Poison Examples

Nerve Gas (TL6): An area-effect contact agent with
no delay and a HT-6 roll to resist. Inflicts 2d toxic dam-
age, repeating at one-minute intervals for six cycles. A
nerve gas usually causes agony, paralysis, retching, or
seizure as well; see Afflictions (p. 428) $20/dose. LC0.
Smoke: Ordinary smoke is an area-effect respiratory
agent with a 10-second delay and a HT roll to resist.
Causes coughing (see Afflictions, p. 428) for the time
spent in the smoke plus one minute times the margin
of failure. Dense smoke can cause actual damage. LC4.
Tear Gas (TL6): An area-effect respiratory and
vision-based agent. As a respiratory agent, it has no
delay and a HT-2 roll to resist, and causes coughing (see
Afflictions, p. 428). As a vision-based agent, it has no
delay and a HT-2 roll to resist, and causes blindness.
Both effects endure for the time spent in the gas plus
one minute times the margin of failure. Tear gas is
opaque: Vision rolls are at -1 to -3 per affected yard.
$10/dose. LC2.
Individuals unprepared for mustard, nerve, or tear
gas may have to make Fright Checks!
A poisonous animal bite is usually
obvious – but the GM may require a
Naturalist roll to realize that an ani-
mal is venomous. Sucking the poison
from the wound takes a minute,
requires a First Aid or Physician roll at
-2, and gives +2 on HT rolls to resist.
If the victim suspects a digestive
agent, he or a friend can induce vom-
iting to expel the poison. This takes 10
seconds, calls for a First Aid or
Physician roll, and gives +2 to resist
the poison. But for some poisons,
vomiting is a bad idea – it can increase
injury!
It might also be possible to take an
antidote. Antidotes exist for only a few
poisons. Where they do exist, they are
usually specific to the poison. The cor-
rect antidote gives the victim a bonus
to HT rolls to resist the poison, or even
completely halts the poison.
Medical procedures – chelation,
gastric lavage, intravenous fluids, oxy-
genation, etc. – can also give a HT
bonus, but only if the treatment suits
the poison. Such measures require a
Physician roll. The HT bonus never
exceeds TL/2 (round up, minimum
+1).
To learn whether it is safe to induce
vomiting, or which antidotes or proce-
dures to use, you must identify the
poison. This is tricky before symp-
toms appear! The GM may require
rolls against Poisons (to identify a
residue on a dart, in a glass, etc.),
Naturalist (to identify a venomous
animal), or even Intimidation (to force
the poisoner to reveal what he used).
Once the victim takes damage,
symptoms appear. At this point, a
Diagnosis or Poisons roll can identify
the poison. If the poison is cyclic, the
correct antidote or medical proce-
dures can help prevent further dam-
age, providing their bonus to future
HT rolls.