Poisons

A poison is a substance that interferes with the natural functions of a living creature’s body, causing injury or death, typically requiring only a very small amount. The target of a poison may resist with a successful saving throw. Poisons can be delayed or cured with spells such as Delay Poison and Neutralize Poison.
Poisons have four categories, based on how they reach the target: contact, ingested, inhaled, or injury.

• Contact: These poisons are delivered the moment a creature touches the poison with its bare skin. Such poisons can be used as injury poisons. Contact poisons usually have an onset time of 1 minute and a frequency of 1 minute.
• Ingested: These poisons are delivered when a creature eats or drinks the poison. Ingested poisons usually have an onset time of 10 minutes and a frequency of 1 minute.
• Inhaled: These poisons are delivered the moment a creature enters an area containing such poisons and do not usually have an onset time. For most inhaled poisons, 1 dose fills a volume equal to a 10-foot cube. A creature can attempt to hold its breath while inside the area to avoid inhaling the toxin. A creature holding its breath receives a 50% chance of not having to make a Fortitude Save each round. See the rules for holding your breath and Suffocation. If a creature is holding its breath and fails the Constitution check to continue doing so, rather than suffocating it begins to breathe normally again (and is subject to the effects of the inhaled poison if still in the area).
• Injury: These poisons are primarily delivered through the attacks of certain creatures and through weapons coated in the toxin. Injury poisons do not usually have an onset time and have a frequency of 1 round.

Applying Poison

One dose of poison smeared on a weapon or some other Object affects just a single target. A poisoned weapon or Object retains its poison until the weapon scores a hit or the Object is touched (unless the poison is wiped off before a target comes in contact with it).
Applying poison to a weapon or single piece of ammunition is a Standard Action. Whenever you apply or ready a poison for use, there is a 5% chance that you expose yourself to the poison and must save against the poison as normal. This does not consume the dose of poison. Whenever you attack with a poisoned weapon, if the attack roll results in a natural 1, you expose yourself to the poison. This poison is consumed when the weapon strikes a creature or is touched by the wielder. If you have the poison use class feature (such as from the assassin prestige class or the Alchemist base class), you do not risk accidentally poisoning yourself when applying poison.

Poison Effects

A poison with an onset time has no effect until that time has elapsed. A poison with no onset time takes effect immediately when a creature is exposed to it. Once it takes effect, the creature must make the save listed for the poison (typically a Fortitude Save). Pass or fail, a poison deals damage to an afflicted creature each time they are exposed to it (i.e. when they make the first save for each application of it). This damage is HP damage, and is equal to the DC of the poison -10 then divided by 2 (i.e. a DC 16 poison would deal (16 - 10) / 2 = 3 damage). Creatures immune to poison (or to the specific poison in question) do not take this damage.
When a creature fails its first save against a poison, they immediately move one step down the poison's potency path (see below), and gain any other initial effects that may be listed for said poison. Each time the creature fails a successive save for a given poison, they move one step further down that poison's path, and suffer any secondary effects of the poison. Each poison has a frequency, denoting how many times the poison will affect the target (and how often), and a save requirement, which denotes how many successful Saving Throws (possibly consecutive) are needed to prematurely end the poison's progression.
When a poison reaches its end state or sufficient saves are made, the victim stops making saves and suffers no further effects from that poison, though any existing effects remain until properly cured (see below). Some poisons have no end state, allowing the victim to continue attempting saves until they succeed. Such poisons will typically revert to a less severe state once the save is made.

Poison Progression Tracks

The poison progression track represents the progressive effects of poison in the body. A creature who fails a save against a poison moves one step up that poison's track. Most poisons follow one of the following tracks, though some rare and deadly poisions may progress along more than one track simultaneously.

Potency and Progression

Poisons have varying levels of potency, changing how slowly or quickly they progress along their respective tracks. The potency of each poison is listed with that poison's description, and denotes which path they take for any given track.

Strength Track

Dexterity Track

Constitution Track

Intelligence Track

Wisdom Track

Charisma Track

Click the tabs above to view the poison track for each attribute.

Strength Poison Track

• Healthy: A character is healthy until affected by Strength poison.
  
• Weakened: A character weakened by Strength poison suffers a –2 penalty on Strength-based attack rolls, damage rolls, skill checks, and ability checks. Their carrying capacity is divided by 3. They are always considered to be carrying at least a medium load.
  
• Impaired: A character impaired by Strength poison experiences rapid muscle atrophy. They take an additional –2 penalty on the affected Strength-based rolls, and are always considered to be carrying at least a heavy load.
  
• Staggered: A character staggered by Strength poison is so weakened that they suffer the effects of the Staggered condition (except they can take a Full-Round Action if it is purely mental).
  
• Immobile: A character rendered immobile by Strength poison cannot move their body at all. They are Helpless and can take only purely mental actions.
  
• Dead: All the character's muscles cease functioning, including the heart.

Potency Paths

• Mild: Healthy — Weakened — Weakened— Impaired — Impaired — Staggered — Staggered — Immobile — Immobile — Dead
  
• Moderate: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Staggered — Immobile — Immobile — Dead
  
• Severe: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Staggered — Immobile — Dead
  
• Critical: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Immobile — Dead
  
• Fatal: Healthy — Weakened— Staggered — Dead

Dexterity Poison Track

• Healthy: A character is healthy until affected by Dexterity poison.
  
• Sluggish: A character rendered sluggish by Dexterity poison has dulled reactions. They take a –2 penalty on Reflex saves and all Dexterity-based attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks, as well as to AC.
  
• Stiffened: A character stiffened by Dexterity poison feels numb and stiff. They are considered Flat-Footed and are denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, even if they have uncanny dodge. They can't make attacks of opportunity.
  
• Staggered: A character staggered by Dexterity poison is so slowed and stiffened that they gain all the effects of the Staggered condition (except that they can take a Full-Round Action if it is purely mental).
  
• Immobile: A character rendered immobile by Dexterity poison cannot move their body at all. They are Helpless and can take only purely mental actions.
  
• Dead: The character's body becomes completely incapable of movement and dies.

Potency Paths

• Mild: Healthy — Sluggish — Sluggish — Stiffened — Stiffened — Staggered — Staggered — Immobile — Immobile — Dead
  
• Moderate: Healthy — Sluggish — Stiffened — Stiffened — Staggered — Immobile — Immobile — Dead
  
• Severe: Healthy — Sluggish — Stiffened — Staggered — Immobile — Dead
  
• Critical: Healthy — Sluggish — Stiffened — Immobile — Dead
  
• Fatal: Healthy — Sluggish— Staggered — Dead

Constitution Poison Track

• Healthy: A character is healthy until affected by Constitution poison.
  
• Weakened: A character whose health is weakened by Constitution poison takes a –2 penalty on all Fortitude saves and Constitution checks. Every time they attempt a Fortitude Save against the poison, whether they succeed or fail, they take damage as on initial exposure.
  
• Impaired: A character impaired by Constitution poison takes an additional –2 penalty on the above checks.
  
• Disabled: A character disabled by Constitution poison gains the Disabled condition. If they take a Standard Action, their hit points drop by 1 or to –1, whichever is worse.
  
• Unconscious: A character rendered Unconscious by Constitution poison enters a state of shock and can't be woken by any means as long as they remain in this state.
  
• Dead: The character's immune system is ravaged by the poison, and they expire.

Potency Paths

• Mild: Healthy — Weakened — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Disabled — Disabled — Unconscious — Unconscious — Dead
  
• Moderate: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Disabled — Unconscious — Unconscious — Dead
  
• Severe: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Disabled — Unconscious — Dead
  
• Critical: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Unconscious — Dead
  
• Fatal: Healthy — Weakened— Disabled — Dead

Intelligence Poison Track

• Healthy: A character is healthy until affected by Intelligence poison.
  
• Weakened: A character whose reason is weakened by Intelligence poison takes a –2 penalty on all Intelligence-based skill checks and ability checks. A character with Spellcasting based on Intelligence decreases their DCs by 2 and can no longer cast their highest level of spells.
  
• Impaired: A character impaired by Intelligence poison does not add their Intelligence bonus to the number of uses per day of pools and abilities (such as an arcane pool) and does not gain bonus spells per day from their Intelligence. They take an additional –2 penalty on the above Intelligence-based rolls. An Intelligence-based caster reduces their DCs by an additional 2, and they can no longer cast their 2 highest levels of spells.
  
• Animalistic: A character rendered animalistic by Intelligence poison has their Intelligence score dropped to 1, and is unable to use Intelligence-based skills, cast spells, understand languages, or communicate coherently. They still know who their friends are and can still follow them and even protect them (as the Feeblemind spell, but having no effect on Charisma).
  
• Comatose: A character rendered comatose by Intelligence poison is no longer able to process thoughts. They cannot be woken by any means as long as they remain in this state.
  
• Dead: The character's brain stops functioning, and they die.

Potency Paths

• Mild: Healthy — Weakened — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Animalistic — Animalistic — Comatose — Comatose — Dead
  
• Moderate: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Animalistic — Comatose — Comatose — Dead
  
• Severe: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Animalistic — Comatose — Dead
  
• Critical: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Comatose — Dead
  
• Fatal: Healthy — Weakened— Animalistic — Dead

Wisdom Poison Track

• Healthy: A character is healthy until affected by Wisdom poison.
  
• Weakened: A character whose awareness is weakened by Wisdom poison takes a –2 penalty on all Wisdom-based skill checks and ability checks, as well as on Will saves. A character with Spellcasting based on Wisdom decreases their DCs by 2 and can no longer cast their highest level of spells.
  
• Impaired: A character impaired by Wisdom poison does not add their Wisdom bonus to the number of uses per day of pools and abilities (such as a ki pool) and does not gain bonus spells per day from their Wisdom. They take an additional –2 penalty on the above Wisdom-based rolls. A Wisdom-based caster reduces their DCs by an additional 2, and they can no longer cast their 2 highest levels of spells.

• Confused: A character who's confused by Wisdom poison has difficulty processing reality and is dangerous to themself and others. Each round, they roll on the following chart to determine their actions (as the Confusion spell).
  
• Comatose: A character rendered comatose by Wisdom poison is no longer able to experience reality or receive sensory information. They can't be woken by any means as long as they remain in this state.

d%	Behavior
01-25	Act normally
26-50	Do nothing but babble incoherently
51-75	Deal 1d8 points of damage + Str modifier to self with item in hand
76-100	Attack nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part of the subject's self)

• Dead: Forever lost in their own inner reality, the character's brain stops working, and they die.

Potency Paths

• Mild: Healthy — Weakened — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Confused — Confused — Comatose — Comatose — Dead
  
• Moderate: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Confused — Comatose — Comatose — Dead
  
• Severe: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Confused — Comatose — Dead
  
• Critical: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Comatose — Dead
  
• Fatal: Healthy — Weakened— Confused — Dead

Charisma Poison Track

• Healthy: A character is healthy until affected by Charisma poison.
  
• Weakened: A character whose sense of self is weakened by Charisma poison takes a –2 penalty on all Charisma-based skill checks and ability checks. A character with Spellcasting based on Charisma decreases their DCs by 2 and can no longer cast their highest level of spells.
  
• Impaired: A character impaired by Charisma poison doesn't add their Charisma bonus to the number of uses per day of pools and abilities (such as lay on hands) and doesn't gain bonus spells per day from their Charisma. They take an additional –2 penalty on the above Charisma-based rolls. A Charisma-based caster reduces their DCs by an additional 2, and they can no longer cast their 2 highest levels of spells.
  
• Pliable: A character rendered pliable by Charisma poison has little sense of self and will go along with nearly anything. Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidate checks automatically succeed against a pliable character, except Diplomacy checks to improve a pliable character's attitude, which have the normal DC. This still does not allow characters to whom the pliable character is unfriendly or hostile to make requests of the pliable character using Diplomacy.
  
• Catatonic: A character rendered catatonic by Charisma poison can see, hear, and process their environment, but has lost all agency and can't interact with the world in any way.
  
• Dead: The character loses even autonomic functions, and dies.

Potency Paths

• Mild: Healthy — Weakened — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Pliable — Pliable — Catatonic — Catatonic — Dead
  
• Moderate: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Impaired — Pliable — Catatonic — Catatonic — Dead
  
• Severe: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Pliable — Catatonic — Dead
  
• Critical: Healthy — Weakened — Impaired — Catatonic — Dead
  
• Fatal: Healthy — Weakened— Pliable — Dead

Multiple Doses of Poison

Unlike other afflictions, multiple doses of the same poison “stack,” meaning that successive doses combine to increase the effect and duration. A creature subjected to an additional dose of a poison they are suffering from take the HP damage listed above as normal, whether or not they save on the new application.
If a creature succeeds on the initial save of an additional application of an existing poison, they suffer no additional effects from the new application. If they fail, the poison advances one step on the progression track, the duration is extended by an additional 50% of the original duration. The DC for the poison is not increased by this stacking effect.
Two different poisons simultaneously active that affect the same ability score have stacking effects: their durations and saves are tracked separately, but they both affect the same progression track.
Multiple doses of the same poison do not alter the save requirement of that poison, and meeting that condition ends all stacks of that poison.
Applied contact poisons and injury poisons cannot inflict more than one dose of poison per weapon at a time (because the poison on the weapon only lasts for one successful attack before it wears off). Inhaled and ingested poisons can inflict multiple doses at once.

Example: Mongo the Barbarian recieves three doses of Black spider marsh poison, and fails two saves. The poison normally lasts 6 rounds, but the second failed save adds 3 rounds to the duration, and progresses the Dexterity poison track by two steps. Additionally, Mongo takes the HP damage for exposure (DC 14, -10 and divided by 2 means 2 damage) three times, once for each application. If he is affected by Dhabba spittle while afflicted with the Black spider marsh poison, he tracks them separately, but his position on the Dexterity poison track is common to both poisons, and both would advance him closer to the end state of death. If Mongo makes the two consecutive saves necessary to end the black spider marsh poison, all stacks of it are ended, leaving him in whatever state along the Dexterity poison track he was last in, but having no effect on the Dhabba spittle.

Poison Order of Operations

when rolls and effects take place for poisons can be confusing, so a basic order of operations on how poisons are handled is provided below.

• Initial Exposure: When you are first exposed to a poison, you must immediately make a save to avoid the effects.
  • Success: you resist the poison, suffering no effects and continuing on as if never exposed.
  • Failure: you are now under the effects of the poison, and immediately move one step down on the poison's track, as well as suffering any initial effects the poison may have.
• Poison Effects Over Time: at each frequency period, you must make a save on your turn (for 1/round poisons, this happens on your next turn). You must still make this save if you choose to delay your action.
  • Success: You suffer no ill effects this round and have one save towards curing the poison.
  • Failure: You move one step down on the poison track, and suffer any secondary effects the poison may have.
• Additional Exposures: If you are exposed to the same poison again while it is active, make another save immediately to avoid the effects.
  • Success: you resist this application of the poison, continuing on as if you were not further exposed. This save does not count towards curing the poison.
  • Failure: All subsequent checks for this poison have their DC increased by 2, and the duration increases by half its listed value. This DC increase includes saving against further exposure to this poison.

Recovering From Poisons

When a creature meets the save requirement for a poison, they take no further effects, but their current progress on the progression track stays. Two long rests or one full day of bed rest moves a creature back one level of severity in each poison track they are currently affected by until they reach healthy. If provided with long term care from the Heal skill, they move back two levels instead. Recovery from a poison's effects is independant from it's potency path; healing effectively always follows the severe path in reverse.
Typically, a successful Neutralize Poison, Heal spell, or similar effect will immediately move the subject back to healthy on the respective track. Once a poison has reached its end state (for those few whose end state is not death), more powerful spells such as Miracle or Wish may be required to cure it.
Poisons may apply Conditions to a creature such as Sickened, Fatigued, or Paralyzed. Effects that modify or remove those Conditions (such as immunities and spells) do not apply unless they apply to the poison causing the condition (i.e. Restoration, Lesser would not remove the Fatigued condition applied by a poison while the poison persists).

Harvesting Poisons

While some think of poison as an assassin’s tool, the herbalists and naturalists of the world know that poison carries in it no more inherent evil than fire or water. Indeed, in the wildlands of the world, harvesting poison to give a hunter an edge or to aid in the production of antivenom is a time-honored practice.
While Craft (alchemy) is necessary to brew long-lasting poisons, there are many natural sources of poison in the world, and poison crafters who wish to avoid the expense of purchasing raw ingredients may seek to harvest poison from natural sources instead. The following section presents rules for harvesting poisons from the wild.
Unless a dose of harvested poison is preserved (see Preserving Harvested Poison), it remains potent for 24 hours after it is harvested.

Harvesting from Dead Creatures

Once a venomous creature is slain, its venom sacs can be removed, allowing 1 or more doses of its venom to be harvested for later use. In order to harvest venom, the creature must have been Dead for less than 24 hours. Every hour the source creature has been Dead reduces the lifespan of the harvested poison by an hour. Removing venom sacs is a messy and time-consuming process, requiring 10 minutes of work, access to surgical tools, and a container to store the venom in. If proper surgical tools are not available, a dagger or other light slashing weapon can be used, although this imposes a –4 penalty on checks to harvest the venom. The harvester must succeed at a Survival check (DC = 15 + the Dead creature’s CR) in order to successfully harvest poison. On a success, the harvester acquires a single dose of the creature’s venom, plus 1 additional dose for every 5 by which the result of this check exceeded the DC (to a maximum number of doses equal to the creature’s Constitution modifier, minimum 1). Failing the check causes all of the venom to be lost. Failure by 5 or more exposes the harvester to 1d3 doses of the creature’s venom unless she has the poison use class feature.

Harvesting Poison from Hazards

Some hazards, such as poison oak and spider vines, feature poisons that can be harvested by those who know how to do so. This process requires 1 hour and an alchemist’s lab or alchemy crafting kit. If the harvester succeeds at a Survival check (DC = 15 + the hazard’s CR), she collects 1 dose of poison. Harvesting poison from a hazard in this way requires getting close enough to it to touch it, which may expose the harvester to the hazard’s effects.

Milking Venom

Venom can be harvested from a living creature without harming the creature, although the process is dangerous unless the creature has been trained for that specific purpose. For most venomous creatures, this involves stretching a thin canvas over a jar or vial and then coaxing the creature to bite into the canvas before massaging its venom glands, causing the venom to drip from its fangs into the container. Similar methods are used for creatures that deliver venom in other ways, such as with a stinger.
Milking a single dose of poison from a creature takes 10 minutes of work and requires a successful Handle Animal check (DC = 10 + the donor’s Hit Dice + the donor’s Wisdom modifier). Failure by less than 5 indicates that the venom is not collected, but the handler suffers no other ill effect. Failure by 5 or more indicates that the creature bites, stings, or otherwise injects the handler with its venom. It automatically hits the handler with one of its natural attacks that delivers its poison, and it applies the effects of the attack normally. The creature might continue to attack the handler after doing so, possibly initiating combat. Milking venom from a cooperative intelligent creature doesn’t require a Handle Animal check but presents a 5% chance of exposure to the venom.
A creature can produce a number of doses of venom in this way each day equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). A creature that is milked of venom this many times in one day (whether or not the attempts are successful) loses its poison special ability until the next time it rests.

Preserving Harvested Poison

Poison harvested from a creature or hazard remains potent for 24 hours. If a character wishes to preserve harvested poison for a longer period, they must treat it alchemically, as if crafting the poison with Craft (alchemy) but using the poison dose as the raw ingredients normally needed to brew a dose of the poison and thus avoiding the gp cost to Craft the poison.

Crafting Antivenom

While antitoxin presents a generalized tool for protecting oneself from poison, more specialized antivenoms can provide even greater protection against specific poisons. Creating a dose of antivenom requires a dose of the specific poison that the antivenom is designed to protect against.

Antivenom Effects

A single dose of antivenom automatically neutralizes the first exposure of the specific poison it is made to combat and provides a +8 Alchemical Bonus on Saving Throws against additional exposure to that specific poison; this bonus decreases by 1 every hour, until the effect ends after 8 hours.

Crafting Process

To create a dose of antivenom, a living creature must first be exposed to a half dose of the poison in question. The creature suffers the poison’s effects normally, except the saving throw DC to resist the poison is reduced by 2. In order to be able to produce antivenom, the creature must succeed at the necessary Saving Throws to be cured of the poison. If the poison’s duration expires without the creature being cured, no antivenom can be harvested.
Once the creature has resisted the poison’s effects, a viable sample of the creature’s blood can be extracted with a successful DC 20 Craft (alchemy) or Heal check. This blood must then be refined to extract the natural antibodies that combat the poison in a process that takes 1 hour and requires a successful Craft (alchemy) check (DC = the poison’s saving throw DC). Success yields 1 dose of antivenom, plus 1 additional dose for every 5 points by which the check succeeded.
Antivenom can also be harvested in the same fashion from a creature that has been afflicted by a full dose of poison, rather than a creature deliberately given a half dose for this purpose. Regardless of how much poison the creature is exposed to, the antibodies in its system can be harvested only for 24 hours after it has recovered from the poison.

Purchasing Antivenom

Antivenom is not particularly expensive, but because it is highly specialized, it can be difficult to find. A dose of antivenom has a market price equal to half the market price of a dose of the poison in question, but it is treated as though its price were five times the market price of the poison for the purposes of determining its availability in any given settlement. Alternatively, if 1 or more doses of the poison in question can be provided, most alchemists will supply as much antivenom as they can produce from the doses for a fee of 10% of the market price of the poison.

Crafting Poison

You can make poison with the Craft (alchemy) skill. The DC to make a poison is equal to its Fortitude Save DC. Rolling a natural 1 on a Craft skill check while making a poison exposes you to the poison. This does not consume the poison. If you have the poison use class feature, you do not risk accidentally poisoning yourself when applying poison.
The sample poisons listed below represent just some of the common poisons available in cities. Of course, most cities have laws against buying, selling, or crafting poison.

Poison List

Converting Old Poisons: Conversion of an old poison to the new system should be fairly straightforward using the following steps:

• Poison Track: The damage the poison deals dictates the damage track.
• Severity: A poison that deals 1 Ability Damage is Mild, 1d2 is Moderate, 1d3 is Severe, 1d4 Critical, 1d6 is Fatal.
• Multiple Ability Score Damage: A poison that deals multiple ability scores of damage follows multiple tracks. If the damage is uneven, decide either to drop the lower value and substitute for a secondary effect or average the two values out for severity
• Secondary Effects: Secondary effects still work as normal. Longer duration effects may last until the victim is fully healed
• Ability Drain: If a poison deals ability drain, progression on the track cannot be reversed without a Heal or Restoration spell, or equivalent. If only some of the damage is drain, progression can be healed normally, but only up to the weakened state.
• Delivery: Delivery type remains the same.
• Onset/Frequency: Onset remains the same.
• Saves: Save DCs and number of saves to cure remains the same.
• Cost: Cost remains the same.