Poison Weapon is a special ability available to Assassins and Blackguards. It grants on-hit Poison damage and inflicts a Poison effect.
Classic versions[]
The next hit with that weapon will inject the poison into the target (no save), dealing out 1 damage per second for 24 seconds (3 damage for the first 6 seconds). A saving throw vs. poison limits damage to 12 total.
Enhanced Editions[]
Each successful hit within the next 5 rounds will inject poison into the target. The immediate poison damage is applied with every hit, but the additional periodic damage can only be present once on a target. Additional applications do stack, however, the effect can only be applied on a particular creature once per round (that goes for both the 'no save' instant damage and the damage/second part of it). The amount of poison damage depends on the character's level:
1st - Target suffers 1 poison damage per second for 6 seconds (Save vs. Death at -1 bonus negates)
5th - Target suffers 1 poison damage per second for 12 seconds (Save vs. Death negates), and also immediately suffers 2 poison damage (no save)
9th - Target suffers 1 poison damage per second for 18 seconds (Save vs. Death at +1 penalty negates), and also immediately suffers 4 poison damage (no save)
13th - Target suffers 1 poison damage per second for 24 seconds (Save vs. Death at +2 penalty negates), and also immediately suffers 6 poison damage (no save)
Note: As an "innate spell", multi and dual-classed characters "cast" Poison Weapon at the average of their class levels, rounded up.
Gameplay[]
- Applies poison to any attacks, including Arrow of Detonation, the Fire Seeds spread. Even though this ability has been severely nerfed in EE, it remains as a valuable option.
- To further clarify how the stacking works in the EE: once you hit someone with the poison, they become immune to further applications of this specific effect for 6 seconds (1 round), which means you can only apply more poison on that same creature in the next round. So if you have more than 1 attack per round you can poison as many enemies as you can in one round then come back for more applications on those same enemies in the next round. Considering the fact the poison has a maximum duration of 24 seconds (4 rounds), you can technically have at most 4 applications of this poison going on at the same time on one creature.
- When dual-classing, the Enhanced Edition version of this ability scales with the average of both classes' (the inactive and active class) levels rounded up, meaning that an Assassin dualed at level 2 to a Fighter (or any other class) will still get the level 13 Poison Weapon once the character reaches Assassin2/Secondary class23.
- When combined with another source of poison (such as the Dagger of Venom or an Arrow of Biting) that also rolls a Save vs Death on-hit, enemies will only roll once against both effects. So, for example, if a level 1 character combines Poison Weapon (save bonus of 1 at level 1) with an Arrow of Biting (no bonus nor penalty) against an enemy with a Save vs Death of 11, they'll roll only once: on a roll of 11+ they won't be affected by either effect, on a 1-9 roll both poison effects will be inflicted on them, but if they roll exactly 10 only the Arrow of Biting effect will take place (due to the save bonus of Poison Weapon at level 1).