from the Absinthe FAQ http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~mbagg/roughabsinthefaq.html Absinthe is strong alcoholic liqueur made with an herbal extract including wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is an emerald green drink (due to the presence of chlorophyll) which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin, which has a bitterness threshold of 1:70,000) and is therefore traditionally diluted with cold water which is poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass containing a shot of absinthe. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution, forming a colloidal suspension. Absinthe was once popular among artists and writers and was used by Van Gogh, Baudelaire, and Verlaine, to name a few. It appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity and to act as a curative and aphrodisiac. Chronic use was believed to produce a syndrome, called absinthism, which was characterized by addiction, epileptic attacks, delirium, and hallucinations --- Laudanum is a clear liquid opiate that in the 1870's and well into the 20th century was marketed as a remedy for headaches, fatigue, cramps, diarrhea you name it. It was the wonder drug that worked wonders. IT was also a common ingredient in the majority of "wonder cures" peddled by snake oil salesman. As such the effects of use would be "similar" to opium smoking, but since smoking inherently creates a larger dose, and laudanum was usually administered by the teaspoon, the effects of laudanum are typically less severe. But to give you an idea of what it was like here's a link to an 1889 editorial written by an addict: http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/heroin/history/laudlady.htm --- Each opiate has its own special little kick, but generally speaking, they all share these common effects: sedation, muscle relaxation, euphoria, increased heart rate, increased body temperature, and so on. --- In terms of game effects: For Absinthe, I'd use the drinkin rules presented on the Peginc site: http://www.deadlands.com/WeirdWest/Support/Adventures/DrinkingRules.htm but give a random Insanity from the Mad Scientists Table to anyone with a serious Hankerin':Absinthe Hindrance. I seem to recall an article somewhere about opium use in Deadlands, but can't for the life of me remember where... Perhaps someone else has this tidbit?
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