I just read the Poison section in the rules, but didn't see anything in them discussing how many times a person can hit someone with a poisoned weapon and still be delivering the poison. I believe that it used to be 1 time, but didn't notice that so was hoping that someone might be able to point it out to me where that is mentioned.
Thanks and happy gaming.
Barator
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Once is indeed the right answer. A hit basically wipes off the poison as it delivers the dose.
And just to add to that - even though the rules don't explicitly say it, the language used to describe doses, the effects of doses, and the uses of doses, implies that only one dose can be applied to a weapon at a time.
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This is also consistent with the alchemists class discovery "sticky poison" which allows the poison to stay on a weapon for 1 'dose'/ INT bonus point.
What I would like to know is whether there is a time limit between poisoning a weapon and when it is used. If I poison 10 arrows first thing in the AM does the poison lose potency? Seems like the answer is no.
Poison, as in the doses that may be bought and used by PCs, implies poisons that have been refined and stabilized through alchemy/chemistry/whatever. To stick to a blade/arrow enough to be used in combat and remain viable if swung/fired at high speed, they must be a thick, viscous solution, similar to maple syrup or mollases, possibly even more the consistency of tar.
Also, in a world where vaccuum sealing a vial is a difficult if not outright impossible task, we must also assume these poisons do not degrade upon exposure to air. Exposure to water, fire, earth, or heart might do it, but Captain Planet gets poisoned by an arrow coated last round or last year, regardless.
Creative Director
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This is also consistent with the alchemists class discovery "sticky poison" which allows the poison to stay on a weapon for 1 'dose'/ INT bonus point.
What I would like to know is whether there is a time limit between poisoning a weapon and when it is used. If I poison 10 arrows first thing in the AM does the poison lose potency? Seems like the answer is no.
Nope; no time limit. Poison that goes on a weapon remains potent until it's used. That's basically the difference between a dose of poison you buy at a store and a dose of the same poison you squeeze out of a dead monster, I would say. And so I did say.
So if you have a double-edged blade that you slash with, it would require two doses of poison, one to coat each edge? Or would one dose cover both edges and it would require a house rule to say that only one edge loses the poison on a hit, with the other edge staying viable til you hit with it also?
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Creative Director
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So if you have a double-edged blade that you slash with, it would require two doses of poison, one to coat each edge? Or would one dose cover both edges and it would require a house rule to say that only one edge loses the poison on a hit, with the other edge staying viable til you hit with it also?
That'd take two doses. One per damage dealing portion of the weapon. One hit removes a dose from that end of the weapon. Since double weapons are treated as separate weapons for this type of thing, so no house rule needed.
I think a double headed weapon (double sword or orcish axe) could be poisoned a single dose on each end. If it's just a sword that's a single blade, it'd be a single dose and single hit (alchemist ability notwithstanding).
At least that's how I read it, and would run it.
Edit:Ninja'd by the Rex...
^^^^^
That is what I was referring to. I would expect a two-bladed sword to require one dose for each blade, but I was meaning a normal single-bladed weapon with both edges sharpened like the standard longsword.
^^^^^
That is what I was referring to. I would expect a two-bladed sword to require one dose for each blade, but I was meaning a normal single-bladed weapon with both edges sharpened like the standard longsword.
Sounds like a feat waiting to happen.
Split Potency
Prerequisites: Alchemy 5 ranks or poison use ability.
Benefit: When applying poison to a double edged weapon such as a sword or axe you may split the dose to both edges of the weapon. This reduces the DC by 1, but administers the poison over the first two successful attacks with the weapon.
Special: A weapon coated in poison normally only administers poison on the first successful hit. May not be combined with the Alchemist sticky poison ability.
Overall you spend a feat to net a +1 to any poison's DC (if both attacks hit) or to apply the same poison to two different targets.
You could even make a feat that lets you make poison each day that only last for the day (thus circumventing the whole 7 months to make a poison dose using Craft skill thing).
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^^^^^
That is what I was referring to. I would expect a two-bladed sword to require one dose for each blade, but I was meaning a normal single-bladed weapon with both edges sharpened like the standard longsword.
I suspected that's what you meant. Look at the wording on James' post one damage roll = one dose of poison. Think of it this way, 1 weapon 1 dose and double weapons are actually 2 weapons on a stick.
OK, cool. Now for the second part, by standard rules, is it correct that even if you slash an enemy with one edge of a longsword, the poison is gone completely even though technically the other edge should still be poisoned? So allowing both edges of a poisoned longsword to be used before the poison is gone would require either a house rule or some sort of feat that allowed you to use both edges before having to re-coat?
Now for the second part, by standard rules, is it correct that even if you slash an enemy with one edge of a longsword, the poison is gone completely even though technically the other edge should still be poisoned?
Pretty much. Combat's still an abstraction, so one dose applied to one weapon allows one attack to be poisoned. Whether it's a piercing weapon where the whole weapon in, or a double edged sword where you would only hit with one side, it still only works for the single hit.
So allowing both edges of a poisoned longsword to be used before the poison is gone would require either a house rule or some sort of feat that allowed you to use both edges before having to re-coat?
I think it would be a house rule or feat type thing. Otherwise, the sticky poison ability of the alchemist wouldn't be quite as outstanding if everyone could potentially do it to a limited degree IMO.
Just my 2cp.
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OK, cool. Now for the second part, by standard rules, is it correct that even if you slash an enemy with one edge of a longsword, the poison is gone completely even though technically the other edge should still be poisoned? So allowing both edges of a poisoned longsword to be used before the poison is gone would require either a house rule or some sort of feat that allowed you to use both edges before having to re-coat?
There are a million could haves in this, maybe you just nicked him with the tip where you didn't actually apply any poison. The game doesn't make a distinction with regards to which part of the weapon you hit with or which part of the body gets hit. If you start getting into half doses or quarter doses then you are talking about a whole new rules subsystem which is much more complicated.
So it's a one shot deal first hit gets the full dose and you are done. It's a massive simplification of IRL but in general combat is.