The morals of poison use.

[Zanven]

I was wondering, and hoping for a confirmation.

Is the use of the poison spell or poisoned weapons evil? My opinion is that is not evil although it is dishonorable.

My reasons behind this thought is that the poison spell doesn't have the evil descriptor and that in the D&D PHB it doesn't list anywhere it is evil, only illegal.

Thanks in advance.

[Harroghty]

Speaking officially strictly in the OOC sense, the poison spell does not affect your hidden alignment and the poison weapon skill lowers your lawfulness. In character and speaking personally, I do not believe it would be an appropriate action for any good-aligned character except in the most extreme of circumstances.

[Selveem]

I do not believe it would be an appropriate action for any good-aligned character except in the most extreme of circumstances.

I don't know that I agree with that. Maybe in duels and the like. Tempus surely would object.

But what about hunting? Drow use poisons that put their enemies to sleep. What is wrong with a rogue doing that when hunting a stag for food?

[Harroghty]

Drow are inherently evil (in this game) and why would you poison something that you intend to eat?

In this game we do not really have poisons that are not harmful and, therefore, I believe that, at best, poison is not sporting and, at worst, it's dishonorable. A lawful good character would never use it and a chaotic or neutral good character would need a very good reason to step that far outside of the norm in order to achieve their noble, well-intended means. Imagine Robin Hood or Zorro (canonical examples of the latter two alignments) using lethal poison; it might not be too harsh for them, but it would definitely jibe more with the evil plans of their usual opponents.

[Selveem]

Drow are inherently evil (in this game) and why would you poison something that you intend to eat?

In this game we do not really have poisons that are not harmful and, therefore, I believe that, at best, poison is not sporting and, at worst, it's dishonorable. A lawful good character would never use it and a chaotic or neutral good character would need a very good reason to step that far outside of the norm in order to achieve their noble, well-intended means. Imagine Robin Hood or Zorro (canonical examples of the latter two alignments) using lethal poison; it might not be too harsh for them, but it would definitely jibe more with the evil plans of their usual opponents.

But there are no poisons in this game that are lethal. At worst they do minimal damage. That's been my experience on my rogue, anyhow..

[Gwain]

Most contemporary fantasy fiction regards poison as a tool for cowards, women and eunuchs (song of ice and fire)...in varying degrees. Most gods of poison are evil or ill aligned. So I would call its use reserved for the unsavory in our setting.

[Hrosskell]

As with all questions of morality, I feel the use of poison falls into a very grey area. Characters that are not grey--lawful good, chaotic evil--do not have the leisure to fall out of their white and black areas. As long as it is fitting in the roleplay of anyone inbetween, why not?

This highly guarded tyrant likes his wine from x tavern on y night. Poison it for the greater good, because he's not going down any other way. There you go.

However, the situation turns just as well--using poison outside of a demands scenario could be considered very evil for the suffering it inflicts on the poisoned victim, in addition to some very lawful/good people's opinion that punishing a man without his knowing who is punishing him is evil.

In the end, I think it all depends on the surrounding events.

[Isolrem]

Most contemporary fantasy fiction regards poison as a tool for cowards, women and eunuchs (song of ice and fire)...in varying degrees. Most gods of poison are evil or ill aligned. So I would call its use reserved for the unsavory in our setting.

Oberyn Martell is one cool dude though.

[Kallias]

I'd like to chime in that some "poisons" are actually used to spare the life of a creature. I could see druids using sedatives to put down and cure manged animals.

Poisons with the explicit purpose of causing harm or pain to a sentient creature, is evil.

Poisons used to clear out a rat/locust infestation is not evil.