Poisoner (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

Members of the Poisoners' Guild and aspiring hopefuls experiment with their craft constantly, creating hundreds of potent toxins either to sell or use for their own nefarious purposes.

Class Information

This is a prestige archetype.

Prestige Class: Daggermark poisoner from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Paths of Prestige.

Build Classes: Rogue.

Role: Poisoners distribute their lethal wares, making the attacks of their allies more lethal. When they enter the fray themselves they are subtle, never letting the opponent know which hand holds the poison.

Alignment: Any. The rare good poisoner see themselves as equalizers, giving everyone an equally lethal opportunity. The far more common neutral poisoner sees herself as a craftsman and expert whose art just happens to be deadly, a more subtle weaponsmith. Evil poisoners use their abilities for their own advancement and enjoyment, not caring about the consequences.

Hit Die: d8.

Class Skills

The poisoner's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features

The poisoner has all the rogue's class features except as noted.

Hardy

The poisoner has Fortitude saving throws in the good category.

Poison Use (Ex)

At 1st level, a poisoner is trained in the use of poison and cannot accidentally poison herself when applying poison to a blade. This replaces the level 1 sneak attack.

Toxic Manufactory (Ex)

At 1st level, when creating poisons or antitoxins a poisoner can create a number of doses equal to her Intelligence modifier at one time (minimum 1). These additional doses do not increase the time required, but do increase the raw material cost accordingly. In addition, she uses the item's gp value as its sp value when determining progress made with her Craft (alchemy) checks. If the poisoner has the Master Alchemist feat, she may create a number of doses of poison or antitoxin at one time equal to twice her Intelligence modifier and uses the item's gp value as its sp value when determining progress with her Craft (alchemy) checks. This replaces trapfinding.

Toxic Trick

From 2nd level, a poisoner can learn toxic tricks. Add the following toxic tricks to the poisoner's selection of rogue talents. She can use a number of toxic tricks each day equal to her Intelligence modifier + ½ her class level. The save DC of any saving throw called for by a toxic trick is equal to 10 + ½ the Poisoner's class level + her Intelligence modifier. Spell-like abilities have a caster level equal to her class level. This replaces evasion.

Choking Bomb (Su): As the alchemist discovery.

Combine Poison (Ex): A poisoner can combine two different poisons without reducing their efficacy, applying them to the same weapon, object, or trap. A creature exposed to the poisons must save against both.

Concentrate Poison (Su): As the alchemist discovery.

Launch Trap (Ex): As the ranger's trapper archetype class feature.

Poison Bomb (Ex or Su): As the alchemist discovery. A poisoner must possess the smoke bomb toxic trick before selecting this trick.

Poison Conversion (Su): As the alchemist discovery.

Poison Trap (Ex or Su): As the ranger trap.

Slow-Acting Poison (Ex): When crafting a poison, a poisoner may choose to create it with a delayed onset time. This delay must be at least 1 round but cannot be longer than 1 minute per class level.

Smoke Bomb (Ex): The poisoner can create a cloud of toxic-looking fumes in a 20 ft. radius spread. The smoke obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures farther away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can't use sight to locate the target). A moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the fog in 4 rounds; a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses the fog in 1 round. If the poisoner uses a dose of inhaled toxin as a basis of the smoke bomb, anyone who begins or ends their turn in the cloud is subject to the poison, but gets a +4 circumstance bonus on it's saving throw since it is diluted.

Tailored Toxin (Ex): Choose one creature type (and subtype, for humanoids or outsiders). Poisons a poisoner uses are particularly effective against creatures of this type, increasing the save DC by 2. This trick can be taken more than once; each time it applies to a different creature type (or subtype).

Toxic Magic (Sp): Choose one of the following spells or alchemical extracts as a spell-like ability: accelerate poison, delay poison, pernicious poison, transmute potion to poison or venomous bolt. These abilities work as if cast by a wizard of the poisoner's level. This trick can be taken more than once; each time it grants a different spell-like ability.

Poison Mastery (Ex)

At third level a poisoner gains a +1 bonus on Craft (alchemy) checks dealing with poison, on the save DC of poisons she uses, and on saving throws against poisons. This bonus increases by one for every three levels. This replaces trap sense.

Quick Poisoning (Ex)

A 4th level poisoner can draw a vial of poison from her bag and poison a weapon as a move action. Poisons can also be applied to objects or consumables in the same amount of time. Doing this unnoticed requires a successful Sleight of Hand check against the Perception of any observers. If the attempt is noticed, observers can warn the creature about to be poisoned of the danger in time to stop the action. Note that distraction penalties often apply to these Perception checks.

She can also create poisons with the Craft (alchemy) skill in half the normal amount of time. This replaces uncanny dodge.

Mutable Poison (Ex)

At 5th level a poisoner can use Craft (alchemy) to change the type of a poison with 1 hour of work and an alchemist's lab. If the Craft (alchemy) check (DC equals the poison's save DC) is successful, the poison's type changes to contact, ingested, inhaled, or injury; on a failed check, the poison is ruined. This replaces the sneak attack die at level 5.

Toxic Apothecary (Sp/Ex)

At 7th level, a poisoner can use detect poison at will (range 5 feet, caster level equal to the Poisoner's class level) as a swift action. She gains a bonus equal to 1/2 her class level on Heal checks dealing with poison.

Poison Trapster (Ex)

At 8th level, a poisoner adds her poison mastery bonus on Perception skill checks made to locate and on Craft and Disable Device checks made with poisonous traps. A poisoner also adds this bonus on attack rolls, save DCs, and Perception and Disable Device DCs for poisoned traps she creates. This replaces improved uncanny dodge.

Treacherous Toxin (Ex)

At 9th level, when a poisoner makes a sneak attack with a poisoned weapon, she may forgo some of her sneak attack damage to increase the save DC of her poison, increasing the poison's save DC by 1 for every 1d6 points of sneak attack damage she forgoes. This replaces the die of sneak attack damage at level 9.

Swift Poisoning (Ex)

At 11th level, a poisoner can draw a vial of poison from her bag and apply it to a weapon, object, or consumable as a swift action. This action does not provoke attacks of opportunity as long as she has at least one hand free.

Instantaneous Toxicology (Ex)

At 13th level, a poisoner can create a poison as a full-round action if she succeeds at the Craft (alchemy) check and has the appropriate resources on hand to pay the creation cost. In addition, she can instead create an unstable toxin. Ingredients for an unstable toxin costs 1/10 its normal price (rather than 1/3), but is ruined if not used by the end of her next turn. Finally, she can use mutable poison as a full-round action. This replaces the die of sneak attack damage at level 13.

Poison Immunity (Ex)

At level 14, the poisoner becomes immune to poison.

Instant Poisoning (Ex)

At 17th level, a poisoner can draw a vial of poison from her bag and apply it to a weapon or consumable as a free action on his own turn. This does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Instant poisoning replaces the die of sneak attack damage at level 17.

Immediate Poisoning (Ex)

At level 19, the poisoner can poison an unattended object within arms reach (such as a door handle or cup of wine) as an immediate action, possibly just before someone touches or consumes it. This can also be used to poison a weapon as it is being used with a successful Sleight of Hand check against the CMD of the weapon wielder. Any bonuses the wielder has against disarm attempts apply against this maneuver. Observers can notice the attempt with a successful Perception check against the poisoner's Sleight of Hand.

Poison Gaze (Su)

At level 20 the poisoner may use this ability to consume a dose of poison while looking at a creature within 30 ft. That creature is instantly poisoned with the poison just swallowed, requiring the appropriate saving throws. This is not a gaze weapon, the target need not be looking at the poisoner.

Table: Poisoner

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	Poison use, toxic manufactory
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0	Rogue talent, toxic trick
3rd	+2	+3	+3	+1	Sneak attack +1d6, poison mastery +1
4th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Rogue talent, quick poisoning
5th	+3	+4	+4	+1	Master poisoner
6th	+4	+5	+5	+2	Rogue talent, poison mastery +2
7th	+5	+5	+5	+2	Sneak attack +2d6, toxic apotechary.
8th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+2	Rogue talent, poison trapster
9th	+6/+1	+6	+6	+3	Poison mastery +3, treacherous toxin
10th	+7/+2	+7	+7	+3	Advanced talents, rogue talent
11th	+8/+3	+7	+7	+3	Sneak attack +3d6, swift poisoning
12th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+4	Rogue talent
13th	+9/+4	+8	+8	+4	Instantaneous toxicology
14th	+10/+5	+9	+9	+4	Poison immunity, rogue talent
15th	+11/+6/+1	+9	+9	+5	Sneak attack +4d6, poison mastery +5
16th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Rogue talent
17th	+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Instant poisoning
18th	+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	Rogue talent, poison mastery +6
19th	+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Immediate poisoning, sneak attack +5d6
20th	+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Poison gaze, rouge talent

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Class Skills
• Sneak Attack (level 1, 5, 9, 13, 17)
• Evasion
• Uncanny Dodge
• Improved Uncanny Dodge
• Master Strike

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