VenomBlade

You are not merely an assassin with a vial of poison — you are the poison. Through experimentation, alchemy, and ruthless efficiency, you’ve learned to channel toxins into your strikes in ways that no natural creature can resist. Where others fail against the poison-immune, your venom seeps into the blood, nerves, and very soul of your prey.

Formula of Death

 

• Venom Concoctions. You can prepare a number of special poisons equal to your proficiency bonus during a long rest. These require no gold cost and last until you prepare again. You can apply one to a weapon as a bonus action.

• Potent Toxins. If you use a poison that already has a saving throw DC, you may use your Venomblade save DC if it is higher. (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Dexterity modifier).

• Concoction Recipes (Tier I). At 3rd level, you gain access to the following recipes:

  • Crippling Draught. Target must succeed on a Constitution save or have its speed reduced to 0 until the start of your next turn.

  • Pain Venom. Target takes extra poison damage equal to your proficiency bonus at the start of its next turn.

  • Stunning Toxin. Target must succeed on a Constitution save or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

 

Poisoner’s Kit Mastery.

Gain proficiency with poisoner’s kit; if already proficient, double your bonus.

Refined Toxins

By this stage, your venoms have become sophisticated enough to unravel even the strongest natural defenses.

• Bypass Immunity. Your poison damage ignores resistance. Creatures normally immune to poison instead take half damage from your toxins.

• Poison-Hardened. You gain immunity to poison damage, as well against the poisoned condition.

Tier II Concoctions
Your expanded knowledge of alchemy grants you access to a new array of advanced brews:

• Hallucinogenic Brew. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be assailed by vivid hallucinations, giving it disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws until the end of its next turn.

• Bloodrot Poison. The target’s blood boils with corruption. On a failed Constitution saving throw, it suffers ongoing poison damage equal to half your Sneak Attack dice (rounded up) at the start of its turn for up to 1 minute. The creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

• Corrosive Toxin. This acid-like venom eats through armor and flesh alike. On a failed Constitution saving throw, the target’s Armor Class is reduced by 2 until the end of your next turn.

Toxic Engineer

Your mastery of alchemy reaches a point where your own body is untouchable, and your venoms evolve into weapons of pure ingenuity. You no longer spread poison — you engineer outbreaks.

• Venom Immunity. You are completely immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

• Venomous Efficiency. You can now prepare a number of concoctions equal to twice your proficiency bonus whenever you finish a long rest.

Tier III Concoctions
At this level, your brews transcend the physical, striking at the mind and soul themselves:

• Soul Venom. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or suffer disadvantage on all saving throws until the start of your next turn, as your venom corrupts their very essence.

• Mindbreaker Toxin. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or become confused (as per the confusion spell) until the end of your next turn, its thoughts unraveling in a haze of delirium.

• Silencer's Venom. This toxin attacks the victim’s throat and nervous system, choking off voice and willpower. On a failed Constitution saving throw, the creature is silenced until the start of your next turn. While silenced in this way, it cannot speak, cast spells with verbal components,

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   When a creature poisoned by one of your concoctions is reduced to 0 hit points, its body erupts with volatile toxins. Every creature within 5 feet of it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, each affected creature immediately suffers the effects of one concoction of your choice, other than a Tier IV Concoction.

Grand Alchemist

At the pinnacle of your craft, your venoms are no longer bound by mortal limitations. You wield toxins so refined that even gods would find no defense against them. Each dose you prepare is a masterpiece — the culmination of your alchemical genius.

• Toxic Arsenal. You may apply one of your concoctions as part of the same attack that delivers it, eliminating the need for a bonus action.

• Limitless Perfection. You may use your Tier IV Concoctions twice per long rest.

Tier IV Concoctions
Your final formulas are more than poisons — they are apocalyptic plagues bottled for your command.

• Philosopher’s Venom.
  When you hit a creature with Sneak Attack, you may unleash this perfected venom. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the venom seizes control of their body:

  • The creature is paralyzed for 1 minute.

  • While paralyzed in this way, at the start of each of its turns it takes poison damage equal to your Sneak Attack dice.

  • If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, it crumbles into ash.

  • The creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

• Wasting Plague.
  This venom carries a creeping infection that denies even the body’s instinct to heal. For 1 minute, the affected creature cannot regain hit points by any means. At the start of each of its turns, the creature takes poison damage equal to your Sneak Attack damage roll. At the end of each of its turns, it may attempt a Constitution saving throw, ending the effect on a success.

• Ash Venom.
  This toxin ignites a burning decay within the victim, turning blood to ash and choking the lungs. On a failed Constitution saving throw, the creature becomes blinded and restrained, hacking violently as its body begins to crumble from within. At the end of each of its turns, it may repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.