Who's got the drugs?

[SkaryMonk]

By drugs, I am referring to Kalma, 'Slaught, Spook and Spur as written in the OCE.

Are these kept in the gang's stash and handed out before the game like Blade Venom? Or are they carried by a specific fighter (and thus added to the Gang Rating)?

Since it's usually specified if things are kept in the Stash, I would assume the latter. However, is it in that case only the fighter carrying the drug who can use it? Or can he dose other gang members with it?

If he can only use it on himself, how does Kalma work in a Rescue Mission? Can he feed it to others in this specific mission? Does that mean he needs to be set up during initial deployment? Or can he feed it to the prisoner "off screen", as it were, before the game?

It's entirely possible I missed some pertinent rules section here, but it seems fishy to me!

 

[SirFrog]

From what I can glean from the drug rules, it goes like this

• You roll a drug on the rare trade table. You now have a fixer for that drug and can buy it as if it was a common item. Make a note of this fixer.
  • Some drugs aren't always available. Consult the entry and roll to see if you may buy it. If the roll fails, you just can't buy it (unless you have multiple fixers, in which case roll separately).
  • Exceptions: Icrotic Slime and Spook gives you a single dose when rolled on the Rare Trade table.
• Thus, you pay the listed price for each dose, and get that many doses. Each is worth as normal and is assigned to a fighter before the game and contributes to gang rating as normal.
• Drugs are typically taken pre-game. Determine the effects from the item entry. The drug is then used and then crossed off permanently after this game (it contributes to this game, so it contributes to your rating this game). You still keep the fixer.
  • Exception: Spook and Kalma must be used in-game.
  • Note: Kalma is also fed to the captive in the Rescue scenario in-game. There's no specific rules, but I'm guessing you stand next to them and spend your shooting phase force-feeding them.
• Taken drugs wear off eventually. Usually this is done by rolling 2D6 and adding Toughness. Results over 12 means the drug wore off and the poor sucker now suffer withdrawal. See rules for individual effects.
  • Note: Even if you have them, you may not take the same drug twice in a single game.
  • Exception: Icrotic Slime and Spook last the whole game. Captives fed Kalma only roll after being freed.
• After the game, check if there's any after-game effects such as addiction or sudden, slime-induced death. For more exact descriptions, check the individual drugs.
  

Edit: Fix'd the table for any eventual future reference.

 

[enyoss]

Slaught and Spur both specify that the drug must be taken before the game starts.

Spook and Kalma both state that their effects are in place for the entire scenario, so it makes sense that those are also administered before the game starts, although if given to a captive you don't start rolling to see if Kalma wears off until they are freed (the effects are still in place before this though).

 

[SirFrog]

Slaught and Spur both specify that the drug must be taken before the game starts.

True, I missed that part.

Spook and Kalma both state that their effects are in place for the entire scenario, so it makes sense that those are also administered before the game starts, although if given to a captive you don't start rolling to see if Kalma wears off until they are freed (the effects are still in place before this though).

But kalma is specifically said to be taken when downed.

If a down fighter consumes kalma [...]

Pretty indicating that it can be taken at any time. It doesn't really matter in the case of spook (since using psychic powers is voluntary), but you're at I1 and suffer from Stupidity when you use kalma.

I suppose we could poke @Anthony.

 

[enyoss]

No need . You're right when Kalma is used for downed fighters, but when used for captives it is in effect for the entire game (which is what I was getting at). I think the rules are pretty clear for it both ways.

 

[SkaryMonk]

Thanks guys, I feel much smarter! I think @SirFrog presents a lucid and compelling interpretation of how drugs work (mainly that since some of them are used mid-game, they should be carried by individual fighters).

Only one question still worries me: Can the drugs used pre-game be given to any fighter, or only the person carrying them? I can't currently see any problems with them being swapped around freely, but since they're counted in the individual fighters rating, using them on other fighters might have some effect, so that they can only be swapped whenever other equipment is swapped...

 

[SirFrog]

Whoever carries them use them, and you could give them to anyone (People with fixed gear don't count). They're general equipment.

Equipment can be swapped freely at any time before a game, so I don't see why it's an issue. The only exception is captured fighters, for obvious reasons.

 

[SkaryMonk]

It's only an issue because we have a lockdown of equipment before games in our campaign. So that's really mostly my problem. Thanks for the clarifications!

 

[enyoss]

Ah, I see where you are coming from now @SkaryMonk . I've had a similar issue in my current campaign.

It's best to leave the drugs in your stash when not using them, and then equip them for the fighters who have taken them that game so your opponent can see it.

To be honest, I'm not even convinced they should be added to your gang rating like normal equipment. As far as I'm aware, other stuff like this isn't (e.g. Bottle of Wildsnake), and this approach clearly doesn't work when you consider captured fighters who don't even contribute to your own gang rating. But if you have locked down rosters like you say, and/or want a blanket rule to apply, it's probably the fairest way to do it.

The exception to all of the above is when using Kalma on your own fighters - in this instance it's pretty clear it's simply another piece of equipment they carry around, similar to the Stinger Pouch, and should contribute to your gang rating while ever you are carrying it.

 

[SkaryMonk]

A Bottle of Wildsnake affects the whole gang, though (potent stuff!), so I get why that's kept in the stash and not by an appointed bottle holder.

I think the solution in our case will be to have gangers carrying the drugs around, and then they're stuck with it for the lockout period. And then there's a weird special rule for using Kalma on captives, of course.

I'd really like to keep icrotic slimes in the stash, because the idea of the other gang members picking someone to wear a slime hat as a prank is really funny.

 

[Blood Donor]

Somewhat off topic but I like the idea of assigning them to a character, as if they are the one holding the baggie. What this could do is create some dramatic situations if you were captured by an Enforcer (criminal!) or a Redemptionist (heathen!) while carrying.