Refined Pesh & drug use questions

[Maligannt]

I've got a number of questions I'd appreciate some help with in dealing with this drug as it is described in the adventurers armory. It seems like this substance was designed without considering the addiction rules.

1. Is the Pesh cost of 20gp listed on page 21 the cost for refined pesh, or raw pesh? If this is the raw pesh what is the cost to create refined pesh from pesh?

2. Refined Pesh is listed as giving the user 15 temporary hp and -4 dex/wis "penalty". However the drug use rules state that:

"When a character takes a drug, he immediately gains the effects, an amount of ability damage, and must make a Fortitude save to resist becoming addicted to that drug (see Addiction)."

Refined Pesh does not list ability damage, but the drug use rules state that the player must incur some. Should the "penalty" instead be damage?

3. Can pesh be reused each time the temporary hit points are used up? This would give level 1 characters who can obtain pesh a constant 15 hp temporary buffer. Since the player is not experiencing ability damage only a "penalty" from using Pesh, they don't even have an increasing DC on the addiction check. Also since this is a penalty, and penalties from the same source do not stack, they have no downside to repeated constant use if they can make a DC 10 fort save?

4. Drug addiction questions:

effect: This is the effect that the character suffers each time if he fails his saving throw ... These afflictions have an initial effect, which occurs when the first save is failed, and a secondary effect, when additional saves are failed, as noted in the text.

Onset: ..."The affliction's effect does not occur until after the onset period has elapsed and then only if further saving throws are failed."

The Effect and Onset rules appear to contradict do the initial effects of drug addiction occur after the failed save or after the onset period of the drug has elapsed?

(edited for format)

[Sunshine Rat!]

Hmm, sounds like this is ripe for abuse in a one-off game. It would indeed seem to give level 1 characters a constant 15 hp temporary buffer, without any penalties depending on the interpretation of the conflicting addiction rules.

Note that pesh is a black market item, so you could use the black market rules to limit access, requiring a successful diplomacy check. However, if you were to say give open access to anything in a first level mod, and some canny player used that to his advantage, I would consider that player to be exceedingly brilliant. And handsome too. If I were his GM, I would also bring some good beer to the next game at his house, as I have started to run low.

[Maligannt]

Found some more detail on re-use of pesh in the Dark Markets supplement which confirmed the refined pesh cost and specified that no additional temporary hit points can be gained within 24 hours, which makes the issue of whether the drug has a penalty or does damage less critical. It still conflicts with drug use rules, but is less easy to abuse.

P.S.

You had me going till the handsome comment.

Will do on the beer.