From: "Loren J. Miller" <MILLERL@WILMA.WHARTON.UPENN.EDU>
Subject: Plant Lore
System: Stormbringer

[this is the first of two articles that I've retrieved from the old Stormbringer mailing list. This was the second set of Stormbringer Plant Lore rules that Loren proposed. He said that he based it on Find Healing Herbs from the Chalana Arroy cult in Cults of Prax -sda]

HUNTING HERBS

I. Depending on the terrain, the searcher has some number of attempts to find herbs per four hour period (the standard search time) with a chance of his Plant Lore or Search skill, whichever is higher.

Terrain Searches
woods 5
river bank 4
fields 3
cultivated land, oasis 2
marsh, chaparral 1
tundra, above the timberline 1/2
snow, desert 0

Note it is impossible to find Special plants within cultivated or grazed lands.

II. Ordinary successes earn the searcher a D10 roll on the following table. Critical successes allow the searcher to choose which entry he wants (most will take choice 10, and then roll 2D6 and add the highest class of Plant Lore which he is capable of using successfully.

Plant Type
Roll Type of Plant Found
1 Inedible but useful (such as rope, preservative,
insect repellant, sun block, or the like. use your
imagination.)
2-7 Edible (the lower the roll, the worse it tastes.
the higher, the better.)
8-9 Poisonous
10 A special or unique plant. Imagine 4 leaf clovers,
then stop being so ordinary and imagine the Young
Kingdoms' equivalent to such freakish plants.
That's what was found. It isn't a normal plant of
its species; it has an extra leaf, or its root is
in the shape of a human heart, etc. It is capable
of being prepared many ways. Roll 2D6 and add or
subtract any number of an absolute value up to
Class on Special Plant Type table.

Roll 2D6 on the Special Plant table, adding or subtracting any number of your choice (choose before you roll) of an absolute value up to the highest Class of Plant Lore mastered by your character. If the result is a plant of a class higher than you have mastered, then you lack the skill to use or save that plant.

Special Plant Type
Roll Usefulness
<= 4 Edible Plant (Plant Lore class 2)
5-6 Poisonous Plant (Plant Lore class 3)
7-8 Sorcerous Plant (Plant Lore class 4)
9-10 Healing Poultice (1D6 Healing) (Plant
Lore class 5)
11-12 Healing Potion (2D6 Healing) (Plant Lore
class 6)
13-14 Infection or Disease Cure (complete
recovery in 1D6 days) (Plant Lore
class 7)
15-16 Hallucinogens and Emotion Affecting
drugs (Plant Lore class 8)
17-18 Attribute Affecting drugs, usually last
2D10 hours with 1D6 effect (Plant Lore
class 9)
19+ Potion of Invulnerability (only in the
Forest of Troos) (Plant Lore class 10)

III. The searcher now makes his Plant Lore skill to preserve the plant he has found. It will be preserved (i.e. it will not spoil) for a number of hours equal to the margin by which the skill was made times the class of Plant Lore skill needed to use it. Preservative potions may be used to keep plants "fresh and lively" for an almost limitless time.

[Following are a couple of Examples of Special Plants that were included in another article by Loren -sda]

Quylstrey (a.k.a. My Cup Overfloweth)
Range: Oceanside in Melnibone, variant strains grow worldwide
Level: 9
Effect: key ingredient in a potion which raises Str, Con, and Dex up to 12 if they were below, lasts 3D8 hours per dose. Typical patches of Quylstrey supply 1D8 doses. Is highly poisonous if not combined with appropriate co-ingredients.

Angelwort
Range: Tall grass
Level: 5
Effect: Makes a good healing poultice. Typical growths supply 2D8 doses.

Blessed Niritsine
Range: Mountains
Level: 6
Effect: Makes a good healing potion, healing 2D6 damage. Typical growths supply 1D8 doses.

Gumstave
Range: Tall grass
Level: 6
Effect: Makes a good healing potion, healing 2D6 damage. Typical growths supply 1 dose. It has been successfully cultivated.

Deadly Nightshade
Range: Deciduous forests
Level: 3 (level 1 poison)
Effect: 1D8 damage if ingested. May be prepared as a blade venom as well, which will do identical damage.

Eight Rare Plants from the Forest of Troos
Range: Forest of Troos
Level: 10
Effect: These eight rare species, when properly prepared and combined, may be formed into the Potion of Invulnerability.

Noidel
Range: Short grass and Scrub
Level: 8 Hallucinogen and poison
Effect: One of the plants which the Imryrrians used to influence their dreams, the Noidel bush is covered with "lush, poison fruit glimmering a purplish blue, a night-colour which even the light of day [does] not disperse."