The Pellet with the Poison's in the Flagon with the Dragon...

I'll get back to the adventure summary soon enough, but I wanted to spend a moment musing upon how poison is handled in Dungeons and Dragons. As with many things in the core game system, it is rather arbitrary in the name of simplicity.

Most often, the following scenario plays out: You get exposed to poison? Then make your saving throw vs. poison. Fail? You die. Succeed? You live, no ill effects. High scores in Constitution only help if you are above the human norm, or if you are a demi-human. Poisons are almost always of the kill-you-dead variety.

For those who read the rules closer, they have poisons further divided into Ingestive (that have to be eaten or drunk to take effect) or Insinuative (which have to be introduced into the blood stream, usually by poisoned weapon, fang or stinger). These are further divided into efficacy types, resulting in different onset times, and different modifiers to the saving throw. The Ingestive types do a discrete chunk of damage on a failed save, and have no effect if successfully saved against. Insinuative types usually do a chunk of damage on a failed save, and half that damage on a successful save, with the most virulent being of the save-or-die variety.

In reality, very few poisons are instant death. A king cobra bite can take up to 30 minutes to kick in. Curare may paralyze you near instantly, but you are fully conscious until you suffocate slowly to death. A massive dose of cyanide may off you in seconds, but it is a rough ten or so seconds to endure. Nerve toxins also are quick on onset, but you are painfully aware of the fact you are dying as you go about it. Ricin involves a slow death over hours, maybe days, for which there is no antidote.

For video game versions of role playing games, including the Baldur's Gate D&D titles, when you get poisoned you start losing hit points as a factor of time. X number of HP every Y seconds until the poison runs its course or you are dead. This is more interesting, and more realistic, from a role-playing standpoint.

The way I have decided to approach poisons is much more complicated than the original D&D method, but allows characters the option of doing something about it.

Here are the things you need to keep in mind when defining a poison: Vector. Strength, Time of onset, Save vs. failed save effects, Layered effects, and Time to recurrence.

Let's define those terms:

Vector: This is how the poison is introduced. Ingestive, Insinuative, Contact, Radiation, etc.

Strength: This is the modifier to the saving throw. Usually +0, but could be anything from +4 to -4, or beyond.

Time of Onset: How long until the poison kicks in. Could be instantaneous, but usually within 1d4 rounds for weapon poisons, 1d10 or 30-60 minutes or whatever for animal toxins, and any range desired for ingested poisons, from rounds, to minutes, to hours, to days.

Save vs Failed Save Effects: Most poisons do nothing if you successfully save vs. poison. Many others will have varied effects. For instance: Make your save, no damage, but you are at -2 TH and Saves due to muscle spasms for an hour. Fail your save, you get the muscle spasms, and you start taking damage.

Layered Effects: Often poisons will do several things. Beyond the basic damage, you may be paralyzed, suffer penalties to Ability Scores or other attributes, fall unconscious, go berserk, you name it. One save may prevent all effects, some may be saved for individually, or some may be saved in series; fail your first save, and you are vulnerable to Effect #2. Fail your second save, and you are vulnerable to Effect #3.

Time to Recurrence: Here is a key aspect for handling poisons. Determine if a poison does a set amount of damage, a variable amount of damage, or is lethal unless attended to by a healer. Then determine how strong and how long the effect will manifest. For instance, lets say a Giant Snake bite has a potential to do 20 points of damage, and has a Potency value (showing relative virulence of the poison) of 20. It may do 4 points of damage every half hour until the full amount is done, or it may do 1d4 points of damage, with an interval of 15 minutes, plus or minus the margin of success or failure of an Endurance check vs. the Potency value of 20. This continues until the full 20 points is done, or the victim receives medical attention. Using Endurance as a delayer for poison recurrence is very handy, and allows a character's Constitution score to have an effect on resisting poisons.

If a poison has no set limit for damage, Endurance really comes into play. Determine a Potency value for the poison and an interval. If you make an Endurance Check against the Potency, you take no damage that interval, and check again at the next one. Three successful Endurance checks neutralizes the poison. You can also set an overall time limit. Let's say a victim has to check every 15 minutes or take 5 HP of damage. Even though they may not get three successful checks in a row, if they are still alive after 8 hours the poison will have run its course and no more checks are necessary.

For a failed 'save or die' poison save, the 'no set limit' option is much more dramatic and fair to players. Have an interval in mind, and use Endurance checks to either extend intervals, or to take no damage on an interval as you see fit. The poison, however, never runs out, nor can it be resisted by three successful Endurance checks. The poison is there, working like an evil metronome, and will kill the player unless they get assistance...

Also, note that poisonous things and being poisoned is terrifying! NPCs who realized they've been exposed to poison must make an immediate morale check, even if they save. If they fail their save, they must make their morale check at -2, additional checks as needed depending on how much damage they take. 

So, here is an example of a typical poison needle trap on a treasure chest:

(Keep in mind most 0-level humans have about 4 HP and a 10 CON on average. That means they are unconscious after 4 HP damage, and die at -10 HP, for a total of 14 HP damage to be lethal.)

Poison Needle Trap

Vector: Insinuative
Strength: +0
Potency: 15
Time of Onset: 1 minute
Effect: If save made, -1 TH for 1d4+4 hours from hand pain. 
If save failed, as above plus 1d4 HP damage every 15 minutes, modified +/- 1 minute with Endurance check vs. Potency 15.  
Max Damage/Duration: 20 points or 2 hours, whichever comes first.

Now, what do you do if you've been poisoned? Herbalism skill can help. If you have herbs handy that are known to have antidote properties, a successful Herbalism check vs. the poison's Potency value will give the victim another saving throw, with modifiers to the save provided by the herb used, plus an additional +1 to save for every 2 points over the Potency value on the Herbalism check. If the Herbalism check fails, you can try again after the next poison interval passes, at a -4 to skill (cumulative).

Healing skill by itself can help. For dealing with poison, it is at a -4 to the roll without any antidotes or herbal remedies.

Bonuses for First Aid kits and Medical Kits help with both Herbalism checks and straight Healing checks.

Magic is always your best bet. Slow Poison now becomes a super-effective spell. It can keep a poison victim alive long enough to get them from the adventure site back to base camp or to a healer. Neutralize Poison is always the most effective solution.