Elemental Expansions

Poison Spells

The elements are a fundamental part of spellcasting in much of fantasy. Yet, 5e tends to lack in options for casters trying to focus on elements other than fire. Whether you wish to create an elemental specialist, or simply wish for new options for destroying your foes, I hope you find the following useful.

Poison is, unfortunately, the worst damage type in D&D 5e by far. Not only are scores of creatures immune to it, there are too few spells that inflict poison; typically, the player character is on the receiving end of poisonous attacks from monsters. However, with a better list of spells, one could still sow chaos among enemy ranks with terrifying toxins. And for those seeking to specialize in dealing venomous death, I have also added a new feat that allows focusing on poison damage as your primary type.

Spell list by level

Level	Spells
Cantrip	Venomous Spines
1	Stinging Smite
2	Choking Smog
3	Spore Burst
4	Pernicious Swarm
5	Envenom
6	Fume Form
7	Irradiate
8	Torpor Powder
9	Mortal Tear

Art by Tyler Jacobson

Toxin Mage

Prerequisite: The ability to cast at least one spell

You can modify the poisons used in your spells, allowing them to affect even those without a regular metabolism. You gain the following benefits:

When you gain this feat, choose a creature type from the following: aberration, beast, celestial, construct, elemental, fey, fiend, monstrosity, or undead. You may change your choice whenever you finish a long rest. At 11th level you can choose two types at once instead, and 3 types at 17th level.
When affecting creatures of a chosen creature type, your spells ignore their resistance or immunity to poison damage and their immunity to the poisoned condition.
When damage is rolled for a spell you cast that deals poison damage, you can treat any 1 on a damage die as a 2.

Spell Descriptions

Venomous Spines

Conjuration cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Artificer, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You launch tiny spines tipped with venom at a creature you can see within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 piercing damage and 1d6 poison damage.

At higher levels. The spell’s damage increases by 1d4 piercing and 1d6 poison when you reach 5th level (2d4 and 2d6), 11th level (3d4 and 3d6), and 17th level (4d4 and 4d6).

Stinging Smite

1st-level evocation

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Classes: Paladin

The next time you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, your weapon produces a potent venom, and the attack deals an extra 1d12 poison damage to the target and must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it is also poisoned until the end of your next turn.

Choking Smog

2nd-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

An insidious smog creeps into the target's airways, forcing them to cough. Choose a creature you can see within range. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw. The creature takes 2d6 poison damage and becomes poisoned for the duration on a failed save. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage, is not poisoned and the spell ends for it. While poisoned in this way, the creature coughs and wheezes violently, and is unable to speak intelligibly or cast spells that include a verbal component. And the end of the poisoned creature's turn, it must repeat the initial saving throw with the same effects.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd.

Art by Alessandra Pisano

Spore Burst

3rd-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S, M (A poisonous mushroom)
Duration: 1 round
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard

A puff of noxious spores fills a 15-foot radius sphere within range. Until the end of your next turn, the spores stay in the air and the affected area is heavily obscured.

When a creature enters the spore's area before they dissipate for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that creature must make a Constitution saving throw. The creature takes 5d10 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Creatures are affected by this spell even if they hold their breath or don’t need to breathe.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the poison damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.

Pernicious Swarm

4th-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Classes: Druid, Ranger, Warlock, Wizard

You throw a swarming mass of tiny venomous animals of your choice, such as snakes, spiders, scorpions, centipedes or wasps. Each creature in a 20-foot cube within range must make a Dexterity saving throw or become covered by the swarm. An affected creature's speed is halved and it must use all of its speed at the beginning of each of its turns to move in a random direction in a straight line. Roll a d8 to determine the direction.

An affected creature must make a Constitution save at the end of each of it's turns. On a failed save, the creature takes 6d8 poison damage. On a successful save, it takes half as much and the spell ends for that creature.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the poison damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.

Envenom

5th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S, M (a viper's fang)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Classes: Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Ranger

You bless your the strikes of your allies, allowing them to inject venom into their targets. Any number of target creatures within range gain a total of 10 venom dice, which are d12s, divided among them however you like. When a target hits a creature with an attack that deals piercing or slashing damage, they can use roll up to 4 of their venom dice and cause the target of the attack to make a Constitution saving throw. The attacked creature takes damage equal to the total of the rolled venom dice on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

If a creature runs out of venom dice, the spell ends for that creature.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the number of venom dice increases by 2 and the maximum number of dice a creature can roll for one attack increases by 1 slot each for each slot level above 5th.

Fume Form

6th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

Your body begins to emit foul black smoke, which then enshrouds your body. Until the spell ends, you gain the following benefits:

You are immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.
When you move on your turn, you transform fully into black smoke. This allows you to fly at a speed equal to your normal speed, but if you are still in the air at the end of your movement, you fall.
Additionally, while transformed, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and you can pass through small holes, narrow openings, and even mere cracks, though you treats liquids as though they were solid surfaces. If you end your movement without enough space to transform back, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space.
You can use an action to launch a ball of noxious fumes at a location within 60 feet, which bursts into a 5-foot radius sphere. Each creature in the sphere must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 4d10 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Art by Micah Epstein

Irradiate

7th-level evocation

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (90-foot cone)
Components: V, S, M (a small lead sphere)
Duration: Instantaneous
Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You produce a burst of greenish energy that pierces through most objects and causes sickness. Each creature in a 90-foot cone must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 11d6 poison damage and is poisoned for 1 round. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not poisoned.

The spell can penetrate most barriers, and thus can affect even targets behind full cover. However, the effect is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the poison damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level above 7th.

Torpor Powder

8th-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 100 feet
Components: V, S, M (a dried butterfly wing)
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You blow a sparkling green powder out from your hands, which expands to engulf a sphere of up to 60 foot radius within range, although it may be a smaller radius if you wish. The powder spreads around corners and through small gaps.

Each creature within the sphere when you cast the spell must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed saving throw, a creature takes 7d10 poison damage and fall unconscious. The creature remains asleep until the spell ends, the sleeper takes damage, or someone uses an action to shake or slap the sleeper awake. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much and does not fall unconscious. A creature that is immune to the poisoned condition automatically succeeds this save.

When you cast the spell, you can choose to make the spell non-lethal. When you do so, the spell does no damage, but roll the damage dice regardless. If you do, any creature that has less hit points remaining than the total of the dice roll automatically fails its saving throw.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 9th level, the poison damage increases by 2d10.

Art by David Szabo

Mortal Tear

9th-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Special (See text)
Components: V, S
Duration: Up to 8 hours
Classes: Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

You create a poison of legendary potency that few can survive. The poison is initially held in an empty hand. You can deliver the poison as a melee spell attack when you cast the spell. If the spell attack is unsuccessful, you can try again on subsequent turns for 8 hours as long as you do not use the hand for anything else.

Alternatively, you can use it to coat a single weapon or piece of ammunition, apply it to a portion of food or drink, or an object or surface that is up to 1 foot square area by touching it with the hand used. Regardless of the method, a creature that touches, is injured by, or ingests the targeted object or area can be affected by the poison, unless it is immune to the poisoned condition or this spell. If applied to an object, the poison lasts for 8 hours before becoming inert. You are immune to your own Mortal Tear poison.

The first non-immune creature exposed to the tear is affected by the spell, and must make a Constitution saving throw immediately and at the end of each of its turns. The affected creature takes 8d12 poison damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Additionally:

If it fails a save, the creature is poisoned until the spell ends.
If it fails saves two times, the creature is incapacitated until the spell ends.
If it fails saves three times, the creature dies and the spell ends.

If it successfully saves against this spell three times, the spell ends. The successes and failures don’t need to be consecutive; keep track of both until the target collects three of a kind. Each casting of this spell can only affect one creature.

Art by Steven Belledin