D&D Backgrounds - Poisoner
Killing someone doesn't always have to come at the point of a sword. Some people are a bit more subtle in killing an enemy. Maybe it is a poison-tipped dart, a drop of something in their wine, or a supposed delicacy that has them writhing in agony before their demise. Whatever the method of delivery, poison is an effective way of killing that doesn't require you to lift a finger.
Poisoner
Ability Scores: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom
Feat: Toxicology
Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Nature, Stealth
Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner's Kit
Equipment: Choose A or B: (A) Poisoner's Kit, a set of traveler’s clothes or (B) 50 GP
Description
Your art is a subtle one, a quiet science practiced in the shadows. You have turned the natural world into an arsenal, learning to distill its venoms, extract its toxins, and cultivate its deadliest herbs. It’s a refined art, and one with deadly consequences.
You have worn many hats throughout the years. You may have dabbled in alchemy, an amateur yes, but your practical experience with poisons far surpasses that of any an academic. Maybe you were an apprentice herbalist, discovering that the same plants that could heal could also end a life with terrifying efficiency. You understand the assassin, perhaps learning from one that a well-placed drop of toxin was more reliable than a poorly-aimed dagger. By combining these skills, you have become what you are today…a master in the arts of poisons.
You operate in the grey area of society, selling poison to unsavory characters, assassins for hire, and the occasional noble and politician wanting the eliminate a rival. You understand that a single, carefully administered dose can topple a tyrant, end a war, or settle a score without a single blade being drawn in the open. It’s a fine line though. The gold earned is how you survive, but the knowledge of what your creations are used for can weigh heavy on your soul.
Background Story Ideas:
You were an apprentice in a prestigious alchemy guild but found the life of an academic wasn’t for you. Using the knowledge you learned, you now create poisons, drawing the ire of your former teacher who look upon you with disdain because of how you use what they taught you.,
A local guild of assassins feels threatened by you, as your elixirs and venoms are of a much more deadly potency than their own. deeming you unskilled.Fearing for your life - and rightly so - you flee the city, always looking over your shoulder.
You come from a family of herbalists who served a noble house. When that house was betrayed and wiped out by a rival using poison, you were the only survivor. You seek revenge, using the very poisons they used to kill your brethren.
Origin Feat: Toxicology
Your extensive, hands-on experience with toxins has granted you an intimate understanding of how to create and identify them.
Keen Toxic Sense. You have Advantage on Intelligence (Nature) and Wisdom (Survival) checks to identify poisonous plants, creatures, and concoctions. You can also use an action to inspect a substance, creature, or object to determine if it is poisonous, and you have Advantage on any ability check made to do so.
Poisoner's Satchel. During a long rest, provided you have access to your poisoner’s kit, and can forage for or purchase rare components (costing at least 25 gp), you can create a number of poison doses equal to your proficiency bonus. Each dose can does 1d4 poison damage and the target has the Poisoned condition until the end of its next turn.w Doses lose their potency after 24 hours if not used.
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Art Credit - Paizo (Setiawan Fajareka)
