All experienced bards know how to apply poisons to a blade and spike a drink, but some go on to study poisons in depth, seeking out ancient recipes and secrets of poison lore. Some pursue poisons with a passion, others for more sinister reasons. Whether it is the thrill of trying out a new poison on a new victim, or inhaling the fumes of the boiling brew, these bards more often than not develop some form of peculiarities as their experimenting with poisons over time deteriorate their nerves and minds.

Bards and rogues make up the majority of poisonmasters, with multiclass rangers forming the bulk of the rest. These three classes rely most often on poisons. Sometimes a multiclassed assassin expands his deadly repertoire by manipulating poisons to more potent effects.

Role: DPS

Characteristics: Enraptured by poison, these characters can resist and amplify poisons better than most others.

Source: Dark Sun 3

Game Rule Information

The Poisonmaster has the following game statistics.

Abilities: Intelligence for your Alchemy and Craft (Poisonmaking) skills and getting a bunch of skill points, Dexterity for being stealthy and being able to position yourself to apply the poison readily

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d6

Starting Gold: N/A

Class Skills

The Poisonmaster's class skills are Alchemy (Int), Appraise (Cha), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Pick Pocket (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis)

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Poisonmaster.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Poisonmaster is proficient with whatever they were already proficient with prior to taking levels in this class.

Identify Poison Ex: You can safely identify any poison through an appropriate method (smell, taste, alchemical test) without risking harm.

Dosage Ex: Poisonmasters know the exact amount of poison needed for an application, making sure no excessive poison is used. Each dose of poison created by you can be applied twice.

Poison Secret Ex: At 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th level you can select one of the following secrets:

Poison Dealer: Pay one‐half of the market price for raw materials needed to craft poisons.

Poisonbane: You receive a +4 insight bonus to Alchemy checks when creating antitoxin and poison antidotes.

Poison Resistance: You receive a +4 bonus to saving throws against poisons.

Scorpion’s Touch: Add +1 to the save DC of all poisons applied by you. This trade secret may be chosen more than once, and its effects stack.

Smokestick Application: You can combine inhaled poisons with smokesticks. All creatures within the area the smokestick covers (10‐ft. cube) are affected by the poison you applied to the smokestick.

Poison Use Ex: You can apply poisons without a 5% chance of accidentally poisoning yourself.

Extend Poison Ex: You can alter the onset time of any poison you manufacture by up to one hour. This can be applied to either or both primary and secondary damage. This increases the poison’s base price by 25%.

Mental Resistance Su: At 4th level you receive a +2 circumstance bonus to saves made against telepathic powers and enchantment/charm spells.

Damage Reduction Ex: Beginning at 5th level, your nervous system suffers from your experimentations with poisons, making you slightly resistant to physical attacks. You gain damage reduction based on the amount listed on Table 1-1: Poisonmaster Progression.

Empower Poison Ex: You can alter the strength of any poison with numeric variables you manufacture. All variable, numeric effects of an empowered poison are increased by one‐half. This can be applied to either or both primary and secondary damage. Empower poison increases a poison’s base price by 50%.

Poisoner's Fortitude Ex: You get a +4 bonus to Fortitude saves from physiological changes due to poison, but suffers mental side effects, reducing your Wisdom by 2.

Maximize Poison Ex: You can maximize the strength of any poison with numeric variables you manufacture. For example, a poison that inflicts 2d6 Str damage inflicts 12 points of Str damage. Maximize poison increases a poison’s base price by 75

Mindblank Sp: At 8th level, your mind becomes completely sealed against involuntary intrusion as per the Mindblank spell. This ability is always considered active and supersedes mental resistance.

Quicken Poison Ex: You can reduce the time between a poison’s initial and secondary damage from 1 minute to 1 round. Quicken poison increases a poison’s base price by 100%.

Poison Immunity Ex: At 10th level, you become immune to all poisons.