Why Poison Is The Least Effective Damage Type In Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a game that allows for great freedom and creativity, with players allowed to grow their characters, and acquire unique skills, weapons, and combat options. However, of the multiple combat options that are present in this gaming universe, not all stats, equipment, and abilities are equal. Some argue that poison is the worst damage type in the D&D universe. Here are just a few reasons:

Immunity and resistance

In D&D, monsters are designed to be immune to specific combat or damage types. Unfortunately, many of them are resistant or immune to poison. For example, fiends, constructs, undead, etc., won’t be affected by any additional damage or effects from poison.

And it’s not only monsters. Characters can be immune, too. For example, Reborn, Yuan-Ti, Dwarves, and Warforged are all resistant to poison. So, if you’re dealing with NPCs of those races, you lose that edge from poison effects or weapons. There are also spells that protect against poison or negate its effects. 

“Expensive” resource

Not many spells cause poison damage in the D&D universe. This means that players may need to create or buy poison vials. Buying is usually expensive and creating demands a lot of work to gather the ingredients and create the poison. Given that there is the possibility that the poison can still fail, the stress may not seem worth it.

If you’re a spellcaster, poison pales in comparison to the variety of spells you can have at your disposal. While some players like to specialize, poison effects shouldn’t be at the top of anyone’s list.