It takes an action to apply to your weapon or ammunition. If you're a thief rogue subclass it takes a bonus action because of their fast hands ability.
If you're using the basic poison vial from the PHB the poison damage is a DC10 constitution save by the enemy and deals 1D4 damage. The poison can be used to coat the blade of your weapon for 1 strike, or on 3 pieces of ammunition. It lasts for 1 minute before losing its potency.
There are better poisons in the dungeon masters guide but they're more difficult to find.
Using poisons is not the best thing to do. WotC made the Poisoned condition pretty strong, but difficult to apply.
It is good for Thieves who are using a shortbow since, as Ogelthorpe wrote, you can do it with your Bonus Action thanks to their 3rd level ability, but Thieves don't get the poisonner kit proficiency. So, at low level it can be fun to play, but poisons are quite expensive. Then, mid and high level you'll meet opponents that resist or are immune to poison damage and poisonned condition, or that have a big bonus to their constitution saving throw.
Don't count on poisons too much. It's OK if you're a Thief and you find a poison vial in the loot (plus remember that you can apply it to your friend's weapons) but objects in general are not worthy.
I would like to see an UA giving to the rogue real poisoner abilities, like being able to apply poison on more than several ammunition or for several strikes, being able to concentrate a poison to increase its DC etc.
I would like to see an UA giving to the rogue real poisoner abilities, like being able to apply poison on more than several ammunition or for several strikes, being able to concentrate a poison to increase its DC etc.
The UA: Feats contains something for using poisons:
Poisoner You can prepare and deliver deadly poisons, gaining the following benefits:
When you make a damage roll, you ignore resistance to poison damage.
You can coat a weapon in poison as a bonus action, instead of an action.
You gain proficiency with the poisoner’s kit if you don’t already have it. With one hour of work using a poisoner’s kit and expending 50 gp worth of materials, you can create a number of doses of potent poison equal to your proficiency bonus. Once applied, the poison retains potency for 1 minute or until you hit with the weapon. When a weapon coated in this poison deals damage to a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 poison damage and become poisoned until the end of your next turn.
On this subject, I have my own lore that weapons can be made to be used with poison. Weapons and ammunition of this sort have close set ribs that the poison wicks into and it wipes off inside the victim. It is also not a good thing to be caught carrying a weapon manufactured this way. Some people might get the wrong idea about you.
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Hey all I just sprouted an idea of applying poison to your daggers or arrows and wondered how that would work?
It takes an action to apply to your weapon or ammunition. If you're a thief rogue subclass it takes a bonus action because of their fast hands ability.
If you're using the basic poison vial from the PHB the poison damage is a DC10 constitution save by the enemy and deals 1D4 damage. The poison can be used to coat the blade of your weapon for 1 strike, or on 3 pieces of ammunition. It lasts for 1 minute before losing its potency.
There are better poisons in the dungeon masters guide but they're more difficult to find.
Using poisons is not the best thing to do. WotC made the Poisoned condition pretty strong, but difficult to apply.
It is good for Thieves who are using a shortbow since, as Ogelthorpe wrote, you can do it with your Bonus Action thanks to their 3rd level ability, but Thieves don't get the poisonner kit proficiency.
So, at low level it can be fun to play, but poisons are quite expensive. Then, mid and high level you'll meet opponents that resist or are immune to poison damage and poisonned condition, or that have a big bonus to their constitution saving throw.
Don't count on poisons too much. It's OK if you're a Thief and you find a poison vial in the loot (plus remember that you can apply it to your friend's weapons) but objects in general are not worthy.
I would like to see an UA giving to the rogue real poisoner abilities, like being able to apply poison on more than several ammunition or for several strikes, being able to concentrate a poison to increase its DC etc.
The UA: Feats contains something for using poisons:
More Interesting Lock Picking Rules
On this subject, I have my own lore that weapons can be made to be used with poison. Weapons and ammunition of this sort have close set ribs that the poison wicks into and it wipes off inside the victim. It is also not a good thing to be caught carrying a weapon manufactured this way. Some people might get the wrong idea about you.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt