Poisons

A poison is a substance that interferes with the natural functions of a living creature's body, causing injury or death, typically requiring only a very small amount. The target of a poison may resist with a successful saving throw. Poisons can be delayed or cured with spells such as delay poison and neutralize poison.

Broadly speaking, when someone fails a saving throw against any poison, the poison deals some amount of lethal or Non-Lethal Damage that ignores the target's defenses (DR or ER). Most poisons also inflict a status condition, in addition to the damage they deal. The most common status condition inflicted by poison is ability damage (Ability Dilution, Ability Damage, or Ability Drain). Creatures that succeed on a saving throw against poison are usually completely unaffected by it, ignoring both the damage and any secondary effects, like status conditions.

There are a number of important terms related to how poisons work, which should be understood before looking at specific poisons.

Afflictions

Afflictions, such as diseases and poisons, are all defined by the following characteristics, which detail how they affect a creature which fails a saving throw against them: Name, Vector, Intensity, Save, Frequency, Effect, and Fruition.

Name: This is the name of the disease or poison.

Vector: This is the means by which the disease or poison must be introduced to a subject: contact, ingested, inhaled, injury.

• Contact: delivered the moment a creature touches them with their bare skin.

• Ingested: delivered when a creature eats or drinks them.

• Inhaled: delivered the moment a creature enters an area containing them. A creature can hold its breath while inside the area, by voluntarily gaining the Gagging condition, to avoid inhaling the toxin. If a creature is voluntarily asphyxiating and fails its save, rather than dying, it begins to breathe normally again (and is affected by the inhaled affliction if it is still present).

• Injury: These poisons are primarily delivered through the attacks of certain creatures and through weapons coated in the toxin. Injury poisons do not usually have an onset time and have a frequency of 1 round.

Note that vectors are not interchangeable — a disease or poison with an injury vector won't harm a target that ingests it, unless it also has an ingest vector listed.

Intensity: The intensity of a disease or poison states which status condition it inflicts. Disease intensities are: Infected, Diseased, or Plagued. Poison intensities are Tainted, Poisoned, and Blighted. The intensity of the disease or poison determines how easily the effects can be cured.

Save: This is the saving throw type (Fort, Refl, Will) and DC for the disease or poison. A creature subjected to a disease or poison makes a saving throw immediately upon its introduction to their system, and one saving throw for the second and third intervals of the disease or poison's frequency. The save DC is always the same for all of these saves. A creature which fails a saving throw against the disease or poison will always take one interval worth of effects from it as a result. If the saving throw is successful, the disease or poison is shrugged off, and deals no further effects to the target.

Frequency: Many poisons act immediately upon their introduction to a target, but some poisons are designed to be slower to act. By contrast, most diseases take a day to cause effects on the target. The frequency determines how often the disease or poison will attempt to inflict its effects on the victim, and when its first effects are felt. There are three frequencies: "1/round for 3 rounds", "1/hour for 3 hours", and "1/day for 3 days". Diseases and poisons never have more than 3 intervals of their frequency. The first interval's effects are triggered by the failure of the initial saving throw, but may not occur until the first interval has passed, as detailed below:

• "1/round for 3 rounds": Diseases and poisons with a frequency of "rounds" inflict their first interval of effects as soon as it is introduced into the system of its victim. (E.g. a drow blademaster stabs the fighter, inflicting melee damage, and forcing the fighter to save against the drow's languishroot poison. If the save is failed, the fighter immediately takes the first interval of effects of the poison.) The target of a disease or poison with a frequency of "rounds" takes the second interval of effects at the start of their next turn, if they fail a second save. The round after that, at the start of the target's second turn after being diseased or poisoned, they make their third (and final) save. If this save is also failed, the third interval of effects are inflicted, as is the disease's or poison's fruition (if it has one). The strongest diseases and poisons only allow a saving throw when it is first inflicted, and no saving throws for the second or third intervals. In this case, the effects of the second and third intervals just occur as though their respective saving throws were failed.

• "1/hour for 3 hours": Slower diseases or poisons, such as ingested poisons or fast-acting diseases, may act with a frequency of "1/hour for 3 hours". In this case, the target creature makes their first saving throw as soon as the disease or poison is introduced, but they take no effect until the first interval (1 hour later) occurs. The victim doesn't get a second saving throw until the second interval (2 hours after the disease or poison's introduction). If they fail the second save, they take a second interval of effects. At the start of the 3rd hour, the third (and final) save is made. If this save is also failed, the third interval of effects are inflicted, and the disease or poison's fruition is inflicted (if it has one). The strongest diseases and poisons only allow a saving throw when it is first inflicted, and no saving throws for the second or third intervals. In this case, the effects of the second and third intervals just occur as though their respective saving throws were failed.

• "1/day for 3 days": This frequency is extremely rare for poisons, but extremely common for diseases. Much like a disease or poison with a frequency of "hours", the target creature makes their first saving throw as soon as it is introduced, but they take no effect from it until the first interval occurs, at the beginning of the next day. The victim doesn't get a second saving throw until the second interval (2 days after the disease or poison's introduction). If they fail the second save, they take a second interval of effects. At the start of the 3rd day, the third (and final) save is made. If this save is also failed, the third interval of effects are inflicted, and the disease or poison's fruition is inflicted (if it has one). The strongest diseases and poisons only allow a saving throw when it is first inflicted, and no saving throws for the second or third intervals. In this case, the effects of the second and third intervals just occur as though their respective saving throws were failed.

Effect: This is what the disease or poison does to the target creature at each interval of its frequency, if the saving throw was unsuccessful. Poisons typically inflict a combination of ability damage (or ability drain) and poison (physical, uncommon) damage, although poison effects can vary wildly. Diseases usually inflict just ability damage to one or more ability scores, though status conditions are also possible. Note that damage inflicted by the effect (or fruition) of a disease or a poison cannot be mitigated with DR or ER, unless the DR explicitly states it can be used to mitigate damage caused by diseases or poisons.

Fruition: This is the effect inflicted if the disease or poison's third tick of its frequency is allowed to occur before a successful saving throw is made. Fruitions always list a duration after which the effect(s) expire on their own. This can be some number of hours, days, or even permanent. Note that a fruition can only occur after 3 failed saving throws, but it usually occurs in the same round as the third tick of the Effect (in addition to the Effect), immediately after that third failed save.

Multiple Doses: If a creature is subjected to multiple doses of the same disease or poison they are already afflicted with, and that disease or poison has a frequency measured in "rounds", the most recent disease or poison overwrites the older one. Any effects already inflicted by the older disease or poison linger and must be cured as described below. Of course, if a creature is subjected to different kinds of diseases or poisons, their effects stack.

Monster and NPC Poisons

Monsters and NPC's use different rules for poisons than players do, since monsters and NPC's aren't heroes. In most cases, monster-based poisons are injury poisons which grant a saving throw. They have an immediate onset, and a frequency of 1 round for 3 rounds (though the initial immediate effect counts as the first round). Poisoned creatures get a saving throw to resist the immediate effect, and another saving throw at the start of each of their turns. Each time the saving throw is failed, the creature takes the effect of the poison, until the 3rd failed save, at which point, the creature takes the fruition of the poison instead.

Poison effects, as mentioned above, are usually some combination of lethal or non-lethal damage, and a status effect. Poison fruitions can vary wildly, from a severe status effect to death. They can also include a huge variety of non-combat effects, such as compelling the poisoned creature to speak only the truth for the next hour, and to always answer any question asked of it without prevaricating.

If a creature (usually a PC) succeeds on any saving throw against the monster's poison, the poison is fully resisted and no longer affects the creature (unless they get poisoned again). All poisons, no matter how nasty, are cured with a single successful saving throw, as long as that successful saving throw comes sometime before the fruition is inflicted on the victim. Once the fruition occurs, no further effects of the poison occur, but usually the fruition is so nasty, additional effects aren't necessary.

Note that stronger poisons disallow saving throws after the initial exposure (unless a save is granted to the victim by a spell or ability). See Tainted, Poisoned, and Blighted for details.

Some monsters are capable of emitting poisons that are harmful if inhaled, rather than requiring the creature successfully target the target first. Such poisons are usually belched out in a cloud of some kind, which is (somewhat) avoidable, if those within the affected area are aware of it and are not surprised. Such creatures may attempt to hold their breath. Those creatures which are surprised by the effect, or unable to initiate holding their breath voluntarily breathe the poison in, and must save against it normally.

Some poisons act upon contact with the exposed flesh of a creature, rather than needing to be inhaled, ingested, or inserted via an injury into the creature's bloodstream. Contact poisons are exceedingly rare, but are typically applied via a touch attack. In all other ways, they behave exactly like an injury-based poison.

Non-Combat Poisons

Some poisons cannot be used on weapons, and are better suited to use outside of combat. The most common example of this would be ingested poisons, which take effect when a creature eats or drinks the poison. Often these poisons are mixed with food or drink to mask their taste. These poisons usually have an onset time of 10 minutes, and a frequency of 1 minute. Like all other poisons, they inflict their effect up to 3 times, and then the fruition is resolved, if no successful saves against the poison occur before then.

Ingested poisons are often more role-playing based, story-driven types of poisons. As such, the rules and effects of these poisons can vary widely, as the story requires. It is also much harder to catch an assassin who plants a poison that doesn't affect its target until 10 minutes after they eat or drink something. The assassin may not be anywhere near where the food/drink is ingested, and could have planted it long before the food/drink were even served.

Player Poisons

Players can purchase poisons to apply to their weapons, or for whatever other crazy idea fills their psychopathic little heads. Player poisons are a simplified version of monster poisons. Like monster poisons, they are nearly always injury poisons that grant a saving throw to the target after a successful hit with the poisoned weapon. If the target fails the save, however, instead of a frequency, onset, or fruition, the poison simply deals bonus damage equal to the potency level of the poison, and inflicts a status condition (usually lasting only until the start of the poisoner's next turn).

Bonus damage inflicted by poison is not multiplied on a critical hit. Creatures immune to poison are not subject to the poison's damage or status condition (hopefully, this is obvious).

Applying Poison

Player characters wishing to apply poison to a weapon or a single piece of ammunition must expend a standard action to perform a Sleight of Hand check, versus a Challenging DC, based on the potency level of the poison being applied. This can be reduced to a move action by adding +5 to the DC, or a swift action by adding +10. Characters must declare they are attempting to apply the poison with a lesser action prior to making the skill check.

If a character fails the Sleight of Hand check by less than 4, or they roll a natural 1, they are unable to apply the poison to the weapon or piece of ammunition. Both the action to apply the poison, as well as the dose of poison itself, are wasted. If a character fails the sleight of hand check by 5 or more, the character accidentally afflicts the poison's effects on themselves. They must make a save against the poison or suffer its effects. Whether this save succeeds or fails, the dose of poison and the action used to apply it are wasted.

Once a dose of poison is applied to a weapon, it persists until the first time the weapon successfully hits a target. At that time, in addition to the normal damage from the weapon's hit, the struck creature must also make a saving throw against the poison or suffer its effects. Regardless of whether the creature succeeds or fails this saving throw, the dose of poison is expended. The poison will wear off of the weapon naturally by the end of the next encounter, or when the character takes a full night's rest (whichever comes first). If the poison is applied during an encounter, and isn't used up by striking a target, it wears off at the end of the current encounter.

If a dose of poison is applied to a piece of ammunition, the poison persists as described above, except that it is expended whether the attack using that piece of ammunition hits or misses (or at the end of the encounter or a full night's rest, whichever comes first).

Base Price Per Dose

Potency Level	Save DC	Bonus Damage	Price Per Dose
1	5	+1	10
2	5	+2	40
3	6	+3	90
4	7	+4	160
5	8	+5	250
6	9	+6	360
7	9	+7	490
8	10	+8	640
9	11	+9	810
10	12	+10	1,000

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Designing New Poisons

Since the above list is not exhaustive, GM's and players may wish to design additional poisons that exist in their campaign. These rules provide a way to determine the characteristics and cost of new poisons.

Poisons have several characteristics, each of which are limited by the potency level of the poison. These characteristics are: damage, status, onset, frequency and save DC.

Damage: Most poisons deal Non-Lethal Damage, the amount of which is based on their potency level (see Table:Potency below).

Status: All poisons inflict a single status condition. Note, when reading the table below, the listed values for ability damage (dilution, damage, drain) and essence damage (suppression, omission, destruction) only apply if the poison inflicts that particular status condition.

• Poisons with potency levels between 1 and 12 can inflict any Weak status condition (except poisoned (Tainted, Poisoned, Blighted) or diseased (Infected, Diseased, Plagued)). If one of these poisons inflicts ability damage (dilution, damage, drain), reference the table to see how much ability damage it can deal.
• Poisons with potency levels between 13 and 24 can inflict Moderate or Weak status conditions, except (except poisoned (Tainted, Poisoned, Blighted) or diseased (Infected, Diseased, Plagued)). If one of these poisons inflicts ability damage (dilution, damage, drain), reference the table to see how much ability damage it can deal.
• Poisons with potency levels of 25 or higher can inflict any status condition except (except poisoned (Tainted, Poisoned, Blighted) or diseased (Infected, Diseased, Plagued)). If one of these poisons inflicts ability damage (dilution, damage, drain), reference the table to see how much ability damage it can deal.

Save DC: The save DC of a poison is determined by its potency level (see Table:Potency below). Note that once a creature fails the saving throw to resist the poison, it may not make another save to get rid of the poison until the end of any round after which the poison's effects have triggered. Note that poison effects always trigger at the beginning of a character's turn on the round they trigger. That is, an ingested poison, which has a frequency of 1 minute would trigger at the start of a character's turn 10 rounds after that creature failed its save to resist the poison, and may only be saved against at the end of that round. Assuming it fails the save, it could not attempt another save until another minute had passed and the poison's effects had once again triggered. Similarly, character afflicted with an injury poison suffers the poison's effects at the start of each of the creature's turns, but gets a new saving throw at the end of that creature's turn.

Craft DC: A successful Profession check, using either Profession (Alchemist), Profession (Herbalist) or Profession (Brewer) can be used to create poisons, rather than buying them. Raw materials, equal to half the retail price of the poison, must still be purchased or acquired in order to create the poison. If the poison is not crafted in an appropriate workshop, the DC is increased by 10. Poisons require 8 hours to brew, and a successful result produces a single dose of poison. For every 5 by which a skill check exceeds the required DC, the time to produce the poison is reduced by 1 hour, to a minimum of 1 hour. Poisons are considered alchemical creations for purposes of an Alchemists "Swift Alchemy" and "Instant Alchemy" class features.

Table: Poison Potency

Potency Level	Non-Lethal Damage	Ability Damage	Energy Drain	Save DC	Craft DC	Cost
1	1d8+0	1	-	10	18	40
2	1d8+1	1d2	-	12	20	80
3	1d8+3	1d2	-	13	21	160
4	1d8+4	1d3	-	13	23	240
5	1d8+6	1d3	-	14	25	360
6	1d8+8	1d3+1	-	16	27	480
7	1d8+10	1d3+1	-	16	28	640
8	2d8+7	1d4+1	-	18	32	820
9	2d8+8	1d4+1	-	19	33	1,000
10	2d8+10	1d6	-	19	35	1,220
11	2d8+6	1d6	-	20	37	1,440
12	2d8+7	1d6+1	-	21	39	1,700
13	2d8+9	1d6+1	1	22	40	1,960
14	2d8+10	1d6+2	1	22	42	2,260
15	3d8+8	1d6+2	1d2	23	44	2,560
16	3d8+10	2d6-1	1d2	24	47	2,900
17	3d8+11	2d6-1	1d2	25	48	3,240
18	3d8+12	2d6-1	1d2	26	50	3,620
19	3d8+14	2d6	1d3	27	51	4,000
20	3d8+17	2d6	1d3	28	53	6,000
21	3d8+20	2d6	1d3	29	67	8,000
22	4d8+18	2d6+1	1d3	31	69	12,000
23	4d8+20	2d6+1	1d4	32	71	16,000
24	4d8+23	2d6+1	1d4	33	75	24,000
25	4d8+27	2d6+2	1d4	35	77	32,000
26	4d8+29	2d6+2	1d4	36	79	60,000
27	4d8+32	2d6+2	1d6	37	82	100,000
28	4d8+34	3d6	1d6	39	84	180,000
29	5d8+34	3d6	1d6	40	86	240,000
30	5d8+36	3d6	1d6	41	88	300,000
31	5d8+40	3d6+1	2d4-1	42	91	380,000
32	5d8+44	3d6+1	2d4-1	43	94	460,000
33	5d8+47	3d6+1	2d4-1	44	96	580,000
34	5d8+49	4d6-2	2d4-1	45	99	700,000
35	5d8+52	4d6-2	2d4-1	46	102	870,000
36	6d8+51	4d6-2	2d4-1	47	110	1,040,000
37	6d8+53	4d6-1	2d4	48	118	1,300,000
38	6d8+56	4d6-1	2d4	49	126	1,560,000
39	6d8+60	4d6-1	2d4	50	133	1,950,000
40	6d8+63	4d6	2d4	51	142	2,340,000