The Placebo Defect
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While poking around the Haunted Conservatory, you notice a large earthen pot with a single sprout growing out of it, labeled "Mandrake".
You've heard of mandrake before: it's supposedly a very magical plant, whose root has a humanoid shape. When pulled from the ground, it screams -- a horrible banshee wail that has been known to kill those who hear it outright. It is, however, indescribably useful in all manner of potions and recipes, and you find yourself unable to resist the temptation.
You steel your every nerve, gather every ounce of willpower, and, teeth gritted and eyes clamped shut, you yank the sprout out of its pot.
It turns out to be a mislabeled potato, and the only scream you hear is your own one of fear and tension. You black out from the stress and give yourself a nasty concussion on the stone floor.
 | You acquire an item: potato sprout |
 | You lose 75?% of max hit points. |
 | You lose 75?% of max Mana Points. |
Occurs in The Haunted Conservatory (Bad Moon only).
References
- Mandrake is the name for a family of poisonous plants thought to have magical powers in European mythology. Its roots are said to have a humanoid shape, and it supposedly emits a deadly or maddening shriek when pulled from the ground. It is depicted as such in the Harry Potter series and other works of fantasy.
- This adventure's title is a reference to the placebo effect, where a person who thinks they're being given medicine feels much better even though they're just being given sugar pills or some other non-medical item.
