Poisoner Guild's Initiate (5e Subclass)

Poisoner Guild's Initiate

Rogue Subclass

In the dim light of a candlelit workshop, a figure works in silence, their hands moving with practiced precision. Bottles, vials, and strange herbs clutter the table, each carefully labeled with symbols known only to a select few. The air is thick with the scent of alchemical concoctions—some sweet and inviting, others acrid and dangerous. This is the domain of a Poisoner's Guild Initiate, where death and artistry intertwine.

"To master the poison is to master the very essence of life," the Initiate murmurs, a mantra passed down through generations of the guild. Each drop of venom, each powdered root, holds the potential not just to end lives but to alter the course of destinies. In their hands, these substances are not mere tools of assassination but instruments of power, keys to unlocking the secrets of control, influence, and survival.

The Initiate reflects on their journey, from the first tentative steps into the guild's hidden enclave to the countless hours spent poring over ancient tomes and practicing their craft. They were chosen not for their strength of arms but for their keen mind, their ability to see beyond the obvious, to think and plan several moves ahead of any adversary.

Tonight, they prepare a special concoction, a commission from a high-ranking noble with dark ambitions. The poison is a masterpiece of their skills—a rare blend that leaves no trace, mimicking the symptoms of a natural ailment. As they seal the vial, the Initiate feels a surge of pride. This is their art, their contribution to the intricate dance of power and politics that plays out in the shadows of the kingdom.

But even as they revel in their expertise, a part of them remains always vigilant, aware of the thin line they walk. The world of a Poisoner's Guild Initiate is one of secrets and lies, where alliances are fragile and trust is a luxury few can afford. Yet, within the peril lies the thrill of the game, the satisfaction of outwitting foes and bending the world to their will through the subtlest of means.

As the candle flickers and dies, leaving the room in darkness, the Initiate smiles. In the world of shadows, they are a silent force, a bringer of death and a weaver of destinies. And as long as there is demand for their deadly art, they will continue to thrive, a ghost in the machine of kingdoms and empires, unseen, unknown, and unstoppable.

Venom Mastery

At 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, you gain an unparalleled mastery over the creation and application of poisons. You have dedicated countless hours to studying toxins, venoms, and their antidotes, learning to concoct lethal brews with precision and care. This expertise grants you several key abilities :

• Poison Crafting : You gain the ability to craft poisons much faster and more efficiently than most. With access to the necessary ingredients and a basic alchemist's kit, you can craft poisons at half the cost and time typically required. You also gain the ability to identify poisons and their effects with a successful Intelligence (Nature) or Intelligence (Medicine) check.

• Applied Toxicology : You learn how to apply poisons to your weapons and ammunition quickly, reducing the action required to apply a poison from an action to a bonus action. Additionally, poisons you apply to your weapons remain potent for an hour or until you land a successful hit, whichever comes first, instead of the poison losing its potency after 1 minute.

• Potent Toxins : Poisons you create are particularly potent. When you hit a poisoned creature with a weapon attack, the creature has disadvantage on the saving throw against the poison's effects. Furthermore, you can add your Intelligence modifier to any damage dealt by poisons you create and apply.

• Antitoxin Adept : Your extensive work with toxins grants you a resistance to poison. You gain advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Toxic Secrets

At 3rd level, alongside Venom Mastery, you gain the ability to uncover and utilize the hidden secrets of poisons to manipulate both your allies and enemies. Your deep understanding of toxins allows you to exploit them not just for harm but as tools of influence and control.

• Poisonous Insight : You have learned to extract secrets from the very essence of poisons, granting you insight into the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of others. You can spend 10 minutes in conversation with a creature or observing them while they are within 30 feet of you, at the end of which you make a Wisdom (Insight) check contested by their Charisma (Deception) check. If you succeed, you learn one piece of information about the creature's vulnerabilities, such as a weakness to a certain type of damage, a fear they possess, or an ailment they suffer from. You can use this information to gain advantage on one attack roll, saving throw, or ability check you make against the creature. Once you use this feature on a creature, you can't use it on that creature again until you finish a long rest.

• Antidote Savant : Your mastery over poisons naturally extends to their cures. You gain the ability to concoct antidotes to various ailments. As part of a short rest, you can expend one use of your Poisoner’s Kit to create an antidote that can be used to grant advantage on saving throws against one poison or to cure one poisoned condition on a creature. This antidote lasts for 8 hours before losing its potency. You can only have one active antidote at a time at this level. Creating a new antidote causes any previously crafted antidote to lose its potency.

• Manipulative Concoctions : You've learned that not all poisons need to kill; some can bend wills, sow confusion, or incite fear. You can create specialized non-lethal poisons that, instead of dealing damage, impose one of the following conditions on a failed save: charmed, frightened, or incapacitated. You must declare which condition your poison will impose at the time of crafting. Each condition lasts for 1 minute or until the creature takes damage. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Elixir of Shadows

By 7th level, your expertise in the manipulation of poisons has led you down the shadowy path of combining your rogue skills with your toxicological prowess, creating a unique concoction that enhances your stealth and cunning—the Elixir of Shadows.

• Shadow Blend : Upon drinking this specially crafted elixir, you gain the ability to blend into the shadows in a way that seems almost supernatural. For 10 minutes, you gain advantage on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and if you are in dim light or darkness, you can take the Hide action as a bonus action. This elixir requires a long rest to brew again after consumption.

• Toxic Veil : Additionally, the Elixir of Shadows coats your skin in a thin, barely visible layer of protective toxin that reacts to being touched. The first time you are hit by a melee attack while under the effects of the Elixir, the attacker must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 1 minute. This poisoned condition causes the attacker to have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the effect ends. After this reaction is triggered, the protective toxin loses its potency until you consume another dose of the Elixir.

• Unseen Alchemist : Crafting the Elixir of Shadows has become second nature to you, requiring only minimal resources. You can create it using common ingredients found in a Poisoner's Kit, without the need for expensive or rare components. However, the process is delicate and requires your full attention; thus, you can only maintain one batch of the Elixir at a time.

• Nimble Escape : Your mastery over the Elixir of Shadows enhances your natural agility. While under the effects of the Elixir, if you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

Master Toxicologist

By 10th level, your unparalleled expertise in the field of poisons allows you to concoct toxins that defy antidotes and manipulate physiological responses with frightening precision. Your deep understanding of toxins enables you to exploit their effects for both offense and defense, making you a deadly adversary and a valuable ally.

• Untraceable Toxins : Your poisons become nearly impossible to detect and extraordinarily difficult to cure. When you apply a poison to a weapon or create a poisoned concoction, it leaves no scent, taste, and is invisible to normal sight. Additionally, any attempt to identify or cure your poisons using spells or abilities has disadvantage on the required check, and the DC to cure your poisons through magical means increases by 5.

• Adaptive Antidotes : Your knowledge of antidotes has grown to such an extent that you can create adaptive antidotes that protect against a wider array of toxins. As an action, you can expend one use of your Poisoner’s Kit to craft an antidote that grants immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition for 1 hour. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

• Venomous Strike : You learn to exploit the slightest opening in your opponent's defense, delivering poisons with devastating efficiency. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can force the target to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). On a failed save, the creature suffers an additional effect based on the poison you have applied to the weapon:

1. Paralytic Toxin : The creature is paralyzed until the end of your next turn.
2. Hallucinogenic Toxin : The creature is frightened and must use its movement to move away from you to the safest available location on its turn.
3. Necrotic Toxin : The creature takes an additional 2d6 poison damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to the poison damage dealt.

You must finish a short or long rest before you can use this feature again.

Toxic Resilience : Your constant exposure to poisons has fortified your body against their harmful effects. You gain immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

Toxic Avenger

By 15th level, your command over poisons has reached such heights that your presence alone can manipulate the toxic environment around you. You become an avatar of venomous retribution, capable of turning the tide of battle by wielding poisons in ways that defy the imagination of lesser practitioners.

• Aura of Toxicity : You emit a subtle, toxic aura that extends 10 feet around you. This aura warps the very air, making it hostile to your enemies. Enemy creatures that start their turn in this aura must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier) or become poisoned until the end of their next turn. If a creature fails its saving throw by 5 or more, it also takes 2d6 poison damage. Allies within your aura gain advantage on saving throws against being poisoned and resistance to poison damage.

• Venom Transfusion : You have learned to siphon the toxic effects from poisoned allies and redirect them towards your foes. As a reaction when an ally within 30 feet of you is subjected to poison damage or the poisoned condition, you can transfer the effect to yourself or a creature within 30 feet that you can see, forcing the creature to make the original saving throw against the poison's effects. If transferring poison damage, you must take the damage if the target creature succeeds on its saving throw. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

• Toxin Empowerment : Your mastery over poisons has granted you the ability to draw strength from toxins that affect you. Whenever you are subjected to poison damage or the poisoned condition (whether by enemies, your own actions, or otherwise), you gain the following benefits for 1 minute :

1. Your movement speed increases by 10 feet.
2. You gain advantage on all attack rolls and ability checks.
3. Your attacks deal an extra 1d6 poison damage.

• Endless Venom : You have refined your poison-crafting skills to the point where your resources seem inexhaustible. You no longer expend uses of your Poisoner’s Kit when crafting poisons or antidotes, effectively allowing you to produce them at will as long as you have access to your kit.

Poisoner Guildmaster

At 18th level, you've transcended the mere application of poisons, becoming a paragon of toxic devastation whose very essence is intertwined with the deadliest substances known. You become an embodiment of venom, a herald of ruin to your foes and a guardian of the natural order of decay and rebirth.

• Venom Incarnate : Your mastery over toxins allows you to unleash a devastating toxic maelstrom. As an action, you can release a burst of lethal poison in a 30-foot radius centered on yourself. All enemies in the area must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier). On a failed save, a creature takes 10d6 poison damage and is poisoned for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage and is not poisoned. Creatures that are immune to poison damage are unaffected.

This area becomes difficult terrain for the duration, and non-magical plants within the area wither and die. You can choose any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by this ability.

Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

• Toxic Regeneration : Your affinity with poisons has reached a point where they not only fail to harm you but actively bolster your vitality. Whenever you take poison damage (which you are immune to), you instead regain a number of hit points equal to half the damage that would have been dealt. Additionally, if you start your turn with 0 hit points and there is poison within 30 feet of you (either a poisoned creature, a poisonous substance, or an environment filled with toxic gas), you automatically stabilize and regain 1 hit point.

• Eternal Toxin : Your body has become a crucible for creating endless venom. You gain the ability to imbue one weapon you touch with a perpetual poison. This poison cannot be washed off, and it does not degrade over time. The weapon deals an additional 2d6 poison damage on a hit. You can change the weapon imbued with this power during a long rest.

• Antivenom Aura : Your understanding and control over poisons grant you the power to shield those around you from their effects. Allies within 30 feet of you gain immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition.

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