(Tom Clare)

Alcohol

Brewed beverages are ubiquitous in Ellesland*, but are not made to keep for more than a few seasons and so don’t usually have time to become too alcoholic. They are stored in wooden barrels, or stone or leather flasks.

Ale is found throughout Ellesland*. It is not particularly intoxicating; it is brewed because, due to its boiling and brewing, it is much safer than water (which can easily be contaminated).
Characters can drink as much ale as they like without risking drunkenness.

Wine is enjoyed by the better off, but is hash and strong in order to keep well; the wealthy prefer to order the light, fruity wines from the Continent*. Old wine quickly turns bitter and is given to the poor. Beer is thick and traditionally sweet, but the recent introduction of hops to the brewing process gives Albion* beer a distinctive bitter quality.
A character can drink up to six cups of beer or ordinary wine without having to roll for drunkenness. Better wine is more potent and may require a roll after only four or even two cups.

Cider, brewed from apples, is a seasonal drink that can be found throughout the southern fiefs.
Drinkers can down four cups before having to make drunkenness rolls.

Mead is the common reveller’s drink of choice. It is a very sweet beverage with a considerable kick.
Drinkers can imbibe only two cups before having to make drunkenness rolls.

Brandy is an ardent spirit distilled from wine, and is enjoyed by the wealthy. Other than this, spirits, though known of, are used only as medicines and tonics.
A character can drink only one cup of brandy without having to roll for drunkenness.

Drinking

Drinkers, once they have exceeded the allowable cups of their beverage, must roll against their strength on 1d20 for every additional cup they drink until they fail a roll.
They may apply the following modifiers:
As soon as they fail this drinking roll they are drunk! They suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls for every cup consumed since they exceeded the allowable cup total for that beverage.

Hangovers

A drunk character will awake the next morning a sadder and wiser man. The modified strength roll that he made before he became drunk is rerolled the next morning to check for a hangover. He may apply the following modifiers:

If he fails this roll he suffers half the drunkenness penalty to all rolls until sunset.