Realistic poisons

[Braininthejar]

I have a rather unusual problem - a character has ranks in knowledge (nature) , alchemy and healing, but more importantly, so does the player (a nurse by education, a viccan fortune teller by trade ) The thing is, my player could actually walk into the forest and find something poisonous and she keeps using it in the game.

So far its minor stuff ("I want to add some herbs to this smoke bomb, so they all get combat penalties for being slightly high" "once he drinks it and goes to sleep, noise shouldn't wake him up" ) but I expect her to do more once she levels up and it would be unfair to deny it.

Any advice on how I should handle the mechanics of this?

[kitep]

As long as it's minor, I say go with it.  Makes it more fun for the player without overpowering the game, it's all good

Or you could say that that world is just slightly different, so what she wants to do won't work the way it does in the real world -- if it did, someone else with those skills would have done it.  Find a comparable poison in one of the books.  Use Craft(Alchemy) to make said poison.  The player still gets to use his/her knowledge, and save money, but it's within the framework of the rules.

Or just say no, but be nice about it.  Sometimes reality has to bend to keep the game playable.  Though what the player wants probably pales compared to what a mage could do.

Good luck!

[Mooncrow]

Agree with kitep - poisons lose their kick after a certain level anyway (well, without serious feat and magic investment) so let them enjoy it while it works. 

[CaptRory]

Most deadly poisons don't work the way they do in the movies anyway. It often takes repeated dosings to kill someone with poison.

Plus, wouldn't it be a survival roll to actually find this stuff in the wilderness? Identifying something in a laboratory and finding it in the wild is two seperate things.

[kitep]

Plus, wouldn't it be a survival roll to actually find this stuff in the wilderness? Identifying something in a laboratory and finding it in the wild is two seperate things.

I think it may be reasonable to use Knowledge(nature) for this as well -- which the character has.

[SneeR]

No, definitely Survival. Knowledge (nature) to identify, Alchemy to know how to use, but Survival to locate and harvest properly.

As to the OP question, just make sure you know when to say, "NO." Don't let her push you bu touting RL knowledge. You can always resort to a few arguments:
-that wouldn't work that way
-that is too powerful
-I am the DM, and I need you to not overpower the other players
-this is a fantasy world, and the properties of plants are occasionally different.

[veekie]

No, definitely Survival. Knowledge (nature) to identify, Alchemy to know how to use, but Survival to locate and harvest properly.

Definitely a good plan, though I'd give a bit more leeway for highly perishable(hence you need a ready local source) drugs and poisons. Make some up as well, fantasy plants can do some things real herbals can only make you think they can.

[Braininthejar]

And how to properly gauge effects/saving throws? In RL people don't really make fortitude saves against poison. Which book would be the best for finding comparables?

[SneeR]

Sorry, that's how poison works in D&D. There are a bunch of poisons you can compare them to, but all of them require 2 Fort saves and have 2 effects (though for some, the secondary effect is "nothing").

[Rejakor]

Actually IRL sometimes people survive supposedly 'deadly' poisons.  Coincidentally it's often people who are very hearty.  Snake bites, poisonous plants etc.

Some incredibly deadly poisons in very large amounts though they usually wouldn't.  Which is pretty in line with DnD poisons, really.  Just not the huge gp cost.  Lots of poisons you can make with nothing more than a mortar and pestle, some random common herb, a fire, and an hour of time.

[veekie]

Something you can try to vary poisons more beyond the classic model: Afflictions