How do you feel about describing them? Do you need to make it an afterschool special? Is it always Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas? Is it something in between.
Do you tend, in fantasy or Sci-fi to use regular (ie. real) drugs, or do you make up your own?
Which systems do you think handle them well mechanically, both in terms of effects and addiction?
RPGPundit
i think drugs in rpg's tend to be rather badly handled possibly due to not wanting to be blamed by idiots of condoning drug usage and starting a whole new anti rpg movement.
I tend to use a mix of real world drugs and made up stuff in my modern games and usually handle drugs using alchemy/botany type rules for fantasy games, this me to be vague about what it is im introducing the group to whilst allowing skill checks for those who are skilled enough in alchemy/botany or other relevant skills that their characters may feasibly have a clue about the uses of the plants/roots they find.
Generally they should feel realistic. Deviation from real should be skewed in the direction of Fear and Loathing or Akira: a bad trip or a performance enhancer. One because it'll function as a risk that's still entertaining in game (as opposed to real world drug risks). The other so the temptation to use drugs is more real to the players.
Hang on to yer hats, I'm about to (once again) espouse the wonderfulness of all things Shadowrun.
Seriously, I feel SR3 handles drugs quite well, whether they be real or virtual, both in game mechanics and in-play character effects.
There. I've done my blurb for the day.
LOL