Poison as a Mundane Item?

Though there are two examples of poisons listed as extraordinary items, would it make sense for weaker poisons to be crafted using the Craft Mundane Item feat or even the Artisan perk? If so, what might be some reasonable limitations for those poisons?

I think you can easily create poisons by either using craft extraordinary or craft mundane, as poison often ends just emulating different banes. For me the major difference would be that with craft mundane, I would require the crafter to look for and gather his resources, as craft mundane doesn’t consume the crafter’s wealth level when producing any goods, while craft extraordinary does consume wealth levels.

I could imagine though reserving some more potent and custom effects for the craft extraordinary feat, like for example dealing lethal damage via poisons, but in the end that decision is up to the GM.

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Just a bit of clarification.

crafting does not limit your ability to acquire additional goods.

Normally if you purchase an item that is equal to your wealth level, you have to wait 2 weeks to be able to do so again. With the craft mundane, this restriction is not there.

Also, I’m not sure if your concern with it being extraordinary is bc first are less readily available? Certain extraordinary can be just as easy as some mundane, the difference is the GM, and what they think.

Poisons via extraordinary are probably overall easier.

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Well, the description of Craft Mundane Item lists alchemy as a profession, and it makes perfect sense to me that a professional alchemist with no magical or otherwise extraordinary abilities would be able to make poison. Thus, it would seem a bit odd to me to limit poison crafting to extraordinary means.

I don’t know, alchemy seems pretty extraordinary to me. Remember that “Extraordinary” doesn’t mean “magical” for every character; it’s more about any abilities your character has that aren’t just ramped up versions of things anyone can do.

Your fighter is good with a sword, but anyone can pick up a blade and swing it (just not as well). A chemist (or the sort of alchemist who runs a shop for example) can cobble together a poison, but it’s likely more the sort of thing that you slip into somebody’s drink than something you can hurl in their face in combat. Most poisons are pretty slow to act; you might almost say it would have to be extraordinary for it to work as a method of attack.

Personally, I would run Craft Mundane poisons as narrative aids; for if you wanted to subtly kill off a noble or lay down some poisoned food to get rid of a rat infestation. Craft Extraordinary poisons would be blade coatings, vials that create noxious clouds when smashed, liquids that induce sudden necrosis when injected in close combat; the sorts of things that are less subtle but act in seconds rather than minutes to hours. It’s open to interpretation, and you’re welcome to rule it however you like in your own games, but don’t feel like you have to deny yourself the awesomeness that is the Extraordinary attributes just because the character isn’t magical.

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Yes, this.

It was the point I was trying to make, though on a phone in Africa makes it harder to type things out with a clear mind in the heat :scream:

A lot of craft mundane is to make the raw material, so for alchemy being able to just make the stuff you need instead of purchasing.

Narrative poison is a great way to go with it, but mechanics for Combat is very much so for extraordinary.

Just like Movement is extraordinary but via haste could describe an exceptional athlete or a well trained sword fighter able to get in extra attacks.

What might help here is, why are you wanting to do it with mundane instead of extraordinary? Is it the 1 feat point, or something else? What do you want the poison to do, I might be able to give a mundane way to make it that flavor wise could be poison, though no promise.

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Using Extraordinary Crafting for combat poisons and Mundane Crafting for slow poisons actually does make a lot of sense. Thanks for clarifying what constitutes “Extraordinary.” I think all that answers my question. Thank you both.

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