How do you handle poisons

[Norm]

Hello there,
I have a player that is playing a deepwoods sniper character that uses poison.

Looking in the DMG I find some poisons, but most all are temporary ability damage. I would love some advice on how to make a balanced poison that does Hitpoint damage over time unless cure and things like that.


Basically How to all of you handle poison use?

Thanks,
- Norm

 

[bwgwl]

very carefully.

it's been sort of a precedent that poisons and diseases only do ability damage and other effects like paralysis and unconsciousness -- i've yet to see a poison or disease from WOTC that does direct hit point damage.

remember though, that if the poison does Con damage, that will reduce the target's hit points, until the Con damage is healed. If Con is reduced to zero, the subject dies.

as a DM, i generally frown on PC poison use (especially if it's a lethal poison), because i want the PCs to be heroes!

 

[nsruf]

I would recommend staying with Con damage, too, as it scales so nicely.

If you really want balanced poisons doing hp damage, you could start by treating them like potions of "inflict ... wounds" for determinig price and effect.

 

[Norm]

thanks

Thanks,

I suppose poisons would take a bit of time to take effect, which would explain any temporary str, dex, con, type damage.

A vigilante sniper I would think would want a poison that would prevent escape so that he could finnish the job. So Str damage may make the target encumbered and move slower, Dex damage would make the target more easily hit with subsequent arrows, and Con damage would of course help in reducing the target to zero hitpoints.

Those certainly have thier uses and are very potent.

As my player levels, and puts more points into Craft: poisonmaking, I could have him discover new poisons that are more specific.... (Gives me time to think some up)

Thank you for your help,
- Norm

 

[Vanye]

it's been sort of a precedent that poisons and diseases only do ability damage and other effects like paralysis and unconsciousness -- i've yet to see a poison or disease from WOTC that does direct hit point damage.

The Twig Blights in The Sunless Citadel have a Fort Save to avoid taking 1 extra point of damage from their Poison Sap.

The specific entry from their description in the module:

Special Attacks: Poison Sap: Claw, Fort Save (DC 16) or take 1 extra point of damage (No secondary effects)


Given that it's the first 3E module, I find it easy to believe poison rules were changes somewhat after Bruce finished the module, and it wasn't updated...

 

[CRGreathouse]

i've yet to see a poison or disease from WOTC that does direct hit point damage.

Really? There's one in the DMG.

 

[bwgwl]

Really? There's one in the DMG.

heh. shows me to go from memory rather than checking my books first!

 

[Nightchilde-2]

Con poisons...

Con poisons are NASTY.

Last session, one of the PCs took 6 points of Con damage. Dropped his hit points by like 46 in one shot. Not only that, but it made that secondary save that much more difficult.

<shudder>
_______________
Prince Nightchilde

 

[Suldulin]

Primal Codex has some nice posion rules

 

[Rashak Mani]

very carefully.

That was my answer !!