LN rogue using poison?

[Taloras]

Does this sound right? Im trying to create a Lawful Neutral rogue that uses poisons. Yes, i know that the DMG says poison is almost always illegal, but what im getting at is that hes lawful in regards to his thieves guild. And they allow poison. He particularly specializes in poisons that put people to sleep (he knocks the guard out instead of killing him). But im not sure if this goes with the alignment or not.


Also, has anyone seen a good rule for blowdart guns? in the DMG, its listed under Asian weapons as a martial weapon. in MOTW(i think), its an exotic weapon. Which is right? As a rogue, would i need to get the feat for it?

 

[Crothian]

Ask your DM. Different DM have different takes on Poison, it's his world so really only he can answer that.

Bl;ow Guns I've always used as an EWP, so you'd need the feat.

 

[da chicken]

Some general pointers on poison:

[*]Poison is, by default, illegal. That implies non-lawful. [Lawful implies respect for the law.]
[*]Poison is dishonorable/unethical/cheating. Again that implies non-lawful. [Lawful implies ethics and honor.]
[*]Poison is often considered more cruel than other types of weapons. This may be because it is more painful, or because it is indiscriminantly lethal, or because it is more permanently damageing, or a host of other reasons. Its use is ascribed to those without compassion. This implies non-good. [Good implies compassion and altruism.]
[*]Non-lethal poison implies altruism only when it is used to incapacitate without causng further harm. Using sleep poison just so you can stab someone in the eye is just as bad as using a lethal poison.

The real effects of poison will result from how NPCs treat you. If you use poison, your opponents will assume you wish to fight to the death; no quarter will be asked or given. Additionally, you may lose respect from enemies (who see poison use as a sign of cowardice and weakness) and from the general populace (who find the use of poison unethical).

By players and DMs, poison should be considered neutral with possible chaotic and evil implications.

Note: I used 'implies' instead of 'is' because when dealing with alignment and NPC reactions, exceptions will always exist.

As for blowguns, outside of a setting where they are explictly martial (such as OA) they would be exotic. In this case, they would be exotic because of their unusual nature (nobody trains with them normaly) and not because of their difficulty of use.

 

[LokiDR]

Lawful does not mean that you follow the laws of an organization or nation, it just means you follow some code. There is an NPC in enemies and allies, a black marketeer, who is lawful neutral. The quote listed with the character is "Poison is a cowards weapon. I'll have a shipment in next week, but get here quick, it sells fast"

As for the blowgun, unless you are in an asian game, I would guess that it is an exotic weapon. Think about shuriken instead. 3 attackes beats one for poison.

 

[da chicken]

/me smacks LokiDR.

That's why I said IMPLIES!

 

[Taloras]

the only problem with poison is its expensive. i cant afford to coat everything with it. for the character, its mostly something used when absolutely necessary (as in, you have to get in somewhere without raising an alarm). its sure as hell cleaner than killing someone.

On a similar matter, does anyone have a rule for a sleep poison? similar to the drow sleep poison? the closest to a sleep poison in the DMG is blue whinnis, which is 1 con/unconscious.

as for shuriken, they are also exotic i believe. the blow dart gun fits my character concept better (hes not a ninja type.)

 

[da chicken]

For existing sleep poison, you could use Pseudodragon poison:
Poison (Ex): Sting, Fortitude save (DC 12); initial damage sleep for 1 minute, secondary damage sleep for 1d3 days. [SRD]

 

[Taloras]

The question is in price. how much would it cost?

 

[magnas_veritas]

For existing sleep poison, you could use Pseudodragon poison:
Poison (Ex): Sting, Fortitude save (DC 12); initial damage sleep for 1 minute, secondary damage sleep for 1d3 days. [SRD]

That doesn't sound bad. Really. But what's the cost going to be? It's not in BoVD, and the absolutely cheapest poison from there is 40gp/dose. It's also not in my DMG. Maybe in Lords of Darkness?

Of course, most poison is hideously expensive, and is often not that cost-effective, either. I mean, heck, a Fort DC 12 save means that an average 1st-level fighter, cleric, or monk has a 50% chance to make it.

Brad

 

[da chicken]

Using the Poison chart in the DMG, it appears that price is a function of save DC (as well as poison type). Pseudodragon poison would probably cost 100 gp per dose (DC 12, injury type). Of course, it would also depend on availability. The high price of poison is simply the result of its illegal nature.

As a side note, notice that elves are vulnerable to this poison. They're only immune to magical sleep, which this poison is not.

Drow poison would probably cost 250 gp per dose; more if Drow are particularly rare or xenophobic in your campaign

Drow poison: Fortitude save (DC 17) or fall unconscious. After 1 minute, the subject must succeed at another Fortitude save (DC 17) or remain unconscious for 2d4 hours. [SRD]