Poisoned weapon - Does hitting use up the poison?

[Contents May Vary]

In the DMG, it says that you can use poisons on weapons.

If you do so, it says that the poison will wear off after 5 minutes or at the end of the encounter. It does not say that hitting with the poisoned weapon will use up the poison.

So my question is simply this: If you poison a weapon and then hit with that weapon several times, does the poison effect work each time you hit (until the 5 mins are up)?

 

[Oompa]

If an power lasts till the end of an encounter, or an effect lasts till the end of an encounter.. then yes the posion would also..

 

[Contents May Vary]

Cool.

People were complaining in another thread that poison was underpowered, but if it does the damage with each hit, then it doesn't look like it is to me...

 

[TimeOut]

Apply a Poison:
Apply poison to a weapon. This is a standard action. Poison applied to a weapon loses its potency at the end of the encounter or after 5 minutes have passed.

Reference: DMG, page 51, upper left box. "Poisoned Weapon Attacks"

Edit: Since that was posted in the OP, I am too stupid to answer properly.
It does not say that the poison ends with a successful hit, so yes: Until the end of the encounter or 5 minutes have passed.

 

[Argyuile]

The poison lasts until the end of the encounter. The 5 minute rule is so that you can't poison your weapon in camp, wander around for 6 hours and then have your weapon poisoned and ready to go for your first encounter.

 

[Byronic]

I'm afraid that it only works for the first person you hit.

The poison takes effect the next time the weapon hits and deals damage

If a poisoned weapon hits multiple targets, the poison attacks only the first target hit

The next time, not every time in the next five min. And even if you hit someone on your first swing (if you hit multiple people) it'll only work on the first one. Makes you wonder if a dragon would toss a minion into the fireline Still, makes you wonder how Drow Warriors manage to keep on putting poison on their rapiers. But I suppose this is one of those times when 4.0 ignores common sense in favour of balance.

Would be nice if it worked like that though. You could make a character that specialises in poison instead of only using it just for solo's.