[RPG] Is it possible to throw contact poisons

pathfinder-1epoison

If I have a contact poison, can I throw it on someone to affect them? Contact means creating contact with someone, but I didn't find an answer about how contact is made. Is it for the DM to decide or is throwing contact poisons unavailable?

Best Answer

Rules as written, the standard way to deliver them in combat is by using them as an injury poison. They're clearly designed for out of combat intrigue arbitrated by the GM.

The Poison Vial of Distance allows ranged delivery of contact or ingestion poisons.

Favored by assassins, this magical vial allows the application of poisons at a range of up to 30 feet. The poison must be supplied, and must be a contact or ingested poison. The user adds the poison to the vial and then shakes it in the direction of the item or creature she wishes to affect, making a ranged touch attack (a poison vial of distance provides a +4 circumstance bonus on this roll). If the attack is successful, the poison is successfully delivered to the object or creature intended.

Vials are used throughout the rules to deliver other "contact" substances like acid and holy water, so using contact poison in mundane vials as splash weapons is reasonable but is not explicitly allowed, so talk to your GM.

If you want to simply dump contact poison on an enemy, Holy Water provides an example of how that could work.

A flask breaks if thrown against the body of a corporeal creature, but to use it against an incorporeal creature, you must open the flask and pour the holy water out onto the target. Thus, you can douse an incorporeal creature with holy water only if you are adjacent to it. Doing so is a ranged touch attack that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

This isn't explicitly allowed with poisons, so you should discuss it with your GM.

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