Poisoner’s Kit

A Poisoner’s kit allows you to use chemicals, herbs, and venom from creatures to make poisoners to use to your benefit.

Poisoner’s Kit

A poisoner's kit includes:

Journal
Glass Vial
Mortal and pestle
Chemicals
Stirring Rod (Glass)

Proficiency with this kit allows you to add your proficiency bonus to any poisoner checks and allows you to create any poisons you know.

Purchasing Items

Many poisons and recipes may be purchased from local poisoners, but as these items may take a while to produce, they could be very expensive when purchasing.

Learning New Recipes

Characters with proficiency in the poisoner's kit know 3 poisons and may be able to learn new poisons if they can find other poisoners, poisoner's notes, or by experimenting with different toxins. In addition, if you acquire a poison, you can use your poisoner's kit to analyze the poison. It takes one hour of quiet, careful work to analyze a poison. At the end of the work period, roll a poisoner check + Wisdom + PB. If you meet or exceed the DC required to craft the poison, you learn the recipe. Otherwise, you have learned nothing, and the poison is destroyed.

Procuring Venom

Before you can create your dangerous concoctions, you must first have access to the venom of certain types of creatures, harvest the plants needed, or be able to pay someone else to get it for you. When a poison shows a component cost, you must either have access to the component or spend the gold necessary for the component. This cost may increase or decrease depending on the region you are located in; or may not even be available unless you know the right people.

Creating Poisons

Once you have access to your components, and are proficient in the poisoner's kit, you can go about creating your poison. By spending an hour mixing and combining the necessary ingredients, you can make a crafting check using your Wisdom modifier plus your proficiency bonus for the poisoner's kit. If you hit or exceed the DC for the poison, your poison was successfully created and it is ready to be used.

On a failed roll, the components are wasted in the attempt.

Milking Venom

If you find a creature you wish to extract its venom from, you must have an empty vial and you must extract the venom while it is alive or within an hour of its death. By extracting your own venom, you can forgo the component cost of a poison.

When you extract the venom, you must attempt a Wisdom (Poisoner's Kit) check against the DC of the creature being milked. This process takes several minutes to complete.

Extract DC: 10 + half the CR of the creature (rounded up)

On a success, you extract enough venom for one dose of a poison. If you wish to extract more venom, you must locate another creature or wait for the creature to produce more venom.

On a fail, the venom is lost and you must wait for the creature to produce more venom or find another creature that produces that venom.

Experimenting with Venom

If you find yourself with extra venom, but no recipes to use that venom, you can try and create a new poison out of it. By spending an hour experimenting with the venom and testing it on a living creature, you can create a new recipe by making an Wisdom (Poisoner's Kit) check against the Recipe DC. Most poisoners have rats, pigs or chickens to experiment their poisons on, but a poisoner can always test their poisons on themselves.

The DC to create the recipe is based off of the CR of the creature, and you may have advantage on this roll if you have previously worked on this venom, per the GM's discretion.

Recipe DC: 12 + half the CR of the creature (rounded up)

Poison Characteristics

Some poisons must be ingested, others rely on contact via weapons, and others must be in mist form. A poison will list how it must be delivered for it to work, utilizing a poison by using it in a different way often makes it useless.

Certain poisons’ initial effect can be extremely weak, but they feature aftereffects. These aftereffects begin working at the start of the creature's next turn but only if they failed their initial saving throw against the poison.

Contact Poisons

Contact poisons must be applied to weapons and are only delivered on a hit and when the weapon deals damage.

Ingested Poisons

Ingested poisons must be eaten and do not take effect until the start of the target's next turn.

Mist Poisons

Mist poisons must be aerosolized during creation and the target must breathe in the poison.

Aftereffects

Aftereffects only come into effect once the target has failed their initial saving throw.

To apply a poison to a weapon, drop it on food or in a cup, or similar activity requires an action to complete.

Recipes

Poison	Extract DC	Craft DC	Type	Ingredient Cost	Creatures
Assassin’s blood	10 + CR/2	13	Ingested	90 gp	Poisonous snakes, spiders, and scorpions
Basic Poison	10 + CR/2	12	Contact	50 gp	Poisonous snakes and spiders
Burnt Othur fumes	10 + CR/2	13	Inhaled	280 gp	Giant Wasps
Carrion Crawler Brain Juice	10 + CR/2	13	Contact	150 gp	Carrion Crawlers
Deathjump Spider Venom	10 + CR/2	14	Contact	240 gp	Phase Spiders
Dragon’s Breath	10 + CR/2	16	Mist	650 gp	Young Green Dragons, or older
Essence of Ether	10 + CR/2	15	Inhaled	300 gp	Rare flowers in remote areas
Ground Thassil Shroom	10 + CR/2	13	Ingested	120 gp	Fungi cultivated by Ettercaps
Malice	10 + CR/2	14	Inhaled	250 gp	Rare and dangerous swamp plants
Midnight tears	10 + CR/2	17	Ingested	1,000 gp	Night hags
Oil of Taggit	10 + CR/2	14	Contact	400 gp	Giant Centipedes
Pale Tincture	10 + CR/2	13	Ingested	110 gp	Fungi cultivated by Myconids
Purple Worm poison	10 + CR/2	20	Contact	1,550 gp	Purple Worms
Serpent Venom	10 + CR/2	12	Contact	90 gp	Poisonous snakes
Stormclaw Scorpion Venom	10 + CR/2	13	Contact	90 gp	Poisonous snakes, spiders, and scorpions
Torpor	10 + CR/2	16	Ingested	600 gp	Sleep inducing creatures
Truth serum	10 + CR/2	18	Ingested	1,250 gp	Psychic damaging creatures
Wyvern poison	10 + CR/2	15	Contact	740 gp	Wyverns

Assassin’s Blood (Ingested):

An assassin's favorite tool to make the target think they have food poisoning. This is the best tool to get a target away from a group and allow them to finish the job.A creature must swallow an entire dose of ingested poison to suffer its effects. The dose can be delivered in food or a liquid.

Component Cost: 90 gp
Harvested: Poisonous Snakes, Poisonous Spiders, Scorpions
Craft DC: 13
Effect: This poison must be applied to food or drink. A creature subjected to this poison must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 1d12 poison damage and is poisoned for 24 hours. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn't poisoned.
Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 hour when applied to food or drink.

Basic Poison (Contact):

The first poison must poisoners learn and is easily produced. This poison is the hallmark for assassins just beginning.

Component Cost: 50 gp
Harvested: Poisonous Snakes, Poisonous Spiders
Craft DC: 12
Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 poison damage.
Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 minute before drying.

Burnt Othur fumes (Inhaled):

This mist burns through the membranes of nasal passageways and through the soft tissue of the mouth. Created from the dried venom of giant wasps, this lingering poison is designed to kill quickly before its effects can be stopped.

Component Cost: 280 gp
Harvested: Giant Wasps
Craft DC: 13
Effect: If the target fails the initial saving throw, they must repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn. The target takes 1d6 poison damage on a failed save and must succeed on three successful saves before the poison ends. These successes do not need to be consecutive.

Carrion Crawler Brain Juice (Contact):

One of the odder venoms on the market, this venom is theorized to be created from the necrotic flesh that Carrion Crawlers regularly devour. Many claim that feeding Carrion Crawlers drow will make the venom that much deadlier.

Component Cost: 150 gp
Harvested: Carrion Crawlers
Craft DC: 13
Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save they are poisoned and take 1d4 poison damage, or half damage on a successful save. If the target fails the initial saving throw, at the start of their next turn they become paralyzed. At the end of their turn they can repeat the saving throw, ending the paralyzed and poisoned condition on a success.
Potency: The poison retains potency for 10 minutes before drying.

Deathjump Spider Venom (Contact):

This thick, mud-like poison has a sharp blue color to it, that almost makes it seem otherworldly. This venom can only be harvested from the elusive phase spiders, though many drow have easy access to these poisons.

Component Cost: 240 gp
Harvested: Phase Spiders
Craft DC: 14
Effect: You can apply this poison to one slashing or piercing weapon, or on up to three pieces of ammunition. A creature hit by the poisoned weapon must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 1d8 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful save.
Potency: The poison retains potency for 10 minutes before drying.

Dragon’s Breath (Mist):

By slowly harvesting the poison glands of a green dragon, you can bottle the potent poisonous gas and release it, either by breaking the bottle or opening the lid. The thick gas immediately fills up a 10' square area before dissipating away.

Component Cost: 650 gp
Harvested: Young Green Dragons, or older
Craft DC: 16
Effect: This poison, when released, immediately fills up a 10-foot square area centered on its container before dissipating. A creature subjected to this poison must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 12d6 poison damage on a fail, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Essence of ether (Inhaled):

This colorless and odorless gas is extracted from a rare flower found in remote areas. When inhaled, it induces unconsciousness for long periods of time. It is often used by assassins for silent assassinations.

Cost: 300 gp
Harvested: Rare flower in remote areas
Craft DC: 15
Effect: DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 8 hours. The Poisoned creature is Unconscious. The creature wakes up if it takes damage or if another creature takes an Action to shake it awake

Ground Thassil Shroom (Ingested):

This flavorless, blue powder is harvested by deadly fungi cultivated by Ettercaps in their dark realms of spiders and webs.

Cost: 120 gp
Harvested: Fungi cultivated by Ettercaps
Craft DC: 13
Effect: DC 12 Constitution saving throw, on a failed save they are poisoned. If the target fails the initial saving throw, they must repeat the saving throw at the start of their next turn. If they fail that saving throw, they become under the effects of a slow. At the end of their turn, they can attempt a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw to end the effect.

Malice (Inhaled):

This thick, black liquid has a bitter taste. It is usually added to food or drink and causes blindness in those who ingest it. The blindness is temporary, but it can be very disorienting and leave the victim vulnerable.

Cost: 250 gp
Harvested: Rare and dangerous plant in swamps
Craft DC: 14
Effect: DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 1 hour. While poisoned the creature is blind.

Midnight tears (Ingested):

This poison is made from the tears of a rare night-blooming flower. It is said to be cursed, as it has no effect until the stroke of midnight. At that point, it takes effect and causes intense pain and damage to those who have been poisoned.

Cost: 1,000 gp
Harvested: Night Hags
Craft DC: 17
Effect: No effect until the stroke of midnight. If the poison has not been neutralized before then, the creature must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 31 (9d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Oil of Taggit (Contact):

This is a clear and odorless oil that is extracted from the seeds of a rare plant. It is a powerful sedative and is often used to incapacitate individuals for a long period of time. It is commonly used by kidnappers and thieves for their captives.

Cost: 400 gp
Harvested: Giant Centipede
Craft DC: 14
Effect: DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 24 hours. The Poisoned creature is Unconscious. The creature wakes up if it takes damage.

Pale Tincture (Ingested):

A pale tan liquid, this strange substance is harvested from fungi cultivated by Myconids in their lairs in the underground lands. The poison is extracted by squeezing the liquid out of pale mushrooms.

Cost: 110 gp
Harvested: Fungi cultivated by Myconids
Craft DC: 14
Effect: DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 3 (1d6) poison damage and become Poisoned. The Poisoned creature must repeat the saving throw every 24 hours, taking 3 (1d6) poison damage on a failed save. Until this poison ends, the damage the poison deals can’t be healed by any means. After seven successful Saving Throws, the effect ends and the creature can heal normally.
Potency: The poison retains potency for 1 hour when applied to food or drink.

Purple Worm Poison (Contact):

This purple goo easily coats a weapon and even has a sharp smell to it that burns the nostrils. From the stingers of a purple worm, this powerful poison is also used in alcoholic beverages to provide a powerful kick, though it isn't for the faint of heart.

Cost: 1,550 gp
Harvested: Purple Worms
Craft DC: 20
Effect: DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Potency: The poison retains potency until delivered through a wound or washed off.

Serpent Venom (Contact):

This poison must be harvested from a dead or incapacitated giant poisonous snake.

Cost: 90 gp
Harvested: Poisonous snakes
Craft DC: 12
Effect: DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Potency: The poison retains potency until delivered through a wound or washed off.

Stormclaw Scorpion Venom (Contact):

Despite the name, this poison is only rarely created from scorpion venom, more often harvested from snakes and spiders. This purple-black poison hails from the desert and is used to distract targets, making it easier to bring down fighters.

Cost: 90 gp
Harvested: Poisonous snakes, spiders, and scorpions
Craft DC: 13
Effect: DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 2 (1d4) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. If the target fails the initial saving throw, at the start of their next turn they are poisoned. While poisoned in this way, they take 1d4 poison damage at the start of their turn. At the end of their turn, they can attempt the saving throw again. Upon a successful save, they are no longer poisoned and are immune to this poison for 24 hours.
Potency: The poison retains potency for 10 minutes before drying.

Torpor (Ingested):

Cost: 600 gp
Harvested: Sleep inducing creatures
Craft DC: 16
Effect: DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 4d6 hours. The Poisoned creature is Incapacitated.

Truth serum (Ingested):

Cost: 1,250 gp
Harvested: Psychic damaging creatures
Craft DC: 18
Effect: DC 11 Constitution saving throw or become Poisoned for 1 hour. The Poisoned creature can’t knowingly speak a lie, as if under the Effect of a Zone of Truth spell.

Wyvern Poison (Contact):

This venom resembles amber and comes from the vicious wyverns that attack sailors or airships. Many have died trying to harvest this venom as the tail of a wyvern will occasionally jab out with muscle spasms, even in death.

Cost: 740 gp
Harvested: Wyverns
Craft DC: 15
Effect: DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Potency: The poison retains potency until delivered through a wound or washed off.