So, I was perusing over the beastiary earlier today, along with poisons, and various poison and disease spells... A character concept of mine revolves around focusing entirely on using poison and disease to put a lot of pain on the opponent (plague storm looks fuuun, yay sorc!).
Is it me, or after about, oh, CR13 things start getting really good saves VS that sort of thing? Mind you I've only had a cursory glance, but it just seems like it's not really worth it from a combat standpoint to utilize poisons and diseases.
I haven't yet managed to get into a game using an affliction-specialist (again, poison and disease) that lasted long enough to reach such levels. Playgroup usually gets bored of or angry at their characters and just stop trying. Am I missing something, or am I correct in my suspicion that poisons just aren't worth it at later levels?
Edit: Also, whenever I do manage to play such a character, they tend to make their saves over half the time at relatively low levels. I know it might just be the DM rolling well and all, but is there any way I can milk more potency out of the concept?
Really? Nothin? Figured a topic like this might have piqued some interest somewhere.
Druid. Venomous snake animal companion, serpent totem, the poison spell (with spell focus and heighten spell). A high wisdom is a must.
It has come up before. You could probably search for those threads.
Generally, the problem is that poison is it is crazy expensive and immunity or ridiculous saves are quite common. The expense makes it of little value against weak enemies, and the high saves of strong enemies makes it a poor option against them too. Additionally, ability damage is more annoying for PCs than enemies. A PC will likely need to have the damage restored with several shots of restoration, where as an enemy will just... continue being dead, because the PCs won the fight.
If you want a bit more potency, look at the Alchemist and Rogue. They have discoveries/talents that can add a bit of punch to your poison, or at least make it last longer. The Ninja trick "Poison Bomb" will let you turn poison into an area of effect option, which could be quite useful.
I haven't mentioned diseases, because they take too long to be of any real use and I don't know of ways beyond the contagion spell to give them to enemies. Unless you are the sort to assault a castle by releasing plague rats and waiting a week, I don't think it will see much use.
Druid Build
Dwarf Druid/13 (15 point buy) Serpent Shaman
Str 10(0)
Dex 14(2)
Con 16(3)
Int 10(0)
Wis 19(4)
Cha 8(0)
poison bite +12 1d4 20/X2 plus poison (frequency 1 round (6), effect 1 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Con-based DC) 13 minutes/day
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Ability Focus (Poison), Greater Spell Focus (Necromancy), Heighten Spell, Preferred Spell (Poison), Weapon Focus (Bite)
Poison (Lv. 3 spell) (frequency 1 round (6), effect 1d3 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Fort DC 19)
Poison (Lv. 4 spell) (frequency 1 round (6), effect 1d3 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Fort DC 20)
Poison (Lv. 5 spell) (frequency 1 round (6), effect 1d3 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Fort DC 21)
Poison (Lv. 6 spell) (frequency 1 round (6), effect 1d3 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Fort DC 22)
Poison (Lv. 7 spell) (frequency 1 round (6), effect 1d3 Con damage, Cure 1 save, Fort DC 23)
It would obviously be better with items.
best one I've seen is serpentine bloodline for sorcs
free action grow poison bit attack. maxed out it does 1d4CON per round 2 saves to cure, DC is CON based
so if you use eldrich herritage and pick it up on a CON heavy build you can acutally throw around posion for free with a fairly decent effect.
NB don't bother in a campagin that goes anywhere near outsiders like demons devils and daemons they all fricken immune ;)
Lol, yeah. Seems like later levels poisons and what not start to get rather pointless.
The current build I'm working on and I really wanna play is a cross blooded Evenomed (Wildblood of Serpentine) Pestilence bloodline elven sorcerer. The original character concept was entirely snake-based, until I saw the pestilence bloodline. Then, with my strange fascination with biological warfare, turned into something that revolved entirely around poison, disease, sickness, so on and so forth. I'm still working on the background of the character, but the idea of a "plague-born" elf with an extremely morbid outlook on life, a general fondness for seeing things become ill & in pain (only because it fascinates him), and with the cross-blood selection of powers, eventually turning into a plague-spitting giant snake... The whole thing just sounded fun. Plus since Sorcs are Cha based, and Serpentine gives Diplomacy as a class skill, I got it in my head to make him a political assassin... "Need the countess' daughter killed? Too easy. Need a king's castle riddled with the plague? Little better. Desire famine and an unholy blight upon the lands of your enemies? That's more like it!"
So right now I'm trying to find a way for afflictions outside of spells to get a nice boost. Curious how other classes do it as well, but I just wanted some advice on making poison really work....
Of course since looking at the Accursed and Draconic bloodlines again I'm tempted to pick up Eldritch Heritage. Draconic bloodline would be black, btw... Just can't figure out which one fits within the whole 'plague' theme.