While stopping off at tavern is standard fair for a fantasy RPG and does not need to complicate the rule set, some GMs may choose tot use the advanced rules for Alcohol and Drunkenness.
Alcohol Resistance
When drinking alcoholic beverages use your natural resistance to determine whether you resist the effects of the alcohol (it is a poison after all). The resist roll is heavily modified by a few factors:
- Apply 2x your Size Modifier as Advantage or Disadvantage to your roll
- Apply the Cumulative Drink Strength as Disadvantage to your roll
Generally larger creatures can handle more alcohol in their system without adverse effects, while smaller creatures are effected more quickly. The Cumulative Drink Strength is sum total of the strength of each drink consumed in that sitting, where a standard tankard of ale is assumed to be 2 Drink Strength. Cumulative Drink Strength is always applied as a disadvantage to your resist roll.
As an example let’s assume a halfling with stamina of 15 and natural resistance of 35 has a single beer (Drink Strength 2). He then takes a Natural resistance test, rolling 23 on a d100. She applies -4 Disadvantage due to her size modifier (-2 doubled) and a further -2 Disadvantage from the cumulative Drink Strength, for a total of -6 Disadvantage. This effectively reduces her resistance to 29 (35 minus 6) which is still higher than the 23 she rolled, and therefore she does NOT add a stack of drunkenness. Next she drinks some dwarven spirits which has Drink Strength 5 because dwarven spirits are 1 point stronger than regular spirits (4). Now her disadvantage from Cumulative Drink Strength is 7 (1x Dwarven Spirits + 1x Beer), for a total Disadvantage of -11 (-4 size plus -7 drink strength). This time she rolls a 30 on a d100, which results in 1 stack of drunkenness as her resistance is now effectively only 24 (35 minus 11). Continuing on, she now drinks another beer (worth 2 drink strength), putting her at a total Disadvantage of -13. This time she rolls a 24, which is higher than he effective resistance of 22 (35 minus 13) and she therefore now has 2 stacks of Drunkenness.
Note that Alcohol resistance and the associated effects and rules can be used in a similar way if a GM needs rules for a character being drugged.
Alcoholic Beverages
The strength and pricing of alcoholic beverages varies depending in the market, as well as the rarity of the culture that produces it:
| Drink | Strength | Avg. Market Price |
| Beer, Ale, Cider, Grog | 2 | 2cp |
| Wine, Mead | 3 | 1sp |
| Spirits (various), Moonshine | 4 | 2sp |
| Aged Spirits, Specialty drinks | 5 | 1gp |
| Elven (prefix) | -1 | 2x price |
| Dwarven, Centauren, Minotauren (prefix) | +1 | 2x price |
| Kayden (prefix) | +2 | 3x price |
| Watered Down, Weak, Light (prefix) | -1 | no change |
| Heavy, Strong (prefix) | +1 | 1.5x price |
Drunkenness
Each time you fail an alcohol resistance test gain a stack of Drunkenness. This can accumulate over time to rather significant effect, modifying stat rolls, combat capabilities, ability to use special skills, and even your potency in a bar fight (see Bar Fighting rules).
All effects of stacks of Drunkenness are cumulative and last for the duration of drunkenness. After one hour (in-game time) of no drinking a single stack of Drunkenness will naturally fall off. If you pass out you generally stay that way for at least a half-rest.
| Stacks | Effects (cumulative for duration of stacks) | Avoidance & Agility Reduction | Stamina & Resolve Advantage |
| 1 – “Healthy Buzz” | +1 Advantage on Charm & Resolve tests | -1 | 1 |
| 2 – “Delayed Reaction Time” | -4 Initiative Score & -4 Disadvantage on Initiative tests | -2 | 2 |
| 3 – “Slurred Speech” | -4 Disadvantage on Charm, Intellect, and Wisdom tests, +15% Critical Failure (Casting) Chance | -3 | 3 |
| 4 – “Stumbling” | -1 Movement, +15% Critical Miss (Melee/Ranged) Chance | -4 | 4 |
| 5 – “Can’t See Straight” | -5 Disadvantage on Perception tests, must pass perception test or else attack/target in a random direction | -5 | 5 |
| 6 – “I don’t feel so good” | Must pass a stamina test or else spend whole turn vomiting/dry heaving (start of turn or every 5-10 minutes outside of combat) | -6 | 6 |
| 7 – “No, nevermind, I’m good” | Loss of mental faculties (cannot cast) and must pass a Mental Resistance test or else pass out cold (start of turn or every 5-10 minutes outside of combat) | -7 | 7 |
| 8 – “Alcohol Poisoning” | Must pass a Natural Resistance test or else take 1d12+6 poison damage (start of turn or every 5-10 minutes outside of combat) | -8 | 8 |
| “Hung Over” | -1 Movement, -1 Disadvantage on all stat tests and must pass a stamina test or else spend whole turn vomiting/dry heaving (start of each battle or every hour outside of combat) | -1 | 0 |
Resting
Resting will assist in the removal of Drunkenness stacks (sobering up). After a half-rest remove 1d2+2 stacks while after a full-rest remove 1d4+4 stacks. If after a full or half rest you still have stacks remaining, removal all remaining stacks and instead apply the “hung over” effect. Once you are hung over you remain so until having another full or half rest, after which time all effects are gone.
Racial Modifiers
Some races react differently to alcohol than others:
| Race | Modifier |
| Elf, Half-Elf | Skip Stack 2 Drunkenness entirely |
| Dwarf, Gnome | Immune to Alchohol Poisoning and Hangovers (instead may remain drunk after resting) |
| Halfling | At 3 stacks, gain +1 Advantage on Charm tests instad of -4 Disadvantage |
| Orc, Half-Orc | Immune to alcohol induced vomiting/dry heaving |
| Kayden | Attempting to fly at 4 or higher stacks requires an Agility test, where failure results in crashing |
| Minotaur, Centaur | Immune to passing out from alcohol |