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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Okay, so say I'm at a party, and I need someone to fall asleep. I'm not a spellcaster, and anyway, spells aren't subtle enough. Beating someone over the dead also seems likely to get me kicked out of the party.

    Poison it is.

    Contact poison is easy; I can just put some on something and subtly brush up against someone. Even better, wear gloves and don't take them off when shaking hands. Most of the time I won't even need to make a touch attack.

    Ingested poison is fairly good; I just need to be alone with a drink.

    The tricky bit is injury poison. I need to deal a point of damage to someone without them noticing. How can I go about this?
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    Colossus in the Playground
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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bulwer View Post
    I need to deal a point of damage to someone without them noticing.
    Mosquito's Bite skill trick in Complete Scoundrel sorta-kinda works. Of course, arranging them to step on something sharp or get a shrapnel from wood or some such also works.
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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Kaww's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    I think that a needle is also a good way to use poison. It should do nonlethal dmg, so the target may not notice it. If played right this might be the easiest way, difficult to spot too...

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    There are actually DMs who allow easy access to lethal and easily usable poisons? Then again, I understand that having someone die of poison in their sleep the next day while the PCs have already left town is hardly heroic.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    tiercel's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Well part of the answer to this question is also going to depend on how, mechanically, you're going to put them to sleep using poison. Either you can go straight for "unconsciousness" as a poison effect, or you will have to try to reduce one of their mental ability scores to 0 (Con will kill them and Str and Dex will leave them helpless but awake, which may or may not be good enough for your purposes).

    Now we're into the "what poisons are accessible to you" territory, because if you want to go straight for "unconsciousness", drow poison (and hence injury) is your only Core choice for causing it up front.

    If you don't mind waiting a minute, oil of taggit is right up your alley for what you're looking for, as a subtle ingested sleep poison, with a higher DC than drow poison to boot. (Plus, if the poison takes a minute to kick in, it may not be quite as obvious what the source of the poison is -- better for you.)

    If you don't mind just trying to beat down one of their mental stats, id moss is a pretty good choice if they aren't a wizard or something. At least with the Core poisons, it seems like mental stat damage is pretty much the province of ingested or inhaled (don't forget those! -- though they are probably less discreet than ingested poisons, they're probably easier than sneaking in a point of damage) poisons.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaww View Post
    I think that a needle is also a good way to use poison. It should do nonlethal dmg, so the target may not notice it. If played right this might be the easiest way, difficult to spot too...
    Good idea. I bet I could sell a DM on some combination of C.Scoundrel's false scabbard tip and surprise weapon, along with C.Adventurers weapon capsule. I'd still take normal poison application risks, but I could do the application and delivery with subtlety.
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    Snake-Aes's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by HMS Invincible View Post
    There are actually DMs who allow easy access to lethal and easily usable poisons? Then again, I understand that having someone die of poison in their sleep the next day while the PCs have already left town is hardly heroic.
    No one is claiming heroics here.

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    WolfInSheepsClothing

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Diminutive? fine? construct that looks like a big bug? Sleight of hand check and food? :)

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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Person_Man's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    1) Use Disguise to make yourself look like your most bitter rival.
    2) Use Diplomacy and/or Bluff to convince a patsy to poison your target for you.
    3) Profit!!!

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    PirateCaptain

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    If you have access to classes out of Eberron and this isn't something that needs to happen before you can level up or anything... the Black Dog PrC is one of my favorite ways to poison people

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Attend a banquet as a servant, poisoning everything, but putting the antidote in everyone's bowl EXCEPT your target. This works best in a culture where everyone eats from their own dish and don't share a common bowl.
    If you are lucky enough to have a target with a conveniently deadly allergy, make use of it. Could Bestow Curse give a food allergy?
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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Poison the food! the food! :) :)

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    More original idea. Put the poison, a contact poison, on the chair seat. If this person is the leader of the house, NO ONE is going to sit in that seat, EVER, except the target. Or on their private throne, if you take my meaning.
    Last edited by Ravens_cry; 2010-09-01 at 03:01 PM.
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    Snake-Aes's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ravens_cry View Post
    More original idea. Put the poison, a contact poison, on the chair seat. If this person is the leader of the house, NO ONE is going to sit in that seat, EVER, except the target. Or on their private throne, if you take my meaning.
    Poisoning his clothes would be a fun way if the guy dresses specifically for something.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Ormagoden's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    I think the classic bucket on top of the door trick will work for this...


    What should we fill it with? Oh I know! Aboleth mucus!

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Snake-Aes View Post
    Poisoning his clothes would be a fun way if the guy dresses specifically for something.
    For a priest or courtly nobility with a special function, this would be brilliant.
    I approve.
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    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Remember if you want to KILL them, do con damage! lots and lots of con damage! from multiple sources!

    Also read this:

    http://brilliantgameologists.com/boa...p?topic=4854.0

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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by HMS Invincible View Post
    Then again, I understand that having someone die of poison in their sleep the next day while the PCs have already left town is hardly heroic.
    I think that you can find the answer to that (and any moral dilemma too) in the tittle...

    Quote Originally Posted by Gavinfoxx View Post
    Poison the food! the food! :) :)
    Don's waste food. Never, or you will make me kill a kitten.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ormagoden View Post
    I think the classic bucket on top of the door trick will work for this...

    What should we fill it with? Oh I know! Aboleth mucus!
    This owns, the only problem I can see is the rich guy having a pool...

  19. - Top - End - #19
    Firbolg in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Will the rich guy somehow have someone around him who can cast breathe water? And will he a.) get to the pool, and b.) get the casting of it in time?

  20. - Top - End - #20
    Troll in the Playground
     
    herrhauptmann's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Didn't 1st/2nd edition have rules for multipart poisons? Like none of the ingredients of the poison was poisonous by itself (even made it through spells to detect poison), but if you mix them in some way, they become effective.
    example: 3 part poison.
    -Contact ingredient on his clothes
    -Ingested ingredient in dinner (food, drink, whatever)
    -Inhaled ingredient: Soak the candlewicks in his room in the ingredient, then as the night goes on, the burning candles fill the room with the ingredient.

    Now if you've done it right, only someone who has received all 3 ingredient will be poisoned. Of course if your target is a rich man who decided to bed the maid who laid out his clothes, she could be in trouble. She'll have the contact from the clothes, and inhaled from the 'afterparty,' if she scrounges leftovers from the kitchen that night, she would also get poisoned.

  21. - Top - End - #21
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    NinjaGuy

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Hire an NPC to do it. An adept with a scroll of True Strike should be able to pull it off well.

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    Orc in the Playground
     
    Kyrthain's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    While not exactly subtle, I have just come up with a roundabout way to poison someone without getting blamed. Also involves casting, so might not be up your alley

    Step 1: Find someone you dislike, preferably someone with a poor Will save. Dominate them.

    Step 2: Have Neutralize poison cast on them immediately before the party.

    Step 3: During the party, have the patsy smash an eggshell of Burnt othur fumes at the target's feet, and then consume half a vial labeled "Antidote". Have him declare that the target has been poisoned, and that he will only give him the antidote if X condition is met. If the target does what is requested, the patsy will indeed give up the 'antidote'

    Step 4: The 'antidote' is Black lotus extract.
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  23. - Top - End - #23
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    Ravens_cry's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by mcl01 View Post
    Hire an NPC to do it. An adept with a scroll of True Strike should be able to pull it off well.
    Yeah, but you need some way of making sure they don't talk.
    As it is written, two may keep a secret when one is dead.
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  24. - Top - End - #24
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Rixx's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Poisoner Rogues from the Pathfinder APG trade Improved Uncanny Dodge for the ability to use Craft (Alchemy) to change a poison's delivery method.

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    Orc in the Playground
     
    RedWizardGuy

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ravens_cry View Post
    Yeah, but you need some way of making sure they don't talk.
    As it is written, two may keep a secret when one is dead.
    I'm AFB at the moment, but can Delay Poison be cast preemptively? You could use the dominate-a-patsy routine, substituting Delay Poison for Neutralize Poison. It would run out, and they'd get nailed with the black lotus extract.
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    Dust's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Convince your target that you are a practicing acupuncturist - a ceremonial holistic healing and relaxation technique from the far east.

    Hire a thug to attack your target.

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by Kaww View Post
    This owns, the only problem I can see is the rich guy having a pool...
    Aboleth mucus doesn't say that you can suddenly breath in water.
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    Orc in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Quote Originally Posted by MachineWraith View Post
    I'm AFB at the moment, but can Delay Poison be cast preemptively? You could use the dominate-a-patsy routine, substituting Delay Poison for Neutralize Poison. It would run out, and they'd get nailed with the black lotus extract.
    Can do. (BTW, they'd be nailed with Burnt othur fumes and Black lotus. Both of which target con)
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    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    Force's Avatar

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    If you can get into shadows or have a convenient bit of invisibility, a blowpipe & darts might work.

  30. - Top - End - #30
    Orc in the Playground
     
    GreenSorcererElf

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    Default Re: How can I surreptitiously poison someone?

    Why do you need them unconscious? for interrogation? for capture? to be kept out of the way?
    "When the DM is smiling, it's already too late"

    Paranoia is fun, other games are not; play paranoia (and also 3.5, I play that alot too)


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