Poisoner's Kit - v1.1
The smartest assassins know that the stinger or bite of a creature might be painful, but it's hardly the thing for you to worry about. Instead, the deadly nature of a scorpion or a snake is the natural venom they produce. A poisoner's kit allows the smarter adventurers to harvest venom to create powerful poisons to immobilize, debilitate or otherwise cause unending pain to their targets.
Poisoner's Kit
A poisoner's kit includes a journal, glass vials, a mortar and pestle, chemicals, and a glass stirring rod.
Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to craft or use poisons.
The tools weigh 3 lbs and costs 50 gp.
Poisoner's Journal
Each poisoner keeps a journal with their equipment to record their findings and to keep recipes. These journals are highly prized by assassins and are rarely shared with others. When a poisoner starts out, they typically know three recipes and can expand their recipes by trading notes with others, finding other journals, or experimenting with venoms and plants.
Deciphering a Journal
Every poisoner keeps a journal of their formulas, with almost all of them using their own shorthand or code for their recipes. This is prevent would-be robbers from stealing their knowledge or protecting them in case their journal is seized from revealing their true identity. If an adventurer wishes to uncover the secrets, they must succeed on an Intelligence (Poisoner's Kit) check against the DC of the poisoner and spend 1 hour per recipe to work on the code.
The typical DC is DC 12, based off of the Assassin's statblock in the Monster Manual.
Procuring Venom
Before you can create your dangerous concoctions, you must first have access to the venom of certain types of creatures, harvest the plants needed, or be able to pay someone else to get it for you. When a poison shows a component cost, you must either have access to the component or spend the gold necessary for the component. This cost may increase or decrease depending on the region you are located in; or may not even be available unless you know the right people.
Creating Poisons
Once you have access to your components, and are proficient in the poisoner's kit, you can go about creating your poison. By spending an hour mixing and combining the necessary ingredients, you can make a crafting check using your Intelligence modifier plus your proficiency bonus for the poisoner's kit. If you hit or exceed the DC for the poison, your poison was successfully created and it is ready to be used.
On a failed roll, the components are wasted in the attempt.
Milking Venom
If you find a creature you wish to extract it's venom from, you must have an empty vial and you must extract the venom while it is alive or within an hour of its death. By extracting your own venom, you can forgo the component cost of a poison.
When you extract the venom, you must attempt an Intelligence (Poisoner's Kit) check against the DC of the creature being milked. This process takes several minutes to complete.
On a success, you extract enough venom for one dose of a poison. If you wish to extract more venom, you must locate another creature or wait for the creature to produce more venom.
On a fail, the venom is lost and you must wait for the creature to produce more venom or find another creature that produces that venom.
Experimenting with Venom
If you find yourself with extra venom, but no recipes to use that venom, you can try and create a new poison out of it. By spending an hour experimenting with the venom and testing it on a living creature, you can create a new recipe by making an Intelligence (Poisoner's Kit) check against the Recipe DC. Most poisoners have rats, pigs or chickens to experiment their poisons on, but a poisoner can always test their poisons on themselves.
The DC to create the recipe is based off of the CR of the creature, and you may have advantage on this roll if you have previously worked on this venom, per the GM's discretion.
Poison Characteristics
Some poisons must be ingested, others rely onn contact via weapons, and others must be in mist form. A poison will list how it must be delivered for it to work, utilizing a poison by using it in a different way often makes it useless.
Certain poisons initial effect can be extremely weak, but they feature aftereffects. These aftereffects begin working at the start of the creature's next turn but only if they failed their initial saving throw against the poison.
Contact Poisons
Contact poisons must be applied to weapons and are only delivered on a hit and when the weapon deals damage.
Ingested Poisons
Ingested poisons must be eaten and do not take effect until the start of the target's next turn.
Mist Poisons
Mist poisons must be aerosolized during creation and the target must breathe in the poison.
Aftereffects
Aftereffects only come into effect once the target has failed their initial saving throw.
Poison Recipes
To apply a poison to a weapon, drop it on food or in a cup, or similar activity requires an action to complete.
Assassin's Blood
An assassin's favorite tool to make the target think they have food poisoning. This is the best tool to get a target away from a group and allow them to finish the job.
- Ingested Poison, Craft DC 11
- Component Cost: 150 gp
- Creatures: Poisonous Snakes, Poisonous Spiders, Scorpions
- Extract DC: 11 Recipe DC: 13
- Poison DC: 10, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: This poison must be applied to food or drink. A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d12 poison damage and is poisoned for 24 hours. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn't poisoned.
- Duration: The target is poisoned for 24 hours.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 hour when applied to food or drink.
Basic Poison
The first poison must poisoners learn and is easily produced. This poison is the hallmark for assassins just beginning.
- Contact Poison, Craft DC 10
- Component Cost: 100 gp
- Creatures: Poisonous Snakes, Poisonous Spiders
- Extract DC: 10 Recipe DC: 12
- Poison DC: 10, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 poison damage.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 minute before drying.
Burnt Othur Fumes
This mist burns through the membranes of nasal passageways and through the soft tissue of the mouth. Created from the dried venom of giant wasps, this lingering poison is designed to kill quickly before its effects can be stopped.
- Mist Poison, Craft DC 12
- Component Cost: 500 gp
- Creatures: Giant Wasps
- Extract DC: 11 Recipe DC: 13
- Poison DC: 13, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: This poison is sprayed out into a 5-foot cube and a creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 3d6 poison damage on a failed save. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this application of the poison.
- Aftereffect: If the target fails the initial saving throw, they must repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn. The target takes 1d6 poison damage on a failed save and must succeed on three successful saves before the poison ends. These successes do not need to be consecutive.
- Duration: The target must make three successful saves.
- Potency: The poison dissipates immediately.
Carrion Crawler Brain Juice
One of the odder venoms on the market, this venom is theorized to be created from the necrotic flesh that Carrion Crawlers regularly devour. Many claim that feeding Carrion Crawlers drow will make the venom that much deadlier.
- Contact Poison, Craft DC 12
- Component Cost: 300 gp
- Creatures: Carrion Crawlers
- Extract DC: 11 Recipe DC: 13
- Poison DC: 13, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save they are poisoned and take 1d4 poison damage, or half damage on a successful save.
- Aftereffect: If the target fails the initial saving throw, at the start of their next turn they become paralyzed. At the end of their turn they can repeat the saving throw, ending the paralyzed and poisoned condition on a success.
- Duration: The target is poisoned and paralyzed for 1 hour or until they make a successful save.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 10 minutes before drying.
Deathjump Spider Venom
This thick, mud-like poison has a sharp blue color to it, that almost makes it seem otherworldly. This venom can only be harvested from the elusive phase spiders, though many drow have easy access to these poisons.
- Contact Poison, Craft DC 13
- Component Cost: 600 gp
- Creatures: Phase Spider
- Extract DC: 12 Recipe DC: 14
- Poison DC: 12, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
- Aftereffect: If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target immediately stabilizes on their next turn but is poisoned for 1 hour, even if they regain hit points. While poisoned in this way, they are paralyzed.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 10 minutes before drying.
Dragon's Breath
By slowly harvesting the poison glands of a green dragon, you can bottle the potent poisonous gas and release it, either by breaking the bottle or opening the lid. The thick gas immediately fills up a 10' square area before dissipating away.
- Mist Poison, Craft DC 14
- Component Cost: 1600 gp
- Creatures: Young Green Dragons, or older
- Extract DC: 14 Recipe DC: 16
- Poison DC: 14, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: This poison, when released, immediately fills up a 10-foot square area centered on its container before dissipating. A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 12d6 poison damage on a fail, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- Potency: The poison dissipates immediately.
Ground Thassil Shroom
This flavorless, blue powder is harvested by deadly fungi cultivated by ettercaps in their dark realms of spiders and webs.
- Ingested Poison, Craft DC 11
- Component Cost: 400 gp
- Creatures: Fungi cultivated by Ettercaps
- Extract DC: 11 Recipe DC: 13
- Poison DC: 12, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: This poison must be applied to food or drink. A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they are poisoned.
- Aftereffects: If the target fails the initial saving throw, they must repeat the saving throw at the start of their next turn. If they fail that saving throw, they become under the effects of a slow spell.
At the end of their turn, they can attempt a DC 12 Wisdom daving throw to end the effect. - Duration: The target is poisoned for 1 hour and under the effect of a slow spell until they succeed on their saving throw.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 hour when applied to food or drink.
Pale Tincture
A pale tan liquid, this strange substance is harvested from fungi cultivated by myconids in their lairs in the underground lands. The poison is extracted by squeezing the liquid out of pale mushrooms.
- Ingested Poison, Craft DC 13
- Component Cost: 250 gp
- Creatures: Fungi cultivated by Myconids
- Extract DC: 11 Recipe DC: 13
- Poison DC: 16, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: This poison must be applied to food or drink. A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, they take 1d6 poison damage and are poisoned.
- Aftereffects: If the target fails the initial saving throw, they must repeat the saving throw every 24 hours, taking 1d6 poison damage on a failed save. Until this poison ends, the damage the poison deals can't be healed by any means.
- Duration: The target is poisoned until they succeed seven times on the saving throw. These successes do not need to be consecutive.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 hour when applied to food or drink.
Purple Worm Poison
This purple goo easily coats a weapon and even has a sharp smell to it that burns the nostrils. From the stingers of a purple worm, this powerful poison is also used in alcoholic beverages to provide a powerful kick, though it isn't for the faint of heart.
- Contact Poison, Craft DC 16
- Component Cost: 2000 gp
- Creatures: Purple Worm
- Extract DC: 18 Recipe DC: 20
- Poison DC: 19, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on one piece of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 12d6 poison damage on a fail, or half as much on a successful save.
- Potency: The poison retains potency until delivered through a wound or washed off.
Stormclaw Scorpion Venom
Despite the name, this poison is only rarely created from scorpion venom, more often harvested from snakes and spiders. This purple-black poison hails from the desert and is used to distract targets, making it easier to bring down fighters.
- Contact Poison, Craft DC 10
- Component Cost: 200 gp
- Creatures: Poisonous Snakes, Poisonous Spiders, Scorpions
- Extract DC: 11 Recipe DC: 13
- Poison DC: 12, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 1d4 poison damage on a fail, or half as much damage on a successful save.
- Aftereffect: If the target fails the initial saving throw, at the start of their next turn they are poisoned. While poisoned in this way, they take 1d4 poison damage at the start of their turn.
At the end of their turn, they can attempt the saving throw again. Upon a successful save, they are no longer poisoned and are immune to this poison for 24 hours. - Duration: The target is poisoned for 1 hour or until they successfully save.
- Potency: The poison retains potency for 10 minutes before drying.
Wyvern Poison
This venom resembles amber and comes from the vicious wyverns that attack sailors or airships. Many have died trying to harvest this venom as the tail of a wyvern will occasionally jab out with muscle spasms, even in death.
- Contact Poison, Craft DC 13
- Component Cost: 1200 gp
- Creatures: Wyverns
- Extract DC: 13 Recipe DC: 15
- Poison DC: 15, Constitution saving throw
- Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on one piece of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 7d6 poison damage on a fail, or half as much on a successful save.
- Potency: The poison retains potency until delivered through a wound or washed off.
Variant: Sensible Pricing
The prices above are based on the published prices in the Player's Handbook and in the Dungeon Master's Guide that are widely expensive for what damage they offer. If you'd like a more balanced price for poisons, you can use the prices listed below, or make your own based on the prices below and the ones provided in the official sources.
Sensible Prices
| Poison | Offical Cost | Sensible Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin's Blood | 150 gp | 90 gp |
| Basic Poison | 100 gp | 50 gp |
| Burnt Othur Fumes | 500 gp | 280 gp |
| Carrion Crawler Brain Juice | 300 gp* | 150 gp |
| Deathjump Spider Venom | 600 gp* | 240 gp |
| Dragon's Breath | 1600 gp* | 650 gp |
| Ground Thassil Shroom | 400 gp* | 120 gp |
| Pale Tincture | 250 gp | 110 gp |
| Purple Worm Poison | 2000 gp | 1,550 gp |
| Stormclaw Scorpion Venom | 200 gp* | 90 gp |
| Wyvern Poison | 1200 gp | 740 gp |
*This poison's "official" price is based on the other poisons and does not appear in an official source.
Errata
Version 1.1
- Fixed grammar, spelling, and wording mistakes.
- Adjusted poisons so that they more accurately match the language used in 5th edition.
- Added in Variant: Sensible Pricing