Ever since I became Important, I’ve been having an odd reaction to Laudanum. My IaLtLLH is currently 7, and I think I just downed four bottles and lost 4 CP of Nightmares. As your Laudanum Habit increases, does the opiate become worse at driving off Nightmares, or am I just doing something wrong?
I don’t have a habit at all, but I wasn’t getting much of any effect out of the stuff. I eventually gave up and decided to stick with opportunity cards and, if worse came to worse, giving over a diamond to the fellow with the shiny buttons and too many fingers.
Yeah, that’s a thing. Once you become a POSI, it just doesn’t have the same effect any longer.
I don’t bother with Laudanum any more - I just take a trip to Zee and spend some time with Phoebe at Hunter’s Keep. If I’m lucky it can be quite profitable as well.
Well that’s a shame. Laudanum just went from being perhaps the single most useful item at the Bazaar to not even being worth the actions. Boo.
You’ve abused your body too often and too far with laudanum. Your body can’t metabolize the substance properly; your character can’t experience the same mental soothing like he did previously.
Before becoming a PoSI, a character can heal 4 Nightmare points with a single bottle. At PoSI, it’s still a good option for 3 Nightmare points if you don’t mind the slight rise in Wounds and Hedonist. Don’t let a habit get too high.
As your laudanum habit rises, the effect lessens:
Habit 3 cures 2 Nightmares
Habit 5 cures 1 Nightmare
Habit 8 cures nothing.
You continue to drink the wretched stuff, anyway. By now, “habit” is the polite way of saying you’ve got a problem. The solution includes a team of doctors, nurses, burly men and a white bed in a white room. The bed has black leather straps with brown iron buckles.
FL wikia has recorded up to a habit of 8. Any enterprising volunteers willing to test higher stages?
I’ve got it up to 20+ and haven’t seen any new options.
Nominally useful for raising hedonist up to 16 though also increases Wounds.
IaLtLLH does add a card to lower it “A Rare Day without Laudanum”. I’m not sure what that drops the efficiency rate down to, but probably not good.
IMO there are better options to lower Nightmares at PoSI.
Library, God’s Editors, etc. Even a trip to the Marshes is fairly enjoyable.
Not well known, but you can also use the Nephrite Lens, Counterfeit Head and A Small Velvet Lined Box(Light Fingers); to give dream increases without the corresponding Nightmares. Some dream quality levels also unlock useful 2-for-1 deals in the remaining dreams, raising two dream qualities at once.
edited by Endy on 5/1/2013
The Habit 8 option now caps at Hedonist 16?
http://fallenlondon.wikia.com/wiki/Laudanum.
I usually click the auto-fire red card “A day without laudanum” when I’m at 0 actions and before going to bed. It’s a very common card and drops the habit, but it only shows up if your Habit is 1.
Nightmares are not so terrible at higher levels. If you know how to handle them, they’re more of an occasional inconvenience. It must mean we’re true Neathy citizens!
For those interested in using the Nephrite Lens, I recommend you do it after you’ve raised Is Someone There? dreams to 12. Otherwise, you’ll skip story cards. They stop appearing in your deck after you reach a certain level. I missed half of the current Is Someone There? story by fiddling with too many lenses. Fortunately, I was able to experience the rest with an alt. The same advice goes for the Counterfeit Head and using it after Death by Water dreams reach 7.
I know there are good ways to reduce nightmares, but those are pretty much all random opportunity cards and not that reliable. I’ll try the social action for now, as I’ve got a friend who isn’t important and thus can use laudanum properly.
And I volunteer to be the brave soul who will push their laudanum habit as far as possible.
claps OPG’s shoulder Excellent! I’m sure a guilt-ridden Winsome & Dispossessed Orphan can assist you on your quasi-valiant quest. ;)
[quote=Zeedee]
The Habit 8 option now caps at Hedonist 16?
http://fallenlondon.wikia.com/wiki/Laudanum.[/quote]
Yeah, I’m not sure whether it has changed or the wiki was just inaccurate on that.
I think you have to have at least 10 of the appropriate dream quality for the Lens and Head. I did blow past a lot of material though, so may not be for everyone.
[quote=OPG]I know there are good ways to reduce nightmares, but those are pretty much all random opportunity cards and not that reliable. I’ll try the social action for now, as I’ve got a friend who isn’t important and thus can use laudanum properly.
And I volunteer to be the brave soul who will push their laudanum habit as far as possible.[/quote]
Bottoms up!
.
edited by Endy on 5/1/2013
I never hear people using appalling secrets as a management technique. It’s 10 cp at a shot, and secrets don’t seem hard to attain.
Working through it myself, unless you’re lucky, it seems like it averages out to be about a 1 in 4 luck chance, meaning you’d spend 4 actions and 16 a. secrets (240p) for 10 cp of menace reduction.
edited by Theus on 5/1/2013
edited by Theus on 5/1/2013
Yeah, I’m not sure whether it has changed or the wiki was just inaccurate on that.[/quote]
Thanks! I’ll update the page. It was capped at 21 at one point. Most of the Quirk caps were lowered last year in autumn (or maybe it was winter?).
The respective options unlock at 5.
It’s good to know the exact CP number, thank you. I’ll also update the relevant page.
I’m unwilling to gamble on a luck challenge of “the odds are strongly against you here”, so it’s for the more daring types.
I personally use Appalling secrets only as an emergency reduction, seeing as it’s such a hard luck challenge (+ you need an action) Since I’ve got 195 sudden insights, the problem seldom gets that big, though…