By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer, d20 Magazine Rack
Sizing Up the Target
Pale Designs: A Poisoner’s Handbook is a 96-page sourcebook from Bastion Press. It is written by Steven Creech and Kevin Ruesch (with assistance from a host of others) and retails for $24.95. Artwork from Alex Leonard, Andrew Baker, Ben Eargle, Jamie Powers, and Todd Morasch grace the full-color pages.
First Blood
Quick show of hands among DMs out there; do you like poisons? Yeah, I thought so. Let’s face it, there are few DMs who do not see poison as the oh-so-useful tool that it is. The problem is that in 3rd edition, poison became somewhat emasculated. The effects are now more varied and certainly a little more fun, but it no longer carries the same impact that it once did (where the room would go silent as the rogue made his save, wondering if he would survive the fiery burning in his veins). Enter
Pale Designs.
Pale Designs is a book about poisons, but don’t get the idea that it’s nothing more than a collection of toxic cocktails. Oh, to be sure, there are plenty of poisons herein, both new and from other Open Content products, but there’s so much more. Drugs, prestige classes, monsters, magical items, traps, spells, NPC classes, and new feats grace these pages as well.
“Let’s start at the very beginning, it’s a very good place to start.”
—Julie Andrews,
The Sound of Music
To truly understand poisons, you must understand the how and why. The Introduction will help you in this context. Where do poisons come from? How are they made? Why are they used, and on whom? How are they delivered? What are the possible effects (other than instant death)? How can they be best used in your campaign? All of these questions are answered in the Introduction.
Following this is a selection of delightfully toxic substances. These poisons, some drawn from other Open Game Content and some wholly original, have a variety of effects, from weakness, to hallucinations, to death. The authors also introduce two new concepts to poisons; toxicity and variant damage. Toxicity is simply a means of rating a poison as compared to others and uses a mathematical formula to arrive at a single number that approximates the relative strength of the substance. Variant damage puts the fear back into poisons by causing continual hit point damage until the poison has run it’s course or has been cured. This makes delay poison a much more valuable spell.
Of course, there’s more to poisons than simply going out into a field, grabbing a handful of herbs, and bringing them back to the cottage and boiling them into a poultice. To this end, three new skills are introduced (and some new ideas for two old ones); Knowledge (physiology), Knowledge (poisons), and Knowledge (monster). These skills are designed to work in conjunction with the new rules for harvesting poisons from deadly creatures that are also introduced.
The idea of drugs was first touched on in the
Book of Vile Darkness, and
Pale Designs takes that idea and runs with it. Where poisons typically simply cause damage and be done with it, drugs are a little more insidious. The damage they cause is usually masked by beneficial or “feel-good” side effects. And where poisons run their course and are done, drugs are often addictive, requiring those using them to make saving throws to avoid becoming hooked.
Where there are poisons, there are also antidotes, and this topic is given in-depth coverage as well. From alchemical creations, to natural boons, the various antitoxins are examined in detail, providing game effects as well as methods of preparation and gathering. Moreover, this section also discusses means of altering delivery methods (such as having two or three components that are inert by themselves, but form a deadly poison when combined, perhaps in the various courses of a nobleman’s meal).
So now we’ve examined the many different kinds of poisons that are known, but how about ways to deliver them? Ah, the authors have heard your plea! Whether your preference is the hidden spring dart or the more classy (and classic) Borgia ring, you’ll find it here. And the authors have come up with some truly inspired ideas, such as the poison clock, which looks like a perfectly ordinary water clock, but releases a deadly toxin into the air when the alarm goes off.
But what about weapons and traps? Oh yes, they’re covered here too, though they are given much less detail, since they have been so finely treated by previous authors. However, the selection of new magical goodies is hardly lacking, with new weapon and armor enhancements, and plenty of miscellaneous magics perfect for the delivery, detection, or resistance of poisons.
Anyone who is familiar with my reviews knows that I love new feats, and
Pale Designs doesn’t disappoint, offering 18 new feats (including three for monsters) dealing with poisons or the means of making and delivering such. Some are used from other resources under the Open Gaming Content license, but there are three brand-new ones (and the other 15 were previously unknown to me, as well). I know that my players will be investing in Poison Sense after they find out I have this book, and I can’t wait to use Venomous Spittle against them!
I mentioned new monsters, didn’t I? Well, how does a selection of ten deadly denizens and a new template sound?
I thought you’d like that. Among the new ones, I was very happy to see the return of the iron cobra (from the original
Fiend Folio)!
And, let’s see…oh yes, new spells! How does two new domains (murder and posion) sound? Yeah? Then you’ll love the 23 new magics that accompany them (both arcane and clerical). They’ve also revamped the assassin’s spell list, to better reflect a class that should, above all others, rely on poisons to do a lot of their work.
Nine new prestige class and two NPC classes round out the book, including the long-awaited sniper! Of course, the beguiler, the nightstalker, and the psi-slayer are no slouch at what they do, either, and every campaign will find a place for the mage hunter, the infiltrator, the bondsman, the acolyte, and the anarchist, as well. The prestige classes herein are designed to permit a player to play an assassin-like character wuthout being consigned to that particular prestige class.
Critical Hits
Doubtlessly, this is the single most comprehensive work on poisons that I have yet seen for any edition of
Dungeons & Dragons! If you use poisons in your game (and what DM doesn’t?), you need this book! It’s that simple.
There’s just so much good stuff in here that it’s hard to pick out only one or two winning points. I think that the reintroduction of hit point damage back into poisons was a much-needed addition and I applaud the authors for taking the bold steps to do so. I also found the section on varying delivery methods and antidotes much needed.
Finally, I have to say that even if you don’t play D&D specifically, you should take a look into this book. Though it uses the d20 system, it contains valuable information that can be easily converted to any RPG system. As a supplement to the new
d20 Modern, it adds a whole new level of excitement (especially since so many people have been requesting a sniper advanced class).
Critical Misses
Only two things come immediately to mind. First is the inclusion of the henchman NPC class. Where the canthartisian (the other NPC class) serves a definite purpose in the campaign, the henchman just seems to fill a niche that could be just as easily covered by the warrior or even a low-level rogue. They are intended to fill out the ranks of a mastermind’s thugs, but the class just doesn’t strike me as necessary.
The other thing is the illustration on page 47. It’s not that it’s bad, per say, but I question the usefulness of nipple armor. Anyway, that doesn’t really detract from the product, but it makes me wonder if the artist might not have been suffering from the effects of one of the toxins described herein.
Coup de Grace
This book makes great use of the Open Game Content clause, drawing upon the resources of three other companies in its design. On the flip side, everything in this book except that which is claimed as Product Identity by other companies is designated Open Game Content. Hey, you can’t get much more fair than that! The book abides by the standards for d20 Compliance and sets new standards for originality with the in-depth coverage of a topic that everyone draws on, but no one seems willing to talk about.
Whether you’re a DM looking to add something new to your game, or a player looking for something to give you that extra edge,
Pale Designs fills the bill. Doubtless, everyone will find something of use in this product, making it a worthy addition to
any gamer’s shelf. Don’t miss this one, or you may find yourself on the receiving end of something that you could have learned about in here.
To see the graded evaluation of this product, go to The Critic's Corner at www.d20zines.com.
Think you'll like my contribution, the Dusk Society.
