Levels of Inebriation

2 months ago
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This is a Paizo variant rule only printed in Inner Sea Taverns, and not published on the SRD or PRD. So it’s republished here for easy reference:

The existing rules for drinking offer a binary state. The following system expands that into different levels, and characters progress depending on how quickly they consume alcoholic beverages.

Spells such as lesser restoration and neutralize poison and other similar effects that remove the sickened condition work automatically (even if the spell requires a caster level check) to render a character sober. Simply waiting can also return a character to a lower level of inebriation, as noted.

  1. Sober: You are currently unimpaired by alcohol. If you consume a number of alcoholic drinks equal to half your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) within an hour or if you consume more than one alcoholic drink per hour for a number of hours equal to half your Constitution modifier (minimum 1), you become tipsy.
  2. Tipsy: You are starting to feel the effects of alcohol. Depending on your temperament, your inhibitions might be slightly lowered or you might start to get mean. You take a −1 penalty on all Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks and on Will saving throws. If you consume an additional number of alcoholic drinks equal to half your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) within an hour or if you consume more than one alcoholic drink per hour for a number of hours equal to half your Con modifier (minimum 1), you become drunk. Each hour in which you don’t consume any alcohol, you can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + the number of alcoholic drinks you consumed since you were last sober). You receive a +1 bonus on this save for every additional hour that passes without you consuming alcohol. If you succeed, you become sober.
  3. Drunk: You are fully intoxicated. You might exhibit an exaggeration of your sober personality or a complete reversal thereof. You take a −2 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks, but you gain DR 1/— against nonlethal damage. If you consume an additional number of alcoholic drinks equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1) within an hour, or if you consume more than one alcoholic drink per hour for a number of hours equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1), you become soused. Every 2 hours in which you don’t consume any alcohol, you can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + the number of alcoholic drinks you consumed since you were last sober). You receive a +1 bonus on this save for every additional 2 hours that pass without you consuming alcohol. If you succeed, you become tipsy.
  4. Soused: You have had far too much to drink. Your speech is slurred and your judgment is impaired. You take a −4 penalty on ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks, but you gain DR 2/— against nonlethal damage and you can roll twice and take the better result on saving throws against pain effects. For every alcoholic drink you consume at this point, you must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC = 15 + 1 per previous check) or pass out. Every 2 hours in which you don’t consume any alcohol, you can attempt a Fortitude saving throw (DC = 10 + the number of alcoholic drinks you consumed since you were last sober). You receive a +1 bonus on this save for every additional 2 hours that pass without you consuming alcohol. If you succeed, you become drunk.
  5. Passed Out: You have fully succumbed to alcohol’s effects. You are unconscious and will wake up naturally in 2d4 hours sober (though you might have a hangover; see below). You must also succeed at a DC 20 Fortitude save or forget the previous 1d6 hours (or until you started drinking, whichever is shorter), as per modify memory.

Further, to take these amended mechanics into better consideration, there are alterations to existing feats and traits to play well with this revised mechanic:

Feat Revisions

  • Courage in a Bottle: While you are inebriated, the bonus you gain from your bravery class feature increases by +1 for each level of inebriation. When you become soused, you become immune to fear. These effects last until you are no longer inebriated.
  • Deep Drinker: When you gain temporary ki from drunken ki, you gain 2 temporary ki rather than just 1. Further, when you are inebriated, you can treat yourself as one step less inebriated for the purpose of negative effects of inebriation.
  • Drunken Brawler: When you drink a tankard of ale or strong alcohol and become inebriated, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your character level, and gain a +2 alchemical bonus on Fortitude and Will saving throws and to your AC against attacks of opportunity. These bonuses last 1 hour or until the temporary hit points gained by this effect are lost, whichever occurs first.
  • Endurance: Add the +4 bonus from this feat to your effective Constitution bonus for determining when your inebriation level increases.

Trait Revisions

  • Iron Liver: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Fortitude saves against poison and drugs, and a +4 trait bonus on Fortitude saves to reduce inebriation levels when intoxicated.
  • Fortified Drinker: Whenever you are inebriated, you gain a +2 trait bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects until you are once again sober.