System	
  Reference	
   Document	
  5.1 	
   204	
  
Poisons 
Given	
  their	
  insidious	
  and	
  deadly	
  nature,	
  poisons	
  are	
  
illegal	
  in	
  most	
  societies	
  but	
  are	
  a	
  favorite	
  tool	
  among	
  
assassins,	
  drow,	
  and	
  other 	
  evil	
  creatures.	
  
Poisons	
  come	
  in	
  the	
  following	
  four	
  types. 	
  
	
   Contact.	
  Contact	
  poison	
  can	
  be	
  smeared	
  on	
  an	
  
object	
  and	
  remains	
  potent	
  until	
  it	
  is	
  touched	
  or	
  
washed	
  off.	
  A	
  creature	
  that	
  touches	
  contact	
  poison	
  
with	
  exposed	
  skin	
  suffers	
  its	
  effects. 	
  
Ingested.	
  A	
  creature	
  must	
  swallow	
  an	
  entire	
  dose	
  
of	
  ingested	
  poison	
  to	
  suffer	
  its	
  effects.	
  The	
  dose	
  can	
  
be	
  delivered	
  in	
  food	
  or	
  a	
  liquid.	
  You	
  may	
  decide	
  that	
  
a	
  partial	
  dose	
  has	
  a	
  reduced	
  effect,	
  such	
  as	
  allowing	
  
advantage	
  on	
  the	
  saving	
  throw	
  or	
  dealing	
  only	
  half	
  
damage	
  on	
  a	
  failed	
  save. 	
  
	
   Inhaled.	
  These	
  poisons	
  are	
  powders	
  or	
  gases	
  that	
  
take	
  effect	
  when	
  inhaled.	
  Blowing	
  the	
  powder	
  or	
  
releasing	
  the	
  gas	
  subjects	
  creatures	
  in	
  a	
  5 -­‐‑foot	
  cube	
  
to	
  its	
  effect.	
  The	
  resulting	
  cloud	
  dissipates	
  
immediately	
  afterward.	
  Holding	
  one’s 	
  breath	
  is	
  
ineffective	
  against	
  inhaled	
  poisons,	
  as	
  they	
  affect	
  
nasal	
  membranes,	
  tear	
  ducts,	
  and	
  other	
  parts	
  of	
  the	
  
body.	
  
	
   Injury.	
  Injury	
  poison	
  can	
  be	
  applied	
  to	
  weapons,	
  
ammunition,	
  trap	
  components,	
  and	
  other	
  objects	
  
that	
  deal	
  piercing	
  or	
  slashing	
  damage	
   and	
  remains	
  
potent	
  until	
  delivered	
  through	
  a	
  wound	
  or	
  washed	
  
off.	
  A	
  creature	
  that	
  takes	
  piercing	
  or	
  slashing	
  
damage	
  from	
  an	
  object	
  coated	
  with	
  the	
  poison	
  is	
  
exposed	
  to	
  its	
  effects. 	
  
Poisons	
  
Item	
   Type	
   Price	
  per	
  Dose	
  
Assassin’s	
  blood	
   Ingested	
   150	
  gp	
  
Burnt	
  othur	
  fumes	
   Inhaled	
   500	
  gp	
  
Crawler	
  mucus	
   Contact	
   200	
  gp	
  
Drow	
  poison	
   Injury	
   200	
  gp	
  
Essence	
  of	
  ether	
   Inhaled	
   300	
  gp	
  
Malice	
   Inhaled	
   250	
  gp	
  
Midnight	
  tears	
   Ingested	
   1,500	
  gp	
  
Oil	
  of	
  taggit	
   Contact	
   400	
  gp	
  
Pale	
  tincture	
   Ingested	
   250	
  gp	
  
Purple	
  worm	
  poison	
   Injury	
   2,000	
  gp	
  
Serpent	
  venom	
   Injury	
   200	
  gp	
  
Torpor	
   Ingested	
   600	
  gp	
  
Truth	
  serum	
   Ingested	
   150	
  gp	
  
Wyvern	
  poison	
   Injury	
   1,200	
  gp	
  
Sample Poisons 
Each	
  type	
  of	
  poison	
  has	
  its	
  own	
  debilitating	
  effects. 	
  
	
   Assassin’s	
  Blood	
  (Ingested). 	
  A	
  creature	
  subjected	
  
to	
  this	
  poison	
  must	
  make	
  a	
  DC	
  10	
  Constitution	
  
saving	
  throw.	
  On	
  a	
  failed	
  save,	
  it	
  takes	
  6	
  (1d12)	
  
poison	
  damage	
  and	
  is	
  poisoned	
  for	
  24	
  hours.	
  On	
  a	
  
successful	
  save,	
  the	
  creature	
  takes	
  half	
  damage	
  and	
  
isn’t	
  poisoned.	
  
	
   Burnt	
  Othur	
  Fumes	
  (I nhaled).	
  A	
  creature	
  
subjected	
  to	
  this	
  poison	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  13	
  
Constitution	
  saving	
  throw	
  or	
  take	
  10	
  (3d6)	
  poison	
  
damage,	
  and	
  must	
  repeat	
  the	
  saving	
  throw	
  at	
  the	
  
start	
  of	
  each	
  of	
  its	
  turns.	
  On	
  each	
  successive	
  failed	
  
save,	
  the	
  character	
  takes	
  3	
  (1d6)	
  p oison	
  damage.	
  
After	
  three	
  successful	
  saves,	
  the	
  poison	
  ends. 	
  
	
   Crawler	
  Mucus	
  (Contact). 	
  This	
  poison	
  must	
  be	
  
harvested	
  from	
  a	
  dead	
  or	
  incapacitated	
  crawler.	
  A	
  
creature	
  subjected	
  to	
  this	
  poison	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  
DC	
  13	
  Constitution	
  saving	
  throw	
  or	
  be	
  poisoned	
   for	
  
1	
  minute.	
  The	
  poisoned	
  creature	
  is	
  paralyzed.	
  The	
  
creature	
  can	
  repeat	
  the	
  saving	
  throw	
  at	
  the	
  end	
  of	
  
each	
  of	
  its	
  turns,	
  ending	
  the	
  effect	
  on	
  itself	
  on	
  a	
  
success.	
  
	
   Drow	
  Poison	
  (Injury). 	
  This	
  poison	
  is	
  typically	
  
made	
  only	
  by	
  the	
  drow,	
  and	
  only	
  in	
  a	
  place 	
  far	
  
removed	
  from	
  sunlight.	
  A	
  creature	
  subjected	
  to	
  this	
  
poison	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  13	
  Constitution	
  saving	
  
throw	
  or	
  be	
  poisoned	
  for	
  1	
  hour.	
  If	
  the	
  saving	
  throw	
  
fails	
  by	
  5	
  or	
  more,	
  the	
  creature	
  is	
  also	
  unconscious	
  
while	
  poisoned	
  in	
  this	
  way.	
  The	
  creature	
  w akes	
  up	
  if	
  
it	
  takes	
  damage	
  or	
  if	
  another	
  creature	
  takes	
  an	
  
action	
  to	
  shake	
  it	
  awake. 	
  
	
   Essence	
  of	
  Ether	
  (Inhaled). 	
  A	
  creature	
  subjected	
  
to	
  this	
  poison	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  15	
  Constitution	
  
saving	
  throw	
  or	
  become	
  poisoned	
  for	
  8	
  hours.	
  The	
  
poisoned	
  creature	
  is 	
  unconscious.	
  The	
  creature	
  
wakes	
  up	
  if	
  it	
  takes	
  damage	
  or	
  if	
  another	
  creature	
  
takes	
  an	
  action	
  to	
  shake	
  it	
  awake. 	
  
	
   Malice	
  (Inhaled). 	
  A	
  creature	
  subjected	
  to	
  this	
  
poison	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  15	
  Constitution	
  saving	
  
throw	
  or	
  become	
  poisoned	
  for	
  1	
  hour.	
  The	
  poi soned	
  
creature	
  is	
  blinded. 	
  
	
   Midnight	
  Tears	
  (Ingested). 	
  A	
  creature	
  that	
  
ingests	
  this	
  poison	
  suffers	
  no	
  effect	
  until	
  the	
  stroke	
  
of	
  midnight.	
  If	
  the	
  poison	
  has	
  not	
  been	
  neutralized	
  
before	
  then,	
  the	
  creature	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  17	
  
Constitution	
  saving	
  throw,	
  t aking	
  31	
  (9d6)	
  poison	
  
damage	
  on	
  a	
  failed	
  save,	
  or	
  half	
  as	
  much	
  damage	
  on	
  
a	
  successful	
  one. 	
  
	
   Oil	
  of	
  Taggit	
  (Contact). 	
  A	
  creature	
  subjected	
  to	
  
this	
  poison	
  must	
  succeed	
  on	
  a	
  DC	
  13	
  Constitution	
  
saving	
  throw	
  or	
  become	
  poisoned	
  for	
  24	
  hours.	
  The	
  
poisoned	
  creatur e	
  is	
  unconscious.	
  The	
  creature	
  
wakes	
  up	
  if	
  it	
  takes	
  damage. 	
  