Poison (substance)

Poisons are substances that cause death, injury or harm to organs when a creature absorbs a sufficient quantity. Poisons may be derived from manufactured substances or occur naturally in the venom of various animals and monsters. Their presence in D&D presents a potential game-breaking concern; excessive availability of poison in the hands of players or NPCs can drastically alter the structure of a campaign. For this reason, rules governing accessibility have often been left vague or omitted by game designers.

Additionally, poisons exist in thousands of forms, making a definitive catalog impractical for game design. Instead, the poisons presented in these rules represent general types, with flexible sources. A vast number of natural and artificial substances can be distilled into poisons, meaning that the specific origin of a given poison can be disregarded for gameplay purposes. If a source is needed, however, reference can be made to this list of plants, this list of fungi and this list of animals.

It should be noted that the poisons described on this page have been created specifically for game use and are not intended as accurate depictions of real-world toxic substances. In some cases, real-world names have been used for thematic consistency and verisimilitude, but this should not be mistaken for an attempt at realism. The words, mechanics and laws governing poisons in this system are tailored to Alexis' fictional game setting and should not be interpreted as a simulation of real poisons or their applications.

Effects of Poison

These rules do not use the traditional saving throw against death for poisons. Instead, specific poisons cause effects such as sleep, coma, paralysis, nausea and death through direct manipulation of the character's ability stats and hit points, rather than a simple succeed/fail roll. Poison effects occur over time, with even the deadliest poisons taking several rounds to kill unless the victim is exceptionally unfit or already at below zero hit points.

Animal venoms typically deal 2-8 h.p. of poison damage per hit die of the creature, varying based on toxicity. A giant centipede's venom is weak, whereas a black mamba's venom is highly potent. The speed at which the poison takes effect also varies; a giant centipede's venom causes 1 damage every 1-4 rounds, while a black mamba's venom inflicts 2-8 damage every round.

Ingestive Poisons are concoctions that must be consumed to take effect. Some are designed to kill quickly by dealing severe damage, while others inflict moderate harm over time to induce nausea. Certain poisons are formulated to incapacitate rather than kill, causing paralysis, sleep or coma. More sophisticated variants produce these effects without dealing any damage, preserving their subtlety. While some ingestive poisons act immediately, many are delayed, taking effect minutes or even hours after ingestion.

Insinuative Poisons are substances applied to weapons for use in combat. Most are intended to cause additional hit point damage beyond the weapon's normal attack, though some induce paralysis, sleep or coma instead. All insinuative poisons are designed to take effect rapidly, typically within minutes of exposure.

Creation of Poisons

The preparation of poisons is tied to specific sage abilities that grant characters the knowledge to create poisons at amateur, authority, expert and sage levels. Some abilities are associated with the study of alchemy, while more advanced techniques are available to assassins who specialise in poisoning. The categorisation of poisons is therefore based on the abilities that trained characters can develop. Poisons exist as a function of creativity; if a specific poison can be conceived, then with sufficient knowledge, a player character (or the DM) should be able to create it and integrate it into the list below.

Ingestive Poisons

Main Article: Prepare Ingestive Poisons

Amateur-made

• Biliosus: This herb-derived poison is made to induce nausea in the imbiber, quickly disrupting their physical state. Upon consumption, the first effect is an intense wave of nausea, at which point the imbiber must make a saving throw.

• Ictus: This fruitseed-derived poison is designed to induce a localised paralysis, temporarily restricting movement in the imbiber. Upon ingestion, the first effect manifests as a sudden stiffness in the right arm, alerting the imbiber that something is wrong.

• Somnikus: This herb-derived poison is formulated to induce powerful drowsiness, potentially rendering the imbiber unconscious for a significant period. Once consumed, the first effect is an overwhelming wave of exhaustion, at which point the imbiber must make a saving throw.

• Vexation: This mushroom-derived poison is designed to incapacitate or kill the imbiber through a series of progressively worsening symptoms. Upon consumption, the first effect is a severe blow to the digestive tract, causing 3–6 damage as the poison rapidly begins breaking down the body's internal defenses. The imbiber experiences sharp cramping pain, nausea and a wave of burning discomfort spreading through the gut.

Insinuative Poisons

Main Article: Prepare Insinuative Poison

• Carroder: This poisonous toxin is designed to kill the victim slowly and over time. It's meant to be used with a dagger; upon another blade, the viscosity is too low, so that a sweeping movement of a long blade shakes the poison off. Once 3 damage is done with the dagger, however, a sufficient amount of poison enters the bloodstream and the victim immediately suffers an additional 2 hit points of damage — after which, the victim makes a saving throw.

• Suurbite: an insinuative poison specifically designed for the scimitar, which upon a hit delivers the right concentration of poison. Comparatively, a sword with its large blade surface and dual edge is likely to deliver only half the dose upon a hit.