Poison Spells
Poison is one of the hardest elements to use consistently across your repertoire as a spellcaster, with there only being 4 base 5e spells that exclusively deal Poison damage. Here are some options that can hopefully become staples for wannabe Toximancers.
Snaking Ichor
Level 1 Evocation (Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Noxious liquid seeps from your hand, taking the form of a snake that flies towards a creature you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d8 Poison damage.
As a Reaction, which you take when this attack misses, you can repeat the attack against a different creature within 15 feet of the original target.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.
Toxic Scale
Level 2 Transmutation (Druid, Warlock)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a gilded snake scale worth 50+ GP, which the spell consumes)
Duration: 1 hour
You create a sheen of deathly white scales across your body. For the duration, you gain 2d10+5 Temporary Hit Points. As a Magic Action on a subsequent turn you can end this spell early, firing the scales out in a 15-foot Cone originating from you. Each creature in the Cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure they take 1d6 Poison damage and become Poisoned for 1 minute. On a success they take half as much damage only.
This damage is increased by 1d6 for every 5 Temporary Hit Points you had when the spell ended.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The Temporary Hit Points increase by 5 for each spell slot level above 2.
Quick Toxin
Level 2 Enchantment (Druid, Warlock)
Casting Time: Action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (A snake eye)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Make a melee spell attack against a target within reach. On a hit you cause powerful toxins to course through their body. They take 5d4 Poison damage and are Poisoned for the duration.
Whilst the target is Poisoned this way you may use your Bonus Action to make the Poison flare, dealing 4d4 Poison damage to the target.
Shed Skin
Level 3 Illusion (Druid, Warlock)
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (molted snake skin)
Duration: 1 round
You shed an illusory skin. When you cast this spell you become Invisible until the end of your next turn and move up to 5 feet in any direction, leaving a perfect image of you in your original space. The image is animated and acts in an evasive manner, however it cannot move.
Your shed image has an AC of 16 and 1 Hit Point. If it is destroyed it bursts into noxious spores. Each creature within 5 foot of it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure they take 5d6 Poison damage. On a success they take half as much.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d6 for every slot level spent above 3rd.
Venom Spears
Level 3 Conjuration (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (A burned snake fang)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You create deadly poisoned spears. For the duration, as a Magic Action, you can make two ranged spell attacks with the spears against creatures within 60 feet of you, dealing 2d6 Piercing damage on a hit and leaving an illusory spear within the target.
When this spell ends, you damaged with this spell must succeed a Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 Poison damage for each spear within them.
Sludge Bomb
Level 4 Evocation (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
You create a viscous ball of dripping miasma in 10-foot-radius Sphere originating from a point you can see within range. Each creature in the Sphere must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure they take 5d8 Poison damage, or half as much on a success.
Then the floor in the Sphere’s area becomes covered in miasma. For the duration it acts as Difficult Terrain and any creature that starts it’s turn within the Miasma must succeed a Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 Poison damage.
Mindthorn Toxin
Level 9 Conjuration (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a branch of Bile Tree Uisneach, worth 20,000+ GP, which the spell consumes)
Replace with some form of arcane/holy rare flora in settings without Bile Trees
Duration: 7 Days
There is no salve for my fury, Khoren Vyraeth will mark your minds as your king’s actions marked mine. – Puck’s words at the fall of Albion.
You create a bone white dust peppered with purple petals which contaminates a water source you are in contact with. You contaminate up to a cubic mile of liquid for the duration. Water removed from the area manually or by natural flow remains contaminated. Creatures cannot detect this contamination without magic.
1 hour after a creature ingests the contaminated source, must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 10d8 Poison damage and become Poisoned. This damage cannot reduce a creature to 0 Hit Points. On a success they take half as much only.
While Poisoned, creatures have their dreams and idle thoughts plagued with visions loved ones betraying and attacking them. Whenever an affected creature finishes a Short or Long Rest they must succeed a Wisdom saving throw or receive no benefits from the rest, and gain 1 Exhaustion level. Affected creatures with 4 or more Exhaustion levels go mad and loses the ability to distinguish friend from foe, regarding all creatures it can see as enemies until the spell ends.
Whenever an affected creature receives an effect that would end the Poisoned condition on them, they must succeed a Constitution saving throw, or the Poisoned condition doesn’t end on them. If an affected creature successfully rests 3 times the spell ends on them.