Evil / Undead Class : Poisoner

by Will Upchurch, Dragon #313

While some assassins favor the use of the blade and bow for doing their dirty work, others rely primarily on poisonous concoctions. Poisoners take the study of poisons and their use to a level beyond that which ordinary assassins achieve.

These specialists learn how to brew and mix poisons on their own and how to introduce them into their victims' bodies in the subtlest possible ways. Such characters are always experimenting with new mixtures and creative methods for delivery. All assassins are well versed in the use of poisons, but the poisoner is truly a master of the art.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Poisoner, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

• Alignment: Any evil
• Skills: Bluff 5 ranks, Craft (Poisonmaking) 8 ranks, Sleight of Hand 8 ranks.
• Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (blowgun),
• Special: The character must have used poison to kill a specific person.

Class Skills

The poisoner's class skills are Balance, Bluff, Climb, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Forgery, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Swim, Tumble, and Use Rope.

Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are Class Features of the poisoner prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A poisoner gains no new proficiencies with armor or weapons.

Detect Poison (Sp): The poisoner can use detect poison at will.

Poison Touch (Ex): The poisoner has worked with poisons for so long that she can spontaneously generate a single dose of poison from her body, although the venom so created lasts only a short time before it loses its potency. She must concentrate for 3 rounds to produce the poison, and she cannot perform any strenuous activities during that time. She may move, engage in conversation, and perform other normal activities, but she may not fight, cast spells, use a magic item, or perform any similar activities that require concentration.

Once generated, the poison can be delivered only once and remains viable for up to 3 rounds before losing its potency. During this time, the poisoner can deliver it via a successful melee touch attack. A missed attack does not ruin the poison. Poison delivered in this manner is considered contact poison.

The primary and secondary effects of the poison and its save DC are determined by the poisoner's level in the prestige class, as given in the table below. The character may choose any effect available at her current level or lower from any column for both the initial and secondary damage, but she must make her selection before she begins to generate the poison. She may not thereafter alter this choice without restarting the entire process. All damage dealt by her poison is temporary ability damage unless otherwise noted.

Poison Use: The poisoner is trained in the use of poison and never risks accidentally poisoning herself when applying it to a blade.

Sneak Attack: This ability functions exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. At 1st level, the poisoner deals 1d6 points of bonus damage with a sneak attack. The extra damage dealt increases by an additional +1d6 every other poisoner level (at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th). If the poisoner already has the sneak attack ability from another class, the damage bonuses stack.

Save Bonus against Poison (Ex): The poisoner trains with poisons of all types and slowly grows more and more resistant to their effects. To reflect this increased resistance, the poisoner gains a +2 bonus on all saves against poison at 2nd level. With every two poisoner levels she gains thereafter, the bonus increases by +2 (to +4 at 4th level, +6 at 6th level, and +8 at 8th level). When she reaches 10th level, poison of any type no longer affects her (see Poison Immunity, below).

Blowgun Mastery (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a poisoner gains a +1 bonus on attack rolls made with blowguns. In addition, the blowgun's range increment is doubled for the poisoner.

Poisoner's Art (Ex): Poisoners understand the art of poisoncraft better than others. As a result, they can modify poisons they create in several ways. The poisoner must determine any modified effects upon creation of the poison. She may not modify any existing poison to give it one of these effects.

Delay Onset: At 2nd level, the poisoner learns to delay the onset (that is, the save against the initial damage) of any poison by up to minute per poisoner level. The market price for a poison with a delayed onset is 1.5 times normal.

Fast Acting I: At 4th level, the poisoner learns to shorten the period of time between a poison's initial and secondary damage. A poison with this modification requires a saving throw to avoid secondary damage only 5 rounds after the initial save. The market price for this sort of fast-acting poison is twice normal.

Fast Acting II: At 8th level, the poisoner can reduce the time between a poison's initial and secondary damage still more. The secondary effect of a poison altered in this manner occurs on the round following its initial effect. The market price for this type of fast-acting poison is four times normal.

Quick Hands: At 3rd level, the poisoner gains a +4 bonus on Sleight of Hand checks made to plant poison without being seen.

Poisonous Sneak Attack: When the poisoner reaches 4th level, the DC to resist any poison she delivers via a sneak attack increases by +2.

Poison Breath (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, the poisoner may deliver the poison generated by her poison touch ability to any foe within 5 feet simply by breathing in its direction. Poison delivered in this manner counts as an inhaled poison.

Poison Gaze (Su): At 10th level, the poisoner may spontaneously generate poison in the body of any single target within 30 feet via a gaze attack. The opponent can resist the gaze attack with a successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + poisoner level + poisoner's Constitution modifier). If the opponent fails this save, he must make saves versus the poison normally. Success indicates the creature is unaffected by the gaze and need not make saves against the poison. The poisoner uses the Poison Touch Effects table above to select the parameters of the poison. She must make eye contact with her foe as a standard action to use this ability; simply looking at the opponent is not enough. Poison delivered in this manner counts as ingested.

Poison Immunity (Ex): Upon reaching 10th level, the poisoner becomes immune to all forms of poison.

Poisoner					Hit Die: d6
CL	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+2	+0	Detect poison, poison touch, poison use, sneak attack +1d6
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+0	+2 save against poison, blowgun mastery, poisoner's art (delay onset)
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+1	Quick hands, sneak attack +2d6
4th	+3	+1	+4	+1	+4 save against poison, poisoner's art (fast acting 1), poisonous sneak attack
5th	+3	+1	+4	+1	Sneak attack +3d6
6th	+4	+2	+5	+2	+6 save against poison, poison breath
7th	+5	+2	+5	+2	Sneak attack +4d6
8th	+6	+2	+6	+2	+8 save against poison, poisoner's art (fast acting 2)
9th	+6	+3	+6	+3	Sneak attack +5d6
10th	+7	+3	+7	+3	Poison gaze, poison immunity

Source: Dragon #313

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