Supplement (3)

Poisons
For rules concerning poisons, see Scion: Hero, page 183.

Name Tolerance Damage Toxicity Modifier

Alcohol Stamina + Fortitude 2B per hour 2 -1
Marijuana None 1B per 4 hours 2 -2
Aconite None 7L per minute 4 -4
Arsenic Stamina 2L per day 3 0
Batrachotoxin None 8L per action 4 -4
Cuare None 5L per minute 3 -3
Cyanide None 5L per minute 4 -4
Digitalis None 4L per minute 3 -3
Strychnine None 6L per minute 3 -3
Generic Venom None 4L per minute 2 -1
Titanspawn Venom None 6L per action 3 -5
Jormungandr’s Venom None 10A per minute 5N -5

Aconite (Science: Botany)

This plant thrives throughout North America and Europe. It is the most toxic of the European
flowers and possesses the deadlies roots. 4 to 5 milligrams of aconite is enough for a fatal dose;
the victim dies within two hours amid terrible convulsions and excruciating agony. The
active substance, aconitine, has a pronounced bitter taste that may be detected with a simple
(Perception + Awareness) roll.

Arsenic (Science: Chemistry)

One of the grand classics in every arsenal of poisons. There are various compounds that can be
used, but death inevitably occurs within hours for all of them. The symptoms resemble those of
diphtheria and cholera (which allows onlookers to believe that the victim died of natural causes).
A few milligrams is generally sufficient, but it is possible to develop a physical immunity to
the substance. Some princes intentionally swallowed tiny doses of arsenic for days in order
to be able to safely absorb several grams of it later! The poison is also found in its natural
form in some of the alpine regions of Europe.

Batrachotoxin (Science: Biology)

Even more fascinating a poison than curare is the batrachotoxin. Found in South America,
in the Amazon rainforest, are tiny frogs only 2 to 3 centimeters in length from the family
Dendrobatidae, including phyllobates. They are brightly colored (aposematic) in order to warn
other animals of their extreme danger. The most toxic of these frogs has been named Phyllobates
terribilis (yellow colored). The batrachotoxin poisons are among the most dangerous in the
world. This venom is two hundred and fifty times more toxic than curare, and hunter-
gatherers used it to hunt by rubbing the frogs’ secretions on the tips of their blowgun darts.
Merely touching it can be fatal.
This alkaloid is both neurotoxic and cardiotoxic. Muscle cells remain in a constantly contracted
state that causes arrhythmia, fibrillation and finally cardiac arrest.

Curare (Science: Botany)

This poison affects the nervous system. The American Indians of South America have long
used it on their blowgun darts. This substance is produced by a plant that grows in the
Amazon jungle; it is crushed to extract the viscous juice, which is then applied to weapons.
Once the poison enters a victim’s bloodstream, the nerves contract, leaving her paralyzed and
unable to breathe. The curare acts fast, and the victim dies of suffocation in mere minutes.

Cyanide (Science: Chemistry)

Of all known poisons, cyanide salts are the most quickly-acting in the human body. They
cause a decrease in oxidative metabolism, making oxygen use inefficient. Lactic acidosis sets
in as a result of newly anaerobic metabolism.

The effects of potassium cyanide are similar to those of normal sodium (salt). After
consuming 100 to 200 milligrams of cyanide potassium, the victim loses consciousness anywhere
from ten seconds to a minute afterward, depending on the body’s resistance and the amount of
food in the stomach. After a period of 45 minutes, the victim enters a coma and will likely
die within two hours if no medical intervention occurs. During this period, convulsions may
occur, and death generally results from heart failure.

After ingesting the poison, it is not abnormal for victims to spit up blood. The nails and lips turn a
pinkish purple due to the blockage of blood flow and the decrease in blood oxygen. An almond
odor in the victim’s mouth provides further evidence of the origin of the poison.

Digitalis (Science: Botany)

This poison is extracted from a plant originating in southwestern Europe. The active substance
is called digitoxin and alters cardiac function, turning deadly at even very low doses. It
accumulates in the body so that repeated administration of even tiny doses can lead to a
concentration strong enough to prove fatal. The victim appears to have died of a heart attack.
Digitalis is also used in cardiovascular treatments and is available from pharmacies (by prescription
only). It is very difficult to determine what the victim was poisoned with.

Derivative digitoxin poisons may also be used to coat the tip or blade of a weapon. They
invariable prove fatal even in very small doses.

Strychnine (Science: Botany)

Another classic used by many assassins. Strychnine is an alkaloid secreted by plants of the
Loganiaceae family. In very small doses, it can act as a stimulant, but any more causes
increasingly severe cramps and eventually paralysis of the central nervous system. It is easily
concealed in food or drink.

Generic Venom (Science: Biology)

Snakes offer a wide variety of poisons. Among the most deadly are rattlesnakes, cobras, black
 mambas and water snakes. The table includes the characteristics of a “standard” venom. The
victim generally feels feverish, and the body part that was bitten begins to swell. Within
moments, he suffers from pain and paralysis; after a few hours, he is finally delivered from
his suffering by death. The only remedy is to respond quickly with adequate medical care and
antidotes.

Tolerance Concentration Damage Virulence Toxicity Modifier Duration Level of Damage

Point Used 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2
Effect -1 level x2 1 x2 1 1 +1 level N

Knacks
Epic Stamina
Knacks Serpent’s Fang Scorpion Sting Toxin of the Rose
Tolerance Stamina None None
Damage (Epic Stamina) x B/hour (Epic Stamina) x L/minute (Epic Stamina) x a/minute
Toxicity (Epic Stamina)/2 (Epic Stamina)/2 (Epic Stamina)/2
Modifier (Epic Stamina)/2 (Epic Stamina)/2 (Epic Stamina)/2

Serpent Fang

The Scion’s blood is so toxic that it is poisonous to anyone who is infected by it (whether via
oral ingestion or injected through the skin). Thus, the Scion can intentionally injure herself
in order to coat a weapon with her blood. Each injury inflicted in this manner coats the
weapon with a number of doses of poison equal to the Scion’s Epic Stamina. Every time she
strikes an opponent (whether or not she successfully injures them), one dose of the poison on the
weapon disappears (either because it is now in the victim or has been sheared off by friction).
Similarly, anyone who drinks her blood ingests a number of doses equal to the Scion’s Epic
Stamina.

For the cost of one point of Legend, the Scion may transfer the toxic qualities of her blood to
her saliva, causing her blood to be rendered temporarily non-toxic. If she does so she may
injure targets with her saliva by biting them and injecting a dose of poison. She can also use
this knack in order to use her saliva as a projectile spitting weapon, or to poison an individual’s
drink if she wishes to be more subtle. In this case, she spits a single dose of poison (Speed 5),
and may do so a maximum number of times equal to her Epic Stamina. If the poisonous saliva
is ingested, it lasts its full duration, even beyond the end of the scene.

This poison’s characteristics are summarized in the table below (see also Scion: Hero page 184 for
rules on poisons).

Scorpion Sting

Prerequisite: Serpent’s Fang

This knack works exactly like its prerequisite, except that the damage is now lethal (see the
table below the description of Serpent’s Fang for exact effects).

Toxin of the Rose

Prerequisite: Scorpion Sting

This knack works exactly like its prerequisites, except that the damage is now aggravated (see
the table below the description of Serpent’s Fang for exact effects).

Epic Intelligence
Theriaka

-Tolerance: Stamina + Fortitude

-Damage: (Epic Intelligence) x B/day
-Toxicity: (Epic Intelligence)/2
-Modifier: (Epic Intelligence)/2

Named after an ancient text dealing with the poisonous bites of animals, this knack allows the
Scion to master the arts of manufacturing and handling poisons.

It has two effects:

First, when the Scion uses this knack (Speed 5), he can create a poison from any material found in
the World. To do this, he simply needs access to several natural materials belonging to the
world, whether the vegetable (plant extracts), mineral (rock chips) or animal (earthworms,
animal blood, etc) as well as a mortar and pestle (or other tools that mix well). He can then
infuse some of his own ichor into his concoction, from which the poison will take its
consistency. In game terms, the Scion spends a point of Legend and rolls (Intelligence +
[lower of either Occult or Science: Biology/Botany/Chemistry/Geology, depending on the materials
used]) against a difficulty of 5. If he succeeds, he creates a number of doses of poison equal to his
Epic Intelligence, with features detailed in the table below (also see Scion: Hero, page 184,
for more rules on poisons).

Note that if the Scion uses materials culled from the Underworld, the poison created will have
modified characteristics: a Tolerance of zero and a +1 bonus to its toxicity. If the materials
come from the Overworld, the tolerance will still be zero, but the modifier gains +1.

How the poison appears is up to the Scion: will it be a diluted liquid to be slipped into a glass
of water? A thick goo that can be used to coat his weapon? A powder that burns that, when
coated on a garment, burns the skin of any who wear it? A spice he could use to sprinkle on
his victim’s food? Whatever it is, the poison may be absorbed either via injection, ingestion or
by skin contact from the victim. In the last case, the poison acts as a severe burn. Its effects
cannot be interrupted merely by removing the clothes; the poisoned victim must wash the burned
area with cold or lukewarm water for at least twenty minutes to cool it down. If the Scion has
chosen to create this type of poison, he must wear gloves when handling the poisoned clothing
or suffer its effects himself.

A second use of this knack is to improve the characteristics of a poison already created with
Theriaka. The Scion must spend a point of Legend and an action (Speed 5) and roll (Intelligence +
Science: Biology/Botany/Chemistry/Geology, depending on the materials used) against a difficulty
of 5 in order to succeed. If he does, he gains a number of points equal to his Epic Intelligence (+5
if he has the maximum number of dots in the activation ability) that he can use to increase its
effectiveness as shown in the Improving Poisons table above.
-Tolerance: Stamina + Fortitude / Stamina /
-Concentration: Double the number of doses produced (three times if the Scion uses two points,
etc.)
-Virulence: Double the number of damage dice inflicted each time (three times if the Scion uses
two points, etc). Note that this does not increase the poison’s harmfulness, just causes it to
become more virulent and thus faster-acting. Thus, a poison whose damage is 6B/action does
not inflict 1B for six actions, but 2B for three actions.
-Duration: day/hour/minute/action Level of Damage: This feature may only be used on poisons that
already inflict aggravated damage.

Note that newly created poisons have an improved lifespan and last for (Scion’s Epic Intelligence)
days, after which the substances he used return to their original characteristics.

Alexipharmaka

Prerequisite: Theriaka

This knack works in all ways like its prerequisite, except for the fact that it also allows you to
upgrade a poison so that it causes lethal damage instead of bashing. To do this, the Scion must
spend two points of Legend and take an action (Speed 5) to roll (Intelligence + [the lower of
Occult or Science: Biology/Botany/Chemistry/Geology, depending on the materials used])
against a difficulty of 10.

This knack also may also be used to improve the characteristics of lethal poisons in the same way
that Theriaka does, except that the difficulty is now 10.

Thus, a Scion with Alexipharmaka may take three different actions and spend 4 points of
Legend (1 point for creating a bashing poison, 2 points to make it evolve it into a lethal poison
and 1 point to improve its characteristics) and turn the mundane materials of the World into
a deadly poison to be used against Titanspawn.

Note that newly created poisons have an improved lifespan and last for (Scion’s Epic Intelligence)
weeks, after which the substances he used return to their original characteristics.

The Alchemist

Prerequisite: Alexipharmaka

This knack works in all ways like its prerequisite except that it now allows Scions to convert a
lethal poison into one that inflicts aggravated damage. To do so, the Scion must spend 5 points
of Legend and take an action (Speed 5) to roll (Intelligence + [lesser of Occult or Science:
Biology/Botany/ Chemistry/Geology, depending on the materials used)] against a difficulty of 15.

This knack also improves aggravated poisons the same way that Alexipharmaka does for lethal,
except that the difficulty is now 15. Note that this allows the Scion to cause a poison to inflict
levels of damage (instead of dice), but only for aggravated poisons.

Thus, a Scion with The Alchemist may take four different actions and spend 9 points of Legend
(1 point to create a bashing poison, 2 points to turn it into a lethal poison, 5 points to again upgrade
it to an aggravated poison and 1 point to improve its characteristics) to turn the normal
materials of the World into a poison lethal even to the gods.
Note that newly created poisons have an improved lifespan and last for (Scion’s Epic Intelligence)
months (this replaces the span granted by Alexipharmaka), after which the substances he used
return to their original characteristics.

Boons
Emanation of Alrisha (Fertility •••••)

Dice Pool: Charisma + Science (Botany)

Cost: 2 Legend

Characteristic (see
Diff.
Scion : Hero pg.184)
Stamina + Fortitude 0
Tolerance
Stamina 3
None 5
Per level 1
Bashing 0
Lethal 10
Aggravated 20
Damage
Per day 0
Per hour 3
Per minute 5
Per action 10
Per point 2
Toxicity Inflicts levels 10
Modifier Per point 2

Just as in Toxic Thorn (Fertility ••), Emanation of Alrisha allows the Scion to disperse poisons
not only through a thorn but now through the instant emanations of his own ichor. By taking an
action (Speed 5) and spending 2 points of Legend, the Scion may roll (Charisma + Science
[Botany]). If he succeeds, any person in an area equal to (Epic Charisma) meters around him is
caught in a cloud of poison, generated and dispersed through the Scion’s own ichor and body,
causing skin to burn, eyes and tear ducts to close and victims to have difficulty breathing.
The number of successes determines the strength of the poison and is detailed in a specific table
below. Victims may roll (Stamina + Fortitude) in order to resist against the Tolerance of the
poison to escape its effects.

Contagion (Health •••••)

Dice Pool: Stamina + Medicine

Cost: 1 Willpower
 Virus (See Morbidity Morbidity
Difficulty of
Scion: Hero Virulence Incubation (without (with
Treatment
pg,184) Treatment) Treatment)
Ebola 5 10 days 5 3 10
Yellow Fever 4 5 days 4 2 4
Influenza 2 2 days 2 1 1
Hepatitis 3 60 days 3 2 3
AIDS 3 3 months 4 2 6

As an apostle of diseases and viruses, Contagion allows a Scion to propagate an existing

virus through touch. Thus, when she touches or strikes a target, she may spend a point of
Willpower (a Speed 5 action) and roll (Stamina + Medicine). If she succeeds, she chooses a
disease – or virus (examples are given in the table below) – that she wishes to use to infect her
victim, who must reflexively roll (Stamina + Fortitude) against a difficulty equal to the
Virulence of the virus in an attempt to resist. Note that for every two successes past the first
on her activation roll, the Scion may increase the disease’s Virulence by one point.

If the Scion has the Plague/Cure boon (Health ••••• •••••), she may use it with this boon to help
spread the new plagues she creates as if they were already existing viruses.