List Dangerous Substances

[Fero]

second edit>

I am trying to list dangerous substances in 3.5 and dragon as a resource to players and DMs as I have not seen these tools categorized elsewhere. For purpose of this list, a “dangerous substance” is:

A. A thing;
B. That is not a creature (in the MM sense); and
C. Is not a magic item in the MIC sense); that
D. That deals damage or inflicts some debilitating effect:
I. On contact;
II. When inhaled; and/or
III. In an area (i.e. no suffocation hazards or ingested poisons); and
E. Can be used multiple times, can realistically be found in sufficient quantities to allow a large number of uses (terrains, etc.), and/or can be grown or bred; and
F. Can be transported or contained.

Substances created by spells, monsters, etc. Are fine so long as the substance l: (f) does not immediately disappear; and (g) does not depend on the monster/spell for its continued existence. For example, the stone from Wall of Stone could qualify, if it were dangerous.

So far I have identified the dangerous substances below. Please let me know if you know of anything else.

1. Lava (DMG): Damage
2. Acid (DMG): Damage
3. Voidstone (MoP): Fort save or annihilated
4. Black Sand (Sa): Darkness and damage.
5. Sick Stone (Und): Deals Con damage
6. Water from the River Styx (MoP): Amnesia and Feeblemind
7. Green Slime (DMG): Con Damage
8. Brown Mold (DMG): Cold damage
9. Diseases (various): various
10. Leach Salt (Sa): dehydration
11. Mirror Sand (Sa): Blindness
12. Plains of Glass (Sa): Slow movement, deal damage.
13. Fire, Hot Coals, Boiling Water, etc.: Hot!
14. Red Seas (Sa): Desiccation damage
15. Shadowsand (Sa): Reduce temperature
16. Slumbersand (Sa): Sleep
17. Hot Ash & Mud (Sa): Slow movement and damage feet, causing further slowing.
18. Acid Slush (Frb): Damage
19. Blood Snow (Frb): Con damage
20. Death Hail (Frb): Str and Con damage
21. Negation Snow (Frb): Dispels
22. Razor Ice (Frb): Damage on movement
23. Rustsnow (Frb): Slow movement and deal damage
24. Faerie Frost (Frb): Slow movement & curses.
25. Lightning Pillars (Frb): Damage
26. Snowflake Lichen (Frb): Damage and dex damage
27. Coldfire (Frb): Frostburn damage
28. Rimfire (Frb): Damage
29. Abyssal Blackgrass (HoH): Prevent Healing and cause taint.
30. Tainted Blood Rock (HoH): Increase threat ranges & cause taint
32. Night Stone (HoH): Damage
33. Boomshroom Patch (MoF): Regrowing mushrooms explode.
34. Midnight Grove (MoI): Drain incarnum/con and creates Midnight Constructs.
35. Deadsand (MoI): Quicksand that deals incarnum/Con damage and is typically filled with incarnum zombies.
36. Flux Slime (ELH): Arguably moveable slime that stops magic.
37. Jabberweed (CS): penalty on listen checks.
38. Rust Monster Wand (CS): Destroys metal
39. Pandemonic Silver (CW): AoE cowering effect when exposed to wind. Potentially very powerful.
40. Leaking Nuclear Reactor (Return to the Temple of the Frog): Con damage and mutations.
41. Stygian Ice (Frb): Ice causes con and wisdom damage and then turns the victim into a ghoul.
42. Corpse Slime (Dragon #303): Negative Levels
43. Quintessence (EPH): Hinders psionics, deals minor damage, and can place people/things in stasis.
44. Gray slime (Ds): deals lots of Acid Damage.
45. Bone Fungus (Ds): Explodes in poisonous clouds.
46. Anchor Mists (Ds): Stop/punish interdimensional Travel.
47. Irritating Fumes (Und): Causes sickness
48. Poison Gas (Und):
49. Explosive Gas (Und):
50. Fool's Water (Und): Deals acid damage. Looks like water. Explodes on contact with water.
51. Cave Creeper (Und): Causes confusion.
52. Fire Fungus (Und): Explodes
53. Wisp Lichen (Und): Paralyzes and Slow consumes victims
55. Black Mold (Cs 32-33): Disease and Int damage.
56. Dragon Breath subject to Lingering Breath Feat (MM and others plus Dr): Any dragonbreath
57.Aboleth Mucus (MM, SS): Lose ability to breath air.

Other: I am not sure if the following meet all of the above but am keeping them on this list for the time being as they are interesting and I want to find a home for them.
1. Faerzress (Und): Underdark radiation.
2. Weather & Wind (PHB & DMG):
3. Temperature (DMG, Frb, Sa):
4. Evil Weather (BoVD):
5. Yuan-Ti Mixture (??): Acts as an ingested poison that automatically kills humans?
6. Alchemical Fog (Cs 32-33): Sicken and Con damage.
7. Alchemical Rain (Cs 32-33): Damage
8. Airless Water (Stw, 13):
9. Stormfire (Stw, 14):

[Arael666]

I'm not sure it's what you want, but FR has Faerzress, which is essentially magical radiation. It's not a substance per se, but it fits all your criteria

[Fero]

I'm not sure it's what you want, but FR has Faerzress, which is essentially magical radiation. It's not a substance per se, but it fits all your criteria

That is interesting and fits my criteria. Is there any way to transport Faerzress?

[Tzardok]

As far as I know it's just fields of weird magic in Toril's Underdark. Not transportable.

[Inevitability]

Does boiling water count? Sure, it's temperature-dependent, but so is lava.


Boiling water deals 1d6 points of scalding damage, unless the character is fully immersed, in which case it deals 10d6 points of damage per round of exposure.

Also, Return to the Temple of the Frog has a leaking nuclear reactor, which is statted as a trap but logically contains some sort of harmful internal substance. It deals constitution damage and causes random double-edged mutations.

[Pezzo]

There is coldfire (from frostburn p17), a half-gas half-liquid substance that you should be able to carry as it is used as a material component for spells.

[Eurus]

Does weather count? Aside from good old heavy winds, there's also a few forms of Evil Weather from the BoVD that can be created with an 8th level spell and have various debilitating effects, some of which can conceivably kill off a lot of commoners.

[Bullet06320]

Is there any way to transport Faerzress?

As far as I know it's just fields of weird magic in Toril's Underdark. Not transportable.

acorn of far travel shenanagens?

[Tzardok]

acorn of far travel shenanagens?

Disregarding wether those shenanigans really work: What kind of oak grows in the Underdark?

[Bullet06320]

Disregarding wether those shenanigans really work: What kind of oak grows in the Underdark?

dark oaks? lol.
getting the oak tree to grow in the underdark is a different challenge, lol
I know there are some magical forests or some such in undermountain, and why not a potted oak transported down there?
or maybe research a higher level spell that works on underdark moss
its an interesting thought tho

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Sussur#:~:text=Sussurs%20were%20a%20rare%20and,whe re%20wizard%20fire%20was%20present.
maybe these are related to oaks?

[Metastachydium]

4. Black Sand (Sa)

What's wrong with the other stuff from Sandstorm, such as Red Seas (or liquid salt; the name's terribly misleading)(deals desiccation damage), Shadowsands (deals cold damage, puts fires out), Slumber Sands (puts things to sleep when kicked up and inhaled)?

[Fero]

Does boiling water count? Sure, it's temperature-dependent, but so is lava.



Also, Return to the Temple of the Frog has a leaking nuclear reactor, which is statted as a trap but logically contains some sort of harmful internal substance. It deals constitution damage and causes random double-edged mutations.

Good call on boiling water. Is Temple of the Frog WotC? It sounds wild.


Does weather count? Aside from good old heavy winds, there's also a few forms of Evil Weather from the BoVD that can be created with an 8th level spell and have various debilitating effects, some of which can conceivably kill off a lot of commoners.

That is an interesting thought. It does satisfy my definition. Is there any way to transport a weather event? Having a tornado in a bottle would be awesome.



Disregarding wether those shenanigans really work: What kind of oak grows in the Underdark?

Ravel Puzzlewell could do it.


What's wrong with the other stuff from Sandstorm, such as Red Seas (or liquid salt; the name's terribly misleading)(deals desiccation damage), Shadowsands (deals cold damage, puts fires out), Slumber Sands (puts things to sleep when kicked up and inhaled)?

Good point. I will review Sandstorm (and Frostburn as well) and add the relevant hazards.

[Bullet06320]

Good call on boiling water. Is Temple of the Frog WotC? It sounds wild.

Return to the Temple of the Frog Adventure published on the web by WOTC
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104908/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20070223a

[Chronos]

Quintessence (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/quintessence.htm), from the psi rules, puts things in stasis when completely enveloped by it, does damage to creatures partially covered, and hinders manifesting in large quantities. It exists only when created by a power, but once created, persists indefinitely.

[Gruftzwerg]

Yuan-Ti Mixture (dunno if it has a specific name..)

Yuan-Ti Cultists can learn to create a dreadful mixture that transforms humans into tainted ones or broodguards.
There is the chance that the subject can die from the mixture.

edit:

Disregarding wether those shenanigans really work: What kind of oak grows in the Underdark?

Arboreal Transformation
(Complete Mage, p. 95)
Wu Jen 9 (wood),

You transform the subject of the spell into a Huge oak tree. For a number of days equal to your caster level, that oak tree animates as a treant (though it can't animate trees) and serves as you command. You can either command it to follow you, or you can leave it somewhere with a triggering phrase as described in the liveoak spell (PH 248). When the spell's duration expires, the subject becomes in all respects a normal tree, taking root where it stands if capable.

A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is instead slowed (as the spell) as his body fights off the transformation from within. When the spell's duration expires, the subject returns to normal.


Try to buy it as service.
You need to add some kind of permanent water flow (IIRC there is a magic item for that. just can't recall the name..) and add some kind of permanent daylight to it.

Should solve the problem xD

[Beni-Kujaku]

Try to buy it as service.
You need to add some kind of permanent water flow (IIRC there is a magic item for that. just can't recall the name..) and add some kind of permanent daylight to it.

Should solve the problem xD

What do you mean‚ buy it as service!?

"Excuse me‚ would you like to turn into a tree and be forever rooted in the worst parts of the world‚ surrounded by magic radiation‚ without being able to move‚ for 1sp a day? We'll send the payment to your next of kin."

I mean‚ Death Giants and drows would definitely accept to avoid their souls being sent to the Abyss when they die‚ but apart from them.... Buy a kitten? They're cheap and you gain extra Evil points for eternal torture of a kitten.

[Inevitability]

Yuan-Ti Mixture (dunno if it has a specific name..)

Yuan-Ti Cultists can learn to create a dreadful mixture that transforms humans into tainted ones or broodguards.
There is the chance that the subject can die from the mixture.

The interesting thing here is that if the subject is a human, they die on a succesful saving throw (whereas nonhumans die on a failed one).


A human who drinks the mixture, willingly or not, must make a DC 16 Fortitude saving throw. Success means an immediate lapse into a coma, followed by death 1 hour later. Failure leaves the imbiber sickened and requires an immediate DC 15 Constitution check. Success on this check begins a painful and permanent change into a tainted one during the next 1d6 days. Failure means a groggy, torpid transformation into a broodguard over a period of 1d6+6 days.

Only humans can be successfully transformed with this mixture. Any other humanoid that drinks it must make the same DC 16 Fortitude saving throw, but success leaves the imbiber sickened for 1d4 rounds, and failure results in a coma, followed by death in 1d4+1 rounds.

[Metastachydium]

What do you mean‚ buy it as service!?

"Excuse me‚ would you like to turn into a tree and be forever rooted in the worst parts of the world‚ surrounded by magic radiation‚ without being able to move‚ for 1sp a day? We'll send the payment to your next of kin."

Becoming a full-on tree means that they can be Awakened afterwards and gain faster movement than most Humanoids, full Plant traits, hardness, reach and the power of being a TREE. And if that doesn't happen, that's sad and Evil as the caster just killed a PLANTY for no good reason at all, but it's still not fof forever.


Buy a kitten? They're cheap and you gain extra Evil points for eternal torture of a kitten.

1. Being a PLANTY is NOT eternal torture!
2. Killing cats should be considered Neutral Good or something. Those asshats are monsters.

[Gruftzwerg]

The interesting thing here is that if the subject is a human, they die on a succesful saving throw (whereas nonhumans die on a failed one).

Imho the author somehow failed with his logic here...

Have a look how the text moves on..


Onrushing death from a failed Fortitude save isn't recessarily an esacape from yuan-ti servitude. During the hour in whichsuch a creature lies comatose, it can e revived with a delay poison or neutralize poison effect.
...
It assumes that you would die from a failed save and not from a succeeded save. And imho this is the real intention here. That you only become comatose and die on a failed save and not the other way around.

The part you quoted and what I quoted here are contradicting each other. The author seems to have failed here.

[Metastachydium]

Meanwhile On-Topic:
Cityscape, pp. 32–33 has:
–Alchemical Fog (Sickened for a day at once, possible CON damage);
–Alchemical Rain (escalating damage);
–Arcane Pollution (I mean, if the Faezress counts…)(random magical effects);
–Black Mold (disease, INT damage or both); and
–Necrotic Miasma (damage, attracts Undead).


UPDATE!

Stormwrack, p. 13:
–Airless Water (nothing can breathe in it).

Dungeonscape, forgot to jot down the page number:
–Gray Slime (drops ongoing acid damage);
–Bone Fungus (arguably qualifies)(explodes into inhaled DEX poison when disturbed);
–Anchor Mists (deals lots of damage to any that attempt dimensional travel, blocks access to extradimensional storage containers).

[Chronos]

Quoth Inevitability:

The interesting thing here is that if the subject is a human, they die on a succesful saving throw (whereas nonhumans die on a failed one).
Man, aren't you glad you have Mettle?

And I just noticed that we don't have aboleths (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aboleth.htm) mentioned here. Is there any rule on whether their slime and/or mucus persists aside from the aboleth itself?

[Fero]

Return to the Temple of the Frog Adventure published on the web by WOTC
https://web.archive.org/web/20160304104908/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20070223a

Thank you. Added.


Quintessence (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/quintessence.htm), from the psi rules, puts things in stasis when completely enveloped by it, does damage to creatures partially covered, and hinders manifesting in large quantities. It exists only when created by a power, but once created, persists indefinitely.

I forgot about the psionic interference. Added.


Meanwhile On-Topic:
Cityscape, pp. 32–33 has:
–Alchemical Fog (Sickened for a day at once, possible CON damage);
–Alchemical Rain (escalating damage);
–Arcane Pollution (I mean, if the Faezress counts…)(random magical effects);
–Black Mold (disease, INT damage or both); and
–Necrotic Miasma (damage, attracts Undead).


UPDATE!

Stormwrack, p. 13:
–Airless Water (nothing can breathe in it).

Dungeonscape, forgot to jot down the page number:
–Gray Slime (drops ongoing acid damage);
–Bone Fungus (arguably qualifies)(explodes into inhaled DEX poison when disturbed);
–Anchor Mists (deals lots of damage to any that attempt dimensional travel, blocks access to extradimensional storage containers).

Fantastic! I added but separated some into a new group as I may need to change some of my criteria or create one or two new lists.


Man, aren't you glad you have Mettle?

And I just noticed that we don't have aboleths (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/aboleth.htm) mentioned here. Is there any rule on whether their slime and/or mucus persists aside from the aboleth itself?

The description in Savage Species seems to indicate that the substance can persist aside from the aboleth so added. That would be fun to harvest.

[loky1109]

I think you need look into MotP and PlH.

[Arael666]

That is interesting and fits my criteria. Is there any way to transport Faerzress?

Aside from the windwalker amulet (an artifact), I don't know of any means to gather or transport it. Though I kind of remember a spell that could increase it's concentration, but thats probably in some obscure AD&D book

[Fero]

Aside from the windwalker amulet (an artifact), I don't know of any means to gather or transport it. Though I kind of remember a spell that could increase it's concentration, but thats probably in some obscure AD&D book

What book is thr Windwalker Amulet from? It sounds interesting.

[Arael666]

What book is thr Windwalker Amulet from? It sounds interesting.

I don't think it was ever given stats in any book, it's from the Windwalker ("https://www.amazon.com/Windwalker-Forgotten-Realms-Starlight-Shadows/dp/0786929685) novel

[Bullet06320]

the windwalker amulet was also printed in Volo's Guide to all things magic, a 2nd edition book, its listed as an artifact