I am hosting an important game tonight in which the PCs will have to fight a wasp swarm. I only have a few hours (at best) to make sure I understand the poison rules correctly.
Can someone please give me a quick run down of what happens when a wasp swam poisons someone?
I need to know things like how many saves, when the saves are made, etc.
Right now I'm thinking the swarm envelopes the PCs and...
1) ...deals damage, forcing a Fortitude save to throw off the poison...
2) ...in the following round (on the swarm's turn) the poisoned PCs (who failed the previous save) must make a new save or take Dex damage (this is the start of the 6 round frequency). They are also at risk of being poisoned again, increasing the DC and duration.
3) If the PCs make any one save, they throw off all the poison in their system until they are damage by the swarm again.
Is that correct? If so, it seems really weak as they get two saves to throw it off before they are ever at risk.
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You're close, but a PC who is damaged by a wasp swarm gets only 1 Fort save before being subject to the poison.
Swarm envelopes PC, deals damage, forcing a Fort save - if the save fails, apply the effects of the poison. Additionally, the following 4 rounds, the PC makes another save or continues to take the poison damage. If any of those five saving throws succeeds, the PC no longer makes Fort saves for that one instance of damage from the swarm.
For each time the swarm damages the PC (the 2d6 enveloping damage), add 4 rounds to the duration of the poison and +2 to the DC to overcome the poison.
So for example: swarm envelopes Amiri, deals 2d6 damage. Amiri makes a Fortitude save (DC 13) and fails, taking 1 Dexterity damage.
The following round, Amiri is still inside the swarm, so she takes an additional 2d6 damage and must make another Fort save, now DC 15, or take another 1 Dex damage.
On the third round the swarm is dispersed, but for another 7 rounds Amiri must continue to make DC 15 Fort saves; each failure comes with another 1 Dex damage, but the first success ends the duration of the poison (no more saves).
Make sense?
For the most part, yes that is right. This is how I read it as happening.
1)Deals damage, forcing a Fort vs. poison (if failed, take Dex damage)
2)following round, poisoned PC's get another save to get rid of poison or take damage, and risk poisoned again for higher DC longer duration
3)This poison is cured by any 1 save, and it will cure you from all poison currently in your system, though as stated they are at risk of being repoisoned.
Otherwise, as you stated it doesn't make a lot of sense to force 2 failed saves to be at risk of any downside for something that is cured by a single save.
Hope this helps.
Reread the example given for multiple spiders attacking someone in the same round. The Fortitude save is rolled on your turn, not when you are first damaged.
As PC's are attacked by the swarm the simplest thing to do would be to give them a token of some sort to represent being poisoned. Maybe an index card that they could jot notes onto. If they get damaged multiple times while being poisoned they can note that and then on their turn make the appropriate saving throw.
So the only saves are those to avoid debilitation ()provided there is no onset time)? And the saves are only rolled on the poisoned victim's turn?
Okay, I think I got it now. Thanks!