Poison Clarification

[Mogre]

I actually went looking through the old forums and I'm finding that I'm rather dense on understanding this mechanic. So I'm asking it to be spelled out for me. I apologize.

I'm using the Ghoul Poison as an example.

Poison (10, Cacofian): If the ghoul's claws do damage to a target, the target must resist the effects of a damaging poison. The poison is Step 10 damaging [Onset: Instant, Interval: 6 / 1 round, Duration: Until healed]. The poison stops progressing if the ghoul is killed.

So if a character is damaged by the ghoul's claws he must make a Toughness Test against a DN 10. If he makes it, all is good nothing further.

If he fails he takes Step 10 (2D8) damage. Next round, this is repeated 6 times until the character passes that Toughness Test?

I ask because that seems like a lot of damage.

[Telarus]

Yes, you have the mechanics right. Yes, that is a lot of damage. Compare to the FireLeaf poison in the GM Guide (Type: Damage, Effect Step: 7, Onset: 1 round, Interval: 4/1 round). Ghouls are nasty in this setting, as are Shadowmants, Wyverns, and anything else with damaging poison. My players started always carrying antidotes after they lost a hireling to a giant venomous snake.

[Mogre]

Thanks for the reply.

It's actually kind of refreshing to see poison something to be feared again. Other RPGs have gone the opposite direction and have made poison more of a nuisance. In Earthdawn it is deadly. I like that.

[Panda]

That's not quite right. The first part of the interval is correct with the number of tests total, but the second is the frequency of the individual tests. In this case, one test is made every round until all tests have been made.

In this instance (cacofian), the character takes damage and the instant onset time means one of the six Effect tests happens immediately. Then, an Effect tests happens every round for the following five rounds (for a total of six tests).

Hopefully this helps to clarify things.

[Telarus]

Ah yes, good catch. Thanks Panda!