How long does poison last on a weapon after applying it? Until the first successful hit? It can stay on a sheathed weapon indefinately?
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How long does poison last on a weapon after applying it? Until the first successful hit? It can stay on a sheathed weapon indefinately?
I can only find page 557-8 in the core which I can't spot any specification. I'd say unless it is mentioned elsewhere, I'd then leave it up to the DM with the group's input.
Good advice. Any other takes?
You could use the Grimstalker rules:
"Grimstalkers often coat their weapons with their poison. This poison lasts for one minute or until it is touched or scores a successful hit."
You could use the Grimstalker rules:
"Grimstalkers often coat their weapons with their poison. This poison lasts for one minute or until it is touched or scores a successful hit."
Another example of rules trying to simplify something that isn't so simple.
Real world poison doesn't last long at all. An animal's venom, once exposed to air, quickly becomes inert. Plants are different though and many plants remain dangerous ever after being uprooted, unless their poison is sap based, which works likes an animals venom and requires the plant to be alive.
Then there's toxic minerals, like lead which can be extremely dangerous is even low dosages, just not all the time (hence saving throws actually make sense sometimes).
For the sake of sanity, I'd go with the one day rule. Once a poison is applied, unless it has some quality that would make you think otherwise, have it last the day. Poison is expensive and a pain to make, unless you're an alchemist, so there should be no problem with this concept.
Now, if a weapon is poisoned and then put in a sheath I might let it last a week or until the weapon is redrawn. Most military sheathes are pretty air tight, while Conan's sheath is just a wrap of squirrel skin or something. It should be no problem to run this as a hard fast rule. This way you can introduce a more virulent poison that might only last a few rounds so the players have to avoid getting hit for a little while. Really, the skies the limit.
I hope that helps.
Regarding Poisons:
Are they any ways to pick up the ability to handle/use poisons safely without having to take a prestige class/Alachemist base class?
Feats I be thinking!
If nay, how about 2 feats -
The first would have a minimum Int score as a pre-req and allow the character to make/harvest poisons and grant them a +4 circumstance save on saves vs Posion when/if they accidentally poison themselves.
The second would require the first and negate the chance of accidentally poisoning themselves as well as allowing them to apply poisons as a move (swift?) action.
Hmm?