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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Poison mechanics for OSE/B/X
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<blockquote data-quote="Cruentus" data-source="post: 8959832" data-attributes="member: 7034645"><p>Hello, I was hoping to get some additional brainpower on the issue of Poisons in old school gaming, particularly OSE and B/X style games. The main rules for poisons tended to live in monster stat blocks, with the majority of them being "save or die" mechanics with either a penalty, bonus, or no effect on the saves. So, pretty binary. </p><p></p><p>The Rules Cyclopedia says " A character hit my poison who fails a save vs poison dies; if he makes his saving throw, he is unaffected. Optionally, poison may inflict damage - for example, d6 per Hit Die of the creature, with a save for half damage." </p><p></p><p>OSE Advanced rules (p98-99) have poison Types, with onset time, and fairly straight/strict damage numbers (i.e. Type I, +6 save Mod, onset d4+1 rounds, 15hp damage on failed save, no damage on save.</p><p></p><p>And then a system like the Toxins of Cerilia from Dragon Magazine, March 82, expand on the Types of poisons, with names, onsets, course timing, variable damages, etc. </p><p></p><p>How do you make poisons more interesting? I get the all or nothing nature of it, but it also doesn't help build any tension. Foe example, if you were poisoned, there is literally no time to seek an antidote (except for the OSE:A onset time - get poisoned, know you're poisoned? - figure you have a round or two to get an antidote - then??, the poison doesn't do damage over time, doesn't affect stats versus just straight HP damage, etc. </p><p></p><p>All of those being the baseline, how would you implement poisons in an OSE Advanced game to make them more interesting? How could you build a fairly simple poison system that, while deadly, isn't instantly deadly and allows for the character to try to seek help, or that could affect ability scores instead of HP? Is this possible?</p><p></p><p>As I've tried to massage something, it either ends up fairly complicated with bookeeping (ex Cerilia, take total damage, divide by how long to run its course, apply damage every round, etc.), or "failed save = drop dead". </p><p></p><p>Ideas?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Cruentus, post: 8959832, member: 7034645"] Hello, I was hoping to get some additional brainpower on the issue of Poisons in old school gaming, particularly OSE and B/X style games. The main rules for poisons tended to live in monster stat blocks, with the majority of them being "save or die" mechanics with either a penalty, bonus, or no effect on the saves. So, pretty binary. The Rules Cyclopedia says " A character hit my poison who fails a save vs poison dies; if he makes his saving throw, he is unaffected. Optionally, poison may inflict damage - for example, d6 per Hit Die of the creature, with a save for half damage." OSE Advanced rules (p98-99) have poison Types, with onset time, and fairly straight/strict damage numbers (i.e. Type I, +6 save Mod, onset d4+1 rounds, 15hp damage on failed save, no damage on save. And then a system like the Toxins of Cerilia from Dragon Magazine, March 82, expand on the Types of poisons, with names, onsets, course timing, variable damages, etc. How do you make poisons more interesting? I get the all or nothing nature of it, but it also doesn't help build any tension. Foe example, if you were poisoned, there is literally no time to seek an antidote (except for the OSE:A onset time - get poisoned, know you're poisoned? - figure you have a round or two to get an antidote - then??, the poison doesn't do damage over time, doesn't affect stats versus just straight HP damage, etc. All of those being the baseline, how would you implement poisons in an OSE Advanced game to make them more interesting? How could you build a fairly simple poison system that, while deadly, isn't instantly deadly and allows for the character to try to seek help, or that could affect ability scores instead of HP? Is this possible? As I've tried to massage something, it either ends up fairly complicated with bookeeping (ex Cerilia, take total damage, divide by how long to run its course, apply damage every round, etc.), or "failed save = drop dead". Ideas? [/QUOTE]
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