Mounting: Only a poison already enhanced with the gripping property can have the mounting property added to it. Mounting poison inundates the host body just like gripping poison, but it digs much deeper, seeping into the body more thoroughly.
Swarming Spiderbite:Usually taken to ensure an honorable death (or to avoid torture) by drow defeated in battle, the effect of this poison is like the biting mouths of venomous spiders starting from the extremities and advancing throughout the body. It can be created with a DC 26 Craft (poison making) check and apoisonspell.
A character has a 5% chance to expose himself to a poison whenever he applies it to a weapon or otherwise readies it for use. Additionally, a character who rolls a 1 on an attack roll with a poisoned weapon must make a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) or accidentally poison himself with the weapon.
The creations of yuan-ti spellcasters, osssra oils are mixtures of substances that produce pungent, colorful smoke when burned. Osssra smoke confers benefits on all Scaled Ones but functions as an inhaled poison for all other creatures. In some cases, direct contact with the oil in either ignited or un-ignited form is necessary to receive the benefit.
Initial Damage: The damage the character takes immediately upon failing his saving throw against this type of poison. Ability score damage is temporary unless marked with an asterisk(*), in which case the loss is a permanent drain. Paralysis lasts for 2d6 minutes.
Amasstarte oil grants the benefit of acure light woundsspell to any Scaled One who pours a vial of it into a bath and soaks in the resulting mixture for at least 1 hour. The effects are cumulative for multiple hours.
Although some osssra effects closely resemble those of spells, they are not magical effects. Thus, they cannot be dispelled or prevented by spell resistance.
Faint necromancy; CL 3rd; Brew Potion,ghoul touch; Price 6 x poison cost per dose.
Each psychic poison has a minimum level associated with it. A caster or item creator must be at least that level to utilize that particular psychic poison when making an item or casting the psychic poison spell.
The Calling: This lumpy black paste is magically infused with spider eggs and can be hidden in a dish of food, in which it is detectable only with a successful DC 20 Profession (cook) check. If it is consumed, and if the victim fails the initial save, a swarm of spiders hatches within the victims stomach, dealing the initial damage. The swarm is then digested and destroyed without further harm, unless the second save is failed. In that case, it bursts forth from the victims nose and mouth, dealing the secondary damage and coalescing as aspider swarm, attacking everyone in the area. This poison can be created with a DC 28 Craft (poisonmaking) check and asummon swarmspell.
Duthlahhass: This oil produces a bright amber smoke with a smell similar to that of sizzling seaweed or burnt moss. Humanoids sometimes describe the scent as fiery or nose-clearing. Duthlahhass oil is prepared from mint, the bark of certain tropical trees, and the sap of the greater jungle clingvine. In Scaled Ones, duthlahhass smoke induces dreamsleep – a deep, relaxed slumber in which they receive visions from their own subconscious minds and occasionally their deities. The effects ofdreamorsuggestionspells cast upon them by other beings may also manifest during such a sleep. Dreamsleeping Yuan-ti can retrieve memories (such as where or how they hid something long ago, or snatches of overheard conversation) with crystal clarity. A dreamsleeper awakens immediately upon taking damage; otherwise the sleep lasts for 2d4 hours after the initial duthlahhass contact (regardless of whether or not the smoke is gone).
Psychic poisons are a particular sort of intentional curse bestowed upon a creature, object, or area, almost always the result of the psychic poison spell. Psychic poisons are used as traps in the same way that a contact poison might be used on a chest full of valuables. A psychic poison is a magical toxin that affects those who cast certain types of spells on the creature, object, or area.
Cost: The cost of raw materials for a poison varies widely depending on whether the character has access to the active ingredient – that is, the venom or plant that actually provides the poison. If a supply is readily available, the raw materials cost 1/6 of the market price, nor 1/3. Otherwise, the raw materials cost at least 3/4 of the market price – assuming that the substance in question is for sale at all.
Destructive: This property can only be added to poison already enhanced with the repeating property. Destructive poison is among the most vicious kinds of poison available. This lingering attack kills its victims slowly and leaves many survivors crippled.
Type: Inhaled DC 15; Initial damage unconsciousness for 1 minute; Secondary damage unconsciousness for 1d3 minutes; Price 25 gp; DC to create 15; CR modifier +1.
Drow Knockout Poison: The dark elves are renowned for their use of unconsciousness-inducing poison. They carefully guard the secret of their venom, and it is difficult to find outside of drow realms and outposts.
The secrets of making osssra oils are guarded by yuan-ti tribal elders, and most humans know too little about them to distinguish one from another. In large cities or pirate ports where there is little scrutiny from authorities, merchants often sell osssra oils as cooking oils or scents. Some sellers arrange small demonstrations, using slaves or aging pack-beasts as models on which to demonstrate the precise effects of their wares.
Wyverns, medusas, and other creatures with natural poison attacks are immune to their own poison. Nonliving creatures (constructs and undead) and creatures without metabolisms (such as elementals) are always immune to poison. Oozes, plants, and certain kinds of creatures (such as tanarri) are also immune to poison, although conceivably a special poison could be concocted specifically to harm them.
Creeping Nullscourge: Used during bouts of drow infighting, on failed save this poison drains 5 points of the targets spell resistance. The secondary damage also drains 5 points of spell resistance. Lost spell resistance returns at the same rate and by the same means as ability score damage. This poison can be created with a DC 25 Craft (poisonmaking) check and anassay spell resistancespell.
Gripping: Gripping poison seizes a victim and refuses to let go. Once ingested, this poison works ever deeper into the body, making it harder to purge.
Yuan-ti typically immerse small pieces of firewood in osssra oil for 1d4 days and then burn them to create the smoke. A single vial of oil can treat enough wood to fill a 50-foot-square room with smoke for at least 4 hours. If ignited directly, the smoke fills the same area but lasts only 5 rounds. Once ignited by either method, osssra oil emits a cloud of colored smoke that moves outward from its source as a spread at the rate of 1 foot per round, to a maximum diameter of 60 feet. Osssra smoke is heavily scented, but it does not cause coughing, choking, or any other effect associated with tainted or insufficient air.
Though not as brilliant at crafting subtle means of death as the yuan-ti, the lizardfolk have developed the skill to extract various poisons from their environment and render them into forms stable enough to use against foes.
At least 3 minutes of continuous contact with hooloond smoke heals a Scaled One of 1d4+2 points of damage. An individual can gain this benefit twelve times in swift succession if opportunity permits, but the smoke wont affect that particular reptile again for a full 24 hours after its last healing. Yuan-ti often plan their battles so that they can fight in continuous contact with hooloond smoke (for example, inside a smoke cloud or smoke-filled room). Doing so allows them to receive this healing automatically every 3 minutes.
Once contagious poison affects a victim, whether by its initial exposure or the secondary effects, the venom seeps into his body. While it deals no further damage and does not prevent recovery, it taints the victim and effectively turns his touch into a contact poison. The poison affects the next creature the victim touches with bare flesh. The contagious poison can only affect one additional creature in this way. The poison transmitted does not have the contagious quality, but it has any other magic qualities of the original poison.
Both of these substances are clear, sticky fluids that develop a hard surface when in contact with air but remain viscous beneath this outer sheen. Thus, they can retain their virulence for decades. Scaled Ones are immune to the effects of both poisons. Those familiar with both can tell them apart by odor when wet and by sheen when dry.
Treat mounting poison as normal gripping poison, except that each failed Fortitude save adds +2 to the DC for future saves, to a maximum of double the normal DC.
Faint transmutation; CL 3rd; Brew Potion,bears endurance; Price 6 x poison cost per dose x number of degrees.
If two different osssra oils are poured together while flaming, the result is a thick, strong-smelling smoke that is toxic to any creature inhaling it. In addition to its poisonous effects (see above), this smoke has the effect of afog cloudspell (caster level 10th). –
Using the Craft (alchemy) Skill: Characters with the Craft (alchemy) skill can substitute it for Craft (poisonmaking), but doing so imposes a -4 circumstance penalty on checks related to poisonmaking.
Sssartisss: A distillate of the venoms of several kinds of poisonous serpents, sssartisss has a bitter tang when wet and a scaled or furrowed texture when dry.
Slow Taint: This poison reduces the targets speed by 10 feet on a failed save. The secondary damage reduces speed by another 10 feet. The targets speed cannot be reduced below 5 feet. The poison can be created with a DC 18 Craft (poisonmaking) check and aslowspell. Its effect has a duration of 1 hour.
Time: To figure our how much poison can be made in a week, the character makes a Craft (poisonmaking) check at the end of the week. If the check is successful, multiply the check result by the DC for the check. That result is how many gold pieces worth of poison are created that week. When the total gold pieces worth created equals or exceeds the market price of one dose of the poison, that poisonmaker has completed that dose. For a skilled poisonmaker, multiple doses in a week may be possible. If the poisonmaker fails the check, no progress is made that week. If the poisonmaker fails the check by 5 or more, the raw materials are ruined and must be reobtained.
Faele: This oil produces a deep blue smoke laced with occasional streamers of bright emerald hue. Its reek is similar to the sickly-sweet death smell of rotting human or elf flesh. Faele oil consists of human or elf blood mixed with a distillate of boiled boar brain.
Moderate necromancy; CL 5th; Brew Potion, inflict serious wounds; Price 15 x poison cost per dose.
Price: The cost of one dose (one vial) of the poison. It is not possible to use or apply poison in any quantity smaller than one dose. The purchase and possession of poison is always illegal, and even in big cities it can only be obtained from specialized, less than reputable sources.
The blindness from the poison lasts for 1 hour.
The yuan-ti normally coat their weapons with either their own poison or that of the vipers they keep as pets and guardians, but a few have also experimented with distilling and combining poisons. Since snake venoms are notoriously unstable when mixed, the result is usually a milky fluid that has no harmful effects beyond mild acidity. Nevertheless, at least two successes have been achieved: sssartisss and tsous.
If a spellcaster casts a mind-affecting or divination spell at an object or area affected by psychic poison, or at a creature within a poisoned area, the caster must make an immediate Will saving throw (DC determined by the psychic poison spell). Casters who fail their saves are affected by the psychic poison, taking the initial damage given below. Whether the saving throw was successful or not, the caster must succeed at another saving throw 1 minute later to avoid secondary damage (much like a mundane poison).
Virile Madness: An admixture of rare earths and magical rocks, virile madness is a dangerous, tempting poison. It grants the imbiber a temporary enhancement bonus to Strength and Constitution, while degrading her mental powers via penalties to Intelligence and Wisdom. It can be made with a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check.
Ektharisss: The dark purple smoke generated by this oil is highlighted by occasional puffs of a slightly lighter blue color. Its smell is reminiscent of fresh-cut lemons or limes. Ektharisss oil is distilled from the sap of the nightshadow jungle plant, which can be easily recognized by its shield-sized, brilliant purple leaves.
Amasstartae: The green smoke produced by this oil is shot through with twinkling silvery metallic flecks that resemble sparks. Its smell is often described as prickle-nose spicy. Amasstartae oil is produced by combining sap from the leaves of the silverthorn weed with a distillate of crushed and boiled scales from any salt-water fish.
Spell resistant poison has a spell resistance score against all spells that attempt to slow or neutralize it. The poisons spell resistance is equal to the poisons base Fortitude save DC. For example, a dose ofspell resistant shadow essencehas spell resistance 17.
Illithid Mindscorch: The brain matter of recently slain illithids can be distilled, capturing some of its psionic potential and creating this extremely rare poison. Though it is a liquid in its basic form, it is ineffective unless reduced to an aerosol and absorbed through the nasal passages of the victim. It can be created with a DC 27 (poisonmaking) check, though the DC is reduced by 5 if the creator has ranks in Knowledge (psionics) or Psicraft or has levels in a psionic character class (seeExpanded Psionics Handbook).
Psychotropic Rot: Distilled violet fungus and other chemicals can be mixed together to create this insidious toxin. It can be created with a DC 17 Craft (poisonmaking) check.
Poisons with this quality deal no additional damage, but the time required to recover from them is significantly longer. Victims exposed to this variety of poison must make a Fortitude save and another save 1 minute later. However, if either of these saves fail, the poison works its way into the victims body. Once embedded, the victim cannot recover from the damage the poison dealt until purged of the venom.
Cave Terror: Distilled from cave creeper fungus, this poison can be made with a DC 25 Craft (alchemy) check.
Sleep-Smoke: Used primarily by agents of the Xanathar Thieves Guild for kidnapping, sleep-smoke is a dark-gray, smoky gas that rapidly dissipates when released into the air. One dose affects a globe 10 feet in diameter on the first round, expanding outward to a globe 20 feet in diameter on the second round, and being harmless thereafter. A strong wind can move the globe of sleep-smoke.
The poisons below augment those described above. Some are obviously derived from poisonous monsters in the Monster Manual, while others are the creation of evil poisonmakers.
Shadow Essence Poison(Fort DC 17, initial damage 1 point of Strength drain, secondary damage 2d6 points of Strength damage)
Spellcasters hoping to aid the poison victim with magic must first beat the poisons spell resistance with a caster level check, just as if the poison were a creature.
Type: The poisons method of delivery-ingested, inhaled, via an injury, or contact and the DC needed to save.
The formula for calculating the cost of brewing a potion is 25 gp x spell level x caster level. Use this formula for determining the cost for brewing a magic poison, but replace the 25 gp figure with the cost of one dose of the type of poison to be enhanced. For example, brewing a dose of gripping ungol dust costs 1,000 gp (cost of one dose of ungol dust) x 2 (gripping equals a 2nd-level spell) x 3 (its 3rd-level caster), or 6,000 gp.
When a character takes damage from a poisoned weapon, touches an item smeared with contact poison, or consumes poisoned food or drink, he must make a Fortitude saving throw. A character who fails the saving throw takes the poisons initial damage, which is usually ability score damage. Even a character who succeeds at the initial saving throw faces secondary damage 1 minute later, which can be avoided by making a separate Fortitude save.
Potent: Concentrated poison is brewed for optimal effectiveness, but its performance is still limited by its base toxicity. Potent poison, magically treated to exceed its normal limitations, expands on its potential to do harm. A potent poison deals half again as much damage as normal. Poisons that only cause unconsciousness or paralyzation have the duration of their effects increased by 50%.
Repeating: This property can only be added to poison already enhanced with the gripping property. Repeating poison doesnt just rest in the body and refuse to leave; it continues its assault for as long as it manages to hold onto the victim.
Darklight Brew: Darklight ore (see page 154,Drow of the Underdark) is powdered and cut with a mild acid to create this poison. The radiation of the ore is diminished greatly in this process, but its effect becomes acute when it is introduced into the bloodstream. This poison can be made with a DC 28 Craft (poisonmaking) check.
Concentrated: A poison with this enhancement is considerably more lethal than normal poison. Using special distilling processes, the brewer intensifies the poison repeatedly, guaranteeing the venom has maximum possible effect.
Illithids immediately try to devour the brains of anyone they catch with this substance.
Hooloond: This oil generates a yellow-green smoke shot – through with momentary jets of red smoke that resemble licks of flame. The scent of hooloond smoke is often likened to the minty smell of fresh-cut jungle vines or melons, though it is much stronger. Hooloond oil contains the blood of a constrictor snake and the venom of a viper.
Sickstone Unguent: This paste is made of powdered sickstone and other virulent poisons. It is usually applied to weapons.
The nausea from the poison lasts for 1 round.
As masters of their craft and natural manipulators of magical energies, cruel drow alchemists have discovered ways to infuse spell effects into the venoms they concoct. Immunity to mundane poisons provides no resistance to these new substances, nor does spell resistance; however,neutralize poisonandslow poisonare still effective. A successfuldispel magicagainst a caster level equal to 1/2 the poisons Fortitude save DC likewise removes its effects.
Jalasss: This oil produces white smoke shot through with short-lived, rainbowlike bands of iridescence. Its smell is like that of burning paint or strongly dyed fabric. Jalasss oil is a distillate of crushed snails and the sap of the launteene – an edible plant native to t
Sleep Poison: The lizardfolk have developed a technique for distilling the extract of several jungle plants to produce a poison that renders enemies unconscious.
The disease it transmits isfilth fever.
Almost all the serpentfolk and lizardkin use poisons from time to time. These substances vary widely in origin, use, and effect. Many have no effect at all on Scaled Ones, and some (such as osssra oils) even have beneficial effects on members of those races. All, however, are baneful to Scaleless Ones.
The first rule for refining natural poisons, such as an animals venom, into a generally useful poison is that simply killing the creature and wiping your characters blade on its poison gland doesnt work. Most creatures poisons are a delicate mixture of various toxins, and that delicate mix is often disrupted when the creature dies or the poison is exposed to the air. Getting the poison to persist on a blade and remain effective is a trickier task still.
Faint necromancy; CL 5th; Brew Potion, Maximize Spell,bestow curse; Price 15 x poison cost per dose.
Contagious: Contagious poison seeps into the skin of the victim in addition to wherever else in the body it attacks. By inundating itself in the host body this way, the poison turns the victims sweat and touch into a weaker version of itself.
Faele smoke grants a Scaled One a +4 circumstance bonus on all Fortitude saving throws. Furthermore, any hit point damage taken by a Scaled One under its effects is reduced by 1 point per die, or by 1 point per attack if no die roll is involved. These benefits persist for 1d4 hours from initial contact with faele smoke. Continued contact after that period does not extend the effect, nor does any new contact with it renew the benefits until 24 hours have elapsed from the expiration of the previous effect.
Secondary Damage: The amount of damage the character takes 1 minute after exposure as a result of the poisoning, if he fails a second saving throw. Unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours. Loss marked with an asterisk is permanent drain instead of temporary damage.
Blue Frog Paste: The otherwise harmless bright blue frogs of the Serpent Hills secrete a unique poison that the lizardfolk of Kalran have learned to harvest. Mixing it with other natural substances produces a highly toxic oil suitable for applying to weapons.
Stun Gas: The svirfneblin brew this gas from the spores of rare mushrooms. It can be stored in airtight containers in liquid form, but when such a container is broken, the poison is released as a 15-foot puff of gas. The deep gnomes create special, glass-headed darts to hold it and throw them at specific enemies or at the walls of caverns to disable large groups.
Underdark Blight: Running a chemical solution over certain rare ores and minerals found in the Underdark creates this poison; it is effective at removing spell resistance. Lost spell resistance returns at the same rate and by the same means as ability score damage. Underdark blight can be created with a DC 20 Craft (poisonmaking) check.
When inhaled by a Scaled One, battasss smoke produces extreme clarity of mind. During this time, the Scaled One requires no Concentration check to perform any action, regardless of distractions or combinations of effects that might ordinarily impair spellcasting or performance. Furthermore, the affected reptile gains a +5 bonus on Will saves. These effects persist for as long as the Scaled One inhales the smoke and for 3d6 minutes thereafter.
Treat repeating poison as normal gripping poison, except that repeating poison deals its secondary damage each day the victim fails his Fortitude saving throw to overcome the poison.
These poisons are created not only with the Craft (poisonmaking) skill, but also with an appropriate spell (which must be cast by the creator).
Yuan-ti avoid combining different kinds of osssra smoke because their effects negate each other wherever they overlap. Pools of undignified osssra oil dont affect osssra smoke with which they come into contact. Mixing two un-ignited osssra oils ruins both, resulting in a flammable mixed oil that has no special effects on either reptiles or non-reptiles.
As with any large city, Waterdeeps populace makes periodic use of poisons against their enemies. Such means of warfare are particularly common among merchants and nobles.
Neutralize poisondoes not automatically remove a gripping poison from the victim, but it does count as one successful Fortitude save.
Tsous: This substance is a mixture of cobra venom and the extracts of several poisonous plants. It smells like overripe fruit when wet and dries clear.
Battasss: The ruby-red smoke emitted by this oil flickers with random darker threads and smells like scorching milk. Battasss oil is made from palm oil and the petals of the tiny white wildflower known as fallen snow.
Refining raw materials, such as creature venom, into an effective poison requires time, determination, and an application of craft. Craft (poisonmaking), a subcategory of the Craft skill, provides the necessary expertise. The table above provides Craft (poisonmaking) DCs for usable poisons made from centipede, scorpion, and spider venom.
Roach Paste: This brown paste is made from the crushed bodies of the carrion-eating giant roaches found in the Underdark. It is known for its horrendous smell. It can be created with a DC 15 Craft (poisonmaking) check.
Making poisons with the Craft (poisonmaking) skill follows the rules inCraft Itemsfor making items with the Craft skill, with the following two exceptions.
You can add the following qualities to any mundane poison.
Faint necromancy; CL 3rd; Brew Potion,inflict moderate wounds; Price 6 x poison cost per dose.
Shadows of Undrentide presents a new adventure featuring magic poisons. This article takes the idea presented there and expands it, presenting a small list of magic qualities that can enhance any poison.
Fish Glue: The body oil of captured kuo-toas is used to create this poison, which is named for the rigidity it causes in the joints of the victim and its characteristic fishy smell. It can be crafted with a DC 18 Craft (poisonmaking) check.
Faint necromancy; CL 5th; Brew Potion, inflict serious wounds; Price 15 x poison cost per dose.
Creating a magic poison is similar to creating a potion. However, their magic enhancements more closely resemble magic weapon enhancements in that they give the venom additional abilities that usually can stack with one another. The person attempting to create the magic poison must have the Brew Potion feat and know all the spells listed as requirements for the properties he wishes to add.
Ektharisss alters the body density of Scaled Ones in contact with its smoke, enabling them to uselevitateas a spell-like ability at will for as long as they are in contact with the vapors (maximum weight 200 lbs.). Yuan-ti often use this ability to reach high ledges, doors, or openings leading to treasure storage areas. Some also use it to rest, study, or work above the reach of distractions or hostile beings. Extreme care is required, however, since normal weight returns the instant contact with ektharisss smoke is lost, making falls quite likely. As with the spell, the affected creature must be willing to rise, and objects can be lifted only by a Scaled One in contact with the smoke.
The drow are widely acknowledged as masters of the dark art of poisoning, but many other Underdark folk also make use of the deadly poisons that are so common in the deep places.
Slowswarming: Unlike swarming spiderbite below, this poison is for those drow caught in acts of treachery or blasphemy. It is usually administered to a prisoner over several days; each dose creates a slower and more agonizing biting sensation similar to that caused by swarming spiderbite, but also disfigures the body with horrific red boils. It can be created with a DC 21 Craft (poisonmaking) check and apoisonspell.
The sickness from the poison lasts for 1 hour.
Harvesting Venom: Because of the refinement process, raw venom from creatures doesnt command anywhere near the price of a dose of real poison. There is no open market for poison raw materials, because the use of poison is often illegal, or at least rarely admitted to. Characters who hunt creatures for their venom will have a difficult time finding buyers for corpses of poisonous creatures. If they can find a buyer, characters will typically get 1/6 of the cost of one dose of the refined version of the poison.
Faint necromancy; CL 3rd; Brew Potion,death knell, Price 8 x poison cost per dose.
Spell Resistant: This dangerous poison resists magic manipulation. It rebuffs magic attempts to neutralize or slow it.
Treat destructive venom as normal repeating venom. However, should the poison manage to reduce an ability score to 0 (and that doesnt kill the victim), the poison begins to convert the ability damage into permanent ability drain at its normal damage rate. For example, a dose of gripping repeating destructive insanity mist that has reduced its victim to 0 Wisdom through ability damage begins to convert that damage to permanent ability drain at a rate of 2d6 points of Wisdom per day. Victims surviving this poison still regain any temporary damage at the normal rate.
A poison may not have more than five degrees in this quality. To determine the cost of enhancing a poison with multiple degrees of this quality, simply multiply the cost of the gripping poison by the number of degrees desired.
Concentrated poison deals maximum damage each time it inflicts damage. Concentrated poisons that cause paralyzation or unconsciousness instead have their durations maximized.
Faint abjuration; CL 5th; Brew Potion,dispel magic; Price 15 x poison cost per dose.
Gripping poison differs from most other qualities in that it has degrees. The number of successful Fortitude saves the victim must make in order to overcome a gripping poison equals the number of degrees a poison has in gripping. The victim makes one Fortitude save per day, and once he makes a number of successful Fortitude saves equal to the poisons gripping degree, he is free of the effect and can begin to heal normally.