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Goods & Sundries II

Tonics and Tinctures

Continue to explore the world of Vaesen with new rules for medical
equipment, as well as drugs and medicines from the 19th century.

BY BRYON KERSHAW

This product was created under license. Vaesen and its logo are trademarks of Fria Ligan AB and Johan
Egerkrans. This work contains material that is copyright Fria Ligan AB, Johan Egerkrans and/or other authors. Such
material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop. All art credits
included in appendix at end. All other original material in this work is copyright 2022 by Bryon Kershaw and published
under the Community Content Agreement for Free League Workshop.
 · GOODS AND SUNDRIES II ·

Come in, come in! Whatever ails you, I’m sure we

have the cures here. None of that quackery you’ll find PHRENOLOGY
out in the towns and villages, not in this pharmacy! The pseudoscience of phrenology
Our chemists are working with the latest sciences, and was exceptionally popular during the
we’ll have you on your feet on the fly. Looks like you’ll 19th century; however, it also had a
just need a few leeches and a draught of laudanum darker side. This practice was used to
for the road, and you’ll be fit as a fiddle in no time at justify racist ideology, as well as
all! ableism and gender discrimination.
Phrenology is touched on only lightly
in this text through the craniometer,
New Medical Equipment but you may want to check in with
The following table includes new equipment characters in your group before including more on
Vaesen can use to treat injuries and heal the sick. While this topic.
these items are commonly available from chemists in
London or Uppsala, finding them in rural villages may be
much harder.

ITEM BONUS AVAILABILITY EFFECT

Use LEARNING when healing

Craniometer +1 3
mental conditions

Use when healing physical

Leeches +1 1
conditions with MEDICINE

Use to find small details for

Microscope +2 3
INVESTIGATION

Use when treating critical

Nerve Tonic +2 2
mental injuries

Use when treating critical

Plasters +2 2
physical injuries

Use MEDICINE to help

Smelling Salts +1 1
someone who has fainted

Use when healing mental

Tincture of St. John's Wort +1 2
conditions with INSPIRATION

·2·
 · GOODS AND SUNDRIES II ·

EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTIONS DEATHWATCH

You’ve had experience comforting the dying. When you
• CRANIOMETER: A set of metal callipers used for
measuring the circumference of different areas of the help someone (Vaesen Corebook, pg. 41) who is treating a
skull to provide a phrenological diagnosis. This critical injury, they gain a +2 bonus instead of a +1.
medical assessment can help to ease a troubled mind.
• LEECHES: A common parasitic worm which sucks TOXIN RESISTANT
blood. Thought to help balance the humours and draw
You are naturally resistant to poisons. Gain +2 to FORCE
off excess blood. Prolific in medical usage.
• MICROSCOPE: A laboratory instrument which lets tests when resisting the effects of poisons and drugs.
someone see very small details. Advancements in lens
technology in the 19th century allowed significant
improvements in consistent magnification and for the
mass production of microscopes.
• NERVE TONIC: A liquid suspension of grain alcohol
and herbal mixtures, including lavender and other
medicinal plants. Helps to calm rattled nerves during
moments of extreme stress.
• PLASTERS: Designed to draw sickness from the
body, a plaster would be placed on the affected area of
the body and adhered to the skin. It was made from
flattened leather or sheepskin, coated in wax and
lined with “helpful” elements such as lead, arsenic or
frankincense. It was heated until the wax melted, and
the patient would leave it on until the plaster flaked
away.
• SMELLING SALTS: Also called Ammonia Inhalants
or Spirit of Hartshorn, these pungent fumes would
help awaken someone who was dazed or who had
fainted.
• TINCTURE OF ST. JOHN’S WORT: Used
historically since ancient Greece, St. John’s Wort has a
host of medicinal uses. During the 19th century, it was
commonly used for emotional and nervous
complaints, and could help steady an unbalanced
mind. Patent Medicines (i.e., Drugs)
The rapid development of new scientific efforts and
discoveries in field of medicine during the 19th century
New Talents often clashed with a general lack of understanding about
The following are new General Talents which
the potential effectiveness of these medical treatments.
characters can select when gaining an Advancement.
Both doctors and laypersons often didn’t realize the
potential dangers of the medicines they were using.
CARETAKER Including ingredients like cocaine and opium contributed
Once per mystery, when you take the Rest action (Vaesen to medicines being taken recreationally, leading to
Corebook, pg. 71), you may heal two Conditions from addiction and even death.
another character instead of yourself.

CHEMIST Special Note: If using the new “Signature

At the start of each Mystery, you may add either a Nerve Piece” talent from New Archetype
Tonic or Plasters to your equipment. Talents for Mythic Britain and Ireland,
you may NOT select any of the following
drugs as your signature equipment.

·3·
 · GOODS AND SUNDRIES II ·
ADDICTION (New Optional System)
The following section presents a new optional system
Gamemasters can introduce into their Vaesen campaigns.
Many Victorian stories deal with characters struggling
with addiction, and while today we know addiction is a
mental disease, during the 19th century it was instead seen
as a character flaw. Before introducing this system into
your game, make sure to discuss it with your players
(during a session zero if possible), to make sure everyone is
comfortable with both stories about addiction and these
rules.
If a character uses drugs during a mystery, during the
aftermath the Gamemaster should roll a d6. On a result of
a 1, the character has developed a Mild Addiction (the
effects of which are described below). If the character already
has an addiction, they instead upgrade it first to a Severe
Addiction and then a Debilitating Addiction.
EFFECTS OF ADDICTION
If a character has a drug addiction, they begin the mystery
suffering from Withdrawal. The character begins with a
number of Mental Conditions based on their level of
addiction (see the chart below). These Conditions can ONLY
be healed by consuming the substance the character is
addicted to, at which point the mental conditions are all
·4·
removed. Note which Conditions are tied to the addiction
in the Advantages section of your character sheet.
ADDICTION
ADDICTION NUMBER OF
TOLERANCE
SEVERITY CONDITIONS
Minor Addiction 1 +0
Severe Addiction 2 +1
Debilitating
3 +3
Addiction
After consuming their drug of choice and removing the
mental conditions, the character gains an additional
Advantage, which can apply to any skill they would like to
use. Finally, addicted characters have built up a tolerance
against the dangerous drugs they consume – a character
receives a number of additional successes against the
toxicity tests equal to their tolerance when consuming the
drug they are addicted to (see Vaesen Corebook, pg. 70).
If a character would like to overcome their addiction, they
must complete an entire mystery without consuming any
drugs. Afterward, they may make an EMPATHY test
(including penalties from the negative mental conditions). If
successful, they may reduce their addiction by one step,
ending it if they suffered from a Minor Addiction.
 · GOODS AND SUNDRIES II ·

DRUGS
The following is a selection of some of the most common All drugs have a toxicity, which follows the standard rules for
narcotic medicines used during the 19th century; however, Poison (Vaesen Corebook, pg. 70). Some drugs’ toxicity
it isn’t an exhaustive list. From arsenic to lead, many specifically inflicts mental conditions rather than physical
different dangerous substances were ingested, inhaled, or conditions when taken, as noted in their description. Finally, if
otherwise imbibed for medicinal or recreational a character becomes broken by a drug, they will always suffer
purposes. Drugs are removed from equipment once used. the “Coma” result from the Physical Critical Injuries unless
otherwise noted.

ITEM BONUS AVAILABILITY TOXICITY EFFECT

Absinthe +1 2 3 See and interact with spirits

Chloroform +3 2 9 Use for MEDICINE

Coca Wine - 1 6 Ignore penalties from physical conditions for a scene

Ether +2 1 6 Resist Fear

Laudanum - 1 6 Ignore penalties from mental conditions for a scene

Opium - 3 9 Ignore penalties from all conditions for a scene

ABSINTHE
An anise-flavored spirit derived from several different
plants, notably wormwood. It has a distinctive fluorescent
green colour, earning it the nickname “The Green Fairy.”
Consumption of absinthe causes hallucinations and can
open the mind to otherworldly forces. Absinthe grants a
+1 bonus whenever communing with spirits such as using
the Medium or Automatic Writing talents or when holding
a seance.

CHLOROFORM
A colourless liquid with a strong slightly sweet smell and
taste. Acts as a powerful anaesthetic, capable of rendering
someone unconscious after inhaling the vapours for
roughly 5 minutes. This makes performing medical
procedures much easier and grants a +3 bonus to the treat
critical injury and heal physical conditions actions.

COCA WINE
Fortified wine mixed with cocaine. It creates a sense of
euphoria, coupled with increased energy without the
stupor of drunkenness. After drinking coca wine, a
character may ignore the penalties from physical
conditions for a scene. Coca wine inflicts mental
conditions from its toxicity, and if a character becomes
broken, they will roll on the mental critical injuries table.

·5·
 · GOODS AND SUNDRIES II ·
ETHER
Sweet-smelling and colourless, ether is derived from
ethyl alcohol. It creates an effect like drunkenness; but
significantly more potent. Users may experience euphoria
or even hallucinations. It is so popular that many parties
would devolve into “ether frolics” amongst inebriated
celebrants. Characters who drink ether are inured against
the horrors of the vaesen and gain a +2 bonus on all Fear
checks (Vaesen Corebook, pg. 68) for a scene. Ether inflicts
mental conditions from its toxicity, and if a character
becomes broken, they will roll on the mental critical
injuries table. Ether is highly flammable, and drinkers
should be careful to avoid all open flame.
LAUDANUM
Reddish-brown liquid with an extremely bitter taste,
laudanum is a mixture of powdered opium in ethanol
alcohol. It was used to treat wide-ranging issues, from
general aches to dysentery to cholera. Consumption leads
to lethargy and a sense of detachment. After drinking
laudanum, a character may ignore the penalties from
mental conditions for a scene. For the remainder of the
mystery, they are lethargic and during combat draw 2
initiative cards and pick the worse one.
·6·
OPIUM
Made from the waxy residue from poppy seed pods,
opium comes in many forms. From powders to capsules
to suppositories to liquid morphine, this powerful drug
can numb the body and the mind to pain and injuries.
After consuming opium, a character may ignore the
penalties from physical and mental conditions for a scene.
For the remainder of the mystery, they are lethargic and
during combat draw 2 initiative cards and pick the worse
one. Finally, opium is extremely addictive. If using the
optional addiction rules, the Gamemaster rolls 2d6 during
the aftermath, and if either die result is a “1” the character
gains or increases their addiction.
APPENDIX: ART CREDITS
All artwork used in this text is credited below. Any image
in the Public Domain is marked with * after the reference, all
other images are CC0 or attributed under the appropriate
license.
• Interior of a Pharmacy, with Four Figures* by Jos van Bree
• The Gross Clinic* by Thomas Eakins
• Cover of “Le Petit Parisien”*, artist unknown
• Hamlin’s Wizard Oil poster*, artist unknown
• Morphine Addicts* by Albert Besnard