The local tavern is often the center of activity in the fantasy towns and cities of Dungeons and Dragons. They are the place one goes to hear rumors, find other adventurers, hire henchmen or get a good drink. Taverns have bards playing. Taverns have wenches serving ale. And Taverns have bar fights. But all that drinking and merrymaking has a price. That price is intoxication. And in Dungeons and Dragons intoxication has a price too.
Intoxication in 1st Edition AD&D
The Dungeon Master Guide for 1st Edition talks about the effects of intoxication on pages 82-83. It begins with a nice little table on the effects of intoxication on several aspects of the person inebriated.
The effect on a person’s bravery is well documented. If you have any doubt about this….look at that picture above again. Does that knight really think that he can defeat the dragon and the witch alone? Or did he just drain that barrel of mead all on his own? In 1st Edition a persons bravery increases by 1 for slight intoxication, 2 for moderate intoxication and 4 for great intoxication.
Morale is boosted by 5%, 10% and 15% respectively. Intelligence is reduced by 1, 3 or 6 depending upon the level of intoxication. Wisdom is reduced by 1, 4 or 7 respectively. Dexterity will be reduced by 0, 2 or 5 depending upon the level of severity. Charisma is likewise reduced by 0, 1 or 4. Attack dice (to hit rolls) are reduced by 0, 1 or 5 depending on how drunk the person is. Hit points, however, are increased by 0, 1 or 3 respectively.
Recovery times for intoxication in 1st Edition depend also on the severity of the inebriation. Slight intoxication would take 1-2 hours to recover from. Moderate intoxication would take 2-4 hours. Great intoxication would take 4-6 hours to recover from. And drinking one’s self into a comatose state would take 7-10 hours to recover from.
Intoxication in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition
Strangely the 5E rules are silent on Intoxication. It is almost as if the WOTC authors decided specifically to exclude this from the game. Why that would be I do not know. But plenty of others have discussed this issue. Some helpful folks made their own D&D variant rule which seems reasonable enough to me so I will link it here:
Variant Rule for 5E intoxication
Another possible variant rule:
Either of these ideas will work well for 5E if you need to find the effects of intoxication for your games.
Intoxication in Dungeons and Dragons Has a Price
In either edition of this fine game one should be mindful that people who drink and delve are risking their friends lives as well as their own. Friends don’t let friends drink and delve. Don’t end up like this chick in the picture below.
