Poisoned
- A poisoned creature has disadvantage on Attack rolls and Ability Checks.
Causes
Common Causes: Poisonous spiders, Thri-Kreen, Poisoner’s Kits, horrid stenches, Drow, Demons, and Devils
Affected Groups
Why it matters to players: This is the most basic de-buff of the conditions. You are only worse at attacking and trying anything with your skills. Your options for coping with this include spells like Protection from Poison and Lesser Restoration, being a Dwarf or a Yuan-Ti, a Paladin’s Lay on Hands, the often overlooked anti-toxin, or being a high-level Monk. There are many ways to counter-play, but not having any of them means you are out of luck.
This is a category where spellcasters have an advantage as being poisoned does not change their saving throw spells in any way. Most if not all Poisoned effects target Constitution, so spellcasters are more likely to suffer from the effect than Martial classes anyway.
Using rules found in the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything players can harvest poisons from fallen enemies or even purchase some. Against powerful enemies, this can help turn the tide and soften them up for Grappling. Be cautioned though: undead, fiends, and a variety of other monsters are immune to the Poisoned condition outright.
Why it matters to DMs: Odds are you’ll come across this one a lot. It is a favorite of Wizards of the Coast and for good reason: it is easy and wreaks a lot of havoc. Not only is it often a rider effect, but the rules on how to deal with the poison also vary wildly. Some give the player a save at the end of every turn, some are one save before a long duration, some if you fail by 5 or more you gain an additional rider effect, and those are just the most frequent. Read each individual ability carefully and think about what they imply. Poison implies either an advanced mutation in a creature’s evolution or the intelligence of a creature to utilize it.
This is a category where spellcasters have an advantage as being poisoned does not change their saving throw spells in any way. Most if not all Poisoned effects target Constitution, so spellcasters are more likely to suffer from the effect than Martial classes anyway.
Using rules found in the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Xanathar’s Guide to Everything players can harvest poisons from fallen enemies or even purchase some. Against powerful enemies, this can help turn the tide and soften them up for Grappling. Be cautioned though: undead, fiends, and a variety of other monsters are immune to the Poisoned condition outright.
Why it matters to DMs: Odds are you’ll come across this one a lot. It is a favorite of Wizards of the Coast and for good reason: it is easy and wreaks a lot of havoc. Not only is it often a rider effect, but the rules on how to deal with the poison also vary wildly. Some give the player a save at the end of every turn, some are one save before a long duration, some if you fail by 5 or more you gain an additional rider effect, and those are just the most frequent. Read each individual ability carefully and think about what they imply. Poison implies either an advanced mutation in a creature’s evolution or the intelligence of a creature to utilize it.
https://halflinghobbies.com/every-condition-and-how-to-use-them-in-dd-5e/#Blinded
