A few questions about poisons.

[Lord Pendragon]

Okay, there may be some poisons in my next session, so I need to verify a few rules.

1. Does temporary ability damage go away on its own? I believe it's 1 point per ability score per day? Can someone verify this?

2. I've checked through the DMG, and can't locate anything about applying multiple doses of a poison to the same weapon. Should my halfling thug be able to apply five doses of poison to his dagger at once, allowing his next five strikes to be poisoned? I found a sentence that says you must always use at least one dose, but nothing about whether or not it's all right to apply multiple doses at once.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

1. yes

Ability Damaged
The character has temporarily lost 1 or more ability score points. These points return at a rate of 1 per day. Ability damage is different from effective ability loss, which is an effect that goes away when the condition causing it goes away. A character with Strength 0 falls to the ground and is helpless. A character with Dexterity 0 is paralyzed. A character with Constitution 0 is dead. A character with Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma 0 is unconscious.

2. no (emphasis on relevant part, IMO, although it doesn't say outright that you can't do it)

Poison
One dose of poison smeared on a weapon or some other object affects just a single target. A poisoned weapon or object retains its venom until the weapon scores a hit or the object is touched (unless the poison is wiped off before a target comes in contact with it). Any poison smeared on an object or exposed to the elements in any way-if the vial containing it is left unstoppered, for instance-remains potent until it is touched or used.

A character has a 5% chance to expose himself to a poison whenever he applies it to a weapon or otherwise readies it for use. Additionally, a character who rolls a 1 on an attack roll with a poisoned weapon must make a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) or accidentally poison himself with the weapon.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Thanks for clearing up #1!

On #2, the reason I'm unsure is the line right before the one you bolded.

One dose of poison smeared on a weapon or some other object affects just a single target.

So perhaps two doses smeared on a weapon would affect two targets.

Would this be unbalancing? I suppose my thug could take quickdraw and have several daggers on-hand...

 

[Camarath]

My gut reaction is that if multiple doses of poison were placed on a weapon all doses would affect the first target hit with the weapon. But I have no rule support on this. Also I don't think that multiple doses affecting multiple targets would be unbalancing.

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

My gut reaction is that if multiple doses of poison were placed on a weapon all doses would affect the first target hit with the weapon. But I have no rule support on this. Also I don't think that multiple doses affecting multiple targets would be unbalancing.

I as well don't think it would be unbalancing, but the character, IMO, should have to make the poisoning screw-up check for every dose, AND, if a 1 is ever rolled on an attack, the character should have to make a Reflex save for EVERY dose thats on the weapon.

Also, there should be a limitation on how many doses that can be put on a particular weapon. 1 dose (tiny and small), 2 doses (medium), 4 doses (large), etc...

Maitre D

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I as well don't think it would be unbalancing, but the character, IMO, should have to make the poisoning screw-up check for every dose, AND, if a 1 is ever rolled on an attack, the character should have to make a Reflex save for EVERY dose thats on the weapon.

Well, I'm the DM and if the thug in question had ever failed the check, then he'd be in bed and it'd be a different thug the PCs encounter. But I don't like just screwing my players over, so I wanted to check the balance of the idea. If it were unbalanced, then I'd either have to nix it, or at least provide a bump to CR and XP as compensation.

Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[Maitre Du Donjon]

By the way, was thinking about your multiple poisoned weapons / quickdraw thing... Wouldn't the sheath rub the poison off the blade anyways?

Anywho, you can go kill some PC's now

Maitre D