Poisons
Created Sunday 06 July 2014
Using poison
Alchemical poisons can be used as described in the d20 SRD.
Poisoning weapons: Poison applied to a weapon is always injury poison, never contact poison. If a creature has enough damage reduction to avoid taking physical damage from the weapon, then the poison does not affect it.
Using poison as a thrown weapon: Poisons are usually stored in glass vials which are relatively durable and insensitive to physical damage. If it is desired to use poison as a throwing weapon, it must be put into a grenade-like shell which costs 1 gp. On impact, the grenade explodes and releases a cloud of poison gas the size of a 10ft cube. The gas dissipates after 1 round.
Using poison as a projectile weapon: Poison grenades can be thrown from slings. The poison grenade deals no physical damage itself.
Refer d20 SRD: Special Abilities - Poison.
Save DC for alchemical poison
The fortitude save DC against alchemical poisons is 10 + 2 * the elixir level. (Refer Alchemy:Solvents for information on elixir levels.)
A level 1 poison elixir, as would be available to a level 1 character, has fortitude DC 12 to resist.
A level 9 poison elixir, as would be available to a level 20 character, has fortitude DC 28 to resist.
Duration of effect for alchemical poisons
Those poisons that inflict ability point damage follow the usual rules for such poisons. (Refer d20 SRD - ability damage.)
Poisons causing abilty point damage are:
- Drain Agility (DEX)
- Drain Endurance (CON)
- Drain Intelligence (INT)
- Drain Personality (CHA)
- Drain Strength (STR)
- Drain Willpower (WIS)
Those poisons that inflict status conditions, such as blindness or confusion, allow the affected creature a Fortitude saving throw each round. The poison effects last until the affected creature makes a successful Fortitude saving throw, which removes the effects of the poison.
Poisons of this type are:
- Burden - causes creature's encumbrance to increase.
- Drain Fatigue - causes fatigue or exhaustion.
- Drain Health - continuous hit point damage.
- Drain Luck - penalty to saving throws.
- Drain Magicka - inflicts arcane spell failure chance.
- Drain Speed - slows the target.
- Paralyse - dazes, stuns, or paralyzes the target.
- Poison - mind affecting poison.
Poison related character options
Feats:
- Master of Poisons: Gain poison use ability (no chance of accidentally poisoning yourself.) Apply poisons as a swift action without poisoning yourself or provoking AOO's. (Drow of the Underdark.)
- Poison Expert: Raise the DC for all poisons you use by 1. (Adapted from Complete Scoundrel.)
- Poison Master: The effects and save DC for poisons you use apply as if the poison was one elixir level higher. Prereq: Poison Expert. (Adapted from Complete Scoundrel.)
- Poison Specialisation: The DC for all poisons you create increases by 2. Prereq: Craft (Alchemy) 5+ ranks. (Adapted from Dragon 303.)
The Toxic weapon property from Drow of the Underdark is a +1 enchantment that lets poisoned weapons retain their poison for two hits. (Normal: Poison only lasts for one hit.)
Consult Akalsaris' Arsenic and Old Lace: The Poison Handbook for more fun ideas.
Changelog
2014-07-06
New page.
Backlinks: Revision Log