Roguish Archetype
Rogues have many features in common, including their emphasis on perfecting their skills, their precise and deadly approach to combat, and their increasingly quick reflexes. But different rogues steer these talents in different
directions, embodied by the rogue archetypes. Your choice
of archetype is a reflection of your focus--not necessarily
an indication of your chosen profession, but a
description of your preferred techniques.
Viper
You've always been fascinated with the usage of poison
and toxins. These substances make potent weapons in
the right capable hands, and you have honed your skills putting them to use.
Bonus Proficiency
3rd-level Viper feature
You gain proficiency in the poisoner's kit. If you are already proficient in it, you add your proficiency bonus twice to ability checks you make using a poisoner's kit.
Poisoncraft
3rd-level Viper feature
You are well versed in the art of brewing and preparing potent poisons. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can make a number of chemical reagents equal to your proficiency bonus. As an action, you can spend reagents to brew a poison. The cost of producing various poisons is listed in the Poison Brewing table. Any reagents not spent to produce poisons lose their potency at the end of your next short or long rest.
Additionally, you can apply a vial of poison to a weapon, food or liquid as a bonus action. A poison applied to a weapon loses its potency after some time, becoming inert. Typically, a poison loses its potency after one minute, or when you hit a creature with the poisoned weapon.
Your poisons are a fair bit more potent than most. When a creature makes a Constitution saving throw to resist one of your poisons, you add your proficiency bonus to the DC for that save.
Versatile Venom
3rd-level Viper feature
You are aware that many enemies can easily shrug off the effects of your poisons. To counteract this issue, you've learned to alter your recipes for more useful compounds with more damaging effects.
Choose one of the following options when you gain this feature. Whenever you finish a short or long rest, you can replace your chosen option with another from the list.
Searing Toxin. Your poisons cause a victim to suffer caustic burns and sweltering fevers. When a creature takes damage caused by one of your poisons, you can replace the damage type with acid or fire damage.
Numbing Toxin. Your poisons cause a victim to suffer intense chills and loss of senses. When a creature takes damage caused by one of your poison, you can replace the damage type with cold or necrotic damage.
Built-Up Immunity
13th-level Viper feature
Your exposure to your own poisons has left you with a stronger immune system. You gain resistance to poison damage, and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to resist the poisoned condition. In addition, you are immune to the effects of any poison that you create.
Fanged Strike
17th-level Viper feature
You have taught yourself to kill with a quick, venomous strike. When you use a poisoned weapon to deal Sneak Attack damage to a creature, you deal an additional 3d6 damage to the creature. This damage can be either poison damage, or chosen from the options granted by Versatile Venom.
Credits
Subclass Created By: u/parad0xxis
Art Used:
- Fangs of the Empire by Grafit Art, ©CD Projekt Red
- Coat with Venom by Johann Bodin, ©Wizards of the Coast
- Watercolor stains by Jared Ondricek (u/flamableconcrete)
Poison Brewing List
A poisonmaster is nothing without poisons to use. Below is a table of brewable poisons and a summary of their effects. The specific rules for using each poison can be found in the D&D 5e System Reference Document, or on page 257 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Poisons are applied in a variety of manners, specifically in four common methods:
- Contact. A contact poison is delivered to the first target that touches it. It is often smeared on objects that the target is expected to touch. The poison must contact exposed skin to be effective.
- Ingested. A target must swallow an ingested poison completely to suffer its effects. It can be delivered through food or through a liquid, or swallowed on its own. A DM may decide that a partial dose incurs a reduced effect, such as having advantage on the saving throw.
- 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 poisons can be applied to a weapon or ammunition that deals piercing or slashing damage. When a creature takes damage from a poisoned weapon, it suffers the effects of the poison.
All poisons incur Constitution saving throws to resist their effects. The DC for each poison is listed in the Base DC column of the Poison Table. Some poisons are harvested from creatures rather than crafted. See page 258 of the DMG for rules on harvesting poison and venom.
| Poison | Reagent Cost | Base DC | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Poison (Injury) | 1 | 10 | 1d4 damage |
| Assassin's Blood (Ingested) | 1 | 10 | 1d12 damage |
| Truth Serum (Ingested) | 1 | 11 | Poisoned, Can't Lie |
| Serpent Venom* (Injury) | 2 | 11 | 3d6 damage |
| Burnt Othur Fumes (Inhaled) | 2 | 13 | 3d6 damage |
| Crawler Mucus* (Contact) | 2 | 13 | Poisoned, Paralyzed |
| Malice (Inhaled) | 2 | 15 | Poisoned, Blinded |
| Drow Poison (Injury) | 3 | 13 | Poisoned, Unconscious |
| Oil of Taggit (Contact) | 3 | 13 | Poisoned, Unconscious |
| Torpor (Ingested) | 3 | 15 | Poisoned, Incapacitated |
| Essence of Ether (Inhaled) | 4 | 15 | Poisoned, Unconscious |
| Wyvern Poison* (Injury) | 4 | 15 | 7d6 damage |
| Pale Tincture (Ingested) | 4 | 16 | 1d6 damage repeated |
| Midnight Tears (Ingested) | 5 | 17 | 9d6 damage |
| Purple Worm Venom* (Injury) | 6 | 19 | 12d6 damage |
| *Harvested from a creature |
