Poisons and Toxins

Poisons and Toxins are natural or magical substances that cause harm to a creature when ingested, inhaled, absorbed, or otherwise introduced into the body. Poisons are fast acting, with instantaneous effects that are ended with a Saving Throw (although some poisons have have longer duration effects if the subject does not save within a specified amount of time). Toxins, alternatively, are slower acting, with an onset time of minutes to hours, and have worsening effects with the introduction of multiple doses. Each Poison and Toxin can be delivered via a specific method, such as ingestion, wound or injection, inhalation, or even contact (i.e. absorption through the skin). In order for a poison or toxin to be used effectively, it must be delivered via a viable method.

Poisons

Poisons are fast acting substances with short term effects that can be ended with a Saving Throw. In some cases, poisons can have long term (or fatal) effects if a saving throw is not made within a specified amount of time. If a creature is subject to the same poison a second time, before it saves, the difficulty of the next Saving Throw is increased by one die [STP 1d10] (as normal with stacking effects). Because poisons act instantaneously, they are often used in combat to weaken and debilitate enemies, usually by applying the poison to a weapon.

Example
If a creature is hit with a crossbow bolt laced with Drow Sleep Poison, it becomes Drowsy [SE, ST 3d10 vs CON]. If the creature does not save within 20 segments, it falls Asleep for 1d4 phases.

List of Poisons

Toxins

Toxins are slower acting substances, with long term effects that can vary by degree depending on the number of doses a target has been afflicted with. Each toxin has an Onset Time, which indicates the amount of time that passes before symptoms are exhibited. When a creature is exposed to a toxin (one or more doses at a time), it must make a Resilience check against each dose of the toxin (DC dependent on the specific toxin). If the creature fails one or more checks, then after the onset time it suffers an effect based on the number of doses it is currently afflicted with. Being dosed multiple times has cumulative effects, even if the doses are not applied all at once.

Example
A group of ogres are eating food covered in Death Berry Toxin. The GM rules that each ogre is subject to 4 doses of the toxin. Each ogre must make a Resilience check against each dose (DC 13). One of the ogres is lucky, succeeding all 4 checks, and suffers no ill effect. The rest of the ogres all fail at least one check and are subject to the effects of the toxin after 1 phase passes (right before the ogres decide to add some dessert to the meal). The ogres that failed one check, are subject to a single dose, which causes them to sleep for 1d4 hours. The ogres that failed two checks are subject to a double dose, which plunges them into a deep paralytic sleep (seemingly like death) for 2d6 hours. The remaining ogres that failed three or four checks are subject to three (or four) doses of the toxin, falling into a deep paralytic sleep that causes them to suffocate.

Recovery and Metabolism

The metabolism section of a toxin specifies how much time is required before a dose of toxin is removed from the creature. One one dose is removed at a time. The creature must wait for each in sequence. For example, a toxin that is metabolized in one hour, removes one dose every hour that passes. A creature with three doses in its system must wait three hours before the toxin is completely removed. As doses are removed the effects of the toxin are downgraded.


List of Toxins