D&D 4E D&D 4E: Who can use poisons and how often?

[vaticanassassin]

I am new to D&D and am making my first attempt at DM'ing. One of my players made an Assassin Executioner character. His equivalent of a daily power is poison use. Does this mean he can't use poison after that? (in a non-combat setting)

Now some others want to use poison, can anyone use it?

 

[BobTheNob]

Welcome

He has X amount of potions per day. The fact that he has poisons is built into his character.

This is the price he has paid. He chose the executioner so he has poisons. The other players didnt choose executioner, so by what right do they demand such power?

Back in the 2e days when we were playing Darksun and the bard had some ridiculously nasty poisons we had this same debate and it seemed every player walked aorund with poison weapons! Luckily, both the game system and my players have grown up since then and accepted that their must be limitations or there is no game.

 

[jeffh]

The other characters don't get the Executioner's poisons for the same reason the Executioner doesn't get, for example, the mage's Sleep spell. The Poisons are basically the Executioner's daily powers (they even work a little like the Mage's spellbook does).

 

[Klaus]

I am new to D&D and am making my first attempt at DM'ing. One of my players made an Assassin Executioner character. His equivalent of a daily power is poison use. Does this mean he can't use poison after that? (in a non-combat setting)

Now some others want to use poison, can anyone use it?

The Executioner's poisons are fast-decaying liquids that are very hard to put together. Once a dose is assembled, it decays in a few hours (just in time for your extended rest). That's why he gets a limited number of poisons per day, and why no one else can handle these poisons.

 

[generalchaos34]

The Executioner's poisons are fast-decaying liquids that are very hard to put together. Once a dose is assembled, it decays in a few hours (just in time for your extended rest). That's why he gets a limited number of poisons per day, and why no one else can handle these poisons.

Not to mention that his extended use and experimentation with said poisons has given him immunity (iocane powder included), therefore he is able to use them without worrying about accidentally killing himself.

 

[the Jester]

There are poisons anyone can use in the DMG.

 

[Mummolus]

There are a number of poisons anybody can use, but on the whole they're rather underwhelming. The Executioner's are better, but still not really on the level of daily powers, which is what they replace.

 

[WalterKovacs]

I am new to D&D and am making my first attempt at DM'ing. One of my players made an Assassin Executioner character. His equivalent of a daily power is poison use. Does this mean he can't use poison after that? (in a non-combat setting)

If he has it prepared that day, he can use poison in a non-combat setting [each of the poisons has a non-combat use, such as setting it up as a trap, or putting it in food/drink].

Now some others want to use poison, can anyone use it?

There are a few "ways" for others to use poison. If they multiclass into Assassin, they can take the various venom hand feats that gives them 1/encounter poison damage on a weapon, as well as the ability to deal more damage when the attack does poison, and getting around poison immunity/resistance. There are some paragon paths tied around poison powers as well.

In terms of it being somethng other than a power, you have to go down the alchemy route. Some of the alchemical consumables are poisons (they actually have their own category), and are a mix of secondary effects applied to weapons or stuff that can be used out of combat.

In you allow themes, the Athesian Minstrel has some poison based stuff while the new Alchemist theme is a perfect way to turn poison alchemy recipes into 1/encounter poison use without needing to pay. They would always have the option to make more alchemy poisons that are "permanent" until consumed if they pay full price.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

There are also Alchemical poisons, and some poisoner feats from way back. There are actually quite a few ways for a character to get access to poison damage. Straight up poisons anyone can use are pretty limited though.

 

[WalterKovacs]

I just checked ... there are also some poisons (many out of the DMG) that are basically just a consumable item. They don't have associated recipes like the alchemy items, but they have a level and price, so they can be purchased. Some give a special condition that limits how the poison can be applied, but otherwise they are either applied to a weapon (if you hit and deal damage with the weapon you can make the poison attack roll to get it's effects), put into food, drink or inhaled. In terms of in combat usage, they only mention that applying it to a weapon is a standard action, and that it goes away after 5 minutes if the weapon hasn't hit and delivered the poison yet. No mention on what sort of action it would be to scatter the powder to be inhaled, so presumably that's not meant to occur in combat (or I guess just make it a standard action, and probably make it close blast 1 (i.e. target 1 adjacent square/enemy). They are priced the same as other leveled consumable goods (like alchemy items, potions, etc).