According to the description in the Poisoner's Kit, you can create and do checks regarding poisons if you are proficient with it. But it seems to give vague information regarding to how can you create poisons. According to the DMG, there are a list of poisons and their effects and how can it be used, but nothing about crafting. Majority from the list has no definite ingredients needed to make a poison, what materials are needed (e.g. an Anvil to use Smith Tools), or how long does it have to take to make one. Is there any crafting rules regarding this in AL?
All of this falls under DM fiat. It is assumed that few players will use poison. It is hard to come by and nobody reputable will sell it. More likely, a player will use their poisoner kit to extract venom from a killed monster. Xanathar's has a scant few more details, but you're mostly expected to make it up. There are boatloads of DM Guild pieces on the topic, though.
I've had characters that also combined Herbalism Kits (and skill) with the Poisoner's Kit to come up with the wares they use. It is similar to how any other craft is done, though, most armorsmiths don't have to save versus dying very often. So much of this is up to the DM, but a well thought out presentation of what you are trying to do and how you are going to do it will go a long way toward convincing a DM to help you get there.
There are rules for crafting in the players handbook. Basically you need proficiency with the poisoners kit and you purchase the components at shops like you would component for other items. Although poison ingredients might be black market only. It's takes an amount of days equal to half the cost of the desired poison divided by 5. The components cost half the price of the poison. Some poisons have super rare ingredients that you will have to harvest yourself from dangerous monsters. The rules for crafting can be found in the players handbook.
For every day of downtime you spend crafting, you can craft one or more items with a total market value not exceeding 5 gp, and you must expend raw materials worth half the total market value. If something you want to craft has a market value greater than 5 gp, you make progress every day in 5-gp increments until you reach the market value of the item. For example, a suit of plate armor (market value 1,500 gp) takes 300 days to craft by yourself.
As I was preparing for a one shot, a player of mine asked about making poisons. I thought "Oh, this should be simple. They have access to nearly any kind of resources and level 20 characters, so I'll see what the rules are in the DMG and Xanathar's and let the player know what he can do." Alas, there are next to no rules for actually creating poisons, assuming that everything is going to be left up to the DM. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but having enough DM experience to know how hard checks should be while still allowing for players to make things that are useful is something not everyone has. Although this is a fairly brief outline, and I don't really break down material costs and crafting time, something that would be more important for a campaign, here is the system I developed for crafting poisons. I borrowed degrees of success (in this case, only applied in degrees of failure) from other systems to express how the consequences for failing work, but this is not outside the traditional D&D concept of failures that fall far outside of the range for success having more severe penalties.
The types of poisons and the strength of the save and effects impacts how difficult it is to safely make the poison. For the crafting checks, let’s use a system like this. For making the attempt, the roll uses the character’s intelligence modifier and proficiency bonus with a poisoner’s kit. Application outside of combat usually does not require a check, though in combat it may require a dexterity check if a character is being harried or applying the poison is very dangerous. Here is the standard formula I use for determining poison crafting DCs.
Base crafting DC: 5
Type of poison: These are the standard types of poison in the examples given in various sourcebooks. For a more unique type of poison, see the Umber Hulk Gaze Extract example at the bottom of the post.
Ingested: +2
Injury: +3
Contact: +4
Inhaled: +5
Damage: +1 for 3d4, +2 for 3d6, and +3 for 3d8. 1d4 damage is free if the poison has no other damage dice or status effects.
Since poisons in the core rules tend to be 1 dice, 3 dice, or 7 dice, with the top being 12 dice, I figured that intervals of three brings the numbers in line with the vanilla poison damage dice.
Persistent Application: Persistent application can only be applied to injury type poisons, with DM discretion for other cases. Poisons with persistent application linger on a weapon, applying across consecutive hits. Three hit persistence increases the crafting DC by +1 per 1d4, +2 per 1d6, and +3 per 1d8. Ten hit persistence costs +2 per 1d4, +3 per 1d6, and +4 per 1d8. Ten minutes of persistence (unlimited hits) costs +5 per 1d4, +8 per 1d6, and +10 per 1d8, starting upon application. Recurring damage is very powerful, hence the high cost, but this can be applied in addition to initial damage allowing for first round bursts and sustained damage, if the poisoner is willing to risk the crafting penalty. Recurring damage prevents an additional condition from being applied.
DC: Poisons have a base constitution save DC of 10, which applies to saving for half damage and saves against any conditions. This DC can be increased by +1 per rank increase, so reaching DC 15 would cost five points.
Conditions: All conditions have a duration of one minute by default. See the section on extending the duration below for more details.
Poisoned/Sleep: +2 to DC
Poison damage over time: +1 for 1d4, +2 for 1d6, +3 for 1d8, third die is free. Damage is taken every round for the duration, allowing a save for half damage. The duration of this effect cannot be increased. It also does not count as damage for the purpose of death saves, though it can render a target unconscious and force them to make saves.
Charmed (further damage breaks): +3 to DC
Stunned condition (save attempt every turn): +3 to DC
Paralyzed condition (save attempt every minute): +4 to DC
Death: +10 to DC if death occurs at the end of the duration, +15 if death is instant. Making a poison this dangerous is very difficult because it’s almost impossible to practice, so the DC is high but the payoff is also high. This type of save also doubles the base cost of the vector, making ingested cost +4 DC and inhaled cost +10 DC, because it becomes much more hazardous to handle.
Increasing the duration increases the DC cost by 1 per step, from one minute to ten minutes, from ten minutes to one hour, from one hour to eight hours, from eight hours to a day, from a day to a week, and from a week to recurring endlessly (saves may end the effect). Increasing the duration of an effect may be subject to DM approval- a sleep poison that lasts indefinitely might need to be magical in nature, falling under the magical poison rules below, and other status effects may not be able to be increased at all.
Crafting: When crafting a poison, success follows a baseline, but failure is somewhat relative. For success, reaching the DC of the poison is enough- going beyond confers no benefits. Making a more difficult poison has some degree of risk. Failing by one degree (a result of 1 to 5 below the crafting DC) means that the poison is lost and the materials are ruined. If attempting a very difficult poison, a lesser poison may be created instead, perhaps with entirely different effects than intended. The poison created by this possibility still seems like a success to the character in this case, unless the poison is tested (if it was crafted as a large enough batch). If the poison is completely impotent, the character is almost certainly aware of that outcome if they are proficient with poisoner’s kits. Two degrees of failure (6 or more below the DC) results in the poisoner being subjected to the penalties of the poison, with three degrees of failure (11 or more below the DC) providing disadvantage on the save. Attempting a very difficult poison may kill or afflict an amateur. A poisoner who repeatedly fails checks may take permanent penalties because of repeated exposure, depending on the DM’s rulings.
Magical Poisons: Magical poisons are poisons that are not inherently organic by function. An poisoner who lacks proficiency in arcana has disadvantage on creating poisons which are magical in nature, either because of their unusual ingredients or a particular enchantment that changes the poison’s properties. If the poisoner has proficiency, this penalty does not apply, and if they are proficient and have a value of +6 or higher in the arcana skill, they instead gain advantage when crafting magical poisons, as their skill sets synergize. In addition to becoming magical because of their unusual ingredients (DM discretion), poisons can also become magical because of the following effects:
Changed damage type: Instead of dealing poison damage, the poison deals elemental damage of an appropriate time- a poison made from the blood of an Efreeti (no easy task, given that their bodies disappear when they die) might gain fire damage instead of poison damage. Generally speaking, this effect only costs more if it is an unusual type of damage (like Psychic) or the effect is an enchantment on the poison itself. DMs can decide if this cost applies and how much it should be.
Changed save attribute: Changing the attribute for a save is very powerful, and a cost of +5 or more is probably applicable. For +10 to the DC, the poison is insidious and targets the weakest save. This change applies if making the potion backfires, which can make it safer to make some poisons, or more dangerous if the poison is insidious.
Examples:
Purple Worm Poison: The strongest damage poison in 5E's core rules, Purple Worm Poison does an impressive 12d6 damage and has a constitution save DC of 19. The DC for crafting this poison would be DC 8 for an injury poison, +8 for the damage dice, and then an additional +9 for the DC increase, for an impressive value of 25. This is obviously very difficult, but a level 20 character with 11 rogue levels with expertise and a maxed intelligence score (or a headband of intellect) could reliably make this poison, provided they can find the appropriate worms and deal with them. As this is the strongest damage poison in the core rules, I feel that this DC is mostly appropriate, as a very skilled rogue who specialized in poisons could easily make this poison, but most others would have to deal with the incredible risk it poses to its creator.
Poison, Basic: The most basic poison in the game, it lives up to its name with a meager 1d4 damage and a terrible DC 10 constitution save to half damage. It only lasts for a minute once applied, meaning that it almost always has to be applied in combat or immediately before. This poison has a low DC of 8 to make, though an argument could be made for 7 because of the limitations. Although it’s an injury poison with no additional cost from damage or DC, it does very minimal damage and only lasts for one minute exposed to the air, a penalty that may reduce the DC of crafting. The only reason why someone wouldn’t make this without proficiency is the risk of injuring themselves making it. This is basically like coating your sword with some toxic herb; you don’t need to be a poison expert to make or use it.
Instant Death Food Poison: This poison can instantly kill someone who eats or drinks it. Detection of the poison depends on how skillfully it is applied. This poison has a constitution save, DC 15. This poison is a custom example. It has the incredibly high cost of DC 29, because the vector costs 4 (doubled because of the death effect), the instant death effect costs 15, and the DC increase costs 5. This poison is craftable, given a decent level of skill, but not without risk.
Umber Hulk Gaze Extract: This magical poison requires extract from the eyes of an umber hulk. While the umber hulk does not, strictly speaking, need to be dead, it certainly helps the chances of whoever is extracting the poison. This poison does no additional damage, but forces a DC 15 Charisma saving throw to all creatures who can see the poison when their turn starts to prevent the effects of an umber hulk’s gaze. Unlike an umber hulk, a target does not have the option to avert their eyes unless they know in advance the poison is applied to an item. The poison must be applied to a flat surface with at least enough room for a one inch diameter circle, and then exposed to the target or targets when the poison is to take effect. The poison loses its enchantments after one use, though powerful poisoners can increase the persistence of the poison with enchantments. This poison is an example of an unusual poison. Not only is its effect not an orthodox poison effect, but its component is magical in origin, meaning that it falls under the rules for magical poisons. The DC for crafting this poison is unusual, as is the vector. Even applying this poison is more difficult than normal- if the poisoner looks at the circle after it is complete, they are subjected to the effect! The DC for crafting this poison would be a DC 17 check, with a +4 modifier for the unusual vector, a +5 modifier for the save DC increase, and a +3 modifier for the status effect type. Changing the save does not incur an additional DC cost increase in this case, as it is a property of the materials used. To extend the persistence of the poison when applied, the DC increases by +2 for three round persistence and +6 for ten round persistence, for a total of 19 or 23. Applying this poison is difficult, however, and incurs a dexterity check plus poisoner’s kit proficiency bonus, DC 15 since the check must be made without looking at the application. Completing this check takes one minute, and as such it should not be attempted in combat. Failing this check means that the circle is made improperly and has no effect, and as with crafting the poison, failing too significantly applies the poison to oneself. Once the poison is applied, the item to which it has been applied can be safely sheathed, stowed, or concealed. A cloth veil and preparations may be necessary for concealment on armor, unusual items, or shields.
This is an example of a more complicated poison, one which has significant alterations from the way poisons "usually" work in D&D. It's entirely feasible, and not even that difficult to craft, but may require your party to hunt down umber hulks or find a merchant specializing in exotic goods in order to find the materials. Additionally, it is more complicated to create and apply than a usual poison.
I hope that this guide is somewhat helpful for those of you with rogues dreaming of assassination attempts, herbalists gone evil, and various other masters of skullduggery in your parties.
I like your explanation for crafting poisons of different varieties and strengths. However, you did not cover the cost of time for the crafting of these items. I know that some one posted the times for crafting items from the DMG, but that is not appropriate for this if we think about potions as opposites of healing potions. A simple healing potion cost 50 gp which would mean that it would take 10 days to make, but the Xanathar's GT Everything says that it only takes 1 Day and cost 25 gp of material. A simple poison cost 100 gp. So by going with the Crafting Healing Potions rules it would seem to take a person 2 days to craft a poison at a cost of 50 gp. I would guess the extra time is to allow for more caution for crafting. It would seem to me that these high level poisons you have mentioned here would require some of the same level of crafting time as the healing potions. A Supreme healing is supposed to take 20 days of crafting and up to 10,000 gp in materials. Does this sound correct to you?
I implemented a "fermenting" period. It takes only a small amount of time to mix a poison, allowing you to make several at a time. Then it needs to ferment for the remainder of the crafting time(GP/day). You could make 10 vials of poison and they would be ready in a month. Otherwise it would take you 5yrs of doing nothing but crafting to make supplies for a 6mo campaign. Plus IMO it shouldn't take 20 days to mix 1oz of liquid that only has a few ingredients.
We could even think about the possibility of milking venomous snakes and scorpions, and even giant spiders for their poison. With the use of a jar, in this case the poisoneers kit, you would be able to get a decent amount of venom, between 2 to 10 ml once a week from a single creature,depending the species and if the creature already used some of its venom.
Requirements for venom milking are: -the creature must be restrained, incapacitated or willing to be milked; - you must have proficency with poisoneers kit AND also with animal handling;
As the DC goes it may vary from species to species: ex DC 10 for snakes and scorpions; but a DC of 15 for spiders, they being more difficult to milk, or for larger creatures; I thought that both proficencies shall be added, from the kit and animal handeling.For the bad rolls penalties include : escape of the creature, you beeing poisoned insted, the requirement of a strenght check cause the creature is shaking...
I have yet not tried this ideea, but I will surely test it when the first opportunity arises. Good luck!!
It would be really great with a supplement with more detail about not only poisoms, but Alchemy, herbalism, blackmarket etc. Ofc a DM could always chance it to fit the situation but with AL being a things consistency would be awesome.
Has anyone seen any information on making poisons that aren't listed in the guide?
I'm a horticulturalist irl and have done a fair bit of research into poisonous plants and have identified a handful of extremely deadly plants that it would be reasonable to assume I could find.
My DM is happy for me to do this, but I don't want to be cheating either. Is there anything that talks about doing this?
One of the plants in question, you only need 0.5grams of dried leaf to kill a healthy adult, and literally all you need to do is crush it up and put it in their food. No other preparation is required irl, so I don't see why it would be needed in game
legacy editions had both scenarios where eating a raw plant had an effect, and you could also use it as an ingredient. imo, the point of preparing would be to convert it into something other than an ingestable poison (like injury or inhaled). 5th edition doesn't go into that much detail. you'd have to adopt someone else's homebrew or make your own.
I consider the amarune's almanac series close enough to official to count, considering the authors. they're based on ed greenwood's work from prior editions and he had some input into the almanacs - and he's one of the creators of forgotten realms. you might want to start there. they're on dmsguild and not free, but they have full-page previews of the entire document, so if you don't mind a gigantic 'sample file' stamped across each page, you don't need to pay. there's several other free homebrew poison guides on there as well, but i'd consider most of lesser quality.
personally, i think some plants could have an effect when eaten raw or processed (sometime the same effect, sometime different - like a stronger effect if processed and concentrated), some just when processed. when i look at a plant's description (whether 5e or legacy), i try to match it with an existing poison so i'm not just totally making stuff up and at least building off of official rules...if there's no close match, THEN i'll make a homebrew poison.
if you look at the legacy description of something like sindari, the herb was used to make a poison, showing no effects for an entire day, and then without warning, the victim lapses into violent convulsions, causing death within a few minutes. that i made into a homebrew poison because there's no close match for such a long delay - it whops you at midnight.
If you look at something like the hooded monk, with this legacy description "The hooded monk is a brown plant that grows about a foot and a half tall. Its peculiarly-shaped, as it seems to be comprised of only one leaf. That one leaf is tubular, and folds across at the top, obscuring the inside of the tube. Resist the temptation to open the hood, for a smallquantity of poison gas is released each time you do. One whiff and youll pass out in seconds. I believe the poison gas is meant to kill small rodents and bugs that might damage the plant. To a creature the size of a humanoid, that puff of poison is rarely fatal, but why tempt fate? I probably shouldnt say this, but the clever among you might wonder why rodents and insects would bother the plant in the first place. At the bottom of the hooded monk plant is a succulent fruit with a flavor like honey. If you must try the fruit, first harvest the plant with a sword. Cut the plant close to the ground, then get out of range for at least five minutes. The gas will dissipate and the fruit is yours. Be sure you do clear the area, because with any sudden, sharp movement, the hooded monk releases all of its gas at once, and that amount can be fatal even to human- sized beings. Oh, and be careful not to accidentally kick one over, for the same reason! Within 1-2 rounds on a failed saving throw after one smell, The victim feel nauseous for 1-4 hours and is unable to travel or tolerate any motion. within 1 round of inhaling the entire contents, At the start, the victim feels 1 round nauseous, then the limbs become paralyzed. The condition leads to death within an hour, unless the poison is neutralized in that time." .... for this plant, i just said ok, a DC 20 constitution check if you whiff it or fall unconscious and it can be used as an ingredient in Essence of Ether (which is an existing item).
for me, the 'as an ingredient' is key and allows you to consolidate somewhat similar, but different effects into a shorter list of poisons so you don't have 100 homebrew items, which imo is overwhelming.
I see crafting rules as a last resort. Basically, the DM says follow the rules in place and they don't have to do anything. Or they can shut you down or come up with an alternative method. It's that simple.
Poisoner's Kit - Crafting rules found on page 187 of PHB.
A poisoner's kit includes the vials, chemicals, and other equipment necessary for the creation of poisons. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to craft or use poisons.
A poisoner's kit is a favored resource for thieves, assassins, and others who engage in skulduggery. It allows you to apply poisons and create them from various materials. Your knowledge of poisons also helps you treat them.
Components.
A poisoner's kit includes glass vials, a mortar and pestle, chemicals, and a glass stirring rod.
History.
Your training with poisons can help you when you try to recall facts about infamous poisonings.
Investigation, Perception.
Your knowledge of poisons has taught you to handle those substances carefully, giving you an edge when you inspect poisoned objects or try to extract clues from events that involve poison.
Medicine.
When you treat the victim of a poison, your knowledge grants you added insight into how to provide the best care to your patient.
Nature, Survival.
Working with poisons enables you to acquire lore about which plants and animals are poisonous.
Handle Poison.
Your proficiency allows you to handle and apply a poison without risk of exposing yourself to its effects.
It is DM discretion on cost of materials for the particular poison, read them the more dangerous the poison, the more costly it is, and the more time it takes to make. Also the poison list isn't all the poisons of D&D, again its DM discretion on easier poisons to create, A.K.A 5gp = 10 uses of a +2 injury poison with a DC 12 con save. Variations in the Damage, Persistence, Effects, and DC can account for days of downtime. Also this downtime may not be for creation, it may be that your black market dealer doesn't have "fang of the viper" or whatever, and it will take 2 days to come in, or you're player is perfecting their recipe. Just a story line reason for it taking so long to make a few "vials" of a poison. This method allows DM's to "let" the player progress as a poisoner, instead of using the "best" poison off the hop. You can always get a better black market dealer, move up the chain of dealers later in levels to allow for more potent poisons to be made for less time. The Poisoner's Kit stuff and pg 187 is canon, the above paragraph is just my way of doing things, take it or leave it.
A DM could rule other checks appropriate in a particular situation- just because a tool proficiency allows something one way doesn't mean there aren't other options. For example, a detective type character might use Intelligence and Poisoner's Kit proficiency to handle poison as evidence without risking exposure or ruining the evidence, while an assassin might use dexterity-sleight of hand to apply a dangerous poison someone else created for them.
I am working on something similar. What do you think of this as a start? The plants are real, and all mixed ingredients and preparation is from my head.
Name
Type
Classification
Creation
Creation Cost
Creation Time
Market Value
Save DC
Effects/dose
Increased Potency
Used On
Daffodil
Ingested
Toxin
1/2 lb daffodil, soaked in fish oil for 12 hours, dried and ground to powder
1 sp
1 day
1 gp
CON DC 8
Upset stomach, vomiting for 2d4 minutes
Vomiting for 4d4 minutes, liver failure
Humanoids
Elephants Ear
Ingested
Toxin
1/2 lb leaves and stem of elephants ear, chopped and dried or dried and ground to powder
1 sp
1 day
1 gp
CON DC 8
Drooling, pain, upset stomache for 2d4 minutes
Intense pain, stomach cramps for 4d4 miutes
Cats, Dogs
Crocus
Ingested
Toxin
1/2 lb leaves and stem of autumn crocus, chopped and mixed with bone marrow into a paste
3 sp
8 hours
3 GP
CON DC 8
Kidney and liver damage
Death
Humanoids, Cats, Dogs, Horses
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According to the description in the Poisoner's Kit, you can create and do checks regarding poisons if you are proficient with it. But it seems to give vague information regarding to how can you create poisons. According to the DMG, there are a list of poisons and their effects and how can it be used, but nothing about crafting. Majority from the list has no definite ingredients needed to make a poison, what materials are needed (e.g. an Anvil to use Smith Tools), or how long does it have to take to make one. Is there any crafting rules regarding this in AL?
All of this falls under DM fiat. It is assumed that few players will use poison. It is hard to come by and nobody reputable will sell it. More likely, a player will use their poisoner kit to extract venom from a killed monster. Xanathar's has a scant few more details, but you're mostly expected to make it up. There are boatloads of DM Guild pieces on the topic, though.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
I've had characters that also combined Herbalism Kits (and skill) with the Poisoner's Kit to come up with the wares they use. It is similar to how any other craft is done, though, most armorsmiths don't have to save versus dying very often. So much of this is up to the DM, but a well thought out presentation of what you are trying to do and how you are going to do it will go a long way toward convincing a DM to help you get there.
There are rules for crafting in the players handbook. Basically you need proficiency with the poisoners kit and you purchase the components at shops like you would component for other items. Although poison ingredients might be black market only. It's takes an amount of days equal to half the cost of the desired poison divided by 5. The components cost half the price of the poison. Some poisons have super rare ingredients that you will have to harvest yourself from dangerous monsters. The rules for crafting can be found in the players handbook.
I like your explanation for crafting poisons of different varieties and strengths. However, you did not cover the cost of time for the crafting of these items. I know that some one posted the times for crafting items from the DMG, but that is not appropriate for this if we think about potions as opposites of healing potions. A simple healing potion cost 50 gp which would mean that it would take 10 days to make, but the Xanathar's GT Everything says that it only takes 1 Day and cost 25 gp of material. A simple poison cost 100 gp. So by going with the Crafting Healing Potions rules it would seem to take a person 2 days to craft a poison at a cost of 50 gp. I would guess the extra time is to allow for more caution for crafting. It would seem to me that these high level poisons you have mentioned here would require some of the same level of crafting time as the healing potions. A Supreme healing is supposed to take 20 days of crafting and up to 10,000 gp in materials. Does this sound correct to you?
I implemented a "fermenting" period. It takes only a small amount of time to mix a poison, allowing you to make several at a time. Then it needs to ferment for the remainder of the crafting time(GP/day). You could make 10 vials of poison and they would be ready in a month. Otherwise it would take you 5yrs of doing nothing but crafting to make supplies for a 6mo campaign. Plus IMO it shouldn't take 20 days to mix 1oz of liquid that only has a few ingredients.
We could even think about the possibility of milking venomous snakes and scorpions, and even giant spiders for their poison. With the use of a jar, in this case the poisoneers kit, you would be able to get a decent amount of venom, between 2 to 10 ml once a week from a single creature,depending the species and if the creature already used some of its venom.
Requirements for venom milking are: -the creature must be restrained, incapacitated or willing to be milked; - you must have proficency with poisoneers kit AND also with animal handling;
As the DC goes it may vary from species to species: ex DC 10 for snakes and scorpions; but a DC of 15 for spiders, they being more difficult to milk, or for larger creatures; I thought that both proficencies shall be added, from the kit and animal handeling.For the bad rolls penalties include : escape of the creature, you beeing poisoned insted, the requirement of a strenght check cause the creature is shaking...
I have yet not tried this ideea, but I will surely test it when the first opportunity arises. Good luck!!
It would be really great with a supplement with more detail about not only poisoms, but Alchemy, herbalism, blackmarket etc. Ofc a DM could always chance it to fit the situation but with AL being a things consistency would be awesome.
Hoping this thread is still active.
Has anyone seen any information on making poisons that aren't listed in the guide?
I'm a horticulturalist irl and have done a fair bit of research into poisonous plants and have identified a handful of extremely deadly plants that it would be reasonable to assume I could find.
My DM is happy for me to do this, but I don't want to be cheating either. Is there anything that talks about doing this?
One of the plants in question, you only need 0.5grams of dried leaf to kill a healthy adult, and literally all you need to do is crush it up and put it in their food. No other preparation is required irl, so I don't see why it would be needed in game
legacy editions had both scenarios where eating a raw plant had an effect, and you could also use it as an ingredient. imo, the point of preparing would be to convert it into something other than an ingestable poison (like injury or inhaled). 5th edition doesn't go into that much detail. you'd have to adopt someone else's homebrew or make your own.
I consider the amarune's almanac series close enough to official to count, considering the authors. they're based on ed greenwood's work from prior editions and he had some input into the almanacs - and he's one of the creators of forgotten realms. you might want to start there. they're on dmsguild and not free, but they have full-page previews of the entire document, so if you don't mind a gigantic 'sample file' stamped across each page, you don't need to pay. there's several other free homebrew poison guides on there as well, but i'd consider most of lesser quality.
personally, i think some plants could have an effect when eaten raw or processed (sometime the same effect, sometime different - like a stronger effect if processed and concentrated), some just when processed. when i look at a plant's description (whether 5e or legacy), i try to match it with an existing poison so i'm not just totally making stuff up and at least building off of official rules...if there's no close match, THEN i'll make a homebrew poison.
if you look at the legacy description of something like sindari, the herb was used to make a poison, showing no effects for an entire day, and then without warning, the victim lapses into violent convulsions, causing death within a few minutes. that i made into a homebrew poison because there's no close match for such a long delay - it whops you at midnight.
If you look at something like the hooded monk, with this legacy description "The hooded monk is a brown plant that grows about a foot and a half tall. Its peculiarly-shaped, as it seems to be comprised of only one leaf. That one leaf is tubular, and folds across at the top, obscuring the inside of the tube. Resist the temptation to open the hood, for a smallquantity of poison gas is released each time you do. One whiff and youll pass out in seconds. I believe the poison gas is meant to kill small rodents and bugs that might damage the plant. To a creature the size of a humanoid, that puff of poison is rarely fatal, but why tempt fate? I probably shouldnt say this, but the clever among you might wonder why rodents and insects would bother the plant in the first place. At the bottom of the hooded monk plant is a succulent fruit with a flavor like honey. If you must try the fruit, first harvest the plant with a sword. Cut the plant close to the ground, then get out of range for at least five minutes. The gas will dissipate and the fruit is yours. Be sure you do clear the area, because with any sudden, sharp movement, the hooded monk releases all of its gas at once, and that amount can be fatal even to human- sized beings. Oh, and be careful not to accidentally kick one over, for the same reason! Within 1-2 rounds on a failed saving throw after one smell, The victim feel nauseous for 1-4 hours and is unable to travel or tolerate any motion. within 1 round of inhaling the entire contents, At the start, the victim feels 1 round nauseous, then the limbs become paralyzed. The condition leads to death within an hour, unless the poison is neutralized in that time." .... for this plant, i just said ok, a DC 20 constitution check if you whiff it or fall unconscious and it can be used as an ingredient in Essence of Ether (which is an existing item).
for me, the 'as an ingredient' is key and allows you to consolidate somewhat similar, but different effects into a shorter list of poisons so you don't have 100 homebrew items, which imo is overwhelming.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
A rather comprehensive list of free WotC D&D resources
Deck of Decks
I see crafting rules as a last resort. Basically, the DM says follow the rules in place and they don't have to do anything. Or they can shut you down or come up with an alternative method. It's that simple.
Following this. It really feels like their ought to be an official rule, but until then...
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Poisoner's Kit - Crafting rules found on page 187 of PHB.
A poisoner's kit includes the vials, chemicals, and other equipment necessary for the creation of poisons. Proficiency with this kit lets you add your proficiency bonus to any ability checks you make to craft or use poisons.
Additionally, the Crafting and Harvesting Poison rules require the use of a poisoner's kit.
A poisoner's kit is a favored resource for thieves, assassins, and others who engage in skulduggery. It allows you to apply poisons and create them from various materials. Your knowledge of poisons also helps you treat them.
A poisoner's kit includes glass vials, a mortar and pestle, chemicals, and a glass stirring rod.
Your training with poisons can help you when you try to recall facts about infamous poisonings.
Your knowledge of poisons has taught you to handle those substances carefully, giving you an edge when you inspect poisoned objects or try to extract clues from events that involve poison.
When you treat the victim of a poison, your knowledge grants you added insight into how to provide the best care to your patient.
Working with poisons enables you to acquire lore about which plants and animals are poisonous.
Your proficiency allows you to handle and apply a poison without risk of exposing yourself to its effects.
It is DM discretion on cost of materials for the particular poison, read them the more dangerous the poison, the more costly it is, and the more time it takes to make. Also the poison list isn't all the poisons of D&D, again its DM discretion on easier poisons to create, A.K.A 5gp = 10 uses of a +2 injury poison with a DC 12 con save. Variations in the Damage, Persistence, Effects, and DC can account for days of downtime. Also this downtime may not be for creation, it may be that your black market dealer doesn't have "fang of the viper" or whatever, and it will take 2 days to come in, or you're player is perfecting their recipe. Just a story line reason for it taking so long to make a few "vials" of a poison. This method allows DM's to "let" the player progress as a poisoner, instead of using the "best" poison off the hop. You can always get a better black market dealer, move up the chain of dealers later in levels to allow for more potent poisons to be made for less time. The Poisoner's Kit stuff and pg 187 is canon, the above paragraph is just my way of doing things, take it or leave it.
Where did the Handle Poison come from? Like is that a skill or a feat or something that is just out of thin air?
I believe that's based on having proficiency with a poisoner's kit.
I was thinking wouldn't that be more of a sleight of hand check though?
A DM could rule other checks appropriate in a particular situation- just because a tool proficiency allows something one way doesn't mean there aren't other options. For example, a detective type character might use Intelligence and Poisoner's Kit proficiency to handle poison as evidence without risking exposure or ruining the evidence, while an assassin might use dexterity-sleight of hand to apply a dangerous poison someone else created for them.
I am working on something similar. What do you think of this as a start? The plants are real, and all mixed ingredients and preparation is from my head.