Poison

A poison was a substance that damaged or affected the abilities of a creature, either instantly or over time. A poison could be administered by contact, inhalation, ingestion, or through a wound. Poisoned creatures had a chance to avoid or resist the effects of a poison. The effects of poisons varied widely but some common effects included paralysis, sleep, loss of ability, injury, or death.

The ability to use poison effectively was a skill that must be learned and a person using a poison had a small chance of poisoning himself or herself.

Crafting a poison from natural ingredients, or harvesting poisonous substances and venoms from creatures was also a risky endeavor that usually required knowledge of nature and some specialized equipment.

A poisoned creature could be cured quickly either through an antidote, a magic potion, or by clerical or druidic magic. Some poisons wore off after a period of time and had little or no lasting effect, but without help, it could take days to recover. Some creatures had natural resistance or immunity to poisons.

Poisons were often rare, expensive, and illegal to purchase.