Likely poison mechanics

[Abstraction]

The article on terrain:

Doomspore (Any)
Usually found in large, natural caverns, this fungus takes the form of a clump of toadstools, some of which reach a height of about 3 feet tall. A square of doomspore is difficult terrain and provides cover to anyone standing within.

If any creature enters a doomspore's square (or uses a standard action to kick or poke at it, if within reach), a doomspore releases a cloud of spores that provides concealment to all creatures within its own and adjacent squares. Furthermore, a bloodied creature in the area of a cloud when created, who moves into the cloud, or begins its turn in the cloud, is subject to a Fortitude attack (+10) that deals 1d10 points of poison damage on a hit. In addition, a target hit by a doomspore is weakened and takes ongoing poison 5 (save ends both conditions; creatures with immunity to or resist poison 5 are immune to the weakened condition also).

This cloud (and its effects on a bloodied character) persists for the remainder of the encounter (or for 5 minutes). Once the cloud settles, the doomspore can't produce another for 24 hours.

So poison is a fortitude attack, instead of save. We knew that pretty well.

Poison deals poison damage. That's new. Poison as a damage type and a resistance type.

Ongoing poison damage. The text seems to say that once poisoned, the character takes 5 points of poison damage every round until a successful save. That stinks for wizards, I'm sure!

Attack only happening if the bloodied condition is met. Seems the poison goes away if the bloodied condition is removed.

Weakened is a state. Like fatigued?

 

[WyzardWhately]

The article on terrain:

Doomspore (Any)
Usually found in large, natural caverns, this fungus takes the form of a clump of toadstools, some of which reach a height of about 3 feet tall. A square of doomspore is difficult terrain and provides cover to anyone standing within.

If any creature enters a doomspore's square (or uses a standard action to kick or poke at it, if within reach), a doomspore releases a cloud of spores that provides concealment to all creatures within its own and adjacent squares. Furthermore, a bloodied creature in the area of a cloud when created, who moves into the cloud, or begins its turn in the cloud, is subject to a Fortitude attack (+10) that deals 1d10 points of poison damage on a hit. In addition, a target hit by a doomspore is weakened and takes ongoing poison 5 (save ends both conditions; creatures with immunity to or resist poison 5 are immune to the weakened condition also).

This cloud (and its effects on a bloodied character) persists for the remainder of the encounter (or for 5 minutes). Once the cloud settles, the doomspore can't produce another for 24 hours.

So poison is a fortitude attack, instead of save. We knew that pretty well.

Poison deals poison damage. That's new. Poison as a damage type and a resistance type.

Ongoing poison damage. The text seems to say that once poisoned, the character takes 5 points of poison damage every round until a successful save. That stinks for wizards, I'm sure!

Attack only happening if the bloodied condition is met. Seems the poison goes away if the bloodied condition is removed.

Weakened is a state. Like fatigued?

The thing I don't like is that implies that PCs will still be making Fort saves, to throw off the poison. I'm not liking that too well. It multiplies mechanics if we have both saving throws and defenses.

 

[Caliber]

While the text is semi-confusing, I assumed the phrase was implying 5 poison damage until the poison failed to beat the PC's Fort defense. I mean, sure the PC isn't "making" the save in an active sense of the word but its even stranger to say the poison "missed". Anyone know what the nomenclature is in Star Wars Saga for when a Fort or Will affect fails to beat the appropriate defense?

 

[loseth]

Spine Rain Standard; ranged 10; +9 Dex vs Ref; 1d6+2 +2d6 fire AND Poisoned 5, Slowed while Poisoned.

Is this part of the stat block any clearer in light of the new info we've got on poison?

 

[vagabundo]

Is this part of the stat block any clearer in light of the new info we've got on poison?

Yes...

 

[Bagpuss]

The text seems to say that once poisoned, the character takes 5 points of poison damage every round until a successful save. That stinks for wizards, I'm sure!

It stinks for everyone since it seems clear they don't have saves any more. Perhaps by successful save they mean failed Fortitude attack.

Which shows another flaw in this attacker rolls the dice, now the DM needs to remember a player is poisoned so he rolls his Fortitude attack roll every round. Previously it was the player's duty.

Attack only happening if the bloodied condition is met.

So that seems to imply that bloodied means you have open wounds.

Seems the poison goes away if the bloodied condition is removed.

There is nothing in the text to indicate that.

 

[Oldtimer]

Spine Rain Standard; ranged 10; +9 Dex vs Ref; 1d6+2 +2d6 fire AND Poisoned 5, Slowed while Poisoned.

Is this part of the stat block any clearer in light of the new info we've got on poison?

A thing about the Spined Devil stats, though. There's no Fortitude attack bonus listed for the poison. Sure, you could be poisoned automatically if hit, but how do you "save"?

...save ends both conditions...

Since we don't have an attack bonus against Fortitude on the Spined Devil, it doesn't seem like "save" means the poison "misses". Are we still stuck in a 3e mindset here on poisons? What does "save" really mean in this context?

 

[Vael]

The major question I have is, given we now have defenses in 4e, what is a save? I'm guessing it's another number, because there was only a reference to a save, not a Fort Save or Will Save. Perhaps one makes a save to end an ongoing condition?

If my wild guess is correct, then what we'll see in 4e is something like, a wizard casting Hold Person, making a Will attack on the Rogue. Wizard's attack succeeds, Rogue paralyzed. But next round, Rogue can activate a save to try and shake the effect.

 

[Wepwawet]

It stinks for everyone since it seems clear they don't have saves any more. Perhaps by successful save they mean failed Fortitude attack.

Which shows another flaw in this attacker rolls the dice, now the DM needs to remember a player is poisoned so he rolls his Fortitude attack roll every round. Previously it was the player's duty.

Not necessarily every round. I'm also sure that by "save" he means attack vs Fort (but yeah, attack doesn't sound right), but note also that's written "save" in the singular. I'm not sure it means much, but it also doesn't mean for sure there will be poison attacks every round.

The spined devil shoots spines... Maybe that's why it doesn't need Fort attack. If the devil hits you with the rain of spines, they get inside your skin and... maybe it's like mechanical poison, like if the spine leaves an open wound that weakens you every round... or the poison is just too strong to be resisted.

And weakened may be a condition with penalties to strength, for example...

 

[Xyl]

I don't think he would say "save" when he meant "attack". That, and the spined devil stats, make it clear that saves still exist as a mechanic, and are seperate from defenses. I doubt players will have seperate save scores; either poison saves are somehow based on fort defenses, or they're based on something else like a fixed target number.