Dosing (sage ability)

Dosing is an amateur-status ability, in the study of Poisoning, allowing a character to seamlessly introduce ingestible toxins into food or drink without being seen. The application is so intuitive that no skill check is necessary, and the correct dose is always used.

The character can perform this act even in the direct presence of the intended victim, particularly during moments when others, including the target, are briefly distracted. Such occasions could arise during dinners, feasts, or any social setting, provided the character has a logical reason to be nearby, enabling the discreet addition of the poison.

The technique requires a consumable food to be present. There's no need for the character to serve already-poisoned edibles. However, it's vital to note that while the act of dosing can remain undetected, it doesn't automatically ensure the trust of the intended recipient. Beyond the act itself, effort might be needed to gain the victim's confidence in cases where the latter is already convinced that his or her life is being threatened by poisoners. This gaining of trust must be role-played.

Poisoning Results

While it's that a victim will consume the poisoned food, unforeseen circumstances might cause them to leave the meal untouched. The likelihood of such an event is a slim 1%.

The intended target does have a chance to resist the poison's effects with a saving throw. Factors like a distinct smell, tasting only a small portion initially by happenstance, or the victim's past experiences might raise suspicions. The sage ability imposes a -2 penalty on the victim's saving throw, increasing the likelihood of the poisoning being successful.

If the saving throw is successful, however, it reveals to the intended victim that there's something wrong with the dish; an examination by an individual experienced with poison will be able to identify the presence of some substance, identifying it according to their own ability. Additionally, those who save still experience 20% to 50% of the poison's impact.

If the save fails, the victim ingests a sufficient quantity to experience the poison's full effects. Thereupon with lesser poisons it becomes obvious to all that a poisoning has taken place, from the reaction of the victim. More subtle poisons delay their effects for an hour or more, allowing a more surreptitious success.

Dosing a Wound

If a character has taken the precaution of keeping a vial of ingestive poison readily to hand — secured in an accessible pocket or loop where it may be drawn at a cost of 2 action points — it is possible to attempt to introduce the poison directly into an open wound. This can only be done when the character is adjacent to a wounded defender who has just recovered from stunned, in that brief moment before the defender is able to reassert control.

The act requires the dosing skill and is treated as an attack against the defender's armour class, with a -2 penalty applied to the poisoner’s die roll. If the attempt succeeds, the poison is forced into the wound, and the defender must immediately make a saving throw against the poison before taking any other action.

The attempt demands precision and immediacy. The poison must already be positioned for quick use; it cannot be retrieved from a pack or container requiring more than the allotted time. The poisoner must not move even a single hex in the round the attempt is made, as any shift in position forfeits the opportunity. The defender need not have been wounded or stunned by the poisoner, only that the conditions exist at the moment of action.

See also,
Detect Poison (spell)
Poisoning (sage study)