Herb

Basic Information

A herb is a plant with useful properties that are not directly related to being eaten (note that the medieval term pot herbs, by contrast, refers generically to edible cooked greens).

That said, a herb can be eaten, but will generally serve as a seasoning for food (or drink in some cases) rather than as a foodstuff in its own right, otherwise it may be prepared by a herbalist for use as a drug or for some other purpose - including driving off vermin, scenting places and goods or some industrial process (e.g. as a dye).

Herbs could also find their way into alchemical practice by way of spyragic.

Specific Herbs

With Alleged Supernatural Properties

• Datura
• Garlic
• Mandrake
• Moly
• Wolfsbane

With (Alleged) Culinary Uses

• Calluna - although strictly used in brewing rather than cooking.
• Garlic
• Sage (herb)
• Silphium

With (Alleged) Medical Uses

• Datura
• Garlic
• Sage (herb)
• Silphium
• Plantain
• Wolfsbane … more of a poison in mast cases.

Sources

Bibliography

1. full source reference

Game and Story Use

• Gathering herbs may be a useful source of income - or part of a fetch quest. It can also lead NPCs into places where they need rescuing from, or find interesting clues, either of which can supply your PCs with adventure hooks.
• Your PCs may want some culinary herbs to make their iron rations more edible.
• Where herbalism is a significant part of the rules, herbs may be important medical supplies.
• They may also act as green rocks to drive some useful power - a sort of poor man's version of a potion.
• A con artist could pass off pretty much anything as herbs, perhaps adding random chopped weeds to his preparations to give a veneer of medicine.
  • If the herbs turn out to be poisonous or psychoactive, hilarity may ensure.