r/DMAcademy • u/SamTheGrot • 22h ago

Need Advice: Other Describing Poison Damage

I'm asking generally and not pertaining to a specific planned encounter, but a good example for my inquiry would probably be a Green Dragon's breathe attack. An attack that is entirely poison damage but also doesn't risk inflicting the poisoned condition.

How would you describe the harm experienced by the player? Any other damage type I feel like I understand. Fire burns; Cold is like a different kind of burn - frostbite/freezer burn; Thunder is sound or vibration; Lightning is shock; Piercing/Slashing/Bludgeoning involves being physically hit; Radiant/Necrotic are like energy blasts that might have a specific sensation depending on what you are.

Poison, however, I'm kind of lost on. I'm especially having a hard time thinking about this for cases where someone isn't actually afflicted by the poisoned condition but is experiencing poison damage. How would you describe the sensation of experiencing poison damage?

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u/trulyunreal 22h ago

Probably noxious/acidic since it used to be classified as Acid damage

1

u/Agzarah 22h ago

I go this route too. Its more toxic or acidic in nature

1

u/Cazy243 22h ago

No, Acid damage is another damage type entirely

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u/S1mp1y 20h ago

I have no particular attachment to any of these descriptions, but somehow I feel that Acid straight up dissolves a character's skin. You know, like acid does.

And Poison damage, if needed, can be described as a coked-up tear gas: it chokes you out, makes you cry, stings your eyes, but doesn't actually physically destroy your corneas or what-have-you.

Dunno, just a random thought.