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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 8872983" data-attributes="member: 20323">I don't think the problem is coming from the player or the GM. Player's assertion is completely reasonable. DM wanting rules clarification is completely reasonable.The problem is how contact poisons are handled in D&D adventures – typically an object in a dungeon is smeared with contact poison (exactly like your chest example). Any sensible adventurer is going to wear gloves in a dangerous dungeon environment. Duh. So the contact poison (as typically presented) becomes a non-threat..... unless the contact poison rubs off on something or there's enough of it to seep through gloves..... but in most cases a non-threat.Adventures using contact poisons as a legitimate threat to PCs need to do one or several of the following:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Incentivize removing gloves during exploration. For example, maybe the secret passages in this dungeon are only detectable through slight changes in stonework of the walls, like a dwarven or mindflayer braille writing system that can only be read by touching bare-handed.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Present situations where there is a risk of losing/damaging gear like your gloves. For example, rope burn during a fall tearing through the glove's palm/fingers.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Present situations where the wearing of thick leather gloves would impact the difficulty of the situation. For example, picking a lock or even social situations where thick leather gloves are a faux pas.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Get clever about where the contact poison is applied and the situations it is applied to. For example, contact poisoning the inside of a set of gloves/gauntlets, contact poisoning a ring, contact poisoning thieves' tools or other delicate instruments, contact poisoning the floor of an area where there's a riddle whose answer is "barefoot before the gods", etc.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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