Common Centaury

Common · Centaurium erythraea

Healing · Alchemical · Magical · Defensive

Terrain Coast, Forest, Grassland, Hills

Description

Centaury belongs to the gentian family. It is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant, 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) tall, sometimes growing up to 16 inches (40 cm). It has a straight, four-sided, green, and smooth stem. The leaves are thin and elongated, with five veins visible on the blade. The lower basal leaves are blunt, while those on the stem are sharp and arranged oppositely. The upper part of the stem branches into small semi-umbels, with flowers held at the ends of the branches and in their axils.

Location and Habitat

Centaury can be found in the southern regions of Europe. It grows on grassy slopes, meadows, riverbanks, and forest clearings.

Rarity and Availability

Centaury is not considered rare and is commonly found in its natural habitats in suitable areas. It is accessible for collection in the southern regions of Europe.

Effects and Uses

This ancient medicinal plant was highly valued in the Middle Ages. The physician Avicenna considered centaury a good wound-healing agent. Fresh herbs were crushed and applied to hard-to-heal wounds, and purulent wounds were washed with a decoction made from the plant.

Harvesting & Preparation

• A DC 10 Wisdom (Nature) check or Wisdom (Survival) check recognizes the low-growing plant with small pinkish flowers (up to 4-16 inches tall) and a smooth, four-sided stem.

Items & Effects

• Chiron’s Poultice. A simple mash of fresh centaury leaves and stems, applied directly to injuries.
  • Creation. Requires 10 minutes and a DC 10 Wisdom (herbalism kit) check or Wisdom (Medicine) check. One batch is enough for 1 use.
  • Use (Applied Topically).
    • Close Wounds. A creature that receives this poultice can spend one Hit Die without using an action (as if taking a short rest, but only for that one Hit Die).
• Asclepian Draught. A distilled tonic of centaury blooms combined with mild neutralizing agents, said to echo Asclepius’s mastery of healing.
  • Creation. Requires 2 hours of careful simmering and a DC 12 Wisdom (herbalism kit) check. Yields 1d2 vials.
  • Use (Ingested).
    • Enhanced Healing. When the drinker regains hit points from any spell or ability within the next hour. Gentle Detox: The drinker gains advantage on the next saving throw to resist poison.
• “Hundred Gold Coin” Infusion. A rare and concentrated preparation rumored to have saved a wealthy noble from an incurable ailment.
  • Creation. Requires 6 hours of precise extraction (with an alchemical retort) plus a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check or Wisdom (herbalism kit) check.
  • Use (Ingested).
    • Rapid Recovery. The drinker immediately regains 2d8 + 4 HP. Additionally, the first time they roll Hit Dice during their next short rest, they treat each die as though it rolled its maximum value.
    • Surgical Precision. For 1 minute, the drinker has advantage on Medicine checks.
• Chiron’s Legacy Oil. A thick golden-green oil refined from centaury, said to echo the legendary prowess that Chiron passed on to the Greek healing traditions.
  • Creation. Requires 8 hours of alchemical refinement, a DC 16 Intelligence (Arcana) check, and rare catalysts worth at least 250 gp. Produces 1 vial of oil.
  • Use (Applied to Weapons or Tools).
    • Healer’s Strike. For 1 hour, a creature wielding a weapon coated in this oil can choose to deal no damage on a successful hit, healing the target for half the weapon’s damage roll instead. This can’t raise a creature above half its maximum HP.
    • Divine Suture. Alternatively, if applied to a healer’s kit or surgical instruments, the creature has advantage on Medicine checks during the hour. Any HP restored by a healer’s kit is maximized (if you use the Variant: Healer’s Kit Dependency or other advanced healing rules).
• “Thousand Gold Coins” Ritual. An elaborate ceremony based on ancient transcripts that references Chiron’s instructions to Asclepius, requiring a large quantity of centaury.
  • Ritual Requirements.
    • 24 hours of continuous chanting and herbal preparation. At least 1 pound of fresh centaury, plus expensive incense and water from a sacred spring (total cost ~1,000 gp).
    • A DC 18 Wisdom (Medicine) check or Wisdom (Religion) check and 2-4 other participants assisting.
  • Use (Ritual Healing).
    • Miraculous Cure. This rare ritual can remove any disease, poison, or curse (as if casting greater restoration; PHB, p. 246) from up to 3 creatures within the ritual circle.
    • Vital Spark. Each affected creature gains a one-time pool of 5 temporary HP and advantage on their next death saving throw if used within 24 hours.

Lore

Centaury (Centaurium) is a genus of herbaceous plants in the gentian family (Gentianaceae). The genus comprises about 20 species distributed across Eurasia, North America, South America, and Australia.

The Latin genus name Centaurium, found in the works of Hippocrates, Theophrastus, and Dioscorides, is associated with the mythical centaur Chiron (Kentaureion), who was a great expert in medicinal plants. According to ancient Greek myths, Chiron healed himself of wounds inflicted by the Greek hero Heracles using the herb centaury. Over time, under Chiron's guidance, Apollo's son Asclepius became an outstanding physician who surpassed his teacher and became the god of healing. Centaury became Asclepius's primary plant, which he used to heal the wounds of other Greek heroes; hence it was called the "centaur's herb."

The medicinal properties of centaury were well known in the ancient world. It was widely used in ancient Greece since the times of Hippocrates (5th century BCE) as a remedy for diseases of the digestive tract, especially those of an inflammatory nature. The Roman physician Dioscorides (1st century CE) mentioned centaury as a means for wound healing and body cleansing. The Romans called centaury "the bile of the earth" (Fel terrae) due to its bitterness.

From Witch’s Herbs 5E, p. 28 · Fern Flower Press