For an adder’s bite take this same uiperinam (i.e., Adderwort), pound it, mix with wine, give it to drink, it heals the bite marvellously and drives away the poison.”
Entry VI, The old english herbarium, trans. pollington (2000)
**All information in this post regarding the uses of various plants are for gaming purposes only. This information does not represent actual medical guidelines/recommendations.
Adderwort
Name: Adderwort (nædderwyrt, nædrewyrt = “snake plant”)
Other Local Names: Dragonwort, Snakeweed, Snakeroot, Goosegrass
Latin(-derived) Names: uiperinam (“viperina”), bistorta (“bistort”)
Modern Species Name: polygonum bistorta
Where Found: moist meadows, wooded swamps, forest edges, and wetlands
Medicinal Value: used to treat wounds; an astringent used against bleeding, dysentery, hemorrhage, and mucous discharge; according to lore, used as a remedy for a snake bite since adderwort is believed to be capable of cleaning one’s blood
Other Uses: Roots and leaves edible, sometimes these ingredients are mixed with other ingredients to make a type of pudding
Adderwort Remedies in D&D
Pseudo-Historical / Magic-free Games
Wound Remedy: Applying a poultice of adderwort leaves and roots to minor wounds and inflammatory afflictions like hemorrhoid’s may:
- increase the characters natural healing rate by 1 or 2 hit points per day.
- provide relief in the form of reduced inflammation and irritation.
Loose Stools Remedy: Drinking a prepared decoction of adderwort root may:
- help hydrate a character and clear up a bout of diarrhea.
- ease/cease stomach and intestinal discomfort; improve digestion.
Sore Throats: Drinking a prepared decoction of adderwort root, or applying a paste directly to an irritated location, may:
- provide relief in the form of reduced inflammation and irritation.
Referees wishing to lessen the regular effectiveness of herbal remedies could require a Saving Throw to determine if the ill effects affecting a character are prevented/avoided. Failed Saving Throws could represent ineffective remedies.
Low Magic/Fantasy Games
Against an Adder Bite: Drinking a prepared mixture of crushed adderwort leaves, roots, and wine might be handled by:
- allowing a Saving Throw vs. Poison to be made at an Advantage (i.e., roll 2d20 and keep the best result). If the remedy is taken after the character has already failed an earlier Saving Throw, then the remedy could prompt a new Saving Throw attempt. This assumes the character survived the previous failed roll and is still suffering the effects of being poisoned.
High Magic/Fantasy Games
The following remedies could significantly impact the niche role of the magic-user class (or cleric class) if open to all character classes. Referees are encouraged to consider this before implementing such remedies into their games. One suggestion is to limit the following fantastical remedies to certain specialized classes.
Against an Adder Bite: As above, but the remedy might be handled by:
- using the same rules for a spell like Neutralize Poison. However, the remedy/”spell” would be limited to neutralizing only the poison from snake bites or (more broadly) reptilian creatures.
Ward against Adders: Creating a circle of scattered adderwort plants or leaves might be handled by:
- using the same rules for a spell like Protection from Evil, 10′ Radius. However, the remedy/spell would replace “evil” with “adders/snakes.”
- Alternatively, the Referee might allow a similar benefit for any characters sleeping/resting in a patch of growing adderwort.
Repel Adders: This repellent is created by first drying adderwort leaves and flowers. Then, the dried leaves and flowers are crushed into a fine powder. This adderwort powder is then mixed with the ground bone of a wyrm. Throwing or blowing this repellent at any manner of snake, wyrm, or dragon may disorient them and cause them to flee.
- This can be handled by forcing the affected creatures to make a Saving Throw. Failed throws result in the creature fleeing. A successful throw means the creature is not forced to flee; however, the creature is still disoriented and may fight in a blind rage. All attacks made by the creature should be at a Disadvantage or be treated as fighting blind for 1d3 combat rounds. The Referee may treat the powder as an area-of-effect attack that affects multiple creatures.
If you liked this post and want to read others dealing with wilderness survival, foraging, and/or herbal remedies, then check out these two posts Herbal Lore & Remedies in D&D and Foraging, Hunting, & Wilderness Survival in B/X D&D.
Peace,
RC
All translations from the Herbarium, Bald’s Leechbook, and the Lacnunga are from Stephen Pollington’s Leechcraft: Early English Charms, Plantlore, and Healing.