I'm worried about the urchin venom every Lotus Dragons has available (two uses). A 50/50 chance to immediately take someone out of the combat for a minute seems really powerful. I envision my players running into a group of the LDs, a couple PCs getting nauseated and then a TPK occuring. How did this play out for you?
For us, it's really a rather weak poison (more like a 35% chance with fortitude saves), I had the lotus dragons use most of their available uses but the party still gained a few doses of it (the ninja was happy). Rather ineffective as everyone seemed to make their saves.
I'm worried about the urchin venom every Lotus Dragons has available (two uses). A 50/50 chance to immediately take someone out of the combat for a minute seems really powerful. I envision my players running into a group of the LDs, a couple PCs getting nauseated and then a TPK occuring. How did this play out for you?
My players had particular trouble with the training room, where I had half the LDs fire crossbows, and the other half close for melee; two of the party (the fighter/rogue and the sorceress) ended up nauseated, and the fight was a Very Close Thing. (See Savage Tide Near-Death Experiences.)
It went the other way, too -- later, Rowyn ended up succumbing to the poison, after which they made efficient work of Gut Tugger.
Don't forget the point of Strength damage to follow, if they fail their secondary save a minute later (also at the end of the initial effect's duration).
Yes, urchin venom is powerful for as cheap as it is, but the DC is about as low as it comes. For example, a dwarven fighter with a Con of 14 can only fail 20% of the time.
And considering that the Lotus Dragons otherwise fall down like a house of cards--even with max hit points--they need something distinct to make them different than just a goblin with a pretty (?) face.
I had considered upping the poison to DC 13, but found that it is unnecessary. The proliferation of it makes it a consistent--but not a totally hosing--threat.