From: edb892rsft@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au
Subject: Poison proficentcy
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 06:53:10 GMT


This is a poison proficientcy i created.....

Opinions, flames, and comments welcome





                  POISON
2 Slots                   Classes-Rogue (DM's discretion wether priests and 
Int -2                                   mages can get it)

This skill allows the character to do one or more of the following, at the
DM's option
-concoct poisons and antidotes
-create entirley new poisons
-recognise the poison potential in any plant,animal,monster or mineral 
 encountered
-diagnose poison present by effect on victim(see Assasin kit, Thieves handbook)

This skill is not just the brewing of poisons, it also covers their 
succsessful administration on a victim by ingestive, insinuative or contact
varieties (this is not to say other characters who do not have this proficiency
cannot use poison, just inccorectly administer or bungle dosage ect, ect)

Brewing Poisons And Antidotes
A character who gains poison skill only knows how to brew 1d4 poisons from the 
list below, each level (after acquiring poison proficiency)he gains
a further 1d4 poisons. If the pc already mastered the poison rolled, he gains
no new poison that level. Once mastered the PC can attempt to brew a single
application of poison per day (given the strictures below) The methods of 
application and saving throws are dealt with in chapter 9: Combat in the DM's
guide
              
2d10  Poison  Method      Onset   Strength
roll  Class   Application  time   (damage/damage if save is made)
------------------------------------------------------------------
 2      A     Injected    10-30min  15/0
 3      B     injected    2-12 min  20/1-3
 4      C     Injected     2-5 min  25/2-8
 5      D     Injected     1-2 min  30/2-12
 6      E     Injected    Immediate Death/20
 7      F     Injected    Immediate Death/0
 8      G     Ingested    2-12 hours  20/10  
 9      H     Ingested    1-4 Hours  20/10
10      I     Ingested    2-12 min   30/15
11      J     Ingested    1-4 min   Death/20
12      K     Contact     2-8 min   5/0
13      L     Contact     2-8 min   10/0
14      M     Contact     1-4 min   20/5
15      N     Contact     1 min     death/25
16      O     Injected    2-24 min  Paralytic
17      P     Injected    1-3 hours Debilative
18+    Players choice........

The DM can remove any poisons he dosent want in his campaign or replace some
or all with poison variants from the Forgotten realms Boxed set (cf The Nathlum
) or from the Net poison book

Antidotes halt the effect of the poison if taken before onset time has elapsed
the victim suffers no damage of any kind.Producing antidotes can be handled in
the same way as poisons can( ie 1d4 per level) or if the dm feels really 
generoushe can allow certain antidotes to exist to nullify effects of more than
one poison eg A & B injected, or entire classed of venoms eg all Contact 
poisons.

To make poisons(or Antidotes) requires a small lab (1500 to 3000gp) for 
Distillation equipment, condensers ect, ect. And another 100-1000gp for bribes
(to silence Thieves guild members, authorities or rival alchemists)
The materials cost per dose of venom should be between 200-1200 gp 
depending on strength and dm's discretion. The pc can make only 1 dose of 
poison or antidote in any 1 day(even if proficiency check fails)

             Entirley new poisons
Entirley new poisons should incur a -6 penalty to the proficiency roll
the cost for the first dose should be between 2000-4000gp for tomes,
testing subjects ect, there after normal costs apply and take between
2-5 weeks to produce a poison that could
         -Affect demihuman or 1 class of monster only
         -Produce differsent poison effects (eg beserker killing reage in 
subject, hallucinations, weakness or a combination of paralytic and damage 
capabilities)
         - or have longer(or shorter) onset times
         - or attempt to make a poison gas  
The possibilities are up to the players imagination and the DMs discretion
The completed poison should fill 1 of the players poison allotments for 
rising a level)

          Recognition of poison potential
If the player rolls a sucsessful proficiency check while examining a potential
poison source (ie giant spider, nightshade plant or mineral rock that contains
some poison) the player recognises the potential poison source and can act to
gain the poison if he has enough time,and equipment handy. If a further 
succsessful profciency check is made(this time to extract the poison) 
the player may gather enough poison for 1 dose
  The time take is up to the dm ie
          removing monster poison glands(assuming if dead) 1-3 turns
          gathering enough plants and producing poison solution 1-2 turns
          gathering enough minerals & dissolving them in a solvent 1-2 turns
The dm can assign poison damage using existing poisons as a guide(make sure
to allow the crude nature of such poisons) or use existing monster stats for
damage.
                Diagnosis of a Poison On A Victim
-See Assassin kit special abilities for explanation (pg 26-27 in the complete
thieves guide)
           LEARNING TO USE POISONS DM's bit
To learn to use poisons is a long and tiring procedure because the study will
require many weeks and cost between 500 to 5000gp per week (depending on 
level of pc, reaction roll, personality of NPC mentor and how much gold the 
player has!)
Firstly, the aspiring pc must find a mentor who has completed such a study 
himself and has put the teqniques into practice.THIS SHOULD NOT BE EASY!!
Such people are usually evil and found skulking in some thieves/assassins 
guild or similar places and locating them is an adventure in itself. The cost
involved applies to the various animal,vegtable and mineral poisons used in 
the training, as well as the NPC's time and trouble.
  The first 5-8 weeks the student will learn the following skills:
Proper use of all poisons effective in the blood stream only
Proper use of all poisons effective through ingestion only
Proper use of contact poisons and poisons effective when in the blood stream
or ingested.
The manufacture of simple poisons and their antidotes
The analysis of various poisons effects on various humans & Demihumans

After a total of 20-32 weeks of study, the PC will have completed a full study
and will be knowlegable in over 90% of all known poisons. He or she can then
use poisons at full normal effects and have the following options as well
  -choose to assasinate by an instantaneous poison
  -elect to use a slow acting poison which will not begin to effect the 
victim for 1-4 hours after ingestion
  -elect to use a poison which gradually builds up after repeated doses 
and kills 1-10 days after the final dose.

The pc can stop the study at any time, knowing only the knowlege learned up
to the point in their traning. During the 20-32 weeks of study the player is
removed from active adventuring and cannot engage in any other learning program in this
time.

The assassin must compound the poison of course
the dm must adudicate the chance of sucsess on the following merits
  the proper alchemical equipment,a secure place to work, and the agression of 
the local thieves/assasins guild. Poision brewing in adventuring situation 
should warrant large negative to the roll, or be impossible

This Does not guarantee the victim may not notice the poisons bieng used and
the dm should apply a chance the poison is detected based on intelligence,
wisdom and the class of the victim, some of the following skills may also be
of use in detecting poison
   -cooking: able to notice the minor variations in taste of the food
   -brewing: able to notice the small quantities of venom tainting a drink
alertness, observation or any other number of other proficiencies can alert
a potential victim to the danger

NOTE WELL
The dm must control such a proficincy very carefully to maintain play balance.
A Failed skill roll should result in total failure or a small chance for the PC
to poison themselves with full poison effects. Also many poisons have a 
limited shelf life(reccomended only 5-7 days before the victim starts 
getting bonuses to his save vs. poison.
Oh and use of poison on humanoids is not a good act so 'ware alingment problems

Any comments on this article are welcome and can be posted here and mailed
to me at the adress below
Further reading on poisons can be found in
pgs 26,27,113,114 complete thieves guide
Best of dragon vol II pg 72-74
"poison AA to XX"
Best of dragon vol IV Pg 68-71
"wounds and weeds: plants that save characters lives"
(not really on poison but some incedental info)
and of course
ch9 DM's guide Combat under the heading Poison

mail to:
edb892rsys@vx24.cc.monash.edu.au
flames to Alt.fondle.vomit
john


       
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