Does water from the Styx still drain memories if removed from the river?
Could water from the Styx be bottled and used away from the river to take away somebody's memories (i.e. by forcing them to drink it, dunking them it, etc.)?
I vaguely remember that the "official" stance was that the water still has memory-draining properties (although maybe at a lesser potency - e.g. maybe it just makes you forget a few hours instead of your entire being).
I can't think of where I picked that up that I could reference for you.
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Personally, I like the idea of criminals/spies/etc. using the water to cover their tracks when they get caught.
It would also add some color if some of the addle-brained wandering the slums of Sigil were victims of these waters (either from attacks or from accidents while gathering/transporting the water). What sort of secrets might be uncovered if their memories could be restored?
Building on that theme, it could even be used as a recreational drug on the streets of Sigil for berks really down on their luck and looking to forget recent troubles. They might smoke it in a hookah-like device. "Memory Vaping".
Though I do vaguely recall reading somewhere that it loses potency over time once removed from the river.
You could also tie faction politics into it. Since the Sensates are intent on gathering experiences, an anti-Sensate group could be targeting them with Styx water to rob them of their precious memories.
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Side note: would the drug addicts that VikingLegion suggested have "cute" names for their addiction, like "paying the ferryman", etc.?
Well, I checked my Planescape books, and I don't see any text stating that my scheme couldn't work (though to be fair, I didn't read everything, so might have missed it). What got me thinking along these lines was the Harmonium's use of water from Mount Celestia to try to convert Chaotic sods into Lawful ones. Made me wonder if Styx water would also work if taken away from its source. Imagine some poor berk being dosed by his enemies, losing all his memories and them being told by his enemies that he's "one of us" and not knowing otherwise!
The 'Magic' chapter in the PW Post-Faction War setting has a very interesting 4th level cleric spell called 'Touch of the Styx' which can be used to permanently wipe out the memory of the last 24 hours of the spell's target. One of the requirements for casting the spell is that the caster has touched the waters of the Styx at least once in her/his life.
As far as I remember, there was also a spell to reverse the memory drain.
In 5th edition (which I just checked), drinking Styx water "only" has the effect of Feebleminding you, per the spell. So (going by 5e rules) you wouldn't actually lose your memories, and would still know friend from foe. Still greatly disadvantaged, though, especially if you were a spellcaster.
I'd argue it would work. If given any limitation, I'd say as long as it's ( the water..) on, or 1 plane removed from any Lower plane, or the Styx itself...
elderbrain,
I've been dabbling in some 5E myself, but I'd say that rule pretty much castrates the legendary effects of the Styx....
GOOD NEWS! A sidebar in MTOF ("Sailing the Styx") re-instates the traditional effects of the Styx (I presume this is in ADDITION to it feebleminding you, as per the DMG, but it doesn't specify).
I vaguely remember that the "official" stance was that the water still has memory-draining properties (although maybe at a lesser potency - e.g. maybe it just makes you forget a few hours instead of your entire being).
I can't think of where I picked that up that I could reference for you.
.
Personally, I like the idea of criminals/spies/etc. using the water to cover their tracks when they get caught.
It would also add some color if some of the addle-brained wandering the slums of Sigil were victims of these waters (either from attacks or from accidents while gathering/transporting the water). What sort of secrets might be uncovered if their memories could be restored?
Building on that theme, it could even be used as a recreational drug on the streets of Sigil for berks really down on their luck and looking to forget recent troubles. They might smoke it in a hookah-like device. "Memory Vaping".
Though I do vaguely recall reading somewhere that it loses potency over time once removed from the river.
You could also tie faction politics into it. Since the Sensates are intent on gathering experiences, an anti-Sensate group could be targeting them with Styx water to rob them of their precious memories.
.
Side note: would the drug addicts that VikingLegion suggested have "cute" names for their addiction, like "paying the ferryman", etc.?
Well, I checked my Planescape books, and I don't see any text stating that my scheme couldn't work (though to be fair, I didn't read everything, so might have missed it). What got me thinking along these lines was the Harmonium's use of water from Mount Celestia to try to convert Chaotic sods into Lawful ones. Made me wonder if Styx water would also work if taken away from its source. Imagine some poor berk being dosed by his enemies, losing all his memories and them being told by his enemies that he's "one of us" and not knowing otherwise!
The 'Magic' chapter in the PW Post-Faction War setting has a very interesting 4th level cleric spell called 'Touch of the Styx' which can be used to permanently wipe out the memory of the last 24 hours of the spell's target. One of the requirements for casting the spell is that the caster has touched the waters of the Styx at least once in her/his life.
As far as I remember, there was also a spell to reverse the memory drain.
"Winged memory," also a 4th-level cleric spell, found on Mount Celestia. It's the reverse of "blessed forgetfulness."
In 5th edition (which I just checked), drinking Styx water "only" has the effect of Feebleminding you, per the spell. So (going by 5e rules) you wouldn't actually lose your memories, and would still know friend from foe. Still greatly disadvantaged, though, especially if you were a spellcaster.
I'd argue it would work. If given any limitation, I'd say as long as it's ( the water..) on, or 1 plane removed from any Lower plane, or the Styx itself...
elderbrain,
I've been dabbling in some 5E myself, but I'd say that rule pretty much castrates the legendary effects of the Styx....
GOOD NEWS! A sidebar in MTOF ("Sailing the Styx") re-instates the traditional effects of the Styx (I presume this is in ADDITION to it feebleminding you, as per the DMG, but it doesn't specify).