Abstraction
First Post
Might save have something to do with action points, then? You have to spend an action point, if you have one, to end the poison? Or perhaps a save against poison is against some static number? Or a Con check?
Just think of the mechanic as a combat mechanic. It's for poisons or toxins that hurt you quickly enough to be relevant in combat. Many real world poisons are powerful enough that their inclusion is best left to the DM to include as a plot device instead of a common tactical weapon.Li Shenron said:I hate it.
While I agree that D&D should take into account long term and subtle poisons, I strongly disagree here that no real world poisons work as in D&D. You are referring only to certain types of poisons (not to mention having to get into the detailed discussions of toxicity vs. lethal dosage). Some examples off the top of my head of "close to D&D Combat" style real world poisons (e.g those that take very short amounts of time to "kick in") - in lethal dosages...Li Shenron said:I hate it.{SNIP}
Khaalis said:While I agree that D&D should take into account long term and subtle poisons, I strongly disagree here that no real world poisons work as in D&D. You are referring only to certain types of poisons (not to mention having to get into the detailed discussions of toxicity vs. lethal dosage). Some examples off the top of my head of "close to D&D Combat" style real world poisons (e.g those that take very short amounts of time to "kick in") - in lethal dosages...
Poison Hemlock [ingested]
Aconite a.k.a. wolfsbane or monkshood [ingested, injected]
Alkaloid Atropine (Angel's Trumpet, Belladonna, Nightshade) [ingested, injected]
Curare [injected]
Snake Venoms [injected]: Hemotoxic, Neurotoxic, Cytotoxic
Snake Venoms [contact]: Cytotoxic
Fungal Toxins [ingested]
Jellyfish Toxin [contact, injected]
etc.
Even arsenic, which is often considered a slow effect poison can be used to kill in very short order via arsenic trioxide - a white, tasteless, odorless powder. In most "murders" via this toxin, the poison is administered slowly over a period of time to mimic the effects of cholera, thus disguising the fact that the person is being poisoned. However, a lethal dose of arsenic for the average sized person is only 2 ounces (53 grams). This could be easily administered as an ingested or even injected poison.
if you want a great source for "criminal uses" of real world poisons - check out Deadly Doses: A Writer's Guide to Poisons. Its one of the best sources I have found for easy and practical understanding of real world poisons.
Cadfan said:Ongoing damage until a failed fort attack isn't so bad for wizards, really. The chances of the defender succeeding go up pretty fast as the number of rounds increase. Using 3e terminology, if a wizard has a +3 fort save and is facing even a really difficult DC 16 saving throw, he has a 40% chance of succeeding on round 1, a 64% chance on round 2, a 78.4% chance on round 3, etc.
If you change his statement from "on round x" to "by round x," however, it becomes correct again. The more rolls you make, the more likely it is that at least one of them succeed.Amadan said:Unless the DC is changing, that 40% chance of rolling a 13 or better does not change each round. It doesn't matter how many times you roll the dice, your chance of getting a particular number does not change.