Suude is an illegal substance sold across Exandria. It is refined from arcane residuum,[3] and causes a head rush and enhances senses and magic.[4]
Appearance and flavor[]
There are three colors of suude, all of which are granular,[2] glittering powder.[3] Brown suude is dark brown and has a texture similar to brown sugar. The smoke it produces when burnt has a fine herbal taste[5] and is brown itself.[6]
Properties[]
When a humanoid inhales suude fumes as an action, the user must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC 10) or be knocked unconscious.[2][7][3] Upon a successful save, the user gains access to a Metamagic option; more benefits can be gained by smoking more suude, but doing so increases the risk of an overdose, as the DC increases for each additional dose taken within one hour.[2][8][9][3] Creatures with aberrant physiology ordinarily do not suffer the same extreme consequences from an overdose as humanoids do, but can still be knocked unconscious if they fail their saving throw badly enough;[10] a great deal of damage can awaken a creature from that stupor.[11]
The exact Metamagic granted is based on the color of the suude:[2][12][3]
- Brown suude: Extended Spell (doubles the duration of any spell with a duration, but not to more than 24 hours)[13]
- Blue suude: Twinned Spell (allows a spell that can ordinarily target only one creature during its duration to target two creatures instead)
- Red suude: Distant Spell (doubles the range of a spell with a range of 5 feet or greater; spells with a range of Touch can instead be cast with a range of 30 ft.)
In the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, set in 836 PD, the effects of suude are more short-lived and dangerous than previously depicted, but blue suude can be more potent with fewer doses.
- In previous depictions, users who succeeded on the Constitution saving throw gained one sorcery point per dose and gained access to the appropriate Metamagic for one hour. In the newer guide, for each dose taken the user can use that Metamagic once in the next minute without expending sorcery points.
- Since Twinned Spell ordinarily uses a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level (1 for cantrips), being able to use it on a spell of any level with only one dose is a marked change.
- In previous depictions, suude did not automatically do damage. In the newer guide, each dose deals 4d10 psychic damage to the user.
- In previous depictions, users could take up to two doses within an hour and the only negative consequences of a failed saving throw were being knocked unconscious for 2d4 rounds and not gaining the Metamagic and sorcery point.[2][14] A humanoid knocked unconscious in this way could not be roused by jolting the creature awake, nor by healing.[15] In the newer guide, failing any Constitution saving throw knocks the user unconscious for one minute or until another creature uses an action to shake the user awake, and also causes the user to become poisoned for 1 hour.[3]
- In previous depictions (including in "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119), set in 836 PD), taking each additional dose of suude within one hour increased the DC of the Constitution saving throw by 3.[2][16] In the newer guide, each additional dose increases the DC by 5.[3]
- In the original Critical Role: Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, taking at least three doses within one hour exposed the user to the risk that if they failed the saving throw, their hit points would drop to 0.[2] In the newer guide, failing any of the saving throws by 10 or more causes the user's hit points to drop to 0.[3]
History[]
Background[]
Suude was first refined during the Age of Arcanum to enhance very long ritual casting, but it gradually spread to less reputable elements.[17]
The Campaign of Vox Machina[]
Scanlan told Jarett Howarth about how Vox Machina had met and allied with J'mon Sa Ord, and offered to get Jarett pardoned for an unspecified crime he had committed back in Ank'Harel. In exchange, he asked Jarett to get him some drugs. Jarett protested that he didn't deal with that kind of thing, but told Scanlan he could get some suude in the Turst Fields south of the Alabaster Sierras. Jarett offered to send a courier to get it, but warned Scanlan that the substance was highly illegal. However, Jarett did point out that the prison he'd normally be locked in was out of use due to the Chroma Conclave's attack on Emon, so now would be the best time to buy some. It took a bit more convincing from Scanlan, but eventually Jarett promised to get him some suude.[18]
When Scanlan continued to press Jarett to acquire suude for him, Jarett warned that he had seen the drug ruin lives near K'Tawl Swamp,[19] but he eventually supplied Scanlan with brown suude.[20] A short time later, Scanlan overdosed on the drug and briefly knocked himself unconscious, causing confusion and panic in the party.[21]
Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting[]
Suude was trafficked through a variety of places, including large shipments from Stilben to the Turst Fields,[22] small shipments running between Kymal and Syngorn through the elven city's Linens Guild,[23] and some supplies for the addicts in New O'Noa.[24]
Campaign Two: The Mighty Nein[]
The Mighty Nein looted the Overcrow Apothecary and found a bag[25] that Beauregard identified as suude, ground whitestone, worth 1,000 gold; this discovery led Taliesin to conclude that the store was a front rather than a bona fide business.[26]
While exploring the ruins of Aeor in pursuit of Lucien, the Nein encountered an abomination with a giant cherub face. Beau was swallowed by the creature, but deposited her entire stash of brown suude into its stomach, temporarily rendering it unconscious.[27]
Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn[]
Suude is among the goods that can be bought five times cheaper in Syngorn than in Kymal.[28]
Exandria Unlimited Prime[]
Opal knew of suude, as it saw a little use in Byroden and more in Emon. Dariax Zaveon was also aware of suude and that it was expensive, but didn't know residuum was a precursor, nor how to consume it properly. Opal claimed she had seen it used at lots of parties in Emon and that suude could be used safely.[29]
Campaign Three: Bells Hells[]
Yunis offered suude among the many illicit goods he sells from the back of his General Supply Shop.[30]
Behind the scenes[]
In the original Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, a blue crystal called azuremite, which formed due to thousands of years of exposure to psychic energies from the aberrations that lived there before the Divergence, could be mined and refined to produce a form of suude.[31] However, in the Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, while finely ground azuremite dust is still said to induce visions and psychic phenomena, this dust is no longer identified as a form of suude.[32]
Trivia[]
- Since the main ingredient to create suude in the 9th century PD is residuum, made with the whitestone of the Alabaster Sierras formed during the Calamity, that means that when suude was invented in the Age of Arcanum it either had different ingredients or used residuum from other sources that are no longer in significant use centuries later.
References[]
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 85. See also pp. 124 and 144.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 55.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 85.
- ↑ From Matthew Mercer's tweet regarding Tal'Dorei drugs.
- ↑ See "What Lies Beneath the Surface" (1x81) at 33:44.
- ↑ See "Deadly Echoes" (1x82) at 3:08:42.
- ↑ See "What Lies Beneath the Surface" (1x81) at 0:35:05. Scanlan demonstrates what happens when one uses suude and fails the saving throw.
- ↑ See "Deadly Echoes" (1x82) at 3:10:10.
- ↑ See "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119) at 0:39:53.
- ↑ See "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119) at 0:40:53.
- ↑ See "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119) at 0:48:51.
- ↑ See "Deadly Echoes" (1x82) at 3:10:03.
- ↑ See "Deadly Echoes" (1x82) from 3:08:40 through 3:09:26. Scanlan tries brown suude again and succeeds on his saving throw, and Matt explains how that version works.
- ↑ See "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119) at 0:40:53.
- ↑ See "What Lies Beneath the Surface" (1x81) at 37:13.
- ↑ See "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119) at 0:39:53.
- ↑ See "Talks Machina #10: 'Deadly Echoes'" (TMx10) at 1:01:25.
- ↑ See "Passed Through Fire" (1x69) from 2:27:46 through 2:32:30.
- ↑ See "The Coming Storm" (1x73) at 1:01:18.
- ↑ See "The Siege of Emon" (1x78) at 0:51:45.
- ↑ See "What Lies Beneath the Surface" (1x81) from 33:26 through 44:13.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 58.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 82.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, pp. 94–95.
- ↑ See "Domestic Respite" (2x62) at 3:16:51.
- ↑ See "Domestic Respite" (2x62) from 3:22:15 through 3:24:15.
- ↑ See "Malice and Mystery Below" (2x119) from 0:37:31 through 0:40:14.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 124.
- ↑ See "The Oh No Plateau" (E1x02) at 57:20.
- ↑ See "The Aurora Grows" (3x49) at 3:31:58.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 86.
- ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, pp. 141–142. See also p. 85.
Art:
- ↑ Fan art of suude, by Rhiannon L. (source). Used with permission.