So I have a question about how addiction works in D&D 3.5, per the rules on page 41 of the Book of Vile Darkness.  I think part of this confusion may be due to poor wording and misprints on their part.  The initial text states:

After the satiation period wears
off, the DC of the Fortitude save to resist the effects of addiction
increases by +5. The dose in which a character becomes
addicted counts for satiation. For example, a character unfortunate
enough to become addicted to devilweed (low addiction [DC 6, satiation 10 days])
on his first use of the drug must succeed at a Fortitude
save every day or take 1d2 points of Wisdom damage. As long
as he continues to smoke devilweed every 10 days, his saving
throw DC is only 6. If he stops smoking devilweed for more
than 10 days, the DC of the addiction saving throw increases
to 11. If he starts using it again, the DC drops back to 6.

Addiction deals the listed damage each day
unless the character succeeds at a Fortitude saving throw
or is satiated.

So, first misprint I can readily find is that a failure on the save would deal 1d3 point of Dex damage, not 1d2 points of Wisdom damage.  Which leads me to believe there are other misprints further muddying the issue, or just poor wording.  I read the rule one of three ways:

1)  Player makes an Addiction DC Save every day at DC 6.  If he goes more than 10 days without satiating his fix, that DC gets bumped up +5, to 11.  However, this seems moot -- if you succeed at 2 Fortitude saves in a row, you beat addiction.  So unless the player is rolling abysmally, he should beat that long before the DC increases.

2)  The player only rolls for satiation vs. addiction every 10 days; if he beats that he waits another 10 days to make a save vs. addiction.

3)  The player rolls for satiation vs. addiction every 10 days; after the 11th day his DC increases to 11 if he has not indulged his addiction.  He must then on keep making an addiction save each day at DC 11 until he either satiates his need, or beats the addiction.

I'm leaning towards the latter, as it also seems to be the most in-line with how addiction works.  The other issue is that the drugs as listed in the BVD don't have Fortitude Saves listed for their effects.  I have found a separate website which lists DC saves for the effects, in the case someone is dosed unwillingly (per the rules you don't make a save for the effects if you take it willingly).

The rule is, whenever flavor text conflicts with a table, it's always the table that takes precedence.

Interpretation #1 was correct.  Devilweed is an easy addiction to beat, and the withdrawal symptoms are easy to get out of, as long as you don't keep taking it and let the addiction rating ramp up.  Not to mention the side effect -- being shaken is a -2 penalty to everything.  Your DM might give you that penalty when you're trying to make a save.  If your pusher has a high bluff rating, and you get the shaken condition because he's fast talking you, he might be able to fast talk you into taking more.  After all, your Wis score is slightly lower and Wis was a dump stat for you.

Before I start, remember that in DnD 3.5:I'll use devilweed as an example.

First you look at table 3-5 and look at the DC for the drug.  In devilweed's case, it's inhaled and there's a Fort DC of 15. You get an initial save at that DC, which you are presumed to willingly fail, because if you make the save it all stops here and nothing else happens.  Once you fail, you take the initial penalty, which for devilweed is 1 point of Wisdom damage.

You then get a secondary save at that DC, which you are again presumed to willingly fail, because this is where it gets good.  Once you fail, you take the secondary "penalty".  In devilweed's case it's a +2 alchemical bonus to Strength which will last for 1d3 hours.  You also get a side effect, which is that you are easily confused and when you are confused you get the "shaken" effect.

Having failed both of your saves, you are now addicted and may take further damage from withdrawals.  For all drugs, you start going into withdrawals the very next day.  Using table 3-5, you go to the right and look at the addiction rating of the drug.  For devilweed, it's "low".  This means the satiation period is 10 days.

Next day you take devilweed again.  You've healed 1 point of Wisdom damage, but then you take that point of Wisdom damage again, but for 1d3 hours you also get that +2 bonus to Str.  This also resets the satiation period back to 10 days.

Next day you take devilweed again.  You've healed 1 point of Wisdom damage, but then you take that point of Wisdom damage again, but for 1d3 hours you also get that +2 bonus to Str.  This also resets the satiation period back to 10 days.

Next day you're out of devilweed.   You've healed 1 point of Wisdom damage, so you're back to normal.  However, now you have to face a withdrawal penalty.  Devilweed is a low addiction, so the Fort save is DC 6.  You succeed, and nothing happens.

Next day you're out of devilweed.   The Fort save is DC 6, but you fail it, so you take 1d3 Dex damage.

Next day you're out of devilweed.   You've healed 1 point of Dexterity damage.  You make your DC 6 Fort save and your addiction is now over.

---

Time passes.  You want a bonus to your Str again, so you take devilweed again.  You willingly fail the first save which means you also fail the second save.  You take the initial damage, the secondary "damage" (actually a bonus), get the side effect and the satiation period is back at 10 days.  That first time wasn't so bad, so you just keep taking devilweed, one dose every day.  Your Wis is basically lowered by one point, but it's not so bad because Wis was your dump stat anyway and you like the occasional Str bonus.  Two months go by.

Because two months of use go by, the addiction rating of the drug permanently goes up one level for you.  The withdrawal DC will be higher and the satiation period is shorter.  Devilweed is not low for you, it's now Medium.  Unfortunately, you now run out of devilweed.

The next day you have no devilweed.  You heal up that 1 point of Wis damage and get to make a DC 10 Fort save.  You fail it and take 1d4 Dex and 1d4 Wis damage.

The next day you have no devilweed still.  You heal 1 point of Dex and 1 point of Wis and get to make a DC 10 Fort save.  You fail it and take 1d4 Dex and 1d4 Wis damage.

The next day you have no devilweed still.  You heal 1 point of Dex and 1 point of Wis and get to make a DC 10 Fort save.  You make it, so nothing happens today.

The next day you have no devilweed still.  You heal 1 point of Dex and 1 point of Wis and get to make a DC 10 Fort save.  You make it again and the addiction is over, this time.

---

Time passes and you want to use devilweed again.  You have a steady supply, you're not going to run out.  You take it for two months and the addiction rating permanently goes up one level to High, and then you run out.

You heal that 1 point of Wis damage, and get to make a DC 14 Fort save.  You fail and take 1d6 Dex, 1d6 Wis, and 1d2 Con damage.  The next day you heal 1 Dex, 1 Wis, and 1 Con, and get to make another save.  You fail and take 1d6 Dex, 1d6 Wis, and 1d2 Con damage.  The next day you heal 1 Dex, 1 Wis, and 1 Con, and get to make another save, but this time you're out of the satiation period and the DC for the next save will be 19.

Next day, you get some more devilweed and it's all good, man.  You heal 1 Dex, 1 Wis, and 1 Con.  You take 1 point of Wis damage (initial damage) and get a little boost in Str (secondary), along with the side effect.

The next day you're out again, but because you took some more the DC fell back down to only 14.  You make the save and nothing happens.

The next day you're out again, and you fail the save, taking 1d6 Dex, 1d6 Wis and 1d2 Con.

The next day you heal 1 Dex, 1 Wis, and 1 Con.  You make your DC 14 save and the addiction is over, this time.

---

And that's basically how it works.

Now something like Luhix is crazy.  You take 1 point of damage to all stats, but then you get a +2 bonus to all stats, you you're +1 ahead for a couple hours, plus you're immune to all pain, even a symbol of pain.  It's addiction rating is also vicious, so good luck with that.  Maybe you have a plan to deal with the addiction, though.  You're going to lock yourself in a cage with a healer standing by to ease the ability point loses.  It might be worth it.

The thing about devilweed, though, is that there's no overdose penalty.  You have 8 encounters in a day and you want to take a dose every time?  No problem.  You'll take 8 Wis damage, but Wis is your dump stat, right? ;)
This message was last edited by the user at 13:12, Tue 12 Jan 2016.