Description

The Stallion’s Cackleblade, a rare and perilous grass species, thrives in fields frequented by grazing herd animals such as cows and horses. It emits a faint apple-like aroma and possesses a bulbous root that produces a potent poison. This poison induces a fever that triggers uncontrollable laughter in the infected creature, thereby spreading the disease. Quarantining the infected area is the only known method to halt the disease’s spread, but this is not foolproof as birds can transport the poison to other regions. If a creature succumbs to cackle fever, its decaying body gives rise to a new Stallion’s Cackleblade.

Properties

Eating the grass causes cackle fever until cured. The fever affects all creatures except gnomes, regardless of how they are exposed to the poison.

Cultivation

Cultivating Stallion’s Cackleblades is generally discouraged. However, if necessary, there are two methods. One involves replanting the grass with its root and bulb in any soil and providing weekly watering.The alternative method involves infecting a weak creature, such as a rat, with cackle fever and subjectingit to stress until it dies, resulting in a new plant sprouting from its corpse. The root bulb is the only part of the grass that can be harvested, but its removal results in the plant’s death.

Applications

The bulb can be utilized in various ways. It can be brewed into a potion of Tasha’s Hideous Laughter or used as a material component for the spell. Alternatively, consuming the bulb while casting the spell increases its DC by 2.