Is using poison an evil act?

[Magic Rub]

So long as it's not against the arena's rules, I'd say go for it. However you might want to pay the arena's officials with a big sack of gold to keep thier yaps shut about your plan. "In this case" I would say that it's about the same as casting a spell.

The next time you may want to talk about it with your DM, as there may be some question of alignment regarding the purchase/use of such an item. It's a bit of a case by case thing really.

 

[0-hr]

To say that because the statement that poison use was an evil act in a previous edition it isn't now is silly.

It sure is! I'm glad that I didn't say that.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

Slightly off topic, but I have condensed all the poisons from the DMG, OA, and Rokugan into a 1 page Excell file with craft DCs, initial and secondary damage, price, etc. If anyone wants it email me and i'll shoot you a copy.

mostholycerebus@yahoo.com

 

[Darklone]

Check the new players guide for more poisons too!

YIHAA ANOTHER ALIGNMENT DEBATE! Love it. Guys, you aren't discussing this emotional enough yet! Go flaming!

Using poison: Who cares? I just used the rule that everytime you roll a 1 when using a poisoned weapon, you poison yourself. Go figure. 1s happen often in combat.

Strangely since then my players didn't want to use poison.

Do you think your character would use it? Yes? Go on.

 

[Uller]

Do you think your character would use it? Yes? Go on.

This is the most profound statement on this thread. You see...Your alignment should NOT NOT NOT NEVER EVER EVER define your actions, your thoughts, your deeds, your words, etc...your actions, thoughts, deeds and words define your alignment.

Your character may have some code of conduct. Or in your mind, you have some idea of what your character's personalilty and belief system is like. That is seperate from his alignment. While he may maintain in his mind that he is a good and law abiding person and always does what's right, his personality may be one that he is hot tempered and rash, and thus will sometimes commit an obviously evil or illegal act in the heat of the moment and rationalize it later to be "ok...I did what I had to do". This could lead him to become evil, even though his personal beliefs are basically good.

My advice to you is don't keep maintaining your character's LN alignment to be your goal. Your goal should be to define your character's beliefs and personality...the DM will determine your alignment as you go. If someone says to you: "Your PC wouldn't do that! He's LN." Your reply should be: "My character WOULD do this, because this is how he behaves in this circumstance. If that makes him change alignment, then that's just fine by me!"

 

[Kichwas]

According to the footnote on the bottom of page 80 in the DMG, "The purchase and possession of poison is always illegal....

Does that mean I'm not allowed to have a setting where it's legal?

I guess Fahla has to go away then. There are several regions were hunters use it or even soildiers use it.

Those d20 Modern PCs better watch out for the feds if they go in to buy Rat Poison for the base...

 

[Cloudgatherer]

I know I've read somewhere in the 3e rules that using poison is an "evil" act. I can't recall from where at the moment, but when I find it I'll give a reference.

 

[Serpenteye]

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

Even if using poison is an evil act there is no reason why a LN character would not do it. An evil act is no more contrary to his alignment than a good one, and he has probably committed quite a few of those in his adventuring career.
Even in those places where poison-use is illegal a LN character might still use it as long as he conforms to some sort of "internal code of honour", or something like that. There are as many ways to be Lawful as there are to be Neutral.

Serpent

 

[Cullain]

Darkone had it exactly: actions should determine alignment, alignment should not determine actions.

having said that, I (agreeing with many other posters) would think it would depend on the usage.

Would poisoning someone's drink be evil? Yes. But so would taking a longsword to them while they were sleeping.

Would using a poisoned arrow on a monster in combat be evil? No more evil than using an unpoisoned arrow with the intent of killing the monster, i would think.

Cullain

 

[Al]

I remember when I started a thread on this months and months ago...ah, nostalgia.

Still, my point now is unchanged from what it was then:
NO weapon, in and of itself, is evil, chaotic or any other alignment descriptor. It is the intention of the use of the poison that affects the alignment.

If the poison is used in foul murder for simple profit, it is probably CE or NE.
Used to serve an evil tyrant to dispose of the rebels for the benefit of the system, it is LE.
Used to paralyse the archwizard so you can dance around him calling him names it is CN.
Used as a truth serum (it's a form of poison) or to capture a criminal for interrogation it's LN.
Used to knock out a wicked despot so you can rescue the prisoners while he slumbers it's CG.
Used to put a dominated ally to sleep so you don't have to fight him it can be LG.

In this context, an arena battle, it probably alignment-free altogether. Any alignment probably has a vested interest in survival, and unless there is a specific code preventing him from such (I believe the paladin's code specifies it directly) the combatant can use any weapon at his disposal...and poison is just another weapon, no difference really to swords, bows or fireballs.