Is using poison an evil act?

[Bassar]

I have a 6th Lawful Neutral rogue/fighter/mage who has been thrown in with a group of higher level characters in an Arena-type battle (think the climax of Attack of the Clones --- or perhaps not, considering).

We are fighting 6 others teams consisting of various bad-ass monsters. We can not escape and must fight to the last man standing.

We have a couple batches of poison.

My friend insists that using poison is an evil act.

I can find no references to using poison with regards to alignment in 3rd edition.

Apparently he tells me this is a rollover from 1st edition.

I believe that the use of poison is situational. And that given the circumstances --- kill or be killed --- a LN individual would use the poison.

thanks for your input.

bassar

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

My friend insists that using poison is an evil act.
bassar

Ask him if killing is an evil act...

Most likely he'll say that killing is okay in self-defense. Then you say that poison use is okay in self-defense. Problem solved.

 

[Crothian]

Depends on wether its the action or the reason that definds alignment in your world. the rules has many spells that are evil and it doesn't matter what your reasons are it is still evil to cast them. That is the only thing that I know that is purely labeled as evil. It's really up to the DM. Persoanlly, I've gone by that use of poison is and evil act. Even if it seems like the last hope, do you really want to reduce yourself to that level ? Sometimes it;'s better to die with your morals still in one piece.

However, commiting an evil act really only matter if your a cleric or a paladin. None of the other classes would really lose anything by doing something evil. You might role play a guilty conscious, but other then that what's the harm?

 

[Caliban]

I have a 6th Lawful Neutral rogue/fighter/mage who has been thrown in with a group of higher level characters in an Arena-type battle (think the climax of Attack of the Clones --- or perhaps not, considering).

We are fighting 6 others teams consisting of various bad-ass monsters. We can not escape and must fight to the last man standing.

We have a couple batches of poison.

My friend insists that using poison is an evil act.

I can find no references to using poison with regards to alignment in 3rd edition.

Apparently he tells me this is a rollover from 1st edition.

I believe that the use of poison is situational. And that given the circumstances --- kill or be killed --- a LN individual would use the poison.

thanks for your input.

bassar

Poison in and of itself is neutral. Many animals and plants use poison.

Among civilized beings the use of poison is generally seen as dishonorable (the main reason paladins can't/won't use it).

Poison is something you use to kill vermin, not people.

In most areas the use of poison against another intelligent being is considered an unlawful act (because it's against the law). Using poison is generally considered to be a premedited act, not a defensive measure. (Because you have to buy and prepare the poison, and poison has a shelf-life: you usually can't keep weapon poison around "just in case".)

In the situation you describe, using poison to even the odds against monsters you cannot avoid fighting would probably not be considered dishonorable (monsters have no honor). It may be considered unlawful, depending on the rules (if any) of the Arena.

In the end, it's up to the DM. Talk to him about it before-hand to make sure that you aren't getting into alignment trouble.

 

[mirzabah]

I believe that the use of poison is situational. And that given the circumstances --- kill or be killed --- a LN individual would use the poison.

I wouldn't say evil so much as very not nice.

However, the biggest problem with poison is usually not in the ethics so much as the delivery. Your opponents aren't going to sit still while you pour it down their throats and simply pouring a little on your blade, or dipping your arrows or bolts into it is not likely to be very effective. Poisons are usually "baked" onto a weapon, or come in a paste form that can be smeared on. Some poisons are effective on skin contact, so you have to be careful not to get any on yourself while applying it to your weapon(s). And once you've got your weapon(s) coated in highly toxic goo, you have to be sure that you don't scratch yourself or any of your comrades.

It also depends on what sort of poison you happen to have. Poison doesn't come in one-size-fits-all brown bottles with a skull and three Xs on the label. If you have poison that is intended to be slipped into someone's drink, then coating your weapons with it is not likely to have any effect.

I'm not sure what the story is in 3E, but IIRC, in 1E only assassins had the necessary training and experience to identify poisons, handle them safely and use them appropriately.

 

[Gromm]

I don't see Evil as a descriptor on the Poison spell, so I'd say its not evil in and of itself. In your situation its definately ok by any means. Poisoning humaniod beings might be construed as being evil, and its certainly dishonorable, but it really depends on the situation.
Poisoning an assassin's drink might be considered an evil act. Poisoning your arrows before firing them into an angry behir's underside probably isn't.

 

[laiyna]

poisons

Using poison and making poison is in almost all cases an unlawful act. And in almost all cases a none good act. I say usualy because we can always think of special cases where it would be allowed.

Then you need to look at the type of poison, and what you do afterwards. A sleep poison to disable someone, so you don't need to kill him could be even a perfect poison for CG. But a paralysing poison so you can torture the subject and he can't scream out is defently a CE poison and aplay.

In general I rule that poisons what do dammage are for the alignments: CN, TN, CE, NE. Poisons who sleep/disable are for CG, NG, CN, TN, CE, NE, depending on the alignment what you do after the use. Poisons that make you permanent blind, or diseased, etc are for CE, NE.

Take your pick, lawful characters only use poisons when you my use them and against what you my use them, mostly that is only against vermin and sometimes animals, treat them as having a NG alignment in the case you my use them.

hope this helps,

Lai

 

[Xarlen]

I say poison isn't lawful. It's breaking the rules by weakening your enemy, and dulling his abilities.

This may 'even the score', that's a neutral or chaotic opinon. Poison is, in essence, a *weapon*. A sword is no more 'Evil' then poison. It all depends on how you use it.

Snakes use poison to kill prey, so they can survive. Bees use poison to weaken foes of the nest, and drive them off.

Let me ask this: Do your enemies have breathweapons? Rend, regeneration, poison, spells (Or spell like abilities), swallow wholes, paralyzing tentacles, etc? Now, do you? This isn't a duel of honor, this is a Battle to the Death. This is leveling the playing field.

Hey, in some senses of the words, Ray of Enfeeblement, Blindness/Deafness, Hold Person, Poly, they weaken your enemy. So, how is poison any worse?

As to paralyzing poison being CE, it works just like sleep poison; it puts them down, and stops them from fighting, without killing.

 

[Argamath]

Not if its good poison.

(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

[trentonjoe]

Apparently he tells me this is a rollover from 1st edition.

I

Some classes also couldn't using flaming oil. Take that for what it is worth.

I guess the consensus is it certainly isn't a LAWFUL act. And it probably isn't a good act.

Use the damn posion, what's the worst that could happen?