Is using poison an evil act?

[Xarlen]

Actually, a lot of classes don't need aligment movings.

Monk - Lawful

Barbarian - Chaotic

Bard - Nonlawful (Go figure)

Cleric - I think they need to be within steps of their deity.

 

[Macbrea]

Classes that get Poison use as a class ability.


Assassin
Ninja of the crecent moon
Deep woods sniper

The first two classes make a living killing people in evil ways. Basicly they enter a lords house and kill him. The last one was meant to represent a group that has to go out into the woods and defend their land against overwhelming odds. The first two are basicly evil while the last is generally chaotic. Meaning the go out and get the job done anyway they can type.


I would have to say used in the situation you mentioned it is a chaotic act to use the poisons. There are rules set within the arena and you have choosen an alignment that says you generally try to follow the rules. It doesn't prevent you from doing actions that would endanger the crowd or sacrifice a partner to keep your own neck alive.

If the poison was supplied by the people running the arena then its perfectly fine for you to use it. Its part of their rules.

 

[BMF]

That is an old rule from 1e. 3e says nothing about poison use being evil. Besides, sneak attack isn't "evil." And poison is just another way to reduce someone's ability scores (usually). If poison is evil then so is ray of enfeeblement.

 

[Setanos]

I agree that poison use is not evil, but generally unlawful.

One of the strongest arguements for this is the druid. They have a third level spell, Poison, which is one of the strongest lethal venoms out there.

 

[Uller]

I believe that the use of poison is situational. And that given the circumstances --- kill or be killed --- a LN individual would use the poison.

A truly LN individual wouldn't care too much if using poison is a good or evil act. He is neutral in respects to good and evil. He would care if it is 'legal' within the context of the arena combat. For whatever reason, rules, honor, obedience to authority, etc tend to be more important to him than ethics. He may try to avoid committing evil acts(and certainly won't knowingly harm those who have done him no harm), but in the end, it either doesn't matter enough to him or he is too weak willed to always do what is right(like most people).

Beside that, I don't see how using poison is any more or less evil than hacking someones head off with an axe...(and I tend to not be a moral relativist). It is a fight to the death and if the rules don't preclude the use of poison, then a LN character would use it.

However, a LN character might have serious compunctions against combat and slaughter for the entertainment of others. His sense of honor(and innate stubborness) may cause him to simply refuse to fight, especially if he sees the fight as somehow illegal or a symbol of barbarism.

 

[0-hr]

If they tell you that using poison is an inherently evil act, then tell them that you want to cast spells out of spellbooks as if they were scrolls, and you want to recharge your magic wands.

This is 3rd Edition and none of those rules exist any longer.

 

[Macbrea]

The alignment system still exist in 3ed. And a DM has to decide what constitutes an evil or good act. And what constitutes a lawful or chaotic act.

To say that because the statement that poison use was an evil act in a previous edition it isn't now is silly. In truth, its upto the Dm to decide if its a good or evil act. Is a suffering mutant beast that has just been put out of its misery with a paralytic poison and a CDG. An evil act? Hard to say until you arrive at it.

 

[trentonjoe]

I would ask the judges of the arena if posion is allowed. SInce LN is all about following the rules, they are the ones you need to speak to.

That's my new opinion.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Barbarian - Chaotic

Bard - Nonlawful (Go figure)

Cleric - I think they need to be within steps of their deity.

Barbarians must be nonlawful, but don't need to be chaotic (the Bbn in my group is NG). Clerics must be within one step of their deity.

 

[Zhure]

According to the footnote on the bottom of page 80 in the DMG, "The purchase and possession of poison is always illegal...."

That certainly seems to mean it's an unlawful thing to use poison. Of course, not all laws are applicable to lawful characters, as some of them follow their own code of behavior.

I personally believe poison use isn't a lawful *or* good act because it's indiscriminate. If you leave a sword lying around, someone has to pick it up and use it to cause injury to another, willfully and consciously using the weapon.

The same is not true for poison. It's very existence is a danger to innocents as it can easily be misused or mishandled. If a poisoned drink isn't consumed by the target and instead a small child drinks it, the poisoner is responsible for the death of an unrelated target.

While a case could be made that firing an arrow into a crowded room of enemies is a similar indiscrimate attack, there is an element of precision to the use of the bow. If the arrow misses the target, it's resolution is fairly instantaneous. If something goes amiss, the consequences are generally immediately evident and can be resolved right away. Poison continues to linger as a danger, possibly for years.

I can't see any lawful character using poison.

Good characters likewise should be concerned about the possibility of poison later being a threat to the innocent.

Greg