Poison distribution | Poison strengths | Special strengths | Antidotes | Poison Types |
- | - | Dragon 32 | Best of Dragon, Vol. II | Dragon |
For every DM there comes
a time when he must deal with the
question of the use of poison
by player characters and non-player
characters other than Assassins.
Referees cringe at the thought of a
single Elf with a poison
arrow felling the Queen of Chaotic
Dragons
while similarly treated
bolts from the crossbows of a party kill her
guards, giving unlimited
treasure for little risk. The same Dungeon
Masters will smile as the
Assassin’s crossbow twangs and the player
character who has been abusing
his privileges because he thinks he is
unkillable fails his save
and falls dead. Some method must be found to
allow for the presence of
poison and yet restrict its abuse by player
characters. Below is my
own set of poison types, strengths, and prices
plus a guide for the restrictions
on player characters and non-player
characters.
Poison Distribution
First, poison should be
restricted to Neutral or Evil characters. No
one who holds himself as
Good may use poison, no matter how
Chaotic he/she may be. This
restriction applies only to the use of
poison on Human or Humanoid
types; characters are not restricted in
the use of poison upon Non-human
monster types in the dungeon.
Basically, there are three
classes which may freely trade for or buy
poisons with few restrictions.
Alchemists alone distill and manufacture
poisons. Any MU, Thief,
or even Assassin who is found to be manufacturing
poisons is told once to
cease and desist; if he fails to do so, he will
receive a visitor who will
see to it that he stops permanently.
Restrictions on the use of
poison by Alchemists are unreasonable.
Alchemists learn to make
poison at one strength per level of experience
up to the fifth, beginning
with level O, strength “AA.” At sixth level an
Alchemist can make strength
“S” sleep poison that may be sold to any
class or type. After sixth
level he learns one strength for each two
experience levels the alchemist
attains through strength “J” at level 16.
Type “X” may be manufactured
only by an Alchemist of 20th level and
type “XX” only by 25th level
and above. Alchemists through level 4
may make only ingested poisons;
through 8th level they may make
ingested plus water-soluble
poison; and through 16th level they may
also produce contact-type
poison, including poison gas.
Assassins are the main customers
for the Alchemist’s toxins. These
are powerful and dangerous
men and can dictate to Alchemists and
society at large who may
obtain or use poisons. They will be able to
obtain (at a price) the
type and strength of poison they desire. Assassins
do not have the skill, training,
or inclination to spend hours developing
poisons, and even if one
should desire to learn the craft of poison
development, it is forbidden
by the Guild.
Locksmiths are the ones
who put poison needles and killer gases in
chests and doors as traps.
They received the blessing of the Assassins
Guild so that the rich gentry
could have their goods protected.
There are a few exceptions
to this rule of thumb. All classes may use
strength “S” sleep poison
in all types in which this is available. Thieves
may, upon paying to the
Assassins Guild 500 gp per experience level,
purchase poisons of strengths
“AA”, “A”, or “B”. They may buy up to
60 vials of strength “AA”
per game-year, strength “A” up to 30 vials, or
15 vials of strength “B”.
Magic Users who desire a more potent missile
weapon may, after gaining
permission of the Guildmaster of Assassins
and paying the Guild 1000
gp per experience level, coat darts or
daggers with type “AA” or
“A” poisons. They may purchase 30 vials of
strength “AA” or 15 vials
of strength “A” poison per game-year.
If a Thief or MU wants to
use two strengths of poison (three allowed
for Thieves), they may purchase
according to the strengths they are
allowed: One strength “B”
poison equals two strength “A’ or four
strength “AA” poisons. These
poisons are rigidly controlled by the
Assassins Guild; the Thief
or MU must go to a clerk at the Guildhall of
Assassins and tell him what
strength of poison he desires to purchase.
The clerk checks the records,
and if the character is allowed to purchase
this strength, the clerk
will give him what amounts to a prescription for
the type and amount. This
is given to the Alchemist, who provides the
poison. Any Alchemist found
to be selling higher-strength poisons to
Thieves or MUs or selling
anything besides “S” strength sleep poison to
other classes will receive
an ominous visit from a high-level member of
the Assassin’s Guild.
The price given under the
types of poisons is for maximum damage
possible, i.e. Water Soluble
strength “A” poison that does from 1-10
points of damage will be
priced at 750 gp per vial even though it may in
fact do only 1 HP of damage
because of the die roll. The base price
given is the selling price;
75% of this price is the cost to the Alchemist for
material, components, and
helpers. If the party discovers vials, of
poison in the dungeon and
recognizes them as poison, they may use it
on monsters, give it away
freely or coat their weapons. But if they sell
the poison at any price
or to any class, even only to Assassins, they will
be the objects of a “hit”
financed by the Alchemists. The Alchemists
decide what poisons or types
they wish to make, except for special jobs
for a particular Assassin
which they will do but charge double for. In this
way the Alchemists control
the manufacture and Assassins control the
distribution of poison.
Poison is sold in small
vials. One vial of poison is enough to coat six
arrowheads, or eight darts,
or twelve needles, or one dagger or spear
point. Two vials will coat
twice as much as one or, if preferred, a short
sword. Three vials will
coat a long or broadsword, four will coat a
bastard sword, five a two-handed
sword. Each coating of poison lasts
for two successful hits
on targets and the maximum coats per blade is
five. When swallowed, one
vial acts as one dose.
Orcs, Goblinoids, and other
semi-intelligent types which use sharp
weapons may, if the DM desires,
use poison, but they should use only
strength “AA” or at most
“A”. They produce this from fungi or plants
which they encounter, but
they do not have the skills to distill a more
powerful toxin. If in the
employ of a powerful higher-level character
who is Evil, there is a
chance for more powerful poisons up to “C” or
“D” in strength. Poisons
found in dungeons with the appearance of
wine or potions are usually
distributed in type as follows: 50% ingested,
30% water soluble, 10% contact,
and 10% poison gas. Poison found in
treasure may be of any strength
the DM desires, from “AA” to shake up
the party to “X” or “XX”
to finish things.
Damage from poison is taken
at the rate of the minimum possible
Hit Points done by the poison,
taken each melee round until full
damage rolled on the dice
is taken. For example, strength “J” poison
that does 5-100 HP of damage
would deliver 5HP of damage per
round until the damage rolled
is reached or death is realized. If the
saving throw is made, the
victim of the poison takes half the rolled
damage at the same rate
as normal for strength “AA” through “J”.
Strength “X” or “XX” when
saved for take half the victims HTK when
fully healed and rested.
Save versus “S” sleep poison acts as a slow
spell for three rounds.
Undead are considered to take damage as if they
saved, and if they save
they take no damage.. Creatures that are
naturally immune to sleep
will not be affected by sleep poison.
As Gandalf said in Lord
of the Rings, “A treacherous weapon is
ever a danger to the hand.”
This should be applied to those using
poisoned blades. Until it
has been washed completely clean of all traces
of poison, the weapon that
has been coated is dangerous to the user.
Each time the weapon is
drawn or returned to the scabbard, the wielder
must save by rolling his
dexterity or less, minus 1 for water soluble or
minus 3 for contact, or
take full poison damage. The user of a poisoned
weapon must also roll his
dexterity or less in every other round for
water soluble, or every
round in the case of contact type, that the
poisoned weapon is used.
If more than the dexterity is rolled, a nick or
touch has occured and the
full effect of the poison is taken. Even
though two hits have been
made and no more poison damage is given
to victims when a hit occurs,
unless the blade is washed the user will be
unlucky enough to be struck
by a part of the poisoned blade where
toxin still lingers. Weapons
once poisoned, therefore, must be washed,
put away or abandoned after
use, or they are more dangerous to the
user than the victim.
Poison may be applied only
to ordinary iron or steel non-magic
weapons. Silver will not
hold poison; the magic radiating from such
weapons will burn it off.
Non-magic alloys of metal that are iron-based
but are well made and have
an advantage not associated with magic
may be poison-treated. The
process of treating metal with poison gives
a dark discoloration to
the blade. Any character seeing and recognizing
this change in appearance,
whatever his alignment, will join the fight
against the user(s) of poison.
Because of the limitations above, those
monsters affected only by
silver or magic will be bothered only by
contact or gas
poison, unless they can
be convinced to drink the
ingested type.
Poison Strengths
AA—This type of poison does
less than six HP of damage (Suggested
poisons are 1-3 HP (d6 x
½), 1-4 (d8 x ½), 1-5 (d10 x ½).
A—Does 6-10 HP damage (Suggested
poisons 1-6 (d6), 1-8 (d8),
1-10 (d10).
B—Does 11-20 HP damage (Suggested
poisons 2-12 (d6 x 2),
2-16 (d8 x 2), 3-18 (d6
x 3), 2-20 (d10 x 2), 1-20 (d20).
C—21-30 HP (Suggested poisons
3-24 (d8 x 3), 4-24 (d6 x 4),
3-30(d10 x 3), 5-30 (d6
x 5).
D—31-40 HP (Suggested poisons
4-32 (d8 x 4) 6-36 (d6 x 6),
4-40 (d10 x 4) 5-40 (d8
x 5) 2-40 (d20 x 2).
E—41-50 HP (Suggested poisons
7-42 (d6 x 7), 6-48 (d8 x 6),
8-48 (d6 x 8), 5-50 (d10
x 5).
F—51-60 HP (Suggested poisons
9-54 (d6 x 9, 7-56 (d8 x 7), 6-60
(d10 x 6), 10-60 (d6 x 10),
3-60 (d20 x 3).
G—61-70 HP (Suggested poisons
are 8-64 (d8 x 8), 11-66 (d6 x
11) 7-70 (d10 x 7).
H—72-80 HP (Suggested poisons
9-72 (d8 x 9) 12-72 (d6 x 12),
13-78 (d6 x 13) 8-80 (d10
x 8) 4-80 (d20 x 4) 10-80 (d8 x 10).
I—81-90 HP (Suggested poisons
14-84 (d6 x 14), 11-88 (d8 x
11), 9-90 (d10 x 9),15-90
(d6 x 15).
J—91-100 Hit Points of additional
damage (Suggested poison
types 12-96 (d8 x 12), 16-96
(d6 x 16), 10-100 (d10 x 10), 5-100
(d20 x 5).
Not every Alchemist will
carry each type or strength of poison. If a
strength of poison is carried
by an Alchemist, he will carry only one
poison of that strength,
so that an Alchemist may carry for type “AA”
either 1-3 or 1-4 types,
but not both.
Special
Strengths
X—Delivers 10 HP
per round until death occurs.
XX—Instant Death. This may
be used only by a Master Locksmith,
or by Assassins only with
the Guildmaster’s permission.
S-Sleep poison. Two rounds
after being used, this acts as a sleep
spell on those creatures
which are susceptible to sleep. No damage is
taken.
If a Neutralize Poison or
Slow Poison spell is cast after contact with
the above poisons, any damage
already taken is not affected.
Antidotes
Antidotes are swallowed
and come in strengths “AA” through “X”,
plus a sleep antidote. Antidotes
are more stable than poisons, delivering
a set number of points of
poison protection. Type “AA” antidote
provides 5 points of poison
neutralized, “A” 10 points, “B” 20 points,
“C” 30 points, etc. “S”
affects only sleep poison but also gives plus 3
on sleep spells for the
next four movement turns. Type “X” acts as a
Neutralize Poison spell.
The strength of the antidote is subtracted from
the amount rolled for damage
of the poison.
The effects of the antidote
last for four rounds after consumption,
i.e. if a victim is struck
by a sword coated with strength “C” poison, 15 is
rolled for damage and the
victim drinks a type “A” antidote in the next
round, the victim takes
5 HP damage from the poison for the round
before and the rest of the
damage (10 HP) is neutralized. Two rounds
later the same victim is
hit once more by the poison blade and 25 HP
damage is rolled; ten more
HP of damage is neutralized and the
victim takes the remaining
15 points. Any damage taken before consumption
of the antidote or any damage
beyond the strength of the
antidote is totally unaffected
by the antidote. Strength “X” or “XX”
poisons are affected only
by strength “X” antidote; to affect “XX”
poison the antidote must
be taken at least one round and not more than
four rounds before the poison
is encountered. Sleep poison is affected
by “S” antidote or by antidote
strengths “C” and above. Regular
antidotes cost 200 gp per
point of damage neutralized, “S” antidote
costs 2000 gp per dose,
and strength “X” antidote costs 30,000 gp per
dose.
Ingested | Water soluble | Skin contact | Poison Gas | Poisons: From AA to XX |
Ingested:
All types of poison have full effect if swallowed, but only
this type of poison can
be mixed with food or drink to full effect.
All
other types of poison give
off an odor or change the color of the
material they are mixed
with; also, other types of poison are diluted to
one-quarter strength if
mixed. Only “S” strength is available to Non-
Assassins. Strengths available
to Assassins are “AA”-“J” plus “S” and
“x”. Price to Assassins
is 50 gp per maximum Hit Points of damage
done by the poison. “S”
strength poison, if available to adventurers,
costs 500 gp per dose. Type
“X” poison costs 7,500 gp per dose to
Assassins.
Water
soluble: This type of poison is applied to blades, arrows,
darts or other objects,
and when it contacts blood or bodily fluids it
dissolves and does the appropriate
amount of damage. If the user of
this type of poison is rained
upon, falls into a pit of water, or takes a
swim the poisoned blade
had better be waterproofed in a scabbard or
wrapped in waterproof cloth,
or else when he needs the envenomed
steel he may find a rather
ordinary blade without the extra damage he is
counting on. Sleep strength
is usable by all party members; this is the
type sold to MUs and Thieves
(see above). Strengths available are
“AA”-“J” plus “X” and “S”.
Prices for most strengths are 75gp per
maximum HP of damage possible;
strength “S”. costs 750 gp per vial,
and strength “X” costs 11,250
gp per vial.
Skin Contact:
This type of poison takes effect upon contact with
the naked skin. This type
of poison is +2 to hit above the number
needed for the weapon to
hit, so that the poison may take effect even
though no wound was sustained.
This type of poison can do wonders
as a trap, but a little
goes a long way. Coins, gems, and weapon hilts
coated with strength “XX”
skin-contact poison and scattered about a
dungeon level will soon
kill even a high-level party, but it will almost as
surely kill a campaign as
players decide that there are easier places to
run a dungeon. Strengths
available are “AA”-“J” plus “X” and “XX”.
Regular skin-contact poison
costs 200 gp per maximum Hit Points of
damage possible, strength
“X” costs 30,000 gp and strength “XX”
costs 45,000 gp per vial.
Poison Gas:
This type of poison is carried as a liquid, and as soon
as it is touched by air
it dissolves into a gas. This gas spreads into a cloud
5’ x 5’ and affects up to
four creatures, after which time enough
of the
toxin has been absorbed
to neutralize further effects. If more than four
creatures are within the
cloud, the DM must determine which four are
closest to the center of
the cloud, and they are affected. If all of the
poison is not breathed in
it will last for five rounds, subject to wind,
djinnis, etc. This type
of poison is used in more valuable traps, and if
somehow obtained it is favored
as a missile weapon by adventurers. It
may also be set on the dungeon
floor and activated by missile fire from
long range. Because of the
small size of the vial it is -3 to hit by all
missile weapons. Strengths
available are “F”-“J”, plus “S” and “XX”.
The price for regular poison
gas is 300 gp per maximum hit damage
done by a particular strength;
type “S” costs 3000 gp per vial and
“XX” costs 67,500 gp per
vial (Rare).
(DM: The above should be
the minimum prices for poisons. They
may go up as materials or
equipment become scarce for any given
poison strength or type
of poison. The high prices for more powerful
types of strengths help
reinforce the idea that high-level poisons should
be used only by high-level
Assassins and then only on the most
dangerous, i.e. high-level,
targets; otherwise, there is no profit to the
Assassins involved.)