Mistress

great stuff!

LS-RP has always been the home of unique and realistic roleplay that other servers can't really seem to replicate, I’ve made two guides now on drugs and their effects but figured I’d make a guide about actually character roleplaying in regard to these drugs, specifically roleplaying addiction. It's kind of a general overview rather than focusing on specific aspects. Once again, this isn’t the gold standard. I’ve just been roleplaying characters with addiction for a long time and think it’s an incredibly rewarding experience, it's also incredibly misrepresented and can, if done properly, be both enjoyable as hell and benefit so many other peoples' rp as well as your own. (This is sort of a work in progress, I'd like to add more about withdrawals, overdoses, rehab, relapses, etc. Watch this space!) Also, just to be clear. Drug users and those suffering from addiction are human beings who deserve love and respect. Addiction is often a medically recognised illness that many people suffer from, they're still people, not something to be gawked at. If you choose to roleplay addiction, please do it properly and respectfully. Contents - 1. Why roleplay addiction? 2. The stages of addiction. 3. Creating your character 4. Roleplaying Addiction. 6. Videos and resources. Why Roleplay Addiction? When some people hear ‘addict’ they instantly shy away, it has a stigma and does sound like a label that really corners your RP into a singular area. This isn’t the case, though. There’s so many stages of addiction and many addicts can be fully functional, both in real life and in RP. It might be better to change the label to ‘a character with an addiction/dependence’ on a certain substance or multiple substances. Many people have already played characters like this without even realizing. If your character is snorting cocaine every night with his biker buddies, there’s a character that’s going to get a dependence or become addicted to the substance. Most people (not all) though, don’t roleplay the downsides and other aspects of this kind of drug usage and they’re missing out on a whole new avenue of RP. If your character is doing cocaine every night and suddenly there’s no cocaine, it’s likely they’re going to seek some out, which allows for wider drug roleplay and interactions between characters. Your Character and Addiction/Dependence. Literally any sort of character can experience addiction or dependence. A lot of people consider addiction roleplay to be a homeless tweaker character but that’s just not the case, though if people want to roleplay that, that's obviously fine. LEO characters could become addicted or dependent on painkillers they received for an injury, a fully legal nightlife character could become dependent on alcohol. Gangbangers might be tempted to try their product and become dependent/addicted to it. A lawyer's character might develop a dependency on cocaine in order to get their work done. You get my point, literally any character can become dependent/addicted to a whole range of substances. Take coffee in real life for example, if you don’t feel quite right until after your morning coffee, or you crave it as soon as you get out of bed, that’s a form of dependence (although mild.) It can quite literally be as simple as that for your characters and the substances they use. It can be such a rewarding roleplay experience to roleplay everything that surrounds using substances, rather than just /use cocaine or drinking at some club and that’s it. If you roleplay the whole cycle it allows for whole new character development, roleplay with other characters and a contribution to the wider community within roleplay. Roleplay & Character Development Of course, you can roleplay your character however you want but addiction or dependence can add so much depth to roleplay. It’s by nature, a negative trait and a massive ‘downside’ but roleplaying it can both add to character development and even have an impact on wider roleplay. For example, if your character is struggling with addiction to any sort of substance, they will often lie to their friends and try to hide it from their friends. They might attempt to leech off their friends or steal from their friends in some cases. You’ll meet with and build relationships with a whole variety of different characters; you might try and steal from strangers or any sort of act to get your hands on the substance in question. You might hurt yourself in some way whilst on said substance and have to make up excuses to explain your way out of it. You may have run-ins with gangsters or LEO’s no matter what sort of character you’ve got. If your friends find out about your addiction, they might try to help you and get you better by taking you to the hospital or rehab. As you can see, every aspect of roleplaying addiction or dependency opens whole new avenues of roleplay and character development. You can roleplay the darkest moments of your character, meet new characters, live a secret double life, interact with Law Enforcement, get involved in medical rp whilst trying to get better. There’s literally so much possible roleplay and character development possible. But my character isn’t a crackhead? Drug users and those experiencing addiction aren't 'crackheads'. Sure, you can roleplay a damaged character who's suffering heavily from addiction and cares only about their next drug hit but there's a much wider of variety of characters you can play. Those suffering from addiction are normal people who live normal lives, you can have a house, a car, whatever. You can and should explore all sorts of roleplay available to you. STAGES OF ADDICTION (This section is sourced/stolen from: here) I've chosen to skip to stage 3 for the sake of brevity, but its where dependency/addiction begins to manifest and is most useful for people roleplaying characters using substances. Stage 3: Regular Use As a person continues to experiment with a substance, its use becomes normalized and grows from periodic to regular use. This does not mean that they use it every day, but rather that there is some sort of pattern associated with it. The pattern varies based on the person, but a few instances could be that they are taking it every weekend or during periods of emotional unrest like loneliness, boredom or stress. At this point, social users may begin taking their chosen drug alone, in turn taking the social element out of their decision. Stage 4: Risky Use With Stage 4, the individual’s regular use has continued to grow and is now frequently having a negative impact on their life. While a periodic hangover at work or an event is acceptable for Stage 3, at Stage 4 instances like that become a regular occurrence and its effects become noticeable. Many drinkers are arrested for a DUI at this point, and all users will likely see their work or school performance suffer notably. The frequent use may also lead to financial difficulties where there were none before. Although the user may not personally realize it, people on the outside will almost certainly notice a shift in their behavior at this point. Stage 5: Dependence The mark of entering Stage 5 is that a person’s drug use is no longer recreational or medical, but rather is due to becoming reliant on the substance of choice. This is sometimes viewed as a broad stage that includes forming a tolerance and dependence, but by now, the individual should already have developed a tolerance. As a result, this stage should only be marked by a dependence, which can be physical, psychological, or both. For a physical dependence, the individual has abused their chosen drug long enough that their body has adapted to its presence and learned to rely on it. If use abruptly stops, the body will react by entering withdrawal. This is characterized by a negative rebound filled with uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous symptoms, that should be managed by medical professionals. In most cases, individuals choose to continue their use, rather than seeking help, because it is the easiest and quickest way to escape withdrawal. Stage 6: Addiction Dependency and addiction are words that are sometimes used interchangeably, and though the words are similar and frequently connected in drug use, they are different. One of the biggest differences is that when a person develops an addiction, their drug use is no longer a conscious choice. Up until that point, it remains at least a shadow of one. Individuals at this stage feel as though they can no longer deal with life without access to their chosen drug, and as a result, lose complete control of their choices and actions. The behavioral shifts that began during Stage 4 will grow to extremes, with the user likely giving up their old hobbies and actively avoiding friends and family. They may compulsively lie about their drug use when questioned and are quickly agitated if their lifestyle is threatened in any way. Users, at this point, can also be so out of touch with their old life that they do not recognize how their behaviors are detrimental and the effects that it has had on their relationships. Stage 7: Crisis The final stage of addiction is the breaking point in a person’s life. Once here, the individual’s addiction has grown far out of their control and now presents a serious danger to their well–being. It is sometimes referred to as the crisis stage, because at this point the addict is at the highest risk of suffering a fatal overdose or another dramatic life event. CREATING YOUR CHARACTER (Shout out to Allegra for the inspiration for this section) Although addiction is dynamic and I encourage characters who were not created specifically for it to roleplay around addiction and dependency, here's a rough bunch of questions to consider when creating a character that's addicted to some sort of substance. It's important when creating a character suffering from addiction to understand and build a backstory that really explains why your character suffers from addiction and how they live their life. What is your characters background? You should really consider your characters background and history, for every person suffering with addiction there's a story and a reason behind it, usually a tragic one. People who suffer from addiction are usually genetically pre-disposed or have suffered trauma in their past, usually their childhood. This doesn't have to be the case for your character, but it's important to think about where they've come from and if their past has any role in their addiction. What are their positives and what are their flaws? This shouldn't be a 2D character, you're roleplaying a person with all the important stuff that comes with it. Think about your character, their flaw shouldn't be 'they're addicted to heroin', that's not a flaw, that's addiction. Think about the positives of your character, can they make people laugh, are they good at art? Really build an in-depth character that has both flaws and positives. It'll only add to how you roleplay addiction, if your character is incredibly moral or good natured, they might hold out on doing questionable things to get money, or they might try and help others with their addictions whilst suffering with their own, just a couple examples. What are their goals, dreams and hopes? Your character should have goals, dreams and hopes. They should have dreams they want to fulfil and goals they want to reach. These can change over time but people suffering from addiction don't just dream about getting high. If you're a roleplaying a homeless addict, your goal would be to secure yourself housing or to get a car, stay on someone's couch. Goals are achievable tasks to improve your characters life in some way. Dreams and hopes may be unrealistic but they help guide a character and create a far more in-depth character. What stage of addiction is your character on? If you're creating a character solely to roleplay addiction, it's more than likely you're going to be at one of the higher stages of addiction. You should consider why they're at this point, how they got here and how they function at this point. If you're roleplaying a character at the lower levels of addiction, they may be fully functioning or fully addicted to a substance, the stage of addiction changes how a character does their substance of choice, how they feel about doing it and why they do it. What substances are they addicted to? Every substance is different and it's worth looking into what they're addicted to, how it effects them and what the substance does. People who use meth will act differently to those on heroin. It's important to understand what your character uses, why they use it and how they use it. (I plan to expand this section.) ROLEPLAYING ADDICTION Roleplaying addiction is pretty simple, you have one main goal every day: to score. Whatever the substance is. If your character is an alcoholic, the first thing they need in the morning is some booze. If they’re addicted to heroin, they need to get high or score some. If they don't have enough money to do so, they might lie to a friend and try to get some money from them or even try to steal money from them. Their sole motivation, even if they're a 'functioning addict' is to get their desired substance and to use it. You WILL spend the last of your cash to pay for the substance, you WILL put yourself at risk to obtain your substances if needs be. If your character works, that’s great, but they will spend most of their money on their substance of choice. A lot of the time, people suffering with addiction are very sick. Their substance of choice basically becomes their 'medicine' and they don't really even get high off it anymore. If you're roleplaying a character at this level of addiction, it's important to recognise that there's no joy in it any more, simply desperation and sickness. The driving factor behind an addict character is that need for your substance of choice, it sounds pretty simple and boring, but it can provide a wide array of roleplay and character development. You’ll do whatever you need to do to obtain that substance, steal money or things from friends, make deals with your dealer, look for work, etc. There’s so many roleplay opportunities that come from the simple act of needing to obtain your substance of choice whilst also leading a normal life. Your character CAN be functional dependent on which substance they’re addicted to, if they manage to score some Oxycodone, they’ll be able to happily attend and smash that interview they’ve got lined up. Or your character can be fully within the wrath of addiction and roaming the streets looking to score, shooting up and nodding out. It’s your character so you can do what you want with it. Roleplaying addiction also allows you to explore character development and the way you interact with others in a different way. You can roleplay the darkest moments of your character, withdrawals, overdoses, financial troubles. All sorts of avenues of roleplay open when you explore the darker side of character development, and the harm addiction and dependence can cause, but there’s also other opportunities of roleplay, rehab, treatment, trying to get better. I don’t want to railroad anyone as it’s completely and utterly your character, you can roleplay addiction how you want. Just know, your character is still a normal person with their goals, friends, motivations. It’s just that they’ll prioritise their substance of choice 95% of the time. Roleplaying an addict is the same as roleplaying any other sort of character, you can work, hang out with friends, just anything a normal person does. Your character will just NEED their substance of choice, they usually cant function without it. "Addiction involves craving for something intensely, loss of control over its use, and continuing involvement with it despite adverse consequences. Addiction changes the brain, first by subverting the way it registers pleasure and then by corrupting other normal drives such as learning and motivation." VIDEOS AND RESOURCES Firstly, some threads on drugs and their effects to help you better understand the drugs you're roleplaying around if you choose to roleplay addiction/dependence. (sorry for plugging my own threads) Some websites and videos that might be quite helpful in learning about addiction. The Science of Addiction (shatterproof.org) Some other videos

Hello again, considering the positive reception of my other guide I figured I'd delve into the other 'side' of drugs. 'Uppers' or stimulants are more commonly roleplayed around I figured it would be worth producing a guide that would help people roleplay around these drugs more confidently and realistically. Once again, I've roleplayed around these drugs a fair amount but this isn't the gold standard for roleplay or information by a long shot. I wrote this over a couple of days and after putting it together I've realised it's pretty long, I'd recommend just skipping to the drugs that you roleplay around or plan to roleplay around. (Drugs effect everyone differently, some of the information in this guide is taken from the Psychonautwiki and Erowid. This is for roleplay purposes only.) What are stimulants? "Stimulants are a class of drugs that speed up messages travelling between the brain and body. They can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident or energetic." Stimulants are some of the most common and easily accessible class of drugs and are widely consumed in both the real world and when roleplaying. Plenty of stimulants are entirely legal such as Coffee and Nicotine and some stimulants are used in medications (Adderal, Ritalin, etc.) for a multitude of different issues (ADHD, Narcolepsy, etc.). A lot of other stimulants are illegal but are both incredibly common and easily accessible. I'll be focusing on the stronger stimulants in this guide since nobody needs me to explain how coffee or nicotine works. Who uses and why do they use stimulants? Stimulants are both widely accessible and incredibly common within roleplay and the real world. A lot of characters interact with these drugs at some point due to this. Stimulant usage is widespread and almost any character may interact with or roleplay around stimulants. Whether it's a character with a medical issue such as ADHD, a student misusing medicinal stimulants to help them write that essay that's due in a few hours, a group of friends taking cocaine at the club or a gangbanger smoking methamphetamine to give them the courage to go out on a mission. Stimulants are pretty much everywhere and as you've probably seen, drugs like cocaine are incredibly common in both the legal and illegal spheres of roleplay. Stimulants and the roleplay around them can be pretty rewarding if done correctly and can lead to a whole host of roleplay situations or character development if properly roleplayed rather than just taking a drug for the status effects it gives you. Recreational use & addiction. Whilst some of the stimulants within this guide are known for addiction and should be roleplayed accordingly, stimulant usage (legal or illegal) shouldn't be limited to a certain caste of characters. Stimulants are probably the most used recreational substances and for many the roleplay around these drugs will be purely recreational. Literally anyone could be offered cocaine and literally any nightclub goer could take ecstasy. The fact that these drugs are illicit shouldn't be a reason for you to avoid roleplaying around them. On the same theme, some characters may develop a habitual use of some of these drugs. This may be as simple as taking Adderall everyday to being hopelessly addicted to methamphetamine. How your character interacts with these drugs is your choice, being addicted or being a habitual user of stimulants isn't a case of resigning your character to 'tweaker status'. There's loads of roleplay opportunities and possible character development that becomes open to you if you choose to roleplay around these substances. Plenty of people in the real world can live completely normal lives whilst harbouring some sort of stimulant addiction and the same goes for any kind of character. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drugs covered in this guide - Cocaine MDMA (Ecstasy) - MDMA is technically an empathogen but falls into the amphetamine class. Amphetamine Methamphetamine Shared effects of stimulants - Rather than constantly repeating myself in regards to effects that stimulants have both physically and mentally, I'll share the most common effects that these drugs share. I'll go into much more detail about how each drug presents these effects but this is just a brief description of what is meant by these effects. Remember, everyone reacts to a drug differently and so your character may exhibit all, some or none (this would be incredibly rare though) of these effects. Stimulation (mental and physical) - Funnily enough, stimulants are stimulating. The 'kind' of stimulation and how it makes someone feel varies HUGELY from drug to drug but they all share this common characteristic. If you've ever had a few cups of coffee you'll recognise a much weaker but similar effect. Mentally, you feel less fatigued or tired, you feel more motivated, you're much better at concentrating and getting things done. Physically, you might notice that you're more shaky, you're grinding your teeth, you feel uncomfortable sitting still and want to move about. Euphoria (mental and physical) - The euphoric nature of stimulants is one of the key defining features. Whilst the 'feeling' or 'type' of euphoria also varies greatly from drug to drug it's one of the main reasons that people use these drugs. Simply put, the mental euphoria of these drugs makes things more enjoyable and generally means you're having a great time doing whatever it is you're doing. Physically, dependent on the drug but physical euphoria is described as the 'body high' and can include pleasant tickles or shivers throughout the body. Sociability - Whilst this could be included under stimulation I feel like it deserves its own explanation. Most of these drugs greatly increase the desire or ability to socialise and interact with other people. If a character dislikes social situations or feels incredibly anxious using stimulants may make it much easier for them to interact with people and enjoy doing so. For characters who are naturally more sociable, this can make them feel an intense desire to talk to people they know or new people, make new friends or just get on with everybody around them. (In some cases however, especially with MDMA or with prolonged use of Amphetamines, they can have the complete opposite effect ((I'll try and explain this better under the respective drug.))) Wakefulness and insomnia - Due to the nature of stimulants and what they do to the body, stimulants can have the positive effect of feeling more awake and motivated for long periods of time but on the downside to this is the insomnia that they cause. This also varies massively dependent on the drug but a shared factor is a difficulty to get to sleep after using these drugs. Ego inflation - Ego inflation generally means feelings of superiority or increased ego. Whilst this sounds like it might just turn your character into a massive dick, it more so means that your character becomes a lot more confident and less introverted usually. If your character generally dislikes their appearance or is unconfident for whatever reason, the use of stimulants may counteract that and make them a lot more confident in themselves and social situations in general. Disinhibition - This generally means that your character becomes more open to things they wouldn't usually be open to, this doesn't mean your character becomes a merciless killer or a sexual deviant but it just makes you more open to what could be considered bad ideas. Dependent on the drug, usually, this could be as simple as deciding to drink and take more drugs despite the fact its 5am in the morning and you have work in a few hours to getting in a strangers car to go on an adventure to the other side of the city without any way to go home. Increased libido - Whilst I was hesitant to include this it's a major effect of stimulants and should be included. This DOES NOT mean your character becomes uncontrollably lustful or 'unable to control themselves'. It just means that a character may be more disinhibited and more willing to engage in sexual activity with others or more commonly with stimulants, themselves. This doesn't mean if you're taking these drugs your character should become a sexual predator but if you're going to roleplay around these drugs this is an effect that should be taken into account. (ON THAT NOTE: Whilst these drugs increase libido, it also makes it much harder to achieve erections and similar, so if you're real excited to start having sex with everything, if you want to be realistic you should spice up your erotic roleplay by being unable to perform, getting all embarrassed and then go home crying.) COCAINE 'Coke, white, snow, blow, charlie, crack' Cocaine is the second widely most consumed illegal substance in the real world and probably the most commonly roleplayed drug in RP. It's found absolutely EVERYWHERE and this is pretty true to life. Almost any kind of character will have either interacted with it at some point, used it or roleplays frequently using it. I'm not going to tell people how their roleplay towards using cocaine is wrong or inaccurate since I've got no right to do so but also because most of the roleplay around cocaine is fairly accurate. I'll just be presenting information about it and explaining how this can be used within roleplay for people who perhaps aren't as confident with their roleplay towards it. Cocaine is one of the more subdued drugs on this list (dependent on dose) and can be used in a variety of situations and scenarios. We've all seen the gangbangers snorting coke at the party and we've all seen the lawyer or politician character doing lines in their office. This is pretty accurate honestly and characters from all walks from life will probably interact or use cocaine. It's not got the stigma that characterises certain other stimulants. Cocaine can be insufflated (snorted), taken orally or injected. Insufflation is most common as cocaine is most commonly comprised of a white powder, it can sometimes be dry and 'fluffy' or wet and sticky. COCAINE IS NOT SMOKED - You can TRY to smoke cocaine but it's not going to do anything. - Crack cocaine is something different entirely and will be mentioned. Effects of cocaine Stimulation - Coke isn't as physically stimulating as some of these other drugs but if it's used a lot in a short amount of time these physical effects can become pretty obvious. If your character snorts a small line, it's unlikely anybody will notice. If you've been snorting cocaine ALL night, it's going to become pretty noticeable (Jaw clenching, teeth grinding, shaking, sweating.) Euphoria - The euphoric nature of cocaine is enjoyable for most people but not so much as to be overwhelming. The more you do in a night, the more euphoric it becomes. Sociability - This is extremely pronounced on cocaine and is one of the more obvious effects, characters who use cocaine will WANT to have conversations with random people and if given the opportunity will talk for hours and hours. Wakefulness and insomnia - This isn't as pronounced as other stimulants, whilst repeated use of cocaine in a night will keep you up until the early morning, cocaine wears off a lot quicker than some stimulants and whilst it's difficult to get to sleep, it's usually not a massive struggle. Ego inflation - This is incredibly common with cocaine and leads to much higher levels of confidence. It may mean your character talks to people they wouldn't usually speak to or have a much higher opinion of themselves. One aspect of this that coke is 'known' for is an increase in irritability: cocaine can lead to what is known as 'coke rage', this doesn't mean your character is going to fight everyone but it means they're more likely to take a joke as an insult, think someone's giving them a dirty look, etc. This varies from person to person though, if your character is violent and prideful, cocaine is going to make them a lot more so. If your character is genuinely pretty chill and doesn't take things too seriously, they're not going to be starting a fight because someone looked at them funny,. - Disinhibition - Increased libido Another more common effect of cocaine is 'compulsive redosing' and this is fairly pronounced due to cocaine's short time of action. It generally means that you're going to keep taking cocaine fairly regularly until you dont have any left. For most characters, this will manifest as a desire to take cocaine throughout a night. They'll be willing to risk the bouncers and use the drugs in the toilets or similar. If your character is using cocaine and have a fair amount, it's unlikely they're going to do a singular line and be done for the evening. They'll probably continue to use it until it's run out. For most people, this is the extent to which cocaine will effect them. It'll usually mean the consistent dosing of cocaine through the night and very commonly into the next morning. Most people, and this depends on the character can leave it at that and then be done for the night but some characters, especially those using cocaine more regularly are at danger of binging the drug for multiple days and nights. Things to remember - Cocaine is EXPENSIVE (This is a real world thing, obviously the server may differ) - Cocaine is one of the more expensive drugs, especially within the stimulant classification. Your character is unlikely to be doing cocaine every other day unless they have a lot of money to burn. 'Rich' characters are much more likely to be able to abuse cocaine whereas someone with less money would probably use other stimulants. The server may differ in this BUT this can lead to a lot of fun and certain roleplay situations, for example: A group of young characters want to get some cocaine, they'd get a few friends to chip in and then share it between them. - This example leads to more enjoyable roleplay as you're not just /pay'ing 400 each but all working out how much money you can spare, if someone could pay someone back another time and can lead to further roleplay situations. (eg, one of the characters does way more cocaine than the others or doesn't pay his fair share and this leads to conflict) Acquiring Cocaine - This is one of my more personal opinions, I'm not from the US so I may be completely wrong with this (feel free to correct me) but cocaine isn't the kind of drug (USUALLY) that you'd just pull up on a street corner to buy. Obviously some concessions have to be made within RP and it's not my place to say whats wrong and whats right but other methods of acquiring cocaine can build much more fun RP situations and lasting relationships between characters. Cocaine + Alcohol = Cocaethylene - This is a unique effect that happens when cocaine and alcohol are combined. It's a chemical compound that is formed if alcohol and cocaine are used together, which is often the case. It leads to increased effects of both drugs and can lead to both being used for a longer period of time as effects are increased. It can increase disinhibition greatly and leads to further compulsive redosing. "Cocaethylene is significantly more toxic than cocaine. Laboratory studies suggest that it may have a toxicity level 30 percent higher than cocaine." It's also got a range of short term and long term health effects that are worth roleplaying if your character regularly uses cocaine and alcohol in conjunction. Short term, you're going to have the hangover from hell. Long term, it wreaks havoc on your heart and liver. Crack Cocaine - This will be a brief overview of crack cocaine as it's not as commonly used as cocaine but is still worth discussing as roleplay around it can be rewarding for certain characters. Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine and is produced by 'cooking' it with baking soda. This produces a rock like form of cocaine also known as the 'crack rock'. Crack cocaine is a much faster acting form of cocaine and is often smoked. It's a lot more intense than cocaine but the effects last for a much shorter amount of time. This makes crack cocaine extremely addicting. Anyone can become addicted to crack cocaine but due to it's stigma, people don't often use it. Crack is usually fairly cheap however due to the addictive nature of it, users will often have to buy more and more and this can become incredibly expensive. This is another personal view here and people can roleplay their characters however they want but I've seen loads of 'homeless' characters doing cocaine on a regular basis and roleplaying it as generic cocaine, these characters would (USUALLY) be much more likely to use crack cocaine. MDMA/ECSTASY 'Molly, Mandy, XTC, Ecstasy, MD, Rolls, Beans' (NOTE: MDMA is NOT the same as 'Ecstasy'. Whilst the names are often used interchangeably, MDMA refers to pure MDMA crystals whereas 'Ecstasy' refers to Ecstasy pills which often contain mostly MDMA but also usually contains other substances that aren't 'announced' (Amphetamine, caffeine, etc.) MDMA is also an incredibly common drug but is primarily used within the nightlife scene (though this isn't exclusive.) It's one of the most common 'party drugs' and can come in many forms and may be used by a variety of characters. MDMA is technically an empathogen but falls into the amphetamine class and so has decidedly different effects from other stimulants on this list whilst also offering many of the same effects. MDMA has much less of a stigma attached to it than some other drugs and so fairly commonly roleplayed around especially in younger characters, nightclub settings or party settings. MDMA has a pretty overwhelming effect on people and it's for this reason use of MDMA is usually kept to the nightlife or party settings as mentioned, characters would probably find it a massive waste taking it alone. MDMA can also be quite spiritual in certain settings and has a greater variety of effects for people who use it. Roleplaying around MDMA in this way can be a lot of fun, especially due to it's empathogenic effect which I'll explain, it can be a great way to encourage character relationships and friendships. As mentioned, MDMA is different to 'Ecstasy'. This isn't a crazily important thing and isn't really that important, it's just a point to be made if your character roleplays around these drugs consistently. MDMA refers to the pure MDMA crystals, these are often small crystals of brown colour and these can be insufflated or taken orally. 'Ecstasy' refers to Ecstasy pills, which are a pill that commonly contains MDMA. Ecstasy can vary MASSIVELY in regards to how much MDMA they contain or other ingredients that the user doesn't know about, this can be incredibly dangerous and could possibly lead to some fantastic RP situations, especially for younger characters. Effects of MDMA/Ecstasy Stimulation - The stimulation of MDMA is much more pronounced and can be incredibly obvious to other people. Jaw clenching or a 'swinging jaw' is a common side effect of MDMA and is a noticeable tell. MDMA also provides a large amount of stimulation in regards to wanting to move about and often-times dance. MDMA can also lead to someone becoming incredibly sweaty as it raises your body temp. Euphoria - The Euphoria of MDMA is unique from the other stimulants and comes from its status as an empathogen. Basically, MDMA allows all your Serotonin to flow at once, serotonin being the 'happy' chemical. The effects of this are incredibly pronounced and lead to a hugely 'loved up' feeling. Characters who use MDMA will be awash with positive emotion and happiness, they'll want to hug their friends, meet new people and tell people how much they love them. Sociability - As explained above, the euphoric nature of MDMA comes from it's release of serotonin. It's for this reason that even if the toughest, cold-blooded and 'gangster' character takes MDMA, they're probably going to end up telling their homies how much they love them and instead of g-checking someone outside the local shops, they'd be inside the shop telling the cashier how much they appreciate them. It offers the opportunity for great character development and meaningful friendships and such if roleplayed correctly. A good example I wanted to include from the real world: There's an ex ecstasy kingpin who tells a story of the time he delivered a bunch of ecstasy to the Mexican mafia. He ended up going round to this party to drop off some more and the Mexican mafia members were giving him hugs and telling him how much they appreciated him. - Wakefulness and insomnia - Disinhibition - Increased Libido Things to remember - The comedown - What goes up must come down and this is the same for MDMA/Ecstasy. Releasing all your serotonin at once as it turns out means that you don't have any left and so the day after using MDMA/Ecstasy you can feel intense feelings of depression. Depression, loneliness, hopelessness are all feelings associated with the comedown. Depending on the character this can be extremely bad or bearable, it's not going to send you into a suicidal spin if your character is generally a happy person but the next day they're going to be feeling pretty down. Ecstasy could literally be anything - This is a super niche thing due to the restrictions of the server and so it's not at all expected to be roleplayed but one factor with Ecstasy is that you literally don't know whats in it, (but you can test it with a kit and find out, you can order them online if you wanted to RP it.) literally anyone can make ecstasy pills and so in the real world the quality and active ingredients can vary massively. One pill may contain 50mg of MDMA and the rest is caffeine, which is incredibly weak. Another might contain 300mg of MDMA which is 3x the recommended dose. Some pills may not include MDMA at all and may contain much more harmful substances, you never know. Obviously this isn't something that is expected to be roleplayed but if your character is roleplaying around these drugs a lot, it could create a really cool rp situation to have a pill that has adverse effects, etc. It's both an rp situation and possible character development MDMA and tolerance - Due to the way MDMA works, it causes an immediate tolerance spike. If you've used up all your serotonin one night, you're not going to have enough the next. It IS possible to take MDMA multiple nights/days in a row but each time the effects decrease and the comedown at the end will become worse. For this reason, it's unrealistic for characters to be taking MDMA every other day without at least some very harsh effects. If your character is young and going out every weekend and taking MDMA, they're not going to feel the 'magic' as much as someone taking it for the first time. There's also some pretty gnarly long term effects in regards to mental health, etc. - But this could be something you roleplay as character development! AMPHETAMINE 'Adderall, Amp, Pep, Speed' (I'll be talking about/referring predominantly to dextroamphetamine. Other amphetamines exist but dextroamphetamine is the most common in both medication and when taken recreationally.) I feel like I've said this for every drug on this list but Amphetamine is also incredibly common. More so amongst younger characters, student characters, the nightlife scene and poorer 'delinquents'. Whilst most people know about Adderall, a lot of people don't realise that it's literally pretty much pure amphetamine. Whereas amphetamine paste, which is used mostly for recreational purposes and usually called 'Speed' has much more of a stigma attached to it. Amphetamines are incredibly common within the US though and are used by all sorts of characters. Especially Adderall, it may just be a completely legal character taking a couple Adderall so they can get their report in on time, a student char taking Adderall to write their essays to a bunch of poor teenagers snorting amphetamine paste at the skatepark. Amphetamine 'paste' is 'dirtier' than Adderall but they pretty much have the same effect if used in the same dosages. Amphetamine can come in a variety of forms, Adderall pills which are the most common way in which characters may interact with Amphetamine are usually taken orally but can be crushed and insufflated. Amphetamine paste, despite the name, is usually a white or off-white powder and is usually insufflated but can be taken orally. Amphetamine can also be injected. Effects of Amphetamine - Stimulation - The mental stimulation of Amphetamines are usually much more pronounced than the physical ones. Amphetamine works by hammering your dopamine receptors. This, in short, makes you much more capable of concentrating and increases motivation. For some people, like those with ADHD, this allows them to concentrate and focus at a level similar to most people. If you're taking Amphetamines medicinally they can be incredibly effective and useful for allowing you to function and do day-to-day tasks. If taken recreationally however this stimulation increases your motivation to much higher levels. If taken in high doses this can lead to obsessive tendencies and an over focus on things. The physical stimulation of amphetamine becomes much more pronounced at higher doses and manifests in jaw clenching, teeth grinding and shaking. Euphoria - The euphoria from amphetamines comes from it's effect on your dopamine receptors and this means every day mundane activities become almost euphoric to carry out. You'll enjoy doing anything, pretty much. The way in which amphetamines works means that initial use of the drug is incredibly euphoric, it's ultra enjoyable and often-times someone will become extremely productive or have a fantastic time. This slowly fades over time and so greater doses are needed to reach this high. Sociability - Amphetamines can cause much greater sociability and confidence, if your character is taking amphetamines they may be much more extroverted and have a need to talk to people. At higher doses people on amphetamines may talk and talk and talk. Wakefulness and insomnia - Amphetamines are incredibly potent in this regard and can keep a person feeling wakeful and unable/not wanting to sleep for days on end. Especially at high doses, people using amphetamine recreationally may be awake for days on end. The insomnia and wakefulness of Amphetamines can lead to sleep deprivation despite the user feeling wakeful. The sleep deprivation can lead to auditory and visual hallucinations and paranoia. This is something that can and should be roleplayed as it can be great character development or lead to certain situations. - Disinhibition - Increased Libido Things to remember - Study drug - Unlike the other stimulants on this list, dextroamphetamine is most commonly used in the form of Adderall. This opens the door to a wide range of characters roleplaying around dextroamphetamine due to the reputation that it has as a 'study drug'. At common doses this can actually be extremely effective and can lead to certain kinds of characters becoming regular or dependent users of it. This could be great character development. Binging - dextroamphetamine, when taken recreationally and even when taken for studying, etc can lead to extreme cases of compulsive redosing. Not only does it cause someone to feel incredibly wakeful and able to function, which leads to the feeling that sleep is unimportant, but the insomnia caused by this drug, which can lead to an inability to sleep for up to 12 hours after use leads to many users just continuing for days at a time. This can lead to severe sleep deprivation which can cause auditory and visual hallucinations and extreme cases of paranoia. When someone finishes a 'binge', their body needs to recuperate and often times they'll sleep for 24h+ or be in a state of low energy for multiple days. (This is an effect shared by meth) Appetite suppression - dextroamphetamine also causes significant appetite suppression, to the point where someone using it may not eat at all when using it. This can lead to users not eating for days at a time and this has a severe effect on the body. There's a reason it used to be a diet pill! This can lead to opportunities for character development or roleplaying around medical services, etc. (This is an effect shared by meth) METHAMPHETAMINE (Meth, Speed, Crystal, Tina, Ice, Glass, Crank, Tweak) Methamphetamine is nowhere near as common as some of these other stimulants but is extremely prominent in certain communities and groups. Meth is the stimulant that is least likely to be roleplayed around by most characters, especially legal characters but does have it's place within the illegal sphere. There's a reason meth is so prominent in certain communities, it's cheap, plentiful and incredibly addictive. The high is comparable to that of high doses of dextroamphetamine but much longer-lasting and much more intense. Whilst most characters may wish to avoid roleplaying around meth or may avoid it due to its stigma which is completely fair enough, there are a lot of situations where people may interact with or roleplay using meth. Especially in regards to MDMA/Ecstasy and (sometimes) amphetamine, meth can and is passable as these drugs and there are plenty of cases where people accidently take meth when planning to take another drug. There's also plenty of cases where characters may just choose to take meth, it doesn't mean your character is going to become a strung out tweaker and can be a rewarding roleplay experience. If your character tries meth, they will probably end up using it again. This isn't always the case and it's your character at the end of the day but if your character is taking meth, even if they use it every now and again this will quickly become every day. Meth can come in a variety of forms and is predominantly smoked, this is done with a crack pipe. It can also be insufflated, injected and taken orally. It's usually crystalline in nature. Effects of Methamphetamine - Stimulation - This is similar in effect to amphetamine but in a much more intense and long lasting sense. Even small amounts of methamphetamine can lead to long term stimulation and fixations on things. People who use meth may become over motivated and fixate on things in an attempt to keep busy, Although it's kind of a stereotype, a common occurrence for users of methamphetamine is to take apart electrical devices or vehicles, this represents both the extreme motivation that meth causes whilst also the fixation on completing tasks. Euphoria - The reason methamphetamine is so addictive is due to how it works. It works similarly to dextroamphetamine but in a much more extreme manner. Meth raises dopamine levels by more than ten times that of any pleasurable activity. This is pretty much able to rewire someone's brain as no other activity or drug will ever provide that level of euphoria, users of methamphetamine are chasing this euphoric feeling and this is what makes meth so addictive. Sociability - This is also similar in effect to that of dextroamphetamine but a lot more intense. People on meth may talk for hours and hours or talk about random shit, this can be quite enjoyable to roleplay. If meth is used for an extended period of time or binged like dextroamphetamine, users can become incredibly paranoid. This is often a side effect of both the meth and sleep deprivation. This may cause someone to act incredibly paranoid, this can be an incredibly different and rewarding way to roleplay. Wakefulness and insomnia - This is also extremely pronounced and can lead to users not sleeping for weeks at a time in extreme cases. This is mostly due to users compulsively redosing but there's been cases of people accidently using meth and being unable to get to sleep for 24hr or more. Disinhibition - With meth, this can become a very real occurrence. Users may do things they'd never usually do when sober and this is especially common when users are running low on meth. This is worth roleplaying if your character uses meth as it leads to new situations for your character. - Increased Libido Things to remember - Meth is ADDICTIVE. - I know I've mentioned this multiple times but one of the main points I want to get across is how addictive meth is. I'm not telling you that your character HAS to become a tweaker, if that's not something you enjoy then fair enough. But, if you really care about character development and your character is regularly using meth, they're going to become a habitual user. This can lead to even more opportunities for roleplay and character development. Meth before anything else - Similarly to how addictive it is, this also means characters addicted to meth are going to put it before pretty much anything. This can lead to some really interesting character development if a character puts their addiction before friendships, jobs or other important things. People can and will stop doing meth if given enough of a reason to do so which opens doors for even more character development and other situations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thankyou for reading! - If you have anything to add or notice any mistakes please let me know!

This is a basic guide/introduction to roleplaying around opioids and heroin. I'm not an expert on the topic and you should not view this as a gold standard to roleplaying around these drugs. I've just roleplayed around these substances quite a lot and I've noticed it's either misrepresented or people tend not to be confident in how they roleplay around/use these drugs. (Drugs effect everyone differently, some parts of this information is gleaned from Erowid, this is for roleplay purposes only.) The prevalence of Opioids Opioid painkillers, especially in the US, are both widely produced and easily accessible. Many people have used or taken opioid painkillers without really giving it a second thought. Codeine, Hydrocodone (Vicodin), Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet) are all widely available and have lot less of a stigma than heroin does. Depending on the character you're portraying, these opioids are either more than likely known to you or you've interacted with them a fair amount. Especially in the US, opioids are prescribed to treat pain and this can contribute heavily to addiction. This easy access to opioid painkillers and their recent popularity, especially Percocet and 'Lean' means that many people have been exposed to these painkillers. Some characters seem to 'pop percs' every day and think nothing of it and yet Percocet contains Oxycodone, an opioid stronger than morphine. This is fine, I don't want to tell people how to roleplay their characters but for those wishing to roleplay around drugs consistently, understanding how they work and what they do physically and mentally is incredible important. Who uses and why do they use opioids? As mentioned previously, opioid painkillers are hugely accessible and so it means a wide variety of different people would have access to them. Drug dealers, gang members, nightlife characters, celebrities, legal characters, LEO characters even. Almost every single character would have some sort of knowledge or access to these substances. Opioids are not relegated to the realms of illegal roleplay, a LEO officer might receive a prescription after an injury or one legal character might lend another some Percocet for their migraines. This does not mean every single character is going to become addicted and end up using heroin but it does mean that there are very real situations or opportunities for any sort of character to either simply interact with or possibly become a habitual user with these drugs. You don't have to base your entire character around it but roleplaying these things can be a solid part of character development. Effects of opioids Sedation - "This leads to the trademark "nodding off" effect seen in heroin users, where the head falls, the eyes close, and the user slips uncontrollably into momentary unconsciousness. This can lead to falling into microsleeps while sitting or standing up." Euphoria - "The sensation itself can be described as extreme feelings of intense physical comfort, warmth, and all-encompassing bliss." Analgesia (pain relief) One key aspect of opioids and roleplay around them is their sedating effect. Opioids can be taken at parties or wherever but they're not traditionally party drugs. They produce a calming, euphoric sensation that makes doing nothing feel amazing. 'Nodding off' is also common when using opioids and especially heroin, after higher doses you can slip into unconsciousness. It's not the same as passing out, it's often only for a very short period of time but it can be incredibly noticeable. It is important to note however that some opioids have different effects, Oxycodone for example whilst producing traditional opioid effects can also increase sociability. (Do your research on what drugs you're taking if you plan to roleplay around them.) Dependence and tolerance Opioids and heroin in particular are known for their addictive and habit forming nature. Opioids in general are less stigmatised and more widely used and many people may not even recognise they're dependent on these painkillers. Not everyone who uses them is 'addicted' but they may have some sort of dependence, they may not be able to function properly without them or they struggle to do so. They'll possibly go through withdrawals if they stop taking opioids cold turkey. Another important aspect of opioid use and addiction is tolerance. Opioids are notorious for how quickly your body builds up a tolerance to their effects. This means, even those who use them for legitimate medical purposes often have to increase their dose exponentially to receive the same effects. This means that they may use up their prescription or supply of opioids much quicker than required. They'll either have to source more of the painkillers OR suffer through withdrawals. Put simply, it's a vicious cycle that goes somewhat like this: You're prescribed 30 Vicodin for 30 days. > You take one tablet a day as prescribed for a few days. > You're hardly starting to feel your usual dose after a few days so you double it. > You have to triple your dose after a week or couple of weeks. > You run out of your prescription before the 30 days. > You either find more or have to suffer through withdrawals. This in turn can lead to addiction and dependence on these drugs and often times they're far more expensive than heroin. You're offered an alternative that's cheaper, stronger and easier to get hold of. Why wouldn't you try it? Addiction Addiction is more of an extreme case of dependence. Addiction to either opioids or heroin can be an incredibly rewarding roleplay experience. Not everyone who is addicted to heroin is homeless, strung out in the park, etc etc. Addiction does not discriminate and can be found in all walks of life. Whether it's opioid painkillers or heroin, roleplaying addiction doesn't have to mean you just /sit in the local park and ask people for money. Addiction simply means that you put the drug over anything else. You'll make enough money to feed your addiction and keep you satiated and then you'll make enough to buy dinner, pay rent, etc etc. For some people this isn't a difficult task, some addicts can function and cover their expenses without raising an eyebrow. Some characters on the other hand have a much tougher time holding down work or making enough to cover their addiction and bills. As your addiction progresses, your tolerance and the amount your using will also increase. Roleplaying addiction isn't just becoming a one trick character, it's simply about your character having new priorities, putting them in new situations, meeting different characters. It can give you more motivation for your characters, they have something they NEED not just want. Withdrawals Opioid withdrawals are known to be awful and in some cases the reason why people continue to use. The intensity varies from opioid to opioid but ones like codeine are a lot less intense whereas heroin withdrawal is considered one of the worst things to go through. Withdrawals tend to occur within 24 hours of not using the substance. It's described as incredibly intense cold and flu symptoms and many people have said it genuinely feels like you're going to die. Your body is unable to regulate it's temperature effectively and so you suffer from hot and cold strokes, sweating, muscle aches, cramps. Nausea, insomnia, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms. These symptoms often make it hard to even function and can last from a few days to a week or two in the case of heroin. If your character has been using opioids for a prolonged amount of time they're undoubtedly going to go through some sort of withdrawal. Some withdrawals, even after prolonged use are bearable and simply uncomfortable. Withdrawals are often the driving force of addiction, knowing you have some sort of 'time limit' before they kick in becomes a motivating factor and the reason many users resort to desperate measures to secure their drug of choice. Overdose Overdoses can occur with any form of opioid but are much more common with the stronger opioids and especially heroin. Overdoses are often misunderstood and misrepresented in regards to drug roleplay and to be fair misunderstood in general. Overdoses are not the 'killing factor' but rather the cause of respiratory depression. Respiratory depression occurs with opioid use but is usually non-fatal. It leads to shallower or slower breathing. However, when too high of a dose is taken the user may lose their ability to breath properly. This usually occurs whilst the user has 'nodded off' or fallen unconscious and is unable to regulate their breathing themselves. Overdose are not always fatal and can be reversed. It's possible to simply wake someone up or get them to retain consciousness and control their breathing. Other times, medical help is needed or the use of Narcan. (which can reverse overdoses.) If someone isn't alone when they overdose they'll often be okay. Overdoses, though, are extremely scary events for both the person who overdosed and those around them. Roleplaying around overdoses, instead of having your character just 'die' opens opportunities for character development and roleplay opportunities. Heroin Dope, Smack, Junk, Brown, H, Horse. What IS Heroin? Heroin is a semi-synthetic opiate derived from morphine. It's considered to produce much more euphoric and analgesic (pain relief) properties than that of morphine. The drug produces an incredibly euphoric sensation and a sense of apathy to the outside world. Simply, it makes everything feel okay. It's incredibly addictive for a multitude of reasons and is known for it's horrific withdrawal symptoms. Heroin comes in many forms, from 'Black Tar' which is fairly famous and primarily used intravenously to 'China White' which is known as a pure white powdered form of heroin which is used primarily to snort. Heroin can come in all textures, colours etc but most commonly appears as a brown powder. How is Heroin used? Despite the common view that heroin is primarily injected, most forms of heroin can be snorted, smoked and IV'd (injected). Snorting - Snorting heroin is as simple as it sounds, it's very similar to the use of other powdered drugs. It produces the weakest effects and is considered one of the safer ways to use heroin. However, snorting heroin is fairly rare. Smoking - Smoking heroin is also incredibly common and most users begin with smoking before changing to IV. It's known as 'Chasing the dragon' and consists of placing the heroin onto aluminium foil, heating said foil and attempting to inhale the vapours produced. Smoking produces stronger effects than snorting but is known to waste a lot of the heroin. IV - Intravenous use of heroin is both the most common, strongest and most dangerous route of administration. It consists of placing a certain amount of heroin into a spoon/cap and mixing with water. The spoon/cap is then heated and the heroin is dissolved into the water. The resulting mixture is then drawn into a needle and injected into a vein. This process produces the strongest effects from the substance and also maximises the risks. "You must ALWAYS make sure the needle is in the vein before injecting anything. If you "miss", it doesn't just mean you get a little blister and it takes longer for the effect of the drug. Injecting heroin outside of the veins can be very dangerous, can cause abscesses, or other SERIOUS problems. It will burn like hell if you inject it outside of the vein and will swell up and turn red. This swelling may go down a little, but you may have a large, hard, painful lump for up to 2-3 weeks afterwards, which may require medical attention." Why would someone end up using Heroin? There are many reasons people may end up doing heroin, much of it stems from their background or how they've been introduced to opioids. Many heroin users are reported to have mental health issues or traumatic backgrounds, after a traumatic event or untreated mental health many people turn to other avenues of 'treating' these. Heroin is known for both it's euphoric nature but also it's 'blissful apathy'. This apathy is one of the key reasons people use heroin to begin with, they lose any sense of worry or care about the world and everything feels okay. It's a feeling they've been trying to reach their entire life. Some people are prescribed opioid painkillers for legitimate reasons, extended and constant use of these can very easily lead to dependence. People turn to heroin (or other opioids) as a cheaper and stronger alternative. For other characters, specifically those who use opioid painkillers recreationally it's as simple as a friend saying: 'I've got this drug that's cheaper AND stronger than anything else'. The stigma of heroin may lead to a character turning the offer down but for many it's a simple as this, it's cheaper and stronger. Most people don't immediately begin IV'ing and so see it as little more than snorting other drugs. Overall, there's plenty of situations in which someone may end up doing heroin. They might never do it again and that's fine and just a part of roleplaying around heroin but it's not always a simple as saying 'I'm not roleplaying an addict so I'll never touch heroin'. This has been an (incredibly) rough guide around opioids and heroin and how you can roleplay around them. I'm by no means an expert and I've probably got a lot of stuff wrong. I would have liked to give more in depth info regarding dosages and other more focused aspects but figured it would be better to give a brief overview of this area of roleplay. Hope it's interesting/informative to some people and feel free to give me additions.