Why are some things called "poison effects?" Are they supposed to be run as poisons?

[aboyd]

Asked this elsewhere, didn't get any replies. Hopefully you can help. Here are 3 monsters that have attacks listed as a "poison effect":

• Ataxian
  
• Violet Fungus
  
• Vemerak
  

The rules for poison state:

SRD wrote:

If there is still poison active in you when you are attacked with that type of poison again, and you fail your initial save against the new dose, the doses stack. This has two effects, which last until the poisons run their course.

Increased Duration: Increase the duration of the poison by 1/2 the amount listed in its frequency entry.

Increased DC: Increase the poison's DC by +2.

So having reviewed that, what happens if the ataxian keeps landing poison attacks?

• Round 1: Ataxian #1 lands poison effect, target saves vs. DC 14, fails.
  
• Round 2: Ataxian #2 lands poison effect, target saves vs. DC 14? Or 16? Whatever number, let's assume he fails again.
  
• Round 3: Ataxian #1 lands poison effect again, target saves vs. DC 14, 16, or 18?
  

I don't know if poison (which stacks) is the same as a "poison effect," so I'm not sure if such effects stack. Thanks for helping me figure out how it works.

[VampByDay]

Run things as written. The only thing the 'poison effect' descriptor does is tell you if certain bonuses apply. So if a Druid with immunity to poison gets hit with one of those, they are straight up immune. Or a dwarf's racial +2 to saves applies.

Same with 'fear effects' (fighters get their bravery bonus) and 'disease effects' and 'mind affecting-effects.' Just tells you if bonuses or immunities (or penalties, I suppose) apply.

[Ascalaphus]

1) "Poisons" and "poison effects" are not the same thing. The main use of saying something is a "poison effect" is to let things like immunity to poison or saving throw bonuses against poison apply to it.

2) The rules for multiple doses are for actual poisons, not poison effects.

CRB > Glossary > Poison wrote:

Unlike other afflictions, multiple doses of the same poison stack. Poisons delivered by injury and contact cannot inflict more than one dose of poison at a time, but inhaled and ingested poisons can inflict multiple doses at once. Each additional dose extends the total duration of the poison (as noted under frequency) by half its total duration. In addition, each dose of poison increases the DC to resist the poison by +2. This increase is cumulative. Multiple doses do not alter the cure conditions of the poison, and meeting these conditions ends the affliction for all the doses. For example, a character is bit three times in the same round by a trio of Medium monstrous spiders, injecting him with three doses of Medium spider venom. The unfortunate character must make a DC 18 Fortitude save for the next 8 rounds. Fortunately, just one successful save cures the character of all three doses of the poison.

This rule text refers to actual poisons, not poison effects. I don't know where you got your quote from, but it's not really accurate (as you can see here, different results depending on entry vector of the poison).