Siberian Ginseng

Common · Eleutherococcus senticosus

Healing · Alchemical · Poisonous · Catalytic · Defensive

Terrain Arctic/Tundra, Coast, Forest, Hills, Mountains

Description

Eleutherococcus is a thorny shrub reaching a height of 6–13 feet (2–4 meters) with a multi-headed rhizome. Its shoots are covered with numerous thin spines. The leaves are compound and palmate, usually consisting of five leaflets. The flowers are small, gathered in spherical umbels, and the fruits are black berries.

Location and Habitat

It is found predominantly in Siberia, China, Korea, and Japan. Eleutherococcus grows in coniferous and mixed forests, on forest edges, slopes, and along rivers.

Rarity and Availability

Eleutherococcus is quite widespread in the Far East; it is less common in other regions. Ready-made preparations are available in pharmacies.

Harvesting & Preparation

• Harvest is typically late summer/ autumn, when ripe black fruits are visible in spherical umbels.
• When harvesting, a DC 10 Dexterity (Survival) check or Wisdom (herbalism kit) check avoids the numerous thin spines that easily break off in the skin. On a failed check, the character takes 1 point of piercing damage and may suffer minor irritation (-1 penalty to Dexterity checks for 1 hour, GM’s discretion).

Items & Effects

• Eleutherococcus Extract.
  • Creation. Requires 2 hours and a DC 12 Wisdom (herbalism kit) check. One successful harvest yields 1d4 doses.
  • Use.
    • Hardy Resistance. For 8 hours, you gain advantage on saving throws against natural diseases and mild poison effects (GM’s discretion on what qualifies as “mild” or “non-magical”).
    • Sharpened Senses. For the same duration, you have a +1 bonus to passive Perception (sight and hearing) and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.

Lore

Eleutherococcus is a thorny shrub from the family Araliaceae, reaching a height of 6–13 feet (2–4 meters). It has palmate leaves and small flowers gathered in spherical umbels.

In the autumn taiga, a beautiful tall shrub catches the eye with fruits densely clustered into large black clusters. If you accidentally grab the bush, you might end up with numerous splinters, as these thin thorns easily break off upon contact. Because of this trait, the striking shrub has earned various names among the locals: "Don't-Touch-Me," "Devil's Bush," "Wild Pepper." In the scientific community, it is known as Eleutherococcus senticosus. The Latin name Eleutherococcus comes from the Greek words for "free, independent" and "seed," referring the flowers that sit on long stalks.

The medicinal properties of Eleutherococcus were not known in folk medicine or science for a long time. In fact, gatherers were often dismayed to find Eleutherococcus growing close to the coveted ginseng. Why? There are no exact explanations. Nevertheless, wise herbalists managed to uncover the hidden properties of Eleutherococcus.

From Witch’s Herbs 5E, p. 86 · Fern Flower Press