Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 FitzMojoBob Nov 20, 2014 1:55:55	This evening we had our first encounter with a venomous creature — a green dragon, which did an extra 2d6 (7 pts) poison damage with its bite. So then, of course, the question of poison neutralization came up.   The only avenue available to the players was the paladin's poison neutralization ability via laying on hands, in the description of which it just said that 5 points could be used to neutralize one poison. (Looking at the Protection From Poison spell looked roughly similar — it just says you neutralize one poison.)   So, does this then cure all of the poison damage from that one poison? In that case, it makes the 5-point investment in healing from Lay On Hands much more effective than against normal damage. Or does it remove 5 points of poison damage, leaving 2 points still un-neutralized, thus requiring an additional laying-on of hands to completely cure the poison? Or does it just remove the Poisoned condition from the character, but leaves the raw damage unaffected?    If a single laying on of hands will neutralize all the poison in one go, there seems to me to be very little point in measuring poison damage in hit-points at all. You might as well just lump all the damage in together and add "plus Poison" to the description.
#2 El_Condoro Nov 20, 2014 2:10:29	It neutralises the (ongoing) effect of the poison, not restores hit points from damage already taken. The Green Dragon's poison breath is just a type of damage (poison damage) but the target doesn't suffer any ongoing poison damage from it. The effects of a Giant Spider's poison bite, on the other hand, has ongoing damage. The laying on of hands, or any ability or spell that neutralises poison would end that effect. The 5 hit points expended from Lay on Hands is per poison neutralised, not hit points restored. So a creature affected by two poisons would require 10 hit points (2 uses) of Lay on Hands to have both neutralised.
(Reply to #2) SilentSin	El_Condoro wrote:
#4 Kennethray Nov 20, 2014 7:52:18	It took me a sec to get it too after first running into the green dragon in the starter set. Think of it as fire. You have fire damage, on going fire damage (burning) and water to put it out (like pally lay on hands feature to stomp out poison.)    You take damage from fire, its damage done, water will have no effect on it but healing will work to restore hp. You are burning. Water will put it out and you will no longer take fire damage but the damage done up to that point is already done. They do make it a bit diffrent though. Posion condition gives you disadvantage instead of on going damage.   K-Ray
#5 MechaPilot Nov 21, 2014 17:45:49	The other respondents are correct.   Neutralizing any effect that causes damage, whether it be smothering a PC's burning hair/clothes, bandaging a torrentially bloody wound, or neutralizing a poison, doesn't negate the damage that one has already taken from the effect.
#6 Sutekh1 Nov 22, 2014 15:15:23	Poison gets confusing because there is Poison as a damage type (PHB pg 196), and also the Poison Condition (PHB pg 292 disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks), which is completely different. Not all poison damage causes the poison condition (ex Green Dragon Breath, Poisonous Snake bite, Poison Spray...). The Poison Condition is listed when it occurs (Giant Spider bite, Ray of Sickness...)  For instance, in Lost Mine of Phandelver there is an encounter where four Ruffians are drunk, and stated as having the Poison Condition.
#7 FitzMojoBob Nov 22, 2014 20:46:56	I just realised that having separate poison-damage hit-points is neccessary to cater to those creatures or characters with poison resistance/immunity, thus it's not as pointless as I thought.   I'm still not convinced that poison and poisoning is handled as elegantly or as well as it could be, but I'm waiting for the DMG to arrive before I start fiddling with it.
#8 Grazel Nov 24, 2014 7:06:38	They could have avoided some confusion by making it a venom damage type instead of poison, while leaving the condition as poisoned. This would clear up some confusion between two uses of the same word for different effects (hp damage as opposed to ongoing status effect). Also most creatures that do poison damage are actually inflicting some sort of damage through a venom so it works out well.
#9 FFSAA Nov 24, 2014 8:37:10	Antitoxin is your friend.
#10 Timborama Nov 25, 2014 7:56:31	Personally, I would have like a game term like "weakened" or something. So dwarfs are resistant to that condition, and (most) undead are immune. Yes 95% of all Weakened status conditions would come from poison, but there might be others!   Easier to call it that, too, when currently a non-poison spell or ability will give the Poisoned condition!
#11 Avross Nov 25, 2014 9:54:02	Poison or Fire or Necrotic or Lemon-Fresh Damage are all treated the same unless one of two things is true: A) The target has Vulnerability to that type of damage, in which case the damage is doubled B) The target has Resistance to that type of damage, in which case the damage is halved.   This resistance/vulnerability applies only at the time when the damage is initially suffered (or in the case of ongoing typed damage, as each instance of damage is suffered.)   DM: "You take 7 points of damage, plus 3 points of poison damage" Player: "You mean 10 points total?" DM: "Uh, is there something on your sheet about poison damage?" Player: "Nope" DM: "Then yes, 10 points total"