House Rules - Magic Poisons

Magic Poisons (from The Book of Eldritch Might)

Assassins are a deviously creative lot. In a world where their victim can come back from the dead even faster than it took to put them there in the first place, a few magical tricks can help a non-spellcaster (or a minor spellcaster) use spell-like attacks - in this case, through the edge of a blade or laced into a glass of wine.

Every magical poison described here carries two effects: Its normal, non magical poisoning effect, and an accompanying magical effect. The magical effects are instantaneous, thus not subject to dispelling. Victims with Spell resistance may use their resistance to avoid the magical effect (though not the non-magical one).

Creatures immune to poisons are immune to the spell-like effects of magic poisons as well. Neutralize poison can render both aspects of a magic poison harmless; treat as though dispel magic were cast against the caster level of the magic poison's creator. Thus, to cancel out effects, a caster of neutralize poison makes a level check with a DC of 11 + the caster level listed with the poison.

Creating Magic Poisons

Magic poisons may be made by those with the feat Manufacture Magic Poison. Magic poisons are brewed and simmered for a long time, or produced by feeding special ingredients to plants that in turn produce the required effect. Thus, it often takes weeks to produce a magic poison. Unlike most magic item creation processes, during the process you only need to spend one hour per day working on the poison.

To figure the market price for a magic poison, determine the approximate level of the poison's effect and multiply 60 shillings times the spell level times the caster level. The prices pertaining to spells that often affect a number of targets should be adjusted downward when placed into a poison (which only affects one creature); reduce these prices by up to 20%. Otherwise, manufacturing magic poisons is much like creating a potion, as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Magic Poison Powers

Using Magic Poisons

Each of the magic poisons listed in this section is meant to be added to a mundane poison, like those found in the Dungeon Master's Guide. They do not have to be. If you desire only the magical effect, add the magical powers to an inert paste instead of to a poison. Characters can coat a blade with this substance or ally it directly to food or drink to be ingested Note that some magic poisons, such as coldheart, take effect only when the save against the actual poison fails. These would have no effect if added to an innocuous substance.

Coldheart: The victim suffers 3d6 points of cold damage upon the failure of each save against the poison. There is no additional save for the cold damage.
  Caster Level: 5^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, mark of frost; Market Price: 900 shillings.

Crippling Doom: Victims who fail a Will save (DC 11) are filled with dread and pain, suffering a -2 morale penalty to attack rolls, checks, and saving throws for two minutes.
  Caster Level: 2^nd; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, doom; Market Price: 120 shillings.

Darkmind: Victims who fail a Fortitude save (DC 19) fall into a coma, alive but unable to take actions of any kind, physical or mental. The coma lasts 1d10 days.
  Caster Level: 7^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, coma; Market Price: 4,700 shillings.

Delusion: The victim of this poison is deluded into ignoring the damage it inflicts. The character simply does not recognize that the poison has had an effect. No save.
  Caster Level: 7^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, confusion; Market Price: 1,500 shillings.

Demonseed: Anyone slain by this poison and then raised becomes possessed by a fiend (a dæmon, demon, or devil). Until the fiend is dispelled (via dispel evil or similar spell), treat the character as evil with an agenda of destruction (often achieved through guile - the fiend won't necessarily make its presence known immediately). Use all the character's normal abilities and skills. No save.
  Caster Level: 9^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, lesser planar binding; Market Price: 3,000 shillings.

Denial: The victim of this poison must make a Will save (DC 19) or thereafter become unable to enter a 100-foot-square area designated by the creator.
  Caster Level: 13^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, forbiddance; Market Price: 4,500 shillings.

Fear: The victim of this poison must make a Will save (DC 16) or be gripped with great fear. Treat the character as panicked for 8 rounds.
  Caster Level: 8^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, fear; Market Price: 1,600 shillings.

Fireheart: The victim suffers 3d6 points of fire damage upon the failure of each save versus the poison. There is no additional save for the fire damage.
  Caster Level: 5^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, mark of fire; Market Price: 900 shillings.

Heartthief: The victim of this poison must make a Will save (DC 16) or lose all memory of the person closest to him.
  Caster Level: 11^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, feeblemind; Market Price: 4,000 shillings.

Longnight: Those slain by this poison or the attack which delivered it (if any) gain a special 30 Spell Resistance against any attempt to raise, resurrect (including true resurrection) or reincarnate them. No save.
  Caster Level: 17^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, soul bind; Market Price: 9,000 shillings.

Madness: The victim of this poison must make a Will save (DC 20) or go insane as described in the spell insanity.
  Caster Level: 13^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, insanity; Market Price: 5,400 shillings.

Memory Key: This poison is always made with a specific target in mind. The creator specifies a single memory of a subject - such as meeting a certain individual, the events of a single evening, or an important password - to be destroyed forever in the victim's mind. spells, skills, feats, and other character abilities cannot be forgotten. Major memories, such as the existence of a character's husband or where she comes from, are beyond the scope of this poison. The victim gets a Fortitude save (DC 16) to resist this effect.
  Caster Level: 7^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, feeblemind; Market Price: 1,500 shillings.

Shrivelsoul: If the victim of this poison dies (either through the poison's damage or the attack which delivered it, if any), the corpse immediately shrivels and effectively ages a year, so that raise dead will not work. A resurrection is needed to bring the character back to life. No save.
  Caster Level: 11^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, slay living; Market Price: 3,500 shillings.

Sleep: A victim of 6 Hit Dice or lower must make a Fortitude save (DC 11) or fall asleep for three minutes or until awakened.
  Caster Level: 3^rd; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, sleep; Market Price: 180 shillings.

Slow: The victim of this poison must make a Will save (DC 14) or be slowed (as the spell) for 7 rounds.
  Caster Level: 7^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, slow; Market Price: 1,100 shillings.

Swarmdeath: The victim of this poison must make a Fortitude save (DC 17) or be killed instantly by the swarm of crawling and flying insects that appears in his stomach and bursts out.
  Caster Level: 9^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, insect plague, slay living; Market Price: 2,700 shillings.

Truesleep: A victim of 10 Hit Dice or lower falls asleep for one hour. There is no saving throw (although immunity to sleep effects and normal spell resistance still apply).
  Caster Level: 9^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, greater sleep; Market Price: 2,700 shillings.

Weakening: This poison magically saps 1d4 points of Strength from the victim upon the failure of each save.
  Caster Level: 5^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, ray of enfeeblement; Market Price: 1,200 shillings.

Wraithsong: The victim of this poison has one negative level, as if touched by a wraith. No save.
  Caster Level: 7^th; Prerequisites: Manufacture Magic Poison, enervation; Market Price: 1,600 shillings.

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