#Dragon Age Tabletop

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Complete Post of the Poisons of Thedas

Updated: June 2024

I have the time and the energy (as in I've had this info sitting in one of my various spreadsheets) so let's get into the poisons of Thedas. I've also split this apart from a much shorter version so if you want a TLDR, please see this post.

For the purpose of this list I'm including any weapon coatings as they can be multiuse. Additionally, Inquisition has "tonics" which include poisons, potions, and actual tonics; so things described as poison are listed there. As well as anything mentioned in Tevinter Nights short story "Eight Little Talons" that is connected to Viago as he is a poison master, he makes and keeps poisons and various toxins, or other caustic substances. I've also included bombs, grenades, and traps as they use the same poisonous ingredients and sometimes share similar effects.

The definition of a poison that I am using is: "A substance that causes injury, illness, or death, especially by chemical means. Or a substance that inhibits another substance or a reaction."

Known Coatings and Poisons

Brief note, there are some general mentioned poisons not listed here, such as "contact poison" which is far too general for me to feel like I could add it here. Things like this, and other notations of poisons I will list at the bottom under additional info/trivia.

Acidic coating

Adder's kiss

Aquae Lucidius

Arcane poison

Choke powder/Choking powder

Crow Poison (regular and concentrated)

Crow venom

Deathroot Extract (regular and concentrated)

Deathroot Toxin

Debilitating poison

Deepstalker spit and aqua regia mixture

Demonic poison (regular and concentrated)

Dispel coating

Elemental coating

Exotic dwarven poison

Fell poison

Flame coating

Fleshrot

Freezing coating

Hale's Dust

Havard's Grief

Knockout Powder

Maferath's Embrace

Magebane (regular and concentrated)

Marrow lock

Odorless Crow Poison

Pillow Talk

Qamek

Quiet Death

Saar-Qamek

Shock coating

Soldier's bane (regular and concentrated)

Soulrot coating

Spider venom (regular and concentrated)

Tears if the Dead

Venom (regular and concentrated)

Vitaar

Wyvern venom

Known Bombs, Grenades, and Traps

Acid Flask

Acidic Trap

Acidic Grease Trap

Antivan Fire

Choking Powder Trap (Mild)

Choking Powder Trap

Choking Powder Cloud Trap

Combustion Grenade

Confusion Grenade

Fell Grenade

Fire Bomb

Fire Trap

Freeze Bomb

Freeze Trap

Jar of Bees

Misdirection Cloud Trap

Pitch Grenade

Poisoned Caltrop Trap

Shock Bomb

Shock Trap

Sleeping Gas Trap (Mild)

Sleeping Gas Trap

Sleeping Gas Cloud Trap

Soulrot Trap

Tar Bomb

Ingredients That are Poisonous or Used to Create Bombs, Grenades, and Poisons

Adder Venom

Aqua regia

Black Lichen

Blight

Blood Lotus

Bulbs of the Frostback Mountains

Concentrator Agent

Corpse Heart Ichor

Corruptor Agent

Deathroot

Deep Mushroom varieties

Deepstalker Spit

Demonic Ichor

Distillation Agent

Dragon Venom

Felandaris

Fire Crystal

Firedust

Foxite

Frostrock

Frozen Lightning

Gaatlock

Ghoul's Beard

Glitterdust

Heatherum

Lifestone

Lyrium

Lyrium Dust

Madcap Bulb

Rashvine

Rashvine Nettle

Redmoss

Snake Venom

Spider Venom

Toxin Extract

Vasanthum tree

Varghest Blood

Wyvern Venom

Descriptions of Crafting Ingredients

The only discriptions included are those provided in game or text.

Adder Venom

A snake native to Antiva, known for its quick acting and deadly poison. It has a paralyzing component and works to shut down the heart and lungs of the victim. There is an antidote, created by Viago known as "Up and Adder".

Aqua regia

Not defined, but presumably another highly caustic alcohol made of wyvern venom like aquae lucidius or lyrium like aqua magus.

Black Lichen

Mentioned in the Official Dragon Age Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas, this is a lichen used to make bread and can be toxic if not cooked before consumed.

Blood Lotus

Awakening Description: This flower is famous for surviving in almost any climate. DAI Codex: Do not try to get out of this. We were told you were the best. That is why you were contracted. Was it not you who obtained the two hundred white blooming rose bushes for the Empress's winter ball last year? The comtesse has been infinitely patient 'til now, but she doesn't understand why it is so hard to fill the garden pool. She wants no more excuses. And no, she will not compromise with the dawn lotuses. They're white! The flowers have to match the silk canopies. It is crucial! Dark purple. Dark red. Do not try to frame this as a safety issue. The guests will be perfectly safe. Why, if they experience any hallucinations from the concentration of lotus essence in the air, I'm certain it will only make the evening more thrilling. I don't care if you have to send someone to some Fereldan peat bog to get it all. Just do it! —A note from Chamberlain Laurent to Grand Gardener Umbert Vauclain, over the decorations for Comtesse d'Arnee's summer garden party According to gossip in Val Royeaux, the chamberlain did succeed in convincing Grand Gardener Vauclain to provide four hundred and twenty lotus plants. The party was considered by most to be a roaring success, even though the evening concluded with at least twelve guests asleep on the lawn, three in the pool, and one lady losing several teeth trying to take a bite out of a marble statue of the comtesse's father, which she was convinced was made of cake.

Concentrator Agent

DAO Description: Heatherum and Foxite are both common herbs in Ferelden. When distilled to be sufficient purity, they may be used as herbal agents to concentrate the effects of many potions, salves, and poisons.

Corpse Heart Ichor

Used in concentrated demonic poison, this thick, black ichor comes from the heart of corpses that have been possessed by demons. Seperated from demonic ichor as that ingredient can come from other sources aside from a corpse heart.

Corrupter Agent

DAO Description: Said to have been made from lifestone that has been corrupted by the darkspawn taint in the Deep Roads, this powdery agent is required to create some of the most powerful poisons and traps known.

Deathroot

DAO Description: A harmless enough plant on its own, deathroot's thick leaves contain an extract that the Chasind have used to induce hallucinations for centuries. Sufficiently concentrated, it can be made into a deadly poison. DA2 / DAI Codex: Deathroot has been used in magic and potion making for centuries. It's a fragile-looking plant with a thin stalk and purple flowers, which fruits once a year developing bright red fleshy pods that cause disorientation and dizziness if ingested. There are two varieties. The more common Arcanist Deathroot was first found by Archon Hadrianus when he discovered it growing on several dead slaves. The other, Lunatic's Deathroot, is most closely associated with the story of the courtesan Melusine, who sought revenge on a powerful magister and his family. She harvested the plant, baked it into small pies for the magister's banquet, and presented them to the magister at a banquet. All the guests were seized by terrifying hallucinations after eating the pies and tore each other to pieces. —An excerpt from The Botanical Compendium, by Ines Arancia, botanist

Deep Mushroom

DAO Description: Fungi found underground in close proximity to lyrium veins. In addition to their restorative properties, they can also be made into poisons. DA2 / DAI Codex: "Deep mushroom" refers to the entire group of fungi that grows underground in caves and many parts of the dwarven Deep Roads. Collection can be a dangerous task, as the Deep Roads are often infested with darkspawn. Because of this, dwarven merchants often recruit "casteless" hirelings for the job, and pay them a meager percentage of what they earn selling the mushrooms to surfacers. The most common varieties used in the herbalist's trade are the Blightcap, Ghoul's Mushroom, and Brimstone Mushroom, almost all of which tend to carry the darkspawn's corruption. While they cannot transmit the disease, this trait often makes them quite poisonous. Deep mushrooms should only be handled by experienced herbalists and should never be consumed without first being adequately cleaned and prepared. Careless consumption has been known to cause insanity, severe abdominal cramping, and even death. —An excerpt from The Botanical Compendium, by Ines Arancia, botanist

Demonic Ichor

DAO Description: Understandably difficult to find, this ichor can sometimes be found in the hearts of corpses that have been possessed by demons and is naturally both thick and black. In the right hands in can be made into a very potent poison. Note: Can only be looted from darkspawn, usually alphas and emissaries.

Distillation Agent

DAO Description: One of the three rare bulbs found in the Frostback Mountains, when dried and powdered they become an excellent distillation agent required to evoke magical properties in crafting.

Dragon Venom

Mentioned to be an ingredient in gaatlok.

Felandaris

Used to craft poisons. DA2 / DAI Codex: The name felandaris is elven, meaning "demon weed," which is fitting for this rare plant because it grows only in places where the Veil is thin. Felandaris is easily identified. It's a twisted, wicked-looking shrub with long, thorny shoots, and no leaves: a skeletal hand, reaching out from an unmarked grave. Many swear the plant radiates a palpable aura of malevolence, so it comes as no surprise that it unnerves many a junior herbalist. —An excerpt from The Botanical Compendium by Ines Arancia, botanist

Fire Crystal

DAO Description: These shards of lifestone are infused with magic, either naturally or by one of the Tranquil. They're white-hot and useful in many fire-related potions and traps. DA: TTRPG Description: Fire crystals are lifestones that have been infused with agitated thermal energy, either naturally or by one of the Tranquil.

Frostrock

DAO Description: These shards of lifestone are infused with magic, either naturally or by one of the Tranquil. Frostrocks radiate cold and can be used in many cold-related potions and traps. DA: TTRPG Description: Frostrock is lifestone that has absorbed some of the cold of the Frostbacks, either naturally or through the efforts of the Tranquil.

Frozen Lightning

DAO Description: Frozen lightning is a common name for a crystal that can naturally store electricity, which has made it a sought-after ingredient in the composition of several items and salves. DA: TTRPG Description: These are crystals that store natural chemical energy, effectively making them electrical batteries.

Glitterdust

A mineral used to craft poisons and bombs

DA2 Codex: Glitterdust is the powdered form of a rock found along the Wounded Coast. When explorers brought the sparkling rock to the markets of the Free Marches, it became immediately popular among wealthy ladies who crushed it and applied the powder to their faces. The added brightness and lustre to the skin, however, soon paled in comparison to the developing rash and coughing fits. As it turned out, glitterdust is dangerous if ingested or inhaled. It's also extremely flammable, as several ladies discovered after powdering their hair while standing next to a candle. Unfortunately, this resulted in a dozen deaths by conflagration. These days, glitterdust is used sparingly, and only by experienced alchemists. The most common form of the substance is Volatile Glitterdust. If gathered from caves where darkspawn dwell, the rock produces a powder known as Tainted Glitterdust. —An excerpt from The Alchemist's Encyclopedia, by Lord Cerastes of Marnas Pell

Lifestone

DAO Description: These rare rocks have existed in close proximity to lyrium ore, and as such, they have absorbed some of its traits. Lifestones enhance the natural properties of other materials used in item creation. DA: TTRPG Description: Lifestones are chunks of rock that have lain in long proximity to lyrium ore and gained unusual properties from the exposure. They are invaluable for enchanting a wide variety of objects.

Lyrium Dust

DAO Description: This is lyrium found in a natural powdered state, ready to be incorporated into potions. DA: TTRPG Description: Lyrium found in a naturally powdered state, far easier to employ than lyrium ore.

Madcap Bulb

Awakening Description: Fereldan youths sometimes try eating madcap bulbs. They rarely repeat the experience.

Rashvine Nettle

Awakening Description: This plant burns the skin, but surprisingly not the tongue. It has no flavor whatsoever.

Spirit Shard

DAO Description: Spirit shards are enchanted lifestones that are used in several potions and poisons that affect the mind.

Toxin Extract

DAO Description: As one would expect, extracted venom from various creatures often makes potent poisons. Dropped by Giant Spiders Note: It is deemed a "venom" in the item id of the game

Descriptions of Poisons and Their Effects

I focused mainly on their descriptors provided in games and novels. I only include the gamified elements and effects for completeness of the entry as well as to elaborate on additional effects.

Acidic Coating

DAO Description: A small vial that contains a warm, lime-colored liquid.

Adder's Kiss

DAO, Awakening Description: An Antivan noble killed his adulterous wife by coating his lips with this poison and kissing her. He died as well. DA: TTRPG Description: Adder's kiss was the principal agent in the great Antivan tragedy Rosetta & Javier, supposedly a historical account of a nobleman who believes his wife has been having an affair. After a series of apparently innocent misunderstandings, Javier at last kisses his wife with lips coated with this poison, and neither survives.

Arcane Poison

DA2 Description: Weapons coated in this potent poison weaken the ability to resist magical effects on any enemy they touch. Ingredients: Deathroot, Deep Mushroom, Glitterdust

Aquae Lucidius

DA: TTRPG Description: Its venom makes the wyvern widely sought by potion-makers, alchemists, and crafters of potent liquor called aquae lucidius. A miniscule quantity of wyvern venom remaining in the aquae after distillation results in a unique hallucinatory effect. Just how effective wyvern venom is at enhancing potions and alchemical recipes is either a closely guarded secret or a continuing mystery; opinions differ. Making a batch of aquae lucidius requires 1 dose of wyvern venom per 10 servings, plus additional brewing supplies such as water, sugars, herbs, and yeast (costing about 10 silvers for a 10-serving batch). Crafting any sized batch of aquae lucidius requires an advanced TN 15 Cunning (Brewing) test; each roll represents about an hour’s work. Those who drink a serving of the stuff must make a TN 13 Constitution (Drinking) test, the result of which determines the drinker’s general reaction to the brew. Increase the TN by 1 for each additional serving consumed after the first. Any character who fails the test passes out after 1d6 minutes of dizzying, ugly hallucinations that leave him rattled and uneasy (–1 to Cunning and Perception) for 1d6 hours. Characters who succeed react to the drink based on their Dragon Die result, compared to the table below. (No actual magic effects take place but drinkers may be difficult to convince of that.)

Choke Powder / Choking Powder

Both a type of poison and a class of poison. Fleshrot is an examole of a choke powder, other descriptors used for the traps are powdered rock, metal, or spices.

Crow Poison

DAO Description: This poison is a favorite of the Antivan Crows, whose efficient administration of death has built a nation's reputation. DA: TTRPG Description: The poison is mainly derived from the venom of a particularly deadly Antivan serpent

Concentrated Crow Poison

DAO Description: An enhanced version of the Crow original, this poison turns its victim into a veritable sitting duck for an efficient killer. DA: TTRPG Description: This wicked brew results from a long, complex distillation process. A character suffering its effects immediately moves to the end of the initiative order. Additionally, the victim must make a TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) test or cannot use any stunt costing more than 2sp from the remainder of the encounter.

Crow Venom

DA2 Description: Weapons coated in this potent poison slow the movements of all whom they touch. Ingredient: Deathroot, Deep Mushroom

Deathroot Extract

DAO Description: Even a quick sniff of this sludge is enough to cause hallucinations. DA: TTRPG Description: Deathroot is a common and relatively harmless plant. The Chasind Wilders use a distillation made from its root bulbs to induce vivid hallucinations in which they seek mystic knowledge. When concentrated the substance can be used as a weapon. Those exposed to deathroot extract must make a TN 15 Constitution (Stamina or Drinking) test. Those who fail suffer hallucinations according to the Deathroot Hallucination table.

Concentrated Deathroot Extract

DAO Description: Although the deep blue-black color is attractive, clothing dyed with this liquid has proven unpopularly fatal to wear.

Deathroot Toxin

DA2 Description: Weapons coated in this potent poison deal additional nature damage with each hit. Ingredients: Deathroot

Debilitating Poison

DA2 Description: Weapons coated in this potent poison undermine the combat effectiveness of every enemy they hit, reducing the damage the foes inflict. Ingredient: Deep Mushroom

Deepstalker spit and aqua regia mixture

A caustic substance used by Viago to eat away at metal. It is highly potent.

Demonic Poison

DAO Description: The appearance and smell of this liquid are entirely unnatural, to say nothing of its effect.

Concentrated Demonic Poison

DAO Description: An extremely powerful poison derived from the thick, black ichor found in the hearts of corpses that have been possessed by demons.

Dispel coating

Awakening Description: This liquid in this flask reflects no light whatsoever.

Elemental coating

Awakening Description: A vial that contains a dark, viscous liquid.

Exotic Dwarven Poison

DAO Mentioned in Dwarven Regicide Antidote.

Fell poison

DA2 Description: Weapons coated in this potent poison leech life from every enemy they hit, transferring it to the poisoner instead. Ingredients: Deathroot, Deep Mushroom, Felandaris

Flame coating

DAO Description: A flask containing a white-hot liquid.

Fleshrot

DAO Description: The nasty concoction somehow rots flesh while the victim is still alive, accompanied by the usual stench. DA: TTRPG Description: Nasty stuff, fleshrot causes a victim's skin to immediately begin to slough off, which is horribly painful and grossly noxious. Each round for 2d6 rounds, a victim must make a TN 15 Constitution (Stamina ) test at the beginning of their turn to overcome the pain. If they fail they can only take a minor action that turn. A –2 penalty to social tests where a disgusting appearance would be relevant persists for a number of days equal to the number of rounds the immediate effects persisted.

Freezing coating

DAO Description: A small vial with a thick, frosty liquid.

Hale's Dust

DA: TTRPG Description: Originally used by the eponymous healer to help subdue and quiet wounded or troubled soldiers who were too much for him to handle, others have since come up with more sinister uses. Its effects last for the duration of the encounter.

Havard's Grief

A poison derived from wyvern venom, an unsubtle but a reliable one that is very popular in the Grand Game.

Knockout Powder

Mentioned in Dragon Age: Inquisition, it is mentioned in the ability "Knockout Powder" that this will put enemies to sleep for a short amount of time. There is another version of this powder that will additionally make it so the enemies are slow to wake up.

Maferath's Embrace

A toxin that increases the blood pressure of the victim, causing the veins and organts to rupture. It is a particularly rare and expensive poison. It was used once in a famous assassination done by the Antivan Crows during the Towers Age; they were hired to eliminate the highest members of the Templar Order in retribution for covering up the slaughter of mages during the Right of Annulment, where the crows spiked the lemon cake. This earned the job the moniker "Just Desserts".

Magebane

DAO Description: The Chantry's templars keep whole vats of this substance in Val Royeaux. DA: TTRPG Description: Developed by the Templar Order, this violet liquid is anathema to apostates, draining their arcane energy. Circle mages aren’t exactly fond of it either.

Concentrated Magebane

DAO Description: Most experienced spellcasters feel their stomachs drop whenever they see something whose color reminds them of this fierce substance. DA: TTRPG Description: A more potent version of magebane, templars supposedly keep huge vats of the stuff in Val Royeaux.

Marrow lock

DA: TTRPG This insidious poison runs ice through its victim’s limbs, all but locking them into place. Marrow lock’s victims can only take minor actions without consequence for the remainder of the encounter. To take a major action they must make a TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) test. On a success they suffer 1d6 penetrating damage and can carry out their action. On a failure they suffer 2d6 penetrating damage and can do nothing but howl in agony.

Odorless Crow Poison

This poison is a gas, heavier than air that will steal the breath of those sleeping but it leaves those seated or standing unharmed.

Pillow Talk

A creation of Viago's, it is a rose-coloured ointment with a greenish tint in the candlelight. This ointment is comprised of varghest blood and something from a gurgut. Viago implies it might not be effective on vashoth (qunari). It is administered anywhere on the skin.

The poison is an influencer substance that makes a person believe they can say or do anything, that the individual is safe.

Poison

DAO: Awakening Description: A deadly toxin smuggled from Antiva. Ingestion is inadvisable.

Qamek

It is not exactly known what makes qamek, though it glows similar to lyrium. This poison is used by the Tamassrans to help reeducate, neutralize captured mages, or on those who refuse to convert to the Qun to mindless laborers. Its effects will allow the mind to be easily shaped in small doses, in larger doses it renders victims mindless and causes irreversible damage.

Quiet Death

DAO Description: A foul mixture of poisons that are each deadly even on their own. Quiet Death is so potent it unnerves even the most experienced assassins. DA: TTRPG Description: A foul mixture of poisons infamous even in assassins’ circles, quiet death kills instantaneously—or doesn’t, if (say the legends) its intended victim is destined for greater things. Victims must make a TN 19 Constitution (Stamina) test, but also add their level to their roll. Those who succeed shrug off the effects. Those who fail fall immediately to 0 Health and soon expire according to the normal rules for dying. Attempts to stabilize victims of quiet death suffer a –3 penalty.

Saar-Qamek

A lethal poison that can be a gas or a substance converted into one. It is lethal to all races except the vashoth (the horned race / qunari). It drives its victims mad before they die; it can set the enemies of the Qunari into a blind rage and cause them to turn against themselves.

Shock coating

DAO Description: A small vial with a strangely glowing substance.

Soldier's Bane

DAO Description: Whenever nations find themselves at war, envoys of the opposing generals inevitably discuss a ban on this effective toxin, but the talks never result in a lasting pact.

Concentrated Soldier's Bane

DAO Description: This effective anti-infantry poison is too thick to pour from the flask. Smashing the glass is the only way to get it out.

Soulrot Coating

DAO Description: A small vial that contains a dark viscous liquid.

Spider Venom

DA: TTRPG Description: Extracted from the massive arachnids the dwarves call deep crawlers, this poison can take the edge off a warrior's skill. Its effects last for the duration of the encounter.

Concentrated Spider Venom

DA: TTRPG Description: A concentrated distillate of an already-deadly natural poison. Its effects last for a day.

Tears of the Dead

DAI Effects: The next 3 hits inflict poison on the target, causing 44 damage per second for 15 seconds. The poison remains on the weapon for 10 seconds before expiring. Noted in the item id as "Crow Poison"

Venom

DAO Description: A potent poison extracted from deadly plants and the venom of several reptiles.

Concentrated Venom

DAO Description: A complicated distillation process has made this poison much thicker than any of its individual ingredients.

Vitaar

Known as "poison armor" in Qunlat, it is a mixture that is magical in nature and hardens the skin of vashoth to an iron-like quality without hindering flexibility. The mixture contains poison and an unknown neutralizer (thought to be their own blood). But it is only for use on their physiology, all other races would perish instantly.

The process of making vitaar activates the protective effecst in the poison in a similar manner to lyrium ruins.

It is notable that currently all vitaar names stem from either a poisonous plant or animal, or in a few cases like the dragon hunter and cretahl vitaar, dangerous predators.

Notable descriptions:

DAI Description: This strange Qunari face paint is created from deadly poison—fatal when applied to anyone other than a Qunari, whose unique physiology somehow not only neutralizes its effect but also allows the paint's magic to harden the flesh and provide other protections. Arishok's Vitaar According to stories out of Kirkwall, the military leader of the Qunari spent a number of years marooned in the Free Marches city of Kirkwall – without once receiving supplies from his people or calling for help. Why he did so, and how the Qunari got along without an arishok, is unknown. The Qunari in Kirkwall did, however, have to trade considerable supplies from their sunken ship… including the Arishok's personal face paint, created from a rare and venomous snake in Par Vollen known to kill a person in seconds.

Wyvern venom

Both a poison in itself and an ingredient to many. It is potent and has given rise to a family of poisons developed in Antiva. It can be recognized by the crimson speckling of the skin on its victims.

DA: TTRPG Description: Wyvern venom slows prey and kills gradually. Once afflicted, a target is in mortal danger. After a few moments, however, venom exposed to air becomes far less dangerous. Thus it is essential to harvest wyvern venom quickly and carefully if it is to be stored for future use by, say, poisoners. A TN 17 Cunning (Poison lore) test, requiring the remains of a freshly slain wyvern, harvests 1d6 doses of viable venom, leaving none behind for a second attempt. When using the Poison-Making Mishap rule, wyvern venom adds only a +1 to the mishap result with a maximum result of 6—it never slays outright. A character poisoned with wyvern’s venom must make a TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) test or be subject to its effects. A poisoned character drops to 0 Health after a number of hours equal to 1d6 + Constitution (minimum one hour), dying unless they receive a dose of antidote before their time runs out. During this time, victims are subject to fever, visions, and a -4 penalty to Dexterity. The antidote to wyvern venom is a potion (crafted with a TN 15 Cunning (Poison lore) test) made from a mixture of three particular herbs: Andraste’s mantle, drakevein, and winterberry. Andraste’s mantle, drakevein, and winterberry are not particularly rare, in general, but may be out of season or found mostly in distant lands if you want to increase the difficulty of such a quest.

Descriptions of Bombs, Grenades, and Traps

Acid Flask

DAO Description: A flask of corrosive acid. DA: TTRPG Description: Corrosive fog that burns skin and corrodes everything else emerges from these flasks. Armor worn by those in an acid flask’s attack radius permanently loses 1 point of Armor Rating (before the acid damage is applied) until it is repaired. Increasingly severe damage to armor can accumulate from the effects of multiple acid flasks.

Acidic Trap

DAO Description: The surface of this device has been terribly etched by small leaks of its corrosive contents.

Acidic Grease Trap

DAO Description: The acid burns nicely through leather, cloth, and skin. The grease clings to anything. It's a perfect combination for a sadist.

Antivan Fire

DAI Effects: Spreads sticky fire at the target location, causing 46 burning damage every second to enemies inside the fire. The fire remains for 30 seconds.

Choking Powder Trap

DAO Mild Choking Powder Trap Description: The packet of dust contained within is surprisingly heavy, as if it were powdered rock or metal. Choking Powder Trap Description: A debilitating kitchen accident with expensive imported spices led to the development of this trap. Choking Powder Cloud Trap Description: The inventor who devised this trap can no longer speak, so powerfully did his throat object to the mishaps along the way.

Combustion Grenade

DA2 Description: When thrown, this grenade explodes with flame, dealing fire damage to all it hits. Ingredients: Deep Mushrooms

Confusion Grenade

DAI Effects: Enemies within the area of effect will attack other enemies for 20 seconds.

Dispel Grenade

Awakening Description: This flask is meant to shatter when thrown, and not before.

Elemental Grenade

Awakening Description: A flask of corrosive acid.

Fell Grenade

DA2 Description: When thrown, this grenade explodes with flame, dealing fire damage to all it hits. Ingredients: Deathroot, Felandaris, Glitterdust

Fire Bomb

DAO Description: A glass flask filled with a flammable liquid. DA: TTRPG Description: Often made using dwarven firedust or gaatlock (Qunari black powder), this combustible liquid sets flammables in its attack radius ablaze, which is generally a minor (1d6) or moderate (2d6) hazard, but varies depending on the exact circumstances.

Fire Trap

DAO Description: In its current state, this trap is cool to the touch, but the substances contained inside are certain to react violently when mixed.

Freeze Bomb

DAO Description: A glass flask filled with an ice-cold liquid. DA: TTRPG Description: An ice-cold liquid distilled by using powdered frostrock, these grenades blast cold through the limbs of their victims, slowing their movements until the end of the encounter.

Freeze Trap

DAO Description: When packed next to each other, this trap can keep a cut of meat fresh for days longer than otherwise. But its primary use is still as a deadly weapon.

Jar of Bees

DAI Effects: Summons a swarm of bees at the target location for 30 seconds. The swarm attacks the first enemy that comes near it, for 163 damage per second for 15 seconds. A target affected by the swarm has a 10% chance every second to become panicked.

Knockout Bomb

DAI Description: You hurl a grenade containing a powerful concoction that put nearby enemies to sleep. Sleeping enemies awaken after taking damage.

Misdirection Cloud Trap

Awakening Description: Forming a coherent thought about this trap is nigh impossible.

Pitch Grenade

DAI Effects: Coats the target location with pitch, which remains for 60 seconds, slowing any enemies that enter it.

Poisoned Caltrop Trap

DAO Description: Poison on the surface of the skin is one thing. Poison deep within the veins, courtesy myriad deep punctures, is quite another.

Shock Bomb

DAO Description: A glass flask filled with a strangely glowing substance. DA: TTRPG Description: A brilliant fluid that scintillates with raw energy, these flasks contain powdered frozen lightning and explode with a burst of light and the stink of ozone. They cause penetrating damage to anyone clad in any kind of metal armor.

Shock Trap

DAO Description: Even packed safely, this trap causes hair to stand on end.

Sleeping Gas Traps

DAO Mild Trap Description: Even the tiny amount of gas leaking out of this trap causes a tingling sensation. Standard Trap Description: The original formulation of this trap induced snoring too often. The new design makes it a more a dignified weapon. Cloud Trap Description: This trap is swaddled thickly in cloth, lest the owner bump it too hard during transportation and lose half the day to an unwanted nap.

Soulrot Bomb

DAO Description: A flask filled with a murky green potion.

Soulrot Trap

DAO Description: To know this trap is to know despair.

Tar Bomb

DA2 Description: This bomb explodes in a thick tar that immobilizes nearby enemies for a short time. Ingredients: Deathroot, Deep Mushrooms

Antidotes and Antivenoms

Up and Adder

An antidote created by Viago.

Wyvern Venom Antidote

One well known antidote is comprised of three herbs: Andraste’s mantle, drakevein (a deep mushroom variety), and winterberry. It is not the most accessible cure as you can find yourself in need while either out of season or not in the range of the ingredients.

Wyvern Antivenom

One way to treat wyvern poisoning is to craft an antivenom using fresh venom from a wyvern and various herb. It will create a bone white paste that will help save the victom.

Tables and Text Provided by the TTRPG

Aquae Licidius Effects

1 - "I can see through time!”

2 - “You’re all just made up of firelight and shadows, you know, flavored like blue and yellow. If I douse you, you might go out. Wouldn’t want that.”

3 - “I had a brief vision of my great-grandmother, though she was eating turnips with a modest dragon and Andraste was there putting salt on everything.”

4 - “It was as though my soul took wing and floated about my head.”

5 - “I feel strange but also good!”

6 - “That stuff works well enough. ‘Nother round, anyone?”

Possible Deathroot Hallucinations

Roll 1 - "Even the birds are Mocking Me!" The character spends the next turn raving at and attacking something innocuous like a tree, barrel, wagon, shrub, or bird.

Roll 2 - "Get it Off! Get it Off! Get it Off!" The character is convinced they are covered by bugs, leeches, snakes, or the like. They spend the next turn swatting at non-existent creepy-crawlies.

Roll 3 - "You did this to Me!" The character believes one of their comrades has backstabbed them or is otherwise plotting their demise. On the next turn the character can only take the defend action and yell in outrage at their “betrayer.”

Roll 4 - "The Sky, the hideous Sky!" The character believes that some malign creature from the sky is about to carry them off (or, for dwarves, that they are going to fall into the sky). The character spends their next turn dropping their weapons and grabbing something solid.

Roll 5 - "The shadows are alive!" The character is overcome with fear of the surrounding shadows, including their own. They spend the next turn running at top speed away from the closest concentration of shadows.

Roll 6 - "Foul darkspawn!" The character is suddenly convinced that a random nearby ally (determined by the GM) is a darkspawn or other natural enemy. The character spends the next turn attacking that “enemy,” with a +1 bonus on attack rolls for their fervency.

Poison Texts

Heart of Fire This substantial tome was written by an anonymous priest of the Imperial Chantry. In it, he discusses the most and least proper methods for raining the wrath of the Maker on His enemies. It contains recipes for shock bombs, magebane, and concentrated magebane.

On Combustibles and Corrosives This book by a dwarven miner named Grundrak discusses the use of combustibles and corrosives for best effect. It contains the formulae for both acid flasks and fire bombs. Grundrak wrote it in the Trade Tongue, certain that humans needed its advice most of all.

Riaan's Hammer A noted work by the templar Riaan, this book mostly concerns subjects other than poison making, most notably the effective torture of maleficarum to save their souls. Even so, the chapter on magebane contains its recipe. The Chantry supposedly has copies that also contain the formula for concentrated magebane, but none are known to exist outside its cathedrals and it would be heresy to possess one.

Thoughts on Fragrance Supposedly written by the Antivan poetess Evelina, this book is a masterwork of cunning prose. Those who know the correct Crow ciphers are aware that, along with its fancy turns of phrase, it contains recipes for crow poison, concentrated crow poison, and adder’s kiss.

Unusual Diseases This large physician’s reference tome was written by the Tevinter physician-mage Telregard. Not only an invaluable study of the many strange ailments that afflict Thedans, it also contains detailed notes on substances that can cause the semblance of such diseases. These notes include the recipes for fleshrot and marrow lock. The book also gives a +2 bonus to Cunning (healing) tests for those treating the more outré diseases of the world.

The Web of Decieving This folio by the Shaper and naturalist Orgaard contains extensive notes—in the Dwarven tongue—on deep crawlers, which he studied extensively. It contains the recipes for both regular and concentrated spider venom.

Additional Notes/Trivia:

While aquae licidius is a liquor it is mentioned and shared in the poison section and so it is included here. As alcohol is technically poison, but if you want a complete list of alcoholic beverages please reference the drink post I have.

According to the Dragon Age Tabletop, some creatures may be immune to the effects of certain poisons, or of all poisons. The guide says the ruling should be based on logic over biology. Using the example of the incorporeal nature of shades and ash wraiths would logically render them immune to the effects of toxins. Where in contrast nothing in the nature of blight-tainted beings would suggest they're immune to the effects of poisons.

According to the Dragon Age Tabletop, most noble houses of Orzammar employ one or several poisoners at all times. As well as herbalists who develop complex antidotes to counteract the poisons.

Poison Text mentioned in Dragon Age Tabletop Core Rulebook; "Heart of Fire", "On Combustibles and Corrosives", "Riaan's Hammer", "Thoughts on Fragrance", "Unusual Diseases", "The Web Decieving".

"Poisoned weapons" in Dragon Age: Inquisition uses a "deadly toxin".

"Toxic Cloud" is an ability in Dragon Age: Inquisition that states you "unleash a cloud of toxic dust" that damages all enemies

"Explosive Toxin" is an ability in Dragon Age: Inquisition that states your "poisons curdle the blood of your targets."

Sources:

Dragon Age: Origins + Awakening

Dragon Age 2

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: The Last Court

Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne

Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights

Dragon Age Tabletop RPG

Want to support this blog? Check out my ko-fi?

[ohmyarda]

Wanted to draw an old idea for a Dragon Age RPG Tabletop character - she was clearly Orlesian

[7seasalcyon]

This is Derin (He/She/They). A character from a Dragon Age rpg one-shot DMed by the amazing @athenasplaneshift and hosted in the Table Heroes youtube channel back in 2021. We had an awesome time while filming this episode, it had been a really long time since I had last played DArpg and I loved it

The episode is available to watch in the channel in Greek. (x)

[thorgans-guide-to-thedas]

Do you think the Chasind were influenced by Mongolia as well?

So there's two different breakdowns I could do for this: what WE running the blog think the Chasind could be influenced from, and what the evidence in the Bioware lore (BL) presents to us. I want to stress again that we are NOT cultural experts , but we try and research and provide accurate information as much as we can.

This got REALLY long so I'm dropping it below the cut

The way our funny little group interprets and pulls inspiration from cultures in Thedas is basically just a blueprint or a road map. You'll see in some of the posts and definitely in things as we continue to post them that we use a lot of vague language when describing people. We want to avoid force-fitting players into certain roles or making people feel that "oh, well this region is inspired by this culture, so I guess I'll have to play that". Thorgan's Guide aims to spread out more opportunities for players to see themselves in this world and feel safe as they play.

So, right now, we are looking at the Chasind as a mixture of different cultures coming from early-colonial America and the Caribbean. That doesn't mean that Mongolian influence can't be added, and that is where we want there to be freedom for everyone playing the game.

Our drafts for Avvar/Frostback Basin cultures have definitely pin-pointed cultural inspiration from Inuit/Sami/Mongolian cultures, so even in our silly little home-brewed re-imagining, the geographical locations of the Frostback and the Kocari wilds are not far from each other, and it would totally work and would definitely be worth exploring for us. But I want to stress this again: our homebrew isn't meant to be law and we want everyone to have fun with it.

As for Bioware evidence, I have so many issues with it. My interpretation of the BL around Chasind features a lot of negative stereotypes associated with "uncivilized cultures," which basically translates to non-eurocentric. There is already a blatant lack of diverse ethnicities in the BL, but if I were to name a few cultures that were meant to be non-white representations, they all have antagonistic qualities to them - Chasind included. Tumblr user @dalishious talks a lot about how Bioware codes their people and cultures based on what suits them and how this can be damaging to real-world people [1]. (Dalishious' resources and research into this matter is a wealth of information, and I would highly recommend checking out their other work).

The Chasind are described as barbaric and "primitive at best". Based on pre-existing stereotypes of Mongolian culture (keyword stereotypes), it follows a similar pattern. With many minority cultures, they are placed into the ideas of "nomadic" and "simple", having technology seen as under-advanced in the face of Western civilization - so this, in its own twisted way, falls into the category. We are encouraged to see the Chasind as simple-minded and aggressive, told that they raid the swampland and cause harm and strike fear. Many brown-skinned cultures are subject to similar treatment depicting brutal warriors and merciless attacks, and of course, the antagonistic coding of Thedas cultures fits the Chasind into this role.

One thing that stuck out was the line "some Chasind are reputedly so barbaric that they even consume the flesh of the dead." The cannibalism stereotype was present in almost every dark-skinned representation at some point in time, using the "disgust" or "savagery" of the practice to separate civilized from uncivilized [2] [3]. Though appearing across the globe, these stereotypes intensified in mainstream media and specifically in films involving South American, Caribbean, and Pacific Islander cultures [4] [5].

In another line, we see "Chasind are known to decorate their hair with pierced copper coins; these are tied into the ends of their braids." This in itself is vague and, in reality, could reference dozens of different cultures around the globe. Many Slavic cultures had hair accessories and braids, but so did many African regions. It does not help that the Bioware games choose to darken the Chasind skin in their depictions. This usually leads our mind into thinking that they are meant to portray a certain culture or people based on our inherent beliefs and subconscious biases.

Bioware's writing is confusing at best and utterly racist at worst. Most of their regions are either blatantly European or a melting pot of so many minority cultures boiled down that you can hardly tell where the original inspiration came from. Is it Mongolian, Slavic, African, or something else altogether? I don't even think Bioware knows this. Just looking at the wiki page makes my head spin at how many contradicting and overlapping things there are in Chasind culture and how many elements they've taken from all over the place. All I can really say on the matter is that the wiki is doing a lot of harm with it.

From Thorgan's Guide, we totally encourage the addition of cultures to the game, and if the Chasind have Mongolian influence for the players, awesome! From the Bioware standpoint, Mongolian cultures were another target of stereotyping and "othering", not only from the Western world but from China as well, and it is completely possible that those cultural elements could be reflected back in Bioware's ignorant writing.

I may have gotten a bit carried away in writing and completely BLASTING negative stereotyping. Hopefully, this was still an interesting take on it all and at least kinda makes sense.

Here are the sources if anyone wants them:

[1] Dalishious. (2019). Coding Does Not Inherently Equate to Representation. (Source)

[2] Pyleyev, M. (2016). How the Feeling of Disgust Went From Life-Saving to Dangerous. (Video)

[3] Selvam, A. (2018). ‘Black Panther’ Challenges a Bogus Food Stereotype. (Source)

[4] Moore, R. B. (1973). Carib "Cannibalism": A Study in Anthropological Stereotyping. (Source)

[5] Conklin, B. A. (1997). Consuming Images: Representations of Cannibalism on the Amazonian Frontier. (Source)

[erandir]

New campaign, same tree

I’m so excited to be starting another Dragon Age TTRPG campaign and getting to play Aspen Woods again. I missed him a lot.

His backstory is slightly modified due to this campaign taking place at a different point in the DA timeline, but he’s still a Denerim city elf and Blight survivor out here pretending he doesn’t have PTSD and sending all his cash back home to a gaggle of younger siblings and cousins because he is a Good Tree.

[vintagerpg]

Eyes of the Stone Thief (2014) takes the idea of high concept megadungeons and launches it into the stratosphere. Most dungeons are hostile environments, but passive ones. Really, their dangers threaten player characters because of the forward movement of those players characters, their own initiative and desire to explore. Players trip traps, encounter inhabitants, and ultimately have themselves to blame for any injuries and deaths they suffer. Stone Thief isn’t content to react to players. Instead, the book wonders what a dungeons would be like if it was actively hostile.

In the game 13th Age, the dungeon is made more plausible by presenting them as living things — they can move around, they can eat, they have intelligence. The Stone Thief is the oldest, cleverest and most malevolent of its kind. It offers what perhaps the epitome of the various answers to the question, “What is a dungeon?” Answer: A thing that eats adventurers.

And many other things as well! The illogic of the dungeon space, that so often combines disparate environments in close, baffling proximity, is here explained by how the Stone Thief feeds: namely, by consuming buildings, landmarks and other structures, which it then incorporates in some manner into its interior space. This goes for creatures and people, too. When it surfaces, the Stone Thief unfolds, creating a new arrangements of places and monsters each time. When it dives, it contracts, flattening spaces, putting residents in stasis and destroying intruders.

Again, just an astounding concept. Reading through the book is one delight after another. The art is great throughout, though there is no clear credit and I am not really familiar with anyone other than Russ Nicholson. Herwin Wielink’s cartography is the real star, though, imbuing the idea of dungeons spaces as living anatomy a real vividness.

[fantastictalesofadventure]

Oooooo...I like this!

JeromyTV does something like this on SpellShots but since my character has amnesia we learn a little bit more about Key's past whenever they're near death (which ends up being quite a bit)!

[joelchaimholtzman]

This is a painting (top) I made a few years ago as a tribute to John William Waterhouse's work named ''The Magic Circle'' (bottom).

The mood, stortytelling and simplicity of the scene really caught my attention, and I wanted to take those elements and add more dynamicism to it when working on my interpretation.

I hope you like it!

Best,

JCH

[beetnik-jay]

Riley Aster

Paladin

[anim-ttrpgs]

I was interviewed on Storyteller Conclave!

You’ve probably seen several posts on here about how I’m going to be on Storyteller Conclave talking about Eureka. If you haven’t, you’re going to, because there’s still some in the queue and I’m not going to remove them.

But, that happened, and it was a great time! You can listen to the episode here, here, here, or here!

I wasn’t on my A-game the whole time unfortunately, I had some mic trouble for about the first 20 minutes, along with some other distractions on my end that kept me from focusing early on, but luckily I had team member @ashweather to support me and help me out.

If you can bear with the rocky start, there’s a lot of good insight into the design of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy in this podcast, and a lot of it goes into stuff that we haven’t really covered on this blog, especially the themes.

We talk about the realistic and simulationist nature of Eureka and how this serves its gameplay and themes, we talk about how it takes inspiration from John Woo films such as Hard Boiled, its pretty unique approach to the concept of HP, how it approaches and flips the concept of "winning", and its deeply character-driven nature.

Of course we also talk about Eureka's unique and awesome rules for investigative gameplay, and how it improves upon games that did investigative gameplay before it. How it trusts the players' intellect, but also won't leave them totally twisting in the wind after a bad roll or two!

My favorite thing we talked about, near the end of the show, was Eureka’s approach to monsters, disability, and its sympathy towards “bad people.” I’m actually going to be writing a whole essay on this topic hopefully before the Kickstarter ends on May 10th, but you can get a really good gist of it just from listening to this episode of the podcast.

Oh and on that subject, the hosts, two veteran Vampire: The Masquerade players, said in the show that in many ways, Eureka does vampires better than VTM. Like, wow, that’s high praise..

Here’s a reminder also that Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is kickstarting from right now until May 10th, 2024. Back it and get yourself a copy plus custom artwork or the chance to get your blood sucked by vampires as an entry on the random victim tables for playable monster PCs! With every stretch goal we meet, the game gets better and better. Tons of beautiful new artwork, new options for gameplay, and even two entirely new playable Monsters could be added to the book, so visit the Kickstarter and secure your copy today!

If you want to try before you buy, you can download a free demo of the prerelease version from our website or our itch.io page!

If you’re interested in a more updated and improved version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy than the free demo you got from our website, subscribe to our Patreon where we frequently roll our new updates for the prerelease version!

You can also support us on Ko-fi, or by checking out our merchandise!

Join our TTRPG Book Club At the time of writng this, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is the current game being played in the book club, and anyone who wants to participate in discussion, but can’t afford to make a contribution, will be given the most updated prerelease version for free! Plus it’s just a great place to discuss and play new TTRPGs you might not be able to otherwise!

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[corvidous]

If GW had a dollar for every miniatures agnostic rulebook I had read...

...they'd still be trying to figure out ways to charge people more money for less plastic and make you pay for another codex again.

[exhausted-archivist]

The Deep Roads are Complicated, and I am in too Deep...

I've been working on and off at mapping the Deep Roads for a while now and after writing 4 pages explaining my methodology of why I think it is mapped the way I put it and then moving on to orienting the ttrpg thaig map, I realized something while taking notes on the directions mentioned and cross-referencing it to the description of Horrors of Hormak thaig description.

You can't map the Deep Roads from a top-down perspective because sometimes the roads change directions and aren't actually going in a straight line.

They need an orthographic map. Or a map that essentially bisects the mountain. The literal map in the corner of both the Origins and ttrpg maps. The maps... that have increments of depth.

Now, I knew that the deep roads had to change elevation, especially considering how they're described and the way they're supposedly below sea level for most thaigs.

But somehow, despite knowing that, I never considered that thaigs and the roads themselves would essentially be stacked on top of each other. Don't know why that never crossed my mind up until I was checking my notes and the passages of the ttrpg and Horrors of Hormak to confirm directions. To which it finally clicked as they both explain how there are galleries/antechambers and staircases/pathways that change directions.

How do we get to the thaig? This tunnel leads to a series of galleries. Think of them as interconnecting wide flights of stairs linked together and occasionally switching direction. We head down these for a few hours and we’ll be on the outskirts of the thaig.

-- Dragon Age Tabletop RPG, Buried Pasts p. 18

Beside him, Lesha muttered a word and her staff began to glow. She pushed it inside the entrance to the hole, giving light to the darkness within. The edges of the circle cast by Lesha’s spell revealed a small staircase that descended into an antechamber slightly larger than the clearing above, carved with a skill and delicacy that rivaled the works of Orzammar, or even Kal-Sharok. At the other end of the chamber, a doorway and a second staircase beyond that which spiraled into the darkness, the entire space lit by the glow of lyrium. And above the entrance, written in dwarven runes, a single word—Hormok.

-- Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights, Horrors of Hormak (p. 86)

Which then gave me pause and had me rereading and looking back at the map. Because the maps looked like they were straight and didn't initially give the impression of any verticality to them. Until you look in the corner. That's when it clicked for me and the mountains suddenly made more sense.

And now I'm screaming about it here. Because both maps are depicting a small chunk of mountain(s) in the Frostbacks. Which, for reference, my wip of the Deep Roads looked like this.

If you follow BioWare's scale of 1 square = 15 miles / 24 km - if the Deep Roads were in working order the journey to the anvil would only be roughly around 2.5-3 days journey. However, we know to get to the anvil and back to Orzammar is a month-long trip. So, with the darkspawn and collapsed tunnels it becomes a 2-week journey there and 2 weeks back. Which is quite a large jump in travel times.

I have a personal scale based on population size, megafauna, and the fact that it is supposed to take over a week to get to the Circle from Orzammar on the surface, among other travel time increments. Which makes each square 38 mi / 61 km. A 4-5 day journey from the anvil to the void when functioning.

Now, I think this map still holds up in terms of placement considering that mountains can have a wide footprint and the map on the Origins Deep Roads has at least two major peaks and a plateau, whereas the ttrpg just has one major peak and a couple of smaller ones. The ttrpg map also speaks of ravines and such so it fits the geography.

But yeah, long story short I need to revise some of my methodology; and maybe rescale the map, so things aren't super tiny.

[thecrowinggriffon]

Orc headshots found some diopters from back when I was studying advertising. They allow extreme magnification with a shallow depth of field, but the colours are a bit washed away. Anyways, they're still very wip.

[haveyouplayedthisttrpg]

Have you played Dragon Age RPG

By Green Ronin Publishing

"Dragon Age is a tabletop roleplaying game of dark fantasy adventure based on BioWare’s computer game. In the Dragon Age RPG you and your friends can take on the personas of warriors, mages, and rogues in the world of Thedas and try to make your names by overcoming sinister foes and deadly challenges. You may face down one of the vile darkspawn in ancient dwarven ruins, engage in a duel of wits with an Orlesian noble, or uncover the secrets of the Fade. You may win renown or you may die alone in the trackless wilderness. Whatever your fate, your story will your own to tell. In Dragon Age you make the choices and try to survive the consequences."

[anda-arts]

Commissions Open!

More Info on my Commission Carrd OR Commission me on VGen & help me get verified! Reblogs to signal boost would be GREATLY appreciated even if you don't plan to commission me yourself!

[2minutetabletop]

The Kingdom of Scalecrown, Part 1 – The Capital

The people of Scalecrown have allied with a dragon in a desperate attempt to prevent further attacks, but not everyone is happy under the rule of their scaly overlord...

→ Read the full article here!