Poisoner's Guide to Shadowdark
In Shadowdark there are a lot of monsters who use poisons, venoms & toxins, and in this post I’m going to break them down & add some extra details.
Poisons largely fall into two main categories in Shadowdark:
- Natural Venoms & Toxins. These are toxic substances that monsters naturally produce & secrete; and
- Created Toxins. These are poisons that are created by sapient monsters, and are usually applied to tips of weapons. For each of these I have added a recipe by which I believe these are created
Toxin Properties
Not all toxins are applied the same way. Some are only effective when they enter directly into the bloodstream via open wounds or are injected in by stingers, some need to be inhaled, etc. I have listed the properties of each toxin:
- Consumed. These toxins take effect when they are swallowed
- Inhaled. These toxins need to be inhaled to feel their effects
- Touch. These toxins take effect when they are applied to bare skin
- Wound. These toxins take effect by entering into open wounds, or by being injected into a victim
Natural Venoms & Toxins
| Name | Properties | Check | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Creeper Toxin | Touch, Wound | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds |
| Centipede / Giant Centipede Venom | Wound | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds |
| Couatl Venom | Wound | DC 15 CON | Fall into natural, deep sleep for 1d8 hours |
| Forest Dragon Poison | Inhaled | DC 15 CON | Take 3d8 damage |
| Ettercap Poison | Touch | - | Take 1d4 damage/round |
| Gelatinous Cube Toxin | Touch | DC 15 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds. |
| Imp Poison | Wound | DC 12 CON | Fitful sleep for 1d4 hours |
| Iron Golem Toxin | Inhaled | DC 15 CON | take 8d6 damage. |
| Ghast Toxin | Consume, Wound | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds |
| Ghoul Toxin | Consume, Wound | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds. |
| Giant Manta Ray Venom | Wound | DC 15 CON | Drop to 0 hit points in 1d4 rounds |
| Jellyfish Toxin | Touch | DC 9 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds |
| Medusa Venom | Wound | DC 15 CON | Go to 0 HP |
| Naga Venom | Wound | DC 15 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds. |
| Purple Worm Venom | Consume, Wound | DC 15 CON | Go to 0 HP |
| Rot flower toxin | Wound | DC 12 CON | Unconscious for 1d4 rounds |
| Scorpion venom | Wound | DC 9 CON | Go to 0 HP |
| Giant Scorpion Venom | Wound | DC 12 CON | Go to 0 HP |
| Cobra venom | Wound | DC 18 CON | Go to 0 HP with a death timer of 1 |
| Snake Venom | Wound | DC 12 CON | Go to 0 HP in 1d4 rounds |
| Giant Spider Venom | Wound | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 hours |
| Spider Venom | Wound | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds |
| Void Spawn Toxin | Touch | DC 12 CON | Paralyzed for 1d4 rounds |
| Void Spider Venom | Wound | DC 12 CON | Drop to 0 HP in 1d4 rounds |
| Giant Wasp Venom | Wound | DC 9 CON | Go to 0 HP |
| Wyvern Venom | Wound | DC 15 CON | Take 2d10 damage |
Created Toxins
| Name | Properties | Check | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erinyes Poison | Wound | DC 15 CON | Target’s eyes go jet black and it turns on its allies for 1d4 rounds. DC 15 WIS on turn to end effect. |
| Drow Sleeping Poison | Wound | DC 15 CON | Sleep |
| Drow Paralytic Poison | Wound | DC 15 CON | Paralyzed 1d4 rounds |
| Fairy Poison | Wound | DC 12 CON | Fall into deep sleep for 1d4 hours |
Erinyes Poison. This poison is made by distilling Imp Poison into a black distillate. Erinyes apply it to their arrows.
Drow Sleeping Poison. This poison is the distillate of Giant Spider Venom, which is then fortified with a concentrate of Spider Venom. The drow apply this to their weapons.
Drow Paralytic Poison. This is just Spider Venom. The drow apply this to their weapons.
Fairy Poison. This is a salve made of a very small amount of dried foxglove leaf.
Poisoner’s Guide to the Shadowdark is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC.
“Antique pharmacy and equipment” by prague.czech.photo is licensed under CC BY 2.0.