If a character or monster ingests a substance that is known to be fatally toxic (e.g. cyanide), how should damage be determined? Does it keep dealing damage until the creature's dead or the poison is removed?
(I'm playing a Dune themed campaign and a sandworm is feeling the effects of a well placed Create or Destroy Water spell).
Probably, it would involve a con save. And probably, it wouldn’t kill a PC outright. Something like, it does a ton of poison damage, save for half. And have the damage be I don’t know, 100 hp or 10d10+50 or something. The kind of number that will kill a commoner, and most characters, even if they do save, but leave open a chance for some to live.
I say this because there are no really any save or die mechanics in this edition, of course, you can always add one in. But to keep more in tune, with 5e, I’d say something like either the high damage number above, or you need to fail 2 or 3 consecutive con saves before you die.
And, no matter how deadly the poison, you're going to need a significant amount to kill something very large. Water may be toxic to sandworms, but letting players one-shot them with a first level spell is not a great idea. (Think about it -- people are mostly water, but they swallow people all the time with no significant ill effects.)
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If a character or monster ingests a substance that is known to be fatally toxic (e.g. cyanide), how should damage be determined? Does it keep dealing damage until the creature's dead or the poison is removed?
(I'm playing a Dune themed campaign and a sandworm is feeling the effects of a well placed Create or Destroy Water spell).
Probably, it would involve a con save. And probably, it wouldn’t kill a PC outright. Something like, it does a ton of poison damage, save for half. And have the damage be I don’t know, 100 hp or 10d10+50 or something. The kind of number that will kill a commoner, and most characters, even if they do save, but leave open a chance for some to live.
I say this because there are no really any save or die mechanics in this edition, of course, you can always add one in. But to keep more in tune, with 5e, I’d say something like either the high damage number above, or you need to fail 2 or 3 consecutive con saves before you die.
I'd treat it as any poison -- save or damage.
And, no matter how deadly the poison, you're going to need a significant amount to kill something very large. Water may be toxic to sandworms, but letting players one-shot them with a first level spell is not a great idea. (Think about it -- people are mostly water, but they swallow people all the time with no significant ill effects.)