The SANIC Hack: Part 4 - Soda Potions

Howdy, Farmhands.

    I'm terribly sorry about this.

There honestly isn't any context I could add that would make this better.
My friend circle was working through some stuff in 2006.

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    Look. I refuse to explain Bar'd to you. Just know that in a very specific subset of Sonic fans who were Teenagers on the Internet that found a Webcomic Hosting Service called Smackjeeves in the Mid 2000's, a series of modern mixed drinks providing supernatural enhancements was not just the norm, it was the One True Way. Most of them were less than subtle attempts to experiment with kink in a safe space, but, again, I refuse to explain Bar'd to you. Anyway...

    Goblinpunch recently put out a blogpost about Healing, Potions, and Shrines, laying out both the pros and cons of traditional Healing options in ttrpgs, as well as spitballing ideas for how to tweak that experience to be more in line with your specific fantasy. I don't vibe with every suggestion, but I can see why specific tables would gravitate to them. This got me thinking about what -My- preferred method of offering Healing at my table would be, if I got to choose.

    Wait, of course I get to choose, i'm a game designer forever cursed to toil on my heartbreaker. Neat.

PART 1 : HOW HEALING CURRENTLY WORKS

    Reminder that I'm working off an ItO/Cairn framework for this project. Health is already kinda funky compared to Most Expected mechanics for HP and Damage and whatnot. HP stands for "Hit Protection", a gauge of how close a character is to actually taking the hit that will send them down. Damage that exceeds their available HP is taken from their STR score, with a save against that Score required to keep them conscious every time they take another hit. Once combat is complete and the Danger averted, however, HP is relatively easy to regain!

Resting for a few moments and having a drink of water restores lost HP but leaves the party exposed. Ability loss can usually be restored with a week’s rest facilitated by a healer or other appropriate source of expertise. Some of these services are free, while magical or more expedient means of recovery may come at a cost. - Cairn

    This gameplay loop- having a refreshable pool of protection, but lasting effects of combat that carries through an adventure- is one I want to preserve. Therefore, any Healing I add to this ruleset should probably focus on quick refreshes of that HP pool, as opposed to undoing Ability loss. 

    Well, wait, I already did that. Sorta. Here's what I added:

Reaching Zero HP puts you Down, you're wheezing and looking rough. For NPCs, this is when the Morale roll happens to decide if they Flee or stay to take a stand. For PCs, they may choose to Move OR take an Action each round but not both. Any further Damage affects their STR score and they must make Death Saves as normal, or be Out. And "Out" is just. Fainted. They're not dead, but they're an unconscious or otherwise indisposed lump on the floor. They may not rejoin Combat. In Cairn terms, they're present but Deprived. Retreating when Downed is basically choosing to be Out, knowing you'll be able to recover HP as usual after the dust settles. But, because I love Mario & Luigi RPG, Downed PCs can stay in the fight by being Carried.  

 A PC may Carry a Downed PC if they have 5 Inventory Slots free. A Carried PC regains 1 HP per Round they are Carried, up to their Max. However, the PC doing the Carrying rolls attack rolls as if Impaired. - Me, "The SANIC Hack: Part 2 - Problem Solving"

    Allowing another PC the option to temporarily handicap themselves to slowly refuel a Downed ally is still something I think is cool. It's not a negation of consequence on part of the Downed PC; their actions now directly hamper their friend's ability to perform in a dangerous scenario, but there's a chance the pair of them can make a comeback if both can be careful for just a few rounds. There's also the possibility that being Carried is just not an option for their situation, so it isn't a one size fits all. It ALSO only triggers once HP is gone completely AND an Ally chooses to sacrifice their Damage output and Inventory slots to perform it.  

    With these points in mind, this means the area we'll need to focus on is the space BEFORE a PC loses all their HP and is Downed.

PART 2 : THE FLAVOR I CRAVE-OR

"Sodaaaaaaaaaaaa" -Whoever voiced the Belts from kamen rider Gaim

 

   I'm specifically calling upon Drinks/Cans/Soda in this design for a number of reasons.

1. It harkens back to Fantasy Potions
   
   
   Mystical Brews, Glass Flasks, Stoppers in the shape of Skulls; you know what I'm talking about. The short-hand of "Drink X and Y Happens" is pretty well understood in TTRPG spaces. Work smarter, not harder, I say.
   
   
2. It requires Capitalism to Produce
   
   
   This is a bit too close to "I Tell You About My World Lore" for my liking, but humor me. Anyone can squeeze an Apple, but Apple Juice (tm) as found on Grocery Store Shelves is not the same thing. There needs to be an infrastructure producing that specific product, and a distribution system to get it to it's intended market. Cola from your Sodastream isn't the same as a bottle of Pepsi.
   
   In this scenario- you can absolutely Make Your Own, but it will never be quite the same as storebought; and isn't it convenient that for the low low price of [VALUE] [CURRENCY] you can get it in travel size containers?
   
   
3. It's Memorable and Meme-erable
   
   
   Did you know that there is a Soda Brand in the Mario universe called "BaNaNa Boy?" You do now. Think abou that. Sit with it. Grieve who you were before I told you this. You can never go back. Anyway, I want to give my Drinks funny names too; think of the marketing opportunities if they're good.
   
   
4. It reminds me of my Childhood.
   
   
   Ok, you got me. A Large part of why I like this design has to do with Nostalgia for my VERY niche experience as a SANIC fan, and this is a way to carry that feeling into my work. I still won't explain Bar'd to you. Sue me.

PART 3: POTIONS, A FIRST DRAFT

    Potions are a consumable liquid that produce an effect in the drinker.
    
    They come in 3 Tiers, JUICE, SODA, and ENERGY, each with an associated Die Value (d4, d6, etc). A Potion that restores a resource (HP, Dice Pools) instantly grants that resource equal to the Die value of it's Tier. A Potion that grants an effect (Extra Damage, Invisibility, Extra Armor) temporarily grants that effect for a number of Rounds equal to the Die Value of it's Tier.

    In Inventory, Potions of the same Tier and Flavor may be stacked up to the maximum determined by their Tier.

    In Combat, 1 Potion may be Chugged each turn, before and separate from that PC's Action. In order to Chug a Potion, the PC must have at least 1 hand free to hold the container, and 1 forehead free to crush the container against once emptied.

•     JUICE: 1d4, No Associated Save.  Stacks up to 16. Usually served in Juice Boxes.
  
  Arguably Healthy, considering the amount of sugar.
  
  
  
•     SODA: 1d8, Save against WIL or BURP*. Stacks up to 12. Served in Cans.
  
  Carbonated, which makes the Magic Better or something.
  
  
  
•     ENERGY: 1d12, Save against WIL or BURP*. Stacks up to 8. Also served in Cans.
  
  Contains the maximum recommended daily dose of various questionable chemicals. Drinking more than 1 per 24 hours risks a CRASH**

*BURP: Failing a WIL save after Chugging a Potion of SODA or ENERGY Tier results in a BURP, replacing your Action for the Round with a loud belch.

**CRASH: A Floating value Equal the number of ENERGY Tier potions consumed within 24 hours after the first. At any point after accruing any value of Crash, should the PC BURP, Fatigue equal to the Crash Value is instantly applied.

FINAL PART FOR NOW: ADDITIONAL MUSINGS 

    Each Flavor (Lemon, Apple, Mint, Vanilla) should have an effect attached to it; meaning Lemon Juice and Lemon Soda will recognizably perform the same function.

    Homemade Potions, because there will always be that 1 person who wants to fulfill the Witches Brew fantasy, should do 1 dice size lower than the standard, Grocery Store version of that Tier. JUICE(Homemade) does 1d2, SODA(Homemade) does 1d6, etc.

    Mixed Drinks that combine Flavors, and thus, effects, should ALSO be worth 1 dice size lower, per Flavor. Lemon-Lime, as an example, could Restore HP (Lemon) and Grant +1 Armor (Lime.) A Lemon-Lime SODA, then would restore 1d6 HP and Grant Armor for 1d6 Turns. A Lemon-Lime SODA(Homemade), would restore 1d4 HP and Grant Armor for 1d4 Turns.

 Dregan, Author of Bar'd, if you're reading this, know that our time together is remembered fondly. Also, I'm Genderfluid now, which may be partly Your Fault. No hard feelings.

Until Next Time,

    Farmer Gadda