36 Saguaro 36 Snapdragon 37 Thyme 37 Verbena 38 Willow 38 Yarrow 39 Yellow Lichen 34 Harming Plants Plant Name Page Upas Tree 38 Yew 39

18 Edible Plants Plant Name Page Aloe 21 Asphodel 22 Birch 23 Blackthorn 24 Camellia 25 Daisy 26 Dead Man's Skull 33 Elder 27 Ferns 27 Garlic 30 Golden Jelly 29 Hawthorn 30 Juniper 31 Lion's Mane 29 Mountain Clubmoss 33 Mugwort 34 Mulberry 34 Oak 34 Ocotillo 35 Rose 36 Saguaro 36 Scarlet Fey Cup 30 Seaweed 37 Shiitake 30 Snapdragon 37 Thyme 37 Verbena 38 Yarrow 39 Common Plants Plant Name Page Anemone 21 Banyan 23 Birch 23 Blackthorn 24 Black Bryony 24 Bluebell 24 Bread Moss 33 Daisy 26 Ferns 27 Foxglove 28 Garlic 30 Golden Jelly 29 Hawthorn 30 Ivy 31 Lion's Mane 29 Mistletoe 32 Oak 34 Ocotillo 35 Pimpernel 35 Poppy 35 Roccella tinctoria 33 Rose 36 Rowan 36 Saguaro 36 Scarlet Fey Cup 30 Seaweed 37 Shiitake 30 Sphagnum Moss 34 Thyme 37 Willow 38 Yarrow 39 Yew 39 Miscellaneous Plants Plant Name Page Banyan 23 Birch 23 Calla Lily 25 Corpse Flower 25 Hawthorn 30

19 Uncommon Plants Plant Name Page Alder 21 Anemone 21 Asphodel 22 Azalea 22 Belladonna 23 Boneset 25 Butterwort 25 Calla Lily 25 Camellia 25 Darnel 26 Elder 27 Fly Agaric 29 Fraxinella 28 Giant Hogweed 30 Hellebore 31 Henbane 31 Inky Cap 29 Juniper 31 Mountain Clubmoss 33 Mugwort 34 Mulberry 34 Rattan 35 Rubroboletus 30 Snapdragon 37 Verbena 38 Yellow Lichen 34 Rare Plants Plant Name Page Aconite 21 Aloe 21 Coyotillo 26 Datura 26 Ferns 27 Scarlet Fey Cup 30 Lady's Mantle 32 Mandrake 32 Dead Man's Skull 33 Goblin Gold 33 Very Rare Plants Plant Name Page Corpse Flower 25 Dragon’s Blood Tree 27 Sandbox Tree 37 Legendary Plants Plant Name Page Fly Agaric 29 Upas Tree 38 Herbalist’s Kit

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21 Registry of Plants Aconite Category: Harming Rarity: Rare Biome: Scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), flying ointment (page 42), hunter’s boon (page 46) This striking, purple plant contains a deadly poison commonly used in hunting. For those unlucky enough to ingest it, death comes within two to six hours, but not before the victim has suffered the sensation of ants crawling beneath the skin, numbness in the face, and weakness. Despite aconite’s mortal properties, those who know it best also associate it with rebirth and transformation through magical means. The latter comes from another name for the plant: wolfsbane. It is said to drive away wolves, and to halt the transformation of werewolves. Yet, an old rumour also suggests that encountering it upon a full moon can inflict lycanthropy on anyone who touches it… Alder Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Scrubland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Alder leaves (page 48), brimstone charcoal (page 48), sylph’s whistle (page 56), war paint (page 56) This woodland tree is often favoured by ravens as a nesting place, and just as frequently visited by wind elementals, who are attracted to music made by instruments crafted from the wood of the tree. Blessed as it is, stories suggest that ingesting the leaves can grant the gift of prophecy, and the ability to discern omens from birds in flight. The wood is white when cut, but quickly turns red as it dries. The charcoal is quick to ignite and can be used to create explosives and gunpowder. Aloe Category: Utility Rarity: Rare Biome: Scrubland Edible: Yes (leaves) Related items: Healing potion (page 43), oil of Thay (page 53) Aloe is a distinctive-looking succulent with long, pointed leaves edged with small spines. When broken, the leaves contain a clear, gel-like liquid that has many healing and antibacterial properties. Due to its medicinal value, it is highly sought after in many cultures; in Mulhorand, it is known as the ‘blood of the gods’ and is believed to grant immortality. It is commonly buried with the dead in the hopes that it will return them to life, although there are no records of it actually succeeding. In the Eastern Heartlands, aloe is used both to summon and exorcise demons. An oil infused with aloe is employed by the wizards of Thay, who then use the plant’s magical properties to command and subdue creatures from the Abyss. Anemone Category: Harming Rarity: Common Biome: Woodland Edible: No Anemones are small, white flowers that form a thick blanket of groundcover in wooded areas in early spring. Made distinctive by their musty smell, they are thought to be carriers of disease, and it’s not uncommon for country folk to hold their breath whilst running past them to stave off sickness. Encounter Seed: Alder The lively fishing port of Dunstern has suffered the worst spate of storms in living memory. Hundreds of fishing boats lie moored at anchor, unable to sail, and the helpless townsfolk grow desperate as their livelihoods vanish, forced to import goods from inland. Rumours have begun to circulate that Dunstern’s Mayor Bradwell Ramsay is to blame. His husband was lost to the sea some two months past - now he spends his nights on the beach, playing strange tunes on a pipe made of alder wood, in the hope his love will hear it and return. When asked, Mayor Ramsay will explain that the pipe (a sylph’s whistle) was given to him by a dear friend and local business magnate, Vaunaghan Vilspire. Unknown to Mayor Ramsay, the pipe’s music is attracting air elementals to the bay to thrash up the waters: part of a plot by Vaunaghan to push his new import business into Dunstern. DM suggestion: Vaunaghan will give up easily when confronted and teach the party a dispelling song that will send the elementals away. Ramsay, horrified by his part in this, will offer to be the one to play the song. The party will have to confront 1d4 air elementals out on the water; the song will cause the elementals to attack whoever is playing the sylph’s whistle. The dispelling song takes three turns to perform, and requires an action to do so; if the piper sustains damage and is interrupted, they must start the performance over. Aconite Encounter Seed: Aconite A local apothecary, Florence Tangleberry, has suffered a series of thefts from her poison garden. Every few weeks, someone sneaks in after dark and helps themselves from the aconite patch – a troubling choice of plant, given its uses, but she’s too afraid to confront the culprit herself. More worrying still: Grigori Wandle, the town carpenter, has been looking distinctly unwell for some time now, and his wife Emma seems oddly evasive on the subject… Could it be she’s the cause of his sickness? Talking to Florence about the timing of the thefts will reveal that they occur regularly every month, a few nights before the full moon. Setting an ambush or intimating Emma will reveal that she is, in fact, the culprit, but has been stealing the aconite to halt Grigori’s werewolf transformations – an affliction he’s secretly been suffering from since being bitten on a trip back from market.

22 Anemones are also long associated with forsaken love and jealousy, due to a popular myth about the nymph Anemone – the daughter of a wind deity – who was transformed into the first flowers by a jealous lover. Every year she blooms, but she is so bereft by her plight that when the first winds of the year blow through the woods, her petals are scattered. Asphodel Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Coast, scrubland Edible: Yes (roots, ground for flour) Related items: Dreamer’s bliss (page 46), hedge taper (page 51), Ice’s dream (page 60) Asphodel grows rife along the coastline and in areas of dry scrubland. With its long stems and small, white flowers, fields of asphodel at night can look like great plains of stars in the darkness. Closely connected with the realm of dreams and sleep, the stalks are protected by mazzeri (page 89), dream fey who stalk the realms of the sleeping to reap unwary souls. Foraging note: Entering meadows where asphodel grows without first appeasing the mazzeri causes bursts of fey fire to target the intruders. Creatures who are not allies of the mazzeri and try to pick or uproot an asphodel plant must make a DC14 Dexterity save at the beginning of their turn, taking 1d6 fire damage on a failed save and half damage on a successful save. Azalea Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Mountain, woodland Edible: No Related items: Azalea honey (page 45), basic poison (page 45) These flowering shrubs can grow large enough to outmatch some of the smaller trees that grow in the same environment, and in places, grow thickly enough that they create their own forests. Highly attractive to bees, honey made from the pollen of the flowers contains the same toxins that fill the plant, and any who eat it may be subjected to hallucinations, madness, anger, unsteadiness, and vomiting. Asphodel Encounter Seed: Anemone Olivier Tidrik, a cattle farmer, lives in a farmhouse in the woods not far from the local town. Lately, his family – a wife and four children – have fallen deathly ill, and he too is starting to sicken, leaving his farm neglected. He has put out a call for adventurers to get to the bottom of this sickness, which he believes to be a curse from a local witch. Olivier will not willingly give up the reasons why he believes his family to be cursed but will point players in the direction of Marinne Acker: a young woman who lives in the town, who he is accusing of witchcraft. He will indicate that the best solution for both his family and the town is to kill her quickly before she can curse anyone else. If the party investigate thoroughly, they will discover that Olivier and Marinne have been having an affair. When Olivier refused to leave his family for Marinne, she made a pact with the fey, who encouraged the anemones in the woods to grow thick and close around the farmhouse. This has created a toxic atmosphere that is slowly poisoning the Tidrik family. Attacking Marinne, or removing the anemones, will trigger an encounter with the mazzeri, or other fey creatures of the DM’s choosing. Encounter Seed: Asphodel The coastal town of Stillmouth is preparing for Soulsheight, their yearly festival of the dead. Most important to the festival is the preparation of food for the souls of the departed, which includes roots of the asphodel plant. However, the mazzeri that protect the asphodel meadows have been angered by the town’s recent expansion, which has seen parts of the meadow destroyed. Townsfolk can no longer enter without suffering harm, and those who live on the side of town that borders the meadows have started falling into a sleep from which they cannot be awoken. Once the party have found a means of appeasing the mazzeri and have been successful in doing so, the residents of Stillmouth will teach them how to make hedge tapers as thanks (page 51). DM suggestion: When entering the meadows, make the players roll a Wisdom save. If they fail, they fall asleep for 1d6 minutes and in that time, will be subjected to battle within the mazzeri’s dream plane. Those who pass the check will have to battle the mazzeri in the Material Plane, protecting the bodies of any sleeping companions. Azalea Encounter Seed: Azalea The town of Cliffhold has always been renowned for the beautiful azaleas that grow along its mountainside and around the town itself. Once a year, visitors flock to see these plants in full bloom, and in turn, Cliffhold residents hold a festival where they sell clothes and crafts emblazoned with azalea designs, as well as showing off local foods and folk music. It is just one week until this year’s festival, and a swarm of wild bees has descended on the newly-blooming azaleas. Their hives are dripping with deceptively delicious honey – and the townsfolk, unaware that the honey is toxic – have been joyfully sharing this bounty with family and early visitors. Now the townsfolk are falling ill, their visitors are strangely quarrelsome, and worst of all, usually timid beasts are coming down from their mountain homes and attacking anyone they encounter. DM suggestion: The beasts stalking the town are honey beasts (page 87). Use your discretion as to how many to challenge your players with. They may be joined by other monsters in the Beast category, or perhaps even afflicted lesser fey. The nature of the poisoning induces madness, so affected creatures will not listen to reason; Animal Handling checks will be made with disadvantage; and saving throws made by the afflicted against spells such as charm monster or dominate beast are made with advantage. The effects of the madness on the townsfolk should be treated as Poisoning and can be removed by any appropriate spells or consumables. This solution will also work on any rampaging beasts.

23 Banyan Category: Miscellaneous Rarity: Common Biome: Coast, tropical forest Edible: No Banyan trees grow so densely that their forests can cover thousands of acres of land. Germinating in the canopies of other trees, they grow downwards and engulf their host in a cage of roots, eventually smothering it and leaving hollow ‘ghost trunks’ of banyan vines. Due to their peculiar forms, the shadows cast by banyans are strange, and the sound of the wind whistling through the trunks is said by some cultures to be a warning from the spirits of the forest not to enter their realm. Though the shade that the trees provide is valued by travellers and merchants, these forests are also home to tikbalang, patasola, and other tree-dwelling fey. Belladonna Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), belladonna’s kiss (page 45), flying ointment (page 46), potion of silence (page 47) Many centuries ago, clerics at Wolfspell Abbey revered belladonna for the visions that it brought, cultivating it and carving motifs of it into the building. Though the abbey’s exact fate is unknown, the clerics eventually disappeared – perhaps succumbing to the madness that long-term exposure to this poisonous plant brings – and the abbey now lies in ruins, speckled with the gold and purple shapes of the belladonna flowers that have reclaimed the land. Not just restricted to Wolfspell Vale, belladonna grows prolifically in damp, shady areas such as riversides and woodlands, and is said to be guarded by a fearsome monster sent by Talona to protect her most poisonous plants. As such, gathering its seductively sweet berries can prove to be a job deadlier than the plant itself. Once gathered, however, belladonna has infinite value: not only is the poison of the berries a potent one, the leaves and flowers also carry great power. In rural areas, crowns made of the vines are worn by maidens to ward against evil influence. Birch Category: Miscellaneous Rarity: Common Biome: Woodland Edible: Yes (young leaves) Related items: Bands of grace (page 58), Evelina’s crown (page 59), Lesovo’s blade (page 61) In sympathy with the sorrowing weeps the birch with long dishevell’d hair. These white-trunked trees stand out easily in any woodland. With their pale, papery bark and the eye-like shapes in their trunks, their leaves seem to shiver in even the faintest of breezes and turn a bright gold in the autumn. Particularly in the northern Realms, it is thought that the souls of the dead use these trees as a path to the afterlife, and the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves is them sending messages back to the living. Known in some parts as ‘lady of the woods’, the tree is often host to a fungus known as witch’s broom, which clusters like bird nests along the trunk. In communities across the Moonshae Isles, a birch bonfire will be lit in the centre of the settlement at midwinter. Every house will douse their own fire, and then relight it from this Belladonna Banyan A Deadly Crop The sweetest – and deadliest – berries are said to be grown by the Buonna Donna, a coven of sorcerer witches in Rashemen. They cannot die until they find someone to inherit their magic, and while this longevity suits some of the eldest members, others have resorted to trying to trick unsuspecting travellers into accepting their ‘gift’ so that they can pass on. Encounter Seed: Banyan A merchant caravan has put out a call for adventurers to assist with security. They’re on their way to the famous Oskagar Emporium, but their road will take them through the equally infamous jungles of Chult – a maze of skeletal bayans and deadend, ruined roads that have swallowed up more than their share of unfortunate travellers. But rumour has it that getting lost isn’t the worst misfortune lurking in those trees… The leader of the caravan – an aarakocra by the name of Ekrea – will offer the party a handsome fee to escort them and their wagons through the jungle; half up front, and half upon completion. The reason that they need extra protection is because – though Ekrea will not surrender this information willingly – they are due to pass through lands sacred to the fey, protected by guardian tikbalangs. Few dare to venture on these particular paths, but there is fey treasure to be found in the banyans; and though taking it will endanger the caravan, Ekrea is willing to take the risk. On their journey, the caravan will be attacked by a tikbalang. If it is defeated, Ekrea will reward the party for their work – if there is no damage done to the caravan or its contents, Ekrea will also gift the party with the guardian’s warning warhammer. Encounter Seed: Belladonna A group of scholars from the Order of Delvers wish to excavate the old dwarven tunnels that the now-ruined Wolfspell Abbey was built atop of. However, several of their early expedition parties have come back injured, or not come back at all – the survivors claiming that a great, ferocious beast guards the ruins. When the players arrive at Wolfspell Abbey, they will encounter Cinstita (page 97), who is protecting the belladonna that grows in the valley and will attack any intruder on sight.

24 central fire, bringing the community back together to begin the new year. Later, in the spring, a sweet wine is fermented from the sap. Blackthorn Category: Harming Rarity: Common Biome: Scrubland, woodland Edible: Yes (fruit) Related items: Clay body (page 49), pins of slumber (page 62) Hunched and bony, the blackthorn tree resembles the withered form of the Cailleach, the goddess who blessed it many millennia ago so that it could survive in its bitterly cold environment. The branches are covered in viciously sharp thorns which can be used to cast curses, and the scars caused by gathering these thorns are a mark of the Cailleach’s favour. It is said that the safest time to gather the thorns is at a full moon, when the Waldgeister – who typically guard the tree – are distracted by their moon worship. Foraging note: Due to their sharpness and tangled way of growing, the thorns of this tree are notoriously difficult to gather. When doing so, players must make a DC15 Constitution saving throw – on a failure, they take 3d6 damage and become Poisoned for 1 hour. On a success, they take the same damage but are not Poisoned. Black Bryony Category: Harming, utility Rarity: Common Biome: Coast, scrubland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), Belgin’s shot (page 58) A prolific climbing vine that can be identified by the ropey strings of red berries that adorn it in the later months of the year. Though the berries are poisonous, the plant has a much more desirable use: the roots can be shaped into rudimentary arrows which are supposedly able to ‘cut a hole through any door’. This ammunition has historically also been used for hunting witches’ familiars, and it is said that hares and cats go to great pains to avoid this plant. Bluebell Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Bell’s warning (page 48), hunter’s looking glass (page 51) ‘If it be leyd under mann’s head, he shal sleepyn as he were dead; he shal never drede nor wakyn, till from under his head it be takyn.’ Bluebells indicate the location of ancient woodland sites such as ruins, fey courts, and areas touched by magic. Beloved of the fey courts as they are, a bluebell’s flowers are said to ring when the fey are near, and the places where they grow are protected by a myriad of magics that are rumoured to make unwary travellers fall asleep… and sometimes wake up in Bluebell Blackthorn Black Bryony Encounter Seed: Black Bryony The Pale Flowers are popular folk heroes amongst the peasantry of the Western Heartlands. This gang of thieves are known to fleece nobility on the road and burgle the safes of rich merchants – all to benefit the most downtrodden and deprived in society. Indeed, the tales say there is no door they cannot get past, no matter how heavily guarded, locked, or barred; what the tales don’t say, however, is they go through a lot of black bryony to make their ammunition, and the supply chain’s just hit a bit of a snag… The gang usually harvest their black bryony in secret, on land owned by a local noble. But the noble has grown wise to their clandestine comings and goings, and has lately beefed up the guard. If the Pale Flowers are to resupply again, they’re going to need help. The party will be asked to accompany the Pale Flowers’ resident foraging expert, Florin Winholdt, to the gathering grounds – and will find them guarded by 1d8 human thugs. Once defeated, the black bryony may be safely harvested. The Pale Flowers will reward the party with 100 gp for every bag of bryony that they can provide; but the longer that the party remain on the gathering grounds, the more likely it is that backup will arrive. For each bag of bryony that they intend to gather, a fresh wave of 1d8 thugs will arrive. With each new wave, increase the difficulty by accompanying the thugs with trained wolves and warhorses. Encounter Seed: Birch When Faedri Hammersong’s foolhardy adventuring partner, Ulrich Arldorf, went to meet ‘a man about a map’, it was sorry thing when he didn’t return. But lately, she’s been dreaming of him: standing in a birch wood, urging her to come and find him; repeating, over and over, that he has something to tell her. The trouble is, she recognises those trees – and where they grow is not the sort of place one goes alone. If the party agrees to go to the wood to look for Ulrich on Faedri’s behalf, she will promise a reward of 200 gp, and give them a scroll granting one use of last words, if the party is not already able to cast it. Searching the wood will reveal Ulrich’s body tangled in undergrowth – and provoke a fight with the two lieschi (page 93) who killed him. Once the lieschi are defeated, the party may cast last words and speak with Ulrich’s spirit. Ulrich will pass on the location of the treasure hoard he was looking for when he died, as well as an apology to Faedri. Upon receiving this information, Faedri will promise a share of the hoard once she finds it in gratitude for the party’s assistance. DM suggestion: If Ulrich couldn’t reach the hoard alone, the chances are that Faedri will not be able to, either. The party may want to assist her in her quest; on the way they will likely encounter lieschi, waldgeister, and possibly even rusalki. Balance these encounters to match your party’s current level. The hoard, once split between Faedri and the party, will grant the party 800gp, a bag of invisibility powder, and Lesovo’s blade.

25 the Feywild. Many tales abound of folk who have wandered into glades of these flowers, lured by their beauty, never to be seen again. Despite their dangers, the bulbs create a sticky substance that is popular for binding books and fixing fletching to arrows. This substance acts as a mild insecticide, as well as aiding sleep if used as an ointment. Boneset Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Spirit ward (page 54) A tall, leafy plant that grows clusters of tiny white flowers throughout the latter half of the year. In rural areas, bundles of boneset are hung over doorways to repel ghosts and are also carried by those who come into contact with the dead as a protection against ghost sickness (see page 89) – a condition caused when a spirit, severed from its own body, becomes overly attached to a living host. Butterwort Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland Edible: No Related items: Ring of ensnarement (page 62), spirit ward (page 54) These small, carnivorous plants are difficult to locate in the boggy areas where they grow. Highly valued by temples and mortuaries, they are placed in the doorways and windows of rooms where corpses await burial to stop the spirits from rising again. Some stories suggest that the plant’s sticky leaves don’t just entrap the spirits of the dead; the roots, knotted into a ring, may bestow the ability of commanding obedience in others. Calla Lily Category: Miscellaneous Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland Edible: No Calla lilies are large, white flowers most commonly associated with death and the falsely accused. The pollen on the spadix gives off a faint glow at dusk, and in the marshy areas of the High Moor, these lights are said to be set by the fey to ensure that fishermen find their way home safely. In some tales, fishermen who have angered the fey have been led astray by the very same lights, and never seen again... These lilies grow most commonly on the banks of streams and rivers, but they have also been seen growing in execution grounds on the graves of those unjustly put to death – the flowers’ presence proclaiming their innocence. Camellia Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Mountain Edible: Yes (leaves, flowers) Related items: Keiko’s judgement (page 61) Camellias are evergreen, and their voluminous, red flowers grow only during the coldest of snows. Once they have bloomed, rather than losing their petals gradually, the entire flower drops from the branches heavily and suddenly, much like the fall of a severed head in the midst of battle. For this reason, it is seen in some mountainous regions as a warrior’s flower, and is often embroidered on tabards or engraved into armour as a blessing for a good and honourable death. The famous warrior Keiko is said to have wielded a hammer made of camellia wood that never missed a single blow. Some stories make the eerie claim that these shrubs eventually gain a sentience of their own, with the oldest of them able to separate their spirits from the wood and wander the local area. If the camellia has been well treated in its lifetime, it will protect the land it grows upon, whereas those who have been mistreated become vengeful and curse anyone who comes near. Corpse Flower Category: Miscellaneous Rarity: Very rare Biome: Tropical forest Edible: No Related items: Carrion ring (page 58), gloves of scorching (page 59), titan’s hood (page 64) The corpse flower is one of the most striking-looking plants to be found in any tropical jungle. Lacking in trunk, leaves, or any other distinctive plant-like growth, it appears out of the ground as one large pseudo-flower that commonly reaches ten feet in height. When it blooms, it emits the same heat as a living creature and a scent indistinguishable from that of rotting flesh. This scent attracts pollinators in the form of carrion beetles and other insects. Bluebell Encounter Seed: Boneset Weeks of heavy rain have disturbed the peace of the Pennycross marshes – the site of the grisly executions of traitorous ferrymen in a long-forgotten war – and the local townsfolk are suffering a plague of ghost sickness. Unable to risk their remaining unafflicted on a solution, they are in desperate need of someone to harvest boneset to treat the epidemic… Fortunately, boneset grows in abundance locally – but the marshes are unusually flooded this time of year, bringing with them an unusual number of will-o’-wisps. Whilst foraging, the party will encounter 1d4 will-o’-wisps, and upon defeating them, may safely gather enough boneset to help the townsfolk. Those afflicted by the ghost sickness can now be cured and the restless spirits banished back whence they came, and the townsfolk will allow the party to keep 1d4 bundles boneset and offer a further 250 gp in gratitude.

Coyotillo Category: Harming Rarity: Rare Biome: Scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), potion of paralysis (page 46) A scruffy tree that grows best in scrubland and desert areas. The seeds inside the berries are highly toxic and cause a paralysis that starts at the feet, moving next the limbs, then to the throat and respiratory system. Symptoms can take days and sometimes even weeks after ingestion to show. It is named for the coyotes that delight in eating the berries, spitting out the poisonous seeds as they do so; other animals who try the same often die. Daisy Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, mountain, woodland Edible: Yes (flowers, young leaves) Related items: Love oracle (page 52) One of the most common flowers to be found growing wild, daisies are among the first harbingers of spring, appearing across farmland and meadows in the early sunny months of the year. The very first daisy picked at midnight on a new moon is said to have magical properties and is a valuable find for folk looking to wed. Trinkets containing daisies or daisy motifs are popular purchases for young couples in the spring. Darnel Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Farmland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), darnel bread (page 45) Visually similar to other crop foods, darnel grass is commonly mistaken for wheat and can easily be harvested alongside its harmless cousin by accident. Though not hugely poisonous in itself, darnel is particularly vulnerable to the ergot fungus, which, when ground into flour, can cause illness and even death. Datura Category: Utility Rarity: Rare Biome: Tropical forest Edible: No Related items: Flying ointment (page 42), datura powder (page 49), seeds of delusion (page 47) The heady scent of datura flowers is so strong that just smelling the perfume is said to cause hallucinations, drunkenness, and laughter. However, these hallucinations are rumoured to impart invaluable information to the one experiencing them, and there are even scattered tales of the Red Wizards of Thay using datura in mind control experiments. Foraging note: Creatures who stand within a 5ft radius of the flowers must make a DC14 Wisdom saving throw, unless they have taken precautions to cover their faces. On a failed saving throw, they are Poisoned, and take on a further effect as described in the roll table under datura powder (page 49). Datura Daisy Encounter Seed: Darnel There exists among the noble houses of Holreith a timehonoured tradition of breaking bread with one’s rivals to mark the end of a feud. A recent instance of this between the rival families Olbert and Penwill ended in disaster, however, when all who attended the ceremony at the Olbert estate were struck down by a mysterious sickness. With casualties suffered on both sides, each family is accusing the other of foul play, and the situation threatens to descend back into bitter conflict unless the truth is revealed. An examination of the afflicted members of either family, or of the bread itself, will reveal that this is indeed a case of poisoning. Investigating the kitchens at the Olbert estate will turn up several sacks of flour contaminated with darnel; the poisoning was an innocent accident, and revealing the truth will avert disaster. The First Teachers Many generations ago, a pair of siblings followed the light upwards and emerged from the Underworld onto the surface world. Crowned with white datura flowers, they spent many years walking the earth, learning from the people there and sharing what they knew. They taught the people how to see ghosts, how to sleep well, and how to find lost objects. Once they were content with all that they had learned, they returned to the Underworld, leaving behind only the white flowers that they had worn in their hair. Thus, the first datura flowers came to earth. 26

27 Dragon’s Blood Tree Category: Utility Rarity: Very rare Biome: Mountain, tropical forest Edible: No Related items: Dragon’s blood ink (page 50), war paint (page 57) Legend supposes that the first of these great trees came from the blood that was spilled when two ancient dragons perished in mortal combat. The tree certainly grows as large as dragons, with some being recorded at 80 feet tall and with trunks 75 feet in circumference. When the wood is cut from a living tree, it bleeds a thick, dark red resin that is highly valued as a magical component. Rumours exist that the resin can be used as a replacement for real blood, as well as in the crafting of magical items. Other stories tell that the resin is used by spurned lovers wishing to bring harm to those who have wronged them. Under a growing moon, burning coals from the hearth must be placed within a copper vessel. Upon these coals, ground resin from the dragon’s blood tree must be scattered to burn. Over the rising smoke, the curse is set: ‘Tis not this Dragon’s Blood I mean to burn, but my true love’s heart I wish to turn. May they have no sleep, nor rest, nor pleasure see, until they shall come back to me.’ Elder Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Mountain, scrubland, woodland Edible: Yes (flowers, berries) Related items: Clay body (page 49), Mallachtan blade (page 61) Trí comartha láthraig mallachtan: tromm, tradna, nenaid. ‘There are three tokens of a cursed site: the elder, a corncrake, and nettles.’ Though unremarkable in appearance, this tree is wreathed in whispers of danger and misfortune. Growing only where blood has been shed, it is a sure sign of cursed ground nearby; even cutting a branch from the tree is supposed to bring bad luck, and falling asleep beneath it is said to be fatal. Those who ignore the warnings will find that elders are often inhabited by waldgeister (page 86) – wood sprites who use the trunks as doorways between this world and their native Feywild. In addition to leading unwary travellers astray, waldgeister will often protect their tree with tooth and nail, attacking those who damage it. To those who do manage to harvest the parts of this tree, they will find them highly valuable to the intrepid adventurer. The oil provides potent protection against dark magic, and the smoke from burning elder wood is said to reveal witches. A child anointed about the eyes with the juice of the bark is rumoured to be able to both see and converse with evil influences. Ferns Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Tropical forest, woodland Edible: Yes (young leaves) Related items: Feybane (page 46), ironbind powder (page 51), Jani’s favour (page 52), lucky hand (page 53) Ferns grow rampant throughout dark and wooded areas, filling every shadowy nook and corner with their long, leafy fronds. Though the young leaves are edible, the rest of the plant has no real magical value: but it does have a rare secret, the fern seed. The fern seed is an object of great magical value. It appears once per year at Midsummer, only for one hour around midnight, and only to those who know where to look. In fact, so few people have seen it that information about its appearance is largely limited to hearsay – but it is said to be sparkling gold, nestled inside a flower that blooms at the heart of the fern plant. Any person possessing this seed is said to know the secret of invisibility. Other varieties of fern, such as moonwort, are said to have dominion over iron and other metals. Many have been quick to take advantage of these anti-ferrous qualities, and the plants are often used as a component by thieves and Ferns smugglers to open locks and damage iron bars. Elder Encounter Seed: Dragon’s Blood Tree In the city of Baldur’s Gate, two separate groups of faithful – the Temple of Bhaal and the Cult of Afflux – have, after years of clashes with the city guard, finally agreed to find alternatives to their ritualistic murders. However, the truce has been an uneasy one, and blood alternatives – such as resin from the dragon’s blood tree – have become scarce and extortionately expensive. The head Bhaalist priest recently went missing, along with the Temple’s supply of dragon’s blood resin. While the latter remains missing, the former was eventually found – dismembered, and dumped in Gray Harbor. The Bhaalists are out for real blood now and will handsomely reward anyone who will sow discord and vengeance amongst the Cult of Afflux. If the players accept this job and the Cult discover them, they will offer equal pay to see their enemies removed in a similar manner.

28 FORAGING | REGISTRY OF PLANTS Foxglove Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Scrubland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Lusmore’s cloak (page 61), Lusmore’s gloves (page 61), war paint (page 56), witch ward (page 57) Foxgloves are tall, colourful flowers that grow in the shady patches of meadows and woodlands. Though supposedly fatal to changelings, one folktale tells of a meadow of foxgloves so beloved by the fey that they stored their spare spells the flowers, only to forget which spells were hidden where: when the buds finally bloomed, the spells were activated, causing havoc for the local farmers. Foraging note: To add an element of danger to gathering these plants, draw inspiration from the folktale above and sow some hints from NPCs about this mysterious field of spell-filled foxgloves. While picking the plant, ask your player to roll a DC14 Dexterity save. On a failure, roll a d100 and refer to the Wild Magic Sorcerer’s Wild Magic Surge table. All spells are cast by the foxglove, and all effects target the player character. Fraxinella Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Woodland Edible: No Related items: Fraxinella bottle (page 43) Fraxinella grows prolifically around water sources in woodlands and forests, and is beloved by samovila and samodiva, woodland nymphs who inhabit the same areas. However, the plant needs no protection from these guardians, as it protects itself – it surrounds itself with a flammable atmosphere that bursts into flame the moment it is touched. Foraging note: Any character standing within 5ft of this plant is standing within its aura. If the plant is touched without the aura having first been dispersed (for example, by using a spell such as gust of wind), any creature standing within the 5ft radius takes 1d6 fire damage. If one plant’s aura is touching another’s, this sets off a chain reaction, causing a further 1d4 fire damage for each plant in the chain. The plants and surrounding environment are not damaged by this. Fungi Category: Harming, healing, utility Rarity: Common Biome: Marshland, mountain, woodland Edible: Various Related items: Elfdans’ gift (page 59), forager’s knife (page 59) Fungi come in many shapes and sizes, and vary wildly between the edible (and delicious!) and the deadly poisonous. Spreading underground, they can reach incredible sizes, though they are often invisible until their mushrooms – the fruiting bodies of the fungi – appear above ground to spread their spores. Many cultures have stories concerning how mushrooms came to exist; in the Western Heartlands, it is said that they are the fingers of Kelemvor, reaching up through the earth to feed the poor. If player characters decide to eat mushrooms they have found, use the mushroom roll table below to determine whether the mushrooms are edible or not. If a player has proficiency with the Herbalism Kit or rolls a successful Nature check, reveal the results to them before they eat the mushrooms. Foxglove Fraxinella Mushroom Roll Table d100 Results of ingesting 1 - 10 You enter an hallucinogenic trance for the next hour. During this time, you receive a cryptic message from an unknown deity. 11 - 20 You enter a state of ‘battle-spasm’. No matter your Class, you enter the Rage state and gain temporary hit points equal to your current level, and feel compelled to attack the creature closest to you. If you are a Barbarian, this does not use one of your available Rages. Court of the Ashen Fey Children of Ryemount, a small mining town built halfway up the mountain Winterscarre Peak, are commonly warned not to climb to the top of the northern summit. Up there, the story says, is the Ashen Court – a castle that belongs to the exiled ashen fey. Though its exact location is unknown, it is said that the castle can be found by following a trail of foxgloves that winds up the side of the mountain. The foxgloves appeared several centuries ago, when Collen – a newly-appointed priest to the Ryemount church of Torm – made it his business to shut down rumours of the ‘devils’ living on the peak. When Gwyn, fey king of the Ashen Court, heard of this, he delivered a personal invitation to the priest, promising him feasts of peace and grand revels if he should visit. But when the hapless priest appeared, the king instead ordered him instead to be beheaded. Not to be outdone – and determined not to die on fey land – Collen picked up his severed head and marched back to Ryemount, whereupon he lay down in his own bed and finally died. Where blood fell from his severed neck on the walk back down the mountain, foxgloves bloomed the following year and have continued to do so every year since.

29 Mushroom Rings Tales abound of the toads, dragons, and fey who protect mushroom rings, and the fates of people who step into them. The rings mark where the veil thins between the Material Plane and the Feywild; use the mushroom ring roll table to dictate the result of stepping into one. Fungi: Fly Agaric Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland, woodland Edible: No, unless processed (dried, smoked, etc.) Related items: Basic poison (page 45) The amanita, or fly agaric, is one of the most distinctivelooking mushrooms across all the Realms. Said to grow from the heart of thunderstorms, this mysterious fungus is a popular hallucinogen and is used in religious and ritual practices in practically all cultures. Appearing later in the year, it typically grows beneath birch and spruce trees, and is instantly recognisable by its red cap and white warts. In northern parts of the Realms, fly agaric is also called ‘raven’s bread’, in connection with the two ravens, Huginn and Muninn, who travel with the god Odin. Munins tugga is also used in skaldic poetry to symbolise corpses, and the redness of blood (or fly agaric) on snow. Berserkers from the distant reaches of the Realms use fly agaric to enter a state of uncontrolled rage and fearlessness. The legendary warrior Cuchulainn, when he entered this state, would not only become frenzied but could also perform feats of fearsome strength, generate a great heat from his body, and was overcome with an unstoppable desire to kill everyone in sight. In some stories, it is said that he could burst into flame at will. In Mulhorand, similar species of mushroom are believed to have been gifted by the gods as a food of immortality, and are therefore only eaten by high-ranking nobility. Fungi: Golden Jelly Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Woodland Edible: Yes The golden jelly fungus is found commonly across the Realms. Although it is edible and non-toxic (though flavourless), it is known in some places as ‘witch’s butter’ and used to bestow curses. To curse the intended victim, all that is required is to throw the fungus at them, causing a bout of bad fortune. Fungi: Inky Cap Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Scrubland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45) The inky cap is a small, white mushroom that, once mature, turns black and begins to ‘melt’ in long, viscous droplets. A common fungus across the northern Realms, it is entirely edible, unless ingested alongside alcohol – at which point it becomes poisonous. The symptoms of inky cap poisoning can include nausea, vomiting, agitation, and tingling in the limbs. Though most recover within a few hours, it has been known to be fatal. Fungi: Lion’s Mane Category: Healing Rarity: Common Biome: Woodland Edible: Yes Related items: Antidote (page 42) Lion’s mane is a large, white mushroom that grows on the trunks of dead trees, particularly oak and walnut. It is easily distinguished from other mushrooms, as it hangs from the wood in long, hair-like strands, appearing like a beard or a mane. It is eaten as a delicacy in many areas, and can be beneficial in treating ailments of the stomach. Mushroom Ring Roll Table d4 Results of Trespassing 1 The creature must make a successful DC12 Constitution save or fall asleep for 1d6 hours. The creature can be woken by taking damage. This sleep, if completed, does not count as a long or short rest. 2 The creature finds themselves suddenly compelled to dance for 1d6 hours, after which they take a point of exhaustion. 3 1d4 fey creatures of the DM’s choosing appear in the ring. The creatures will enter combat until the players are driven more than 60ft from the ring, at which point they disappear again. 4 The ring is the site of buried treasure. Use the official trinket table to determine what treasure is discovered. Mushroom Roll Table d100 Results of ingesting 21 - 30 You are subjected to a period of Short-Term Madness for the next hour. Use the official roll table to determine its effect. 31 - 65 The mushrooms are edible, and you gain 1d10 temporary hit points. 66 - 100 The mushrooms are poisonous. You must make a DC16 Constitution saving throw; on a failed save, you take 2d10 poison damage; on a success, you take half that damage.

30 Fungi: Rubroboletus spp. Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), Halling’s net (page 60) These large mushrooms may not look remarkable on the outside, but once they are cut open or bruised, the flesh quickly turns a vibrant blue. Members of this fungus family all share this trait but are otherwise varied – R. pulcherrimus has a ‘netted’ stem, and R. satanas emits the scent of rotting flesh, and can grow up to two feet wide. They are all poisonous. Fungi: Scarlet Fey Cup Category: Healing Rarity: Common Biome: Woodland Edible: Yes Related items: Healing potion (page 43) The scarlet fey cup is a striking-looking fungus that can be found growing on dead wood throughout early spring. The bright red cups rarely grow any larger than an inch, though in the Feywild they are said to grow much larger and are used as drinking vessels by the fey. Though technically edible, this mushroom has a bland flavour and tough texture. However, it can help stop bleeding and encourages faster healing when applied to wounds as a paste. Fungi: Shiitake Category: Healing Rarity: Common Biome: Marshland, mountain Edible: Yes Related items: Healing potion (page 43) Shiitake mushrooms are particularly prized in Kara-Tur for their medicinal properties. They’re so valued that in some rural regions, a crop of shiitake is planted upon the birth of a child; when that child comes of age, they are gifted the mature crop as a fortune with which to begin their adult life. However, due to the value of these crops, they are occasionally stolen. In one such case, the crop in question was stolen from the heir of a noble family, and a manhunt was launched to find the culprit. The result was the execution of no less than twenty men and a short, but bloody, civil war. Garlic Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, woodland Edible: Yes (bulb, leaves) Related items: Dead man’s curse (page 49) Also known as ‘slayer of monsters’ or ‘sorcerer’s garlic’, garlic is a powerful protection against magic, and is particularly favoured by miners, who carry it to defend themselves against the assaults of impure spirits found deep underground. There are several unverified legends of spellcasters who have partaken of a tea brewed with garlic leaves; this tea allowed them to travel to the Astral Plane, or even to enter the realm of death and return safely again. Giant Hogweed Category: Harming Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Farmland, marshland, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), blisterpaste (page 45) Giant hogweed is an invasive weed which can take over ditches and entire fields in the space of one season. It can reach over ten feet in height, and is identifiable by its large, white, umbelliferous flowers. Coming into contact with giant hogweed can induce severe photosensitivity, which causes extreme burns and blisters upon exposure to light. This burning can last for days and, in some cases, even years. Foraging note: Player characters must take care to cover any exposed skin before gathering this plant. If they fail to do so, any physical contact with the plant incurs 2d8 poison damage on a failed DC14 Constitution saving throw, or half as much on a successful one. Hawthorn Category: Miscellaneous Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, scrubland, woodland Edible: Yes (berries) Hawthorns are one of the first trees to blossom in spring. A common tree found growing in hedgerows and woodlands, their beautiful white flowers have the distinctive smell of rotting flesh. Because of this, many legends suggest that their roots are the gateways to the river Styx. They are particularly favoured by both Kelemvor and the Flower Brides. Giant Hogweed Encounter Seed: Giant Hogweed It seems that the townspeople of Nadderwell have discovered a vampire in their midst. The vampire in question is recentlyarrived local botanist Athanan Oriel, whose vehement avoidance of sunlight has not gone unnoticed – but the truth was revealed beyond any doubt when Millicent Merryveil, landlady of the Merryveil Meadery, saw the botanist break out in terrible blisters on a sunny market day. Athanan, now locked in her house and awaiting the town’s judgement, protests a difference explanation for her affliction, however... If the party speak with Athanan at her shuttered window, she will inform them that the cause of her burns was an unfortunate encounter with some giant hogweed. If the party are able to find and fetch a sample of the plant to her, she will be able to demonstrate its properties to the townsfolk, substantiating her own explanation and dispelling their suspicions. Though the plant grows in many of the ditches and fields around Nadderwell, the party will find the plant difficult to gather without suffering burns of their own unless they’re careful.

Hellebore Category: Harming, utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Woodland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), invisibility powder (page 51), weapon paste (page 47) Hellebore is an attractive flower that comes in many different colours, and most often blooms in the cold months of winter, even when it’s snowing. Despite its innocent appearance, it has a long history of use in warfare, either in poisoning urban water sources in times of siege or being ground into a paste and smeared onto weaponry. Folk tales also tell of army-conscripted sorcerers who are able to move about unseen through the enemy by concealing themselves with clouds of powdered hellebore root, although verifiable sources of this are hard to find. Henbane Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Coast, mountain, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), flying ointment (page 42), powder of invocation (page 54) Henbane is a small, flowering plant, made distinct by the dark purple veins that pattern its yellow leaves. Closely connected with death, it is said to be able to invoke restless souls and demons, to aid in prophetic visions, and to calm unsettled spirits on their way to the afterlife. However, its effect on living people is the exact opposite – it is said to turn even the most placid people angry and quarrelsome. When the dried leaves are burned and the smoke is inhaled by a Cleric, for the next hour that Cleris has a higher chance of being successful when using Divine Intervention. During this time, when the percentile dice is rolled, the deity will intervene when a number is rolled that is equal to or lower than the Cleric level plus Proficiency Bonus. Ivy Category: Harming Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Ivy ale (page 46) A well-known climbing plant, ivy is as commonly found in settlements as it is out in the wild, providing a valuable food source for moths, birds, bats, and other pollinators. Though not necessarily poisonous, some unscrupulous gangs use it to spike alcoholic drinks to make the target drunker than usual. Typically, this is done prior to a robbery; it is also often done on the night before elections, to ensure that victims will be too hungover to partake in the voting – a practice known as ‘hocusing’. Juniper Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Mountain, woodland Edible: Yes (berries) Related items: Counting kit (page 49), juniper incense (page 52) Traditional ‘guardians’ of the dead, juniper trees are commonly planted over graves or in cemeteries to nurture the souls of those interred there until they are ready to be reincarnated. However, the juniper’s spirit is not so kind to other trees – in Luskan, it is believed that the juniper and ash are sworn enemies; if a juniper is planted on one side of a tree and an ash on the other, the tree in the middle will be split apart by their disdain for each other. The tiny, numerous leaves are also a point of frustration to undead, who, upon seeing the leaves, are seized with an irresistible mania to count all of them. Encounter Seed: Ivy The streets of Bridgfirth have recently borne witness to a spate of late-night robberies – and Watch Lieutenant Anlon ‘Hal’ Halloren is determined to get to the bottom of them. All victims have been found curiously unharmed, save for a horrific hangover the following day, though the local innkeeper swears that none ever bought more than a drink or two in the tavern. So, like any good lawkeeper, Hal’s setting up an undercover sting – and he could use some unfamiliar faces to back him up. Whilst sitting with Hal in the taproom, a successful DC16 Wisdom (Perception) check will reveal that the innkeeper is adding something to the ale of a random patron; alternatively, a successful DC12 Intelligence (Nature) check to examine the ale itself will reveal that it has been spiked with dried and crushed ivy leaves. Upon being questioned, the innkeeper will attempt to escape: pursuing him will result in a confrontation with 1d6 thugs in the alley outside. Once the thugs are defeated, Hal will make his arrests and close the case – rewarding the party with 250 gp for their assistance. Ivy Hellebore Juniper 31

32 Lady’s Mantle Category: Utility Rarity: Rare Biome: Woodland Edible: No Related items: Agua aurea (page 48) This small plant, with its clusters of yellow flowers, is easily overlooked on the woodland floor. Its large, cup-shaped leaves gather rain when it falls, and the raindrops separate on their surface, taking on an odd, metallic sort of sheen. This water, known to those who seek it as ‘agua aurea’, is considered to have magical properties, and is highly valued for its ability to increase the potency of potions. Some even believe it to hold the secret of turning base metals into gold. Mandrake Category: Harming, utility Rarity: Rare Biome: Mountain, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), mandrake charm (page 53) Mandrake can be difficult to locate, but is most reliably found growing beneath hanging gallows and at crossroads where murderers and witches are buried. It can also be located at night, as it emits a soft, glowing light that vanishes when it is approached. For anyone intending to gather this plant, warnings are best heeded: not only does it emit a fearsome screech when it is unearthed, but the roots are said to be so long that they lead all the way down to the Underworld, and any unwary person may fall down the hole after pulling up the plant. All parts of the mandrake are poisonous. Foraging note: As it is the roots of this plant which are most useful, the entire mandrake must be pulled up when foraging. When uprooted, the plant emits a piercing shriek and deals 3d6 thunder damage to anyone standing within a 10ft radius, unless they succeed on a DC18 Constitution saving throw. On a success, half damage is taken. Mistletoe Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, woodland Edible: No Related items: Bird lime (page 48), staff of disarming (page 63) Mistletoe is an epiphyte, growing on the branches of other trees and stealing resources from them. It can go its entire lifetime without ever touching the ground. In many rural areas, it is gathered and hung from the rafters of the home all year round to protect against poverty. Mosses and Lichens Category: Healing, utility Rarity: Common Biome: Marshland, mountain, scrubland, woodland Edible: Various Humble though they may be, mosses and lichens are beneficial as both food source and magical component. Found growing abundantly over trees, rocks, buildings, and ground, mosses are typically thicker and spongier in texture, whereas lichens are dry and thin. Both are slow-growing; mosses typically grow only one inch every 25 years. Mistletoe Encounter Seed: Lady’s Mantle Legend tells of three fey siblings who dwell in the forested valley of Emerald Veil. As powerful as they are beautiful, they are said to reward any who succeed in finding them with a sip from a wondrous chalice – a sip of agua aurea. None in living memory have found this bounty, and some who seek it never return at all; still, the story persists, and there is rarely smoke without fire. The reality of the legend really is the existence of a glade of lady’s mantle, hidden deep in the Emerald Veil by illusory magic – and while its residents certainly appear to be three beautiful fey siblings at first glance, they are quickly revealed to be a coven of three green hags in disguise. Only once the coven has been defeated in its entirety may the party safely gather agua aurea from the cupped leaves. There will be enough here for three vials of the liquid. Encounter Seed: Mandrake Nils Silverhand, a once-struggling merchant, has suddenly come into great success and fortune. Only a month ago he was barely able to support himself, but now he is opening stores across the city, wearing the finest clothes, and his greatest financial rivals seem to have mysteriously disappeared. Rumours are starting to spread that Nils may have in his employ an alraune – a devilish man-made spirit created from the roots of a mandrake – and local traders are worried that they may be next to fall prey to Nils’ greed. Speaking with Nils will reveal that he has indeed made a contract with an alraune. This creature has helped double his wealth, removed a few inconvenient merchant rivals, and told him secrets which he has used to blackmail his way to success – but every day, its demands for meat and gold grow greater, and he fears that it will kill him if he cannot keep up with its appetite. After revealing this, he will ask the party for help in killing the creature in exchange for some of his wealth. Plant of Peace Mistletoe has long been touted as a plant of peace and is said to encourage compassion in those who meet in anger beneath it. It is so effective that the town of Westwend, which lost half of its population to a brief fashion for ‘honourable’ duels, has woven mistletoe into the walls and doorways of every building, where it maintains an enforced peace throughout the town. Consequently, Westwend hasn’t seen a duel fought within its boundaries in over twenty years… although the nearby woodlands are the location of many clandestine affrays.

33 Mosses and Lichens: Bread Moss Category: Healing Rarity: Common Biome: Mountain, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Antidote (page 42) A scruffy, pale green lichen most commonly found in harsher northern climes. During the long, dark winters, this moss is a valuable source of nutrients to those living off the barren landscape, and is often baked into bread, or included in porridges and gruels. Mosses and Lichens: Dead Man’s Skull Category: Utility Rarity: Rare Biome: Mountain, woodland Edible: Yes Related items: Dead man’s potion (page 42) This thin, anaemic-looking lichen favours cold regions, particularly those such as Cold Wood and the Frozen Forest. Though it is most commonly found on branches of trees, it has also been noted that it grows prolifically on the bones, and particularly skulls, of corpses. The lichen gathered from these is said to make a man’s own skull ‘so impenetrable as to not be pierced by any arrow’, making it a valuable resource for traders and adventurers alike. In some southern cities, where it is harder to import it, less scrupulous traders have ‘acquired’ their own skulls on which to grow it. However, whether this home-grown lichen has the same properties as its wild, northerly counterpart is questionable. Mosses and Lichens: Goblin Gold Category: Utility Rarity: Rare Biome: Marshland, mountain Edible: No Related items: Goblin’s deception (page 50) Goblin gold is a short, scrubby moss that grows in dark, damp caves and shady bogs where other plants can’t survive. It is best known for the faint light that it gives off, even in the darkest of caverns. Many adventurers have leapt into such places, imagining that they’ve discovered emeralds or riches – only to find that the ‘treasure’ turns to dirt in their hands. This cruel trick is the crux of many bardic songs. Mosses and Lichens: Mountain Clubmoss Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Mountain, scrubland Edible: Yes Related items: Loaf of sight (page 43) This tall, spindly moss grows in small clumps of heatherlike fronds. Native to alpine regions and rocky scrubland, ingesting clubmoss is considered to improve eyesight, though any magical properties attributed to the plant depend on the night that the moss is gathered. To have any magical value as a component, it must be gathered on the night of a new moon. Mosses and Lichens: Roccella tinctoria Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Scrubland Edible: No Related items: War paint (page 57) Roccella is an unremarkable, scrubby, brown lichen that grows in dry, hot, and rocky areas. Despite its plain appearance, it creates a vibrant purple dye that is prized by tradesmen of various disciplines. Mandrake The Moss People In the High Forest are told tales of the Moss People: a secretive race of small humanoids, aged and clad in mosses, who live quiet lives in the woods. Hunted almost to extinction by the Wild Hunt, they will occasionally appear to travellers to ask for a favour or much-needed item, compensating them generously in return. They are ruled by a mysterious and pragmatic matriarch called the Shrub Grandmother. Encounter Seed: Goblin Gold The once-peaceful foothill community of Nath Lynoch has been plunged into chaos. A red dragon wyrmling has taken up residence in the nearby caves, where an abundance of goblin gold moss is known to grow. Mistaking the stuff for an unguarded horde, the wyrmling now guards its phony wealth jealously, leaving the cave only to hunt sheep – and the odd villager – at dusk and dawn. The party may either confront the red dragon wyrmling when it leaves its lair to hunt, or seek it out in the caves. Once the wyrmling is defeated, the party will receive 400 gp from the villagers as thanks and will be able to safely harvest some of the goblin gold moss. Encounter Seed: Mountain Clubmoss Children in the alpine village of Gruutilde sing a song about Old Grandmother Crag, who lives on the mountain above. Old Grandmother Crag, so the song goes, has a magical garden of wonders that only appears at night – but so beautiful is this garden, she is said to be fiendishly possessive of its contents, watching over it with eyes that see all and punishing anyone who dares set foot on its grounds. The garden does indeed exist and can only be found at night, if the party chooses to venture up the mountain. Once there, the party may choose to roll a DC16 Dexterity (Stealth) check to covertly harvest mountain clubmoss from its patch; on a failed check, however, or should the party forego the check altogether, they will be confronted by one annis hag – Old Grandmother Crag herself. No more plants may be safely harvested until Old Grandmother Crag is defeated. Once she is slain, the party will find on her body a small selection of coins, a forager’s knife, and a loaf of sight.

34 Mosses and Lichens: Sphagnum Moss Category: Healing Rarity: Common Biome: Marshland Edible: No Related items: Healing potion (page 43) Sphagnum moss is a thick, soft moss that grows prolifically in swampy areas and damp marshlands. Even once gathered and dried, it retains the ability to hold large amounts of water, which can be squeezed back out when needed. Its boggy environment is home to will o’ the wisps: the moss glows faintly in response to their presence and as such can be a useful warning to lost travellers. The moss is also highly valuable to soldiers and fighters, as it can be packed into open wounds to keep them clean and staunch bleeding. Its antibacterial properties and ability to absorb moisture makes it a vital addition to any healer’s pack. In addition to its medical uses, it’s commonly used to line the cradles of babes as a ward against being switched with a changeling child. Mosses and Lichens: Yellow Lichen Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Mountain Edible: No Related items: War paint (page 57) Yellow lichen grows only where the air is clean and pure, most commonly on the higher peaks of mountains. A vibrant golden colour, it is easily spotted, even from a distance. It is a popular fabric dye and paint colourant. Mugwort Category: Healing Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Farmland, scrubland Edible: Yes (leaves and buds) Related items: Ointment of soothing (page 43) Mugwort is a profoundly useful plant, utilised for its ability to repel insects, disease, madness, and fatigue, amongst other maladies. It is often laid inside shoes before a long journey to ease the pain of sore feet; doing so is also said to protect against accidents on the road, thieves, and unexpected delays. The most powerful part of the plant is the knotted roots, known as the ‘coal’, which must be unearthed at either noon or midnight. Mulberry Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Farmland, mountain Edible: Yes (fruit) Related items: Silk archer’s gloves (page 63), sunstrike bow (page 64) Small and hardy, mulberry trees are of particular interest to weavers and silk merchants as they are the favoured food of silkworms. Often represented alongside the image of a three-legged sunbird – a mythical creature said to nest in a mulberry tree at the end of the world – these trees are the symbol of archers everywhere, as the wood is flexible and makes (what some claim to be) the most superior bows. Arrows made of this wood fly true, and can supposedly slay any evil spirit. Oak Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, scrubland, woodland Edible: Yes (acorns) Related items: Oak gall ink (page 53) Oaks are some of the largest trees that can be found in temperate climates. Living for hundreds of years, they are more frequently struck by lightning than almost any other species – a trait which often sees them associated with gods of storms and lightning. Many kinds of wasp lay their eggs on oak leaves. The oak then grows a protective cocoon – known as an oak gall – over the egg. Once these eggs have hatched, the empty galls can be gathered and used to make ink. They also have a use in divination: if a gall is opened up, finding a worm inside indicates a year of pleasant and benevolent weather. A spider indicates a bad year, and if the gall is empty, then a period of disease is due to strike. Encounter Seed: Mugwort The Abbey of Sheltering Boughs is in crisis: an infestation of feldgeister has descended on the fields, preventing the monks from harvesting vital ingredients for their medicines. Every day, the feldgeister run amok; the Abbey’s stores run lower; and the monks’ patients are put at ever-greater risk. Most sorely needed of all are mugwort coals, but the specific conditions in which they must be gathered makes the task nigh impossible in the current circumstances. With precious few options left, Brother Bheid Ironhelm is asking for outside help in resolving the issue – but time is quickly running out. Bheid will request that the party gather 2d4 coals from a field out the back of the abbey, emphasising the conditions in which they must be harvested. Whether the party attempt to harvest the coals at noon or midnight, they will be attacked by a rabble of 1d8 feldgeister. Once the coals are handed over to Bheid, he will reward the party with 50 gp as thanks for their assistance and allow them to keep half of the coals that they have collected. The Great Disaster At the centre of the coastal city of Moonbright there once grew a great oak. Legends say that the famous wizard Eregrus was birthed within the trunk of that tree, and placed upon it a spell which would protect the city, but also bring disaster if the tree were ever felled. The oak lived to a great age before it was struck by lightning, but even afterwards, the burned trunk was kept behind railings for a century. Eventually, the rotting stump was removed by the council… and the city flooded only a few days later, leading to the deaths of many.

Ocotillo Category: Healing, utility Rarity: Common Biome: Coast, scrubland Edible: Yes (flowers) Related items: Candlewood cloak (page 58), desert’s blessing (page 42), staff of the warden (page 64) Children’s burial, children’s burial I come upon, where ocotillo flowers enclose me: Such I come upon. Red rock hill, red rock hill; I watch, where the burned bows lie crumbling. While I watch, my heart hurts. Ocotillo is a thorny, red-flowered shrub that grows on the fringes of deserts. These plants can often be spotted by the tiny, jewel-coloured hummingbirds that feed off them. In some areas, ocotillo is also known as ‘little torch’ due to the brightness of its red flowers. The oldest specimens can grow up to 20 feet tall, and their thorny stems are perfect for use as living fences in some villages where the plant thrives. These fences are particularly popular around sombre sites such as graveyards – especially those where children are buried – as the flowers bring a cheerful brightness to the air. Pimpernel Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Marshland, mountain, woodland Edible: No Related items: Waywort’s barometer (page 57) Pimpernels are tiny red or blue flowers that grow best in mossy and grassy areas. Loved by travellers and farmers alike, they can predict the weather for the day ahead – on a fine day, they open in full bloom, but when rain is due, they close their petals in advance. Poppy Category: Harming, utility Rarity: Common Biome: Coast, farmland, mountain, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), counting kit (page 49), flying ointment (page 42) These cheerful, red-headed flowers may bring about thoughts of lazy summer days, but they are also entwined with tales of their somniferous and quieting effects – or, in the wrong hands, their ability to kill. Deities with affinities for death, grief, and sleep – such as Kelemvor, Dendar, and Shar – are often depicted as being crowned with poppies. Originally used to calm colicky children, the seeds can be used to soothe, bring sleep, and sedate the injured, and can be taken crushed, mixed with alcohol, or in a tea. However, overuse can lead to drunkenness, comas, and death. Suprisingly, this hasn’t lessened the seeds’ popularity as a baking ingredient. In some rural towns, young, unwed people will bake a poppyseed cake and then toss it out the door, before sending a dog out to fetch it back. The direction from which the dog returns is the direction from which their future love will appear. Rattan Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Tropical forest Edible: No Related items: False bones (page 50) Rattan is a tall, sturdy climbing plant that can grow up to 300 feet tall. Once cut, the leaf stems are flexible, and are popular materials for weaving. The wood of the trunk can also be shaped and heated into a material that is all but indistinguishable from bone. The stems and leaves are often home to colonies of ants, which, when threatened, will drum their bodies against the plant, making the tall stems rattle warningly. This ghostly warning sound has often been attributed to forest spirits and malicious demons. Odetta’s Lament Forbidden by their parents from marrying, Odetta and Fiete planned to run away together. Having agreed to meet at a local crossroads after dark, Odetta waited for Fiete… and waited, and waited, unaware that her beloved had changed his mind. After days of lingering and weeping, she lay down and died of hertbreak. Where she lay, tiny, star-like pimpernels sprung up from the grass to continue her vigil, and the pimpernel came to be known as the ‘watcher of the road’. Encounter Seed: Ocotillo There is a cheery little plot in Evanta’s Quarter of the Dead known as the Orphans’ Garden. Bordered by bright hedges of flowering ocotillo, this is where the city buries the children who lived their short lives on its streets – the waifs and strays who have no family to visit their final resting places. The Garden is usually tended to by kindly locals, but no one has dared to venture there in several weeks – not since something dark and reeking of rotting flesh was seen disturbing the graves. If the party choose to investigate, they will encounter the ghost of an orphan girl, Anetta, hiding behind the ocotillo hedge. Anetta will inform them that the creatures responsible are a pack of ghouls and will beg the party to return at night to intercede before anymore of her friends have their peace disturbed. Upon returning to the Garden after dark, the party will encounter 1d4 ghouls; defeating them will result in Anetta reappearing to thank the party. She will guide them to a part of the cemetery where a thief once hid their treasure, but never returned for it. The party will unearth 150 gp and a staff of the warden. Poppy 35

Rose Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, mountain, scrubland Edible: Yes (hips, flowers) Related items: Rose oil (page 43), rose petals (page 54) Wild roses grow voraciously in even the most difficult of environments, climbing trees to reach great heights or rooting themselves in the smallest cracks in cliffs and walls. Garden favourites though they may be, they are also long associated with the dead, with the flowers being used as bloodless sacrifices to pacifist gods such as Eldath or Rao, and the oil being used to anoint corpses to keep bodies fresh. In some societies, they are also representative of secrets and hidden things. A rose hung from the ceiling indicates that any conversation taking place beneath it must be kept confidential, and some secret societies wear a stylised rose to indicate membership. Rowan Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Woodland, scrubland, mountain Edible: No Related items: Lyre of the muses (page 53), rowan wine (page 44) Rowan trees love growing at altitude, and can be found in abundance in rocky areas, growing from tiny crevices in cliffs. For the latter half of the year, the rowan is covered in red berries. The colour red, especially when it occurs in nature, is one of the most powerful colours in the context of magic (hence the popularity of red thread or cloth in charms); consequently, the tree is also popular for use in making magical charms, the uses of which range from protection against ill-omens to the granting of second sight. Particularly beloved of Oghma, the deity of invention, rowan trees are called the ‘tree of bards’ and are said to bring inspiration to any person lacking it – they need simply sit beneath the canopy for a while. Not only are musical instruments and crafting tools of rowan wood said to be blessed by Oghma – any song or tale carved into a tablet of rowan wood is protected from being changed or stolen by mischievous spirits. Saguaro Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Scrubland Edible: Yes (fruit) Related items: Duskbloom (page 50), sandwalker’s gorget (page 62), spear of life-giving waters (page 63) Of all the cacti found in the heat-blasted deserts of Faerûn, the saguaro is the most common – and the most distinctive. With their tall, central stem and two arms turned upright to the hot sun, they can reach heights of anywhere between 40 and 80 feet. Inside each cactus is a vast store of rainwater, and in times of drought, they provide food and habitat to many other desert-dwelling creatures. When the flowers bloom in early summer, they do so after the sun has set, attracting bats and doves to drink from their nectar. The lifespan of a saguaro often exceeds 150 years, and some believe them to be immortal. One particularly notorious cactus, growing somewhere in the Anauroch desert, is said to still have embedded in its trunk arrowheads from the last, chaotic years of Netheril before the region was turned into the desert it is today. Encounter Seed: Rose When old Dowager Duchess Rathbone died, she had but one final wish: that when her body be taken to the house of the dead, it should be anointed with an oil made from the flowers that grow on her family’s estate. The Rathbones were famous for their roses – but the jewel in the crown was the Rathbone Ruby, a rare and exquisite variety red as blood and matchlessly perfumed. The Rathbone Estate lies in ruins, now, the family’s glory days long behind them – yet rumour has it there’s no better place to find the Rathbone Ruby growing in abundance… Rathbone Ruby roses can indeed be found in the grounds, thriving amongst the family tombs. The Rathbones are very protective of this rarest of their cultivars, however – even in death. Four skeletons and two zombies will climb from the tombs to fight any intruders; no roses can be safely harvested for the anointing oil until the Rathbones have been defeated. Friends in High Places Shipwrights in Luskan believe that using rowan wood in their ship building will ensure that no storm will overturn the ship, and that no man upon it shall be drowned. However, they also believe that rowan and juniper trees are close friends, and that if a boat is built with rowan wood and no part of its timbers include juniper, the ship will sink itself. Rowan Roses 36

37 Sandbox Tree Category: Harming Rarity: Very rare Biome: Tropical forest Edible: No Related items: Curare (page 45), sandbox mine (page 54) The sandbox tree grows almost exclusively in Zakhara, where the caustic sap is used to tip hunting arrows with poison. Growing to approximately 130 feet tall, it is recognisable by its bark, which is covered in thousands of tiny, dark spines that extend over its trunk and branches. Most notable, however, are its fruits – they have the appearance of small pumpkins, but once they are ripe, they explode, flinging their seeds at up to 160mph in all directions. Locals avoid the tree around the time that the fruits fall, as they are responsible for injuries and even deaths every year. Seaweed Category: Miscellaneous Rarity: Common Biome: Coast Edible: Yes (all parts) There’s not a shoreline along the Sword Coast that isn’t strewn with various types of seaweed. The fishing villages along these coastal stretches rely on this vegetable to bolster their winter diets: near to the dwarven fortress of Thornhold, one small island is so reputed for its reliable seaweed harvest that it is colloquially known as the ‘honeyed rock’. Many fisher families also use seaweed to predict the coming day’s weather – a dried frond is hung in a doorway and will rehydrate long before a storm is visible on the horizon. Snapdragon Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Scrubland, mountain Edible: Yes (flowers) Related items: Antidote (page 42), snakebane bracelet (page 63) These colourful little flowers get their name from a children’s game of squeezing the flower to make its ‘mouth’ open, revealing flames and a tongue inside, before it snaps shut again. Because of their similarity in appearance to dragons or snakes, snapdragons are said to provide mild protection against poisons. In winter the flowers turn into skull-like seedpods, which are said to break curses when stepped upon. Thyme Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, woodland Edible: Yes (all parts) Related items: Tea of courage (page 44) A common kitchen herb, thyme is reported to bestow great courage before a fight. Rashemaar warriors bathe in thymesteeped water before battle, and the orcs of Vastar drink a tea of it for the same purpose. In more gentle lands, the plant is known for granting strength to anyone in need – not just warriors. A cup of thyme beer is an old-fashioned Encounter Seed: Sandbox Tree Disaster has struck at the Tamalak Hunter’s Guild. A clerical oversight means that the Guild’s supply of sandbox poison has run dry… right before the guild’s yearly test for new recruits, a time at which this poison, in the form of curare, is used in great amounts. The sandbox trees are laden with ipe and explosive fruit, making the task of resupplying infinitely more dangerous. The Hunter’s Guild will ask the party to help them collect eight vials of sandbox tree poison. For each vial filled, the party member collecting the poison must roll 1d6. On an even number, they safely fill the vial without incident; on an odd number, a nearby fruit explodes, and the party member must roll a DC16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, they are struck by the flying seeds and take 3d10 piercing damage; on a success, they take half damage. If all four vials are successfully filled and returned to the Hunter’s Guild, the party will be allowed to keep one vial of sandbox poison as thanks for their trouble. Encounter Seed: Saguaro Thom Glazier, a young perfumier, has come to the town of Arulil with one purpose in mind: to sample the scent of night-blooming saguaro flowers for his latest creation. However, sinister rumours abound about the local saguaro forest, and Glazier has been warned repeatedly by the locals not to venture there after dark… After all, they can all hear the thin, hair-raising song a-drift on the wind in the small hours. Glazier, however, is not to be deterred. Glazier will offer a reward of 400 gp if the party escorts him into the saguaro forest after sundown. Speaking to locals for further information will yield tales about a lady who disappeared in the forest some years ago, but no more. Upon venturing into the forest, the party and Glazier will be confronted by a woman’s ghost (a patasola), crowned with saguaro flowers, who will attack them. She can either be defeated in combat, or, if the party is diligent in checking the area before she appears, they may discover one cactus that stands out from the others. This one is twisted and bulbous-looking, with a long-healed, jagged scar about its crown. When it is cut open, the woman’s waterlogged remains will be discovered inside. Disposing of the remains via immolation or laying them to rest will appease the patasola and allow her to pass on, resolving the encounter. If the patasola is defeated in combat but her remains not discovered, she will reappear in 1d4 days. Once the ghost is dealt with, Glazier—who will keep his distance from combat—will take his sample of the flowers and readily pay the party. He will also gift them with a duskbloom. A Gift of the Sea Glaucus, a fisherman who lived along the Sword Coast, lived a long and full life fishing the waters and sailing his small vessel. One day, when the wind was particularly cold, he began to lament loudly about how his ageing body was slower and more painful than it had been in his youth. Procan, hearing the complaints, came to him in his dreams that night and advised him that if he ate the seaweed caught in his nets the following day, he would be granted immortality and his pains would disappear. Greedy for another chance at life, Glaucus did just that. But upon eating the weeds, his aching legs were transformed into a strong tail, and he grew gills and fins – and was forced to dwell forever in the ocean, never to return to his beloved shore again.

38 cure for shyness, and some young suitors braid thyme into their hair for bravery before confessing to the subject of their affections. In the Moonshae Isles, it is thought that the souls of the dead – particularly those of murder victims – dwell in thyme flowers before they move on to the afterlife, gathering their courage to make the final transition between life and death. It is customary to plant thyme on graves and in cemeteries for this exact reason. Upas Tree Category: Harming Rarity: Legendary Biome: Tropical forest Edible: No Related items: Upas poison (page 47) The upas is a legendary tree thought to exist somewhere in the jungles of Chult. Stories suggest that it emits a gas so lethal that the land for 15 miles around it is devoid of life, leaving the ground dry and barren – even birds refuse to fly over it for fear of suffocation. Beneath the spiny bark, the sap of the tree is so toxic that just a drop of it is said to possess the potency to kill ten men. Verbena Category: Utility Rarity: Uncommon Biome: Marshland, mountain, scrubland Edible: Yes (leaves, flowers) Related items: Fenland’s friend (page 42) Verbena is easily spotted in rocky, open ground thanks to its tall, slender stems and tufts of purple flowers. It is difficult to uproot – leading to its nickname, ‘ironherb’ – but once picked, it is invaluable in its uses. Predominantly, it is used in the attraction and taming of animals. Dovecots can be refilled by lining them with the leaves, and in some fenland areas, verbena is laid in the water to attract eels, either for hunting or to aid in the search for drowned bodies. In some academic circles, apprentice wizards learning the art of summoning will weave and wear crowns of fresh verbena, under the assumption that its calming effects on animals will work the same way on summoned spirits – and the nervous apprentices themselves. Willow Category: Utility Rarity: Common Biome: Marshland Edible: No Related items: Lyre of the muses (page 53), willow stake (page 57) Of all trees the willow is the most mournful, carrying out its lonely vigil on the banks of rivers and marshlands, with its trunk bent beneath the weight of the knowledge that it carries. In fact, willows are quite remarkable at listening to secrets – an old Najaran adage warns never to speak a secret near one, or it might later be repeated to someone else. There is a particular sort of magic to the flexible branches and, more specifically, to the art of knotting them. The nature of this knot magic varies; some knots are said to grant wishes (so long as the knot is untied after the wish is granted), and there have been stories of warlocks and paladins who have broken their bonds by tying a knot in a branch and so passing their oath on to the tree. Some sorcerers have even developed a form of spell weaving via knots, storing spells in complex designs and releasing them gradually by undoing them again. Another use for the willow lies in a funerary rite reserved for murderers and traitors. A short, sharp stake is driven through the heart of the accused to stop them from returning for vengeance, before the body is laid to rest at a crossroads. These stakes can continue to grow even after being cut and buried, leading to the common sight of willows growing at the roadside – their roots secretly bound about the corpse of a criminal beneath the earth. These trees are sometimes thought to be filled with the lingering malice of the corpse. Encounter Seed: Upas Tree Bo Edlund, a canny trader and questionable jack-of-all-trades, has made land in Port Nyanzaru to offload his current cargo. He has heard tales of the upas tree and thinks that he can charge a pretty price for its poison if he exports it to Waterdeep. However, approaching the tree carries the risk of almost certain death, and so Edlund is offering a handsome sum to anyone who can go in his place and bring back at least five vials of the poison. DM suggestion: Approaching the tree is difficult, but not impossible. Players can do so by approaching with the wind behind them, whilst wearing leather gloves, hood and mask, with glass-lensed eye holes to see their way. They can gather this information and the necessary apparel by talking to locals about the tree, but each person they will speak with wants something in exchange. One village will provide the hood and gloves, but wants a vial of the poison in order to end a three-generational dispute with the neighbouring settlement. The residents of the rival village in question will provide information about how to approach the tree safely, but only in exchange for the tree being cut down so that they no longer have to live under threat from their neighbours. Whatever the players decide, tension between the two factions is at breaking point and they seem likely to descend into an all-out war at any moment. A Shared Origin In rural areas of Murghôm, it is believed that the human backbone was originally formed from a willow branch. When a child is born, a willow tree is planted near its home, and as the child grows, so does the tree, the two of them sharing fortunes and vitality. It is not uncommon to visit the tree throughout one’s life, bringing it gifts and caring for it in exchange for a long and healthy existence. Willow

Yarrow Category: Healing, utility Rarity: Common Biome: Mountain, scrubland, woodland Edible: Yes (leaves, flowers) Related items: Healing potion (page 43), Knyghten’s lots (page 52) These tenacious plants grow rampant in shady spaces, recognisable by their clumps of white flowers and feathery leaves. Also called ‘thousand-seal’, yarrow is said to be imbued with an affinity for clairvoyance and second sight. The leaves are also medicinally valuable, making an effective staunch for bleeding wounds, as well as aiding in disinfection. Additionally, strewing the leaves throughout a household, or hanging dried bundles of them from doorways, is thought to protect the property’s inhabitants from illness and evil influence. Yew Category: Harming Rarity: Common Biome: Farmland, scrubland Edible: No Related items: Basic poison (page 45), guardian’s watch (page 59), weapon paste (page 47) Yews are closely associated with death and rebirth, and so are commonly planted in cemeteries, where their roots are so fine that they entangle the bones of the dead. A great storm in the Moonshae Isles once uprooted an old yew, unearthing the remains of numerous bodies in its roots; the incident reignited the belief that the roots of a yew would grow through the eyes of the dead to stop them from seeing back into the living world and yearning for their previous lives. Centuries of use have proven yew wood to be, to this day, one of the best for making weaponry. Most prized is the wood of a yew that has grown in a cemetery, as it has been nourished by corpses and craves the touch of life. Tree of Eternity Of all the trees found growing across Faerûn, the yew is amongst the longest-lived – no doubt one of the reasons it has become synonymous with immortality and resurrection. Some yew trees are thought to be at least 2,000 years old, and one famous such tree in Waterdeep is said to be at least 9,000 years old. The tree is part of the grounds of Helm’s Hall, and is said to have been ‘bleeding’ red sap for at least the past 700 years. A local legend claims that the tree weeps for the innocence of a young priest of Helm, who was wrongfully hanged for a crime that he did not commit. Yarrow Yew 39

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41 Part 2: Crafting & Items Chapter 6: A Primer on Crafting The magic in almost all the items included here comes not from the crafter, nor from any deity or spellbook, but instead from the plants that are used in the crafting process. Each plant has its own properties, its own personality and allegiances; for all of the items, using the correct component is crucial. For example, the wind-summoning power of the Sylph’s Whistle comes specifically from the alder tree – pipes made from any other wood simply wouldn’t have the correct properties. As a result, many of the more powerful items in this chapter require components that are harder to find, or more difficult to gather. Use the encounter seeds in the Plants chapter for suggestions on how to make foraging more challenging. Herblore isn’t an academic study, or one that can be learnt from books. It has to be learnt with the hands, through trial and error, and often, through collaboration. Many of the items in this chapter require use of a spell slot to channel this magic, or collaboration with someone who understands the plants themselves – but these wise botanists are seldom found in fine academies or palaces. If your players don’t have the correct proficiencies, they can visit one of the guildhouses of the Botanist’s Guild to find NPCs who can assist them. They may also find wandering foragers in the deep wilds on their adventures. Use the Backgrounds chapter for inspiration for these. Potions and Poisons As the potions and poisons found in the next two chapters are items which are intended to be crafted by player characters, there is always a potential for varying levels of potency and accuracy in the end product, depending on the character’s proficiencies. Included in many of the item descriptions are ‘crafting notes’, which suggest how to approach variations in recipe or customise intended potency and effect. A DM may also require further rolls at their discretion when determining a character’s success in safely creating an item. Trial and Error Although these items are designed specifically for Herbarium, you may notice that in the Plants section of this book, many plants have been assigned magical qualities that are not further explored within the items listed. These are intended as prompts to inspire the DMs amongst you, drawn from the real-life lore of these plants and providing plenty of scope for you to create your own potion or item variants. For example, a base potion could be crafted from asphodel that grants one use of the sleep or dream spells, whilst a liquid imbued with the adhesive properties of bluebell bulbs could be used to create a sticky glue that traps unwary enemies. Perhaps these qualities could even be gained simply by mixing the plants into food! Many of the old students of herblore discovered their magics through trial and error, and there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to approach crafting in this manner. Chapter 7: Potions, Oils, & Ointments The items in this section provide direct buffs to player characters. They aren’t just potions; there are oils, ointments, teas, wines, and even food. If you wish to change the manner in which a mixture is used for the sake of additional narrative flavour, there are plenty of common ways to apply them, as below: Tisane A tisane is prepared from the dried parts of a plant, chopped roughly into a ‘teabag’ of cotton or paper. Alternately, they can be steeped in an infuser. Unlike tea, a tisane needs longer to steep, in not-quite-boiling water to avoid burning the ingredients. Syrup Syrups are a practical way to prepare barks, roots, and berries well in advance of needing them. The components are boiled on a low heat, then strained and added to honey and water. A good syrup keeps for up to six months. A more enterprising character might consider adding their favourite alcohol – particularly brandy! – to the mix… Oils & Tinctures Plant oils and tinctures keep for about a year. The essential difference is in the base that is used; an oil is created with a base of oil, and best used for external application, such as on sores and bites. A tincture is created with a base of pure alcohol and is best for ingestion; it can be added to drinks and food, or applied directly to the tongue. Fresh plants are chopped and placed in a jar until it is full, then the jar is topped up with oil or alcohol. The mixture is shaken daily for three weeks, before the plant parts are filtered out and the liquid returned to the container. Poultice A poultice is most applicable for wounds, bites, or infections. Take a mixture of appropriate plant parts, and then boil, steam, or pound them until they form a paste. A touch of water, alcohol, vinegar or flour can be added to amend the consistency of the mixture. The poultice is then applied directly to the skin, held in place with a wet dressing or cloth, and covered over with a clean bandage. Compress In contrast to a poultice, a compress is a cloth that has been soaked in a premade herbal solution, such as a tisane or oilinfused water. It is applied directly to the skin and covered with a bandage. Alternately, a compress can be laid directly over a poultice before binding. A compress can be applied either hot or cold. The general rule to bear in mind is that heat draws, and cold restricts – a hot compress is best for infection or fever, and a cold compress will lessen swelling.

42 Registry of Items Antidote Potion, uncommon A potion that, when drunk, will end the effects of the poisoned condition. Any ongoing damage from the poisoned condition no longer takes effect. Crafting note: If agua aurea is used during crafting, the antidote has an increased potency and heals half of the hit points most recently lost to poison damage. Crafting requirements • Any one of the following: bread moss, lion’s mane, snapdragon seeds • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • Agua aurea (optional) • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Dead Man’s Potion Potion, very rare This potion, made with moss gathered from a dead man’s skull, is said to grant the drinker better fortune than the skull’s wretched owner. With its warm and grassy odour, many advise holding your nose and downing this potion quickly. Drinking this potion grants a +1 bonus to AC for 10 minutes. Crafting requirements • Dead man’s skull, gathered from the bones of a humanoid corpse • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • A handful of bones, crushed • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Desert’s Blessing Potion, rare This potion can protect even the weariest of travellers from lack of sleep. Ingesting this potion gives the benefits of a short rest, as well as protecting the drinker from taking any points of Exhaustion for 24 hours. The potion does not take effect immediately, and requires 10 minutes before it takes effect. Crafting requirements • A single ocotillo flower, gathered from a gravesite • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • Powdered silver • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Dew of the Sun Potion, uncommon A pleasant-tasting concoction that revives both heart and soul. When drunk, you gain 1d8+2 temporary hit points and have advantage on one attack roll, saving throw, or ability check made within 1 hour of drinking the potion. Crafting note: If agua aurea is used during crafting, the number of temporary hit points gained increases to 2d8+2. Crafting requirements • Dew gathered from a carnivorous plant • Agua aurea (optional) • Sugar, vanilla, and ginger •Water and alcoholic spirits • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Fenland’s Friend Adventuring gear, common An oil expressed from the leaves of the verbena herb. Rubbing the oil into your hands grants proficiency in Animal Handling for 1 hour. If already proficient, you gain expertise instead. Crafting requirements •Verbena, dried • Animal fat, suet, or similar greasy substance • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Flying Ointment Wondrous item, rare A thick, black ointment that smells of herbs and lard. After taking 10 minutes to apply the ointment to the underside of the wrists or the inside of the elbows, you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed for up to 10 minutes. If you are Desert’s Blessing

43 still flying at the end of the ointment’s effective duration, you descend safely at a rate of 30 feet per round until you land. One jar of ointment contains approximately five uses. Crafting note: When applying this ointment, roll 1d6. On rolling a 6, use of the ointment not only grants the flying effect but also grants one immediate use of the commune spell. It is not known to the player which deity or divine proxy is answering the questions asked. Crafting requirements • Animal fat, suet, or similar greasy substance • Soot • Oil from at least three of the following: aconite, belladonna, datura, fly agaric, hellebore, henbane, mandrake, poppy, rowan • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Fraxinella Bottle Adventuring gear, uncommon A bottle containing oil from the leaves of a fraxinella plant. The container smells faintly of lemons. When ready to use, the string is inserted into the bottle as a wick to absorb the oil. Once this has been done, the bottle cannot be defused. The oil takes 1 action to be absorbed, after which point the bottle becomes highly volatile and will burst into flame the moment it is touched or damaged. If placed next to another fraxinella bottle, this will also ignite, causing a chain reaction of up to 5 bottles. Each bottle causes 1d6 fire damage to anyone standing within 15 feet of the bottle. Crafting note: The leaves and oil of this plant are highly flammable. When crafting this item, roll a DC14 Dexterity check; on a failure, the mixture will be ignited, causing 1d6 fire damage to anyone within a 5-foot radius. If you have proficiency with herbalism kits or alchemist’s supplies, you make this roll with advantage. The ingredients are not damaged by this but lose all volatility for 1 hour. Crafting requirements • An empty bottle • A short piece of string • Crushed fraxinella leaves Healing Potion Potion, common A healing potion that has been brewed via botanical means, rather than created by magic. Crafting note: When creating this item, make a proficiency roll with either the herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies to determine the potency of the potion. If agua aurea is used during crafting, the roll is made with advantage. 1-15 Potion of healing (2d4+2 healing) 16-24 Potion of greater healing (4d4+4 healing) 25+ Potion of superior healing (8d4+8 healing) Crafting requirements • Any three of the following plants: aloe, rowan, scarlet fey cup, seaweed, shiitake, sphagnum moss, thyme, verbena, willow, yarrow • Agua aurea (optional) • An empty bottle • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Loaf of Sight Wondrous item, uncommon A loaf of bread baked with dried clubmoss. The loaf is only large enough for one person, and must be consumed entirely to impart its effects. After ingesting this loaf, you gain one use of the clairvoyance spell. The spell must be cast within 1 hour and can only use the sense of Sight. Crafting requirements • Clubmoss, dried • Flour, yeast, salt • A fire or oven • A period of 1 hour in which to bake the loaf Ointment of Soothing Wondrous item, uncommon An ointment made from the roots of the mugwort plant. When applied to the temples and inner wrists of a creature suffering from short-term and long-term madness, the condition is lifted. This does not apply to the effects of indefinite madness. Crafting requirements • A mugwort coal, dried • Animal fat, suet, or similar greasy substance • Proficiency with herbalism kit, or collaboration with a character with this proficiency Rose Oil Adventuring gear, uncommon Oil that has been expressed from fresh rose petals and blessed by magic. A corpse that is anointed with this oil is considered subject to the same effects as the gentle repose spell, though the body must be reanointed once every 24 hours. This effect only lasts for up to 10 days, after which point the body begins to decompose as normal. Crafting note: If agua aurea is used during crafting, the corpse only needs to be reanointed once every 72 hours. Crafting requirements • A handful of rose petals • Agua aurea (optional) • An empty vial or bottle • One available spell slot (of any level), to be expended in the process of crafting

44 Rowan Wine Potion, rare A deep red wine made from rowan berries, fermented with the intention of granting second sight. Drinking this wine causes hallucinations in any who ingest it. A creature who drinks this must roll a d100 to determine what they experience, and a DC18 Wisdom saving throw to see how successful they are in interpreting the hallucinations. 1–30: You smell an inexplicable aroma that you know is of significance. With a successful Wisdom saving throw, you can deduce whether you have encountered this scent before. 31–70: You hear a short phrase spoken by a disembodied voice. With a successful Wisdom saving throw, you can determine the identity, or an identifying feature, of the voice. 71–90: You see a vision of a face that will somehow be of importance to you. With a successful Wisdom saving throw, you are able to determine something about this person’s location. 91–100: You witness a few seconds of an event that has not happened yet. With a successful Wisdom saving throw, you can focus on a situation that may happen to a character of your choosing. Crafting requirements • Two handfuls of rowan berries • An empty bottle • Any clear alcohol • Proficiency with alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with this proficiency • A period of 2 weeks during which to ferment the berries (these can be carried whilst travelling) Tea of Courage Potion, common A grassy-flavoured tea made of steeped thyme leaves. When drunk, you gain +1 to either Constitution- or Charismabased saving throws made within 1 hour of drinking. You must choose which stat gains this bonus at the time of drinking. You can only imbibe this bonus once per day. Crafting requirements • Thyme leaves, fresh or dried •Hot water • A period of 5 minutes during which to steep the leaves Chapter 8: Poisons Many of the plants in this supplement have an element of toxicity. All can be used to craft poisons that can be administered via contact, or else inhaled, ingested, or applied to a weapon. The strength of the poison depends on the potency of the plants it comes from, the skill of the crafter, and occasionally, the result of a crafting roll. Refer to the A Primer on Crafting section (page 41) for more information on the crafting of potions and poisons. As per the official 5e rulesets, poisons can be administered in four different ways: Contact Contact poison is used to coat an object, affecting any creature who then touches that surface with exposed skin. The poison remains potent until it is either touched or washed off. Contact poisons are often mixed with oils, or mixed into a sticky paste, and are difficult to wash off. Ingested Ingested poisons are the most commonly used, but are also more likely to be identified, either before or after the target’s death. To cause the intended effects, an entire dose of this poison must be ingested by the target. If a partial dose has been ingested, it is at the DM’s discretion that a partial effect may occur, such as the poison only dealing half damage, or the target having advantage on the saving throw. Inhaled Inhaled poisons come in the form of gasses or powders that affect any who inhale them or stand in a space where they have been released. Holding your breath against the cloud is ineffective. When released into a space, an inhaled poison generally fills a 5-foot cube before dissipating after inhalation; however, some poisons may specify a differentlysized area of effect. Injury Like contact poisons, injury poisons are also used to coat a surface, though they are typically applied to weapons, ammunition, or traps that deal piercing or slashing damage. The poison typically remains potent for 1 hour, until delivered through wounding, or until washed off. Rowan Wine

45 Registry of Items Azalea Honey Poison (ingested), uncommon Honey made from the pollen of azalea flowers, gathered by the wild bees that feed on them. The plant is highly toxic, and so is the honey. Any creature who ingests it must make a DC14 Constitution saving throw; on a failed save, the creature will become subject to the madness condition in the form of hallucinations, unsteadiness, and vomiting. The honey is not fatal and recovery from the effects occurs in 1d4 hours. Basic Poison Poison (ingested/inhaled/injury), common A basic poison that has been brewed via botanical means, rather than created by magic. A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d12 poison damage and is poisoned for 1 hour. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t poisoned. A poisoned creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the poisoned effect on a successful roll. Crafting notes: When creating this item, make a proficiency roll with either the herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies to determine the potency of the poison. 1-15 Basic poison (1d12+2 poison damage, DC12 Constitution saving throw, poisoned for 1 hour) 16-24 Potent poison (2d12+4 poison damage, DC15 Constitution saving throw, poisoned for 2d4 hours) 25+ Deadly poison (3d12+6 poison damage, DC18 Constitution saving throw, poisoned for 24 hours) At the DM’s discretion, this may also come with further complications, such as madness or paralysis, for the duration of the poisoned effect. Many of the plant entries suggest the specific nature of these complications. Crafting requirements • Any three of the following plants: aconite, azalea, belladonna, darnel, fly agaric, inky cap, black bryony, coyotillo, giant hogweed, hellebore, henbane, mandrake, poppy, rubroboletus, yew • An empty bottle • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Belladonna’s Kiss Poison (contact/ingested), common A potion made from crushed belladonna berries. A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC13 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 hour. If the saving throw fails on a roll of 8 or less, the creature is also subject to the madness condition while poisoned. Crafting note: The toxicity of belladonna is unreliable. When this poison is created, the DM must roll a d10 in secret. On a roll of 1 or 2, the poison is less potent, and the drinker need only pass a DC8 Constitution saving throw when determining its effects. If the character creating the poison has proficiency with the poisoner’s kit, this only happens if a 1 is rolled, and they may be given the potential to roll to determine that the batch is flawed. Crafting requirements • Belladonna berries, fresh • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • An empty bottle Blisterpaste Poison (contact), uncommon A sticky paste made from the sap of giant hogweed plants. Coming into physical contact with this plant causes blisters and burns to appear on the skin, but only once the affected area is exposed to sunlight. Due to this effect, it can be difficult to determine exactly when and where the poison was encountered, and any ability check made to discern this information is made with disadvantage. Any creature who has come into contact with this poison must make a DC14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 poison damage the first time that they move into an area of sunlight. After this, they roll a further 1d8; the result of this roll determines the number of rounds that they will continue to take the 2d8 damage, which henceforth should be treated as fire damage. The paste can be removed with a successful DC14 Constitution saving throw or with a Medicine check of the same DC, both which require an action to do so. Crafting requirements •Giant hogweed stems, fresh • Any viscous liquid (such as oil, gum arabic, etc.) • Proficiency with herbalism kit or poisoner’s kit, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Curare Poison (injury), rare Curare is made from the sap of the sandbox tree and used to tip the ends of arrows, most commonly used in hunting. After using 1 action to apply this toxin, the affected ammunition causes an extra 1d6 poison damage on successful attack rolls for the next minute. The target must roll a successful DC16 Constitution saving throw or become blinded until the end of their turn. Crafting requirements • Sap from the sandbox tree • Proficiency with poisoner’s kit, or collaboration with a character with this proficiency Darnel Bread Poison (ingested), rare A loaf of bread made from flour infected with ergot fungus. Any who eat this bread must succeed on a DC14 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1d8 hours. Symptoms of the poisoning include hallucinations, convulsions, paralysis, and the sensation of being on fire.

46 Crafting requirements • Flour made from darnel wheat • Yeast, salt • A fire or oven • A period of 1 hour in which to bake the loaf Dreamer’s Bliss Poison (ingested), common A potion made by steeping asphodel flowers for their soporific qualities. When mixed with food or drink, it is largely undetectable, but adds a faintly floral flavour. Any person who ingests this potion must succeed on a DC14 Constitution saving throw or be treated as subject to the effects of the sleep spell. Crafting requirements • Asphodel flowers, fresh • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) • Proficiency with herbalism kit or alchemist’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Feybane Poison (inhaled/contact), rare This rare powder, made from dried moonwort leaves, is so fine that it hangs in the air and adheres to any surface it comes into contact with. When a bag of this powder is thrown (range 30ft), it will explode on impact to create a thick cloud with a 15 foot diameter based on the point of impact. The affected area becomes heavily obscured, and any fey creature within the cloud must succeed on a DC14 Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 poison damage upon impact, and a further 2d10 poison damage every time they end their turn within the cloud. Once the cloud has dispersed after 1 minute or by being cleared with a spell such as gust of wind, the powder remains upon all surfaces in the impact area until a period of 30 minutes is used to clear the area. During this time, any fey who touches one of these surfaces must succeed on a DC14 Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 poison damage. If the area is not cleared, the powder loses potency after 30 minutes. Crafting requirements • Moonwort leaves, dried • Proficiency with herbalism kit, or collaboration with a character with this proficiency Hunter’s Boon Poison (ingested/injury), rare A poison made from aconite, and regularly used by hunters to kill predators and other aggressive creatures. This poison is particularly effective against wolves and creatures affected by the lycanthropy curse. Any creature who encounters this poison, either by ingestion or being injured by a poisoned weapon, must make a DC16 Constitution saving throw or take 3d6 poison damage. If encountered by a wolf or lycanthrope, the damage is rolled twice and the higher damage is applied. Crafting requirements • Aconite flowers, dried and ground • Any viscous liquid (such as oil, honey, etc.) • Proficiency with herbalism kit or poisoner’s kit, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Ivy Ale Poison (ingested), common A tankard of ale (or other alcoholic beverage) that has been spiked by soaking ivy leaves in it. Any creature who drinks this concoction must make a DC14 Constitution saving throw or become drunk twice as fast as usual, and the next morning will suffer one level of exhaustion. Crafting requirements •Ivy leaves, fresh or dried • Any alcoholic liquid Potion of Paralysis Poison (ingested), very rare A poison made from the crushed seeds of coyotillo berries. Symptoms of ingestion can take days or even weeks to show, but begin with paralysis of the feet, followed by the legs and arms, before spreading to the tongue and respiratory system. Hunter’s Boon

47 Once the effects of the poison begin (see crafting note below), the target must make a successful DC16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned and have their movement speed halved. After an hour, the target may make a second saving throw of the same DC; on a failure they are subject to the Incapacitated condition. In the second hour, a third failed DC16 Constitution save means that they become Paralysed, and upon the third hour, the target must succeed on a DC18 Constitution saving throw or take 6d10 poison damage. On a successful save, the target takes half of this damage. If the target succeeds on any of the saving throws, there is no further effect. If the target fails all of their saving throws, the effects of the poison end after the final damage is taken. Crafting note: It is highly difficult to predict how long it will take for this poison to have an effect. When creating this poison, the DM must roll a d10 in secret. The resulting roll is the number of hours that pass before the target begins to show symptoms. If the character creating the poison has proficiency with the herbalism or poisoner’s kit and can succeed on a DC20 ability check with one of these kits, the DM may share the result of this roll with them. Crafting requirements • Coyotillo berries, fresh • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) Potion of Silence Poison (ingested/injury), uncommon A mild poison made from berries from the belladonna plant, and diluted to decrease potency. A creature who experiences the effects of this poison, either by ingestion or being injured by a poisoned weapon, must succeed on a DC14 Constitution saving throw or be muted for 1 hour. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is also crippled by nausea for the duration of the poison’s effects. Crafting note: The toxicity of belladonna is unreliable. When this poison is created, the DM must roll a d10 in secret. If a 1 or 2 is rolled, the poison is much more potent than intended, and the drinker takes 4d6 poison damage on a failed saving throw, and half as much on a successful throw. If the character creating the poison has proficiency with the Herbalism or Poisoner’s Kit, this only happens if a 1 is rolled. Crafting requirements • Belladonna berries, fresh • Any non-viscous liquid (such as water, alcohol, etc.) Seeds of Delusion Poison (ingested), rare Dried seeds gathered from the datura plant. Infamous for their ability to cause madness and amnesia, these rare seeds are favoured by those with ill intentions. Any creature who ingests these seeds must succeed on a DC16 Wisdom saving throw or be subject to the effects of madness for 24 hours. During this time, they continue to act as usual but have disadvantage on charm spells such as command, geas, and suggestion. A bag of these seeds has one use. Upas Poison Poison (ingested/injury), legendary Poison from the highly dangerous and legendary upas tree. Vials of this poison rarely enter the market due to its notoriously deadly harvesting requirements – it is said that only one in twenty men who try to gather it come back with their lives. A creature subjected to this poison, either by ingestion or being injured by a poisoned weapon, must make a DC18 Constitution saving throw, taking 10d10 poison on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Weapon Paste Poison (injury), uncommon A thick and sticky paste made from a variety of poisonous plants. A creature can use their action to apply this to a weapon. Once applied, the paste is effective for 1 minute and adds additional poison damage to each attack made with the affected weapon. Crafting notes: When creating this item, make a proficiency roll with the poisoner’s kit to determine the potency of the poison. 1–15 1d4 poison damage to each attack 16–18 1d6 poison damage to each attack 19–24 1d8 poison damage to each attack 25+ 1d12 poison damage to each attack Crafting requirements • A bundle of hellebore or aconite • Yew berries • Proficiency with poisoner’s kit, or collaboration with a character with this proficiency Potion of Paralysis

48 Chapter 9: Magic Items The magic items in this book are introduced here in alphabetical order. Some of them can be crafted by players with the right proficiencies and the right items; others cannot be crafted but may be purchasable or discoverable in the wider world. Common and uncommon items are typically available to characters from level 1, and rare items are available at level 5. At level 11, very rare items are discoverable, and legendary items are typically reserved for characters of level 17 and upwards. Registry of Items Agua Aurea Wondrous Item, rare This vial is filled with rainwater that has been gathered from the leaves of a lady’s mantle plant. This water has magical properties and can be used when creating potions to increase their potency. The vial contains enough water for one use. Alder Leaves Wondrous Item, uncommon Leaves gathered from an alder tree. To have any magical potency, the leaves must have been gathered within the proximity of a nest of ravens. They lose all magical properties an hour after gathering. Placing one of these leaves under the tongue grants the user one use of the augury spell. Rather than learning their answer via the casting of items, the user must spend 1 minute observing birds in flight and receives their answer via this method instead. Bell’s Warning Wondrous item, common These stalks of bluebells, which have been dried in the smoke of a fire made on the new moon, still retain some of the magic that they held whilst growing close to the barriers between the Material Plane and the Feywild. Placed upright in the ground to form a barrier no more than 30 feet in diameter, the bells will ring when an aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, or undead comes within 5 feet of the barrier for the first time, waking any creature inside the barrier who is not unconscious or asleep by magical means. When you place the barrier, you can designate any creatures you choose, and the barrier will ignore them. Crafting requirements • Fresh-cut bluebells (at least 6 stalks) • A fire • A period of 8 hours to dry the stalks; must be done during a new moon (can be done during a long rest) Bird lime Adventuring Gear, uncommon An adhesive substance used for trapping birds and other small animals. After taking 1 action per 1 foot of space to apply the substance, any Tiny creature who enters the affected space must make a DC14 Dexterity saving throw or become subject to the restrained condition for 1d4 hours. Crafting Requirements • 1 handful of mistletoe berries (for enough lime to cover 1 foot of space) Brimstone Charcoal Adventuring Gear, rare A powder created from the ground charcoal of alder wood. This powder ignites easily and is highly explosive. If exposed to water, it cannot be lit until the powder has been laid out and dried over a period of 8 hours. When lit, the resulting explosion causes 3d6 fire damage to all creatures and items within a 15-foot radius. A successful DC14 Dexterity saving throw halves this damage. The charcoal can be stored in portable pouches, or in heavier kegs. A keg of charcoal, if lit, causes 10d6 fire damage in a 30-foot radius. The following crafting requirements make a single pouch of charcoal. Ten pouches are required to fill a small keg. Crafting Requirements • Five lengths of alder wood, dried and stripped of bark • An iron pot • A fire • A period of 8 hours to create the charcoal (can be done during a long rest) Clay Body Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement) This clay poppet may appear humanoid, but it is cold and oddly heavy. The items used to craft it stick out of the clay at strange and uncomfortable angles. The clay body can be activated by attuning to it (the attunement must be maintained during use of the item), focusing on the intended target, and uttering the words: ‘From the river you cometh, and to the river you return’. Alder Leaves

49 The target is affected by this curse until it dies, or until 7 days have passed, at which point the curse is removed. A clay body works for one person only, and afterwards becomes a mundane object. While the curse is active, you must utter the awakening phrase each morning. The clay body can be used in one of two ways. If it is stuck through with thorns, the intended target of the curse must succeed on a daily DC14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 piercing damage at the dawn of each day. If the same part of the body is pierced each day, on the seventh day the target suffers paralysis in that part of their body, if the curse is not removed beforehand. Alternatively, the clay body can be placed in a running stream. As the water wears away the body’s shape, the target of the curse must succeed on a daily DC14 Wisdom saving throw or receive 2d6 psychic damage each dawn, and on the seventh day takes three levels of exhaustion. The effects of the clay body can be nullified with a spell such as remove curse. In this situation, the clay body crumbles into dust once the curse is removed. Crafting Requirements • The inner wood of an elder branch • The earth of a new-made grave • The rib bone of a dead man • A black spider • River clay Counting Kit Wondrous Item, uncommon A pouch filled with a handful of tiny dried leaves or seeds, such as poppy seeds or juniper leaves. When scattered in a 5 foot area, any undead creature passing through the space must succeed on a DC14 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to stop and count the scattered contents of the pouch, reducing their speed to 0 feet for the rest of their turn. Datura Powder Wondrous item, rare Pollen gathered from the flowers of the datura plant. When inhaled, the target is subject to the poisoned condition for 1 hour and suffers overwhelming hallucinations. During this time, roll 1d4 and use the table below to determine an additional effect of the powder: A bag of powder has three uses before it needs to be replenished. Dead Man’s Curse Wondrous item, uncommon A bag of earthy-smelling powder. When scattered across an area no larger than 100 square feet, it causes the following effects to any creature who enters the affected area: • Any mount must succeed on a DC12 Dexterity saving throw or is knocked prone, forcing the rider to dismount. If dismounted, the rider must succeed on a DC15 Dexterity saving throw or is also knocked prone. • Siege equipment suffers damage to wheel mechanisms, causing them to move at half speed until a 24-hour period is taken to fix them. One bag has a single use before it requires replenishing. Crafting requirements •Wild garlic • Dirt from a cemetery • A dead man’s bone, ground to powder Clay Body Datura Powder Roll Table d4 Results of Inhalation 1 The target gains some knowledge of an item that has been lost to them, or that they have been searching for. 2 The target gains one immediate use of speak with dead to interact with a nearby wandering spirit, which is undetectable to the rest of the party. 3 Upon their next short or long rest, the target can return to full hit points without expending hit dice. 4 The target gains one use of inspiration. Dead Man’s Curse

50 Dowsing rod Wondrous item, uncommon A forked hazel branch which bends easily. When held, on a successful DC12 Intelligence (Nature) or Wisdom (Survival) check the branches will bend towards any natural phenomenon specified by the holder, such as a water source, wildfire, or natural cave system. Dragon’s Blood Ink Adventuring Gear, very rare A pot of deep, red ink created from the sap of the dragon’s blood tree. Though not inherently magical itself, this ink imbues an extra level of intent to any talisman or magical seal drawn with it. When using this ink to create a glyph of warding or any other spell or ritual requiring a drawn component, one or more (at the DM’s discretion) of the following effects apply depending on the nature of the spell: •If the spell requires an unallied target to make an ability check, they make it with disadvantage. •If the spell requires the caster to make an ability check, they make it with advantage. • Damage caused by the spell can be increased by the caster’s proficiency modifier. • The range of the spell is increased by an extra 50%. • The duration of the spell is increased by an extra 25%. One pot of ink has ten uses before it needs to be replenished. Crafting Requirements • Sap from the dragon’s blood tree, dried and ground • Any viscous liquid (such as oil, gum arabic, honey, etc.) • Proficiency with alchemist’s supplies or calligrapher’s supplies, or collaboration with a character with one of these proficiencies Duskbloom Wondrous item, rare A flower from the saguaro cactus, gathered on an auspicious night. Although it has been cut away from the cactus, it blooms at dusk every night, and emits a faint light and pleasant scent. At night when this flower blooms, you can sit with it for 10 minutes, inhaling the scent. Doing so will send you into a trance state that lasts no more than 1 hour. In this time, you may use the dream spell without using a spell slot, even if it is not a class spell for you. For each use of the spell, one petal falls from the flower. Once all of the petals are gone, the flower loses all magical properties. The flower has ten petals. False Bones Wondrous item, uncommon A wooden object that is indistinguishable from humanoid or animal bone. It can be used to fix disastrous injuries, and in some regions is used as a substitute for live sacrificial offerings. Crafting requirements • 1-foot length of rattan stalks • A furnace • A source of calcium (e.g. chalk, limestone, or shells) • A period of 8 hours to shape and harden the bones (can be done during a long rest) Goblin’s Deception Wondrous item, rare This small item is composed of a handful of fresh goblin gold moss, tied into a bundle and intended to act as a distraction. It is particularly favoured by thieves, smugglers, and other ne’er-do-wells. When placed in an area of dim light or non-magical darkness, any creature not aware of the item’s true nature must succeed on a DC15 Wisdom saving throw or be Dragon’s Blood Ink Duskbloom Goblin’s Deception