Full Description
A bright red flower, approximately 1' in height, 1' 6" including the roots.
Additional Information
A sunflower soaks up sunlight during the day, using most of it for photosynthesis as all plants do. However, a very small portion of the sunlight is stored within the plant's petals. When crushed, the petals release the sunlight in a flash. Intensity is based on how much sunlight has been absorbed; a plant of first bloom will barely sparkle, while a pollinating sunflower is quite potent. This is simply a self-defense mechanism, but knowledgeable persons can take advantage of it.
If the petals are distilled and drank, it makes a breath weapon of sunlight capable of blinding opponents and wounding creatures sensitive to light. Such a brew has a strong, burning flavor that can only be described as tasting like sunlight. The petals must be handled very carefully, otherwise they will discharge their stored light and become useless, thus such potions are rare.
Uses:
- Nifty lightshow at night as the PCs walk through a field.
- Scattered along the path leading to a location, alerting watchers to anyone approaching.
- Warding off the undead.
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? Responses (12)
Updated: Out with ye!
Another cool one. The interesting dynamic here is that many "night-types" may detest these flowers, crushing them underfoot whenever seeing a patch. Though, I would suggest a name change, to avoid confusion with the common sunflower.
Yes, this little flower can be quite the shocker. You could see such a flash for hundreds of yards... imagine what it will do to tracking and escaping victims.
Useful to plant around a prison.
Aside from the uses above, I can see this plant being uber-useful for casting magic spells. Having a portable container (the petals) of sunlight is going to be valuable. The cleric crushes a handful of the petals as he attempts to turn a vampire lord *poof* no vampire...
I'm just wondering if drinking the brew distilled from its petals is dangerous in the long run? Since sun light contains harmful UV radiation, wouldn't drinking the sunlight stored in the plant's petals have adverse effects on one's health evantually?
Perhaps. Then again, with the exception of certain subcultures within Western Society, we absorb a large amount of UV rays anyway, just by walking around outside.
Indeed, it shouldn't do any big harm. Now if you want to go along this route, consider that it is a breath weapon... the outside of the body is relatively well protected, the inside of the mouth is not. There could be some damage due to frequent use (and cancer in the most extreme cases). For simplicity it can just burn the mouth of the drinker a bit. ;)
I was aiming for a burning feeling in the user's mouth anyway. They've got liquid sunlight sloshing around in their body. That's gotta burn on the way down.
Nicely done! Add it to steampunk with the availability of black powder...
Anti-undead shells and grenades!
I'm not entirely sure such would be possible. The petals are extremely fragile, and the distilled liquid not much better. I highly doubt either would survive launch without activating. An interesting proposition, however.
Ok, maybe not the shell, but a grenade might if lofted gently. You could use a cardboard shell to prevent fragmentation and allow it to be used in fairly close quarters...