We also don’t have stats in real life. Alcohol is a substance that can make someone seem stronger by reducing inhibitions and physical limitations that we put on ourselves to that we don’t injure ourselves on a daily basis. Stimulants don’t actually make people smarter, but they help people to focus more on the task at hand, and therefore they can devote more of their energy and thought process to a specific task. I’ve heard–and there may be research to support this–that hallucinogens can be used for therapeutic properties. This is the only class of drugs that would be an absolute nightmare to indulge in while in the middle of the apocalypse–to my reasoning. That said, to have a trip while in nature or a calm, safe environment could be very rewarding. Someone who is spiritual would greatly benefit from such a trip, and a psychopath may have no problems slaughtering hordes of monsters while fractals dance in their vision.
All that said, I can see great practical use of hallucinogens as a poisoning substance–both for humans and animals–in the apocalypse. Fear effects–like how pain is a condition–could be an game enriching thing to implement. A new negative trait that could come as a result would be Uneasy or Paranoid where substances that have psychoactive/psychotropic properties actually apply a penalty.
But I know that you’re working on a bajillion other things. Food for thought.
