Poison

Poison

Poison can show up on weapons; on darts, needles, or spikes in traps; in food or drink offered by a treacherous foe; and anywhere else you did not expect it. Human foes are not the only ones who can poison you. Snakes, insects, and certain other creatures have natural poison (usually blood agents) – and eating the wrong plant or animal may treat you to a dose of digestive poison.

Describing Poisons

A poison's description includes its name, means of delivery, delay, resistance roll, effects (injury and symptoms), and cost per dose – and possibly notes on what constitutes a "dose," how to use or conceal the poison, and how to treat it (including any antidotes).

A poison can have multiple sets of effects. For example, tear gas is both a respiratory agent (with one set of effects) and a vision-based agent (with other effects).

Delivery

A given poison might reach its victim in any of several ways:

Blood Agent: The poison must reach a mucous membrane (eyes, open mouth, nose, etc.) or an open wound. If it is sprayed or spat, it must actually strike one of these vulnerable areas (so a spitting cobra must target the face). If it is delivered as a gas or wide-area spray, only those with the Sealed advantage – or with one of Doesn't Breathe or Filter Lungs and one of Nictitating Membrane or ]]Protected Vision]] – are immune. These advantages might be natural or provided by equipment.

Contact Agent: The poison must be inhaled or touch skin to take effect. If it is use to poison a melee weapon, the weapon must hit an unarmored and unclad hit location for the poison to affect the target. If it is delivered as a gas or wide-area spray, it affects everyone in the area who lacks the Sealed advantage (whether natural or provided by a suit, vehicle, etc.).

Digestive Agent: The victim must swallow the poison. This is typical of poisonous plants and toxic substances such as arsenic. If the poison has a slight but distinctive taste (e.g., cyanide), the GM can allow the victim a Taste roll or Perception-based Poisons roll – at a basic -2, but +2 per doubling of dosage – to notice it in time. Poisons that are easier to detect give a bonus; those that are harder to detect, or whose taste is masked by suitable food or drink, give a penalty. To force someone to swallow a poison rather than spit it out, you must grapple him by the head or neck and maintain your hold for 10 seconds.

Follow-Up Poison: The poison must be placed on a piercing or impaling weapon, or injected using a hollow projectile, hypodermic needle, etc. If the weapon penetrates DR and does any damage, it delivers the poison. Most "follow-up" poisons are simply blood or contact agents injected into the body.

Respiratory Agent: The poison is a gas that only affects those who inhale it into their lungs. Delivery is usually via an area or cone attack (e.g., gas grenade, spray gun, or dragon's breath), but an entire atmosphere could be poisonous! Only Doesn’t Breathe and Filter Lungs protect completely against respiratory agents – but a victim who makes a Sense roll to notice the poison in time may hold his breath (see Holding Your Breath). Unconscious or stunned victims inhale automatically. An improvised mask, such as a wet towel over the face, gives +1 to HT to resist.

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Sense-Based Agent: The poison affects the victim through a specific sense. It has no effect on those who lack that sense or have appropriate protection. A smell-based agent is usu- ally a foul stench that induces nausea; suitable protection is nose plugs, a res- pirator, or the Protected Sense (Smell) advantage. A vision-based agent is generally a cloud of gas that irritates the eyes; appropriate protection is a gas mask, goggles, or the Protected Sense (Vision) advantage. See Sense- Based (p. 109).

Special Delivery

Two qualifiers can apply to several of the standard means of delivery:

Cumulative: A poison may be mild in low concentrations but become harmful with continued exposure. The GM must decide how much exposure constitutes a “dose.” This might be time-based (e.g., a toxic atmosphere that requires an hour of exposure) or based on the victim’s bulk or body mass (ST/10 ounces of liquid, HP/5 pills, etc.). See Drinking and Intoxication (p. 439) for a detailed example.

Persistent Gas: A respiratory agent or area-effect blood or contact agent typically persists for 10 seconds or more, depending on wind. Some contact agents leave a poisonous residue on exposed surfaces until they’re washed away.

Delay

Most poisons require a few sec- onds to several hours to take effect. This is nearly always true for digestive agents.

Delays given are for victims with Size Modifier 0. The victim’s size mod- ifies delay: each +1 to SM doubles the delay; each -1 to SM halves the delay. For example, if the delay is 1 hour, someone with SM -2 is affected in only 15 minutes.

Resistance Roll

Some poisons give the victim a HT roll to resist. Make this roll after the delay, if any, has passed. There is often a modifier: a mild poison might call for a HT+2 roll, while one that is almost impossible to resist might require a HT-8 roll! HT to HT-4 is typ- ical. DR never affects this roll.

If you’re in a poisonous environ- ment (like a gas cloud or toxic atmos- phere) and make your initial HT roll, you must roll again once per second until the poison affects you or you leave the area. If the poison has a delay, roll after each delay period instead.

Some poisons are specific to cer- tain species and do not affect others. Others are easier or harder for partic- ular species to resist. These effects are up to the GM.

Effects of Poison

The most common effect of poison is toxic or fatigue damage. Mild poi- sons might only inflict 1 HP or FP; more severe poisons might inflict 1d or more. DR has no effect on this dam- age. These HP and FP losses heal nor- mally, but if the poison is cyclic (see below), no healing is possible until after the final cycle!

Damaging poisons sometimes affect their victims gradually, causing damage each time a specified interval of time passes. The description of such a poison specifies the length of this interval and the total number of cycles. The interval may vary from one second (for a fast-acting agent) to one day (for a slow poison). The total number of cycles may be two to several dozen.

If a resistible poison is cyclic, the victim gets a new HT roll to resist every cycle. On a success, he shakes off the poison; on a failure, an addi- tional cycle of damage occurs. Note that even a poison that inflicts 1 HP of injury per day can be lethal if it’s hard to resist and lasts for two dozen cycles!

A poison always has some symp- toms. The basic damage includes symptoms such as swelling, headache, and fever. Poisons that inflict toxic damage may have more severe symp- toms that occur automatically after the poison causes enough injury (usu- ally 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 of the victim’s HP). For example, a poison might result in blindness once the victim loses 1/2 his HP. Symptoms vanish when the vic- tim’s HP rise above this threshold.

Some poisons cause effects other than injury or fatigue, including attribute penalties, irritating or inca- pacitating conditions (see Afflictions, p. 428), temporary disadvantages, or even the removal of existing advan- tages (e.g., an alchemical poison that negates Magery). The victim usually gets a resistance roll against these effects, and the effects always have a specific duration. The default dura- tion is a number of minutes equal to the margin of failure on the resistance roll. In a poisonous environment, a failed resistance roll means the effects last for as long as you’re in the envi- ronment plus the duration.

Cost Per Dose

It is up to the GM whether a par- ticular poison is for sale – it might be impossible to extract in a useful form, or the authorities might want to keep it off the market. If a poison is available, its cost often reflects how difficult it is to obtain, not its effec- tiveness. In most game worlds, peo- ple who sell poisons are criminals. All of these factors make cost per dose highly variable. See Poison Examples (p. 439) for suggestions . . . but the GM is free to use whatever prices he feels are reasonable.

Dosage

The statistics given in a poison’s description always assume one “dose”: enough poison to produce the described effects in one victim. Some additional notes:

Contact Agents: One dose of a con- tact agent coats or affects a single hit location.

Gases and Sprays: One dose of a respiratory agent, or a blood or con- tact agent in gas or spray form, affects one hit location on one victim. For a respiratory agent, this must be the face. Ten doses are enough to affect everyone in a room (say, a 2-yard radius).

Poisoned Weapons: One dose of a follow-up poison envenoms the tip of a piercing or impaling weapon, or fills a hypo. Poisoning the edge of a weapon, so that a cutting attack can deliver it, requires three doses per yard of reach. Most poisons on blades only last for one successful strike or three blocked or parried ones. Misses and dodged attacks do not rub off the poison.

Varying the Dosage: It is possible to vary the dosage of a digestive agent or a follow-up poison delivered by hypo- dermic. Each doubling of dosage (and cost!) halves the delay and interval, doubles damage, gives -2 to HT rolls to resist, and gives +2 to all rolls to detect the poison (including the victim’s Sense rolls, and any Diagnosis or Forensics roll made to investigate the victim’s symptoms or death). Using less than one full dose may reverse these modifiers or simply make the poison ineffective, at the GM’s option.

Treatment

If the poison has a delay, there may be time to treat the victim before he suffers any ill effects. Since he will not yet be showing symptoms, he must be aware of his predicament in order to seek help!

A poisonous animal bite is usually obvious – but the GM may require a Naturalist roll to realize that an ani- mal is venomous. Sucking the poison from the wound takes a minute, requires a First Aid or Physician roll at -2, and gives +2 on HT rolls to resist.

If the victim suspects a digestive agent, he or a friend can induce vom- iting to expel the poison. This takes 10 seconds, calls for a First Aid or Physician roll, and gives +2 to resist the poison. But for some poisons, vomiting is a bad idea – it can increase injury!

It might also be possible to take an antidote. Antidotes exist for only a few poisons. Where they do exist, they are usually specific to the poison. The cor- rect antidote gives the victim a bonus to HT rolls to resist the poison, or even completely halts the poison.

Medical procedures – chelation, gastric lavage, intravenous fluids, oxy- genation, etc. – can also give a HT bonus, but only if the treatment suits the poison. Such measures require a Physician roll. The HT bonus never exceeds TL/2 (round up, minimum +1).

To learn whether it is safe to induce vomiting, or which antidotes or proce- dures to use, you must identify the poison. This is tricky before symp- toms appear! The GM may require rolls against Poisons (to identify a residue on a dart, in a glass, etc.), Naturalist (to identify a venomous animal), or even Intimidation (to force the poisoner to reveal what he used).

Once the victim takes damage, symptoms appear. At this point, a Diagnosis or Poisons roll can identify the poison. If the poison is cyclic, the correct antidote or medical proce- dures can help prevent further dam- age, providing their bonus to future HT rolls.

Poisons

Arsenic (TL1)

A digestive agent with a one-hour delay and a HT-2 roll to resist. Inflicts 1d toxic damage, repeating at hourly intervals for eight cycles. $1/dose. LC1.

Belladonna (TL0)

The active ingredient of this toxic plant (Atropa belladonna, or "deadly nightshade") is atropine. Belladonna can be used as a follow-up agent or a digestive agent. As a follow-up poison, it has a one-minute delay; as a digestive agent, it has a 15-minute delay. In either case, it inflicts 1d toxic damage with no resistance roll, repeated at 15-minute intervals for 28 cycles with a HT-2 roll to resist. After injury reaches HP/2, the victim starts hallucinating; this normally takes the form of distorted perception rather than visual imagery. Survivors must roll vs. HT to avoid a permanent -1 HT. $8/dose. LC1.

Cantharides (TL0)

Also known as "Spanish fly" (actually a beetle, Lytta vesicatoria), this can be used as a digestive agent or a contact agent. As a digestive agent, it has a one-hour delay and a HT roll to resist, and inflicts 4d toxic damage with symptoms of nausea. As a contact agent, it has no delay but still allows a HT roll to resist; it deals 2d toxic damage and irritates the skin, causing blistering and moderate pain. In either case, a victim who reaches 0 HP suffers convulsions; treat as a seizure. $14/dose. LC1.

Cobra Venom (TL0)

A follow-up poison with a one-minute delay and a HT-3 roll to resist. Inflicts 2d toxic damage, repeating at hourly intervals for six cycles. A victim who loses 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 HP has -2, -4, or -6 DX, respectively. $10/dose. LC1.

Curare (TL0)

This poison is extracted from the sap of a vine (Strychnos toxifera). It's a follow-up agent with a one-minute delay and a HT-6 roll to resist, repeated at 30-minute intervals for four cycles. It causes 2d toxic damage per roll regardless of the result, but any failure indicates paralysis, while critical failure indicates choking which may lead to death by suffocation. $50/dose. LC1.

Cyanide (TL4)

This fast-acting poison is deadly in any form. As a follow-up poison or respiratory agent, it has no delay. As a contact or digestive agent, it has a 15-minute delay. In all cases, there is no HT roll to resist! Inflicts 4d toxic damage. $2/dose. LC1.

Deathcap Mushroom (TL0)

This fungus (Amanita phalloides) is a digestive agent with a one-hour delay and a HT-2 roll to resist. Failure means 1d toxic damage and hallucinations. It inflicts an additional 2d toxic damage for two cycles at three-hour intervals, with a HT-2 roll to resist. Failure on the first HT-2 roll also causes unconsciousness; failure on the second means a heart attack. In addition to all this, it causes headache with no delay or roll to resist; treat as moderate pain, rising to severe pain when injury reaches HP/2 and to terrible pain when it reaches HP (if the victim is still conscious), and lasting until a successful resistance roll. $25/dose. LC0.

Fugu (TL0)

The liver of the fugu (ふぐ), or Japanese pufferfish (several species), is deadly. The active ingredient is tetrodotoxin, also found in Australian blue-ringed octopus venom. This can be used as a digestive agent or a follow-up agent. As a digestive poison, it has a 15-minute delay and a HT-6 roll to resist; failure results in paralysis, and critical failure in choking, as for curare (above). As a follow-up agent, it has a one-minute delay and a HT-2 roll to resist; failure and critical failure have the same effects, but failure also causes 1d toxic damage. In either case, victims experience skin tingling during the onset period, have -5 ST and -5 DX after the initial roll, and must repeat the resistance roll at one-hour intervals for four cycles, with failure meaning 6d toxic damage. $30/dose. LC0.

Hemlock (TL0)

The plant Conium maculatum is a digestive agent with a one-hour delay; the victim is at -2 ST and -2 DX, and must make a HT-2 roll to avoid 1d toxic damage. Damage repeats at hourly intervals for five cycles. Injury equal to 1/3 HP causes paralysis of the feet; injury equal to 1/2 HP paralyzes the lower legs; injury equal to 2/3 HP paralyzes the upper legs; and injury equal to full HP paralyzes the abdomen. At this point, the victim must roll against HT to avoid blindness. If injury reaches 2×HP, the paralysis extends to the heart; treat as a heart attack. $5/dose. LC1.

Lacquer (TL1)

Tapped from the lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum) in the spring, this sap is used to preserve wood and leather, but can serve as a contact agent or (when mixed with incense and burned) a respiratory agent. As a contact agent, it has a 10-second delay and a HT roll to resist; failure causing blistering like poison ivy (treat as moderate pain) and 1 point of toxic damage. As a respiratory agent it has no delay and a HT+4 roll to resist, inflicting 1d toxic damage; in addition, it causes immediate coughing or sneezing. $2/dose. LC3.

Lime Powder (TL1)

Powdered quicklime (see Mortars and Mineral Adhesives) can be used as a respiratory agent or a blood agent (mainly against the eyes). As a respiratory agent, it has a one-second delay and a HT roll to resist. It causes immediate coughing or sneezing; if not resisted, it deals 1 point of toxic damage, repeating at one-second intervals for 10 seconds. As a blood agent, it has no delay but allows a HT roll to resist. If not resisted, it causes severe pain – and, if in the eyes, blindness. Both conditions last until the location is flushed with water for 5 minutes. Lime powder loses potency in days unless kept dry, which calls for a sealed container. Free to $1/dose. LC3.

Monkshood (TL0)

Any of several plants of genus Aconitum, also called "blue rocket" or "wolfsbane"; the active ingredient is aconite, which acts on the nervous system. It can be used as a digestive agent or a follow-up agent. As a digestive agent, it has a five-minute delay, after which the victim feels a tingling sensation on his skin, tongue, and throat, and must make a HT-3 roll to resist; it inflicts 1d toxic damage, repeating at one-hour intervals for six cycles. It also causes nausea after the initial failed roll, persisting until the poison is shaken off; after one hour, it causes retching, with a HT+1 roll to resist. As a follow-up agent, it has a one-hour delay and a HT-3 roll to resist; it deals 2d toxic damage, repeating at one-hour intervals for six cycles. In either case, a victim who loses 1/3, 1/2, or 2/3 HP has -2, -4, or -6 DX, respectively. At 0 HP, he has difficulty breathing; treat him as Very Unfit until he shakes off the poison. $6/dose. LC1.

Mustard Gas (TL6)

An area-effect respiratory and contact agent. As a contact agent, it has no delay and a HT-4 roll to resist, and inflicts 1 point of toxic damage, repeating at 8-hour intervals for 24 cycles. As a respiratory agent, it has a two-hour delay and a HT-1 roll to resist, and inflicts 1d toxic damage, repeating at one-hour intervals for six cycles. $10/dose. LC0.

Nerve Gas (TL6)

An area-effect contact agent with no delay and a HT-6 roll to resist. Inflicts 2d toxic damage, repeating at one-minute intervals for six cycles. A nerve gas usually causes agony, paralysis, retching, or seizure as well; see Afflictions $20/dose. LC0.

Smoke

Ordinary smoke is an area-effect respiratory agent with a 10-second delay and a HT roll to resist. Causes coughing for the time spent in the smoke plus one minute times the margin of failure. Dense smoke can cause actual damage. LC4.

Tear Gas (TL6)

An area-effect respiratory and vision-based agent. As a respiratory agent, it has no delay and a HT-2 roll to resist, and causes coughing. As a vision-based agent, it has no delay and a HT-2 roll to resist, and causes blindness. Both effects endure for the time spent in the gas plus one minute times the margin of failure. Tear gas is opaque: Vision rolls are at -1 to -3 per affected yard. $10/dose. LC2.

Individuals unprepared for mustard, nerve, or tear gas may have to make Fright Checks!

Viper Venom (TL0)

Extracted from a live viper (snake of family Viperidae) and used as a follow-up agent on weapon points. After a delay of 1d seconds, make a HT roll to resist. Failure inflicts 1d toxic damage per wound; success reduces this to 1d-3 per wound. A viper yields up to four doses; extracting each dose requires a separate Animal Handling roll. Failure means obtaining no further venom from that snake. Critical failure results in snakebite: 2d toxic damage with a HT-2 roll to resist. $10/dose. LC0.