Jörmungandr's Blood, Redux

*Note: I posted this on my old blog but I wanted to redo/update it.*

My Last LotFP campaign ended when the earth was hurled into the void of space. How? Why?
PVP man, pvp.

Anyways. What does that have to do with Jörmungandr, child of Loki? or its blood? Well, early in the campaign I had put Skerples’ Tomb of the Serpent Kings out in my campaign's wilderness. My player's stumbled upon it, conquered it and claimed it as their own. Of course one of the reasons they turtled up there was the treasure in the last room. Something so valuable it would serve as one of catalysts for the campaign’s finale…

The Well Room

The last room in the Tomb of the Serpent Kings says to place your own treasure, so I did. I called it the Well Room and it held a way to get Jörmungandr's Blood. Here's what I had in my notes:

• The room is empty save for three items. A large well(15ft wide), a large drillis suspended with rope above the well. The rope winds around a spool hidden in the ceiling. A lever nearby activates the drill.
• The well is miles deep.
• At the end of the well sleeps Jörmungandr, the world snake.
• Activating the drill sends it down to the snake drawing blood that fills the well.
• Roll a d10. An earthquake with magnitude equal to the result erupts after the drill causes the world snake to stir possibly collapsing the entire Dungeon. Insta death.

Looking back this kinda sucks. I never explained how the drill works. Magic, science? Who knows!. What happened to the blood still in the well? Eh. A d10 roll for a possibility of insta death? That's a Raggi fuck you, still digging that. Also a lot of rope. Alot. I think I can do it better, here's what I would use today:

• Large well made of black scale and stone in the middle of room, 20ft wide now. Still miles deep.
• The room’s floor is slick with dried blood.
• Along the walls are ancient clay jars filled with coagulated blood. Useless.
• The big change is instead of a drill now there's a cow sized monstrous tickworm. Its chained up and suspended above the well with its grotesque head pointing down into it.
• A person must continuously crank the enormous spool of chain that now lies next to the well. Turning the lever clockwise lowers the tick into the well.
• Takes 3 turns of cranking for the tick to reach the sleeping serpent and latch on.
• The tick worm is trained to drink until full then detach. Takes 1 turn.
• Now requires 4 turns of cranking counter-clockwise to return a full tickworm back to the surface due to its added weight.

Alright! We got a giant gross tick full of a demi god's blood. Now what? Time to harvest! Now assuming (big assumption) the PC's don't just immediately kill the tick, which is harmless btw. They'll be able remove the blood via a removable plug in the tick's abdomen.

Like this! *gags*

Harvest Notes:

• "Harvesting" the blood yields 20 gallons worth.
• Not leaving at least 10 gallons for the tickworm will cause it to starve and die after a week.
• Not letting the tickworm digest it's yield, which takes a week, causes it to starve & die.
• The blood of Jörmungandr is only usable when it's mixed with the tick's saliva and digestive fluids. I would a place a "how to milk the tick" guide somewhere in the dungeon or in this room. Have it have sketchings of the tick and the hole in its abdomen. Also give the book a weird title and written in a ancient(snake) language.(Put those langage pips to use!)
• Sending the Tick down more than once a day causes Jörmungandr to stir, d4 roll, result equals a earthquake of that magnitude. Increase die size for each time the tick is sent down more than once a day, up to a d10. (7 roll equals a 7.0 magnitude quake, etc.) 1-4 is scary. 5-6 causes minor damage(falling shelves, glass breakage), 7-9 Causes falling rock damage. Magnitude 10 is insta death for anyone in the dungeon as it collapses on itself.
• Harvested Blood spoils after a month.

The Harvested Blood (Jörmungandr's Blood)

Originally I had made the blood similar to cocaine. A supreme high that completely changed a person. I had this change represented by letting characters reroll their ability scores during their first high and take the higher number. Afterwards they would make a Save. vs Magic, a failure would mean that character was addicted and had to take a hit at least once a day. After the first dose you get more tolerant and take on more snake-like qualities on with each failed save, eventually becoming a horrible snake monster. Still sweet, but I want to update it a bit.

The Blood‘s Effects:

1. During the first dosage(8oz), Reroll your physical ability scores(STR, CON, DEX) using 4d6, drop the lowest.
2. While the blood is in your system(lasts 1 hour) you may reroll any saving throws and take the higher result.(Advantage) Does NOT affect saving throws from the Blood.
3. Each time the blood is consumed, make a Save vs. Poison, if you fail you are now addicted to Jörmungandr's Blood and must take one dose each day. Failure to do so causes you to take 1d6 Permanent CON damage each day the blood isn't taken. 0 CON ='s Death.
4. After you are addicted you must make Save vs. Poison after each dose. For each failed save afterwards consult the list below in order:
5. Your eyes become snake like, and you gain infravision(sense heat) with a range of 60ft.
6. Your skin becomes pale & scaley, once a week you instinctively seek solitude to shed your skin. (takes 8 hours of painful shedding)
7. You grow serpentine fangs and gain a 3d6 Poisonous bite attack, usable once a day.
8. Your tongue elongates and bifurcates at the tip, you gain the ability to speak to snakes & reptiles. (Parseltongue yo)
9. Your jaw gains the ability to dislocate, you can swallow large prey whole such as a chicken, or small child. Each such meal counts as a week's sustenance.
10. Your Intelligence & Charisma becomes 3. Congrats on your new life as a snake-person abomination.

Breaking the Habit

A character may attempt to break their addiction to Jörmungandr's blood by spending 72 hours in a dark room, water fasting (consume only water). They still take CON damage as per my addiction rules and RAW starvation rules. After the 72 hours the character may make a Save vs. Poison. A success means they broke their addiction to the god's blood. Any CON score damage suffered by the blood heals at the same rate as HP.